What If I Ended Up Marrying My Enemy? - Chapter 42
Chapter 42: The Project “Zhixue”
He helped Yu Zhixue wash up again, carefully clipped his hair up to keep it from getting wet, then carried him back to bed.
Yu Zhixue had been completely exhausted from all the fuss. By the time he finished his shower and came back out, he was already asleep. Afraid to wake him, Yu Wenxuan dried his own hair outside.
Only after his hair was fully dry did he quietly re-enter the room, lie down beside him, and pull him into his arms.
Still half-asleep from everything earlier, Yu Zhixue instinctively reached for the necklace around his neck. Yu Wenxuan let him do as he pleased and lowered his head to kiss the ring at the base of his ring finger.
“Good night,” Yu Wenxuan said softly.
…
Yu Zhixue arrived at the company later than usual the next morning. He really couldn’t get up, and walking still felt a little… off.
Fortunately, not many dared to look directly at Yu Zhixue’s face, so no one noticed the subtle expression he wore.
He went about his duties as usual. According to the schedule Ji Hua gave him yesterday, there was a collaborative meeting with another company around 10 a.m.
When the hour hand quietly reached ten, Yu Zhixue glanced at the clock, gathered the scattered documents on his desk, and headed to the meeting room a bit early.
Most of the people had already arrived. At the sound of his footsteps entering, everyone visibly tensed up and lowered their heads.
He took his seat at the head of the table, and someone promptly passed him the documents and information for today’s meeting.
Yu Corporation had long been developing in the pharmaceutical field. The project they were negotiating now was a step toward deeper advancement. Most of the groundwork was done; only the final step remained.
The pen in his hand spun around and around—a habitual movement whenever Yu Zhixue was deep in thought.
Today, Yu Wenxuan had helped him tie his hair in a ponytail, using a dark indigo ribbon. A small braid hung from one side.
As the agreed meeting time approached, still no one from the other party showed up. Yu Zhixue frowned almost imperceptibly. He despised people with no sense of time.
He glanced at Ji Hua beside him. Ji Hua quickly understood and went out to make a call.
When the time passed with no sign of the other party, Yu Zhixue finally put down his pen. His delicate face was cold as he stared at the clock, then let out a laugh.
Soft, joyless, and laced with a chilling edge.
The others in the room suddenly busied themselves with their papers, avoiding his gaze. Just then, Ji Hua returned.
Ji Hua’s expression was complicated. Under everyone’s gaze, he spoke:
“They said they found a new partner and are currently in talks with them.”
In other words, they’d been ditched and undercut at the last minute.
Those who had stayed silent until now couldn’t hold back.
“We were this close to sealing the deal, and now they just ditch us? That’s seriously unethical!”
“Exactly! After all the work we put in, they just ran off to someone else?”
The room broke into a chorus of complaints, until Yu Zhixue lightly tapped his fingers twice on the table. The sound silenced everyone immediately.
Yu Zhixue asked, “Who did they choose instead?”
Ji Hua hesitated, cleared his throat, and finally replied, “The Yu Corporation.”
The room went silent.
A moment ago, people had still been venting their anger. Now, no one dared say a word. Had this happened earlier, they might’ve lashed out and added old grudges to new.
But now that the two companies were basically in-laws… what were they supposed to do?
They couldn’t make the call, so they all looked toward Yu Zhixue.
Yu Zhixue hadn’t expected that answer either. After a moment of silence, eyes downcast, he stood up.
“I’ll go over there.”
…
Yu Wenxuan looked at the group brought to him, still wearing his usual gentlemanly smile—a misleading facade.
After Assistant Liu led them in, he stood beside him.
The group’s spokesman was a man named Zhao Ci.
Zhao Ci’s name might contain the character for “benevolence,” but his appearance was anything but kind. He had a round face, small, narrow eyes that gleamed with cunning.
But for businessmen, being shrewd wasn’t exactly an insult.
Yu Wenxuan hadn’t intended to meet this group, who had suddenly barged in talking about a major business opportunity. In the end, he relented to their persistent pestering.
Crossing his legs, he sat back and said, “Didn’t you insist on seeing me, claiming you had something that would interest me? Let’s see it.”
Zhao Ci’s eyes narrowed even further in a fake smile as he pushed a file forward like it held a great secret. “This, President Yu. Please take a look.”
Yu Wenxuan took it and skimmed through. It turned out to be a near-complete medical project proposal. But the Yu Corporation wasn’t deeply involved in the healthcare industry.
“We were originally planning to partner with Yu Corporation,” Zhao Ci said. “Talks were almost done, but some issues came up and things fell through. So we came to you.”
Yu Wenxuan remained indifferent. “And what do you want from me?”
“Well, everyone knows you’re the only one capable of going head-to-head with Yu Corporation. After so many years of competition, haven’t you ever wanted to surpass them?”
Clearly, Zhao Ci was still under the illusion that the two companies were bitter rivals.
“Oh?” Yu Wenxuan looked mildly intrigued, his eyes pitch-black. “Surpass them? With this little project of yours?”
“Healthcare is Yu Corporation’s strength—and your company’s weakness. I, Zhao Ci, guarantee that if you partner with us, we’ll grab a significant portion of the market.”
