Archive of Our Own

Modern #XiCheng AU where the winner for the Gusu Lan Business Commerce competition will be the one to marry Lán Xīchén.

Jiāng Chéng scoffed at the invitation held in his hands as he lounged behind the counter. What kind of marriage is this? Was this considered a marriage of convenience? Whatever it was, he felt pity for Lán Xīchén.

Not that he could say anything at that moment in time, of course. They had one year to build up a good business venture with a large profitable amount to even have a chance for a hand in marriage. And, not gonna lie, it was not looking too good for them.

It's been eight months since the Jiangs decided to join in the competition and fought alongside the Wens and the Jins for a title in the business economy.

That and the bonus prize was to marry Gusu Lan's most eligible bachelor, Lán Xīchén. Well, there was Lán Wàngjī too but the man was so off putting, it made matchmaking a disaster.

The only catch was that Lán Xīchén had adopted a son when the boy was only a year old. The boy's parents were members of the Gusu Lan community and had no other relatives to take care of him. Lán Xīchén stepped up and volunteered to be the one to take him in.

And if anyone were to marry Lán Xīchén, they should accept the boy as their own.

Rumor has it that it was his own son, that he had gotten a woman pregnant and she had left him with the baby.

Some said that it was Lán Wàngjī's baby and that his brother took the rap for it.

No matter what it was, Lán Xīchén was a father and they should have no problem with it.

Everybody wanted to be a part of the Gusu Lan business company. They did charities, opened schools, opened businesses that just flourished almost immediately. Their business ideas would evolve and gain more traction internationally.

They came up with the crazy idea which was to create a competition for small businesses to participate and gain a chance to win 20% of the Gusu Lan stock share slot and also, to be associated with its name as a franchise.

And since the next owner of the company would fall upon the hands of Lán Xīchén, they would also have the chance to marry into the family as well.

Qishan Wen decided to open a casino, which was not quite what the Lan's loved but it did gain profit a lot.

The Wens would brag about their profits, how it had managed to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few weeks, ignoring the fact that they got many into trouble with the law. Many had declared bankruptcy and were driven to a bad end but the Wens didn't care.

All they cared about was profit and a chance to be allied with Gusu Lan and it's name. And also, marriage.

Wēn Cháo was definitely not gay but for the sake of the name and future business deals, he'd fake it till he make it. He's not at all interested in kids either.

There must be a way to get rid of the little spawn, right? Besides, no one said that he couldn't sleep around after marriage, yeah?

Lanling Jin decided to open a high end boutique store, with fashionable trends and clothes stocked to the top, catering to the rich and snobby folks.

Anything flashy, anything glowy, anything that can make you stop in your tracks and go 'What the hell is that?', they have it by the racks.

Jīn Guāngshàn fed his son, Jīn Guāngyáo, with so much info and tips and tricks about how to be sneaky in the business deal that the man literally oozed slime wherever they go.

Jīn Guāngshàn would do anything to make sure that Lanling Jin would be the one to clinch the title and also, the stock slot. Playing dirty was never a problem for him.

Qinghe Nie didn't take part in the competition but they had opened a security company to assist with the businesses around them.

They were allied to the Gusu Lan by franchise and had no interest in the marriage or company venture but they were concerned about the many businesses opening in the same area at the same time.

So Gusu Lan proposed that Qinghe Nie be the main security system that each company had to use to safeguard their business.

Many other clans opened their own business venture as well. Some had opened an automobile shop. Some of them decided on groceries.

Yunmeng Jiangs were a different lot.

They decided to open a food store, an eatery. And not just any food.

Chinese food.

Which made many laugh at them.

"There's no dearth of Chinese food in this country. What made you think that yours would be any different?" Some said as they laughed at the Jiangs.

Jiāng Chéng had ignored all of them and went on to open Lotus Bloom Eatery, where they sell affordable food for anyone and everyoneone.

After the deaths of their parents, Jiāng Chéng and Jiāng Yànlí inherited a small amount of insurance money that they used to invest in small businesses. They heard about the competition and decided to join and do what they do best, which is food.

Coincidentally, she was married to Jīn Zixuān, another son of Jīn Guāngshàn, who had washed his hands off his family matters, and that pissed Jīn Guāngshàn off a lot.

Wèi Wúxiàn loved the idea of an eatery and volunteered to help with the menu, sometimes coming up with food ideas that they rejected immediately but he did well in attracting customers' attention to their shop when it first opened.

The first few months were great… but then the Wens and Jins decided that it was time to sabotage the businesses around them.

They had paid for thugs to threaten the smaller ventures, causing them to pull out of the competition. They had robbers and thieves break into their shops to steal and ransack their place.

They would sabotage the security system before doing so, making them blame the Nie's for their shitty security system and causing havoc amongst the other companies.

Lotus Bloom Eatery had their fair share of trouble. Jīn Guāngshàn would drop by randomly, on the pretense of visiting his son and daughter-in-law. After a bout of insults and discreet disses, he would leave with a smirk on his face while the owners of Lotus Bloom rage in anger.

