After the divorce, he went on a motorcycle trip, and his ex-wife and daughter were filled with regre

Jiang Ye stared at the hand extended in front of him, stunned for a full three seconds.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and complex emotions churning within him, and reached out to gently shake hands with Xia Yu.

"President Xia, it has indeed been a long time. You have given me a very big surprise." Jiang Ye's voice returned to its usual deep and calm tone.

The two released each other's hands and took their seats as host and guest.

Lei Heng and Xia Yu's assistants sat to their sides and behind them, each with their laptops open, ready to take notes.

The first half of the closed-door meeting was unusually serious and professional.

Both Jiang Ye and Xia Yu demonstrated extreme restraint and professionalism befitting top business leaders. Neither of them mentioned past grievances or entanglements, instead focusing all their energy on resource integration across the national market.

"President Jiang, I am fully aware of the troubles Kunlun Capital has encountered in Beijing and Shanghai."

Xia Yu opened the document in front of her, her tone sharp and precise.

"Huaxia Cultural Tourism can handle all the blockades from those local bullies. I'll give the green light to all land approvals within three days; and I'll make all the filth in the media disappear completely within 24 hours."

"However, in exchange, Huaxia Cultural Tourism demands a 30% stake in the offline physical projects of 'Yunhuang Realm' and exclusive operating rights in the northern market."

Upon hearing this condition, Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes slightly.

Looking at the eloquent and decisive woman before him, he was shocked but couldn't help but secretly admire her.

Xia Yu has really grown up.

Her grand vision and profound understanding of the core value of the "Cloud Wilderness" IP even surpassed that of many senior executives within Kunlun Capital. Although the conditions she proposed were demanding, they precisely met Jiang Ye's bottom line, making them impossible to refuse.

The two engaged in a heated exchange at the conference table.

Every percentage point of equity and every exchange of resources involved fierce competition.

After two hours of discussion, the two sides finally reached a preliminary strategic cooperation framework that would benefit both parties.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. Jiang." Xia Yu closed the file, a satisfied smile on her face.

"It's a pleasure to cooperate with you, Mr. Xia." Jiang Ye nodded.

Once the business is concluded, no one else needs to be present for the next part.

Xia Yu turned her head and whispered to her assistant behind her, "You can go out first and wait for me outside the door."

Lei Heng was also a shrewd old fox who could read people's expressions. He immediately closed his laptop, stood up and said to Jiang Ye, "Boss, I'll go and coordinate with Huaxia Cultural Tourism's legal department on the contract details."

After speaking, Lei Heng and his assistant left the reception room one after the other.

"Click".

As the heavy wooden door was gently closed, the spacious living room of the presidential suite instantly fell silent.

Only Jiang Ye and Xia Yu remained.

The tense, businesslike atmosphere from just moments ago vanished the instant the door closed.

Instead, there was a subtle, oppressive, and even suffocating silence.

The air seemed to freeze.

Xia Yu sat on the sofa, and the seemingly impenetrable armor of the "Chief Strategy Officer" seemed to quietly fall away at that moment.

She picked up the cup of coffee in front of her, which had gone completely cold, and gripped the handle tightly with her fingers. Her knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

She looked down at the black liquid in the glass, her chest rising and falling slightly.

Jiang Ye sat opposite her, saying nothing, just quietly watching her. He watched her slightly trembling shoulders, and her forced composure.

A full five minutes passed.

Xia Yu took a deep breath, finally breaking the suffocating silence.

"Eno..."

She raised her head, her voice no longer crisp and capable as before, but tinged with a hint of hoarseness and bitterness.

"That day... at the Yanjing Conference Center, I didn't reject Wang Sizhe's confession on the spot. Do you think I'm a vain woman who would sell my feelings for profit?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ye's eyes flickered slightly, but he still did not speak.

Xia Yu gave a bitter laugh, her eyes beginning to redden.

She recounted everything that happened that day at the Yanjing Conference Center.

"That day, Wang Sizhe found me backstage. He produced Blue Ocean Group's largest debt default contract, as well as threatening letters from several core suppliers about cutting off supplies."

Xia Yu's voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"He told me that if I dared to publicly refuse him on stage, embarrassing the Wang family, the Blue Ocean Group would face a complete financial collapse the next morning, my father's life's work would be completely liquidated, and my father might even face imprisonment!"

"Jiang Ye, I really had no choice at the time... I couldn't just watch my father die. I could only choose to remain silent. I just wanted to buy time, to stabilize the Wang family, and then find a way to break the deadlock."

Xia Yu's tears finally slid down her cheeks, dripping onto her white suit and spreading into a dark splash.

"As soon as the meeting ended, I immediately shook off Wang Sizhe. I hired a car overnight and rushed back to Hanzhou like a madman."

"I want to explain things to you in person, and I want to tell you the difficulties I'm facing."

Xia Yu raised her hand and hastily wiped away her tears, her gaze fixed on Jiang Ye, her eyes filled with endless despair and regret.

"When I arrived at the Hanju River, I saw the full-scale fireworks show."

"I saw the message 'I would give you the whole world' spelled out by drones in the night sky."

"At that moment, I thought I had made it in time. I thought it was a surprise from you, and I thought that as long as I ran over and hugged you, it would still be in time."

Xia Yu's voice choked up completely, she covered her face with her hands, and her shoulders trembled violently.

"But... when I got there, there was no one on the riverbank."

"I frantically dialed your number, but all I heard from the phone was the cold message, 'The number you dialed is currently unavailable.'"

"Jiang Ye, I never intended to betray you. I just wanted to protect my father's legacy."

Xia Yu lowered her hands, her eyes red and brimming with tears, and looked at the man sitting opposite her. Her voice was filled with a heart-wrenching pain:

"I saw that fireworks show."

But I lost you.

Hearing this belated truth, Jiang Ye sat on the sofa, feeling as if his heart had been suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, and he convulsed violently.

A complex emotion surged within his deep eyes in an instant.

. . . .