11pm.

  The exhausted Xiang Ning had already fallen into deep slumber.

  Wu Yuewei tossed and turned around in her bed, unable to sleep. Xu Tingsheng had been cold to her for too long such that even simply being treated well by him would be repeatedly thought about and yearned for by her. She thought: Why are these summer holidays so long? Such a good university like Qingbei actually doesn’t have any supplementary lessons over the summer holidays? It should be like in senior high,making use of every second that there is!

  Meanwhile, Xu Tingsheng had just told the lethal creature Yu Xinlan even as she pulled at the zipper on her dress, a bewitching sound thus resounding, that his fire had already gone out.

  Xu Tingsheng was not a saint. He had virtually almost been unable to control himself just now.

  However, this was just the way things were. There is actually such a kind of girl in this world that can cause you to become cleaner and purer with their own purity and goodness. Xu Tingsheng had just conversed with two such girls, feeling happiness and joy from them.

  Thus, his body had been able to break free of its overpowering desires now.

  The experienced Yu Xinlan halted amidst her movements and looked at Xu Tingsheng. From his expression and the state of his body, his breathing included, she knew that what he said was true. His ‘fire’ had indeed already ‘gone out’.

  Yu Xinlan suddenly felt overwhelmed by defeat, vexation and awkwardness……

  She had seen far too many men dependably answering calls by their wives come to check on them before immediately lunging wildly towards her like a dog in heat. This boy, however……he had merely sent a few text messages.

  Yu Xinlan considered: Should she try again? Since ignition had already come once, it could surely come again. Of course, she would have to start all over again……

  Yu Xinlan sat down.

  Xu Tingsheng got up, walking over to add water into his teacup.

  “Chairman Yu,” Xu Tingsheng said as he walked, “Look, that was too great a joke on your part. Even I almost thought you were serious, “ Xu Tingsheng forcibly found a pedestal for Yu Xinlan to step down onto.

  Yu Xinlan forced out some laughter, not speaking.

  Xu Tingsheng actually still couldn’t understand Yu Xinlan’s reasons for doing this. Might she like him? This was the most improbable. Perhaps knowing that Dexin’s ship was going to sink, she was trying to find a new one to get on. Also, it had best be a large ship. Xu Tingsheng had fit the criteria well.

  It might also be possible, amping up the severity of this incident, that there might be a voice recorder or even a pinhole camera hidden within her bag now.

  After Xu Tingsheng had returned from adding water, Yu Xinlan finally returned to the main topic, “Has Boss Xu come to a decision regarding acquiring Dexin?”


  “Acquiring a training institute of Dexin’s scale is no small matter for both me and Hucheng. I may have to think carefully on it for a while before arriving at a decision. I hope that Chairman Yu can understand this.”


  Xu Tingsheng did not want Yu Xinlan to despair and give up directly, looking for another path. Otherwise, when his chance to acquire Dexin really came, this woman might cause significant problems for him from the side.

  While women seemed weak, with a lethal creature such as this willing to go all out, there was really much that could happen then.

  Yu Xinlan didn’t find anything wrong with this answer as she nodded, “I can certainly understand that. I just hope that my earlier method will not cause Boss Xu to doubt my sincerity and my intentions. As I see it, this is the most reliable relationship between a man and a woman.”


  “So……my viewpoint should be the most unreliable method?” Xu Tingsheng asked.

  “Love is unreliable. Pure relationships of the flesh are instead more reliable, each gaining what they want from it.”


  Yu Xinlan laughed seductively, returning to the washroom in a very natural manner to retrieve those items of clothing she had removed. Then, she removed her dress right before Xu Tingsheng’s very eyes, beginning to put on her underwear whilst naked.

  Yu Xinlan was clearly treating Xu Tingsheng as an ‘experienced general’. Yet, if one really thought about it, Uncle was still chaste in this life. As for the previous……how was this to be calculated again?

