Chapter 48: Performing Before Her?

Xu Yunzhu, having figured out why Pei Jin’s favorability toward her had dropped, was left speechless.

She couldn’t help but twitch her lips as she watched Pei Qiaonian suddenly adopt a coquettish persona on camera.

He’d really come a long way.

If it were his own body, he probably wouldn’t be able to make such affected expressions.

Assistant Gao was also keeping an eye on the show. After all, the boss’s wife was on it, and as the company’s most reliable employee, he had to be prepared for any emergencies.

The show was being filmed near Yue Lake Resort, in a locally built Western-style villa, while their destination was Sunshine Peninsula.

Fu Corporation was just nearby.

Assistant Gao said, “President Pei, once we’ve signed the contract, we can visit Madam on set and give her a little surprise.”

Xu Yunzhu: “…”

Was he sure it would be a surprise and not a shock?

She closed her tablet, turned her head to look out the window. “No need. Once the deal is done, we’ll return to the hotel.”

Then she recalled tomorrow’s schedule.

She needed to visit the Yun family.

The Yun family of Haicheng was her maternal relatives.

Before Old Master Yun passed away, the Yun family had been one of Haicheng’s most prominent clans, a household people could only hope to be invited to.

But after her grandfather’s death, her grandmother developed dementia, her capable eldest uncle died in a car crash a decade ago, and the once-mighty Yun family was slowly picked apart, left in the hands of the least reliable youngest uncle.

Under his management, the family declined further, now reduced to a third-rate clan, even slipping lower, with visitors now a rare sight in their once-bustling halls.

In her memory—

After being found and brought back, she’d visited Haicheng once, meeting her grandmother.

Her grandmother, forgetful as she was, had lost track of many people and things, but at the first sight of her, still smiled, took her hand, and said, “Zhuozhuo, you’ve finally come home. Your mother brought you back, didn’t she?”

But at that time, Mrs. Xu had been reluctant to return to her family.

It was Mr. Xu who’d brought her back.

Old Madam Yun didn’t recognize him at all, ignored him, and only asked Xu Yunzhu and inquired about her mother.

Thinking of this, Xu Yunzhu asked, “Assistant Gao, do you know about the Xu and Yun families?”

“I know a bit. Truthfully, Miss Xu’s father wouldn’t have built such a business without the Yun family’s help. Before meeting the Yun family’s eldest daughter, Mr. Xu was just a poor boy. No one knows how he did it, but he won over the Yun family’s heiress, and she even broke with her family to marry him. Later, Old Master Yun, out of love for his daughter, had his eldest son support Mr. Xu, allowing him to start his company and gradually build it up. When Madam was five, she went missing, and Old Master Yun died the same year. The Yun family declined; Mrs. Xu cut ties, and five years later, the eldest uncle passed away. That’s when the Yun family truly fell,” Assistant Gao gossiped.

Seeing Xu Yunzhu listening intently, Assistant Gao wondered, “Boss, is something going on with the Yun family?”

Xu Yunzhu shook her head. “No, I was just thinking about what gifts to bring for tomorrow’s visit.”

“Boss, Old Master has already prepared the gifts. You just need to take them,” Assistant Gao replied.

“Grandfather?” Xu Yunzhu asked.

“Yes,” Assistant Gao confirmed.

Old Master Pei, fearing Pei Qiaonian would be too lazy to prepare presents, had made arrangements in advance.

Xu Yunzhu blinked.

She really didn’t understand Pei Qiaonian’s family dynamics.

So complicated.

Old Master Pei seemed to dislike Pei Qiaonian, yet still handled things behind the scenes for him.

Xu Yunzhu knew well that the Pei family’s inner workings were beyond her grasp, so she tried to avoid contact with them.

Arriving at Fu Group.

Xu Yunzhu took a deep breath, still a bit nervous about her first business negotiation.

Assistant Gao opened the car door for her, and someone was already waiting at the entrance.

Seeing her get out, they quickly approached. “President Pei, our boss is waiting for you in his office. Please come upstairs.”

Xu Yunzhu didn’t suspect a thing, picked up the contract, and followed.

It wasn’t until she entered the office that she saw what Fu Tianze looked like.

Not all business magnates are handsome. At least, the man before her—165 centimeters tall, beady-eyed, big-nosed, thick-lipped, and already balding—certainly wasn’t.

He wore a watch worth over a million, several rings worth tens of thousands on his fingers, and a tailored designer suit, the very picture of a nouveau riche as he lounged in his chair.

When he saw Xu Yunzhu, he squinted and called out in a strange tone, “Oh, President Pei, you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting forever.”

Xu Yunzhu finally understood why Pei Qiaonian considered him a rival.

That expression and tone really made you want to punch him.

And in his office, a place meant for business, he had a glamorous blonde woman in his arms, giving him sultry looks, casting flirtatious glances at Xu Yunzhu as well.

Right in front of her, Fu Tianze kissed the woman again. “Thank goodness for my darling’s company.”

Xu Yunzhu remembered Pei Qiaonian’s instructions: all she needed to do was get Fu Tianze to sign the contract.

She reached up to adjust her tie, ignored the couple’s flirtations, sat down across from Fu Tianze, and placed the contract in front of her. “Mr. Fu, please review the contract. If there are no issues, here’s to a successful partnership.”

She opened with the standard pleasantries, but Fu Tianze just sneered, “What kind of partnership is this? You’re just buying land from me. Afterwards, I won’t see a single cent from the Sunshine Peninsula project’s profits.”

Xu Yunzhu was baffled.

What more did he want?

He’d already priced the tiny plot at 2.3 million, and Pei Qiaonian had even offered half as much again—he was making a killing.

Besides, Pei Qiaonian was the main investor in the Sunshine Peninsula project, with Wei Zhichen holding a small stake behind the scenes.

Xu Yunzhu tapped her fingers lightly on the table. “So, what exactly are you getting at?”

Fu Tianze chuckled, pinched the beauty in his arms.

The woman coquettishly stuffed a cigarette between his lips and lit it for him. Smoke curled upwards as he blew a ring into the blonde’s face, making her giggle and whimper.

Xu Yunzhu watched him with the expression one reserves for utter fools.

Was he seriously putting on a live burlesque right in front of her?

She held in her annoyance, her voice steady. “We agreed on everything from the start. That’s why I took the trouble to come from the capital to Haicheng. This contract is important; it’s tied to my business interests. So, Mr. Fu, give me a straight answer. What do you want?”

Fu Tianze smoked, watching her. The smell made Xu Yunzhu edge her chair a bit farther away.

In Fu Tianze’s eyes, “Pei Qiaonian” was still every bit the proud, dismissive man; even now, when he needed something from him, he refused to lower his head.

Fu Tianze sneered inwardly, but outwardly smiled. “Honestly, the land isn’t worth much. President Pei, you’re a legend in the business world—every venture you touch turns to gold. So rather than a one-off deal, I’d much rather work with you long-term, build our empires together.”