The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Shang Yibo said, "Mom, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but I've decided to retire from the entertainment industry. I've terminated my contract with Yihua Entertainment."

“Yes, Yanruo just told me.” Fang Xichen sat down next to Chu Fanqing and saw that Zhou Yanruo was still standing. “Yanruo, sit down. Sit next to Yibo. It’s easier to talk to him.”

Shang Yibo patted the sofa next to him, gesturing for Zhou Yanruo to sit down.

Fang Xichen said, "If you've finished talking, Yanruo and I will tell you about the case."

Chu Fanqing frowned when he heard the word "case." Perhaps this was the biggest stain on his life. His tone was impatient. "What's there to talk about with the case? I was just introducing Rushang's situation to Yibo. I had only just started and hadn't finished yet."

Fang Xichen patted Chu Fanqing's hand on her knee. "When Yibo goes to work at Rushang, he will understand the situation and form his own ideas. Don't mislead him. Besides, there's Yanruo. Leave it to them, so don't worry. You and I should focus on solving the case first. I know you don't like to hear this, but we still have to face it."

Chu Fanqing lowered his head and remained silent upon hearing this.

Shang Yibo asked with concern, "Wasn't the investigation already over? Hasn't my dad's matter been completely resolved yet?"

Fang Xichen nodded to Zhou Yanruo, "Yanruo, you speak."

Zhou Yanruo said, "Based on the information we have so far, Chairman Chu's actions do not constitute bribery. The key points are clear: the 'gift money' mentioned by the whistleblower was not given in cash. It was a painting by a famous artist and a set of expensive custom-made teaware from a luxury brand. Although it was valuable, it was priceless and unavailable. It can be classified as a normal exchange of gifts between relatives and friends. Moreover, the leader of the Yuehai Pilot Zone Management Committee had already filed a record with his superiors and was authorized to accept the gift. Two months later, at Chairman Chu's birthday banquet, that leader also gave a gift money in return, although the amount was less than the value of Chairman Chu's gift. But it was all just normal exchanges between friends, without crossing any boundaries or involving any solicitation or violation of regulations."

Shang Yibo breathed a sigh of relief, "That's great. Now that the matter has been settled, there shouldn't be any further problems."

“That’s true, but we still need to be careful. It would be best to get a formal document stating that no further action will be taken, that would be the safest option,” Zhou Yanruo continued. “Just now, Mr. Fang and I had a video conference with the legal team. The lawyers suggested that we supplement some evidence and communicate with the Yuehai Discipline Inspection Commission to bring this case to a close as soon as possible.”

Fang Xichen continued, "I received information that the members of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Yuehai will be rotating with other municipal units, so we need to expedite the resolution of this matter to avoid having to re-establish communication once the person in charge changes. We were just discussing that we are going to ask a lawyer to go to Yuehai again tomorrow. Lao Chu, I would like to hear your opinion."

Chu Fanqing replied in a low voice, "You decide. I don't want to waste any more energy on this matter."

Turning to Shang Yibo, she asked, "Yibo, when can you start working?"

Shang Yibo immediately replied, "I'm available anytime."

Chu Fanqing nodded: "Alright, let's start tomorrow. Yanruo, please organize your recent work plan and give it to him later so that he knows it in advance, instead of having to get familiar with the situation when he gets to the office tomorrow."

Zhou Yanruo replied, "Yes, Chairman Chu."

Fang Xichen: "Look at you, you've only been at it for a few minutes and you're already serious again. Yibo just went to the company, give him some time and take it slow."

“There’s no time to wait for us to take our time,” Chu Fanqing said seriously. “Yibo, I’ll leave the operations to you. I’ll focus on the overseas projects and try to get the funds back as soon as possible.”

Shang Yibo replied earnestly, "Okay, I will try my best." Then, he said to Fang Xichen, "Mom, don't worry, I can do it."

“Of course my son can do it, I have faith in you,” Fang Xichen said softly.

Seeing that everything that needed to be discussed had been finished, Zhou Yanruo thought that Shang Yibo and Chu Fanqing had just returned home and had been so focused on work that they hadn't had a proper chat, especially after everything that had happened. So, she stood up to say goodbye, "Chairman Chu, President Fang, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now. It's not easy for your family to get together, so please have a good talk."

Fang Xichen and Chu Fanqing exchanged a glance. Chu Fanqing nodded slightly, and Fang Xichen understood. He said, "Yanruo, please sit down. Old Chu and I have something to say to you."

Zhou Yanruo sat down slowly, puzzled.

Shang Yibo stared at his parents with curiosity, wondering what they would say to Zhou Yanruo.

Fang Xichen said slowly, "Yanruo, your parents are Professor Zhou Fang and Professor Yang Man. Old Chu and I have some connection with them."

When Zhou Yanruo heard Fang Xichen mention her parents, she sat up straight in surprise. She quickly glanced at Shang Yibo beside her and saw that he also subconsciously straightened up, staring at Fang Xichen with his mouth half open in surprise.

“No need to be so surprised,” Fang Xichen continued. “We are both members of the philosophy societies at Tsinghua and Peking Universities. Back then, Lao Chu and I were still students, while Professor Zhou was already a leading figure in the field of materials science internationally. We participated in several Wang Yangming philosophy seminars organized by Professor Zhou, and later joined the society he founded. In the society, we got to know Professor Zhou and were deeply impressed by his philosophical thoughts and insightful views. Because we shared the same ideals, we soon established a deep relationship with him that was both teacher and friend.”

"Since Professor Zhou and his wife met with misfortune, their students launched an initiative to Tsinghua and Peking University alumni around the world, calling on everyone to do their best to take care of their only daughter—you, Zhou Yanruo. Lao Chu and I are the eleventh people to sign this initiative."

When Zhou Yanruo first joined Rushang Group, the HR told her that the chairman had decided to hire her immediately after only glancing at her resume—an unprecedented and exceptional move. She secretly wondered if her resume was really that outstanding to receive such an honor.

However, she never expected that all of this was because of that special relationship. She stood up abruptly, her heart filled with mixed emotions, unsure whether to express her gratitude or feel sorry for the trouble she had caused others.

"Let me finish what I have to say," Fang Xichen said softly.

Zhou Yanruo sat down again.

Shang Yibo interjected with difficulty, "Are you doing this because of my biological father, Yin Bei?"

“Not entirely,” Chu Fanqing quickly replied, then added with regret, “Yin Bei had his faults, but he did it unintentionally, and he has paid the most terrible price for it. Putting aside his emotional entanglement with Yu Qing, he was a very talented person. It’s a pity he left us so young, otherwise he would definitely have been a person who could have achieved great things.”

Shang Yibo's lips twitched, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Seeing this, Fang Xichen gently nudged Chu Fanqing's arm, "Let's not talk about this, don't change the subject."

Then she continued, “When you were in Huizhou, you already understood the whole story. So, I discussed with Lao Chu that we should tell you these things so that you can understand the whole story. Besides the unfortunate events, there are many people who are silently watching over you and caring for you. We should dispel the dark emotions in your hearts as soon as possible so as not to let down all those who have helped you.”

Zhou Yanruo's eyes were already filled with tears.

Shang Yibo grasped her hand and held it tightly.