The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 510 - 513. Share transfer, plan to start

Wang Fu contacted Shen Junze again three days later. At that time, Shen Junze was at the Shen Family residence discussing his plans with Shen Qinglan. "Sister, Wang Fu has contacted me," Shen Junze said.

"Let’s hear what he has to say first."

Shen Junze answered the phone, and on the other end, Wang Fu was inviting Shen Junze to dinner, mentioning that other shareholders would be there as well. Shen Junze gratefully responded, "Uncle Wang, thank you for all the meticulous arrangements you’ve made for me. I don’t know how to thank you enough."

Wang Fu replied with a smile, "It’s too early to talk about that now. Let’s chat after the dinner with these shareholders. Regarding the matter you mentioned last time, I’ve thought it over. Let’s meet up some day when you’re free to talk about it in private." Ensuring financial discrepancies in Lu Real Estate was a matter that needed thorough planning; naturally, he wanted to discuss it properly with Shen Junze.

"I’ll be available any time, Uncle Wang," Shen Junze replied humbly.

"All right. Once I’ve made the arrangements here, I’ll give you a call," Wang Fu said.

Shen Junze hung up the phone and turned to Shen Qinglan, recounting everything Wang Fu had told him on the phone.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, "It seems that Wang Fu’s dissatisfaction with Lu Jincai isn’t trivial, and since those people have agreed to come, it indicates that they somewhat know the purpose of Wang Fu’s actions and are probably willing to help you. You must seize this opportunity well and try to win them over in one fell swoop. With their support, regaining control of the company will be more certain."

The shares held by these shareholders added up significantly, and together with the shares Shen Junze held, they were enough to oust Wu Jincai from the company. However, this was contingent on these shareholders being willing to support Shen Junze.

"Sister, I’m just worried they might become greedy," Shen Junze expressed his concerns.

There was no need to worry about Wang Fu, but the other shareholders were a different story. Shen Junze currently did not have enough capital to compete with Lu Jin, nor could he offer more to negotiate with these greedy shareholders. If they made excessive demands, he really had no way to comply.

Shen Qinglan looked calm and confident, "They won’t become greedy," at least not now. These people were willing to come out for a meal at this time; clearly, they were dissatisfied with Lu Jin and wanted to see what conditions Shen Junze could offer and whether it was worth their while to help pull Lu Jin down.

People say that businessmen are heartless. This may not always be true, but for these wavering shareholders of Lu Real Estate, it is an accurate description. As long as the offer from Shen Junze is better than what Lu Jin provides, these people will readily switch sides.

Shen Junze felt much reassured by her words, "Sister, hearing you say this puts me at ease. What else should I be mindful of when I go?"

"You may agree to reasonable demands, but you must maintain the proper attitude, defend the lines that should be defended, and never back down where you shouldn’t. If possible, it would be best to buy their shares and hold them in your own hands—what you control directly is most secure."

After pondering silently for a moment and understanding, Shen Junze nodded, "Sister, I understand." Indeed, as long as he held those shares, he wouldn’t have to worry about them betraying him at the last moment.

Wang Fu had arranged for the dinner the following night. Therefore, the next day, Shen Junze left the company early. The chosen restaurant was the same as last time, even the private room was the same.

Wang Fu was the first to arrive.

"Uncle Wang," Shen Junze greeted him.

"Jun Ze, sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Uncle Wang, I’m the one who arrived early," Shen Junze said with a slight smile.

"About the matter you mentioned last time, Uncle Wang has thought it over. I should’ve informed you earlier, but Uncle Wang is getting on in years and tends to be overly cautious. I hope you don’t feel that I’m unwilling to help you."

"Uncle Wang, you shouldn’t say that. You’ve been helping me all along, and it’s only right for you to think it through. Besides, I trust Uncle Wang will make the right decision."

"Haha, you sure have a way with words," Wang Fu said with a laugh, then glanced towards the door and lowered his voice, "I’ve already hinted to the other shareholders, and they are all interested in taking Lu Jin down and are curious about your plan. You have a good chance of persuading them today, but it hinges on whether your conditions satisfy them. It’s up to you to strike the right balance. Uncle Wang can help you, but can’t favor you too excessively."

Shen Junze nodded knowingly; this was consistent with what Shen Qinglan had told him, "Uncle Wang, I understand. With you backing me, I believe they will respect your influence."

Wang Fu laughed heartily, but hesitation flickered in his eyes, "Jun Ze, if possible today, you should try to buy their shares to increase your leverage."

