Volume One, Chapter 16: Let Him Decide

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Still, out of curiosity, Bai Yulan had someone investigate Tan Qiutong and Lin Xia.

After learning that the two were close friends, and that three years earlier the Tan Group had nearly gone bankrupt and could now barely qualify to polish the shoes of the Frost and Snow Group, Bai Yulan knew that everything had been Xu Qing’s doing.

What she could not understand was why, after divorcing Tan Qiutong, Xu Qing had immediately chosen Lin Xia.

If he had wanted to provoke Tan Qiutong, wouldn’t Bai Yulan, the eldest daughter of the Bai family, have been a much better candidate for a whirlwind marriage?

After putting the documents away, Bai Yulan could not help murmuring, “Why can’t such good fortune ever fall upon me?”

Even so, deep down she still felt that Xu Qing had been treated unfairly.

Over the past three years, Xu Qing had silently devoted himself to Tan Qiutong, yet not only had she known nothing about it, she had even abandoned him once the Tan Group had made a name for itself.

Only then did Bai Yulan remember that the Bai family had intended to give the Tan Group the Deepwater Bay project, worth five hundred million.

But the project had originally been Xu Qing’s wedding-anniversary gift to Tan Qiutong. Now that they were divorced, there was probably no need to give it to the Tan Group anymore.

“Miss, have you really decided to give the Deepwater Bay project to the Tan Group?” the steward asked tentatively from nearby.

As the family steward, he knew something of the circumstances.

But now that unforeseen changes had occurred, some matters naturally could no longer proceed according to the original plan.

“The Tan Group?” Bai Yulan came to herself and said with some displeasure, “They are only fit to polish the shoes of the Frost and Snow Group. And from what I can see, entrusting this project to them would not be particularly safe.”

“Understood. I’ll inform the Tan family immediately that the Bai family intends to reclaim the Deepwater Bay project.”

The steward understood at once.

“There’s no need to rush. Although I dislike the idea, we still need to seek Big Brother Xu’s opinion on this matter. Go and inform him first, then let him make the decision.”

Bai Yulan waved her hand.

This hopeless romance left her deeply troubled.

But Xu Qing was, after all, the savior of her entire family. There was nothing she could do about that.

By now, the Bicheng Wealth and Finance Center was already bustling with activity. Everyone who had been invited had arrived.

With arrangements made by Bai Yulan’s people, Xu Qing and Lin Xia also found seats.

Lin Xia had not yet had the chance to ask Xu Qing how he knew Bai Yulan when an unpleasant voice came from nearby.

“You two weren’t thrown out? You actually managed to sneak in?”

They turned toward the source of the voice and saw Ding Changqing, Tan Qiutong, and Tan Qiutong’s secretary seated not far away.

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“You two really have some ability, managing to sneak into the Bai family’s business exchange,” Secretary Liu said sarcastically. “But when I think that people like you can get in, it truly lowers the standard of the entire event!”

Tan Qiutong said nothing. She merely glanced at them before turning her gaze away.

“But so what if you managed to sneak in? At an event of this caliber, there’s nothing here for people like you to say.”

Ding Changqing wore an expression of disdain.

Xu Qing had no intention of indulging him. “Are you my auntie, my mother-in-law, or the neighborhood committee’s old busybody? Why are you sticking your nose into everything?”

Ding Changqing’s face darkened with rage. He was just about to call security and have Xu Qing and Lin Xia thrown out when Secretary Liu’s phone rang.

She answered the call. No one knew what was said on the other end, but her expression instantly froze. The arrogance on her face was replaced by panic.

“What is it?” Tan Qiutong asked hurriedly.

It was obvious from Secretary Liu’s expression that something was wrong.

“President Tan… something terrible has happened!” Secretary Liu said nervously. “My friend told me that the Bai family seems to be planning to reclaim the Deepwater Bay project!”

“Are you certain the information is reliable?” Tan Qiutong asked with a frown.

“My friend is handling business here. She overheard the news, so it should be accurate.”

“How could this happen…?”

Tan Qiutong’s expression turned grim.

She had paid a heavy price for the Deepwater Bay project. Not only had she spent a huge amount of money and incurred countless favors, she had even gone so far as to divorce Xu Qing.

After finally obtaining this inside information, she had thought that all she needed to do was meet President Bai once more to secure the Deepwater Bay project without a hitch.

She had never expected a change to occur at today’s business exchange. No wonder she had felt uneasy all day.

So this was where the problem lay.

But what, exactly, had caused this unexpected change?

“President Tan, what should we do now? If the Bai family reclaims the Deepwater Bay project, won’t all our previous efforts have been in vain?”

Secretary Liu was equally unwilling to accept it. She had worked herself to the bone over the matter.

The two of them looked toward Ding Changqing in unison, forced to seek his help.

“Young Master Ding, please help us find out what’s going on,” Secretary Liu said.

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Ding Changqing had no idea what was happening either. He had indeed helped the Tan Group.

However, although the Ding family held a certain position in Bicheng, persuading the Bai family to hand the Deepwater Bay project to the Tan Group had certainly not been easy.

He had somehow obtained the inside information that the project would go to the Tan family, and even he had found it inexplicable.

But regardless of how it had happened, since the plan had succeeded, he had naturally accepted the credit. He had never imagined that something like this would happen.

“I’ll make a call and ask,” Ding Changqing said awkwardly.

“Mr. Xu.”

Just then, the Bai family’s steward came to Xu Qing’s side and handed him a document.

“Miss would like you to review this and make the decision yourself.”

The document was naturally related to the Deepwater Bay project. Lin Xia’s expression became strange, but she did not cry out in surprise.

Meanwhile, Ding Changqing called his father to ask about the matter.

Naturally, he rose and went somewhere else to make the call, unwilling to reveal that he had no idea what was really going on.

Once Ding Changqing’s father learned the whole story, he cursed furiously, saying that his son had been blinded by a woman and was even fighting another man for a discarded wife, bringing shame upon the Ding family.

Xu Qing hesitated for a long time. In the end, he felt that since the project had already been given to the Tan Group, there was no reason to take it back.

Although his divorce from Tan Qiutong meant that three years of misguided love had indeed wasted a great deal of his time, the bond they had shared over those three years still made it impossible for him to bring himself to seek revenge.

Their relationship had been an ill-fated one from the beginning. If they could part amicably, that would be the best possible outcome.

Seeing that Xu Qing did not seem inclined to reclaim the Deepwater Bay project, the Bai family’s steward asked tentatively, “Mr. Xu, are you certain this is what you want?”

Their young mistress truly disliked Tan Qiutong, and her mood clearly seemed to have worsened.

Xu Qing glanced at Lin Xia. She looked back at him in confusion.

“I’m certain.”

In the end, Xu Qing made up his mind.

It was only a five-hundred-million project. What harm could there be in giving it to the Tan Group?

The Wen family project in the hands of the Lin Group had only just begun. If they took on another major undertaking like Deepwater Bay right away, they might be unable to bear the strain. They would be better off keeping their feet on the ground and moving forward step by step.