TMDP CH 40

Chapter 40: Quickly Choose Me!

The hotel Xia Ye booked was only a ten-minute drive from the Han residence. Han Mingxiu first took Xia Ye to check in. Initially, Han Mingxiu intended to upgrade Xia Ye’s room to the presidential suite, but Xia Ye scolded him for being ridiculous. In the end, Han Mingxiu settled for a 20-ping (approximately 66 square meters) business suite with a private living room and office area.

As the staff assisted with moving their luggage into the room, little Xia Li happily ran around the suite, asking Xia Ye if he could stay over and sleep with him that night.

Once the check-in process was complete, Han Mingxiu brought them back to the Han residence. Both Mr. and Mrs. Han were waiting to welcome them at home. As soon as Xia Ye entered, he was greeted with a warm reception, and he presented the thoughtful gifts he had prepared for them.

For Mrs. Han, Xia Ye gave an exquisite orchid brooch adorned with small red crystals. He explained that it was made during his visit to a castle, where one of the activities involved creating simple jewelry under the guidance of a jewelry artisan. Xia Ye mentioned that while the base of the brooch was pre-made, he had personally selected and set the crystals. Mrs. Han was delighted and immediately pinned the brooch onto her outfit.

For Mr. Han, Xia Ye presented a handcrafted vacuum-tube chess set. This unique chess set featured an innovative design where each piece would light up when placed on the board due to its embedded sensing coils. However, as soon as a piece was lifted, the light would dim and fade. Mr. Han was utterly fascinated, repeatedly placing and removing the pieces, turning his chess game into a game of checkers just to watch the lights flicker on and off.

Even the house staff received gifts: Head Butler Gao received a box of fine cigars, while Aunt Juan was given a silk scarf. Additionally, Xia Ye handed out small boxes of adorably packaged chocolates to all the household helpers, ensuring that everyone got a share. Though the gifts were modest compared to the Han family’s standards, the thought and care behind them made them deeply cherished.

Han Mingxiu also received a gift—and he was very pleased with it. If Xia Ye hadn’t bought extra chocolates to ensure there were enough to go around, Han Mingxiu might not have even gotten one.

Sitting silently in a corner of the living room, Han Mingxiu held onto the hard-won chocolates, smiling faintly yet appearing somewhat dejected.

Noticing this, Xia Li walked over and sat beside him, whispering, “Idiot.”

“…” Han Mingxiu looked at the cheeky child with discontent, reaching out to ruffle his hair vigorously. “Rebelling now, huh? Your dad just got back, and you’re already treating me poorly,” he muttered, sounding a bit aggrieved.

“Why did you even ask Dad for that?” Xia Li replied. “My teacher says you shouldn’t be afraid to be different from others. Being different means you’re the most special. Look at this—everyone else got gifts except you. Doesn’t that mean you’re the most special person in Dad’s heart?” Xia Li struck a smug, know-it-all pose.

Xia Li’s expression was one of pure smugness, as if he had just uncovered a profound truth.

“…” Han Mingxiu stared at him in disbelief. Somehow, this logic made perfect sense. Xia Li’s reasoning was flawless. Han Mingxiu looked at the child with a mix of surprise and resignation before glancing mournfully at the little gift in his hand.

Seriously, what an idiot I am, fighting the driver, gardener, and housekeeper over something like this.

---

Dinner went smoothly and was filled with laughter. As Mrs. Han noticed the ring on Xia Ye’s hand, she discreetly raised an eyebrow at him. Flustered, Xia Ye scratched his head shyly and subtly revealed the wooden crystal stone resting in his palm. Mrs. Han lowered her gaze, chuckling to herself. This child had deliberately turned the stone inward to hide it. She couldn’t help but wonder when her silly son would finally notice.

After dinner, Xia Li started pestering his grandmother, insisting she pack his things so he could stay at the hotel with his father for the next few days. Once Mrs. Han confirmed that Xia Ye was okay with the arrangement, she immediately took Xia Li upstairs to help him pack.

This left the three men—Han Mingxiu, Xia Ye, and Mr. Han—sitting in the living room. The steward brought out a pot of warm, stomach-soothing tea to help digest the meal.

Mr. Han broke the silence with a direct question. “When did Yunbang inform you about the interview?”

“Uh…” Xia Ye pulled out his phone to check his schedule. “Next Thursday.”