Shen Junze was surprised; he hadn’t expected Wang Fu to suggest such a strategy. It seemed that Wang Fu genuinely wanted to help him. Thinking this, Shen Junze’s attitude toward Wang Fu grew even more sincere. He would remember this favor.

Before long, the other shareholders started arriving. There were five of them, including Wang Fu.

The company had over twenty shareholders, but only a handful held significant shares. Besides the 35% of the company’s shares held by Lu Jin, Shen Junze controlled 25%, and the rest, 45%, included the 25% held by these few shareholders.

"Hello, uncles and sirs," Shen Junze greeted everyone proactively.

Seeing Shen Junze there didn’t surprise the others; after all, the purpose of today’s dinner was clear to everyone, though it remained unspoken.

A tall, thin middle-aged man was the first to speak, his expression stern, "Jun Ze, I’m a straightforward man, so I’ll speak frankly. We’re here today because of Chairman Wang, but moving forward, we need to focus on the matter at hand. If there’s anything that might seem inappropriate later, don’t blame us for not giving you face."

Shen Junze wasn’t upset at these words but instead smiled and nodded, "Of course. Let’s stick to the matter at hand. Please, have a seat, uncles, sirs."

The man who had spoken, Director Liang Tian, held the most shares among them.

Seeing Shen Junze’s positive attitude, Liang Tian felt satisfied and took his seat. The other directors followed suit.

Shen Junze stood up with a glass of wine in hand and said with a smile, "Uncles, sirs, I’d like to offer a toast. Thank you for coming to dine with me today. Here’s to you," and he took a drink.

Everyone here today came to discuss matters, not to cause trouble; naturally, no one put on airs, and everyone picked up their wine glasses and downed the first drink.

The meeting started well, and Shen Junze felt greatly relieved. He glanced at Wang Fu, who took the initiative and said, "Brothers, the purpose of our gathering here today is known to all of us, so let’s cut to the chase."

"Hey, Old Wang, what’s the rush? Since we’re here to dine today, shouldn’t we finish our meal first?" The speaker was a man with a receding hairline. He was another major shareholder after Liang Tian, named Zhou Jianye.

As soon as this was said, two or three other shareholders echoed, "Yeah, since we’re here to eat, let’s enjoy the meal and leave business talk aside." Liang Tian frowned, looking somewhat displeased.

Shen Junze noticed this slight detail and suddenly understood.

Before these shareholders had arrived, Wang Fu had told him that Lu Jincai’s least favorite person was Liang Tian. Liang Tian held the highest percentage among all shareholders—15%. And although Lu Jincai had always wanted his shares, Liang Tian was not willing to sell.

Wang Fu had also found out that Liang Tian’s son, who was dear to him, had recently gambled in A City and had incurred massive debts. Despite mobilizing all the liquid funds he could, Liang Tian had failed to fill this gap and was being harassed by loan sharks every day.

If this information was reliable, then among everyone, Liang Tian was the one most urgently in need of money. Wang Fu guessed that if Shen Junze hadn’t approached him, Liang Tian might not have lasted much longer before selling his shares to Lu Jincai.

The reason this dinner meeting could be organized was largely due to Liang Tian’s proactive stance, and the other directors had agreed seeing his attitude. Now that they were at the dinner table focusing on the meal rather than business discussions, no wonder he was displeased.

Nevertheless, having weathered many storms, Liang Tian was still capable of maintaining appearances.

Throughout the meal, where drinks were continuously exchanged, Shen Junze indeed did not mention anything about Lu Real Estate.

Rather, it was Wang Fu who spoke a great deal about the old days when he had started the business together with Shen Rang. Those reminiscences brought nostalgic expressions to the faces of the shareholders.

"President Shen died so young," Zhou Jianye lamented sincerely, his admiration for Shen Rang was genuine.

This sentiment was echoed by the other shareholders, "Indeed, President Shen... it’s such a pity."

Mentioning his father, also a hint of sadness flashed in Shen Junze’s eyes. Had he been more assertive back then, might his father have left this world more peacefully?

"All of you uncles and seniors are pioneers who founded the company with my dad. I’ve heard countless stories about those days from him. His favorite saying was that he was fortunate in this life to have met you brothers who shared in his struggles," Shen Junze said, moved, though his words were half-true, half-fabricated.

"Your dad was a fine man," Zhou Jianye commented, "Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Meeting your dad was also our fortune."

