Chapter 87 Yan Ge?

"Sorry, CEO Liu, I need to take a call first."

His phone suddenly vibrated, and the harsh ringtone cut through the near-frozen air in the private room like a knife.

Zhao Mingyuan glanced down at the screen—the bright light made him squint, and the caller ID "Brother Yan" flashed incessantly.

His brows twitched slightly, a flash of strangeness passing through his eyes. Without waiting for Liu Ruyan to respond, he grabbed his phone and pushed the door open, leaving without looking back.

With a "click," the door closed behind him, locking the stifling oppression of the private room, along with that cold gaze, inside.

The hallway lights were blindingly white, and the air from the air conditioner carried the scent of disinfectant.

Zhao Mingyuan leaned against the wall, subconsciously glancing back at the closed door. Confirming there was no movement, he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Brother Yan." He lowered his voice, his throat tightening. It was as if the person on the other end of the line brought him a strong sense of oppression.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by Chen Yan's voice, carrying a hint of hesitation, as if he were weighing every word: "Mingyuan, Ruyan... she... did she go to see you?"

"That's right, Brother Yan. She—" Zhao Mingyuan paused, lowering his voice further, "She is in the private room right now, and we are talking about..."

Before he could finish, Chen Yan suddenly interrupted: "I know, it's about that short drama, right?"

On the other end, Chen Yan's tone turned strange, sounding like a bitter smile, yet also like helplessness.

"Yes. It seems Liu Ruyan is anxious to secure insurance for the tax issues arising from the short drama's revenue. Based on the intelligence analysis I have on hand, it's nine times out of ten that someone inside the Liu Corporation is jealous of her current operational achievements and is attempting to cause trouble for her through tax issues."

Hearing this, Zhao Mingyuan didn't hesitate in the slightest and shared everything he knew, without reservation.

"I see..." After listening, Chen Yan habitually muttered to himself.

"Brother Yan, anyway, you've done everything you could for the Liu Corporation and Liu Ruyan. Four years ago, if it weren't for your intervention, I would have made Liu Ruyan pay immediately. Brother Yan, you know that the only reason I didn't cause trouble for the Liu Corporation four years ago was entirely out of respect for you."

Seeing that Chen Yan still sounded hesitant, Zhao Mingyuan gritted his teeth and spoke up.

As a top second or third-generation figure in the same circle, Chen Yan's background and resources were truly like a gift from the heavens. He was not someone a local third-generation like him could compare to.

Originally, Chen Yan should have achieved much greater things, but there was no helping it; when God gave him top-tier family background, resources, and looks, He also gave him a love-struck brain.

Just think, you have immense power at your fingertips, yet you go and act as a simp for the heir of a commercial family.

Seriously, is this something a normal top second or third-generation person would do? And what's this about "getting the person is meaningless, I want her heart"?

Hearing these words, it was absolutely outrageous to Zhao Mingyuan. At one point, they even wanted to deny Chen Yan's leading position in their circle.

However, even if Chen Yan's mind wasn't on these matters and was filled entirely with Liu Ruyan, with just a cough, he could teach them a harsh lesson. In the end, everyone had no choice but to behave.

"Alright, Mingyuan. I know what you mean. Haven't I already found a substitute and left? It's just that this withdrawal symptom hasn't disappeared yet."

Zhao Mingyuan spoke hesitantly, but Chen Yan still understood what he meant.

"Rest assured, this is the last time I will help her, and the last time I will call my good brother because of these old, dusty matters."

It must be said, he is an heir from a top-tier family after all. As the love-struck brain gradually faded and reason regained control of his mind, Chen Yan's way of speaking was slowly recovering.

"Brother Yan, since you've said so, I'll help her one last time." He said, his voice somewhat muffled, "However, I'm going to say something I probably shouldn't—you are a huge idiot. Why torture yourself for a woman like that?"

There was a long silence on the other end, so long that Zhao Mingyuan once thought the other party had hung up.

Then he heard a very soft, light laugh, carrying a sense of relief, yet also a kind of indescribable heartache.

"I know. Thanks, brother. This is the last time; I keep my word." Chen Yan said.

Then he hung up the phone.

"Beep, beep, beep."

Listening to the dial tone coming from the receiver, Zhao Mingyuan shook his head helplessly, put away his phone, and walked back into the private room.

"CEO Liu, sorry, I had something to take care of just now." As soon as Zhao Mingyuan entered, he took the initiative to speak.

"While I was on the phone just now, I considered it. Having more friends means more paths, so let's do as you said, CEO Liu."

Since he had promised Chen Yan, Zhao Mingyuan would not waste time and directly agreed to Liu Ruyan's proposal.

"Really??" Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan was overjoyed.

"My word is my bond. Tomorrow, I will send someone to the Liu Corporation to sign the contract, and then immediately take over your financial and tax registration affairs. Please have CEO Liu inform your financial director." Zhao Mingyuan nodded.

"Good, then I will be at the Liu Corporation tomorrow, awaiting Young Master Zhao's arrival." Liu Ruyan said, nodding proactively.

"No, no, no, I won't be going. It will be my deputy leading the team. He will handle everything. This is his business card. CEO Liu, if you have any requirements, just tell him directly, and that will be fine."

Zhao Mingyuan shook his head, exchanged a few more polite words, handed the business card to Liu Ruyan, and then got up and left immediately.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan was not annoyed; on the contrary, she heaved a sigh of relief. The high spirits of four years ago had almost caused her to stumble now; she had learned her lesson.

After sitting alone in the private room for a while, Liu Ruyan called over the waiter guarding the door to pay the bill.

She casually mentioned the matter of Zhao Mingyuan making a call at the door earlier.

"Oh... you mean Young Master Zhao, right?"

Liu Ruyan didn't speak; she took out her phone and typed in a number.

Seeing the number on Liu Ruyan's phone, the waiter was overjoyed and immediately spilled the beans.

"However, I was far away, so I couldn't hear clearly. I only know that the person Young Master Zhao was calling seemed to be named something like Brother Yan."

"Brother Yan?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan's eyes widened immediately. This, this, this, how could this be possible?