ENEMIES FIRST {Wangxian, Xicheng}

Chapter 28- Negotiate

Chapter 28

Lan Qiren was in a dilemma.

He sat there, moving the flash drive in his hands with brooding eyes. Then before he could change his mind, he plugged the device into the computer.

"Come here," He gestured at the boy at the edge of the sofa to come closer. Lan Jingyi scooted forward, hesitating to say something.

"Er, Granduncle... There's something I think you should know..." Lan Jingyi said, fidgeting with his hands.

"What is it?" Lan Qiren asked absentmindedly as he waited for the screen to finish loading the pictures Jingyi had secretly gotten from the camera Lan Qiren discreetly brought for his nephew.

"It's about Jiang Shushu..." Lan Jingyi began. "He and U-uncle are dating."

That made Lan Qiren pause. "They are?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Lan Jingyi nodded vigorously.

Lan Qiren stroked his goatee. That was unexpected. He didn't know how to feel about it. Yes, he supposed he should be fine with it since originally it was his idea to pair the two together. But it was also his idea to not go through with it once he found out Jiang Wanyin was not an omega. And even if it did turn out that Jiang Wanyin was just a late bloomer, with the Jiang Group now underwater, Lan Qiren was afraid his and Wangji's relationship was going to do more bad than good. Bad publicity wasn't better than no publicity as the Jiang Group had proved.

"This complicates things," Lan Qiren muses. Then he thought about it for a little longer and realized it might not be a horrible thing after all. Yes, the Jiang Group was teetering on its foothold, but it hadn't collapsed yet. Perhaps the Lan Group should lend a hand. Throw in a little marriage arrangement in there too and secure the two groups' relations. It's not a bad idea. It's an investment the Lan Group- Lan Qiren is willing to make.

"Let Wangji and Jiang Wanyin be for now. I want to see where this takes us," Lan Qiren said airly, stroking his beard. Lan Jingyi blinked.

"Uncle Wangji? Granduncle... I meant Uncle Xichen." I think Uncle Wangji and Shifu hate each other... Jingyi held the words at the tip of his tongue. He shuddered, he couldn't imagine those two within three feet of proximity much less dating each other.

"..." Lan Qiren was silent for a moment. "I see," he said after a while.

He gazed back at the computer and pressed his lips tightly together. The loading was nearly complete.

So Xichen took Wangji's supposed fiancée. Then what has his second nephew been doing all this time?? Lan Qiren closed his eyes.

When he opened them again and saw that the pictures had finished loading, Lan Qiren calmly moved the mouse to click on the file. The first picture that greeted him almost made him pull out his goatee from pure reflex. Lan Qiren choked, t-this, this is, this is-!!!

"Granduncle!"

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Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng stared at the phone, horrified.

Jiang Cheng clenched his phone tightly and his hand shook. Who dared hurt his father?

"Someone kidnapped Uncle Jiang!" Wei Wuxian cried, terrified. "What have they done to him??"

Jiang Cheng steeled his expression and readied himself. "I'm going to see Ms. Yu," he said, turning around with gritted teeth. No doubt his mother had gotten the same picture.