Most of them had been with the company since its establishment, having seen Shen Rang start from scratch. They had no doubts about Shen Rang’s capabilities, and under his leadership, the company had enjoyed the most stable period of growth. With a unified vision and concerted efforts, the company was bound to prosper.

Speaking of Shen Rang, Zhou Jianye looked at Shen Junze with a complex gaze, "When your father passed away, we also wanted to help you, but..." He paused and waved his hand, "Let it be, let’s not bring up the past."

Shen Junze knew what Zhou intended to say and didn’t avoid the subject, his expression remorseful, "Back then, I was the one who was not up to the mark. I can’t blame you uncles and elders. Your presence here today is already the greatest affirmation for me."

Hearing this, Zhou Jianye couldn’t help but sigh, "Jun Ze, since you brought this matter up, your uncle will also have a heart-to-heart with you today. Indeed, you can’t blame your uncles and elders for what happened back then. We built this company slowly with your father. It was like our child. Naturally, we hoped to hand it over to someone reliable who could further enhance its glory. But with your behavior back then, how could we confidently hand the company to you? So, don’t hold any grudges about this matter."

"Uncle Zhou, why would you say that? If I bore any grudge, I wouldn’t have invited you here today." Shen Junze always wore a humble smile, not minding at all that they repeatedly brought up his past behavior.

"Old Zhou, why bring up such matters? Jun Ze was immature back then, but now Jun Ze’s capabilities are evident to all of us as a true young talent. Could we have achieved what he has at his age back in the day? Bokai Real Estate is a dark horse in Beijing’s real estate market now," Wang Fu said, trying to steer the conversation away from Shen Junze’s past.

"Ha ha, that’s true. We are indeed inferior to Jun Ze’s achievements now," Zhou Jianye was a smart man; he caught on to Wang Fu’s intentions and smoothly shifted the topic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please stop flattering me. I am far behind you. Bokai Real Estate wasn’t founded by me alone; it was established by my cousin Shen Junyu, who later handed it over to me. Bokai’s success today is also due to my cousin supporting me from behind. I couldn’t have come this far all by myself."

Shen Junze didn’t feel that admitting he relied on Shen Junyu was embarrassing; he wanted the shareholders to understand that he had the support of Junlan Group behind him and he was not fighting alone.

Everyone sitting here was smart, naturally understanding the implications in Shen Junze’s words. Junlan Group in Beijing was indeed a leading company, undisputed in status. If Bokai Real Estate was supported by Junlan Group, then Bokai’s future was much brighter than they initially thought, and they needed to re-assess their view of Shen Junze as well.

Wang Fu, a very sharp man, saw that the shareholders seemed thoughtful and looked at Shen Junze appreciatively; he was a smart man who knew how to leverage his advantages.

Several shareholders had long known that Shen Junze was from the Shen Family, but initially, Shen Junze had a strained relationship with his family. Although Shen Junze ended up working at Junlan Group after being ousted from another company, they didn’t pay much heed to it, thinking he was just coasting along for basic needs, never expecting him now to have the capability to start his own company.

Although Shen Junze himself said that it was Shen Junyu supporting him from behind, everyone knew that Shen Junyu was a crafty fox; he would only favor people with real talent. With this in mind, the shareholders had to admit that they had indeed misjudged initially.

"Now that we’ve come to this point, let me say this outright. Ladies and gentlemen, I invited you here today for one thing, I want to ask for your help to take back my father’s company."

Everyone had already guessed Shen Junze’s intention, so they were not surprised by his request.

Liang Tian was the first to speak, "We understand your feelings, and Old Wang has talked to us about it. Given our relationship with your father, we should help you, but you know, we all have older and younger family members to care for; we cannot help you unconditionally..."

Shen Junze understood the underlying meaning, "Ladies and gentlemen, please rest assured, if you help me, I naturally will not let you down. Lu Jincai may be my uncle, but Shen Rang is my father. If you help me, whatever benefits you had under my father will be the same with me."

Wang Fu laughed heartily and patted Shen Junze on the shoulder approvingly, "You truly are Shen Rang’s son, bold and decisive. Gentlemen, it’s not that I’m taking sides with Jun Ze, but we all know our situation in the company. Outsiders might see us as successful, but is that really the case? We were blind not to see Lu Jincai’s true colors before. This time we must see clearly. Instead of waiting passively, it’s better to take action."

