Half an hour later, a new trending topic appeared on the hot search.
#XinghuaFoodClarification
@XinghuaFood: Regarding certain statements circulating in the media about our company recently, we hereby issue the following responses:
1. The internet rumor that our company’s “Wonder” series food products caused fatalities is inconsistent with the facts. Some consumers did experience mild food poisoning after consuming products from the “Wonder” series. They have been sent to the hospital for treatment and are now out of life-threatening danger. The news reports are exaggerating the facts.
2. Our company sincerely engages in self-reflection and actively resolves issues. We deeply apologize to the consumers who have been harmed and will provide sincere compensation. The specific negotiation details will be announced later after obtaining consumer consent.
3. Our company has adhered to a food safety production philosophy for many years and will continue to uphold and implement it in the future. Hereby, our company assures the public that from now on, we will strive for excellence, ensuring every consumer can eat safely and happily.
…
Hereby declared.
A lengthy statement, stamped with an official red seal.
Cheng Yan read it carefully. Xinghua Food did not evade the company’s food safety issues. Consuming food that causes people to fall ill would indeed make some consumers shy away from Xinghua Food from then on, but its impact was far smaller than news that “Xinghua Food can kill people.”
The comment section under Xinghua Food’s official Weibo had already fallen.
— So there was a food safety issue, right? Is this a clarification that avoids the main point?
— This clarification seems quite sincere, actually? They didn’t hide anything. At least the safety concern consumers cared about got a response. It was only food poisoning, not causing deaths.
— A brand I’ve loved since childhood turned out like this. I don’t dare trust it anymore.
— It’s okay, I’ll still spoil you. As long as you re-release the “Enjoy” series that was discontinued six years ago, I’ll be at the forefront of any fight!
— So is it true your company is going bankrupt?
Cheng Yan let out a long sigh. As long as Xinghua Food hadn’t caused any deaths, there was still a chance to recover.
Zhu Jingran finished reading along with her and said, “Their response was fairly timely. Public opinion hasn’t spread out of control everywhere.”
Cheng Yan nodded, then voiced her worry: “But with something like this happening again, I don’t know if Xinghua can survive this disaster.”
Especially with Dawn announcing the termination of cooperation with Xinghua.
She recalled Chen Shuhua’s excitement over half a month ago, and her heart ached slightly with worry for her.
The two finished their meal hastily, their thoughts completely occupied with following the Xinghua matter.
When she returned to the school that night, Cheng Yan received a rushed phone call from Chen Shuhua.
Near the end of the call, she asked one question: “So, is the capital chain really broken?”
There was silence on the other end for a long time, then a low voice answered: “…Mm.”
The thick darkness of night concealed Cheng Yan’s expression. She sighed softly and comforted, “It’s okay. Just get through this period, and everything will be fine.”
Both of them knew how utterly powerless such verbal comfort was, but neither mentioned it out of tacit understanding.
Just before hanging up, Cheng Yan suddenly heard Chen Shuhua ask, “Junior, are you free in a few days? Could I meet with you?”
Cheng Yan said, “You can come anytime, or I can go find you.”
Chen Shuhua seemed to smile briefly, but her voice was still rough with unconcealable exhaustion. “It’s fine. I’ll come find you.”
The call ended. Cheng Yan stood on the balcony, looking outside.
Most of the dormitories on campus were already empty. The night was unprecedentedly quiet.
She gazed at the dim, quiet path lit by streetlamps below, silent for a moment. Then, she opened her phone’s contacts and dialed a number she had saved earlier.
She waited a minute. No one picked up.
Cheng Yan suddenly smiled wryly. Of course. In the middle of the night, naturally, the work staff would be off duty.
The next day, Cheng Yan woke up at eight o’clock.
The moment she opened her eyes, she called the number that hadn’t been answered last night.
“Hello, are you the person in charge of the Gentle Wind Alley demolition project? I’d like to inquire: what stage has the approval process for the compensation amount stipulated in my agreement reached? When will it approximately be transferred?”
She then stated her personal information.
The staff member on the other end was looking it up. Two minutes later, the person replied politely and formally: “Hello, Madam. Your compensation has entered the final stage of the approval process. It is estimated to be deposited into your registered account within the next 2–7 business days. Please keep an eye on it in a timely manner.”
2–7 business days. The timing was acceptable to her.
Cheng Yan’s expression relaxed slightly. She hung up the inquiry call.
On the other side.
The atmosphere in the Chen household had been gloomy all week, everyone’s face heavy with worry.
Chen Xiwen came downstairs in a qipao dress, walking over to Chen Shuhua, who was already ready and waiting on the sofa. Seeing her silent expression, she said gently, “Show some spirit. Things haven’t reached a dead end yet.”
Chen Shuhua’s face was pale. Even with makeup and lipstick added, she still didn’t look energetic. She didn’t answer her mother, remaining silent for two minutes before speaking again: “Mom, I really am willing to enter a marriage alliance.”
She emphasized: “To make a sacrifice for the family—I’m willing.”
Xinghua Food was in a perilous state—externally, its reputation was plummeting; internally, a cash shortage was making production lines barely sustainable, and partners worried about Xinghua’s situation were refusing cooperation one after another. At this time, the Shen Family proposed a capital injection to help, aiding Xinghua through its difficult period. The price? Chen Shuhua would need to enter a marriage alliance with the eldest son of the Shen Group.
The eldest son of the Shen Family had been wild and debauched in his youth. Being in the same circle, Chen Shuhua had occasionally heard about his scandalous exploits at banquets. But she had zero interest in men and never imagined she would ever be associated with someone like that. She had never paid him any attention.
But she never imagined Fate would play such a cruel joke. In just half a year, Xinghua had undergone a massive upheaval, and she was now forced to consider such things.
