Chapter 997: Take Again

Although she knew Wang Yan’s nature, every time another woman appeared, Miss Wang couldn’t help but grow angry. She already had one divorced woman in her life, and now he was going to bother her too.

Yet after she fell for him, he coldly revealed the truth to her, and worse still, he stole a kiss when she wasn’t paying attention. She had to admit: her heart was happy.

But then there was also Li Li from Zhizhen Garden, whom Wang Yan visited every few days. That wasn’t enough—on Huanghe Road, rumors spread that Wang Yan was keeping a pretty waitress named Xiao Jiangxi, Jin Meilin. Just days later, rumors claimed he was driving out with Li Li to fool around.

This made her grind her teeth in bed at night, yet Wang Yan kept her at arm’s length—sometimes seeing her every few days, sometimes not for months. He was truly a damned man…

Standing by the window, watching the black Santana parked by the roadside, Miss Wang pursed her lips, then changed her clothes, grabbed her small bag, and went downstairs.

She sauntered over, opened the car door, slammed it shut, crossed her arms and pouted: “Again with Li Li? And now this Xiao Jiangxi? Why are you even calling me?”

“Didn’t I tell you I had good news?” Wang Yan released the handbrake, shifted gears, and pulled away. “I thought of you the moment I heard it.”

“What good news?”

“Today we’re playing a friendly match against the Shanghai football team—our first game.”

“A League A has already started. Why are you still playing friendlies?”

“Our level isn’t good enough—we need more practice. Also, because of the National Games, A League is suspended for a year. Next year, professionalization begins, and Hongyun won’t make A League—we have to start from the lower division. This year is all about training: playing friendlies against other teams to adapt to match rhythm, and we’ll also go abroad for training and matches.”

“Did you buy a foreign team?”

“Hamburg in Germany.”

“I don’t know.” Miss Wang shook her head honestly. “I don’t understand Chinese teams at all—my dad likes watching, so I’ve heard a bit. Hamburg? Sounds weird. Like the burger from KFC? Is it that good?”

"Hamburg is a city in Germany, not the food. Honestly, I don’t know much either—my people investigated and said it was available, so I bought it. As for its past glory, sure, it had brilliance, but its recent performance has been poor and its finances are in trouble. Otherwise, why would anyone sell it to me? They’d have to be crazy."

“Did you buy it all? Or just part?”

“I bought over sixty percent of the shares—that’s enough to have a say. Plus, I’ll inject more capital later; eventually, it’ll all be mine.” Wang Yan smiled. “Isn’t this good news? Even though it’s a friendly, the first match has symbolic meaning. I brought my own camera, and my media company is coming too—we’re making a documentary.”

“Oh my, if you win, fine, record it. But if you lose, the whole country will laugh you to death.”

“We must win.” Wang Yan spoke with certainty.

He’d already invested heavily: acquiring a foreign team, planning stadiums and hospitals domestically, setting player salaries, bringing back a specialized overseas team, purchasing a mountain of specialized equipment, and hiring experts from domestic medical schools to study sports medicine—from training to diet, comprehensive theoretical research.

Institutionally, he’d built youth teams, junior teams, and the first team, establishing his own youth training system to cultivate and discover young talent. But it was true that education still mattered most—and in this era, children had more freedom too. Overall, it was difficult, but not insurmountable.

Considering the impact of poor performance and physical development, the main task of the youth team was still studying. Only when they reached the second-tier junior team would physical training gradually intensify, with training time vastly exceeding study time. By the time they reached the first team for professional competition, formal education became irrelevant.

Player training was intense—professional athletes had to train like their lives depended on it. Every day was strictly scheduled; if they didn’t deliver results, Wang Yan would kick them out.

Miss Wang pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed.

Wang Yan smiled: “Want to manage the team?”

“I can’t do anything…” Miss Wang suddenly stopped, then spat: “Pfft, you just kept Xiao Jiangxi—now you want to keep me too?”

“Xiao Jiangxi was just an accident—I gave her a chance to build a career. Don’t say it so crudely—what do you mean ‘keep’? I’m completely clean. Last time I gave her money to start something, I haven’t seen her since. It’s just those people on Huanghe Road, always stirring up trouble, gossiping about others. Didn’t they used to say you and I were involved? Aren’t we completely clean too?”

Miss Wang stared wide-eyed at Wang Yan, wanting to say something but holding her tongue—she was on the verge of exploding.

