ISWTDB Ch86

Chapter 86: The President Is Very Fierce (13,14)

Ying Zhao heard Shi Yanchen’s words and assumed it was work-related, so he casually asked while putting slices of meat from his plate into Shi Yanchen’s bowl, “Is thereg important work at the company?”

Shi Yanchen, hearing Ying Zhao’s question, did not hide anything. He shook his head and said, “It’s not about the company, but about the welfare institute. I donated some money a while ago and plan to build a library there. There are also other matters to handle, and I want to visit and check on it.”

“Oh, I see!” Ying Zhao looked at him with interest.

Shi Yanchen continued, “I grew up in the welfare institute. Although I left there early, I’m still very grateful for the care they gave me. So, I go back to visit a couple of times every year.”

Ying Zhao nodded, feeling curious about his lover’s past environment and wanting to see it for himself.

After thinking for a moment, Ying Zhao leaned towards Shi Yanchen and asked expectantly, “Then, Chenchen, can I go with you?”

Shi Yanchen blinked in surprise, not expecting Ying Zhao to make such a request.

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and said, “Sure, if you want to go, you can. But the welfare institute I lived in is on the outskirts of the city. The area isn’t very good, and there’s a section of the road I’m having repaired. So, we can’t drive in and will need to walk, which might be a bit tough. Do you still want to come with me?”

Ying Zhao smiled and nodded. They agreed to leave the house early the next morning to go to the welfare institute together.

Ying Zhao sat in the front passenger seat, and the back seat and trunk of the car were filled with items to be given to the children at the welfare home.

It felt like they had been driving for quite a while to reach the approximate location. It was in a relatively remote suburban area on the edge of the city, almost to the point where they were nearing a village.

However, Ying Zhao understood that such places were usually built in more remote areas because the land there was cheaper.

It was said that the old director of this welfare home was once a businessman. However, he had no children and, after growing older and losing his spouse, decided to adopt some children to keep him company.

Unexpectedly, as he adopted more and more children, it gradually evolved into a welfare home. This also depleted the old man’s savings, and the welfare home was always struggling.

Later on, Shi Yanchen became successful and began providing a large sum of donations to the welfare home every year, which improved the living conditions there.

As the car reached the last stretch of road, they indeed saw that the road ahead was under repair, so the car couldn’t drive through.

Just as Ying Zhao was worrying about how to transport the items from the car, he saw at the end of the road an amiable-looking old man with many children already waiting there.

When the children saw Shi Yanchen, they rushed over excitedly. However, when they were about two or three meters away from him, they all stopped.

The children surrounded Shi Yanchen, almost forming a circle, and timidly called him “brother.” Each child looked at Shi Yanchen with eyes shining with excitement, clearly considering him their idol.

Ying Zhao turned to look at his beloved and saw the tenderness in his eyes. He knew that Shi Yanchen must be very good to the children usually, which was why they genuinely liked him.

However, due to his strong presence, even though the children liked him, they didn’t dare approach him. Ying Zhao proactively smiled at the children and said, “Do you want gifts? They’re in the car, so you’ll need to carry them back yourselves!”

Seeing Ying Zhao, the children, amazed by his outstanding appearance, couldn’t help but widen their eyes, suspecting that the brother in front of them might be a deity descended from the heavens. But Ying Zhao’s smile was very friendly, so the children were much more approachable towards him than they were towards Shi Yanchen.

Soon, many little ones gathered around Ying Zhao, chattering and asking questions, calling him “brother.” One little boy with a watermelon head wanted to hold Ying Zhao’s hand.

Naturally, Ying Zhao wouldn’t refuse the cute child, but just as he was about to take the child’s hand, Shi Yanchen intercepted halfway.

Shi Yanchen tightly grasped his hand in his palm and frowned at the watermelon head. The watermelon head immediately looked like he was about to cry, which left Shi Yanchen at a loss, though he still wouldn’t let go of Ying Zhao’s hand.

Seeing his partner even getting jealous of children, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but twitch his lips, turning his head to look at the innocent-looking man, feeling helpless.

He could only comfort the watermelon head and handed him a package of new clothes from the car, softly saying, “This is for you, take it well!”

The little boy, seeing the new clothes, immediately changed from a previously pitiful expression to one of high spirits, running to the front of the line with the gift.

