Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

Xu Qingcheng glanced at him. "Do you think you've been taken advantage of by cooperating with FUC? Qingyao, this cooperation with FUC has benefited our Xu family. The reorganized Shengshi will be managed by Chen Rui. He is an invaluable talent with extensive experience in this industry. Your father's health is such that he can't personally mentor you, and I don't have the ability to teach you either. You only have three years by Chen Rui's side. Whether you can improve within those three years is up to you. My work ends here."

"Although I know you said this for my own good, no matter what my personal relationship with Fu Jingting is like, you need to know that FUC is a major shareholder of New Shengshi. You are not a child anymore. You need to be mindful of the occasion when you do and say things. Even if you don't like him or have opinions about him, you should just swallow them."

Xu Qingcheng reminded him.

Xu Qingyao didn't speak or move, but the arm resting on the chair armrest tightened.

Xu Qingcheng knew he was unwilling, but this was the truth.

In business, profit always comes first.

However, although she said this in the hope that Qingyao could clearly separate feelings from interests, she herself could not do it.

Xu Qingyao remained silent for a while before finally speaking, "Sister, he actually agreed to let the Xu family cooperate as the second largest shareholder. What did you negotiate with him?"

Anyone could see that the Xu family had indeed profited, especially since Xu Qingcheng had told him that the management team would participate in the shareholding. As long as Xu Qingyao could take over the management of Shengshi after Chen Rui, it would be no dream for the Xu family to become the largest shareholder. It was too easy to operate. If Xu Qingyao could easily see the path, he didn't believe that Fu Jingting couldn't see through it.

Moreover, businessmen are businessmen, so how could Fu Jingting give the Xu family this advantage for no reason?

Xu Qingyao had questions from the first time Xu Qingcheng mentioned the cooperation method, but since she didn't say anything, he wouldn't ask her.

But since Xu Qingcheng brought this up today, Xu Qingyao couldn't help but ask.

Perhaps not expecting Qingyao to ask so directly, Xu Qingcheng was stunned for a moment, and she pursed her lips without saying a word for a long time.

The young man's exquisite features were suddenly clouded with cold water, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. She was right, he was no longer a child, how could he not understand?

Xu Qingyao suddenly stood up, his tall figure exuding an imposing aura.

"Qingyao!" Xu Qingcheng grabbed his arm, her voice rising uncontrollably, causing everyone else in the hall to look over.

Her fingers gripped his arm tightly, her face showing undisguised panic and embarrassment.

Xu Qingyao regretted asking that question as soon as it came out. Seeing her like this now, he couldn't bear it. He tried his best to keep his voice down and be gentle, even though he was still holding his breath. "I'm going to the restroom."

Xu Qingcheng released her grip, her eyes suddenly reddening. She tried her best to lower her eyes and calm herself down.

Xu Qingyao wasn't actually going to the restroom; a feeling of pent-up frustration was welling up inside her.

He wasn't so naive as to walk away at a time like this, trampling on Xu Qingcheng's dignity for the sake of his so-called self-respect.

But he was also angry, angry that he couldn't give her enough support, that she had to bend over and be at his mercy.

But to put it another way, while Shengshi and his group wanted it, it wasn't absolutely necessary. There was no obligation to go this far.

Xu Qingcheng knew that there was no need to go this far, but how could she agree to it?

She agreed to play a consensual game with him under such an absurd identity.

He was so carefree, and compared to her anxiety and entanglement, was there really such a huge difference between not loving and loving?

The commotion she and Xu Qingyao made caught Fu Jingting's attention. His gaze swept over the two of them, but only briefly.

The auction went relatively smoothly, but the core of the Shengshi project consists of high-quality assets, and many people still wanted to try their luck, so the FUC auction was not so easy.

FUC also bid for the land in the south gate. Although the price was not high, real estate projects have not been popular in the past two years, and it is not worth such a large investment. But that's his business, and she has no right to interfere.

Xu Qingcheng and Qingyao originally wanted to bid for the Shengshi Intelligent System incubator, but they had already invested all their assets in the cooperation with FUC, so they had to give up on this project.

Xu Qingcheng still felt it was a bit of a pity.

As they walked out after the event, Xu Qingyao put his arm around her shoulder. "Traditional industries are too asset-heavy, require huge investments, and are difficult to reverse when problems arise. I can start with intelligent systems, focusing only on the programming, investing intellectual capital, and using light assets. A few classmates and I are interested in collaborating together."

Xu Qingyao told her that giving up wasn't a pity, "Sister, you don't need to think too much. Besides, I don't necessarily have to follow in Dad's footsteps. You're not alone anymore."

Xu Qingcheng nodded.

When they came out from the back, they walked ahead. As the crowd behind them moved outwards, Xu Qingyao put his arm around Xu Qingcheng's shoulder and made way for them.