Wang Yan understood perfectly: she meant, you kissed me and held me—how dare you claim you’re clean? You do things and then deny them. But she also remembered: she’d broken with him precisely because she hated his flirtations and his shameless talk of wanting many women. So she couldn’t speak up—she could only glare at him, neck stiff.

“Fine, I was wrong. I’ve always had my eyes on you, and without your permission, I kissed you…”

“Oh stop it, you’re driving me crazy!” Miss Wang’s face flushed red. The fury that had moments ago looked like she’d kill him now turned into flustered annoyance, and she began swinging her fists at him again.

“I’m driving—be careful.”

Miss Wang punched him twice more, gritting her teeth, then sat with arms crossed, breathing heavily and silent.

Wang Yan said nothing—now wasn’t the time to talk. If he said more, she’d ask him what he was doing with Li Li. Her current flustered state was perfect.

Controlling emotion was an important skill—obviously, Miss Wang couldn’t control her own; she was being influenced by Wang Yan…

Hongkou Stadium, built in 1950, was renovated in 1999 into Hongkou Football Stadium. Today, it’s the home ground of the Shanghai football team. Those not following football might not know the name—it was a proper state-run team under the Sports Commission. In 1993, Shanghai Football Team became the first professional club in China directly managed by a company, severing ties with the Sports Commission.

In December 1993, Shanghai Shenhua Club was founded; all former Shanghai Football Team members transferred to it, later becoming “Shanghai Shenhua.”

But due to Wang Yan’s influence, his fully funded “Shanghai Hongyun” was the first registered professional football club to break from the state system and be company-run.

At this time, football atmosphere was still good. Even though it was only a friendly, both teams drew attention. Shanghai Football Team needed no introduction; the other side was Hongyun, whose brand carried major influence. Plus, this match had been advertised in newspapers.

And just recently, news of Hongyun’s acquisition of the German team had been published, along with plans for overseas player training. Among football fans, this news was highly significant.

With all these factors combined, today’s friendly match attracted great attention.

The stands were nearly full with thousands of fans; reporters surrounded the field. Most importantly, several camera positions were set up in a circle, plus additional ones along the walkways.

Wang Yan brought Miss Wang to the central stands to observe the scene.

“So many people.” Miss Wang marveled at the bustling stadium. “Can you win?”

“No chance—we’re still far behind in skill.”

“Then won’t you be humiliated? So many people watching, reporters here, and you’re filming a documentary.”

“This is the path to rise. Come on, smile.” Wang Yan adjusted his camera, aiming it at Miss Wang.

Click—a sudden photo captured her, slightly indignant yet blushing…

Whenever crowds gathered—whether for sports or concerts—people easily got swept up. In football, players ran below, and spectators’ emotions rose and fell with the flow of play—depressed or excited.

Even though Miss Wang knew little about football, in this setting, she screamed along with the crowd. When the final score was 3:1, Wang Yan encouraged the players, then took her to the car—her breathing hadn’t even settled.

“Did you enjoy watching the match live?”

“Too noisy.”

“That’s exactly the point.” Wang Yan shook his head, smiling. “The one we’re building in Pudong will hold ninety-five thousand people—won’t that be even louder?”

“A football field is only so big—how will you even see the players?”

“Technology is advancing rapidly—LED displays, video tech have broken through. We’ll install large screens inside the stadium, broadcasting live footage from every angle. Construction has already started—two-year timeline. You’ll see it next year.”

“If such a huge stadium has bad matches and no one shows up—just a few hundred spectators—it’ll be a huge embarrassment.”

"Don’t worry—I won’t promise to be number one in the world, but the strongest in Asia? No problem."

Of course, he wasn’t talking about the national team—he meant his Shanghai Hongyun Football Club. To truly fix football, he’d need to become an official and overhaul the system. Right now, he had nothing better to do—he spent money on entertainment, ensuring his team stayed healthy. Anything more would be a waste of energy.

Miss Wang smiled, not dampening Wang Yan’s enthusiasm—because she truly believed. Since they met, Wang Yan had always delivered—and each achievement surpassed the last. Said he’d go to Hong Kong? He went. Said he’d build a brand? He built one. Even though he constantly complained about losses, his clothing became a world-famous brand.

Most importantly, all these things were her ideas. The football club, the massive investment in Pudong land—all came from her.

In her view, she spoke, and Wang Yan made it happen. This was a major part of her complex feelings toward him.

She asked: “We’ve watched the match. Where to now?”