Ying Zhao couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Holding hands with Shi Yanchen, they walked to the side of the old director. Smiling, Ying Zhao nodded to the director and said, “Hello, Director. I’m Shi Yanchen’s partner. We came to visit the children today. Luckily, you came to meet us, otherwise, with this long stretch of road, we really wouldn’t have known how to get these things over.”

Shi Yanchen, upon hearing Ying Zhao introduce himself as his partner, felt a surge of happiness and a sense of floating.

The old director looked at Shi Yanchen’s appearance and shook his head with a smile, saying to Ying Zhao, “You’re too kind. Over the years, we owe much to Yanchen. He’s a good kid, and now with you, I can rest assured!”

The old director had witnessed Shi Yanchen growing up through all the ups and downs of life. Shi Yanchen had always been independent and distant, and the old director had always thought that this seemingly indifferent but grateful child might live a lonely life.

Unexpectedly, it turned out well in the end; not only was he successful in his career, but he also found such a good partner. Even showing jealousy and displaying such childish behavior surprised the old director.

Looking at the two holding hands, the director nodded in satisfaction and felt happy for Shi Yanchen.

The group walked and talked along the road, and after about twenty minutes, they arrived at the welfare home.

The welfare home was converted from several old residential buildings. The environment was not very good, but the area was quiet, and there was a lot of greenery around, providing a decent playground for the children.

Looking at the carefree smiles on the children’s faces, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but smile. He thought his beloved was a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart, which was why he did so much for the welfare home.

In reality, Shi Yanchen did these things out of gratitude. He had once received kindness from the old director, so after becoming successful, it was natural for him to contribute and repay this kindness.

But if it was said that he had any particular feelings for this place, he didn’t. He was used to making the right decisions, and for Shi Yanchen, truly getting his emotions was very difficult. Therefore, the only person who could truly occupy his heart was Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao’s appearance made Shi Yanchen sigh at how miraculous human destiny was. Even though he had only seen the other person once, he felt a deep connection. Even though they had only lived together for a few days, he felt willing to live and die for him.

Shi Yanchen didn’t know where this inexplicable deep affection began, but he didn’t dislike it. Instead, he was grateful to the heavens for allowing him to meet this person in his lifetime. It was as if, at the moment he saw the other person, his life had been given new meaning.

After arriving at the welfare home, Shi Yanchen told Ying Zhao to feel free to explore or rest on a bench by the playground. He needed to discuss the construction of the welfare home’s library and some donation matters with the old director.

Ying Zhao, seeing them talking about serious matters, didn’t disturb them. He watched the children playing happily on the playground and became quite interested, joining them in their games.

Ying Zhao didn’t particularly like children, but he liked the pure mindset and enjoyed being around such people.

So when Shi Yanchen finished his discussion with the old director and left the office, he saw Ying Zhao with a bright, child-like smile, playing hide and seek with a group of children.

Seeing his beloved display such innocent joy made Shi Yanchen’s heart race violently. He suddenly felt an urge to embrace him and kiss his upturned lips.

When Ying Zhao saw Shi Yanchen come out, he happily ran up to him. Naturally, he took Shi Yanchen’s hand and asked, “How did it go? Did you finish the discussion? You came out just in time. The cafeteria auntie told us that because you came today, she specially made braised ribs for lunch. We’re all going to enjoy it because of you!”

Shi Yanchen smiled and nodded, his eyes gazing quietly at Ying Zhao. He wondered why the person in front of him was so wonderful.

Willing to come to this remote place with him, not minding the simple environment he grew up in. Being kind to the children and making everyone feel comfortable.

How could there be such a perfect and adorable person? Shi Yanchen really wanted to keep him to himself, to hide him away from others, and make his eyes reflect only his own image.

Shi Yanchen unconsciously reached out to touch Ying Zhao’s cheek. Looking into his bright eyes, he felt like he was about to drown in those beautiful eyes.

Lowering his head, he instinctively wanted to taste those enticing red lips. But as their faces drew closer, they were suddenly startled by a loud “Wow” from nearby.

Ying Zhao quickly came back to his senses and saw several children surrounding them. Some were covering their eyes with their hands, leaving only a slit to watch them kiss.

One lively little child shouted at Ying Zhao and Shi Yanchen, “Brother Cheng, pretty brother, are you going to kiss?”

“Kiss! Kiss!”

The other children joined in the teasing, and although Ying Zhao was used to being close to his beloved, being watched by so many children still made him blush.

