Yi Bo and Qi Ran agreed on a time and place for their meeting, and the two of them met alone.
“Yi Xuan said you have a way to help me. I want to hear what you have in mind,” Yi Bo asked directly, getting straight to the point.
“I hope you can remain calm and listen to everything I have to say,” Qi Ran said seriously, looking at Yi Bo.
“Go ahead, whatever you have to say, I’ll listen till the end,” Yi Bo responded.
“I still have some connections abroad, so I can help Yi’s company expand internationally. However, expanding overseas is no simple task and will take time for planning and execution. Right now, the most important thing is to stabilize the company’s domestic operations, but I don’t have many connections here, so we would need Wu Xuan’s help.”
Although Qi Ran’s words were within Yi Bo’s expectations, Yi Bo clenched his fists under the table, where no one could see.
Qi Ran then started painting a rosy picture for Yi Bo, trying to convince him to put the past behind him for the sake of Yi’s company. Yi Bo resisted his growing irritation and listened to the end.
“I truly have no other options left, so I’m swallowing my pride and accepting your offer,” Yi Bo said, looking at Qi Ran. “But there’s something you need to understand: this doesn’t mean there’s any chance of us rekindling anything. I have no feelings for you anymore. However, if you can really help me, I’ll repay the favor.”
Qi Ran swallowed his heartache and pretended to be magnanimous. “It’s fine if you don’t have feelings for me. We can just be regular friends. I’ll help you for old times’ sake.”
After they finished talking, Yi Bo left without even taking a sip of water.
Qi Ran sat there for a while longer, thinking that the fact Yi Bo could now calmly sit and talk with him was already progress. As long as Yi Bo was no longer as resistant to seeing him, Qi Ran believed they could eventually regain their past closeness and rekindle their relationship.
But in truth, Yi Bo had no real intention of accepting Qi Ran’s so-called help. Initially, he’d hoped never to see Qi Ran again. But now, Qi Ran had used Yi Xuan’s desire for reconciliation to make Yi Bo feel disgusted. And it wasn’t like Yi Bo could cut ties with Yi Xuan just because of this. Most importantly, Yi Bo had recently discovered that a company had been pressuring Yi’s company. At first, he thought it was Yi Wei’s doing, but after some digging, he found out it was actually Wu Xuan’s work. This discovery ignited a fire of revenge in Yi Bo, and he was determined to make them pay.
During the conversation with Qi Ran earlier, most of what Yi Bo said was the truth—about enduring humiliation, about having no feelings for Qi Ran, about refusing to reconcile, and about his reluctance and bitterness. He had to be truthful because he knew that too many lies would be obvious to Qi Ran.
Yi Wei looked at a message on his phone, surprised. He hadn’t expected Yi Bo to contact him, asking for a meeting. Curious about what Yi Bo might say, Yi Wei agreed.
Yi Bo didn’t go to the Gu family home to meet Yi Wei. Instead, under the cover of night and in a different car, he snuck over to the Mi family’s residence to meet him.
Yi Wei watched as Yi Bo walked in. After Yi Bo sat down, Yi Wei asked, “I never thought you would come to see me. I figured someone with as much pride as you would never bow down to me. Or, are you here to insult me?”
“I want to propose a deal,” Yi Bo said.
“A deal?” Yi Wei chuckled mockingly. “What kind of deal could we possibly make?”
“Gu Heng’s grandmother and grandfather are working on a plan—a plan specifically aimed at taking you down. Since Gu Heng’s grandmother is Mr. Wei’s biological mother, if you don’t have full insight into their plan, it will be hard to stop them. I can help you gather all their plans and arrangements, and I’ll also convince my parents to stop comparing themselves to the Mi family. All I ask is that you promise never to undermine Yi’s company and help improve its current situation a little. Also, I want you to help me deal with someone.”
Yi Wei was taken aback. “You’re saying you’ll help me spy on Gu Heng and his grandmother, so I can use that information to take them down?”
“That’s right,” Yi Bo said. “If you can disrupt my grandmother and grandfather’s plan and counterattack, no one in the Gu family will be able to threaten your position. But I must warn you: if their plan succeeds, it will definitely affect your relationship with Mr. Gu and your marriage. It could even pose a threat to your child.”
“You know how much I despise you. Aren’t you worried that I’ll just pretend to agree to your deal, use the information to stop Gu Heng’s grandmother and grandfather, and then turn around and crush you and the Yi family?” Yi Wei asked, eyeing Yi Bo.
“I know I’m taking a risk, but I have no other choice. I’ve been pushed to the edge, and I have to take this gamble. I know you hate me, and I’m willing to apologize and let you vent your anger. Just promise me the Yi company won’t go bankrupt.”
“And who is this person you want me to help you deal with?” Yi Wei asked.
“Wu Xuan,” Yi Bo replied.
“Wu Xuan? The one married to Qi Ran? Your former best friend?” Yi Wei asked, his brow furrowing.
“That’s the one,” Yi Bo said. “I recently discovered that he’s been pressuring Yi’s company through another business. If you help me save the Yi family company and exact revenge on him, I’ll do whatever you say from now on.”
Yi Wei thought for a moment. “I need to consider this carefully. I’ll get back to you in a few days. You can go now.”
“The longer you delay, the worse it is for you. You should decide quickly, or their plan might succeed soon,” Yi Bo warned. “Also, if you agree to this deal, I hope that in public, we continue to act like we dislike each other. We can’t let Gu Heng or his grandmother or grandfather suspect anything.”
With that, Yi Bo got up and left.
After Yi Bo left, Yi Wei was left in a bit of a daze. He had considered many possible outcomes, but he had never expected things to unfold like this.
Yi Wei began to sort out his thoughts. Yi Bo had come to him, offering to cooperate and provide him with details of Gu Heng’s grandmother and grandfather’s plans. Of course, Yi Wei already knew what their plan was—because he was the central figure in it. But Yi Bo didn’t know that Yi Wei was aware of the scheme, which was why he had come to propose the collaboration.
Yi Wei marveled at Yi Bo’s willingness to swallow his pride and endure humiliation, all for the sake of the Yi family’s business and his desire for revenge against Wu Xuan.
But Yi Wei could understand Yi Bo’s thinking. After all, in Yi Bo’s mind, there was no deep, irreconcilable hatred between them. So, from his perspective, cooperation made sense when they both had something to gain. Yi Wei didn’t worry about Yi Bo trying to trap him because, by agreeing to help, Yi Bo would be betraying Gu Heng’s grandmother and grandfather completely. Yi Wei was the only one who could protect him after that. And even if Yi Bo wanted to deceive him, Gu Yueshan would never let it slide, something Yi Bo knew all too well.
Yi Wei smiled. Things were getting more and more interesting, in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
Yi Bo pulled his car over and gripped the steering wheel tightly. His nerves were shot, and cold sweat was starting to trickle down his back. He knew he was gambling everything—the fate of the Yi family, and his own future. The best outcome would be for Yi Wei to help him take down Wu Xuan and then confront Gu Heng’s grandmother and grandfather, with both sides suffering losses. Hopefully, Gu Yueshan would eventually grow tired of Yi Wei.
But throughout this process, there was a very real risk that Yi Bo could get caught and exposed. Still, if he didn’t take this gamble, the Yi family had no hope. Wu Xuan would continue to suppress and humiliate them, and Yi Bo couldn’t bear the thought of not exacting his revenge. Right now, Yi Wei was the only person who could help him do that.
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