Chapter 34: Enemy Unscrupulous

The senior came over and promptly separated the two.

She grabbed Lin Huaixu’s arm, secretly nudged her chin towards Tong An’yu, and then said, “Long time no see, Huaixu. How come you seem so much thinner than the last time I saw you?”

She had seen him when he graduated from university and went abroad.

Later, when Lin Huaixu invested the money from selling his card game into the study abroad industry, she had also helped connect him with people.

Lin Huaixu smiled faintly.

“I’ve been busy lately.”

He could always switch his emotions quickly, revealing no flaws.

He picked up the Cartier ruby from the table and handed it to the senior.

“I saw this when I was in New Jersey. I remember you liked rubies in university.”

“I do, I still like them now. Thank you, Huaixu.”

The senior led Lin Huaixu further and further away, pulling him towards the church.

“But you went to face an inquiry and investigation this time, and you still remembered my wedding. I feel a little bad.”

“It was all fine.”

Lin Huaixu spoke of his experience that week in an understated manner, but anyone who knew a little about the inside story knew just how difficult his situation had been.

“Is your mother still abroad now?”

This was the thing that Lin Huaixu used to worry about the most.

The senior still remembered.

“Yes, but she came back last year and got a divorce. She’s free now. She’s used to life on the farm and doesn’t want to leave with me.”

Because of something that happened seven years ago, Ming Zhihui and Lin De’s divorce had dragged on until last year to be finalized.

Lin Huaixu had fulfilled a new agreement with Lin De, and Lin De finally relented, setting Ming Zhihui free.

By this time, Ming Zhihui had already been on the farm for a long time.

The farm owner was a fifty-year-old man who took good care of her.

From their last chat, Lin Huaixu guessed that she had already found new happiness.

Lin Huaixu had shed the burden on his shoulders, only to turn around and find that there was no one left by his side.

He had worked day and night, not letting any opportunity slip by, yet he had pushed every one of his loved ones away.

He had been very clear about this from the beginning, yet he couldn’t selfishly ask anyone to stay.

The white senior brother watched his wife walk away and shrugged at Tong An’yu.

Tong An’yu smiled.

The senior brother tried his best to speak Chinese.

“Are you okay?”

Tong An’yu shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

But she was replaying Lin Huaixu’s words in her mind.

He was so righteous, his gaze so deep, so dark, with no trace of wavering or evasion, as if he had no guilt whatsoever on the issue of not eating the grass by his own burrow.

Could it be that Yuan Qing was still just a friend by his side, just like before?

He gave her dividends just like he gave them to Kong Jiashu and Feng Junda, with no other meaning?

Then who was that girlfriend he said was too early to talk about?

The white senior brother interrupted her thoughts.

“Lu Kuang’s flight is delayed. He won’t be here until six.”

The senior brother pointed to his watch.

“Lu Kuang is coming too? I thought you guys were going to have another one in California,” Tong An’yu was very surprised.

Lu Kuang was in the same year and had the same advisor as her.

He was also a member of their Chinese student group that had banded together for warmth back then.

Moreover, Lu Kuang had gone abroad in high school and was an excellent cook.
They often bought groceries and had meals at Lu Kuang’s place.

Usually, Tong An’yu would chop the vegetables, Lu Kuang would cook, the senior would make a cake, the white senior brother would shake cocktails, and the others would help clean up, wash dishes, or bake cookies.

During those four years of her PhD, they were almost like family.

Occasionally, when they needed to work overtime or had something good to celebrate with a drink, it was common for the group to crash on someone’s sofa and sleep.

The senior brother said, “We’ll have a gathering in California too. It will be even grander this time.”

“Then Lu Kuang is really running around a lot,” Tong An’yu lamented.

After graduation, their group had all gone to various big companies.

They were usually very busy with work, and it was already very difficult to find time to get together.

The senior and senior brother had considered this, which was why they decided to hold one on both sides.
Those who stayed in North America would go to that one, and those in China would come to this one.

Lu Kuang had been working at ASML’s software and R&D center in San Jose.
Tong An’yu hadn’t expected him to fly for over ten hours to come back for the wedding.

The senior brother said, “Lu Kuang seems to be looking at job opportunities in China. You know, they’re becoming more and more wary of Chinese people over there.”

Tong An’yu was puzzled.

“Why didn’t he tell me? My family’s—”

But she quickly stopped, realizing that since Lu Kuang hadn’t said anything, it meant he didn’t plan to come to Hexin Technology.
But he was afraid of affecting their friendship, so he had deliberately hidden it.

Actually, he was overthinking it.

Tong An’yu would be happy for him to have better job opportunities and wouldn’t hold it against him for not coming to her.

The senior brother explained, “He’s focusing on start-ups, with the intention of joining with his technical expertise.”