Xu Qingcheng clearly felt a slight pressure on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Fu Jingting and his group walking out. She stopped in front of them.

Because of the way he was holding her shoulders, Xu Qingcheng was practically leaning against Qingyao's chest. Both siblings were strikingly beautiful, and together they were a feast for the eyes.

There were many people coming out of the door, all from the business world. It was a rare opportunity to meet and exchange a few pleasantries, so the place inevitably felt crowded. Xu Qingcheng didn't feel uncomfortable at all, after all, he was her younger brother.

Even strangers wouldn't overthink it; even if two people only share a slight resemblance, they could easily guess their deep blood relation.

However, Xu Qingyao's overly sharp gaze drew attention, with many speculating whether it was related to the Xu family's second loss of prosperity.

Most of the people around were just watching the spectacle, and Xu Qingcheng couldn't help but tug at Qingyao.

Fu Jingting's gaze swept past the hand that was draped over Xu Qingcheng's shoulder, and he said to her without much emotion, "Tomorrow we'll go to FUC to sign the equity ownership agreement."

He said this to Xu Qingcheng.

"I'll come over," Xu Qingyao said, clearly not wanting his sister to have any contact with him.

Fu Jingting glanced at him, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Xu Qingcheng quickly replied, "Qingyao will be in charge of the operation in the future. I will not participate in any management. It is more appropriate for him to represent our Xu family."

Fu Jingting didn't say anything more, turned around and left, and the others quickly followed.

Xu Qingcheng stared in the direction he left for a long time before turning her gaze away. "Let's go. I've already given you the profit-sharing agreement we discussed before. We'll probably discuss and finalize the company's articles of association tomorrow. The shareholding situation will be written into the articles of association. We'll subscribe to the shares, but we haven't discussed the paid-in share ratio yet. You can discuss that yourself."

However, the total funds in our account only amount to 18%, so the actual contribution ratio cannot exceed this amount. You still need to set aside some funds for your parents' retirement.

Qingyao will eventually have to stand on his own two feet. The more she gets involved, the harder it will be for him to grow. His reaction at the auction made Xu Qingcheng realize that some things can't be done by being shameless. Qingyao has his bottom line and self-respect.

It would be unpleasant to hear people say that everything Qingyao achieved was thanks to his sister's shamelessness.

"And you?" Xu Qingyao knew that Shengshi hadn't kept a single penny for herself.

"Me?" Xu Qingcheng smiled and took his arm. "I have hands and feet, and Xie Yin has never mistreated me. It's enough for my and Yuanyuan's daily expenses."

We're at this critical juncture now. If we can't reach an agreement with FUC, you'll have to find a way to get a loan, and you'll have to figure that out yourself.

So don't worry about me now. Wait until you're better off, then think about how to make your sister's life better."

The driver took them back, but halfway there Xu Qingcheng suddenly said she had something to do and asked the driver to drop her off so she could take a taxi herself.

……

Fu Jingting drove to the front of Jingshan No. 1. Lights shone from the villa. He narrowed his eyes and stared blankly at the light shining through the glass window.

The driver was restless; his wife had sent him numerous messages on his phone urging him to come home for their youngest daughter's birthday. They had planned to go out for dinner as a family that evening.

But Young Master Fu didn't say anything. He's been acting strangely these past few days. Every day after get off work, he'd have me drive to Jingshan No. 1, but he wouldn't go inside. He'd just stare at the dark villa from the entrance for a few minutes, then ask me to take him to the hotel.

Driver Dazhao replied to a text message on his phone, "Honey, you take the kids to eat first. I estimate it will take another hour."

"You said you'd be back in half an hour at the latest, why is it still an hour?! You never tell the truth! It's only once a year for Erbao's birthday, and you stood us up again!"

Da Zhao was annoyed by the question his wife sent. It was usually around that time, but he didn't expect that Young Master Fu would sit there for half an hour.

His wife kept sending messages, so Da Zhao quickly muted the phone.

Fu Jingting glanced over. "What's up?"

"Ah...no, it's my daughter's birthday today." Da Zhao gave an awkward laugh.

He was a new recruit after FUC entered China. He knew very little about Fu Jingting, only that he was taciturn and didn't talk much, so he didn't seem like an easy leader to get along with. Da Zhao tried his best to talk less as well.

Fu Jingting noticed a beautifully wrapped little box on the passenger seat and asked, "A gift for my daughter? How old is she?"

"This is my second child, she's two years old. I bought her a box of building blocks."

She is two years old.

Fu Jingting's brow furrowed. "Go back. Your daughter must be getting impatient waiting for you."

"Shall I take you to your hotel first?"

"No need." Fu Jingting got out of the car. "Come pick me up tomorrow morning."