The shareholders pondered this, and Zhou Jianye looked around at all the investors, then spoke in a measured tone, "Jun Ze, since you’ve put it this way, then let your uncle speak frankly. When Lu Jincai first came to us, he too had beautiful words to say, but you saw what he ended up doing. If you want us to help you, it can’t just be empty talk."

The other three shareholders nodded, and Shen Junze had anticipated this result, "Then may I know what I should do to make the uncles and grandpas agree to help me?"

His face bore a faint smile, and his tone was gentle, showcasing a humble eagerness to learn.

The conditions were up to them, yet it was difficult to grasp the extent. To what extent could he go without compromising his own interests but still make Shen Junze feel that they genuinely wanted to help him, rather than making unreasonable demands?

This, in turn, made it difficult for the shareholders.

Seeing that the shareholders maintained their silence, Shen Junze continued, "Uncles and grandpas, please feel free to state your conditions. As long as they are not too excessive, I will consider them seriously."

Zhou Jianye was the one who spoke, "Jun Ze, your words are making us old folks feel a bit embarrassed."

"Uncles and grandpas, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. We are discussing business after all."

"Since you’ve said so, I’ll speak frankly. Initially, when Lu Jincai approached us, he promised us important positions in the company, but as you have seen, even though we held those positions, our power was empty; we were merely figureheads. Moreover, we are old now and lack the energy of our younger days, so we won’t shamelessly ask for positions in the company. We want shares in Bokai Group instead."

In Zhou Jianye’s view, Bokai Real Estate was a company with great potential for development. With Junlan Group’s support from behind, Bokai Real Estate’s future development would undoubtedly surpass that of Lu Real Estate. Therefore, why not secure the shares of Bokai Real Estate early on? This way, even if Shen Junze and Lu Jincai betray them later, they would still have the shares as a safeguard.

Shen Junze hadn’t expected them to target Bokai Real Estate, but this condition wasn’t unacceptable. After pondering for a moment, Shen Junze spoke slowly, "Uncles and grandpas, Bokai Real Estate is currently just a small company that is developing. I am honored that you think so highly of it. However, if I take back Lu Real Estate, Bokai will definitely merge with Lu. Since Bokai is a smaller company, it will ultimately be incorporated into Lu Real Estate. Therefore, agreeing to give you shares of Bokai doesn’t hold any meaning. Instead, you should keep the shares you have in your companies. I can promise you that unless you want to sell them to me, I will absolutely not reclaim them and will add an additional one percent of shares on top of what you already hold. What do you think?"

A one percent stake might not seem much, but Lu Real Estate was, after all, a listed company. A one percent share could yield a significant amount in dividends a year. Moreover, if Lu Real Estate were to merge with Bokai Real Estate, it would also receive support from Junlan Group, and its developmental prospects would be boundless. Considering this, the shareholders started to waver; the offer was highly enticing.

Seeing this, Wang Fu spoke up, "Old brothers, why are you still hesitating? Jun Ze’s offer is very generous. I think it’s feasible. Just like Uncle Zhou said earlier, we are all old now, and holding positions in the company is only making us despised. It would be better to let those positions go to the younger people, let them strive and push the company’s development to new heights. We old fellows have worked hard for most of our lives and never really rested. Why not take this opportunity to enjoy our twilight years at home? If they encounter problems and don’t know what to do, then we can guide them. This way, we would also be honoring Shen Rang’s past exhortations."

Liang Tian had been quiet the whole time, but after hearing Wang Fu’s words, he spoke softly, "I agree with Old Wang’s words. I accept this condition. The 15th of next month is the shareholders meeting, and I will support you there."

Shen Junze already held shares in Lu Real Estate and was eligible to participate in the shareholder’s meeting. With the support of these elderly shareholders, his chances of rising to power were significant. However, the current biggest problem was that Shen Junze didn’t have enough shares to compete with Lu Jincai.

"However, there is still one problem, which is that, Jun Ze, you don’t have enough shares. Lu Jincai holds 35% of the company’s shares and is the largest shareholder. It’s natural for him to be the chairman. But if you want the support of all shareholders, then your shareholding must exceed his. To show our sincerity in cooperation, I can transfer 5% of my company’s shares to you first. But after you rise to power, these company shares..."

"Uncle Liang, please rest assured, these shares will be considered as borrowed by me. If I take back the company, I will return these shares to you unaltered, including the promised 1%."

