Chapter 1.14

A/n: Before you ask, this is not a fanfiction! No, absolutely not!

Cont. I know you might not understand this note yet, but I'm sure this question will pop up in your head sometime later in the chapter. I decided to use this name before I knew that somebody in real life uses the same stage name. My friend had to inform me about it, so I was completely clueless about this.

Cont. x2 But I didn't want to change the name because I wrote a lot of chapters without realizing this name had already been used. I hope you understand and will not associate my character with the the person with the same name in real life. Also, the name most likely won't show up after the first world.

Cont. x3 And if you don't understand what this means even later in the chapter, stay oblivious please, and take pleasure in the fact that you won't already have an impression of who my character is and get messed up about it.

Cont. x4 Last but not least, thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter!

Ling Xia swung the front door of Li Ming's house open and stepped through the doorframe and into the house. He quickly shut the door to stop the cold wind from getting inside.

He removed his shoes and leisurely sauntered up the stairs. He had only climbed up the first flight of stairs when his phone rang.

He pulled it out from his pocket and checked the name. The screen displayed the words, "Yi Hua(1)".

Ling Xia's eyes lit up.

The venture capital firm had contacted him back! He dropped his backpack immediately and pressed the accept call button in anticipation of what was to come.

Putting the phone up to his ear, he greeted them politely. "Hello? This is Ling Xia speaking."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ling. We're calling to tell you that we've decided to accept your proposal as one of our official projects. Are you fine with meeting tomorrow at 6:30 pm about the details of our cooperation and the contract signing?" A high-pitched voice came over the phone, speaking in a very official, no-nonsense tone.

Ling Xia was surprised that the signing of the contract would happen so fast, but it also made sense.

Scientists were trying to create something that could help or speed up nerve regeneration for so long in this world, and now the solution was at their fingertips. How could they not want to have it in their grasp and lay claim to such unprecedented technology?

"That's fine with me. I look forward to working with you," answered Ling Xia.

"As do we." The woman on the other side hung up.

It took a moment for Ling Xia to understand what happened. The conversation went by really fast. Only a few sentences were said by each side, brief and to the point.

Ling Xia climbed up the rest of the stairs before realizing that he had dropped his backpack. Why? He would never know.

The reasons for doing some things just escaped him sometimes.

That night, he went to the ice rink, practicing some new moves he learned at the class which could be summed up as doing everything he had tried before, but while skating backward.

He went back to Li Ming's house exhausted, once again, but it was fun nonetheless.

The next day seemed to go by in a flash as Ling Xia was much more focused on his meeting with the venture capital firm than the long, boring classes he had that day. They were even more boring because he had gone through so many worlds and learned everything dozens of times over.

He spent the day with his chin on the heel of his hand, and his elbow on the desk, staring at the blackboard while lost in his thoughts. His eyes reflected his state, being as blank as a fresh sheet of paper.

Mu Ninghua had tried to bring Ling Xia out of his own mind by snapping her fingers in front of his eyes, which worked, and Ling Xia was startled, but he quickly went back to doing it after she looked away. When she looked back and saw that her efforts had been fruitless, she gave up.

It was in her interests after all.

The less time Ling Xia spent paying attention in class, the lower scores he would get in the monthly exams, which would make Mu Ninghua enjoy the spotlight of being poor and smart alone.

The only reason she had tried to snap Ling Xia out of it was because of the slightest amount of pity she had for him because of the fate planned out for him by her.

And just like that, the school day ended.

Ling Xia unlocked the padlock on his bicycle and pushed it out of the school gates and over to the corner of the sidewalk. The slight downward slope of the corner always helped him get speed, although the ride was a bit bumpy due to all the pebbles cemented at that spot.

He slung his leg over the seat of the bicycle and was about to shift his weight off his other foot and onto the bicycle when he heard somebody call Li Ming's name.

"Li Ming."

Ling Xia looked over his shoulder to see Ji Shengge jogging toward him. "I thought I would have some new intel by now," he said.

Ling Xia retorted, "Well, you never specified how constant the flow of information had to be."

Ji Shengge raised an eyebrow and looked into Ling Xia's eyes, daring Ling Xia to continue acting innocent. Ling Xia just met his eyes and said, "Look, I have somewhere to be, I don't have much time. Please don't stay silent so we can end this conversation."

When he saw that Ji Shengge was going to continue not talking, Ling Xia got on his bicycle once again, ready to push off with his feet, but was stopped when Ji Shengge said, "I'd advise you not to bike away."

Ling Xia provoked him instead of being scared. "Really? What'll you do?"