“Of course, to eat paigu niangao.” Wang Yan turned his head. “Eating paigu niangao only tastes right with you.”

Miss Wang looked at him, meeting his eyes—her gaze flickered, then darted away like a startled rabbit, staring out at the passing scenery.

“Aren’t you still with Li Li? And Xiao Jiangxi? Oh, I almost forgot—there’s also that Hong Kong girl, Beidi.”

Wang Yan smiled: “They’re them. You’re you. You’re irreplaceable.”

“Oh? So they’re replaceable?”

“To me, you’re all irreplaceable. No need to compare—you’re unique. Beautiful, straightforward, sincere…”

Miss Wang was flustered by Wang Yan’s endless compliments and metaphors. She couldn’t bear it—and once again, she unconsciously forgot he was a man who deserved execution.

She waved her hand, refusing to look at him: “You’re exaggerating.”

“If you weren’t wonderful, why would I keep thinking of you? And besides, it’s fate—we’ve run into each other so many times before.” Wang Yan’s words grew blunter, emphasizing fate.

Fate—sounded deeply fated. For Miss Wang, this was another crucial element in her complex feelings toward Wang Yan.

Miss Wang was pleased inside, but said: “No one’s all good. Tell me my flaws.”

“Ever heard the saying, ‘To lovers, even the plainest face looks like Xi Shi’?”

As he spoke, Wang Yan slowed the car and pulled gently to the curb.

Miss Wang lifted her lips in a restrained smile. Sensing the car had stopped, she turned to ask why—then met Wang Yan’s deep gaze. Again, she was flustered.

But Wang Yan knew exactly what to do. He cupped her face again, pressing his lips to hers. Not only that—he pulled her from the passenger seat into his arms as he kissed her…

Long moments passed. When they parted, Miss Wang’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes glistening, weakly leaning against Wang Yan’s chest, breathing heavily, arms wrapped around his neck.

“Rogue. You really should be shot.” Her tone was sweetly childish, stripped of her usual arrogance, brimming with tenderness.

“They say: ‘Better to die beneath peonies than live a dull life.’”

Wang Yan chuckled, stroking her cheek. They also say: “First time awkward, second time smooth.” Miss Wang’s reaction this time was much better.

“Even as a ghost, I’ll shoot you a hundred more times.”

“Oh? Then I really deserve to die.”

Miss Wang rolled her eyes, weakly punched him, and complained: “They also say: ‘Good people die young; evil ones live a thousand years.’”

“Thank you.”

“How long are you going to hold me?”

“As long as I can.”

“How long is that?”

“Of course—for life.”

“Hmph!” Miss Wang sniffed, but didn’t say anything else.

“Look, don’t think about bad things when you’re happy, okay?”

“Are they just ‘not so bad’? They’re terrible! Terrible! Get away, don’t touch me!”

Wang Yan chuckled, but didn’t stop her. Letting her regain strength, she returned to the passenger seat, arms crossed, glaring out the window, puffing with anger.

Seeing Wang Yan say nothing else, no further moves, Miss Wang turned and glared: “What are you staring at? Drive!”

Her tone was back to its usual domineering, loud and confident.

“That’s the Miss Wang I know—but I still prefer how you were just now.”

“You’re still talking!”

Miss Wang swung a fist—Wang Yan caught it easily. Another punch—he caught that too. He pulled her close by both wrists, kissed her lips again, then released her hands, letting her swing her fists again.

Shift gears, release handbrake, smoothly engage clutch and accelerator—the car glided cheerfully down the road.

“Let’s go eat paigu niangao～”

“This is so annoying~”

……

Outside the building where Xiao Jiangxi rented her apartment, near Fuxing Park.

“Boss Wang, it’s right here.”

Wang Yan parked the car by the roadside and climbed the stairs with Xiao Jiangxi.

Watching Wang Yan stroll around the room with his hands behind his back, Xiao Jiangxi’s mind flashed back to just recently on the Bund, when Boss Wang had pointed to one of the old buildings and said, “The hotel will be here.”

She felt no sense of being tricked—only boundless energy, and a vivid fantasy of running a successful hotel and making a fortune. Three words filled her mind: she’d made it…

Wang Yan inspected the interior. It was a bit messy, certainly, but clean overall—Xiao Jiangxi had done a decent job tidying up.

He sat on the living room sofa, lit a cigarette, and crossed his legs. “I’ve read your proposal. Nothing major’s wrong. But the buildings on the Bund are special—they’re protected. Even if I bought them, I can’t just modify them at will. As for interior design, you don’t know much about these things—I’ll have someone assigned to assist you later. Other matters—staff recruitment, training—you’ve planned well enough. Just take it slow.”