The Shen Family’s intentions were crystal clear to their family of three.
The Shen Group would provide assistance but demanded a marriage alliance. They also stipulated that any future children born to the couple must bear the “Shen” surname and be raised by the Shen family, becoming the heir to both the Shen and Chen enterprises.
After the marriage, the Chens would have to gradually transfer power to Chen Shuhua, who would be responsible for Xinghua. But when the future child grew up, she would have to step behind the scenes and let the new heir take over.
“I heard Shuhua likes art? That’s a wonderful hobby, noble and refined, very elegant. She’ll have plenty of time to cultivate her interests in the future.”
Remembering the Shen family head saying this with a beaming smile, Chen Shuhua pursed her lips slightly.
“If Xinghua truly has no way out, I am willing to go through with the marriage alliance.” Chen Shuhua forced her lips into a smile. “Who can say what the future holds? They want to swallow Xinghua through this method, but how do they know that after we weather this storm, things will go exactly as they plan?”
“More than that: compared to bankruptcy and liquidation, which means the company my parents fought for—Xinghua—would vanish from this world forever, this kind of calculated scheme… I can accept it.”
Xinghua must not disappear. This was the Chen family’s bottom line.
Chen Xiwen, hearing her daughter speak this way, couldn’t bear it.
“This is your lifelong matter…”
No matter how decisive and resolute a person was in the business world, when it came to her only daughter, only softness and heartache remained.
Chen Shuhua said, “But as a daughter of the Chen family, as the heir to Xinghua Food, for the past twenty years, I’ve received so much happiness and nurturing. Now that I need to take on some responsibility that was always mine, what is there to truly agonize over?”
“This is what I should do, Mom.”
Chen Xiwen couldn’t hold back her tears. She turned her head aside, wiped her eyes with a tissue, and looked at her gentle yet resilient daughter, saying softly, “Shuhua, you’ve grown.”
— “You need to give yourself time to grow.”
— “That time… is so long.”
The conversation with Cheng Yan at the bar two months ago suddenly echoed in her ears unbidden. Chen Shuhua’s eyes were dazed for a moment, then filled with an uncontainable sorrow.
It turned out the painful thing wasn’t the long time itself. It was that the time heaven was willing to leave her was too terribly short. She had yet to mature, yet she was forced to face this violent storm.
Junior, “growing up”… it turns out you must always be prepared for it, at any moment.
Chen Shuhua bent down and hugged her mother, burying her chin on her shoulder, like a fledgling bird seeking the nest, clinging and asking, “Will you be proud of me? Mom.”
“I will. I will be.” Chen Xiwen patted her shoulder.
The embrace parted. Chen Xiwen took her daughter’s hand and said slowly, “You don’t need to worry so much yet. We haven’t even gone to see President Su. Perhaps we can convince her to change her mind?”
Chen Shuhua nodded. “Mm.”
She looked at her mother. Both offered a smile, seeming to comfort the other.
But they both knew, deep down, that the chance of success was practically nonexistent.
Yet no matter how slim the hope, they still had to try.
—
“Is the tea here to your liking, President Jun?” Su Jianyue wore an azure qipao, like a lotus leaf just emerging from the water. She reclined on a woven rattan lounge chair, a small fan in her hand, swaying leisurely, like an image from a painting of a graceful, untroubled noble lady. One would never guess this was the aggressive, assertive businesswoman from the marketplace.
In the company of the seemingly so relaxed Su Jianyue, even the air around Jun Jianqing became more peaceful.
The premium tea fragrance lingered delightfully on the palate. Jun Jianqing set down her teacup and nodded. “It is indeed very good.”
Su Jianyue glanced at her, her fan flicking a bit faster. She gave a light humph. “I recall this was a gift from a certain someone.”
Su Jianyue loved tea. Jun Jianqing had no particular obsession with it; her attitude was indifferent. But somehow, all those top-tier teas ended up being sent to Jun Jianqing’s place, forcing Su Jianyue to only be able to scrounge from Jun Jianqing’s stash.
However, as a friend and classmate of many years, the best teas at Jun Jianqing’s place… most had ended up benefiting Su Jianyue.
“So, you specially came to my place just to sample the tea you gave me?” Su Jianyue drawled, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Jun Jianqing wasn’t angry. Because she was visiting Su Jianyue’s tea house today, she had specifically worn a hand-tailored white Tang-style outfit with silver thread embroidery. The subtle patterns shimmered with a silvery glow under the sun. The buttons were fastened all the way up to the top. Her hair was simply pinned up with a jade hairpin. She wore no excessive accessories—understated, elegant, noble, and composed.
“Terminating the cooperation with Xinghua Food—you should have informed me.”
Su Jianyue’s fan stopped moving. She sat up from the lounge chair, settling across from Jun Jianqing, and said, “I don’t know what reason made you choose Dawn to cooperate with Xinghua Food, but the moment Xinghua’s scandal broke, my choice was to end the cooperation.”
With the leisurely flow of a drifting cloud, she poured herself a cup of tea, watching the leaves rise and fall. “Even if the safety hazard Xinghua Food brought wasn’t deaths but mild food poisoning, continuing the cooperation would damage Dawn’s reputation and brand. You entrusted Dawn to me. Over these years, I’ve also handed you a satisfactory answer. My heart and soul are in Dawn, so I absolutely will not allow anything that could shake Dawn’s reputation.”
“Merchants don’t act without profit. President Jun, I believe you understand this principle even better than I do.” Su Jianyue took a sip of tea. “Furthermore, this is a timely stop-loss, preventing Dawn from being dragged into the public opinion battlefield. Shouldn’t you be praising me instead?”