"With your word, then I am assured," Liang Tian said, satisfied. Wang Fu naturally supported Shen Junze, so without further words, he also agreed to the suggested terms, "Since Brother Liang has made his stance, I’ll make mine. I can give 7% of my shares to Jun Ze first."

With this 10% of shares, Shen Junze’s shareholding increased to 32%, causing the other three shareholders to exchange glances.

"Since Old Wang and Brother Liang have already said so, we can’t just watch, if they both contribute 1%, I will contribute 2%. When the shareholders’ meeting comes, we will unanimously support your promotion." Zhou Jianye was the first to speak, and the other two shareholders nodded in agreement.

With this, Shen Junze’s shareholding reached 36%, just slightly surpassing Lu Jincai’s.

Hearing these words, Shen Junze was visibly moved and said, "Uncles and cousins, thank you for your support. I won’t bother with gratitude now. Actions speak louder than words. Just watch what I do in the future."

Everyone had finished their meal and discussed matters, and naturally, they would not stay any longer. Thus, they took their leave one by one. Wang Fu and Shen Junze did not leave, as they were waiting for someone. Sure enough, not long after, Liang Tian returned.

"Brother Liang, thank you for just now," Wang Fu said, putting his hands together and smiling.

Liang Tian waved his hand, "I also have my own goals; it’s not solely for you."

The scheme was orchestrated by Wang Fu and Liang Tian together.

Half an hour before the dinner started, Liang Tian had a deep conversation with Shen Junze. The terms agreed with Shen Junze were to sell his shares to Shen Junze at a price 10% above the market rate and also to help persuade the other shareholders. His condition was that once he sold his shares to Shen Junze and Shen Junze took charge, he would receive 3% of the company’s shares.

Although the condition was a bit harsh, Shen Junze still agreed. After all, the number of shares Liang Tian held was significant. Having his shares, along with the borrowed shares from other shareholders, would be enough to defeat Lu Jincai.

"Uncle Liang, I didn’t bring the share transfer agreement today. I’ll come to your house tomorrow, and we can sign the contract. How does that sound?"

Liang Tian nodded, "Let’s proceed with that, but about the money..."

"Rest assured, once the contract is signed, the money will be in place immediately."

Hearing this, Liang Tian was very satisfied.

Buying shares at a price above the market value, and not a small amount, Shen Junze naturally couldn’t afford this much money. However, before this, he had already discussed it with Shen Junyu, who was willing to lend him the money first. This was also one of the reasons why Shen Junze dared to agree.

After settling the matters, Liang Tian didn’t stay long and soon left. After he left, Wang Fu and Shen Junze exchanged glances. Shen Junze smiled and began, "Uncle Wang, I owe you a lot this time."

Wang Fu waved his hand, "It was your own cleverness."

Today, Shen Junze used Shen Rang and Junlan Group’s gratitude and interests to present his value in front of all the shareholders, which was his most intelligent move.

If it were just about gratitude, these people might not have easily agreed. After all, how much is gratitude worth? Shen Rang had already died, and even the greatest gratitude couldn’t compare to their own interests; otherwise, they would not have initially agreed to help Lu Jincai take over the company. If it was just about benefit, then these people would certainly have demanded a high price, and the talks would likely have failed.

So Shen Junze’s approach today was extremely clever.

"Uncle Wang, your guidance has been excellent. Without it, how could I have come up with such a good idea?" Shen Junze said humbly.

Everyone loves to hear flattering words, and upon hearing this, Wang Fu’s face lit up with a smile, and he waved his hand, "All right, all right, stop with the flattery. I know my own capabilities well enough. The matter has been resolved, so let’s talk about something else now."

Shen Junze adopted a serious expression, which was also the main reason for his meeting with Wang Fu today.

To take down Lu Jincai, shares alone weren’t enough; there also needed to be other factors to push things along, with the best one being the company’s profit loss.

"These few days, I took the opportunity to look over the company’s finances. In recent months, the company’s profits have been declining, and the shareholders have already shown some dissatisfaction towards Lu Jincai. This is your best opportunity. In the coming days, I’ll manipulate the financials to deepen the losses."

"What do I need to do to cooperate with you, Uncle Wang?"

"Continue to compete with Lu Real Estate and cause its profits to slip once again. Only by doing this can you secure absolute support at the next shareholders’ meeting."

Although Shen Junze’s shares were already enough, gaining everyone’s approval required not just sufficient shares but also capability. If Shen Junze could beat Lu Real Estate, it would prove his capabilities were stronger than Lu Jincai’s, making him more suitable as the company’s leader. Naturally, the profit-driven shareholders would support him.

