The male supporting character was actually myself.

“Yes, Jiang Chen is right!” Li Tianxing was even happier and nodded with a smile, “Dongchen, managing the bank is the most important thing besides military power. I trust you to do it!”

Li Dongchen stole a glance at his younger brother, feeling a little uneasy. He had a feeling that something was not right.

Based on Li Jiangchen's past behavior, he would never hand over a good job to me so easily. Maybe he's dug a pit for me to fall into so he can kick me when I'm down!

With such a large family business and two sons, one must be careful in everything one does to avoid making any mistakes, otherwise the right of inheritance could fall into the wrong hands and cause trouble.

Thinking of this, Li Dongchen hurriedly declined, saying, "No, no, I've only just returned and don't know much about the situation in Yucheng. I really don't dare to take on such an important responsibility as the bank alone. Father, it's better if you personally take control of the finances."

“Brother, I don’t think what you said is appropriate,” Jiang Chen immediately chimed in, saying seriously, “Helping the bank recover its debts is something a son should do to ease his father’s worries. Who said that going to the bank to help out means taking control of the finances?”

The real power is definitely in the hands of the father; we are just helping to manage things.

"My brother has studied abroad for many years; surely he can at least do basic accounting? It's just assisting in the management of a money exchange; it's not like he controls the entire Yucheng or has a head manager assisting him. Why would he need to know so much about Yucheng? Being able to do accounting and recognize money is enough."

Li Tianxing glared at his eldest son, thinking to himself, "I've put so much effort into supporting you, and you silly child don't even appreciate it!"

It's so important that you're asked to try and take control of the finances, but instead of trying, you keep making excuses. This indecisiveness is really unlike me...

Chapter Three: Secret Meeting

"Don't worry, getting past the Ruan family won't be easy." Jiang Chen smiled slightly and gestured for the other person to come closer, then whispered a few words.

Zhang Mingyuan was even more confused after hearing this. He thought to himself, "The rivalry between the second young master and the eldest master has been going on for more than ten years without any real opportunity. Now that the eldest master has graduated and returned to the country, you're just handing over this opportunity to him. Aren't you just waiting for the eldest master to rise to the top?"

However, since her only sister was betrothed to Li Jiangchen, helping him was also helping her sister. She could only plan more for him in everything so that he could win some of the family property and live a more comfortable life.

"Second Young Master, I still feel this is inappropriate." Zhang Mingyuan thought it over and then advised, "The Commander-in-Chief has never liked you. What if this gets exposed..."

Jiang Chen smiled nonchalantly, "The Marshal does not like me or dote on me, but over the years I have been reckless and caused all sorts of trouble, and he still has to tolerate it, hasn't he? I did a lot of ruthless things to win his favor in the past, and even if I had reported it to the Marshal, he would have just reprimanded me at most. Besides, this time I am genuinely helping the Li family bank recover its overdue debts, and I am not trying to harm anyone, so just do as I say."

"That makes sense...!" Zhang Mingyuan nodded with a slight frown.

Meanwhile, Li Dongchen, who had just left his father's courtyard and returned to his own east wing, was filled with anxiety.

He couldn't figure out what his younger brother was really up to, why he was forcing such a good job at the money exchange onto him. And what pitfalls might lie within the money exchange?

Could it be... that he's trying to frame me by falsifying accounts and creating a deficit?

"No, I have to find a way to save myself!" The more Li Dongchen thought about it, the more he felt that he had to take immediate action and not just sit and wait for death.

But where should we start?

He kept thinking about it, and the image of Zhang Ziqiu's charming appearance kept popping into his mind. Since she was engaged to Li Jiangchen and her brother Zhang Mingyuan was by Li Jiangchen's side, could he use their old relationship to find out about his adopted brother's situation?

"Second Master! Second Master, the First Master is about to leave!" The subordinate who was sent to keep an eye on Li Dongchen ran in and reported in a low voice, "He's sneaking around like a ghost and heading towards the back door."

Jiang Chen gave Zhang Mingyuan a look, "Brother, it's up to you now!"