…“I’m afraid I can’t do it well.”

“I say you can, you can. I’ll assign you an assistant. After they guide you for a while, you’ll handle things yourself. Everything takes time to build. I’m not afraid—why are you? As long as you don’t have ulterior motives and run the hotel honestly, any problem can be solved.”

“Just do it without putting too much pressure on yourself. Losing money doesn’t matter—it’s a necessary part of growth. If you haven’t found your direction, adjust in time. There won’t be any big problems.”

Xiao Jiangxi stood there, tightly rubbing her hands, took a deep breath, and though her eyes kept trying to avoid his, she met Wang Yan’s gaze directly and began undressing.

Her voice trembled. “Boss Wang, thank you for giving me this chance. I don’t know why you value me, why you bought that Bund villa for me to run a hotel, but I know I’m not worthy. I have nothing else to thank you with—this is all I can offer. Besides running the hotel well, this is the only thing I can do.”

She spoke more smoothly now: “I’ve had two boyfriends before. The first I met while working back home; the second was a chef at Physician on Huanghe Road. But I’m still pure—I never let them touch me. Boss Wang, I know I’m not as good as Miss Wang or Li Li, but I won’t cling to you. If you call me, I’ll come. If you don’t, I won’t complain…”

Wang Yan smiled. Though he had long since moved beyond such relationships devoid of emotional connection or soulful exchange, he had to admit—he admired Xiao Jiangxi. She knew what she wanted, what she had, and what she should give.

In truth, without this exchange, Xiao Jiangxi wouldn’t have been at peace. No one gives kindness without reason—that’s the most basic understanding.

But with him, Wang Yan, things were different. He’d long been used to playing caretaker. So far, only Ding Qing had suffered—because that kid was foolish. Everyone else had been fine.

Now that Xiao Jiangxi was uneasy and had so directly offered herself, he certainly couldn’t refuse.

Of course, Wang Yan was always a man of principle. So he went to some trouble, cooked her a bowl of chicken soup, and encouraged her to work hard…

Since their tender moment by the Baoshan River, though Li Li refused to admit it, she truly looked forward to Wang Yan’s visits. The longer they interacted, the more she felt his charm.

At first, she’d only wanted to use his influence, so she maintained a vague ambiguity. But as their contact grew and her understanding deepened, looking back, she examined herself—and realized that the ambiguity she’d maintained had become real.

“I’ll get back to work, Boss Lady,” Minmin said after reporting some tasks to Li Li.

“Wait.”

Sitting on the large sofa, sipping wine, Li Li stopped Minmin. “Isn’t it over a month now? How’s Xiao Jiangxi doing?”

Seeing Minmin’s startled expression, Li Li shook her head and smiled. “Just curious.”

She understood Minmin’s thoughts perfectly—she assumed Li Li was jealous of Wang Yan’s closeness to Xiao Jiangxi, and that this jealousy was affecting her.

“She’s truly lucky.”

With that remark, Minmin continued: “Xiao Jiangxi scouted locations all over town, but Boss Wang didn’t even look—he took her straight to the Bund… Turns out he’d already bought that villa, just to turn it into a hotel. He also assigned her an assistant to help with renovations, and to source high-end bedding and décor from home and abroad.”

“She told me she’s hired many master craftsmen—skills passed down for over a hundred years. Boss Wang even invested in them, saying he wants to preserve these crafts, build luxury brands, and spread Chinese culture. He also arranged teachers to teach her financial knowledge…”

“Now she’s mainly focused on hiring and training hotel staff. I saw her a few days ago—she’s like a different person… Boss Lady, are you and Boss Wang… having a fight?”

“I told you we’re completely clean—do you believe me?” Seeing Minmin’s awkwardness, Li Li shook her head and smiled. “Rumors really do harm. Forget it. Don’t overthink. Go work.”

Minmin nodded and hurried off.

Li Li shook her head again, smiling faintly—then returned to her usual solemn expression. She lit a cigarette and sat alone on the sofa, smoking quietly.

The moment she parted with Mr. A, and the tender time with Wang Yan by the Baoshan River, intertwined in her mind.

Light streamed through the window, illuminating half her face. Smoke curled around her, shaped by the light. Her eyes stared blankly at some distant point, her face expressionless yet heavy with sorrow.

She was deep in thought…