Wēn Cháo would come by and throw money at them, demanding good service and good food only to spit and yell at them for their bad food, promising to write a bad review about their place so that no one would ever visit their place.

Wèi Wúxiàn threw him out of the eatery by the collars. It was not a good move but meh, it was worth it.

They had their money stolen a few times by burglars, the store ransacked and all. It was fortunate enough that they didn't keep all their money in the store but still… it dampened their spirits.

One good thing about Lotus Bloom was that they were a charitable eatery. Sure, the owner has a permanent scowl on his face and may seem like he's close to whipping you into shape for looking at him wrongly but, he has a good heart.

They implemented a coupon board on one of their walls, where if someone wishes to buy a set meal for someone, they'll just go up to the counter, choose a set meal that consists of a main dish, a drink and dessert.

They pay for the coupon, go up to the board and just stick the coupon on the board.

Anyone, and they mean ANYONE, could just walk in, grab a coupon, bring it to the counter and get their meal.

And because of this, Lotus Bloom was a hit amongst the homeless people and the poor.

Sure, there were times when no one would buy any coupon for the cause but Jiāng Chéng made sure he'll put a few coupons up on the board. Sometimes Jīn Zixuān would chip out his own money to get the coupons up.

Jiāng Chéng scoffed at the failed attempt of trying to suck up to him.

There was a regular homeless guy that would come by at night, asking for free food.

The homeless guy had a long beard, with years of crows feet apparent on his face. He had a dirty brown overcoat on top of his off white hoodie and black slacks. On his head was a brown beanie with a white rabbit decal stitched onto it.

Jiāng Chéng dubbed him Lǎo Tùzǐ, or Old Rabbit.

Jiāng Chéng would direct him to the board and the homeless guy would choose the cheapest coupon ever.

Jiāng Chéng insisted on him to get one of the luxurious foods but the man declined, stating that there are others with worse fate that deserve it more than him.

Sometimes he'd bring some new homeless person to the eatery, or someone who was in need of a good meal, and begged Jiāng Chéng to give them food.

Jiāng Chéng's eatery wasn't really doing that well, what with the interference between the Jins and the Wens, but he'll sigh and just accept the people in with no complaints.

The Jiangs knew how hard it was to live without any money, any shelter or any food, having to scrape off the streets for all of it before their parents insurance money.

They didn't want anyone else to suffer the same fate as they did and so they vowed to feed whoever it was that walked into their store without any hesitation.

And that vow remained the same.

Now, eight months later, Jiāng Chéng sat alone behind the counter, calculating their expenses and profits, sighing immediately when he saw the amount of red in the book.

His sister had left to have a dinner date with her husband. Wèi Wúxiàn left to get some entertainment of his own, leaving Jiāng Chéng to handle the eatery alone. Business was so bad that they had to let go of some of their workers and handle the eatery by themselves.

It was late evening and Jiāng Chéng volunteered to be the one doing the closing, convincing his siblings to go ahead with their plans.

He pushed the book away on the counter top, slouching in his seat as he rubbed his temple to alleviate his headache.

The bell to the restaurant tinkled softly as the door opened.

Jiāng Chéng took a deep breath and looked up to greet his customer.

"Good evening, sorry but we're closing in an hou—" He paused.

Standing at the doorway of the eatery, dressed in grey slacks and a blue buttoned shirt, was Lán Xīchén.

He looked a little frazzled, which confuses Jiāng Chéng as he's never seen Lán Xīchén that way before. He was always well groomed, perfectly poised and regal whenever Jiāng Chéng would see him and this was different.

To see him so exhausted and slightly underdressed was something that Jiāng Chéng was not familiar with.

"I'm sorry," Lán Xīchén said after a while, "I didn't know it was closed. I'll leave."

"No no," Jiāng Chéng stopped him from leaving, "It's fine. I still have about an hour more before I have to close entirely. Besides, I usually just sit here after closing to count my float, so it's fine." He shrugged, "Come in, have a seat."

Lán Xīchén smiled apologetically and sat at a table close to the counter where Jiāng Chéng sat.

Jiāng Chéng stood up and handed the menu to Lán Xīchén, "What would you like? We have the lotus rib soup and rice set, the lotus tofu soup and rice set, which is the vegetarian version, the mala tofu meal, and the Sichuan chicken rice meal is one of the most popular dishes in our store. Have a look."

"I'll have the lotus tofu soup and rice set with osmanthus tea, please. Thank you." Lán Xīchén said after browsing through the menu.

"Okay," Jiāng Chéng took the menu back from the man and went behind the counter to key in the meal. He then went to the back and got the lotus tofu soup ready with the rice.

After a few minutes, he came out to get the tea ready and then brought the tray over to Lán Xīchén's table.

Lán Xīchén had his gaze focused on the table in front of him that he jerked back in surprise when Jiāng Chéng set the tray down.

"Your food." Jiāng Chéng said as he arranged the dishes neatly on the table.

"Thank you."

