Chapter 440: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

Liu Yifei and Shu Chang finished their meal and chatted for a while longer.

According to their gathering habits over the past two years, they would usually find a quiet place to have a little wine and chat some more, but today, it was barely past eight o'clock when the two of them parted ways early.

Liu Yifei drove herself back to Ziyu Villa. The car was a newly purchased Porsche; she had enjoyed a special discount for being its global spokesperson, saving hundreds of thousands, as if she hadn't paid any tariffs at all.

When she drove into the villa and saw that residence lying heavily in the darkness amidst the night scenery by the lake, like a giant beast without a single light, Liu Yifei felt a sudden sense of disappointment.

She parked the car, entered the house, brewed a cup of coffee, and sat on the sofa in the living room. Taking a light sip, she picked up the remote control to turn on the TV, changing channels aimlessly until she saw a familiar face and stopped.

The TV series on the screen was called "Symphony of Fate," and the female lead was one of her old friends.

Back then, she and Yang Mi had met on the set of "The Return of the Condor Heroes." Being of similar age and with Chen Nuo as a connection, the two often played together, especially after he finished filming; their relationship was once quite close. However, not long after the filming ended, they slowly lost touch.

At the time, she thought it was just because everyone was too busy and didn't take it to heart. But looking back now, Liu Yifei vaguely felt that perhaps it wasn't that simple.

She stared at the TV like that, and gradually, drowsiness struck, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

When she opened her eyes again, it was almost eleven o'clock at night.

The house was still empty; the man hadn't returned yet.

A wave of agitation rose in her heart. She picked up her phone to make a call, but after hesitating several times, she ultimately didn't dial.

Clutching her phone, she finally opened Weibo, intending to take a look to distract herself. As soon as she entered, she saw a familiar name and entry on the trending list; her fingertips froze, and her heart tightened abruptly.

"Chen Nuo dines with a mysterious beauty."

What was going on?

Liu Yifei clicked in and saw that several familiar entertainment accounts were reposting the same message. Not long after it was posted, it already had many likes and comments.

The Weibo post was just one sentence: "Reporter's live coverage: Chen Nuo is suspected to have secretly returned to Jingcheng, dining with a mysterious woman at a high-end restaurant."

Below it was a blurry paparazzi photo. Liu Yifei recognized his profile at a glance. He was sitting under dim lighting, with a long-haired woman sitting opposite him, her face indistinguishable.

Liu Yifei stared fixedly at this blurry photo, her fingers tightening slightly, her chest feeling as if it were blocked by something, suffocating to the point of being unable to breathe.

——Who is this?

What is her relationship with him?

Didn't he say he was going to have dinner with Han Sanping today? Then who is this woman?

Was he lying?

He still hasn't come home yet; could it be... are they still together?

Countless thoughts churned in Liu Yifei's mind.

He... how could he do this?

Yet at this very moment—the sound of a door opening rang out.

Liu Yifei turned her head abruptly to see the man from the photo walking in with his head lowered.

When he looked up and saw her, he was quite surprised: "Why aren't you asleep yet? What are you doing? Whoa, what's wrong with you? Wait, why are you crying?"

Liu Yifei didn't know what was wrong with her either.

In short, the moment he walked in, her heart finally settled, but her tears couldn't be controlled.

She turned her head away, wiped her eyes, sniffled, and asked, "Where did you go?"

"To have dinner with Han Sanping. Didn't I tell you?"

"But... but..."

"But what? What is actually wrong with you?"

"Why did I see on Weibo that the news says you... are with someone else?"

"Huh?" Chen Nuo was taken aback and walked over, "Let me see, what news?"

Liu Yifei handed over her phone, and Chen Nuo frowned as he watched for a while.

Then he raised his head and cursed loudly: "Fuck."

Liu Yifei was startled and asked, "What's wrong? Who is this woman?"

"Who is it!? It's Mr. Han's daughter!"

"Ah?"

That's right; at the previous banquet, Chen Nuo actually hadn't expected that Mr. Han Sanping would bring his wife and daughter to the banquet.

