CH 78

Pei You knew Zhou Qingbo was deliberately teasing him, but he couldn’t help but take the bait.

He spent the whole night tossing and turning, even dreaming about this matter. He was afraid that when he opened his eyes the next morning, a huge cardboard box would descend from the sky, and Zhou Qingbo would unexpectedly jump out of it, claiming it was a “surprise.”

Although Pei You knew this idea was far-fetched, Zhou Qingbo was someone unpredictable. When he was in the mood, there was almost nothing he couldn’t do.

Fortunately, Zhou Qingbo’s “unpredictability” hadn’t reached that level. None of the things from Pei You’s “nightmare” had come true. He peacefully spent the night, and when he was awakened by his alarm clock the next morning, everything was the same as the night before. There was no large cardboard box falling from the sky, nor did he receive any fancy and elaborate deliveries. Instead, he was stopped by the front desk while on his way to his office, being told that there was an unsigned document for him.

“A document?” Pei You stopped in his tracks, puzzled. “From which business partner?”

“I don’t know, it’s not specified,” the front desk attendant, a young lady, bent slightly and rummaged through the collection bin under the front desk. She pulled out a courier folder, checked the information on it, then handed it over to Pei You. “Take a look, it’s this one. It was delivered by a local courier this morning.”

“Local courier?”

A thought occurred to Pei You, and he sensed a hunch. He received the folder, briefly looked at the sender’s name on the courier slip, and as expected, he saw Zhou Qingbo’s name.

Was this what he was talking about? Pei You wondered. Why would Zhou Qingbo suddenly send him these documents?

Pei You had a mind full of question marks, but he politely thanked the front desk attendant and took the package back to his office.

Perhaps because it was sent to the company, the outer packaging of the document was devoid of any flashy elements; it looked formal and businesslike. That aura of mystery extended to the contents inside as well.

Pei You reached in and pulled out a document. After briefly flipping through a couple of pages, he unexpectedly froze.

“This is…”

“This is my financial statement,” Zhou Qingbo’s tone on the other end of the phone sounded relaxed, “Investments in stocks, bonds, insurance… and a bit of mutual funds. I don’t have any real estate. All my investments are detailed there.”

Pei You was himself an auditor, and he was more knowledgeable about these things than Zhou Qingbo. He could even understand without Zhou Qingbo explaining; he had grasped the essence after flipping through just a couple of pages.

He was just surprised, not understanding why Zhou Qingbo would suddenly send him these documents.

“I don’t have much financial knowledge, and I don’t know how to manage money.” Zhou Qingbo laughed and continued, “I only know how to watch stocks rise and fall, and how to buy and sell mutual funds. Although I’ve made a small profit over the years, it’s mostly due to luck; it’s not a sustainable approach.”

“It’s alright,” Pei You instinctively comforted him, “There are many high-end financial services offered by agents now.”

“Yeah,” Zhou Qingbo smiled and said, “That’s why I’m planning to hand them over to you.”

Pei You blinked slightly.

“I’m letting professionals handle professional matters. Since you’re taking care of me, you should also handle my finances as well,” Zhou Qingbo tilted his head, propping his chin with his elbow, and chuckled softly, “The authorization letter and account information are attached to the last page. Remember to sign it. If you have time, open a proxy account as well.”

“But…”

Pei You finally understood his intention. The weightless document in his hand suddenly felt like a hot potato.

“It’s too valuable, there’s no need for you to do this,” Pei You said earnestly, “Even though we’re together, you’re still independent. There’s no need to entrust all of these to me.”

“But when two people are together, shouldn’t they each play their part?” Zhou Qingbo questioned back with a righteous tone, “Since you know how to earn money and I know how to spend money, let’s manage these things together. You’ll be responsible for earning, and I’ll be responsible for spending. The division of labor is clear.”

Pei You: “…”

Pei You was taken aback by Zhou Qingbo’s straightforward attitude. He opened his mouth, seeming to want to retort, but didn’t know what to say.

There’s something off, Pei You thought, but at the same time, everything seemed fine.

Upon closer inspection, Zhou Qingbo, even though he didn’t have any real estate, the scattered investments and insurance added together to quite a significant amount. Pei You flipped through the two pages detailing Zhou Qingbo’s assets and still hesitated.

“But…”

“Let me clarify upfront; I won’t be giving you a salary.” Zhou Qingbo confidently continued, “And since I have only this much, whether you spend it or not is up to you. But if I lose money, then you’ll have to support me in the future.”