“I see.”

Tong An’yu understood.

Lu Kuang’s ambition was greater.

The senior brother said, “Actually, your senior and I thought about setting you and Lu Kuang up.”

The tone of this sentence was too strange.

Tong An’yu didn’t understand at first.

“Huh?”

Seeing that Lin Huaixu had already been pulled inside by the senior, the senior brother led Tong An’yu inside.

“We also thought that if you two were going to get together, you would have gotten together in those four years, so we gave up on the idea.”

Tong An’yu finally understood by connecting the dots and couldn’t help but laugh…

What a joke.

Back then, their relationship was too good.
They had seen each other in all sorts of embarrassing situations and were merciless in their teasing and insults.

The white senior brother was very serious, but his blue eyes were full of bewilderment.

Tong An’yu’s smile froze slightly.

It seemed that way.

Back then, she had seen no signs of anything between her senior and the senior brother.

Because in that group, she was the only one who was too young.

The others were considering starting families, while she was still enjoying her youth.

Entering the church, a lot of people had already gathered.

The senior had indeed arranged for her and Lin Huaixu to be seated far apart.

Separated by a sea of people, she could only see Lin Huaixu’s prominent long legs.

Tong An’yu withdrew her gaze and sat down in her seat.

The six o’clock bell chimed.

Lu Kuang hadn’t arrived yet, but the auspicious time could not be delayed any longer.

The wedding officially began.

Although they were in the suburbs of Jing City, the ceremony was still Western.

The priest read scriptures and prayers from the Bible, then the newlyweds entered, faced each other to exchange vows, the priest declared the ceremony valid, and led the entire congregation in prayer, blessing the couple.

After the devout blessings, it was time to enjoy the delicious food.

The dishes prepared by the manor were laid out on the lawn in front of the church, with more than sixty varieties in total, arranged on three rows of tables.

The guests took their own plates and went to the lawn to get food, then sat down at the side to eat.

Of course, they could also hold a glass of wine and find friends they wanted to get to know to chat and socialize.

For example, Lin Huaixu was caught in an endless stream of socializing not long after the meal began.

Everyone knew that PetParty was planning to go public, and Lin Huaixu’s net worth would be on a different level.
Moreover, he was only thirty this year, a time of limitless potential and great promise.

At this moment, even without the senior’s intervention, Tong An’yu couldn’t get close to Lin Huaixu.

Tong An’yu bit into a slice of pizza alone, her chin propped up on her hand, thinking.
Sometimes she felt that the current society was really harsh on scientific researchers.

Those who buried their heads in technology and focused on research were often not as good as those who knew marketing.

The money invested in a product’s R&D might be less than the amount spent on promotion.

But this was the market’s choice, and even Hexin Technology couldn’t escape this strange circle.

That was why they valued the cooperation with the pet phone so much, because the client had promised them that after the product was launched, they would use the Chinese team’s independent development of design software to design the chip as a promotional selling point.

Fortunately, their family still had her brother who could take on this aspect of the work.

Otherwise, with her personality, she would definitely lead the company to become more and more highbrow and niche.

She felt that Lin Huaixu was actually a bit smarter than her, not in terms of IQ.

Because he had given up on technical research early on.

The computer science and network security he was good at back then were all cast aside by him, without any mercy.

Now, thinking back to the Lin Huaixu from the modeling competition, she would feel a sense of disconnect from this businessman Lin Huaixu.

Tong An’yu was thirsty from eating, so she grabbed a glass of wine from the side and drank it, taking a bite and a sip.

She didn’t know what kind of wine she was drinking or how much she had drunk.
She just looked at the blurry figures, listened to the noisy laughter, her mind full of Lin Huaixu.

Lin Huaixu in his military training uniform, Lin Huaixu being splashed with coffee, Lin Huaixu riding a mountain bike with her, Lin Huaixu saving the kitten, Lin Huaixu teaching her Python, Lin Huaixu eating half-cooked dumplings, Lin Huaixu renting a shabby apartment, Lin Huaixu attending an internship interview, Lin Huaixu kissing her at the south gate of the school…

“Little Tong, you’ve drunk a whole row. Is this ice wine that good?”

Wine?

Ice wine?

Oh right, she had brought ice wine for Lin Huaixu, from a faraway farm in California…

“Little Tong! Look who’s here!”

Tong An’yu snapped her eyes up.

Her vision blurred, then gradually focused, and she saw a familiar face.

“Lu Kuang?”

Lu Kuang smiled.

“You’re really something. We haven’t seen each other in a year, and you don’t even respond when I call you.”

Only then did Tong An’yu realize that the previous sentence was from Lu Kuang.

She patted her face and perked up.

“You’re the one who’s really something. You didn’t even tell me you were planning to come back to China.”