Yu Wenxuan didn’t respond immediately. Silence filled the office as he continued flipping through the documents.
While reading, he asked, “You said things fell apart with Yu Corporation. Why?”
Zhao Ci gave a performative sigh and began badmouthing Yu Corporation, painting himself as the victim.
Yu Wenxuan quickly finished reading the proposal and chuckled—a soft, breathy sound at first, then louder, as if he remembered something amusing. He covered his face with his hand.
Zhao Ci was confused, thinking he was giddy from landing such a great deal. He was just about to ask for some benefits when Yu Wenxuan suddenly asked:
“Did you ever show this proposal to Yu Zhixue?”
“No,” Zhao Ci said instinctively, misinterpreting Yu Wenxuan’s tone. “We were already falling out with them. Of course he never saw this version.”
“I see.” Yu Wenxuan’s smile vanished. His glasses flashed with a cold, lifeless gleam—an icy contrast to before.
“So you do have a few brain cells left—enough not to embarrass yourself in front of Yu Zhixue.”
He flung the file back at Zhao Ci and laced his fingers together. “What made you think you could play this kind of trick on me?”
Ever since taking over the company, no one had dared try to pull something like this on him. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like.
The proposal, which seemed flawless on the surface, was full of cleverly disguised loopholes. Did they think he wouldn’t notice because he wasn’t in the healthcare field? Or that he’d be so eager to crush Yu Corporation that he wouldn’t look too closely?
In truth, both assumptions were behind Zhao Ci’s plan.
They had originally wanted to work with Yu Corporation, but Yu Zhixue had been too perceptive, exposing two of their traps during the process.
They could’ve made plenty by completing the project honestly, but greed got the better of them. They weren’t the type to quit while ahead.
So they set their sights on another target: Yu Corporation.
Since Yu Corp had no presence in healthcare and was thought to be a direct competitor, they seemed like the perfect backup. And Yu Wenxuan didn’t seem as hard to deal with as Yu Zhixue.
They showed up with what they thought was a foolproof plan.
But before they could even start, they were exposed.
Still, Zhao Ci was an old hand. Looking at the file flung back at him, he said, “What are you implying, President Yu? That we’re trying to scam you?”
“If that’s the case, then there’s no point in working together. We’ll just return to our negotiations with Yu Corporation. I just hope you don’t regret it later.”
He made a show of preparing to leave.
“You’re welcome to try,” Yu Wenxuan said calmly, rising to his feet. “Let’s see who’s still willing to work with you after today.”
Zhao Ci turned back in shock at the seriousness in Yu Wenxuan’s expression, cursing him silently.
Just as he was about to argue again, a noise came from the doorway.
The office door swung open—no knock—and several people stood outside. Most were Yu Corporation employees, but at the center was someone Zhao Ci knew very well.
Yu Zhixue.
Yu Zhixue had come alone. Assistant Liu and Yu Wenxuan were both in the office, so no one could bring him up.
Luckily, Yu Corp employees all recognized him. A few guided him upstairs, right to Yu Wenxuan’s office.
They looked at the closed office door and said, “President Yu seems to be in a meeting. Let us take you to the lounge.”
Yu Zhixue: “No need.”
As he said this, he reached for the doorknob.
The employees tried to stop him. “Wait! President Yu is—”
Before they could finish, Yu Zhixue had already opened the door and walked right in.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward him—Zhao Ci’s group, Assistant Liu, and Yu Wenxuan himself.
Just when they thought their boss was about to scold them harshly, Yu Wenxuan spoke—and said something none of them expected.
He smiled and called, “Zhixue.”
He had almost said “baby,” but with so many people around, the endearment transformed mid-sentence.
Zhao Ci, still rattled from the earlier threat, didn’t notice the tenderness in Yu Wenxuan’s voice.
He assumed Yu Zhixue was here to question Yu Wenxuan about being stood up, meaning he still cared. That meant he might still salvage things.
Yu Wenxuan had said no one would dare work with Zhao Ci—but here was someone clearly willing to do so, standing right in front of him.
Yu Zhixue didn’t know about their underhanded scheme yet—there was still a chance. He quickly picked up the proposal from the floor, ignoring Yu Zhixue’s icy gaze, and walked over with a strained smile.
He began distorting the facts, trying to pit the two families against each other. But from beginning to end, Yu Zhixue said nothing. It was like watching a one-man show.
Yu Wenxuan cut in coldly from behind him. “Are you stupid?”
Zhao Ci thought he was about to air their dirty laundry and glared at him bitterly.
But Yu Wenxuan didn’t even bother. He didn’t need to expose it—he could ruin Zhao Ci anyway.
He looked at Yu Zhixue standing by the door and reached out, calling again, “Zhixue.”
This time, Yu Zhixue moved, walking over and placing his hand in his.
At that moment, everyone—even Zhao Ci—was stunned. Not just by the unfamiliar way Yu Wenxuan addressed him, but by what was now unmistakably clear—on their intertwined hands were matching rings.
Yu Wenxuan laced their fingers together and said, “Sorry, your little scheme’s fallen apart.”
“My lover, of course, is on my side.”