Chapter 28 – The Pursuit Strategy

After returning, Fei Xiangnan started a new project, which meant another long period of being unable to visit Xiao Fang. Xiao Fang found this normal, but Fei Xiangnan’s face grew fouler by the day, making everyone in the company walk on eggshells. They worked cautiously, making absolutely sure not to give their superior any reason to find fault, lest they be escorted out by a group of men in black suits.

Xiao Fang sat on a folding chair. It was Wen An’an’s scene, and he had nothing else scheduled. Having turned down a bunch of miscellaneous variety shows, Xiao Fang was now quite the idler. He held a bag of nuts that Fei Xiangnan had bought for him, chewing quickly, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel gathering food.

When no one was talking to him, Xiao Fang was actually very well-behaved and quiet, just watching others act.

“Has Young Master Xiao felt any nausea recently?” Que Jiang asked, having spoken with the doctor the day before.

Xiao Fang shook his head. He didn’t know if the time just hadn’t come yet, but his appetite was better than an average person’s. The snacks Fei Xiangnan bought for him disappeared into his stomach day by day, never slowing down.

Que Jiang looked at Xiao Fang with relief. The Young Madam was truly worry-free in all aspects.

Que Jiang found a good angle and secretly took a picture of Xiao Fang eating nuts, sending it to Fei Xiangnan. This was a new task Fei Xiangnan had assigned him. Indeed, an old man in love always acted out of character.

Fei Xiangnan had just finished a meeting. As soon as he turned off silent mode, his phone buzzed.

Seeing it was a message from Que Jiang, Fei Xiangnan instantly perked up. He unlocked the screen, and his eyes fell on a side-profile picture. Xiao Fang was sitting on a small folding chair, his soft, short hair looking neat and tidy. He was wearing a large white sweatshirt that made him look small, holding a large bag of nuts in one hand and feeding them into his mouth with the other, eating with great relish.

Fei Xiangnan’s tense face suddenly relaxed. Seeing Xiao Fang enjoying the food he bought him filled him with a sense of satisfaction. Estimating he had about half an hour before the next meeting, he didn’t hesitate to call.

Xiao Fang was startled when he received the call. After all, they had only been apart for three days. The usually aloof President Fei was actually calling him on his own initiative. Xiao Fang answered the phone with trepidation.

“President Fei, I’m so honored to receive your call!” Xiao Fang’s face instantly changed as he laid on the praise. Que Jiang was already used to this routine.

“Don’t give me that flattery. How has your health been lately? Is Que Jiang taking good care of you?” Fei Xiangnan’s tone was no longer as cold as before, but carried a hint of gentleness.

Xiao Fang’s voice sounded cheerful as he kept saying, “Good, good, good.”

Fei Xiangnan suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. What did “good, good, good” mean? Didn’t it just mean that it didn’t matter whether he was there or not?

Fei Xiangnan now desperately wanted to make his presence felt in front of Xiao Fang, preferably to the point where he couldn’t live without him. It would be best if, even when he had to go to work, Xiao Fang would cling to him, crying and refusing to let him go.

“President Fei, have you been eating well at home? Work is important, but don’t forget to take care of your body. I heard from Que Jiang that you’ve taken on another big project. Please don’t overwork yourself. You’re so brilliant and powerful, President Fei, skipping a few deals won’t affect your prestige, right?” Xiao Fang said, returning the courtesy. His words now carried a bit more sincerity than before. At least to the current Xiao Fang, Fei Xiangnan was in the “good person” category.

Ignoring Xiao Fang’s flattery, Fei Xiangnan found the rest of his words quite pleasant to hear. His mood returned to its usual state.

“Mm, I’ll consider it. If you’re unhappy about anything, just tell Que Jiang. If Que Jiang can’t handle it, call me.”

For a moment, Xiao Fang’s mind drifted to other things, but he knew that such matters didn’t need to involve a third person. “I’m very happy, President Fei, don’t worry.”

Fei Xiangnan didn’t hang up after a few perfunctory words. Just hearing Xiao Fang’s voice was a pleasure now, so he ended up chatting with him for nearly half an hour before hanging up. Xiao Fang touched his slightly warm phone, feeling a mix of emotions.

