The Wealthy and Influential Fiancé Has the Ability to Read Minds
Chapter 53
Tang Nuan looked at Ye Shuyan’s handsome, expressionless face and couldn’t help but feel an itch of frustration.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and her eyes sparkled mischievously as she smiled, “Alright then, just bear with it. But don’t do anything like pursuing me or making ambiguous gestures.”
“Otherwise, with you being so handsome and outstanding, if I develop feelings for you, we’ll have to break off the engagement. And you don’t want that, do you?”
Ye Shuyan: …
How did they end up right back where they started?
No, it wasn’t just back to the starting point—the power dynamics had completely flipped.
Tang Nuan, mimicking his earlier demeanor, said coolly, “In any case, bear with it. If you can manage to suppress your feelings, all the better. Don’t fall for me, or else we’ll have to call off the engagement.”
Ye Shuyan: …
It turns out he had been too young and naive back then. The old saying is true: never speak or act too decisively. See, now karma’s come back around.
But he couldn’t resist adding, “As an engaged couple, we still have to fulfill our respective duties and responsibilities.”
Tang Nuan paused before nodding with a touch of reserved grace, “I’ll do my best.”
Ye Shuyan: … Why does that sound somewhat cheesy?
As if she could read his thoughts, Tang Nuan gave him a sidelong glance and asked, “What if it’s an unreasonable request?”
Ye Shuyan thought to himself, what unreasonable requests could he possibly make?
Tang Nuan decided to give Ye Shuyan a clear demonstration of how seriously she was taking her precautions.
After they finished dinner and returned to their apartment, they took the elevator up together. When they reached the nineteenth floor, Tang Nuan quickly stepped out and, not allowing Ye Shuyan to follow, shot him a wary glance as she began to change the password on her door right in front of him.
Ye Shuyan: …
He couldn’t help but say, “Back then, I gave you all the passwords to my place.”
Tang Nuan responded confidently, “I don’t like you, so there’s no danger in that. But you like me, right? What if you can’t control yourself…”
Ye Shuyan, still considering himself a gentleman, couldn’t accept being thought of as a rogue and retorted, “Can’t control myself and end up biting your legs?”
Tang Nuan recalled her earlier thoughts: …
She didn’t even finish changing the password before she stormed into her apartment, slamming the door in frustration.
So cute.
As Ye Shuyan went upstairs, he found the whole situation increasingly amusing. While changing his clothes, something else occurred to him, and he decided to call Tang Nuan.
When she answered, her tone was fierce, “What do you want?”
Ye Shuyan chuckled, “I brought you a gift from my trip.” Though he hadn’t actually had time to buy something this time, he was glad he had stocked up on gifts beforehand.
To prevent her from refusing, he quickly explained, “According to our agreement, I broke the rules first. If we do end up breaking off the engagement, everything I gave you during this time would be yours to keep.”
As he spoke, he picked out a gift box and started walking toward her door, only to hear Tang Nuan reply in a composed voice, “Alright, just give it to Assistant Wen. I’ll pick it up from him at the office tomorrow.”
Ye Shuyan: …
If Ye Shuyan had known that confessing his feelings would result in being meticulously guarded against, he might have reconsidered and kept quiet.
However, despite everything, listening to Tang Nuan’s quiet inner monologue from downstairs put him in a good mood, and he had a restful sleep.
The next day, he waited until Tang Nuan was up, dressed, and ready to leave before he pressed the elevator button.
Seeing him in the elevator, Tang Nuan was surprised. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
Ye Shuyan had a ready excuse. “I’m adjusting to the time difference.”
Tang Nuan looked at him skeptically, but she had no evidence to challenge him. After all, he hadn’t installed surveillance in her home—there was no way he could know her schedule.
In the underground parking lot, Tang Nuan was about to get into her sports car when Ye Shuyan casually draped an arm over her shoulder and guided her to his car instead. “Driving a sports car at this hour can be exhausting. Besides… if you’re trying to get back at me, shouldn’t you test my self-control a bit, make me suffer a little?”