Lu Kuang looked at her deeply and explained, “Don’t overthink it. I was going to tell you after I made a firm decision. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Tong An’yu was dizzy from drinking and waved her hand with a smile.

“Just kidding, I didn’t overthink it.”

The senior brother put his arm around Lu Kuang’s shoulder and patted him hard on the shoulder.

“It’s been a long journey, Lu.”

Lu Kuang smiled apologetically.

“Unfortunately, I was still late. I didn’t expect the plane to be delayed, and there was traffic in Jing City.”

The senior brother said, “Don’t worry, it’s good that you’re here.”

The senior brother immediately called out to the senior.

“Wifey, look who’s here?”

The senior was currently chatting in the small circle where Lin Huaixu was.

Hearing her husband’s call, she paused, stood on her toes to look, and saw Lu Kuang waving his hand at a glance.

Her eyes lit up.

“Lu Kuang! You’re finally here!”
She turned to the guests in front of her and said, “My PhD classmate is here. I’m going to greet him.”

The crowd nodded in understanding.

As soon as the senior left, Lin Huaixu gave a look to the secretary and driver who were waiting quietly nearby.

The secretary quickly squeezed in, holding up her phone, and acted anxiously, “CEO Lin, there’s something in Shenzhen-Hong Kong that needs your urgent attention.”

The people who were just about to continue chatting with Lin Huaixu had to wait for the time being.

Lin Huaixu frowned.

“What is it?”

The secretary hesitated, her gaze sweeping around, her expression secretive, and she said as vaguely as possible, “It’s very urgent.”

Lin Huaixu pretended to think, walking out of the crowd while saying to his secretary in a low voice, “Have you told the CEO?”

The secretary said, “They already know. They’re just waiting for you to make a decision now…”

By the time she finished her sentence, Lin Huaixu was already far away.

The driver silently blocked the line of sight of this group of people from behind him.

Seeing that no one was persistently chasing after them, the secretary breathed a sigh of relief and put away her phone.

“You didn’t drink, did you?”

“No.”

Lin Huaixu was temporarily free.

He had brought the secretary and driver precisely to get away.

According to his original plan, he should have left after the ceremony.

But something unexpected happened, and Tong An’yu was also here.

He had no choice but to stay.

The lights in the church were very bright.

The night, the figures, the plates, the music, were woven into a beautiful and moving picture.

The air was filled with the refreshing scent of grass.

In the distance was the old friend he always thought of.

Lin Huaixu strode over.

The secretary immediately followed with small steps.

When he arrived behind them, he heard these PhD classmates chatting.

The senior picked up a bottle of wine stuck in an ice bucket and showed it off, “Little Tong must love to drink this. This is from the most famous winery in my husband’s hometown in Ontario. He specially brought it to the wedding for everyone to taste. It uses Vidal grapes, and the fruit aroma is very strong.”

Tong An’yu took another sip to savor the taste.

In fact, she hadn’t paid any attention to any fruit aroma just now.

But seeing how thoughtful the senior brother was, she gave a very face-saving compliment, “Mmm, it smells so good. It’s the best ice wine I’ve ever had!”

The senior brother gave her a thumbs up, very proud.

Lu Kuang also poured a glass.

“Is it? Then I’ll have to have a few more glasses.”

Lin Huaixu stopped in his tracks.

He was standing right between two large lamps, where the light was weakest.

Tong An’yu’s flushed smiling face was clearly illuminated by the lights.

Her eyes were sparkling, as if holding the cool moonlight.

Her lilac dress exuded a delicate and soft charm.

But he was dim, like a withered and decaying piece of driftwood.

The best ice wine she had ever had.

It was no longer the one she had drunk with him.

The time she spent studying abroad, which he could not participate in, was also a regret that could never be undone.

“If it’s that good, I’ll try it too.”

Lin Huaixu walked to the table, picked up a wine glass with two fingers, and expertly swirled the ice wine between his fingers three times.

“CEO Lin!” the secretary promptly stopped him.

He had just been discharged from the hospital, and the doctor had warned him not to drink again for a short time and to eat mainly easily digestible food.
The stomach mainly relies on being nurtured.

Lin Huaixu didn’t care.

He lowered his eyes and took a sip of the sweet, sour, and slightly cool wine.

His Adam’s apple rolled, and his eyelashes were thick, deep, and gloomy.

In fact, he had no intention of ruining anything.

His tone was very amiable, and his movements were elegant and proper.

The ice-blue enamel cufflinks on his cuffs finally caught the feelers of the light, shining brightly under the spotlight, so much so that the senior and senior brother didn’t notice anything wrong.

The secretary watched anxiously.
‘He had resisted drinking when so many people toasted him just now. Why is he drinking now?’