His wife's surname was Liu, a very kind auntie. From their interaction, Chen Nuo could tell she was a gentle and virtuous middle-aged woman with the characteristics of Xichuan, likely the same type as his mother, Pan Chengrong.

As for Mr. Han's daughter, her name was quite unique: Han Jianü. Born in 1980, she was a few years older than him. She was decent-looking. She had originally studied English as an undergraduate, but after working for a few years, influenced by Mr. Han, she developed an interest in film, so she retook the postgraduate entrance exam and had just been admitted to the 2011 class of the Directing Department at the Beijing Film Academy this year.

The photo currently on the internet, taken by paparazzi and trending, was the scene where Chen Nuo spoke with Han Jianü alone while Mr. Han and his wife went to the restroom after the meal.

Although they didn't talk much, Chen Nuo could feel that things really weren't what he had imagined. This girl, Han Jianü, actually had a bit of that so-called "intellectual depth." It was a similar feeling to what Zhang Yi, Li Yu, and others gave him, quite different from the typical second-generation heirs he knew.

This led him to eventually agree to Mr. Han's private request to give Han Jianü an internship position at the Huanxin Film BJ headquarters, allowing her the opportunity to follow the director's team and learn some real skills.

Chen Nuo didn't believe the paparazzi hadn't taken other photos, but they specifically chose this one to post; their intentions were truly malicious.

"That's too much!" After hearing Chen Nuo's explanation, Liu Yifei was also very angry, "These paparazzi are getting more and more excessive. They make things up and spread rumors at the drop of a hat; it's truly detestable."

Chen Nuo sighed, shook his head, and said nothing.

Liu Yifei looked at him cautiously and whispered, "What's wrong? It's not that I don't believe you; I was just asking. I wasn't really doubting you about anything."

Chen Nuo took her hand, patted it gently, and said in a low voice, "In our line of work, we are often apart. The most important thing is trust. If we really took everything on the internet to heart, could we still live our lives? In the future, just ignore these things and don't believe them, okay?"

"Mm, I know. I won't do it again," Liu Yifei nodded obediently.

Watching her submissive appearance, Chen Nuo smiled. Not bad; it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

"Then what about at the end?" Liu Yifei suddenly asked curiously, "Did Mr. Han mention anything else to you? Did he want to ask you for any favors?"

"No."

Chen Nuo shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of emotion.

Throughout the entire banquet, Mr. Han only spoke a small bit about him; the rest of the time was almost entirely spent talking about Han Jianü. That feeling... Chen Nuo was someone who had read the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* picture books.

In his view, this was clearly an act of entrusting an orphan to his care.

……

……

"Yes, that is the case, hehehehehe, just a small gathering."

"Haha, I didn't want to go either, but little Chen insisted on inviting me to dinner, saying he hadn't seen me in a long time and really wanted to chat with his uncle. I really couldn't refuse, so I went, hehe."

Sunlight spilled down from the azure sky above, shining on the pothos and monstera on the balcony, the water droplets on them reflecting a crystal-clear light.

Han Sanping held a watering can in one hand, watering the camellias in the yard, while his other hand held the phone, saying happily: "How about that? How did that little matter from last night reach your ears, Director Zhang? You really have eyes that see for thousands of miles and ears that hear the wind; nothing can be hidden from you, haha, hahahaha."

"Conflict? What conflict? Oh, that's just what outsiders say. How could you believe that too?" "It's all rumors created by reporters who fear the world won't be in chaos... haha, yes, yes, yes, that's roughly what it means."

"Then that's it, Director Zhang, you too, have a happy weekend."

The call ended. Han Sanping placed his phone on a stool and noticed a dead branch sticking out crookedly among the flowers, which was quite an eyesore. So, he put down the watering can, picked up the shears nearby, and with a *snap*, pruned away that unsightly dead branch.

"Old Han, Old Han!" his wife's voice came from inside the house, "Come over and help me!"