Jiāng Chéng took his tray and went back to sit behind the counter, watching Lán Xīchén with a smidge of curiosity.

The man lifted his spoon, took a sip of the soup and immediately, his eyes widened. He sat up a bit more and took in more soup, his body slowly losing it's tense state as he ate.

As Jiāng Chéng watched the man eat in silence, the front door opened again. It was Lǎo Tùzǐ.

"Hello, Old Man," Jiāng Chéng greeted warmly, "Finally decided to grace us with your presence?"

Lǎo Tùzǐ smiled and was about to retort back when he saw Lán Xīchén at the table, eating. His eyes widened and he shrunk back a little bit.

Jiāng Chéng noticed this and frowned. "It's fine. Come on in."

Lǎo Tùzǐ stared warily at the man, who had simply ignored the two of them and continued eating his meal. When Lǎo Tùzǐ noticed that Lán Xīchén barely gave them any attention, he relaxed a little and shuffled towards the board.

He took a coupon and handed it over to Jiāng Chéng, doing his best to hide behind his overcoat and beanie.

"Lǎo Tùzǐ," Jiāng Chéng said in a berating tone, "How many times have I told you to get something more than this." Jiāng Chéng keyed the Braised Tofu and Rice set meal into the system.

"It's enough, it's enough." Lǎo Tùzǐ said softly.

"Your voice sounds harsh," Jiāng Chéng frowned, "Are you sick?"

"No, no, just tired." He said.

Jiāng Chéng hummed underneath his breath before telling him to wait at a table. Lǎo Tùzǐ sat down two seats behind Lán Xīchén, warily watching him as he waited.

Lán Xīchén ignored it all, finishing up his food with pristine elegance. He sat back and nursed on his tea as he watched Jiāng Chéng work beyond the screen.

Jiāng Chéng whipped up Lǎo Tùzǐ's food and packed it properly. He then took a few bottles of ginseng tea with licorice root herbal drinks, a few steamed sweet potatoes, and added it into the bag. He then handed the bag over to the old man.

"Here," Jiāng Chéng said, "If you need more, you know where to find us."

"This is a lot. I can't take all of this." Lǎo Tùzǐ panicked.

"It's fine. You can share it with others." Jiāng Chéng scowled as he wagged a finger at the man, "Better take care of yourself. I better see you walk into the shop again this week, understand?"

Lǎo Tùzǐ chuckled affectionately before softly patting Jiāng Chéng's cheeks. "I will. Thank you. If you don't mind, can I have my meal here? I'll leave quietly after."

"Sure, of course," Jiāng Chéng tutted, "You're always welcomed here, Lǎo Tùzǐ, you know that. Stay. I'll be at the counter if you need me."

Lǎo Tùzǐ nodded and began to quietly open his meal up and dig into it while Jiāng Chéng went back to the counter and sat behind it.

"What was that thing that he did?"

Jiāng Chéng's head swivelled, "Huh?"

Lán Xīchén smiled. "He went up to that board and took something from it before handing it over to you. What was it?"

"Ah," Jiāng Chéng turned to look at the board and then back to Lán Xīchén, "Something like a Pay It Forward movement that I've implemented. Someone buys a meal for someone else, they take the coupon and stick it to the board. People like Lǎo Tùzǐ would come in and get a free meal, thanks to that coupon."

Lán Xīchén nodded pensively, "Is that good for business? Weren't you guys in the red for the past few months?"

They were interrupted by a small huff followed by a cough. Jiāng Chéng could feel Lǎo Tùzǐ's amusement in the air around them.

Jiāng Chéng rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and? Not that it matters."

Lán Xīchén tilted his head curiously, "It doesn't matter? I thought you participated in this competition for a reason? To ally yourself with Gusu Lan and to marry me?" His hard gaze fell on Jiāng Chéng's own.

"Yes, at first, that was the reason why. But I figured somewhere along the road that THAT was the worst reason why. I'm not able to reach the top, what with all the sabotage we get from the Wens and the Jins. It's unfair but that's just what business is."

"I figured if that's the case then, fine, I'll just do what I want to do when it comes to my own business. To fulfill my original goal which is to feed people. It's not a competition to me. It is a livelihood. I want to do what I've always wanted to do when it comes to opening my own business."

"Besides, I feel like it's not fair towards you, you know. I pity you." Jiāng Chéng said.

Lán Xīchén's face shifted slightly as he glared at the man. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't be," Jiāng Chéng shrugged, "I should be the one to apologize to you. In the end of all of this, having to marry either Wēn Cháo or Jīn Guāngyáo would suck tremendously."

Lán Xīchén shifted in his chair, "Yeah, it would," He sighed. "I've met both of them and they're quite… interesting."

"I assumed something happened to you that made you look like…" Jiāng Chéng waved a hand at Lán Xīchén's entire body, "Like this…"

"Wēn Cháo decided that the best way to impress me was to brag about how well his casino was doing." Lán Xīchén sighed.

"He invited me to the casino and boasted about his machines milking money by the minute. Was in the middle of a brag when someone came in and started yelling at him."