Zhou Qingbo chuckled after saying this, and there was even a touch of excitement in his tone. “At that time, I won’t go easy on you.”

Zhou Qingbo’s logic had always been remarkably persuasive, and Pei You, who hadn’t initially intended to agree with the situation, found his words surprisingly reasonable in just a few sentences.

After all, if Zhou Qingbo went out to find another asset manager, they would have to be paid a commission. If he encountered someone dishonest, the investments might end up going down the drain. Upon careful consideration, Pei You realized that those people might indeed not be as reliable as him. At the very least, he would never misappropriate Zhou Qingbo’s profits for his personal use.

“Alright then,” Pei You said, “But if you ever want to change your mind, you can let me know anytime.”

“Sure,” Zhou Qingbo had already convinced Pei You, and his tone became more natural. He curved his eyes and teased, ” I’m entrusting my entire fortune to you.”

“Okay,” Pei You put away the documents and said solemnly, “I’ll manage it well.”

“That’s good,” Zhou Qingbo leaned against the car window, smiling, and said, “You can get back to work if you have things to do. I have something to take care of.”

As he spoke, the taxi happened to stop by the roadside. Zhou Qingbo paid with cash, opened the car door, and got out.

Pei You heard the noise of the car door opening on the other end of the phone. He had been a bit dazed all this time and only realized then that Zhou Qingbo wasn’t at home.

“You’re out? This early? What are you doing?” Pei You became worried, “Do you need me to come with you? I don’t have much work today, so I can take a day off.”

“It’s okay, no need. I’ve got it handled,” Zhou Qingbo said, “I might be a bit busy today, but you don’t need to worry. I’ll call you after it’s all over.”

Zhou Qingbo sounded relaxed in his words, but in reality, he had been anxious all night. He hung up the call and felt a bit uneasy, lifting his foot but hesitating to immediately enter the residential area.

He sighed at the entrance, pacing around like he was grinding a millstone. After considering it for a while, he finally decided to call Jiang Man.

The call was quickly answered. Jiang Man seemed to have expected it, teasing as she spoke, “Finally decided to call me? You’re quite something, Xiao Qingbai, even though I was kept in the dark.”

“Sis-in-law Man Man,” Zhou Qingbo was good at bending and stretching, never fighting unnecessary battles. He softened his voice immediately, sounding almost submissive, “I didn’t have a chance before. And then, we had just started dating when big brother found out.”

He covered the phone and whispered, “Please, sis-in-law, tell me the truth. How’s big brother’s mood today? It’s been so many days, has he finally cooled down?”

“I really don’t know,” Jiang Man said with a laugh, “I was on a business trip for the past couple of days and just returned today. I’m not ahead of you by much—Oh, by the way, I see you.”

As her words fell, Zhou Qingbo heard two car honks behind him. He turned around and realized Jiang Man’s car had turned the corner and stopped by his side.

“Get in,” Jiang Man said.

Zhou Qingbo opened the passenger door and got into the car. Still curious, he asked, “Did he give you any hints before? Like how he plans to deal with my situation?”

Jiang Man turned her head to look at him and, seeing his genuine nervousness, decided to playfully tease him, “He said he wants to break your legs.”

Zhou Qingbo: “…”

“Pfft—,” Jiang Man burst into laughter, and then she patted Zhou Qingbo’s shoulder as the car entered the residential area, stopping in front of the villa. She smiled and said, “I’m just messing with you. Don’t be afraid of your brother. After all, you still have me.”

Zhou Cangshan was someone with a stern temper and a stubborn personality and was even hardheaded enough to defy his own father. But ironically, he was powerless against Jiang Man, making her quite a match for him.

With Jiang Man’s assurance, Zhou Qingbo felt much more at ease. He thought to himself that it was indeed useful to have attached himself to someone like Jiang Man ahead of time. Regardless of whether it would solve the problem, at least he wouldn’t get beaten up.

He heaved a sigh of relief and put on the appearance of an obedient and innocent little rabbit. He followed Jiang Man step by step, bowing his head and trailing behind her.

Jiang Man jingled the keys in her hand, teasing him a bit about it. She took the lead and opened the door when they arrived home.

However, as soon as the door was pushed open, Jiang Man’s steps halted at the doorway. The smile on her face instantly faded by a considerable degree, and her brows slightly furrowed. The relaxed atmosphere that had been present just a moment ago vanished in an instant.

Zhou Qingbo was taken aback and followed her gaze as he walked forward. It was then he noticed that the person sitting on the sofa in the living room wasn’t Zhou Cangshan, but his father, Zhou Jianguo.