Strategy to Capture Men - Chapter 23-1

Bai Yue threw the newspaper in the trash, returned to the company with the coffee she had just bought, and entered Qiao Wenxing’s office without knocking.

Qiao Wenxing had founded this company. When Mother Qiao had tried to buy Bai Yue out, she had been firmly rejected. Consequently, Mother Qiao had slapped her in the face, humiliating her. However, she had called Qiao Wenxing prior, and he had hurried in just in time to witness this scene, promptly falling out with the mother who had always pampered and spoiled him.

Even so, when he had run away from home and Father Qiao had frozen all his bank accounts, Mother Qiao had not been able to help but feel distressed. She had quietly given him some money, which Qiao Wenxing had used to start this company.

Not only had Father Qiao frozen all his liquid funds, but he had also fired him from his position as general manager of the branch office.

Qiao Wenxing had had everything he wanted since childhood, and everything had always gone smoothly for him. He had never done anything out of line. He was the darling of the circle and had always been praised by his elders. Although he was now twenty-four, he had never really gone through a rebellious stage.

It could be said that his life had always gone so smoothly that he had never had the chance to rebel. This time, however, his resistance to his arranged marriage and his pursuit of love had finally caused an irreconcilable confrontation between him and his parents, and thus Qiao Wenxing’s delayed rebellious stage finally bloomed.

He wanted to take this opportunity to remove himself from his father’s control, to make  his own name, and to prove himself as a self-made man.

He knew about his father bringing his illegitimate brother home, but he didn’t care. His half-brother was nothing more than a means by which his father was attempting to force him into submission. If his father had actually liked that illegitimate child, he would have brought him home, or, like himself, given him a branch office to take care of and get his feet wet.

But his father hadn’t. His father disliked his own unplanned, illegitimate child from the bottom of his heart. The child’s mother was of low status, and her personality was even worse. His father had never forgiven her for daring to give birth without his consent.

Qiao Wenxing didn’t care a whit about Qiao Chengyu. He was currently upset because of something else.

When his door suddenly opened, Qiao Wenxing frowned and looked up, about to take the person who hadn’t knocked down a peg. When he saw it was Bai Yue, however, his expression softened. “Where were you?”

She handed him the hot coffee with a sweet smile. “I got you the stuff you like best.”

“…thank you.” Qiao Wenxing took it.

He actually did not care for this particular type of coffee at all. His favorite kind of coffee called for beans which were produced in the high mountain peaks of a tropical island, the best of the best, with a mellow taste and a rich fragrance. They underwent twelve roasting procedures before being flown into the country, and were extremely expensive. Most people couldn’t afford to drink it. The coffee shops around that purported to sell it were actually selling imitations.

But he wouldn’t argue this point with Bai Yue. Bai Yue didn’t care about this kind of thing. She only cared about him.

“Why did you run out to buy it personally? You could have just got it delivered,” he reproached her.

Bai Yue wrinkled her nose. “Getting it delivered is so slow. It gets cold before it arrives. I just wanted you to be able to drink it hot.”

She cocked her head to one side, her smile beautiful, her eyes full of affection. She was a girl who, without even blinking, would shred a cheque worth more than she could have earned in her lifetime before his very eyes.

Her feelings for him were the truest and the purest.

Completely unlike Han Yanyan. He had grown up with Han Yanyan, and they were all too familiar with each other. When they were together, there was little such affection between them, and the conversation was generally about capital flow and the progress of projects. They were only engaged because they were following their parents’ instructions.

Furthermore, Han Yanyan was far too strong.

Though the words that came out of Qiao Wenxing’s mouth were reproachful, he actually very much enjoyed how she always placed him first, how he occupied the most important position in her heart. He took her hand. It was chilled by the icy wind, and a little distressed, he pulled her into his arms. “Your hands are so cold… next time, have someone else do it.”

Warmed by her lover’s concern, Bai Yue kissed him on the face and said sweetly, “I’ll wear gloves next time. I don’t want you to drink coffee someone else bought.”

She turned her head to see the folders spread across his desk. Pausing, she asked hesitantly, “How are things going?”

“Not well,” Qiao Wenxing replied, his eyes darkening. “Everyone knows me, and no one dares deal with me. My dad doesn’t want me to succeed here, and they’re all afraid of him.”

Bai Yue gently smoothed the creases on his forehead and asked tentatively, “Wenxing, have you ever thought about leaving this place and going elsewhere?”

Stunned, Qiao Wenxing asked, “But where?”

“What’s wrong with my hometown?” Bai Yue asked. “Of course,” she added, “It’s not actually my hometown. My hometown is a little village in the middle of nowhere. I mean the capital of my hometown province. No one will know you there. No matter how powerful your father is, he won’t be able to reach you.”

Qiao Wenxing hesitated. After all, the Qiao foundation was deeply rooted here, and since ancient times, it has been said that a powerful dragon could not repress a local snake1…

Bai Yue’s smile was sweet, and her eyes were full of longing. “I can’t help but imagine how great it would be to leave here, to leave these people who try to tie you down. ‘The sky is unlimited for birds to fly at ease; the ocean is boundless for fish to leap at will’; how great it will feel to be truly free!”

Qiao Wenxing felt like he had been struck somewhere at the bottom of his heart. He, too, wanted to feel that feeling. He wanted to share that feeling with Bai Yue, together.

“Then let’s go,” he said firmly, squeezing her hand.