TUMZ Chapter 26

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ANNOUNCEMENT

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"About this investment..."

The man in a well-tailored suit sat upright, his fingers interlocked on the table. A Patek Philippe watch adorned his wrist, complemented by a diamond-studded tie pin and a platinum signet ring. He gleamed like a polished gemstone—handsome beyond words.

Not only was his appearance impeccable, but his speech and mannerisms also exuded confidence and ease, embodying the demeanor of a true elite. He discussed business with the air of a seasoned professional.

This was completely different from the lazy freeloader that Qiu Zheyan had painstakingly raised.

Qiu Zheyan could hardly believe that this man was Zhuang Hanxue.

But the three gilded characters on the business card clearly spelled out "Zhuang Hanxue."

He was utterly baffled.

Was this really the same Zhuang Hanxue who used to cling to him all day with a cheeky grin, sneaking kisses like a clingy stray dog, bumming cigarettes and alcohol off him?

What the hell was going on?

Was he dreaming?

Under the table, Qiu Zheyan pinched his thigh hard, the sharp pain jolting him awake.

No, this wasn’t a dream.

Zhuang Hanxue was right in front of him.

They had reunited, and Zhuang Hanxue had somehow transformed into... President Zhuang?

Qiu Zheyan couldn’t wrap his head around it. Hadn’t Zhuang Hanxue said his family went bankrupt? What was this about?

Lost in a fog of confusion, Qiu Zheyan was completely out of it until his subordinate nudged him under the table and whispered, "President Qiu, President Qiu, they’re waiting for your response."

Snapping back to reality, Qiu Zheyan mumbled, "Oh, oh, what?"

Zhuang Hanxue slid the proposal across the table with a smile. "I’d like to ask about your intentions regarding this collaboration. We’ll need to exchange some shares in return."

Qiu Zheyan steadied himself and flipped through the proposal. The more he read, the deeper his frown became—not because the terms were harsh, but because... they were too lenient.

It was practically free money. A massive sum, yet the returns requested were minimal.

If someone else had handed him this proposal, he wouldn’t have believed it. He would have suspected a trap.

But this was from Zhuang Hanxue. He still couldn’t figure out what Zhuang Hanxue was planning or what role he played in all this, so he couldn’t agree immediately.

Qiu Zheyan said, "Let me take a closer look..."

Zhuang Hanxue replied, "Take your time."

Qiu Zheyan carefully reviewed the proposal, then looked up—only to see Zhuang Hanxue watching him.

Those eyes were as bright as ever. Zhuang Hanxue blinked at him, as if urging him to say yes.

Qiu Zheyan felt something like a feather brushing against his heart. He lowered his gaze and said, "Sorry, I need more time to think it over. I drank a lot of water on the way here, so I’d like to use the restroom. Could you tell me where it is?"

Zhuang Hanxue said, "Exit the room, turn left, walk to the end, then turn right. You'll see the signs."

Qiu Zheyan nodded. "Thank you."

With that, he stood up and buttoned the last button of his suit jacket.

The restroom was as luxurious and spotless as the rest of the building—truly befitting a major corporation.

He glanced at his watch—less than two minutes had passed when Zhuang Hanxue stepped in after him.

Zhuang Hanxue took out a "Maintenance in Progress" sign, hung it on the handle outside, and then locked the door from the inside.

Qiu Zheyan froze for a moment before finally realizing what was happening. Only then did a spark of anger flare up within him.

Zhuang Hanxue turned around after locking the door.

Qiu Zheyan was about to question him when he saw Zhuang Hanxue visibly soften, like mochi warmed by the heat—his posture relaxed, his straight back slumped, and his previously rigid expression melted into a grin. His eyes curved mischievously as he said, "Surprise~"

Surprise, my ass! Qiu Zheyan was both amused and exasperated.

Zhuang Hanxue sweetly called his name, then spread his arms to show off his outfit, as proud as a peacock flaunting its feathers. "Xiao Qiu, don’t I look really handsome in this suit today?"

Under Zhuang Hanxue’s beaming smile, Qiu Zheyan’s anger dissipated in an instant.

He had been so mad just a moment ago, and now—he just couldn’t bring himself to stay angry at this guy.

A thousand words crowded at the tip of his tongue, but all that came out was a helpless yet deeply indulgent sigh. "You—this guy…"

Zhuang Hanxue threw his arms around him and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "Xiao Qiu, I missed you so much. I missed you like crazy!"

Qiu Zheyan hugged him back, still troubled and confused. "Didn’t you say it was some wealthy relative of yours investing in my company? What’s going on? Why were you sitting there, and why were they calling you 'President Zhuang'?"

Zhuang Hanxue had expected this moment to come. His gaze started darting around as he stammered, "Well… it’s just… you know, it’s like that…"

Qiu Zheyan pinched his waist. "Don’t try to fool me. Explain everything clearly! I’ve been worried sick. You disappeared all of a sudden without telling me where you were going, and now you show up out of nowhere—as President Zhuang. You nearly scared me to death."

Today's Zhuang Hanxue was incredibly charming, but he also felt strangely unfamiliar.

Qiu Zheyan suddenly became keenly aware that Zhuang Hanxue was perfectly capable of thriving without him.

He had overestimated his own importance and underestimated Zhuang Hanxue.

A memory surfaced—his mother had once said, "The way he holds chopsticks and cutlery is so refined. You can tell he had a good upbringing."

His father had remarked, "Your boyfriend speaks Italian fluently. How many languages does he know? His pronunciation is impeccable."