"They got so angry that they threw themselves at him. Then they accused me of being a money grabbing asshole. That I ruined his life." Lán Xīchén sighed again.

"The moment he threw himself at me, my bodyguards took action and I managed to escape from the brawl. I ran. And found myself here."

"Yish," Jiāng Chéng winced, "That sounded bad. I hope you're not hurt or something?"

"No," Lán Xīchén laughed, "Just my dignity and my utmost regret for leaving my favourite coat behind."

Jiāng Chéng laughed as well, "Right. I bet that was the most devastating thing that could've happened to you. Oh woe befall you."

"It was cashmere," Lán Xīchén shrugged with a smile, causing Jiang Cheng to laugh even more.

Lán Xīchén sighed once again, his smile slowly fading away as he stared at the ground in front of him. "I had hoped that whoever I get married to, would be someone that I can share my life with. Someone sincere and loyal to me. Someone that would love my family."

"My father's been away on a charity trip for months now. I barely have time for my son and my family, dealing with all this…" Lán Xīchén paused to let out a long sigh. "I just… I wanted a companion that I could rely on."

"Someone that would love me, and in return, I would love them. Someone that would love my son equally, and not see it as a business deal. You know?" Lán Xīchén glanced at Jiāng Chéng, who nodded in return.

"I get it. I wanted someone who would be there for me when times are hard. To clear my head when I think too much. For me to take care of and in return, they would take care of me too." Jiāng Chéng shrugged, "But no one would want to be with me. Said that I was impossible."

Lán Xīchén smiled, "I wonder why."

Jiāng Chéng made a face at Lán Xīchén when the door opened once again. Jiāng Chéng turned to see who it was but couldn't see anyone walking in. He assumed that it was probably the pranksters the Wens had sent to disturb him when suddenly a little head popped up above the counter in front of him.

"Heyyo," A boy, not more than four years old, greeted him.

"Hello," Jiāng Chéng raised a brow at him, "What can I do for you?"

The boy was shifty. He kept looking at the corner of his eye where Lán Xīchén sat, and then back to Jiāng Chéng.

"Um. I want to buy my dad fwood for dinner. But I don't think I have enough," His chubby hands placed a ten yuan bill on the counter.

Jiāng Chéng stood up and placed his elbows on the counter top, looking at the bill and then back to the boy. "Dinner eh? This is definitely not enough."

The boy deflated visibly, glancing a look at Lán Xīchén and then back at the money. He lifted a hand to take it back, pouting as he did so when Jiāng Chéng ruffled his hair playfully. He then lifted the boy gently and sat him on the counter.

"Keep your money. Stay here. What does your father like to eat?"

"Um," The boy paused for a moment, "He likes vegetwables."

Lán Xīchén snorted at the side.

"Vegetables? He's vegetarian?" Jiāng Chéng asked as he went around the counter to gather some ingredients.

"Ya. And rice. And cakes. The small ones. The gween one." The boy's feet started swinging back and forth as he eyed Jiāng Chéng walking about.

"Mung bean cake?"

"Ya!" The boy smiled, "He likes that one. He eats it with his tea."

"Tea? Not wine?" Jiāng Chéng asked again, putting the ingredients in a wok and started cooking.

"Nyo. Nyo wine. Yéye says he becomes weird when he drinks wine."

Another snort, this time coming from Lǎo Tùzǐ.

Jiāng Chéng glared at him softly. Lǎo Tùzǐ lifted a hand apologetically and cleared his table. He then left soon after with a wave.

The boy sat obediently on the counter top, looking around with curious eyes, his hands hidden underneath his legs, probably to prevent himself from touching anything.

Jiāng Chéng finished cooking and started packing the food. He packed a few mung bean cakes and pea flower cakes that his sister had made and placed them in the bag as well.

"Tomorrow is a school day, isn't it?" Jiāng Chéng eyed the boy, "Where's your father?"

"Um," the boy hummed, shifting slightly to look over his shoulder before turning back to Jiāng Chéng.

"You snuck out, didn't you?" Jiāng Chéng huffed with his hands on his hips. "How old are you, hmm? That is a dangerous thing to do, young man! What if something happens to you? What would your father say?!"

The boys' eyes filled with tears as he avoided looking at Jiāng Chéng's disapproving gaze.

"I sowwy."

Lán Xīchén sat back in his chair with a frown on his face, his hands steepled together on his stomach as he watched critically.

Jiāng Chéng sighed. He stood in front of the boy and patted his head softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I apologize."

The boy sniffled and wiped his eyes. "It's owkay."

"But it's true. I yell because I worry for you. This place is dangerous, you know? There are many dangerous people lurking around here that you have to be more careful next time, okay? Don't sneak out anymore. Imagine if something happened to you, then wouldn't your father be sad?"

The boy nodded.

"He would, wouldn't he? And he won't know where to look for you since you snuck out. And then he'll get even more sad. You love your father, don't you?"

The boy gave big nods this time, to show how much he loved his father even as he wiped the tears from his cheeks.