  Xu Tingsheng awkwardly swivelled his head away whilst trying his best not to laugh. Yu Xinlan was standing right in front of the big wardrobe……would Zhang Xingke who was hiding inside be able to prevent himself from charging out?

  After wearing her clothes, Yu Xinlan placed a name card on the table, “Then, if Boss Xu has come to a decision, you can give me a call at any time.”


  “Okay,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Also, if Boss Xu is suddenly ‘ignited’ again, you can also give me a call at any time. One minute later, 3am in the morning, anytime’s fine.”


  “Huh? Okay.”
……

  After Yu Xinlan had left, Zhang Xingke stumbled out of the big wardrobe. As he looked at Xu Tingsheng, his back was arched as he was continuously heaving in deep breaths……just being unable to speak.

  Xu Tingsheng’s hairs stood on end a little as he said warily, “Senior, please don’t look at me like this. I’ll be scared. Hey, if you keep on looking at me like this, I’m gonna yell……I’ll call the police!”


  “Scram!” Zhang Xingke scolded with a smile on his face, the distance between the two seemingly having been reduced greatly by the unique experience they had just shared.

  “Let me go wash my face first.”


  Fortunately, Zhang Xingke’s facial expression became much more normal after he had washed his face. Xu Tingsheng poured him tea again.

  Zhang Xingke sat down and wiped the water droplets off his face, “Sorry for wrecking things for you……that’s a lethal creature indeed. This bro almost couldn’t resist charging at her just now.”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “Then, Senior……”


  Zhang Xingke said, “I’ve never touched her before. I’m just her subordinate, looking at her all the time yet being unable to ‘eat’ her……don’t think that she’s really as casual as that. She does distinguish people. If she doesn’t see rabbits, she won’t extend her talons. With my current situation, even a hundred of me wouldn’t catch her eye, wouldn’t even be looked in the eye.”


  “What exactly is up with her then?”


  “Her position is currently a Chairman of the office. In actuality, she’s Principal Zhang’s mistress, and also one to others from time to time. She doesn’t conduct lessons. No one even knows the academic qualifications that she has. Anyway, I heard from those old employees that she joined the company together with her husband, helping out in the cafeteria. Her husband does conduct lessons here.”


  “She’s very remarkable then.”


  “Could she be any more remarkable? She herself, her husband, two brothers and uncles……a total of seven or eight of them in their family are working and earning off Dexin. Dexin having fallen to how it is today, half of the ‘credit’ belongs to her.”


  “Then……her husband……”


  “Let me give you an example. When I just entered Dexin, nearing the end of dinner one day, Principal Zhang directly told her husband in front of everyone, “ Go home and tend to your kid first. Xinlan’s going dancing with us. She might be back late today.”


  “What then?”


  “Then, her husband left first just like that. I was completely shocked by that, given a real lesson on the harsh reality of this society.”


  “The heck. Was she really serious just now?”


  “She was. She’s more familiar with Dexin’s situation than most others are. Therefore, she’s likely set her eyes on you now. Also, she likely wants to profit off the acquisition process.”


  Xu Tingsheng was silent for a while.

  “What’re you thinking now?” Zhang Xingke asked.

  “If I really want to acquire Dexin, she looks like she’d be of greater use than you,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Burning your bridges after crossing them?”


  “I haven’t crossed any bridge yet.”


  Zhang Xingke was taken aback, “That’s right, but you aren’t that kind of person.”


  Xu Tingsheng smiled, “I wasn’t originally, but didn’t you just persuade me just now? I’m weak-willed as a woman, laughable to the extreme. Therefore, I just changed how I am.”


  Zhang Xingke cocked his head as he waved his hands in denial, “Don’t joke. Really, have you come to a decision or not?”


  Xu Tingsheng nodded, “Actually, you know full well that I wouldn’t be able to refuse, or otherwise you wouldn’t have found me. Still, I can’t do as you ask. Hucheng has never tampered with our recruitment before. I won’t exchange Hucheng’s reputation for anything.”