Han Sanping had originally wanted to prune two more branches, but now he had to put down the shears and turn to enter the living room.

It wasn't a big deal; the kitchen cabinet door was just a bit stuck. Han Sanping helped his wife pry it open, gave it a firm push, and it closed smoothly.

"Yo, isn't your strength quite good? Why were you pushing and shoving last night when I asked you to put in some effort, saying this didn't work and your waist hurt? I see you're just unwilling to put in effort for your old lady, right?"

"Talking nonsense all day long!" Han Sanping said irritably, turned around, and walked out.

"Heh, if you had spoken as firmly last night as you do now, I would have woken up laughing even in my sleep. You come back here, Han Sanping, I haven't finished speaking yet, who told you to leave."

Han Sanping kept a wooden face, turning a deaf ear.

With his hands behind his back, he circled the living room and returned to the kitchen door, saying impatiently: "What else is there? Say it quickly, I still have to water the flowers."

"Tell me, you've received so many calls all morning, what does it mean?"

"What do you mean what does it mean?"

"What do you think? Stop playing dumb with me. Can your position be saved or not?"

Han Sanping frowned uneasily: "Why are you asking about this?"

"Why? The paparazzi were arranged by you, right? You were the one who told me to go to the restroom yesterday, right? I saw the photos of Chen Nuo and Jianü on the internet this morning, and I knew you did it on purpose..."

"Shh, shh, shh!" Han Sanping was startled, "Keep your voice down!" After saying this, he walked quickly to the front door, threw it open, stuck his head out to look up and down, and seeing no one in the hallway, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning back, he saw his wife had already walked out of the kitchen, looking at him with a cold sneer.

Han Sanping walked over, pulled the woman into the bedroom, and whispered: "How did you know?"

"Heh, that's none of your business. I'm just asking if it's true."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"Do you think I'm as stupid as that vixen? I didn't even tell Jianü!"

Han Sanping breathed a sigh of relief and said: "That's good. Remember, you are not allowed to tell anyone about this, you hear me?"

"Nonsense! I don't need you to tell me that. I'm just asking you what exactly is going on? Why did you ask me and our daughter to accompany you to dinner with little Chen? If you wanted to find someone to secretly photograph and hype it up, why didn't you photograph yourself? Why did you ask people to photograph Jianü and Chen Nuo? What exactly are you planning!? I'm telling you, Han Sanping, I don't care what crooked paths you take to protect your official hat, but if you dare to harm my daughter, I..."

"Shut up!" Han Sanping said in a towering rage, "What kind of person do you take me for? Is Jianü not my daughter? Do you think I, ah, would harm her?"

"Then tell me, tell me clearly right now! Why did you let Jianü go and hype up a scandal with Chen Nuo? Are you planning to sell your daughter for glory?"

"You're fucking unreasonable!" Han Sanping was furious and turned to leave.

Two minutes later, Han Sanping sat on the sofa in the living room, having completely calmed down.

Aside from a not-so-obvious slap mark on his dark face and a few red welts, nothing major had happened, which was fortunate.

Han Sanping said with deep sorrow: "Why can't you understand? This is what I call killing two birds with one stone! Think about it, even if I can stay in this position, how many more years can I last? Once I retire, how many of those people who usually greet us with smiles will sincerely help us? Who can be relied upon?"

"But now that this has caused such a stir, who in the whole country doesn't know that Jianü and Chen Nuo have a close relationship?"

"Especially where she is studying now? Beijing Film Academy, that's their territory, the place where Chen Nuo's words carry the most weight! I paved the way for her and ensured she got through the door, but that's just the beginning. What happens after she enters the school gates?"

"You have to know, a place like the Directing Department at the Beijing Film Academy, how can you just get by with a little talent? Besides, she has four years less undergraduate study than others; everything has to start from zero. Do you understand what I mean? Ah? What about her thesis then? How will she write it? Someone must look after her, otherwise, I'm worried she won't even be able to get her diploma. Do you understand?"