Jiāng Chéng smiled affectionately at the boy. He pulled out some tissues and helped wipe the tears gently off the boy's face.

"I'm sorry, don't cry okay? Okay, do you have anyone's number to call in case of an emergency? Should we call your father and ask him to pick you up?"

"No," The boy shook his head. "Someone is waiting outside."

"Someone is?" Jiāng Chéng asked with a frown, "Who?"

"Baby… baby… sitter."

"Your babysitter?" Jiāng Chéng said, amused at the situation, "Why is your babysitter outside?"

"I told him to wait outside." The boy said offhandedly.

"Ooh," Jiāng Chéng teased, "He listens to you, huh? You're such a big boss, aren't you?" Jiāng Chéng ruffled his hair one more time before lifting the boy off the counter and onto the ground.

"Tell you what. I'll follow you out so I can give this bag to your babysitter. This is heavy and even though you're a big boy, I don't think you can carry this much weight. You can, however, carry this small bag."

Jiāng Chéng handed a small bag filled with the store's merch plushie, one of which was a tiger on a lotus flower. The boy beamed happily and hugged the bag immediately. Jiāng Chéng took the boy's hand and exited the place.

After a lengthy discussion with the babysitter about bringing the boy out at night and how dangerous the place was, Jiāng Chéng went back inside to find Lán Xīchén getting ready to leave as well.

"I assume you feel better now?"

Lán Xīchén smiled. "Somewhat better than a few hours ago. Thank you."

"It's fine," Jiāng Chéng shrugged, "Have a good rest, Lán Xiānshēng. It doesn't hurt to take time off and take care of your own health, you know? Spend time with your family. Especially your son."

"That's true," Lán Xīchén groaned as he got up from his table, "I really do need a break from all of this once in a while."

"Tell you what," Jiāng Chéng said, "If you need some time off from all the shenanigans that's happening right now in your life, come over. You can hang out here anytime. You have nothing to worry about being biased or anything to do with the competition since our shop's in the red."

Lán Xīchén paused in front of the counter, staring at Jiāng Chéng calculatively. "Hmm, sounds reasonable." Lán Xīchén smiled, "Deal. Thank you."

He took out his wallet and started to rifle through his notes when Jiāng Chéng waved him away.

"It's okay. On the house."

Lán Xīchén raised a brow at him. "That is three meals now that you've given away for free. That is bad for business."

"In return, I gained three happy customers." Jiāng Chéng shrugged, "I don't know about you but I feel like it's a win to me. Like I said, the competition doesn't matter to me anymore."

Lán Xīchén took in a deep breath as he gazed longingly at Jiāng Chéng. "I wish it did."

Jiāng Chéng eyed Lán Xīchén curiously.

"Then I would have been able to marry you instead."

Jiāng Chéng's eyes widened slowly as he blushed deeply from Lán Xīchén's words. Xichen sighed and took out a few notes before putting it on the counter in front of Jiāng Chéng. He smiled softly and left the place.

Jiāng Chéng sat shell shocked in his seat, wondering to himself. He gazed down at the money Lán Xīchén had left behind and noticed that it was way more than what his meal had been.

"I wish the same too."

"A year has passed. We will now announce the winner of the competition, and with that, the name of the person that will be betrothed to my nephew, Lán Xīchén." Lán Qǐrén announced on stage.

The people had gathered in the square with exciy, waiting for the results of the competition. Every shop had closed down as everyone was curious to see who it was that would be the lucky one to marry Lán Xīchén. They had bets going around in town to see who will be the next one in line to inherit Gusu Lan's business.

Jiāng Chéng stood amidst the crowd of people in the square with his siblings and devil-in-law to hear the announcement as well but Jiāng Chéng wasn't paying much attention to what Lán Qǐrén was saying.

His eyes were fixed on the person nearby. Lán Xīchén looked resigned and tired. He was smiling, yes, but his eyes gave away everything. Jiāng Chéng couldn't help but feel for the man.

They had spent the past few months talking in his shop whenever Lán Xīchén would drop by to break away from all the drama. Jiāng Chéng would cook for Lán Xīchén and they would have a proper discussion about business ventures and about their lives.

They would bounce back and forth ideas for startup companies and debate on whether it would gain profit or flop horribly over their meals. At times, his siblings would tease them about being on a date and made the two of them blush horribly.

The Jins and the Wens continued their sabotage assaults on the Jiangs almost everyday, but that didn't stop them from resuming their food business.

Lǎo Tùzǐ continued to bring random people he had met on the streets that was down on their luck to the store and encouraged them to get a meal for themselves. He promised Jiāng Chéng that he would repay it all back one day, and thanked him profusely for being so kind towards them.

Jiāng Chéng would blush before shooing the old man away.

Now, Jiāng Chéng stood amidst the crowd, feeling sorry for Lán Xīchén.

He has had fun talking to him the past few months. He was intelligent, very logical and yet somewhat emotional in his decision making that Jiāng Chéng understood why Lán Xīchén was the next in line to inherit the Gusu Lan company and franchise.