Tang Nuan denied it. “Who said I’m trying to get back at you?” Do you think I’m as petty as you?
Still, he had a point.
Half a minute later, Driver Xiao Liu, eyes straight ahead and pretending to ignore the situation, started the car. It was the first time since he had started working that President Ye sat in the passenger seat, and Xiao Liu wasn’t used to it at all.
Cautiously glancing through the rearview mirror at the relaxed-looking Miss Tang in the back seat, Xiao Liu thought to himself, so even his boss is afraid of his girlfriend…
“Focus on driving.”
Xiao Liu stiffened, no longer daring to glance back. “Yes, President Ye.”
By the time Tang Nuan had finished reviewing the draft contract sent by Tang Yue, they were almost at Ye Group’s building.
Tang Yue had already arrived, so Tang Nuan headed straight to the legal department’s conference room. Ye Shuyan, on the other hand, went to his office first to pick up a file before joining them.
When he reached the conference room, the door was slightly ajar, likely left that way by someone who had entered earlier. Ye Shuyan could hear the tense confrontation happening inside.
Assistant Wen’s voice was cool and indifferent as he responded, “Do you think I have the authority to decide the terms of this contract? If you’ve got the ability, go talk to our boss directly.” He was clearly thinking, Are you out of your mind?
Tang Yue replied in a voice dripping with a kind of gentle condescension, “My sister will handle your boss. As for you, you’re just a pawn. It’s not like I have any reservations about dealing with you.” The implication being, Ye Shuyan might become my brother-in-law, so I won’t mess with him, but you’re fair game.
Assistant Wen kept his tone even, “Indeed, but this specific term in the agreement was decided by the boss. I, as his subordinate, can’t change that.”
Tang Yue, still in her soft voice, said, “Then you’re really not doing your job well. Maybe I should give you some pointers?”
Ye Shuyan knocked and entered at that moment, taking in the scene: Tang Nuan was sitting obediently at the head of the table, her eyes darting back and forth as she watched the tense standoff between the two on either side of her.
She looked quite adorable.
When Assistant Wen saw him enter, he stood up and greeted, “President Ye.” There was a hint of pride in his expression.
[Mission accomplished, I didn’t let her gain an inch!]
Ye Shuyan: …
Does he realize that’s his future sister-in-law?
Seeing Tang Nuan’s watchful gaze and Tang Yue’s gentle nod of acknowledgment, Ye Shuyan cleared his throat and said to Assistant Wen, “I’ll handle things here. You go ahead and start preparing for the morning meeting.”
After Assistant Wen left, Ye Shuyan took his seat and handed a document to Tang Yue, speaking in a gentle tone, “We can hold off on the financing contract for now. You might want to take a look at this first.”
Tang Yue glanced at the encrypted document, which was the listing plan. When she flipped to the shareholder structure and saw Tang Nuan’s name as the largest shareholder, her eyebrows raised slightly.
Ye Shuyan explained in a calm voice, “I’m planning to spin off the hotel management division and list it separately.”
“If we go with the financing option now, it’s possible to share some of the profits, but the Nuanyang System project would remain in a long-term partnership with Ye Group.”
“But if we go with an acquisition, Nuanyang System would become fully owned by Ye Group. Based on the evaluation team’s data model, its profits could reach over a hundred million in three years and then begin to grow exponentially. In that scenario, Nuanyang System would hold a significant share of the hotel management division, and since Tang Nuan developed the project, it would make sense for her to become the major shareholder.”
Seeing Tang Yue’s expression soften, Ye Shuyan felt relieved. “This document is a company secret, so I couldn’t explain it directly yesterday.”
Tang Yue seemed to understand something, but she nodded without giving anything away.