Ji Shengge made a gesture, beckoning to the air next to Ling Xia. Ling Xia tried to find what Ji Shengge was motioning at and found Pan Qiu walking over to them.

His eyes widened. He had almost forgotten about that boy… or man. He still couldn't tell. The male had way too much of a babyface to be able to tell anything about his age.

Pan Qiu soon arrived at Ji Shengge's side, standing with his hands clasped in front of him and stance straight and wide just like a bodyguard.

"Do remember that Pan Qiu is on my side, not yours, and he'll follow my orders. Which means it's now a two vs. one situation now." Ji Shengge gave Ling Xia a smile that wasn't quite a smile. There were no friendly feelings behind it, just hostility.

Ling Xia's eyes switched back and forth between Ji Shengge and his lackey, gauging their abilities and his chances of winning in his mind before finally giving in and casually throwing out a piece of information Mu Ninghua inadvertently revealed.

Ji Shengge, satisfied, didn't say another word and entered his family's car to go home. Pan Qiu stayed with Ling Xia, and Ling Xia took a glance at him before starting the bike back to Li Ming's house.

Because he had to deal with Ji Shengge, he had now lost time. Now, he had to rush back to Li Ming's house if he wanted to get to the meeting on time(2).

The wind whipped into Ling Xia's face as he biked because he was biking faster than usual. Although the day before was chilly, a warm front seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and the temperature reached the low 20's again(3). He was thankful for the wind because, coupled with the temperature, it made for the perfect weather.

He reached the house in no time, breaking his previous record for fastest time to get there on the way.

He rushed to change out of his school uniform into more formal clothes that befitted the occasion, and Li Ming's mother and he rode in the car to his destination.

He waved goodbye to Li Ming's mother, which she gladly returned, happy her 'son' was finally showing a bit more emotion.

Ling Xia went through the procedures again, the same procedures as last time, and was once again led to a room, this time on the seventh floor. When he pushed the doors open, he found that there were only four people in the room instead of the fifteen from last time.

Three people were people that he recognized from the meeting room a few days ago.

There was the woman who was at the head of the table, and the two men that Ling Xia assumed were related. The man who wore the masquerade mask still wore his mask, and the man with the buzzcut still hadn't figured out that his bangs ruined the military vibe.

The unfamiliar person was a short woman with attire that just shouted "businesswoman!" wherever she went. Her office skirt, shirt, and shoes fit the standard along with her glasses that just made her seem smarter.

"Good evening," Ling Xia cordially greeted.

"Good evening," the woman who was at the head of the table previously stated. "I am the CEO of Yi Hua, Feng Qian. It's great to meet you, although it seems you still have a cold."

"Yes, please excuse me. I'm sure it's impolite of me to not show my face." It was very impolite. Luckily, Ling Xia had an excuse. He still didn't have a cold, by the way. It was just a facade, so he didn't have to display his face.

"Mm. Let's get started then." The woman looked unfazed by Ling Xia's impoliteness and went on to

Inside Ling Xia's mind, he was still wondering why the CEO was here for a random project that didn't even come from a well-known person in the industry, but he pushed his doubts aside and replied, "Yes, of course."

"Please. Take a seat."

Ling Xia thanked Feng Qian and sat in one of the five chairs, the other four people also sitting down with him.

"Before you sign the contract, we'd like to inform you of a few things. First, this will be the person leading the project, Luo Bing." Feng Qian gestured to the only other woman in the room, the one that had glasses.

Ling Xia nodded, listening to her words very intently.

"These two young men are my son, Qin Zhuang(4), and my nephew, V. V has chosen to hide his identity, I hope you don't mind." Feng Qian rubbed the man with the buzzcut's head and then pointed at the man with the masquerade mask.

Ling Xia now understood why the CEO was here. It was because her family members were here. This was probably their first project, and she was there to choose a promising one.

'Rich people.' Ling Xia ridiculed in his mind.

Well, Ling Xia did respect the one that had the question about how to speed up nerve regeneration, it meant he did his research, but he got the job with no work, something that Ling Xia would love to have the opportunity to do.

"That's fine," he replied.

Feng Qian nodded. "After careful consideration and a vote, we have come to a tie on the subject of who will actually be participating in this project. We'd like you to decide, Mr. Ling."

Ling Xia gave her a firm nod before understanding what she had said, and his moving head stilled. Decide what?! Why would she give Ling Xia that choice? The chances of an underlying plot not existing were so low.

"I… understand," Ling Xia responded, not bothering to cover up his perplexion.

"Then let me lay out their qualifications for you."

Feng Qian then went on to detail each of the two men's achievements.

