The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 8 - 1

Chapter 8 - 1

Yu Meng never dreamed in her wildest dreams that her collaboration with Han Guang would go so smoothly. Thanks to the Association's connections and Old Zhao's wife—who pulled strings through Liang Cai's network—everything clicked. Even though Yu Meng had broken things off with Liang Cai, as long as shared interests were on the line, Old Zhao's wife was more than eager to jump on board. Most importantly, Yu Meng possessed genuine management experience and a sharp industry vision.

Han Guang was no fool; he wouldn't invest in a project unless it promised profit.

Yet Yu Meng knew very well that given Han Guang's credentials, status, and standing, he might not even care about such small change. Therefore, the real reason he agreed could only be found in her. Yu Meng had absolute confidence in her own charm.

This time around, Yu Meng believed they needed to take things slow and steady—not like her past romance with Liang Cai, which had burned hot and fast with total emotional devotion. To be honest, she held a guard against Han Guang, and she was certain he felt the exact same way about her.

All because of Weng Yue standing right in the middle of them.

They had once been enemies, and now they were business partners. Whether they could be called friends was up for debate, but they certainly hadn't reached the level of lovers. Yet the more complicated it was, the more exhilarated Yu Meng felt. How do you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair? After a few meetings and dinners, Yu Meng made no aggressive moves; she conducted herself with poise, elegance, and composure. On one occasion, Mrs. Xin was present, along with Yu Meng and Han Guang, while Weng Yue was conspicuously absent. Mrs. Xin had heaped lavish praise on Yu Meng. To ensure absolute stability for the postpartum care center project, Yu Meng had given Mrs. Xin a non-voting share to boost their momentum and prestige.

In front of Han Guang, Yu Meng never brought up Weng Yue. Nor did he ever mention her. It was as if the woman simply did not exist.

Before long, Yu Meng received a stack of manuscripts. Han Guang had someone mail them over—they were the drafts of his memoir. Han Guang wanted her feedback. Yu Meng skimmed through them quickly and noticed there was almost no mention of romance or relationships—the very topics she found most interesting.

Yu Meng replied: A good book, but hardly a captivating one.

Han Guang asked: Oh? Because it lacks the gossipy stories you all love so much?

Yu Meng sent back a laughing emoji: You underestimate readers too much. Even gossip needs to have class. I just feel that in this manuscript, your spiritual core is entirely missing. What is your faith, Han Guang?

Han Guang replied: Bringing welfare to the general public. Do you believe it?

Yu Meng replied with seven laughing emojis.

Ever since Yu Meng and Han Guang began interacting closely, Weng Yue had confronted him with protests. Of course, she didn't directly protest his contact with Yu Meng. Instead, she complained about him removing Yu Rui from her post, bypassing Ye Cha entirely, and assigning a brand-new male secretary instead.

Yu Rui had been her eyes and ears; having her removed was a terrible development.

Han Guang gave no response. He had every right to replace his secretaries. He owed no explanations to anyone.

Weng Yue was so furious her face turned green. She couldn't wrap her head around it: was this Yu Meng the reincarnation of Daji? Did every man lose his ability to walk the moment they laid eyes on her? Weng Yue had played the Yu Rui card specifically to use the young girl to lock down Han Guang's heart, act as a bridge and spy, and simultaneously undermine Yu Meng. Her ultimate hope had been to see the sisters fall out so she could reap the profits from the sidelines. But look at how things turned out now: Yu Rui was suddenly transferred, Ye Cha was sidelined, and a total newcomer had been brought in as an assistant—someone Weng Yue didn't even recognize, let alone have any hope of subverting. All intelligence lines had been completely cut off. She was practically fumbling in the dark like a blind man touching an elephant!

She was convinced that this personnel change was the result of Yu Meng whispering pillow talk.

Because of business, Weng Yue maintained dealings with Luan Chengyun. Through their interactions, she felt that this man wasn't a complete write-off. While he might not match Han Guang in wealth or sheer audacity, he didn't deserve to be discarded entirely either. She held a deep disdain for Yu Meng's habit of eating what was in her bowl while eyeing what was in the pot.

Then there was Han Guang, who had suddenly grown even colder toward her, acting practically like a giant freezer! Weng Yue's interpretation was that since her brother-in-law had helped her secure the committee position and saved face for her, he likely considered any lingering obligations between them fully settled.

It was a subtle gesture of cutting ties.

She understood that for all these years, her brother-in-law had never truly let go of his lingering resentment over her older sister's death. Because Weng Yang had not been rescued in time, she had been permanently shut out by her brother-in-law. The fact that Weng Yue herself received any care at all was solely due to her sister's dying wish entrusted to Han Guang in her suicide note. Weng Yue loved her sister, but she hated her too. As long as her sister existed—even though she had been dead for many years—she and Han Guang were destined to maintain a distant, arms-length relationship.