Tong An’yu stared at him fixedly.

Normally, without having had a drink, she wouldn’t stare at Lin Huaixu so brazenly.

Her brain would constantly remind her that Lin Huaixu was her nemesis, that his purpose in moving in opposite her was unclear, and that she had to be careful for the sake of her family and company.

But at this moment, her brain was numb from the excess alcohol.

She couldn’t think that much, only that Lin Huaixu had heard what she said.

Seeing that there were quite a few people around and that Tong An’yu and Lin Huaixu were not too close, the senior relaxed and teased, “I know you’ve had a lot of good wine, but this is freshly brewed from frozen grapes. How is it? Good enough to be CEO Lin’s staple drink?”

“Mmm, it’s pretty good,” Lin Huaixu smiled.
To be fair, it was crisper and purer than the ice wine his mother made.

After all, Ming Zhihui didn’t have the conditions to pick frozen grapes from the vine.

The senior brother boasted, “I guarantee this is the best ice wine in the world.”

But Tong An’yu muttered, “No, it’s not the best I’ve ever had.”

She had actually had better.

That night, she had handed him the ice wine she had been hiding behind her back.
When the clock struck twelve, her cheeks flushed and her eyes fervent, she had said to him, “Lin Huaixu, happy birthday. Whatever you want, Little Tong will find it for you!”

She had flown for a long time and hadn’t had time to dress up nicely, but the Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, and the moon was still full.

The gentle night breeze and the brilliant stars made that night very unforgettable.
Lin Huaixu had drunk the wine and leaned over to kiss her again.

He kissed her very hard.

She could feel his slight trembling, so she shrank into his arms, held him tightly, and tasted the sweetness in his mouth.

It was the sweetness of spring water mixed with grapes.

She looked at those dark black eyes, and even with her slow perception, she inexplicably felt that his gaze had become very affectionate.

He said, “Tong An’yu, congratulations. It’s zero now.”

The distance for you to be my girlfriend.

“Ah, what is it?” she giggled in his arms.

He caressed the moist corners of her lips.

‘Congratulations to me too, for completely falling.’

The senior brother was puzzled.

“Little Tong, that’s not what you said just now.”

Tong An’yu just looked at Lin Huaixu without speaking.

Her breath was full of alcohol, and the alcohol had burned into her eyes.

The lights were like thin threads, trying to weave the picture together, but they were still separating, overlapping, and shaking before her eyes, as if the world was about to fall apart.

She thought she hadn’t moved, but in fact, she was very unsteady.

She hadn’t expected such a sweet wine to have such a high alcohol content.

The senior was the first to react.

“Little Tong is drunk. Quickly help her to the guest room to rest.”

The senior brother scratched his head.
“I remember she used to be able to drink a lot.”

The senior said, “Look at that row of empty glasses. They were probably all drunk by her. She was drinking this stuff with pizza like water!”

Lu Kuang quickly put down his glass and supported Tong An’yu’s arm.

“You guys go entertain the guests. I’ll take her to the bedroom.”

The senior said, “Okay, then you—”

“I’ll take her.”

Lin Huaixu glanced at Lu Kuang’s hand, a fire finally igniting in his eyes, burning the gloom to ashes.

He raised his eyes again, his gaze already becoming sharp and strong.

He pushed through the crowd, took a few steps forward, and raised his right hand.

“Tong An’yu.”

The senior was stunned.

“Huaixu, you…”

Lu Kuang cautiously took a step forward in a protective posture, shielding Tong An’yu behind him.

“That’s not appropriate, is it, CEO Lin?”

He was, after all, Chinese, and knew more about the domestic news than the senior.
He also knew about the past between Colin Interactive Entertainment and Quantum Granule.

He wouldn’t comment on who was right or wrong, but at this moment, he would definitely stand on Tong An’yu’s side.

Besides their four years of friendship as classmates, it was also because he admired her for being so smart and lively.

Lin Huaixu didn’t spare Lu Kuang a glance.
He knew Tong An’yu was dead drunk, that her guard was down, that she was completely defenseless.

And his moral standards were not that high.
Since he knew she would mind Yuan Qing’s existence, he planned to stop at nothing.

Tong An’yu blinked her hot, red eyes, suddenly broke free from Lu Kuang’s hand, and it was unknown where she got the strength.

“Little Tong—”

Lu Kuang was first stunned, then called out to her anxiously.

But Tong An’yu was completely oblivious.
She just swayed in front of Lin Huaixu, her eyes hazy, her eyelashes fluttering, as if she couldn’t distinguish between the past and the present.

She suddenly smiled shyly, reached out and hooked her arm around Lin Huaixu’s neck, loosening his tie, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Where are you taking me?” she slurred, but before he could answer, she quickly added, “Whatever.”