"My son, Qin Zhuang, has just graduated from Oxford University last year. He won a few competitions for his university and high school on many occasions. He has also had experience working as an intern for Coline Industries abroad. In addition, he was part of a community during his middle school years that came up with solutions for people in need using technology."

For a man that hadn't started working yet, those were impressive qualifications. Especially because he interned at Coline Industries. That was a prestigious company working in the biotechnology industry for many years. Interning there meant a person had talent.

"And V(5) is in his last year of high school. He's interned at some places despite his young age. He's also competed in a few things himself. You may choose between the two of them."

Ling Xia: "…"

Very specific. Yes, all the information he needed.

It was laughable how differently Feng Qian treated her son and her nephew. She spoke about so many more praise-worthy things for her son, but when it came to her nephew, she just bailed on him.

But that was the last piece of the puzzle to figure out why the CEO wanted him to choose.

She just wanted to embarrass her nephew. If Ling Xia chose somebody else over him, he would definitely be sad and maybe embarrassed. Or maybe she wanted to make V's parents embarrassed by showing them that V was not able to take this job?

Either way, it was obvious who she favored.

The only thing that Ling Xia cared about, though, was whether the two of them knew their stuff. Hence, he would choose the one that had that question two days ago.

"V, I'd like you to be a part of this project, if you don't mind."

V, who was staring into space because he wasn't expecting his name to be called at all, looked at Ling Xia in surprise.

Because back then, during the Q&A part, Ling Xia had caught a little thief red-handed.

Qin Zhuang had been peeking over at V's notes before he asked his question, and even glanced at it while asking the question. He was quite stupid, thinking that Ling Xia wouldn't catch it.

'What a poor boy,' Ling Xia had thought about V. 'Being schemed against so early in his life.'

Ling Xia gave V a friendly smile with a bit of sympathy behind it, and V's expression of surprise soon changed. His eyebrows furrowed, and the creases between his eyebrows were etched with worry. With this concerned face, he looked at Ling Xia, silently asking if he was okay.

Ling Xia quickly swallowed a laugh that almost came out and then moved his gaze over to the other people in the room, finding them to be surprised too. He held back a snicker. Their true colors were showing.

Feng Qian looked at him with horror in her eyes, wondering how anybody could refuse her baby boy, and Qin Zhuang looked at him with hostility and eyes that promised vengeance.

Feng Qian planted her hands on the table, ready to jump up and scold Ling Xia for his poor choice, but Qin Zhuang grabbed her arm to stop at the last moment.

Meanwhile, when he saw that Feng Qian might attack, Ling Xia leaned back in his chair in alarm. Luckily, she didn't actually initiate a fight. That would be very unfitting of her image as a cold, serious CEO.

Feng Qian finally calmed down, changing her posture to one that was more intimidating. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he asserted with confidence only displayed by people at the peak of the world.

Actually, he had lied earlier. There was another reason he had chosen V. In the future, the name would be spread far and wide because of his outstanding business skills.

Feng Qian, still angry at Ling Xia's decision, stood and told Luo Bing to finish the rest of the contract signing. "Sorry, Mr. Ling. I have somewhere to be, and I must go. Luo Bing? You can finish the business we have here."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and left the room. Qin Zhuang, realizing that it was also his cue to leave, followed her out.

The three people in the room discussed the contract in peace. Ling Xia gasped softly in disbelief when he heard V's super high voice and immediately dismissed it as part of the disguise. Luo Bing heard his small gasp and looked at him with a face that showed that she expected it.

A lot of other things happened too.

By the point they'd gotten to the actual reading of the contract, it was already pretty late. Due to his abundant experience with contracts, Ling Xia quickly found the main points, asked a few questions, and signed the contract.

In the end, he stood up and shook hands with both V and Luo Bing. "Happy cooperation(5)," he said cheerfully.

They returned it with equal enthusiasm. "Happy cooperation."

Ling Xia left the room happy and satisfied, texting Li Ming's father on the way to the elevator. He entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor, waiting for the doors to close patiently.

As the gap between the two sides of the elevator doors became smaller, Ling Xia heard a voice calling out his name. "Mr. Ling!" He looked into the crack between the two doors and saw V walking toward him in an unhurried manner as if expecting Ling Xia to press the button to open the doors.

As he expected, Ling Xia quickly jabbed the open doors button, and V slipped into the elevator, the corner of his strikingly black blazer flying in the air behind him. Ling Xia surveyed the young man.

He was still wearing his white mask, although his originally neatly combed hair was a little messy. He stood looking at the closed doors while the elevator descended, seemingly not at all interested in Ling Xia.

Ling Xia returned his gaze to the doors as well, staring at them until they opened at the first floor. He moved to step out of the elevator, but heard, "You're not coughing," come from behind him.