Weng Yue asked Yu Rui if there was any chance she had accidentally offended the Chairman.

Yu Rui replied, "I handled everything strictly according to protocol." In truth, the one feeling a profound sense of loss was not just Weng Yue, but Yu Rui herself. Stripped of her position as the chief assistant, she finally understood the depth of Ye Cha's desolation. Interacting with the supreme head of a company and working down in the lower ranks were two completely different worlds. Leaving aside how much knowledge and insight she had gained following President Han, or the myriad figures she had networked with, simply being around Han Guang was an experience that fundamentally elevated an employee's capabilities.

Yu Rui had always believed that while a person's initial success might be fueled by the accidental momentum of the era, achieving massive, monumental success required undeniable and exceptional personal traits. Over her time working closely with him, Yu Rui had processed countless documents, emails, and ongoing negotiations, and she summarized Han Guang's core characteristics as: daring, ruthless, unconventional in his methods, and exceptionally skilled at networking. For instance, she knew that Han Guang had joined an exclusive little circle called the "Great Venture Society," a mysterious organization within the capital market. They played cards together and did business together. Of course, when it came to the core operations, Han Guang never allowed Yu Rui to touch them. Whenever there was business to discuss, she could only wait on the fringes. Now, even that opportunity to wait was gone. As far as Yu Rui knew, Sister Meng's ex-husband had also actively tried to break into this inner circle. However, after attending just once, he was never seen there again. Yu Rui figured it was likely because Luan Chengyun simply didn't make the cut yet.

After stepping down, Yu Rui was deeply depressed. Yu Xi noticed her older sister's gloom and tried to comfort her, "Careers have their ups and downs, it's inevitable." Did Yu Rui not understand that logic? The deeper layer of her disappointment stemmed from the fact that she had foolishly believed she and Han Guang had built a "friendship" that transcended the boundaries of boss and employee. But looking at the final outcome, they hadn't at all.

Yu Jia had not resigned yet. She approached Luan Chengyun to evaluate a catering project. Luan Chengyun's advice was that it was viable, but thorough market research needed to be conducted first. As for the catering license, before Yu Jia even brought it up, Luan Chengyun proactively offered to help inquire about it.

Yu Jia knew he was doing this purely out of consideration for Liren—how rare it was that even when a person was gone, they still left behind a shadow of influence—yet she desperately wanted to avoid living under Di Liren's shadow any longer. She had an urgent desire to break free. Even if it meant doing the most trivial, insignificant little thing, she wanted it to belong to her, and her alone.

"I'm planning to get married," Luan Chengyun said out of the blue.

Yu Jia was a little startled. "Does Yu Meng know?" she asked.

"Why, does she need to sign off on it?" A trademark mischievous smirk appeared on Luan Chengyun's face. Yu Jia didn't press further. Based on her intuition, she had a lingering feeling that Luan hadn't completely given up on Meng yet. "What do the kids say?" she asked, shifting angles.

"They both agree," he said.

"Make sure to send me an invitation when the ceremony happens."

"It's a second marriage, what ceremony is there left to hold." Luan Chengyun seemed a bit deflated.

Ever since Kang Long brought up the topic of having a child, Yu Shuang felt as though her mind had suddenly unlocked. In the past, she had dreaded marriage, dreaded the idea of binding herself to another person, and she realized one of the fundamental reasons was that no matter who that person was, they could never guarantee an unbreakable, unshakable bond with you. A child was different. Even so, just plunging headfirst into having a baby like this—could it really offer any security? Could it truly give a child happiness? When they met up again, Yu Shuang decided to sit down with Kang Long and have a serious, thorough discussion.

"Chairman Kang doesn't know about this, does he?" Yu Shuang's voice dropped very low, her expression as grave as an underground operative at a secret rendezvous.

"He has no idea."

"You're actually going through with it?"

"I think it's necessary."

"The one who has to go through the trouble isn't you."

"You give birth, I'll educate," Kang Long said with a smile.

"How do we figure things out once the baby is born?"

"Figure what out?"

"How do we divide things?"

"You're the mom and I'm the dad, do we really need to divide that?"

"No," Yu Shuang corrected, "I mean just in case things go wrong between the two of us down the road, what happens to the child?"

"Rest assured, if things go wrong, I'll take full responsibility for the kid."

Yu Shuang panicked, "No, no, no, you're just trying to snatch the kid. My point is, if things go sour between us, the child has to stay with me."

Kang Long gritted his teeth, "Fine. It stays with you. But..."

"But I am the father of the child, you have to admit that. I have the right to contact the child, and the right to see the child."