“You applied to Yunbang?” Han Mingxiu’s face lit up with excitement. “Then what’s the point of an interview? They should just hire you on the spot!” he exclaimed, eager to know what position Xia Ye was applying for.

“You don’t even know what position I applied for, and you’re already saying I should be hired,” Xia Ye teased. “What if I applied for the Vice President role?”

“Then go ahead! The Vice President position is yours. I’ll be your assistant.” Han Mingxiu’s thoughts ran wild, imagining all the time he could spend near Xia Ye.

Xia Ye rolled his eyes dramatically.

Han Junze, amused by their exchange, joined in. “So, you’re interested in the Vice President role?”

“No, no, no, absolutely not,” Xia Ye quickly waved his hands, feeling utterly embarrassed. In his back-and-forth with Han Mingxiu, he had completely forgotten that the CEO of Yunbang was also present. “I was just joking. The position I applied for is a sales assistant in the International Trade Department. It’s more aligned with my expertise.”

“That’s a waste of your talent,” Han Junze remarked thoughtfully before continuing in a serious tone. “But if you want the Vice President role, that’s fine too. When Mingxiu graduated from graduate school and joined the company, he was immediately given the Vice President title, though it was essentially a trainee position. How about this: you take the Vice President role, and I’ll send Mingxiu to Africa to watch elephants.”

Han Junze’s expression remained serious, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. “After all, I promised you back then, and I intend to keep my word.”

Xia Ye’s round eyes widened in surprise. A casual joke from years ago, and the Han Elder still remembered it? Xia Ye found it both funny and a little touching.

“What elephants?” Han Mingxiu asked, completely clueless about the subtext.

“It’s simple. Xia Ye joins the company, and you get sent to Africa to ensure you won’t slack off or spend all your time pestering him at work,” Han Junze replied, his tone teasing but firm.

“Dad, did you even ask for my opinion?” Han Mingxiu shouted angrily. Xia Ye had only just agreed to let him pursue him, and now his father was throwing a wrench into his plans.

“Ask for your opinion? Why don’t you go ask the elephants for theirs?” Han Junze retorted impatiently.

Xia Ye pressed his lips together to suppress a laugh, choosing to stay out of the father-son dispute.

Han Junze cleared his throat and adopted a more serious demeanor. “Your third uncle has brought this up to me several times already. He says you’re ready to take the reins. He wants to retire and let you officially take over as General Manager. Over the past year or two, most major decisions have already fallen to you as Vice President, and you’ve handled them well. Promoting you would be perfectly justified. As for the vacant Vice President position…” He turned to Xia Ye and said, “Well, we’ll see if someone’s interested.”

“…” Xia Ye felt a chill down his spine under the scrutinizing gaze of the two Han executives. He shook his head so vigorously it practically blurred. “I’m not interested.”

Even the Han family placed importance on promotions being well-deserved. There was no way he, an outsider, would want to be parachuted into such a position.

“Don’t be so quick to refuse,” Han Mingxiu noticed his unease and softened his tone. “The Vice President position comes with small authority and plenty of tedious tasks. It’s not a cushy job, and no one is vying for it. Everyone in the company knows it’s a training role for Han family members, so there won’t be any gossip about parachuting someone in.”

Heh. Xia Ye chuckled internally. The role may be meant for training Han family members, but I’m a Xia, not a Han. The gossip would drown me.

“No, thank you,” Xia Ye declined firmly. “If you insist on this, I’ll consider taking a position at another company instead of Yunbang.”

Before going abroad, Xia Ye had thought carefully about how to avoid taking undue advantage of the Han family. He had proactively proposed a public-funded study contract with Han Junze. Under this agreement, Yunbang would cover his tuition and expenses for studying abroad. In return, upon graduation, Xia Ye would work for Yunbang for six years at 80% salary. If he failed to fulfill the contract, he would have to repay the full amount with an additional 20% penalty. Xia Ye had drafted the agreement himself. Han Junze was initially surprised but respected Xia Ye’s determination to stand on his own as a man and agreed to have the contract notarized by Yunbang’s legal team.

Han Mingxiu, unaware of this agreement, panicked at the thought of Xia Ye not joining Yunbang. He quickly tried to appease him. “Alright, alright, no one’s insisting. You can go ahead and be your Sales Assistant Specialist.”