He turned back to find V finally looking at him. "Excuse me?" he asked, fully aware of what V was talking about.

V repeated his statement and continued. "You're not coughing. You weren't coughing during the contract signing either. Do you really have a cold?"

"You're right, Mr. V. I don't have a cold," admitted Ling Xia outright. He would have to establish that soon anyway. He couldn't pretend to have a cold forever.

"Mm, so you're wearing a mask for the same reason I am, Mr. Ling," V inferred.

"Correct. And please, don't be so formal with me(6). We're the same age after all." Ling Xia said, trying to close the distance between him and the future superstar of the business world.

"Then I insist you do the same."

Ling Xia responded with a smile. "Of course."

And then came the awkward silence that lasted for who knew how long. Ling Xia was still standing in between the two elevator doors, so they wouldn't close, and V was still leaning on the elevator railing. The two looked at each other, not really knowing where else to look or what to do.

"Walk together?" Ling Xia tentatively proposed.

V shrugged. "Sure." They finally left the elevator, happy for the loss of the weird tension.

Since Li Ming's father was due to arrive thirty minutes later, the two went to the cafe that Ling Xia went to alone a few days ago. The ring of the chimes above the door was still as pleasant as ever. They both ordered some food and sat down with it at the same table as the last time Ling Xia visited.

They talked, becoming friends at the end, although Ling Xia had to leave before they could chat more. Ling Xia stood from his seat, and, noticing that his receipt had fallen to the floor, bent down to pick it up.

As he had grabbed the small piece of paper, he heard a vague, "Thank you," in V's signature overly high voice. In an effort to get up to ask what V meant, Ling Xia banged his head on the corner of the table. "Owwww," he whispered, holding the back of his head in pain.

When the pain finally subsided, he moved away from the table and tried getting up once again, this time succeeding

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked, wondering if the impact caused a bump to form on the back of his head but also trying to pay attention to V's words.

"It doesn't matter, are you alright?" V asked, concerned for Ling Xia's well-being.

"No, no." Ling Xia shook his head to fully express those 'no's, but found it dizzying, so he stopped. "I'm fine, don't worry."

After he realized that his help wasn't needed, V resumed his original position and told Ling Xia what he had said earlier. "I see." He waited until Ling Xia looked a bit less pale from the pain. "I said thank you."

"Hmm? Why?" Ling Xia asked.

"For picking me over my cousin. People always pick him because of my aunt, and it's nice to have a change for once," V explained.

Ling Xia raised an eyebrow. "You know…" Ling Xia started as he glanced down to his foot, lightly kicking the ground with the tip with a hand resting on the table, before looking back up at V. "You don't have to act to gain my sympathy. I only picked you because you know your stuff."

V visibly sighed in relief and changed faces as fast as one changed clothes. "That's good," he declared. For the first time, a smile graced his lips, an easygoing one. "It was nice meeting you, Ling Xia. I hope we can have many happy cooperations in the future."

Ling Xia was, to say the least, astounded that V would drop his facade so early. Actually, the only reason he knew that V was acting was because he knew what the future held. But it made him happy that he'd broken through that barrier.

He also grinned, although his mask made it hard to see. "I, as well." They shook hands once again, just for good measure.

Then they parted ways. V stayed in his seat, still sipping his coffee, while Ling Xia left the shop, making sure to turn around and note the name of the shop he had just exited. Good things always seemed to happen here.

Notes:

Lots of them this time.

1: Yi Hua, if you're wondering, means One Flower. I made the name before I realized what it meant. It might be easier to translate it in your head to remember the name. It also doesn't really matter though.

2: The reason LX(stands for Ling Xia) has to rush to get to the meeting on time is that school in China ends at about 5 pm. The meeting is at 6... or was it 6:30? Something like that, I had written this chapter a a few weeks before I wrote these notes, so excuse my non-omniscient ways.

3: I decided to use centigrade with temperatures because I felt like it matched the story more. I'll be your temperature translator though. The 20's in centigrade is around 70 degrees to 85 degrees, so warm/hot weather.

4: Feng Qian(the mother) and Qin Zhuang(the son) have different last names because the wife does not change her surname when marrying in China. The children take their father's surname.

5: Happy cooperation is a phrase I've seen in a lot of Chinese novels, it just means let's have a happy cooperation.

6: Like in a lot of languages, Chinese(I'm talking about Mandarin here) has informal and formal language. LX and V are speaking formally until LX breaks the barrier and asks V to not speak so formally with him.

Lastly, if there are typos in these notes, sorry, I speed through these without checking them over.