"Of course, you have your rights, but you also have your obligations—you have to pay child support."

"Can we be a bit more optimistic here? Stop talking like we've already split up or something."

"Hey," Yu Shuang patted Kang Long's shoulder, "Are you serious about this?"

"When am I ever not serious?"

Yu Shuang leaned back, sizing Kang Long up from head to toe, "Are you even capable?"

Eager to prove himself, Kang Long blurted out, "The sperm bank even asked me to donate!" He was stating facts. A university lecturer, a PhD holder, and an amateur long-distance runner, Kang Long's physical condition was still maintained at an exceptionally high standard. The sperm bank had genuinely approached him.

"You donated?" Yu Shuang panicked, "Are you saying that somewhere out in this world, there might be a bunch of half-siblings running around?"

"I donated."

"You!" Yu Shuang stood up.

"I didn't." Kang Long chuckled.

Such a tease.

With their minds made up, the two of them felt like a pair of children about to pull off a secret prank. They went for health checkups (similar to pre-marital medical examinations), and when the reports came back, both were fully qualified. After that, it was time to initiate the actual deed. Doing it at Yu Shuang's house was obviously out of the question; Chun'er was still there. Kang Long suggested a hotel. Yu Shuang flatly refused. She did not want her future child's conception to trace back to a hotel room.

"My place," Kang Long suggested. That was a good idea. Once the date was set, Yu Shuang arranged everything for Chun'er, took a thorough shower, and prepared to head over. Suddenly, she felt a bizarre, surreal sensation—thrilling, novel, making her feel almost like a high-end call girl, even though she was actually heading out to accomplish a strictly "legitimate task." She was the fertile earth, waiting to be sown. She was the spring blossom, yearning for the wind.

Arriving at Kang Long's place, she found he had already showered.

"You're here..." His body looked slightly stiff.

Yu Shuang set down her bag, feeling a bit awkward and at a loss for what to do.

Kang Long pointed toward the bedroom, "Everything is ready... it's all... brand new."

Yu Shuang said, "I'm going to take a shower." In truth, she had already washed up at home; doing it again was purely to calm her nerves. Kang Long let out an "oh," and sat barefoot on the sofa reading his botanical atlas. There was a bowl of shelled chestnuts on the table, and he absentmindedly picked at them to snack on. A short while later, Yu Shuang emerged from the bathroom, completely enveloped from head to toe in a thick bathrobe.

When it finally came down to the real deal, she still felt a bit shy. This time was completely different from the past; this time carried a mission. Kang Long clapped his hands, stood up, and uttered a single "Let's go." Yu Shuang thought it felt a bit comical—a tiny bit of chestnut skin was stuck to Kang Long's heel. She had a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The two of them stepped into the bedroom.

"Sit down," Yu Shuang commanded. Kang Long looked bewildered. What was going on, was she taking the initiative?

"Lift your foot," she ordered again.

Sweat started beading on his forehead; she was being way too proactive. Still, he obeyed, lifting his foot, and she swiftly reached down to peel off the flake of chestnut skin.

"There."

That was it? He found it amusing.

Yu Shuang sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Let's begin," she said.

Kang Long felt a twinge of nervousness too. It hadn't been like this before. Everything used to happen naturally; how did it turn into following a corporate workflow?

He crawled onto the bed, completely unsure of where to even start.

"The blanket," she instructed.

He hurriedly pulled the blanket over himself, draping it across his shoulders before reaching down to embrace her.

Everything was dead silent.

"Start already," she said.

"I'm not feeling it yet," he awkwardly admitted.

"You're not feeling it even with me like this?"

"Today is just... lacking passion."

"Forget it then." She pulled back to retreat, "You don't feel anything for me at all. What's the point of having a kid? There has to be genuine passion, or the child won't even be healthy."

"It's coming, it's coming." Kang Long threw the blanket back over them. This time, the feeling actually arrived.

Yu Shuang asked: "What is it you like about me?" Serving as the prelude to foreplay.

"Your rebelliousness."

"What?"

"Rebelliousness, you're a rebel," he repeated.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

"To me, it's a compliment."

"What's so great about it?"

"In the past, I always followed the rules—studied, worked, just like everyone else."

Yu Shuang couldn't bear to listen anymore and lay flat on her back.

"Just like this? In this exact posture?" he asked.

"Let's just do it like this, to be safe." She stared straight up at the ceiling. And so, like a gymnast executing a mandatory routine, Kang Long dutifully and diligently completed the entire sequence of motions. He collapsed heavily onto her chest.

"How was that?" he asked.

"Why does this feel like a contracted farming quota? Do it again," she said. Her tone carried the strict authority of a sports coach. They had to ensure zero room for error in manufacturing this child.