And then there were all of Zhuang Hanxue’s ex-girlfriends—those wealthy and beautiful women. Qiu Zheyan had always assumed he simply had a natural magnetism for rich ladies.

But perhaps that wasn’t the case.

Thinking back, maybe it was something simpler. Maybe there really was such a thing as being well-matched in status.

Because Zhuang Hanxue himself was a rich heir.

Everything had left traces long ago—it wasn’t surprising. It was just that he hadn’t thought it through.

Being deceived for so long by the person he slept beside, Qiu Zheyan would be lying if he said he wasn’t at all angry. He held back his frustration and said, "Tell me the truth, Zhuang Hanxue."

Qiu Zheyan rarely called him by his full name. When he did, it meant he was upset.

Zhuang Hanxue froze for a moment before flashing a sheepish smile, clearly feeling a little embarrassed. "This company belongs to my family. My parents founded it. If I’m being honest… my parents are actually quite rich."

So it really was like this.

It was as if a massive stone that had been hanging over his heart finally dropped—but instead of relief, it pressed heavily against his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He couldn’t quite put into words why he felt this way.

Maybe it was because Zhuang Hanxue’s background was too privileged, too far removed from his own world. The fact that he once believed Zhuang Hanxue was lying only showed how narrow-minded he had been—how ridiculous, foolish, and out of his depth.

Or maybe it was because only now, after all this time, did Zhuang Hanxue finally reveal the truth to him. If things hadn’t reached this point, would Zhuang Hanxue have kept it a secret forever?

Qiu Zheyan had given everything to his lover without reservation, but the response had never been truly equal.

But regardless, at least now Zhuang Hanxue had told him.

It was always like this—one step at a time, only revealing the truth when pushed. If he didn’t ask, he wouldn’t be told.

Qiu Zheyan let out a sigh. "Alright, I get it. But then why were you living like that before? If your family is so wealthy, you could’ve been living comfortably."

Zhuang Hanxue admitted, "It was wrong of me to keep it from you. But… I just didn’t dare to tell you."

"I had a huge fight with my parents and ran away from home. Though, it wasn’t as bad as the falling-out between my brother and them."

Qiu Zheyan asked, "What did you and your parents fight about?"

Zhuang Hanxue hesitated before saying, "If I tell you, you have to believe me."

Qiu Zheyan nodded. "Go ahead. I’ll believe you."

Lowering his voice, Zhuang Hanxue said, "Because my brother and sister both ran away, my parents started forcing me to inherit the company. They even picked out a wife for me and wanted me to get married. I was terrified, so I ran."

Qiu Zheyan let out a low chuckle. That was so like Zhuang Hanxue—exactly the kind of thing he would do.

How could someone like this even exist?

Not even immense wealth could make him give up his freedom.

Qiu Zheyan asked, "Then why did you go back now? Was it because of me?"

Zhuang Hanxue nodded matter-of-factly. "Yeah."

Then, with a sly grin, he added, "But I still don’t want to take over the family business. Just wait—I’ll scam them out of this money to keep your company afloat. Then I’ll throw out some smoke screens so they won’t trace it back to you. After that, I’ll find another chance to escape. I didn’t tell my mom where I’ve been all this time. When the time comes, I’ll…"

Come back to you.

Before he could finish his sentence—

Qiu Zheyan leaned in and kissed him, his emotions running high. Lips and teeth clashed as if he wanted to devour him whole.

Zhuang Hanxue was kissed so intensely that he almost couldn’t breathe.

The kiss was especially domineering and lingering.

Only after a long moment did Qiu Zheyan finally release him, cupping his face in his hands.

Zhuang Hanxue held onto Qiu Zheyan’s hand, his face flushed as he looked at him in confusion. "What’s up with you? Have you been holding back for too long?"

Qiu Zheyan rested his forehead against his, asking softly, "Do you really plan on coming back to me?"

Zhuang Hanxue answered without hesitation, "Of course I do."

A wave of honeyed love overflowed from Qiu Zheyan’s heart.

As long as Zhuang Hanxue was willing to return to his side, nothing else mattered.

Qiu Zheyan asked, "Your family has so much money. You don’t want any of it?"

Zhuang Hanxue replied, "I don’t want to be in charge of it. As long as I have enough to spend, that’s enough for me."

That was just so… Zhuang Hanxue.

Qiu Zheyan pressed further, "Even if you come back to me, I can’t guarantee that I’ll never run out of money in this life. I might even go bankrupt again. You’re giving up everything to be with me—what will you do then?"

Zhuang Hanxue was stunned for a moment. Then, almost instantly, he came up with an answer: "Then… I’ll just find a job. I’ll save some money, and when the time comes, I’ll support you myself. But first, let me bring you some money from my family."

Qiu Zheyan asked, "But if you’re working, that means you won’t be able to laze around at home like before. You’ll lose your freedom again, won’t you?"

Zhuang Hanxue blinked blankly. "That’s true…"

He tilted his chin up, and their noses brushed lightly. Then, he took the initiative to kiss Qiu Zheyan’s lips. "But there’s no helping it—how could I not when you’re so adorable?"

Money, beauty, power—

Everything men in this world might desire—none of it could make Zhuang Hanxue give up his freedom.

But for Qiu Zheyan, he was willing to.

Qiu Zheyan asked, "Why are you willing to go this far for me?"

Zhuang Hanxue was truly stunned this time.

Yeah—why?

Was it really just because Qiu Zheyan was adorable?

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