---

Tang Xi came downstairs with Xia Li, who was carrying a small backpack and pulling a little suitcase. The boy hopped along excitedly, ready to stay at the hotel with Xia Ye. Realizing it was getting late, Xia Ye got up to leave. He planned to spend the next few days taking Xia Li around to have some fun. Since the hotel wasn’t far, Xia Ye politely declined Han Mingxiu’s offer to drive them and instead walked away with Xia Li.

Han Mingxiu stood at the door, watching them leave with reluctance written all over his face. The family dog came over, whimpered twice, and licked the back of his hand as if offering comfort. He crouched down to play with the dog for a while before heading back inside.

Han Junze, who hadn’t gone upstairs yet, caught sight of his son’s despondent expression. He couldn’t resist poking fun at him. “That Xia kid has a strong will and good character. Starting from the ground up will be excellent training for him. Not like you—parachuted in straight out of nowhere like some spoiled rich kid.”

“Dad…” Han Mingxiu felt utterly exasperated. Back when his father joined the company, he had started as a Vice President too. How could he have the nerve to call his own son a parachuted hire? “You know, when you—”

“Are you looking to be transferred to Africa?” Han Junze cut him off mid-sentence.

“…No.” Han Mingxiu, recognizing his father’s increasingly eccentric tendencies as he aged, decided it was better to stay silent.

---

Xia Li spent three days playing with Xia Ye before returning home. When Han Mingxiu went to pick him up, he discovered that one of Xia Ye’s friends was there too—and the friend was holding Xia Li’s hand quite affectionately.

Xia Li eagerly introduced him, “Uncle Han, this is Uncle Johnny.”

“Hello,” Han Mingxiu greeted, though his mood instantly soured. Suppressing his irritation, he forced a gentlemanly demeanor as he extended his hand to the other man. “I’m Han Mingxiu, Xia Li’s father.” He deliberately corrected Xia Li’s “Uncle Han” to establish his true relationship with the boy, all while releasing an overpowering burst of pheromones to assert dominance.

Johnny instinctively stepped back, frowning as he glanced at Xia Ye. At the same time, Xia Ye caught a sharp whiff of cold fir pheromones and immediately understood what was happening. Annoyed, he scolded Han Mingxiu, “Knock it off!” He then pulled out a pheromone blocker and sprayed it furiously at Han Mingxiu until even he couldn’t smell the fir scent anymore.

Johnny was visibly displeased, finding Han Mingxiu’s behavior unnecessarily rude. Releasing such an aggressive wave of pheromones right off the bat—was he trying to intimidate someone? Johnny gave him a head-to-toe once-over before reluctantly shaking his hand. “John. Nice to meet you.”

After a few brief exchanges, Xia Ye suggested Han Mingxiu take Xia Li home to rest. They had spent the day at an amusement park, and Xia Li was so exhausted that he had nearly fallen asleep during dinner.

“What about you?” Han Mingxiu asked Xia Ye.

“We’re heading to a bar to hang out. Want to come along, Mr. Han?” Johnny interjected, the invitation sounding vaguely like a challenge to Han Mingxiu.

Han Mingxiu was about to agree, but Xia Ye cut him off. “Mr. Han is very busy. We can manage on our own.” He looked at Han Mingxiu and added, “Don’t you still have to put Xia Li to bed? You’d better get going.”

“…” Left with no choice after Xia Ye’s rejection, Han Mingxiu resignedly took Xia Li and headed home.

As expected, Xia Li fell asleep in the car. Han Mingxiu had originally planned to probe him for more information about Uncle Johnny, but the boy only managed to praise Johnny’s gentleness, humor, and charm before dozing off.

“…” Am I not gentle, funny, or charming enough? You little brat, always siding with outsiders.

Han Mingxiu stewed in his frustration, with no outlet for his anger.

---

Back at home, Han Mingxiu couldn’t stop mulling over this “John.” He seemed like a weak Alpha, unable to even handle a proper pheromone confrontation. The faint woody scent lingering on Xia Ye was so subtle that Han Mingxiu couldn’t even identify the type of wood. It had to be some soft, flimsy kind like rosewood.Xia Ye… He can’t make you happy. Quickly choose me instead!

T/L: We’re near to finish this novel T.T but don’t worry because it has extra chapters! Yey!!
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– End of chapter –

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