“Que Jiang, I think…”

“Yes?”

“President Fei should find a girlfriend.”

…

Que Jiang didn’t know how to respond. If President Fei found out about this, he’d probably be too angry to eat dinner.

“Xiao Fang, it’s almost your turn. Stop eating nuts and go to the dressing room to get ready,” Director Hu called out from behind the camera after yelling “cut.”

Xiao Fang answered with a “yes,” looked around, and stuffed the bag of nuts into the hands of Xiao Ma, who had just returned from buying drinks. Que Jiang didn’t look like the type to eat snacks.

Xiao Ma: Brother Xiao is so good to me. I’m definitely his true love~

And so, Que Jiang received, without exception, a provocative look from Xiao Ma. Even though their relationship had improved, he still hadn’t forgotten the competition for favor.

***

At night, the Sandalwood Hotel, located on the top floor of a commercial skyscraper in the city center, opened for business at seven o’clock sharp. It was one of the country’s most famous top-tier restaurants, with top chefs and top service, designed specifically for those rich second-generation kids with too much time and money on their hands. Reservations were hard to get, and prices were exorbitant. The bottom line was, as long as you had money, you could always get a table.

Zhang Yuanxiao had booked the best spot on the top floor with the most scenic view. It was a completely private environment, cleverly sectioned off by artfully arranged plants and flowers. Above was an endless starry sky, and in the distance, the elegant sound of a violin played, creating a refreshing and delightful atmosphere.

“Tantan, we haven’t seen each other in so many years, and you’ve grown up so much. But you’ve also become busier. It took me quite a bit of effort to get a date with you,” Zhang Yuanxiao said, raising his wine glass. He angled his body slightly, his elegant attire and well-practiced smile making him a walking pheromone. His long hair was tied back with a black silk ribbon, not looking feminine at all, but rather exuding a noble, aristocratic air.

The young man sitting opposite him was casually dressed in a shirt and trousers, his eyes filled with a heavy sense of boredom.

“Uncle, if you have something to say, say it quickly,” Ruan Tan said. He couldn’t stand pretentious people, and Zhang Yuanxiao was a man who stepped on all his nerves and awkward spots. He had been annoyed by this man for days. They had been neighbors for a while when they were kids, and now he was using that flimsy excuse to bother him every day.

Zhang Yuanxiao took a sip of red wine. “We’re only six years apart. We’re both adults now, no need to call me ‘uncle.’ It makes it sound like there’s a huge gap between us. Just call me by my name. Come on, try it,” Zhang Yuanxiao lowered his voice, his teasing tone making one’s heart itch.

Zhang Yuanxiao had captured countless hearts with this trick, but unfortunately, Ruan Tan had seen it all in the big dye vat of the entertainment industry. To him, this behavior could only be filtered as greasy.

He wasn’t stupid; he naturally knew why Zhang Yuanxiao had asked him out. But, Zhang Yuanxiao was far from his ideal type.

Ruan Tan ignored Zhang Yuanxiao’s words, cut into the expensive steak in his bowl, and chewed on it.

Zhang Yuanxiao’s face showed no sign of embarrassment, as if he hadn’t just spoken. He asked thoughtfully, “How’s the steak? Medium-rare, just the way you like it.”

“Oh, that’s not my preference,” Ruan Tan said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and looking at him with a cool, cute expression. “The company filled that out. I don’t like medium-rare steak. I prefer barbecue and beer from a food stall. One bite of that is more satisfying than this. I also don’t like this superficial environment. To be honest, Uncle, don’t waste your efforts on me. We’re not suitable. With my personality, we’d probably have a breakdown within two days of getting married.”

Zhang Yuanxiao crossed his hands, looking at him with deep meaning, a graceful smile on his lips. “No two people are exactly alike. How do we know if we don’t try? Making hasty conclusions is not a good habit.”

Ruan Tan looked speechlessly at the pretentious man. No matter what he said, there wasn’t a trace of embarrassment on his face. How thick-skinned must he be to smile so naturally? It was a pity he wasn’t an actor.