The other party nodded, quickly went out, mounted his horse, and went around to the back door to follow Li Dongchen to see where he was going and what he was doing.

"Host, do you need me to follow them?" The fluffy little ball rubbed its paws together, eager to try.

He shook his head and lowered his voice, saying, "You have more important things to do..."

After listening to its host's instructions with its face close to his, the little white cat licked its paws excitedly, its big, dark blue eyes sparkling, and meowed, "Okay, meow~ I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

The fluffy dumpling also bounced away, and Jiang Chen took out the script that hadn't been updated yet and carefully deduced the current situation from the story's key points.

The Li family army, to put it nicely, were warlords, but in reality, they were just a group of bandits with not much power in the chaotic world.

The army was large in number but not very effective in combat. Li Tianxing used all the wealth he had plundered from the people to flaunt his wealth, indulge in women, and squander it all. The army's equipment had never been updated.

To build a reliable military force, at the very least, one must have a sufficiently large stockpile of firearms and ammunition.

He checked the system space and found that a large portion of the weapons were unlocked. As long as he could escape the messy entanglements of the melodramatic drama and focus on developing his career, he should be able to move south and take advantage of the war to successfully transform his identity as a warlord...

While Jiang Chen was engrossed in his career, Li Dongchen had already slipped out the back door.

He naturally dared not go directly to the Zhang family to find his former lover, Zhang Ziqiu, as that would be too obvious and easily give them leverage. Not knowing if the secret code from their rendezvous years ago would still work, he went straight to the banks of the Qiushui River under the pretext of admiring the late autumn scenery. He then asked for a window seat at a teahouse called Qiushui Zhishang, opened the window, and sat down to drink tea.

"Heh, this kid really has a lot of free time." Zhang Mingyuan followed him secretly and saw him sit down in a conspicuous place and leisurely drink tea. He then crossed his arms and leaned against a big tree in the woods by the river, waiting idly.

Li Dongchen, dressed in a white shirt, sporting a fashionable slicked-back hairstyle and wearing gold-rimmed round glasses, sat by the window. His scholarly demeanor and refined appearance made him stand out.

Zhang Mingyuan carefully observed the other party's every move, and soon noticed that something was wrong.

Why is this kid staring at the mountain on the other side?

The saying goes that one should appreciate the autumn scenery, but the most beautiful views along the Qiushui River should be on both sides of the riverbank, on the opposite bank...

"Oops!"

The quick-witted Zhang Mingyuan looked up and was immediately alarmed. Li Dongchen was looking in the direction of his own home!

He instantly recalled a late night four years ago when he saw his younger sister return home late and immediately went to ask her what was wrong. His sister looked flustered and hid a handkerchief. Later, he secretly noticed that the lower right corner of the handkerchief had the symbol of the Li family army.

He vaguely guessed that his sister had fallen in love with one of the Li brothers, but she was too tight-lipped and he couldn't get any information out of her, so he couldn't guess whether it was the eldest or the second eldest brother.

Later, when the second master of the Li family proposed to his sister, he saw her looking both happy and nervous and thought that the person he had met back then was the second master of the Li family. Now, it seemed that the lovers had finally become a couple. He had resigned from his position at Yucheng Trading Company because he was worried about Li Jiangchen's uncertain future, and he wanted to wholeheartedly assist him in paving the way for his sister's future after marriage.

Looking at the actions of the eldest son of the Li family now, and thinking back to the day four years ago when he caught his sister having a secret rendezvous and returning home late, it just so happened to be the night before the eldest son of the Li family left Yucheng to study abroad!

The girl's eyes were red, as if she had been crying...

All the clues connected instantly, and Zhang Mingyuan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, unable to believe his own speculation—his sister liked Li Dongchen, who had gone abroad to study? But coincidentally, Li Jiangchen liked Yucheng's sister, who was famous for her beauty, and went to propose to her.

My younger sister is getting old and if she doesn't get engaged soon, she'll be laughed at as an old maid. She doesn't have time to wait for Li Dongchen to return from studying abroad, so she has no choice but to agree to marry Li Jiangchen.