He glared at Shi Yanchen and then, regardless, walked towards the cafeteria. While walking, he loudly warned the teasing children, “If you keep shouting, there won’t be any braised ribs for lunch!”

Hearing this, the little ones immediately shut their mouths and ran cheerfully towards the cafeteria, afraid that any more wrong words might make them miss out on the good food.

Shi Yanchen watched Ying Zhao’s retreating figure and thought about the blush on his face and his panicked escape. He couldn’t help but be taken aback.

He wondered with some uncertainty: Did Ruihan just blush? Is he feeling shy? Shyness is supposed to be an emotion that arises only towards someone one likes or has feelings for, right?

If the earlier kiss was just a part of their usual interactions, could this current shyness and blushing be interpreted as Ruihan having feelings for him? Could their relationship be moving forward?

With this thought, Shi Yanchen felt extremely excited. He couldn’t wait to catch up with Ying Zhao to see his face.

But Ying Zhao kept turning his head away, not letting him see. When Shi Yanchen grabbed his hand, Ying Zhao only gave a symbolic struggle before stopping. They walked hand in hand into the cafeteria.

The cafeteria auntie had prepared a much better meal to welcome Shi Yanchen, and the food was very tasty. Unfortunately, the honored guest didn’t enjoy the meal, as his mind was completely preoccupied.

All of Shi Yanchen’s attention was on Ying Zhao. He was distracted, thinking about their relationship and whether he should find an opportunity to confess his feelings, to tell Ying Zhao that he really liked him and wanted to pursue him.

But he couldn’t help but feel worried. He feared that if he made his feelings known, Ying Zhao might reject him, distance himself from him, and he might never have the chance to pursue him.

As for Ying Zhao, he didn’t think much about it. The only thing bothering him was the awkwardness and embarrassment of almost kissing in front of so many children.

When the food was served, Ying Zhao, seeing Shi Yanchen’s dazed expression, wasn’t really angry with his beloved. He even remembered to serve some of the ribs from his plate to Shi Yanchen.

Seeing that Ying Zhao not only wasn’t upset but also blushingly served him food made Shi Yanchen extremely happy. He quickly served some of the braised bamboo shoots from his plate to Ying Zhao.

He remembered that Ying Zhao had made this dish several times before and always ate a lot of it, so he must like it.

But as they continued serving each other, they both forgot to eat from their own plates. When Ying Zhao’s ribs and Shi Yanchen’s bamboo shoots were all gone, they both realized it.

They simultaneously looked up and saw the blushes on each other’s faces, stunned for a second, then both smiled and laughed out loud together.

After having lunch at the welfare home, Ying Zhao played with the children for a while longer. When Shi Yanchen had finished handling all the subsequent matters, they left together and drove towards home.

On the way, Shi Yanchen kept stealing glances at Ying Zhao while driving. Living with the person he liked felt like being in a dream.

And the experience at the welfare home today seemed to help him understand Ying Zhao better and made it even harder to let go.

The person he loved was even better than he had imagined, thinking of those gentle eyes and that slightly flushed face. Shi Yanchen felt that he could never let go of this person in his lifetime.

Although he still wasn’t a hundred percent confident, Shi Yanchen could clearly feel that Ying Zhao didn’t dislike his closeness and might even have some feelings for him.

So, could he try confessing, asking him to be in a real relationship, not just pretending?

Or even if the other person didn’t accept him right away, as long as he was given a chance to pursue him, he would still be happy.

With this thought in mind, Shi Yanchen decided he had to have a serious talk with Ying Zhao once they got home.

However, unexpectedly, just as they arrived at the doorstep, they saw a middle-aged man in a suit already standing there, seemingly waiting for a long time.

Ying Zhao glanced and recognized the man as Uncle Liu, the butler of Ying Tai, the original owner’s grandfather. Ying Tai was the grandfather of Ying Ruihan, the original owner, and the head of the Ying family’s older generation.

Ying Tai had two sons: the eldest was Ying Ruihan’s father, Ying Yi, and the youngest was the male lead Ying Chenghao’s father, Ying Lifeng.

However, when Ying Tai was the head of the Ying family, he wasn’t able to expand the family’s influence. His abilities were limited, and maintaining the current status of the Ying family already took considerable effort.

