Chapter 41 — Cooperation Issues
Su Yanmo’s call surprised Qin Jiran, and the reason for the call only surprised him more.
“… we’ve been working on this project for a long time, so there shouldn’t be any problems with it. If you’re interested, you can come to the company tomorrow and sign the contract,” Su Yanmo said straightforwardly. He didn’t try to beat around the bush; after all, Qin Jiran was family now.
The “project” referred to the development of a tourist resort. Father Su was in charge of the Su family’s intelligence organization, but his assumed business was in the hospitality field.
Although Su Yanmo played a very small role in the project, he held enough authority to offer his brother-in-law a part in it.
Qin Jiran knew about this project; in fact, everyone in City A knew about it, and plenty of them wanted to partake in it. Unfortunately for them, the Su family had no lack of money or connections, which meant they had no need for business partners.
Getting an offer for the project was completely out of his expectations. He felt indecisive. Obviously, he didn’t want to pass up on this huge opportunity, especially when it was Su Yanmo who took the initiative. It would be tactless to reject, but if he accepted so easily, wouldn’t that make him look bad too?
But why was the Su family making him, of all people, this offer? Did Su Yanyi know about it? He was certain that the Su family was still oblivious to the real nature of their marriage. Could it be that they were misunderstanding something?
“Does Yanyi know about this?” Qin Jiran asked hesitantly.
“She knows, and she wholeheartedly approves.” Su Yanmo instantly caught on to Qin Jiran’s misgivings, which actually improved his impression of Qin Jiran. An authoritative man who knew to consult with his family for certain things was a good man.
As a matter of fact, Su Yanmo felt that Qin Jiran was well-suited for his little sister.
His sister learned to be independent from an early age. She was full of her own ideas, stubborn enough to give others headaches, and she wasn’t very good-tempered. Only a tolerant and gentle man would be able to handle her.
At first, Su Yanmo assumed that because she and Qin Jiran were too similar, they wouldn’t get along at all. Looking at it now though, Su Yanmo was very pleased with Qin Jiran’s character
Even so, it was necessary to continue observing him.
“Jiran, take some time to think over it. Tell me once you’ve made your decision.” Su Yanmo was considerate enough to end the call on that note.
After hanging up, Qin Jiran thought for a moment and decided that it would be best to inform Su Yanyi. He would be crossing the line if he agreed to do business with the Su family, especially since she already had the impression that he only married her for her money. If he accepted the offer, she would probably think even less of him.
He tried her study first, but there was no response. Hesitantly, he headed for her bedroom and gave a slightly nervous knock.
Su Yanyi had already taken a bath and changed into her pajamas. She was preparing to sleep but was not surprised when she heard the knock at her door.
“Come in.” She took a seat on her bed.
Pushing open the door, he steeled himself and walked in. To him, Su Yanyi’s bedroom had always been a forbidden area, so he was admittedly a bit… frightened.
“Yes?”
Once again, he saw her aggressively rubbing her hair with a towel. Recalling how he had helped her dry her hair in Su Manor, he couldn’t help but say, “Let me help you.”
The casual way she handed him the towel made it seem like it was a normal thing. Qin Jiran had gotten better at the task, and she enjoyed the comfort of being served.
Drying her hair used to be troublesome because she never liked to use blow dryers, and she would always hurt her scalp when she used a towel. How nice it was to have someone do it for her now.
“Did you know that Brother and I had a talk about cooperating?” He asked, testing the waters.
“I know.” It was late. She knew that he would want to talk about this.
“I think that would be… unbefitting.” After all, he wasn’t a real member of the Su family. Partaking in such a big project was not appropriate, though of course, he was more worried about arousing her disgust.
“Unbefitting? How is it unbefitting?” she asked, puzzled. Her head moved as she tried to look at him. Afraid he might hurt her somehow, his hands stopped before he responded, “I assume the Su family doesn’t need my money. Did Brother contact me because he wants me to do business?”
“Mhm. My father is too busy, and my brother is always abroad. Having you manage the domestic business is only fitting.”
The Su family’s business was too big, with too little people to run it. Father, Mother, and Brother Su were all extremely busy people. Now that Qin Jiran was in the family, it was only natural for him to get a role too.
“You trust me?” Surprise and some delight caused his voice to take on an excited tone.
“Of course.” If she didn’t trust him, then there was probably no one else in the world who deserved her trust. Luckily, she did have quite a few reliable people by her side.
Qin Jiran laughed. He felt like recently, every day was New Years Day. Every day, there was a gift and a surprise. He was getting along better with Su Yanyi, and she was treating him well. As a matter of fact, she was treating him so well that he almost couldn’t believe it.
“Yanyi, would you really not mind if I joined the Su family business? Our relationship… the way things stand… would it be appropriate?” Although he wanted to, he was hesitant.
“Our relationship? How do things stand? Why wouldn’t it be appropriate?” As she shot out those questions in succession, she looked at him with evident surprise and a trace of discontentment. She didn’t understand why he would ask her that. What was inappropriate about family members doing business together?
They stared at each other. Facing Su Yanyi’s disbelief, Qin Jiran didn’t know how to respond. Like her, he was confused about why she asked him those questions. Wasn’t their marriage just a contractual marriage?
Since it was a contractual marriage, shouldn’t he stay out of the Su family’s business affairs? Su Yanyi definitely knew this too, so why was she handling it this way?
Qin Jiran was confused. Su Yanyi was discontented. They were unable to get anywhere because one of them didn’t know how to start, and the other was completely oblivious.