"I understand. Leave it to me to handle this matter. However, I will still need your help with other things, Uncle Wang."

"That’s not a problem at all," Wang Fu said with a smile. "However, Liang Tian is very greedy. This time he agreed to help you because his family has encountered some troubles and needs money urgently. If you take charge in the future, you should still be wary of him."

Additionally, another reason Liang Tian agreed to help Shen Junze was that Lu Jincai had orchestrated the loss of a large sum of money by Liang Tian’s son, aiming for Liang’s shares in Lu’s company. Aware of the truth, Liang Tian wasn’t likely to let Lu Jincai off easily.

From the moment Liang Tian proposed to buy his shares at a price 10% above market value, Shen Junze knew what kind of person he was. Naturally, he wouldn’t trust him wholeheartedly, but the fact that Wang Fu reminded him of this also showed that Wang Fu was truly looking out for him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Wang. I’ll be careful. But regardless, the fact that he’s standing by me at this time is already commendable, and I will remember his favor. Even if I can’t entrust him with significant responsibilities, I will still show him due respect."

Hearing this, Wang Fu nodded in satisfaction. His earlier words had been both a reminder and a test for Shen Junze. If Shen Junze had suggested expelling Liang Tian from the company as a result, Wang Fu would have been disappointed. Shen Junze hadn’t done so; he valued relationships, which reassured Wang Fu about their future cooperation.

After parting ways with Wang Fu, Shen Junze went to find Shen Qinglan and recounted everything that had happened that day, including the dealings with various shareholders and his own responses.

Shen Qinglan nodded in approval, "You’ve done very well today. Continue in this manner. If there’s anything you don’t understand, discuss it directly with my brother. As for the original stock proxy agreement, I’ve already scheduled a time with Lawyer Xiao. He will be coming soon, and I will transfer all the shares to your name, including the 5% I hold."

Originally, Shen Rang had given Shen Qinglan 5% of the company’s shares as a wedding gift to assist Shen Junze; however, Shen Qinglan had never accepted the shares.

Shen Junze hesitated, "Sister, those shares were given to you by Dad."

"The shares you currently hold were lent to you by those shareholders, and you’ll have to return them later, while the shares I hold are of no use to me. Since Uncle left them to me, he would surely have no objections to how I handle them. Just do as I say." She held shares in several companies and did not lack that small percentage.

Lawyer Xiao was very efficient. The next day he arrived in Beijing, and not only did Shen Qinglan’s 5% of the shares go to Shen Junze, but Shen Junyu’s shares were also given to him.

"Sister, Brother, thank you," Shen Junze said excitedly. Shen Qinglan and Shen Junyu hadn’t charged him a cent for these shares. Although they didn’t need the money themselves, the significance behind the gesture was different.

"These were originally yours to begin with. Now they’re merely returning to their rightful owner. I’ve done all I can to help; the rest is up to you," Shen Qinglan said indifferently, feeling no reluctance to give away stocks worth tens of millions that Shen Rang had initially forced upon her.

"Sister, Brother, I won’t let you down."

Shen Junyu and Shen Qinglan had already helped him tremendously. If he still couldn’t reclaim his father’s company after all this, he might as well die to apologize for his failure.

Shen Junyu spoke indifferently, "It’s time to see the results of your efforts over these years in Junlan—show me what you’ve learned."

Shen Junze nodded solemnly.

**

As Pei Yinong and Jiang Chenxi’s wedding date was approaching, there were still many things to prepare. One day, they went to the furniture market together to shop, but unexpectedly ran into Chen Wanqiao there. She was with a man, and they appeared to be in a relationship.

Chen Wanqiao hadn’t expected to meet Jiang Chenxi under such circumstances either. Her hand, resting in her boyfriend’s arm, instinctively withdrew. She looked somewhat uneasy meeting Chenxi’s gaze.

However, Jiang Chenxi saw Chen Wanqiao and greeted her warmly with a smile, "Wan Jiao, what a coincidence. Is this your boyfriend?"

Chen Wanqiao smiled uncomfortably, "This is my fiancé, Zhong Lei."

Jiang Chenxi smiled kindly at Zhong Lei, "Is the wedding date set?"

Chen Wanqiao nodded, "Next March."

Jiang Chenxi hadn’t expected it to be so soon, but saw it as a good thing nonetheless.