And now, said person was going to be married off to someone else like a livestock.

And that didn't sit well with Jiang Cheng at all.

"Congratulations, Wēn Cháo from Qishan Wen."

Wēn Cháo and his dirty clan cheered at the win.

"Your… business…" Lán Qǐrén sneered at the word, "gained the most profit amidst the many others in the competition. Please step up on stage."

Jiāng Chéng stared angrily at Wēn Cháo before turning to look at Lán Xīchén. The man stood on stage, forlorn and resigned. He set his gaze on the floor with both his hands put together in front of his body. Jiāng Chéng's heart ached for the man.

"This is bullshit." Wèi Wúxiàn scoffed, "That asshole didn't even do anything except to leech off every patron he had in his casino. That's not running a business, that's being a freaking loan shark."

"I feel so bad for Lán Xīchén," Jiāng Yànlí said softly, "Oh look at him. He looks so sad."

Indeed he was. Wēn Cháo strutted up on stage to stand beside Lán Qǐrén, waiting for the moment they handed him the title for a franchise.

"As promised, a contract for twenty percent in stock under the Gusu Lan shares and the title deed for a franchise under Gusu Lan." Lán Qǐrén handed the items over to Wēn Cháo slowly, waiting for the cameramen to be done with their pictures.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," Lán Qǐrén sighed, "As promised, the one who wins the competition will be betrothed to the future owner of Gusu Lan Co. My nephew, Lán Xīchén," He waved a hand at the catatonic looking man standing beside him.

"In that manner, I will now ask for your congratulations towards the announcement of my nephew's engagement… to Wen Ch—"

"I object to this engagement." A voice called out in the crowd.

Everyone gasped and turned to see who it was.

"Wait… isn't that…" Wèi Wúxiàn's eyes bulged out.

"Lǎo Tùzǐ?" Jiāng Chéng called out incredulously.

Standing in the crowd was Lǎo Tùzǐ, in his dirty brown overcoat and long, unkempt beard. His eyes, however, twinkled mischievously as he stared at the debacle happening on stage.

"Who said that?" Lán Qǐrén called out.

Wēn Cháo saw the old man and sneered imperiously. "Who are you to object to my engagement, you old hag." He pointed at Lǎo Tùzǐ with two fingers, "You have no right to say anything. You are just a lowly homeless beggar with nothing."

"Why are you still hanging around here, anyways?! Don't think I'd forgotten about you, you old dirtbag. I remember you begging me for money many months ago. Pathetic and useless. And now you think you can disrupt my engagement?"

Wēn Cháo scoffed, not realising that his harsh words were making the people around him feel uncomfortable.

"That's not right, Wēn Cháo. He's still a person just like you and me, trying to live his own life normally." Jiāng Chéng said out loud.

"You and your failed business should just shut up and leave. No one asked you for your opinion."

"Men!" Wēn Cháo flick a finger at Lǎo Tùzǐ and his bodyguards surrounded the old man.

"You touch me and I'll make sure none of you will have a chance to have a proper future in your entire life." Lǎo Tùzǐ's voice was clear and loud, different from what Jiāng Chéng usually heard coming from the man.

In fact, he seemed different. Instead of slouching forward, he stood tall and straight, almost regal like. He didn't seem like the homeless man he knew the past few months.

Wēn Cháo laughed when he heard the threat coming from Lǎo Tùzǐ.

"You really think you have the authority to tell my people what to do?"

"I have the authority to do more than that, young boy."

Wēn Cháo took offence with that statement.

Lǎo Tùzǐ took a few steps forward and Wēn Cháo's bodyguards moved as well but something surprising happened.

A few random guys appeared out of nowhere and took hold of Wēn Cháo's bodyguards and clan members, restricting their movement. They struggled and yelped out helplessly as Wēn Cháo glared in anger.

"What is this bullshit?!" He yelled at Lán Qǐrén.

"I… I have no idea." He waved a hand at his own security personnel, Niè Míngjué, to do something about it.

Niè Míngjué, however, merely stood back and smiled at the old man. He even bowed at him when Lǎo Tùzǐ walked pass, patting him on the shoulder.

"Niè Míngjué! What is this nonsense!" Lán Qǐrén yelled out.

Lǎo Tùzǐ went up to Lán Qǐrén, who had backtracked a few feet to get away from the homeless man only to stop and stare incredulously at him. Lǎo Tùzǐ leaned into Lán Qǐrén's ear to whisper something and his eyes bulged out.

He leaned back, took a good look at the man and turned to the crowd. "Announcement delay. We will be back in a few hours."

Lán Qǐrén grabbed hold of both Lán Xīchén's hand and Lǎo Tùzǐ's arm and dragged them away.

The crowd started murmuring and wondering what was going on. Wēn Cháo stomped off stage to yell at the men that had prevented his own men from acting out his orders only to be ignored by them.

"What just happened?" Wèi Wúxiàn asked.

"I have no idea," Jiāng Chéng said worriedly, "I just hope Lǎo Tùzǐ is okay."