“This is just how I am. My parents couldn’t correct me when I was a kid. Let’s end it here for today. I still have to meet with the screenwriter. Uncle, if you feel like you’ve wasted your efforts, just put the bill on my tab. I’ll have my assistant come and settle it later. You’re not my type, and I never force myself.” With that, the young man stood up and left coolly, not giving Zhang Yuanxiao any face at all.

Zhang Yuanxiao watched the young man’s back, wanting to be angry but unable to muster it. He was crazy about this boy; he could only take it step by step.

Before Zhang Yuanxiao could fully recover from his disappointment, his phone rang inopportunely. If it were anyone else, he would have hung up, but the caller was Fei Xiangnan.

“Hello!” Zhang Yuanxiao’s tone with his friend was not as pleasant.

“In a bad mood?” The same low, pressuring voice came through.

Zhang Yuanxiao rubbed his forehead, about to complain.

“Forget it, it’s none of my business. Let’s talk about my business.”

Zhang Yuanxiao felt like he was about to cough up blood.

Fei Xiangnan didn’t beat around the bush. “I want to pursue someone. You have experience, so talk.”

I just failed! Zhang Yuanxiao was grateful he hadn’t impulsively blurted that out, or he would have lost all face. He had finally made the monster Fei Xiangnan feel that he was more useful than him in some way.

“You’ve come to the right person. Is the person you’re pursuing Xiao Fang?” Zhang Yuanxiao asked bluntly.

Fei Xiangnan didn’t plan to hide it. “Yes.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. It hasn’t been long, and your taste has undergone a qualitative change. Aren’t you already married to him? Just cultivate your feelings slowly. Use some old tricks, are you afraid you can’t win over Xiao Fang?” Zhang Yuanxiao felt this was much less difficult than pursuing Ruan Tan.

“He’s not that easy to handle. We have a contract marriage. He’ll divorce me after giving birth. At least for now, he has no feelings for me,” Fei Xiangnan admitted through gritted teeth.

“Pfft!”

Fei Xiangnan’s face darkened another shade.

“Are you going to talk or not?”

Zhang Yuanxiao looked at the empty seat opposite him. “What’s in it for me if I tell you?”

“Development rights to a piece of land in the south,” Fei Xiangnan said without blinking.

Zhang Yuanxiao immediately sat up straight. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Ahem,” Zhang Yuanxiao’s brain started working quickly. “Actually, it’s quite simple. His decision to divorce you means he’s not very interested in your wealth. So what about the child? The birth of a child often changes many people’s perspectives. Also, his willingness to divorce you means his independence is definitely stronger than the average person’s. Whether it’s money or power, as long as you can make him find a sense of dependence on you, then put in more effort. When he can’t leave you, you’ll naturally have won him over.”

A sense of dependence?

Fei Xiangnan was well aware of how independent Xiao Fang was. When other actors had conflicts with him before, he never thought of asking anyone for help. He also didn’t want to use old tricks to threaten Xiao Fang; that would only hurt his feelings. He just wanted to use the most natural method.

“If you can’t find something to create a sense of dependence, you can always secretly create something yourself. You should be quite good at that, right?”

Fei Xiangnan tapped on his desk, his mind filled with the image of Xiao Fang’s cheerful and independent self. If he were to turn him into a helpless person, what would be the point of pursuing him?

“I’ll consider your first suggestion. As for the sense of dependence, I won’t do it.”

Zhang Yuanxiao was a little surprised. “When did you become so soft-hearted?”

“Whether I’m soft-hearted or not depends on the person,” Fei Xiangnan said, his thoughts very clear.

As smart as Zhang Yuanxiao was, he quickly reacted. “Then, what about my land in the south?”

“Half. As for the other half, you’ll have to figure it out yourself. The development must be done together. Good luck,” With that, the call was disconnected.

Zhang Yuanxiao stared at the phone, gritting his teeth. As expected of Fei Xiangnan. How could a devil ever change his ways and become a vegetarian!