Chapter 43

The next few days came like routine. Li Shaoze had been busy commuting from Quze Industries to his home from morning until sunset. His days were hectic that he forgot little things like consulting Gu Chen about his condition.

He had finally gained momentum in the company. There were many documents he went through and many reports he had checked. He attended every meeting to get more information, either the small team meeting of brainstorming sessions or huge department conferences. The chairman and the four core departments were supportive of his actions, which also caused positive feedback from the board of directors.

Currently, Li Shaoze was at his office, looking over the monthly reports of the headquarters performance. He was serious as he looked over every little detail in the document, not leaving a single typo out.

Li Junfeng was sitting on the sofa across his office. He wasn't doing anything substantial. He was just bidding time to go home. Glancing at the clock on the wall behind Li Shaoze, he sighed. It was still early.

"When will this be over...?" he sighed.

Li Shaoze didn't even look at him as he flipped to another page. Li Junfeng wasn't offended but instead, he sulked by himself.

He thought back to the night when he witnessed his brother and his ex-fiancee became genuine good friends. Under the protection of the huge Plum Blossom tree, they talked and sorted out their misunderstanding.

Li Junfeng felt that Pei Qian had changed after his death. She had undergone a very difficult phase and became very quiet and depressed at some point in time. But right after she picked herself up, she was braver than anyone else. She walked forward faster than he could have ever done. She left for the future very decisively. As if there was nothing holding her back.

Somehow, he felt happy and forlorn at the same time he realized that his beloved was slowly growing up and becoming older in the passage of time as he was stuck in the present, not able to be seen nor heard forever.

"Junfeng," Li Junfeng got out of his daze as he turned to face his brother who was calling his name. His dark eyes hid the emotions he felt as he leisurely asked what was wrong.

Li Shaoze pursed his lips and paused, "... Nothing,"

Li Shaoze noticed that Li Junfeng had been too quite, he also noticed the subtle change of his mood. But he decided to not ask.

Li Junfeng suddenly smiled and stood up. He went to Li Shaoze's desk and leaned there. There were stacks of unprocessed documents on top of the desk, lining up for their turn.

He remembered the first time he came here, he was so amazed by the whole building. Quze Industries was a giant among giant. As a higher management from the rival conglomerate, he couldn't dream about coming here personally. Coincidentally after he died, he was able to.

He couldn't imagine how Li Shaoze would take over such a huge company with many subsidiaries under it. What monster was his brother? He didn't know how his father would react to this once the truth came to light. It would certainly turn ugly.

Li Junfeng secretly hoped his old father wouldn't die from heart attack due to shock. Even if he hated the old man now, it wouldn't change the fact that he was his father.

'It's better for him to die in a natural way... perhaps,' he sighed, thinking about Li Group which now had no heir.

Suddenly, he thought of something as he called, "Brother,"

"Hm?" Li Shaoze didn't look up.

"Did you remember when I told you about father? He wanted to investigate you,"

Li Shaoze instantly stopped using the pen in his hand. He was expressionless but Li Junfeng knew he had forgotten.

"How could you forget? This is so important!" Li Junfeng had always known Li Shaoze's low-key nature. Especially towards the Li's, he didn't want to expose his life the most.

"... I really didn't remember," Li Shaoze didn't think he would forget. But right after Li Junfeng told him about it, he had a nosebleed and was taking care of it in the bathroom.

He was attacked with a strong migraine at the time that he was forced to swallow painkillers. He went out to take a walk right after he showered so that he could calm down. During that time, he met Pei Qian. This turn of events literally caused him to forget about his insignificant father. Who could blame him?

Li Shaoze sighed, not wanting to think about unimportant people, he switched to thinking about the woman he had met and talked with under the tree; Pei Qian. His face showed nothing to indicate his emotions but Li Junfeng realized his brother was suddenly in a good mood.

Li Junfeng raised his brow. They were discussing their father and his brother was suddenly happy. What was going on?

Li Shaoze ignored Li Junfeng's dumbfounded look when he suddenly received a text message from Pei Qian. His phone lit up and he opened it. Pei Qian said she and her mother would be going to visit him at home in a few days.

Xu Hua had always been guilty for not able to serve Li Shaoze the best treatment during his visit for lunch. So she wanted to come over to bring some homemade food for him to taste.

During these days, his relationship with Pei Qian was getting better. They didn't walk on eggshells around each other, didn't try to keep distance, and didn't calculate too much on what to say. They became more casual and understanding of one another.

Li Shaoze was slowly learning how to make friends for the first time. It was a lie to say if he wasn't nervous, but he felt that this experience was novel and he began to like it.

Li Shaoze himself didn't realize that when he first saw the text message from Pei Qian, a small smile had sprouted from his lips. It was so small that even Li Junfeng didn't notice. Li Shaoze was actually looking forward to seeing Pei Qian.

Thinking back on it, he realized he had just seen Pei Qian yesterday. His heart constricted in a strange way as he suppressed the foreign feeling that was slowly blooming.

Yesterday, Pei Zeyan had invited him to fish at the riverside restaurant they had first met. Li Shaoze agreed. When he arrived, he saw Pei Qian and Pei Jin, and the four of them conversed together.

He had been perplexed upon arrival as to why there were two additional persons there. He thought Pei Zeyan was alone. He expected things would turn weird with the sudden appearance of the two, but contrary to it, Pei Qian was also a skilled fisher. Pei Jin was also happy to see Li Shaoze and he began asking a lot of things.

Pei Jin had also asked Li Shaoze what he was currently doing. Thinking of the goodwill the Pei's had shown him thus far, Li Shaoze was honest. He told the older man that he was working at Quze Industries. He didn't hide anything.

Both Pei Zeyan and his sister had been shocked to hear him say it. Even though they had practically guessed it right, hearing it from the person himself was different.

Pei Jin was naturally chatty, so he kept asking for details. Thinking that he had nothing to hide, and that even Li Junfeng had already known his relationship with the Qin's, Li Shaoze also told the truth to the Pei's directly. He didn't worry about whether the information would leak because Li Junfeng who was also (fishing) beside him, told him that it should be fine to be honest with the Pei's. They were good people.

"I see..." Pei Jin nodded as if he understood.

"She was a great woman. I still remember her when we greeted each other at this particular business conference. She was the keynote speaker at the time," Pei Jin explained. There was admiration in his voice.

"I heard it was cancer,"

"Yes. Brain cancer," Li Shaoze nodded lightly. He didn't look particularly offended. So Pei Jin nodded again in a lighthearted manner.

Then, the conversation turned around towards the serious talk of business and economic trends. Pei Jin once again was impressed by Li Shaoze's knowledge in the current trending industry. He was so absorbed that he forgot to eat the grilled fish he caught. In his heart, he was very fond of Li Shaoze.

Even Pei Qian who sat beside her father, couldn't hide her admiration when she listened to Li Shaoze talking about the market value of the overseas, especially in Country E.

Glancing at his younger sister, Pei Zeyan raised his brow and would have said something along the line of 'there seems to be stars in your eyes when you look at him' if only he hadn't had common sense.