Han Sanping rattled off a long explanation, and his wife's expression gradually softened, finally revealing a sheepish smile as she said: "Uh... Sanping, why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said so earlier, wouldn't this have been avoided? Come, let me see, did I hurt you?"

"Hiss! Go easy, it hurts!"

"It's fine, it's fine, your skin is thick. Before... right, it healed in just a few days. This little scratch definitely won't stop you from going to work tomorrow. Come on, keep talking."

Han Sanping said, "What else is there to say?"

"No, I'm just a bit puzzled. Doesn't Chen Nuo call you every single day? Logically, everyone should know that you two have a good relationship, right? How come this morning, I heard you answering calls from your company, from your superiors, and even from those heads of securities firms, and they all seemed to be hearing about it for the first time? What's going on? Do they all think you two don't get along?"

Han Sanping's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm. He said nonchalantly, "That's right, there are some rumors outside. I can't be bothered to clarify them. If I were to tell people that Chen Nuo treats me like his own uncle and asks me about everything, big or small, where would that leave Chen Nuo's face?"

"So you arranged for people to take photos and release news, killing two birds with one stone—helping Jia Nu while also debunking the rumors for yourself?"

"Yes."

"Is it useful? Can you actually keep your position as Chairman?"

Hearing this, a mysterious smile appeared on the corner of Han Sanping's mouth.

Thinking of the news he had inadvertently uncovered last night, and the way he had just pretended to let it slip during the phone call—the reaction from Sun Yi, the General Manager of CITIC Securities—that was a proper, state-level investment bank's managing director, and even he couldn't keep his composure on the phone, asking him once more if he was sure.

Heh heh.

With this, the credibility of the story he fabricated about why he gave up on investing in *Inception* should be greatly increased—internal review being too slow, the process getting stuck, funding arrangements having temporary issues; these were all explanations that could justify themselves.

After all, if it were really as the rumors said—that he, old Han, was shameless, engaged in internal strife, and went back on his word—how could the other party have told him such a secret piece of information?

In this way, the voices from both inside and outside, from superiors and subordinates, questioning his leadership ability and judgment errors should also be greatly weakened. And so, the seat under his backside would naturally become stable again.

Han Sanping slowly analyzed the logic of it all with his wife, and then he suddenly remembered there was one key thing he hadn't done yet.

"Wait a moment, I need to send a text to Chen Nuo."

After saying this, he picked up his phone, tapped on Chen Nuo's name, and began to compose the message.

"Chen Nuo, the matter of our dinner last night was exposed by the media, drawing a lot of concern. There is one thing I must apologize to you for. You told me about Huanxin preparing to go public, and I inadvertently mentioned it to General Manager Sun of CITIC over the phone. I don't know if this will have any impact on you? I hope you are magnanimous and will forgive me. When we meet another day, I will definitely punish myself with three cups."

While he was typing, his wife leaned over to take a look. After reading it, she gave a disdainful laugh: "Han Sanping, you really are an old fox. If Jia Nu could inherit half of your skills, I think even if she couldn't make it as a director, she would definitely be a hit as a screenwriter."

Han Sanping acted as if he hadn't heard her and pressed the send button.

Just as he was about to put the phone back on the table, the text notification "dinged." He was stunned; he hadn't expected the other party to reply so quickly. His heart gave a violent jolt—could it be that he was actually angry?

He hurriedly tapped to open the newly received text, not even bothering that his wife had leaned her head over to look with him. He clicked the screen, and saw the message from the sender, Chen Nuo, read:

"Godfather, you sent that to the wrong person, hee hee."

The short sentence was like a bolt of lightning striking his forehead. Han Sanping only felt a "buzz" in his brain, and he was completely stunned.

Before he could react, a thunderous roar of rage exploded in his ears:

"Old Han! What is this!?"

Han Sanping's heart gave a violent jolt, and blood rushed to his head.

He opened his mouth wide, wanting to fabricate a story to explain it, but in the end, only a wheezing sound came out. The next second, he felt his left side go cold and numb, and his body involuntarily went limp and collapsed to the side.

(End of chapter)