The two of them appeared to share a mutual understanding, but Tang Nuan was completely in the dark. She heard Ye Shuyan mention the spin-off of the division, and though something flashed through her mind, she couldn’t quite grasp it.
Ye Shuyan couldn’t help but smile at her thoughtful expression. She might have studied finance, and she was capable of handling projects, but when it came to corporate management, she was still a bit young. However, that was something she could gradually learn.
Tang Yue handed the document to Tang Nuan, and when she saw her own name listed as the major shareholder, Tang Nuan froze for a moment. So, he had really been planning to include her in his future plans all along…
But she didn’t have the confidence to take on such a role.
Ye Shuyan glanced at her and, without pressing the issue, said gently, “If you’re worried about the risks of the acquisition contract, we can sign a supplementary agreement that allows for dividends similar to those in a financing deal.”
“If, after two years, Tang Nuan decides she’s ready to become the major shareholder, the supplementary agreement will be voided. If not, it will function just like the current financing contract.”
His thorough consideration made even Tang Yue feel a bit embarrassed. This was entirely in Tang Nuan’s best interest. She looked over at Tang Nuan, waiting for her response.
Tang Nuan handed the encrypted document back to Ye Shuyan. “Let’s just sign the acquisition contract. There’s no need for a supplementary agreement.”
Tang Yue assumed this was because she trusted Ye Shuyan, so she didn’t say anything further. Taking the acquisition contract, she said, “I’ll take this back to review it. I’ll come by again once we’re sure everything’s in order.”
As Ye Shuyan walked them to the elevator, Tang Yue offered an apology. “Sorry, I misunderstood you earlier, especially regarding Assistant Wen…”
Thinking of that troublemaker, Ye Shuyan responded calmly, “It’s fine. He really isn’t the brightest sometimes.”
Just as the elevator doors opened with a “ding,” Assistant Wen appeared, looking at his boss with a forlorn expression: …
He could take the blame, he could endure being overlooked, but he would not stand for being called not smart. This time, unless his bonus was doubled, there was no way to cheer him up!
Ye Shuyan: …
Seeing the silent standoff between the two, Tang Nuan quietly took a step back. Tang Yue, however, with a tone that one might use to console a child, said to Assistant Wen, “Assistant Wen, next time I’ll be clearer with my words. Don’t be upset.”
Tang Nuan couldn’t help but tug at her sister’s sleeve, silently urging her not to make things worse!
As expected, Assistant Wen turned his gaze toward them, his eyes cold as ice, while Tang Yue smiled back at him with a warm, gentle expression.
Tang Nuan took another step back, wondering what kind of strange drama she had stumbled into.
In the end, Ye Shuyan must have given some subtle signal because Assistant Wen quickly reined in his sharp demeanor, reverting to his usual cool and capable self.
Just before getting into the elevator, Ye Shuyan suddenly grabbed Tang Nuan’s hand. She turned back, glaring at him, only to see him place a small box in her hand, smiling as he said, “Here’s the gift I promised.”
Tang Nuan felt the lingering warmth of his fingers on her hand, suspecting he was trying to take advantage of her, but without any concrete evidence.
……
Sitting at his desk, Ye Shuyan couldn’t help but smile as he recalled the way she had glared at him. However,…
Even though her thoughts had flitted by quickly, he had caught them. Why did she lack confidence in a future with him? Was it because of that book she mentioned before?
Ye Shuyan had a gut feeling there was more to it—she seemed to be harboring some kind of inner turmoil.
After work, Ye Shuyan made a deliberate decision to buy a bottle of wine on his way home.
He knew that Tang Nuan became quite talkative when she was drunk. Maybe he could coax some answers out of her.
The author has something to say:
Tang Nuan: Dream on, do you think you can just walk through my door?
Tang Nuan: Assistant Wen is the core of the harem, how come he suddenly turned nice?
Ye Shuyan: Because I have the ability.
Later, I found out that Assistant Wen brought home a little girlfriend.
Ye Shuyan: I think I might have written too much…