"Apologies for the delay," Lán Qǐrén said, two hours later, as soon as he stepped up to the podium, "There have been a change of plans and announcement. Unfortunately, the title deed and stock share awarded to Qishan Wen will be forfeited and handed over to someone else."

"What?!" Wēn Cháo yelled out, "What do you mean by that?! What kind of bullshit is this?! You guys are going against the contract rules! Under whose orders, huh?!"

Lán Qǐrén ignored Wēn Cháo and continued with his announcement. "We welcome on stage the CEO and owner of Gusu Lan business cooperation, Lán Jīn Hé."

He stepped aside and Jiāng Chéng's jaw dropped to the floor when Lǎo Tùzǐ stepped on stage.

But it wasn't homeless Lǎo Tùzǐ that had stepped on stage. It was a clean, regal looking man dressed to the nines in a charcoal suit and tie, his face was clean shaven except for the well maintained goatee he had kept.

His hair was gelled fashionably well and everything about him screamed 'Gentleman'. But his eyes… his mischievous eyes.

Lǎo Tùzǐ, or now known as Lán Jīn Hé, met Jiāng Chéng's gaze and he smirked when he winked at him.

"Forgive me for my tardiness, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Lán Jīn Hé and I thank you all for being present for today's ceremony on this auspicious day," He spoke with a clear tone.

"A year ago, Gusu Lan started a competition that had many participants applying to take part in the race. Out of hundreds and thousands, only a few were given the chance to do so."

Lán Jīn Hé's stony gaze landed upon Wēn Cháo and it was icy cold. "It is unfortunate, but Wēn Cháo and any participating clan members from the Qishan Wen sect are disqualified and ordered to be removed from the site with immediate effect."

Uproar happened amidst the crowd. Those related to Qishan Wen and Wēn Cháo himself started yelling their protest at the unfairness of the last minute change.

"Be quiet!" Lán Jīn Hé boomed with his low voice and silence fell upon all of them.

"Under further investigation and private information gathered from the public and involved parties to the casino, we found that Qishan Wen had been operating their casino illegally from the start. They did not register their company properly under property law and lied in the application as well."

"They've labelled their company under 'Snack and Beverages' instead of the proper designation. They evaded taxes due every month by switching the insurance companies. They also operated illegal gamblings such as betting on horses and others under Bookmakers. All of which are illegal and they will be handed over to the authorities for their penalties.

"Officers, please go ahead." Lán Jīn Hé waved a hand and all of the Qishan Wen clan members, including Wēn Cháo, were handcuffed and dragged away.

After some time, the crowd had settled and they waited once more for further news.

"Now onto the second part of the announcement. In a company, in business, it is important to be clear with your decisions and keep a level head to make sure those decisions fall through. There are times when businesses fail because of too much ambition, or lack of said ambition."

"You need to have a clear goal in your life and keep a well balanced, well maintained lifestyle as a businessman. Profits and gains are important, yes, but so is having something that no other business owners have. And that is a heart."

"Businessmen can be cruel. They can be heartless. All they can think of is money. Profit. Incomes." Lán Jīn Hé paused, "Gusu Lan, we're not about that. We value people. We value kindness. We value heart."

"We are not all about the money," He said as he glanced towards Lán Qǐrén, who shrank slightly at the words, "We are not selfish or cruel. We give back as much as we get. That was my vision in life when I started my own business. That's why we do charity work, we do what we can to help."

"Our company wouldn't be here today without the help of our people. Our vision was to help others as much as we can, and they will help us back in one way or another. Whatever we have, if we have enough, we give."

"During the months I've spent disguising myself as a homeless person, I did not see a Single. Business. Participant. with that mindset." Lán Jīn Hé emphasized furiously, "None. Not a single company helped out when I asked for it."

"I knocked on every door. I asked every owner for help. I asked for something small and they did not even give me a moment of their time to even listen to me. Not a single one of you did." Lán Jīn Hé's tone was deep and demanding.

"I had almost given up hope on finding the right company to invest in until I stumbled upon a quaint shop down the corner street, where it was dubbed the most dangerous street anyone could ever be in."

"It was late, it was dark and the weather had taken a horrible turn that it was cold but the moment I stepped inside the shop, I felt their warmth almost immediately."

"I was greeted by a lovely young man and was directed to a seat. A beautiful young lady then brought me a drink and another young man asked what I would like to get as he handed me the menu." Lán Jīn Hé looked around the crowd, analysing their faces and expressions.

"They didn't look at me like I was a dirty old, homeless man that had encroached into their shop to beg for food. They saw me as a person."

"I mentioned that I had no money but I was hungry and wanted nothing more than just bread but they just waved it off." Lán Jīn Hé said.

"They told me 'Don't worry' and off they went, to the kitchens, to the fridge. The one who greeted me sat down in front of me and started talking to me, as if we were old friends."

"The other young man had a frown on his face. I figured he hated the fact that a homeless man had walked into his shop and that would cause his business to go down but no. He came out of the kitchen with a tray full of dishes and set them in front of me."