But he had a talented son, Ying Yi, who developed and expanded the Ying family, making Ying Tai feel proud. As for Ying Ruihan, he inherited his father’s talent and could even be said to surpass it.

In theory, Ying Yi and Ying Ruihan were the pride of the Ying family, but people’s hearts are often biased. Ying Tai’s favorite wasn’t the original owner and his father but Ying Lifeng and Ying Chenghao.

Because Ying Tai had a strong desire for control, always wanting to hold power himself. Ying Yi and Ying Ruihan were independent thinkers and had their own considerations for the development of the business, not fully obeying Ying Tai.

Therefore, despite the achievements of the Ying family relying on Ying Yi and his son, they did not receive Ying Tai’s affection. Ying Tai naturally favored his second son, who flattered and followed him.

In the past, when Ying Yi was alive, Ying Tai frequently created trouble, trying to force Ying Yi to give half of his business to his younger brother, even though most of the business was earned by Ying Yi’s own efforts.

But Ying Yi had long realized that his younger brother was merely talk and lacked real ability. His character was greedy and didn’t understand how to adapt to the business world, so he was unwilling to hand over the business to Ying Lifeng, knowing it would ruin the family’s assets.

However, under Ying Tai’s relentless pressure, Ying Yi still gave five percent of the shares to Ying Lifeng, allowing him to live quite comfortably.

Given the current assets of the Ying family, holding five percent of the Ying Group’s shares was already a considerable fortune.

Nevertheless, Ying Tai was still dissatisfied, and his agitation continued. It wasn’t until he really angered Ying Yi, who then made a strong statement and transferred all the assets to his son Ying Ruihan’s name, threatening that if Ying Tai didn’t stop, even the five percent shares would be taken away, that Ying Tai finally settled down.

However, he still felt resentful, believing that Ying Yi had embarrassed him and had moved abroad with his younger son, clearly not wanting to see Ying Yi anymore.

But as Ying Zhao, who had seen the entire plot, knew, those people didn’t give up easily. After Ying Yi’s death, Ying Tai immediately came back with Ying Lifeng to fight for the inheritance.

Fortunately, Ying Yi had foresight and had long prepared a will. Still, Ying Tai and others caused many obstacles for Ying Ruihan, making it difficult for him when he first took over the family business.

Only when Ying Ruihan demonstrated exceptional skill did they become wary. However, now it seemed that after a period of ease, these people’s schemes had started to stir again.

The middle-aged man stood at the door, looking at the car in front of him, then shifted his gaze to Shi Yanchen after seeing Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao got out of the car and nodded at the middle-aged man, asking, “Uncle Liu, why are you here? Did grandfather have something for you to tell me?”

Uncle Liu immediately withdrew his gaze from Shi Yanchen upon hearing Ying Zhao’s question. Seeing Ying Zhao’s anxious expression, he said, “Young master, the old master’s health has not been well and has worsened recently. The old master has returned to the country and is currently recuperating at the old Ying family residence. He wants to see you!”

Ying Zhao nodded upon hearing this. He knew that there was a private doctor at the old residence to take care of Ying Tai. Since the excuse was the old master’s serious illness, he expected this reason would be hard for him to refuse.

Turning to see Shi Yanchen, who had already gotten out of the car, Ying Zhao went over and apologized, “Sorry, Chenchen, there’s an issue at home that I need to deal with, so I won’t be able to have dinner with you tonight.”

Shi Yanchen nodded, and seeing that there was something going on at Ying Zhao’s home, asked with concern, “Is there anything I can help with?”

Ying Zhao shook his head, seeing Uncle Liu’s urging gaze, and stopped delaying. He reminded Shi Yanchen to eat well and rest early, then turned and left with Uncle Liu.

Shi Yanchen watched Ying Zhao’s departing figure, feeling worried but knowing this was a private family matter and he couldn’t interfere too much. He planned to ask Ying Zhao what happened once he returned.

Ying Zhao took Uncle Liu’s car back to the Ying family’s old residence, a place that even the original owner Ying Ruihan hadn’t returned to for years. After all, the original owner and his father had long lost any feelings for the Ying family.

Especially after Ying Tai and his family moved abroad, the old residence had basically become a place of neglect. Usually, only a few servants occasionally cleaned it, and almost no one lived there.

As soon as he entered the old residence’s gate, Ying Zhao saw Ying Chenghao, who greeted him with a smile. This was Ying Zhao’s first time meeting the male lead of this world.