If that's the case, how much affection does she still have for Li Dongchen? Will she... after hearing he's returned from studying abroad?

Zhang Mingyuan dared not speculate any further. The thought of the second son of the Li family, who was kept in the dark, meticulously preparing a portion of whatever delicious, fun, or beautiful things he saw and sending it to his sister by fast horse every time made him realize that no matter who his sister had been secretly meeting with, now that she was engaged to Li Jiangchen as his fiancée, he, as her brother, had to keep an eye on her and absolutely not let her do anything that could damage the reputation of the Zhang and Li families!

"Miss! Miss!" In a large courtyard directly opposite the Qiushui Zhishang Teahouse, the maid Xiu'er excitedly skipped and jumped, calling out "Miss!" as she ran to the embroidery room. Looking around to make sure no one was there, she hurriedly closed the door.

Zhang Ziqiu was sitting at her desk embroidering. On the white silk, a delicate and exquisite flower, mostly half-embroidered and about to bloom, was being embroidered.

She slowly pulled on the embroidery thread without raising her head and said softly and coquettishly, "What are you yelling about? If my father hears you, he'll scold you again, saying you don't have the composure of a head maidservant to a young lady."

"Oh my, my lady!" Xiu'er hurried over to her and whispered, "Young Master Li is back! I heard that he just got home close to noon and has just eaten. He's waiting for you at the place we agreed to meet at Qiushui Shang!"

"what?!"

With a sudden thought, Zhang Ziqiu's hands trembled, and the sharp silver needle pierced her hand, causing a drop of bright red blood to fall onto the white silk, staining it with a vivid blood flower.

"He...he's back?"

She suddenly stood up, her whole body trembling slightly.

The scene of their parting years ago flashed before her eyes again. Just when she and Li Dongchen were getting to know each other and falling in love, he had to go overseas to study. She had begged him to arrange their marriage before he left, promising to wait for his return.

But Li Dongchen said... the future is uncertain and he doesn't know when he will be able to return. He doesn't want to waste his prime years and ask you not to wait for him.

He left the next day and was never heard from again.

She had considered defying her parents' wishes and waiting for him to return, but what good was it for a young woman of her age to be famous in Yucheng for her beauty? If she wasn't engaged or married, she would be an old maid and be ridiculed!

Li Dongchen left without giving her a formal title;

Later, Li Jiangchen came to propose marriage. Unable to let go of the love in her heart, she thought that as long as she could marry into the Li family, it would be good if she could occasionally see her beloved in the future...

But now, the love of her life, whom she was about to marry, has come back!

Is fate truly unjust, a twist of fate that means we are destined to be apart and miss each other?

"Miss? Miss!" The maid Xiu'er tugged at her sleeve and shook it, asking, "As usual, the eldest young master of the Li family is waiting for your reply at the teahouse. Would you like to go?"

Should we keep the appointment?

you still need to ask?

Zhang Ziqiu didn't hesitate at all. To her, being able to see the person she had been waiting for for four years was too important. She couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly urged Xiuer to reply.

“But…you are now the fiancée of the second young master of the Li family, and the wedding day is in two months. If you go to see the eldest young master of the Li family at this time and get discovered…” Xiu’er whispered a reminder: “You must be careful. I know you are worried, but you also have to consider the reputation of both families.”

"I know! Go quickly!" Zhang Ziqiu's heart was pounding wildly.

At this moment, she was both happy and worried, and uneasy. After urging the maid to reply to her beloved who was waiting in the teahouse, Zhang Ziqiu hurriedly went to the wardrobe to find the Western-style dress that the second young master of the Li family had sent over last time.

Dongchen must be even more pleased to see himself looking stylish in Western clothes after returning from studying abroad, right?

How can I explain to him that I am about to marry Li Jiangchen? Will he understand? Now that I have completed my studies and returned, can I take a chance for love and ask the old master of the Li family to change my engagement to a happy marriage with Dongchen?

With an excited heart pounding, Zhang Ziqiu changed into an exquisite dress, styled her hair into a beautiful and fashionable look, and sprayed on a precious perfume from abroad before eagerly awaiting Xiuer's return.