  “Therefore, I will reject this deal with Dexin tomorrow. Then……actually, the current Dexin is already full of holes. I believe that Senior has other methods you can use to handle things.”


  Zhang Xingke thought about it, “Conditions.”


  “The conditions aren’t urgent. We’re buds anyway.”


  “Who’s buds with you? You nearly freaking pushed me to the brink! We’re enemies.”


  “.……After we’ve succeeded, I’ll give Senior twenty percent of Dexin Training Institute’s shares. At that time, Senior can directly swap it for cash and leave, or you could also stay behind and help me to manage Dexin for a time before establishing your own company afterwards……your choice.”


  “The conditions are this good?”


  “After all, I’m only providing the money and not the labour.”


  “Aren’t you afraid of me? I’m a vicious wolf.”


  “I know. Still, I remember Senior telling me earlier that my foresight and handling of the overall situation aren’t bad. Therefore, I believe that Senior won’t attempt to stab me in the back for a time……as for eventually, I know that Senior isn’t someone who’s willing to stay beneath others. I hope that we can end things on a good note at the time.”


  “Why didn’t you choose that lethal creature?”


  “She’s more troublesome than you.”


  “Afraid that you might be unable to take it one day?”


  “Afraid. I also wouldn’t be able to support that entire family of hers.”


  “Wait for my call then.”


  Zhang Xingke rose to leave, suddenly turning back as he arrived before the door, “Just now……it’s really indigestion here. I’ve got to find a place to let the fire out. You’re not familiar with Shenghai City; how about we go together?”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “What I told that Chairman Yu just now was true. My fire’s really gone out.”


  “There’s actually still such a person in this world? Freakish,” Zhang Xingke said disbelievingly, “You won’t be calling her later, right?”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “You never know! After all, we’ve got to tie her down. Otherwise, I’m afraid that she might look for another buyer or cause trouble for you.”


  Zhang Xingke said, “You don’t have to worry about this. Ignore her and drag it on for as long as you can. Even rejecting her would be fine. If I can’t win even her, I wouldn’t be qualified to have that twenty percent anyway.”


  Zhang Xingke left the room.

  “Isn’t Senior afraid that I’ll burn my bridge after crossing it?” Xu Tingsheng yelled through the door.

  “No.”


  “Why?”


  “Because you’re weak-willed as a woman.”
……

  12am.

  Xu Tingsheng bathed with cold water twice. He lay down on the bed for a while before getting up and going to bathe for a third time.

  Having lowered the air-conditioning, not using a blanket, Xu Tingsheng leaned against the back of the bed, looking repeatedly at his earlier chat history with Xiang Ning and Wu Yuewei……Yet, it still seemed completely useless! The ember was still alive, was blazing more and more strongly.

  Xu Tingsheng remembered how after having set up a business in his previous life, every time before he headed out to entertainment facilities with potential customers, he would give Xiang Ning a call beforehand, saying, “Miss Xiang, you love me.”


  “What’s with you, Uncle?”


  “I’m off to accompany customers……”


  “Urgh, how dirty, Uncle.”


  “I’m not asking you for this, Madame.”


  “Then……if you dare, I’ll cut you.”


  “It’s not this as well.”


  “Think about me.”


  “Okay.”


  But the current her should already be asleep? Xu Tingsheng hesitated for a while before sending Wu Yuewei a message.

  “Are you asleep?”


  “Not yet. How come you’re still awake as well?”


  “Chat with me for a while.”


  “Oh, okay. What will we chat about?”


  “How about I tell you a few stories?”


  “Like that one over the phone back then?”


  “No, it’s proper ones this time.”


  “So Senior actually knows that that one was improper?”


  “Uhhh……”


  “It’s fine, actually. Girls tell that kind as well. There’s also someone in our dorm who’s like this.”


  “You must’ve heard quite a few before then?”


  “I……know one.”


  “You tell me one then. I want an improper one.”


  “Huh?”


  “Is that not alright?”


  “I……There was once a couple who……”