"He apologized for his brother's annoying tendency to disturb people and told me to enjoy my meal. His sister came by and set a plate of cakes for me."

"I have eaten many delicacies in my entire life. I have flown across the globe, ate in many restaurants and hotels, most of them of five star quality and cooked by Michelin Starred chefs."

"But that meal, that one meal on that cold night in that quaint little shop, was the best I ever had."

Jiāng Chéng had squeezed the life out of Wèi Wúxiàn's hands as they stood close to one another in the crowd.

He remembered that night very well. It was the first time their ledger had red in it and they were discussing it, worried when an old man came stumbling through the door, shivering.

Their maternal instincts kicked in and they welcomed the man in, forgetting about their problems for that one moment.

They had no idea that that moment would be significant months down the road.

"I decided to test the owners since then. I would gather other homeless people and bring them over to the shop. Anyone down on their luck, anyone hungry, I'll bring them over. I figured that the owner would one day break and show his true ugly self."

"But no. He didn't break. In fact he welcomed every single one of them with no complaints. I managed to catch a glimpse of their profit book and they were in the reds for months. And yet, he didn't say a word. He welcomed people in. He fed all of them. He fed me."

"He has the same vision as I have. He didn't let profit and gain go to his head. He stayed the same for months and it's because of that, I've decided that he should be the one to gain the title deed and have a part in our stock shares."

"I would like to call upon Jiāng Wanyin of Lotus Bloom Eatery, from Yunmeng Jiang Clan, to come up on stage please."

People whooped and cheered as they turned to look at Jiāng Chéng, who was frozen in place from the announcement. He saw Lán Xīchén brightened up and clapped along with the crowd, a look of relief on his face.

"A-Cheng! Go! They're waiting for you!" Wèi Wúxiàn said excitedly, pushing him forward bit by bit.

"A-Cheng," Jiāng Yànlí patted his cheeks gently with tears running down her own, "A-Cheng, go."

Jiāng Chéng took a few steps forward and went up the stage to stand in front of Lán Jīn Hé, who was smiling wide at him.

"Jiāng Chéng," Lán Jīn Hé called out.

"Lǎo Tùzǐ."

Lán Jīn Hé laughed at the name given to him.

"I did mention that one day, I'll repay you for your kindness. You were different from the rest. This is why I believe you would be a better candidate to have a share in our stocks and franchise." Lán Jīn Hé handed the items he had recovered from Wēn Cháo over to Jiāng Chéng.

"And because of your kindness and ability to stay level headed, no matter what the situation may be, the same reason why I believe you would be a better candidate for my son." Lán Jīn Hé then directed Lán Xīchén to come over.

Jiāng Chéng's wide eyes couldn't go any wider as he watched Lán Xīchén approach him with a smile on his face.

"Hello, Wanyin." He said.

"Lan Huan," Jiāng Chéng blushed.

"Jiāng Wanyin, are you agreeable to marry my son, Lán Xīchén?" Lán Jīn Hé asked.

Jiāng Chéng didn't know what to do. He blushed red as he tried to look at Lán Xīchén. In the end, he nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment in time.

Lán Jīn Hé smiled and faced the crowd of adoring fans, "And with this, comes my final announcement of the day. I will now ask for your congratulations towards the engagement of my son, Lán Xīchén of Gusu Lan, to Jiang Wanyin of Yunmeng Jiang."

The crowd went wild with cheers and applause as the two men stood in front of each other, smiling bashfully. Jiāng Chéng could hear Wèi Wúxiàn cheering and whooping in the crowd, a few whistles coming from people he knew.

As the crowd cheered and clapped, Jiāng Chéng felt something tug on his pants. He looked down to see a familiar boy standing beside him.

"Heyyo."

"Oh? Mung bean cake boy!" Jiāng Chéng called out as he knelt in front of the boy. "What are you doing here? Where's your father?" Jiāng Chéng frowned playfully, "Did you sneak away again?"

"Nyo." The boy said before going over to cling himself around Lán Xīchén's legs. "Baba is here."

Jiāng Chéng once again felt winded when he realized that the Mung Bean Cake boy was Lán Xīchén's adopted son, Lan Jingyi. He stood up slowly and glanced at Lán Xīchén.

"I had no idea."

"I figured," Lán Xīchén laughed. He then picked Lan Jingyi up and settled him on his hips. "This is my son, Jingyi. Jingyi, this is Jiāng Chéng."

"Heyyo," Lan Jingyi smiled. Jiāng Chéng realized that he's missing a tooth and it was adorable.

Lán Xīchén held a hand out to Jiāng Chéng, a soft smile on his face.

"Shall we get to know each other more then, my dear?"

Jiāng Chéng blushed hard as he frowned at the hand, "We're not even married. What's with the pet names?" He grumbled.

Lán Xīchén laughed as he took Jiāng Chéng's hands on his own. "Come on, then."

Both men left the stage with Jingyi in between them, Lán Jīn Hé watching them walk away with a smile on his face.

All in all, it was a good deal indeed.

— T H E E N D —