Li Dongchen sipped his tea, his mind racing. His eyes kept glancing at the Zhang family compound on the opposite mountain, trying to figure out how to get information out of Zhang Ziqiu.

The Zhang family wasn't considered extremely wealthy in Yucheng; they were merely of average means. However, they had a beautiful daughter who shone brightly in Yucheng. At only thirteen or fourteen years old, many matchmakers came to propose marriage. Old Master Zhang cherished her like a treasure and offered her a high price, refusing to agree to marry anyone who came. He even built a small courtyard with a garden for his daughter to pamper her.

I had heard of her beauty before, which is why I sought the opportunity to meet and get to know her.

Four years have passed in the blink of an eye, and her little courtyard is exactly the same as before. I wonder if she will ever come to see me again...

As he was thinking this, Li Dongchen's eyes suddenly lit up!

In the small garden, a figure could be vaguely seen standing on the covered walkway of the pavilion, beginning to lower white gauze curtains. One, two, three... He carefully counted them, then took out a gold watch from his pocket and glanced at it. There were still fifteen minutes until Zhang Ziqiu's response at three o'clock in the afternoon. At this time, he could cross the river by boat and arrive at the secret meeting place in time.

Li Dongchen hurriedly picked up his teacup, gently put it down, got up, paid the bill, and left.

Xiuer saw this from afar and then ran back to report to her mistress.

Seeing that Li Dongchen was not behaving strangely and that there was no movement from his own home on the other side of the river, Zhang Mingyuan, who was standing in the woods with poor visibility, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he was probably just being paranoid. He quickly boarded a cargo boat that was crossing the river and continued to follow them at a distance.

Qiushui Mountain is not high, and its terrain is gentle, with many houses built along the mountainside.

The bluestone path stretches to the Qiushui River, where one can take a ferry or detour via the main road on the other side to the wide stone bridge to reach the inner city. Next to the Qiushui River, in a quiet and secluded spot, there is a secluded courtyard. It is the property of the Zhang family. Since no one lives there, there has been no major construction. Instead, various trees and flowers have been planted as a separate courtyard for enjoying the scenery.

Normally the gate is locked and no one comes in, making it a beautiful and safe place for a rendezvous.

Zhang Ziqiu watched nervously as the maid Xiuer opened the courtyard gate. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, she quickly slipped inside and disappeared into the autumn shade of the trees.

Before long, Li Dongchen, who had been strolling along the water from the small dock, carefully checked that no one was around, took out a key from his pocket, opened the courtyard gate, slipped inside, locked it again, and hurriedly ran towards the old place.

"My yard?!" Zhang Mingyuan was stunned when he saw this scene from afar. "Li Dongchen... how does he have the key to my villa? And why is he suddenly sneaking over here now?"

Feeling uneasy, Zhang Mingyuan's previous suspicions resurfaced. He clenched his right fist, his face turning slightly pale. After waiting for a moment, he stepped forward, found the key to the villa in the house key he carried with him, opened the door, and quietly looked around for Li Dongchen's figure.

"Ziqiu!" When Li Dongchen saw the person waiting for him under Qiushui Pavilion after four years, a surge of warmth welled up in his heart.

He temporarily suppressed his previous hatred for Zhang Ziqiu's attempts to scheme against and manipulate him, and gazed at the girl who had grown into a more beautiful and charming young woman in an exquisite dress, and couldn't help but call out to her.

Zhang Ziqiu, who was feeling melancholic and yearning for the rekindling of her old love, turned around abruptly upon hearing a familiar voice. Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, instantly filled with tears. A single crystal tear was about to fall, and her shy expression made her even more endearing.

"Dongchen, you're finally back." Her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of grievance, as she wiped away her tears with an old handkerchief. "I've waited so long for you!"

"I'm sorry!" Li Dongchen stepped forward and hugged her tightly, saying affectionately, "I'm sorry, Ziqiu. Back then, when we parted, I didn't know when I would be able to return after crossing the ocean, so I didn't want to give you an uncertain future and make you not have to wait for me. Now..."