Song Yuzhang: Chapter 83 - Ill-fated Relationship
Chapter 83: Ill-fated Relationship
“Yesterday, some rumor spread from who knows where, saying our bank was in deficit, that there was no money inside.” Song Yuzhang turned his face as he slowly walked downstairs. That mountain of gold cast his shadow diagonally between light and dark. The glow of the gold and the shadows fell across his face together. “Whoever started that rumor had malicious intent. We had no choice but to close early to prevent unrest at the bank yesterday.”
By now, Song Yuzhang had reached the ground floor. Hidden bank guards and the servants from the Shen and Nie families were watching him closely.
Standing calmly before the crowd, Song Yuzhang declared, “There is absolutely no deficit in this bank, nor will we ever betray the trust of any one of our depositors.” He stretched out his arms. Compared to the mountain of gold, he was just a grain of sand in the Ganges, but everyone’s gaze had already unconsciously shifted from the gold mountain to him. “As long as I, Song Yuzhang, am here, there will never be a day when this bank runs out of money!”
He lowered his hands and addressed the crowd, “Those whose quarter-end balances are due, please withdraw your money. And even if it's not due yet, you're welcome to withdraw anyway. Rest assured, since we closed early yesterday, today the bank will stay open all night for your withdrawals. Please don’t rush or push—don’t get hurt and fall into someone’s trap.”
At the end of his words, he glanced meaningfully, half-smiling, at Liao Tiandong, who had rushed in first. Liao Tiandong’s face flushed red, then pale. He gave a light cough and waved his hand awkwardly, “Well, um… the people come first, the people come first. I won’t be making any withdrawals today. No rush, no rush.”
He turned to leave immediately, and a few people in the front row followed suit at once. They had believed the rumors too, and now were a bit embarrassed—just as quickly as they had rushed in, they now rushed out.
“Why are they leaving?”
“The bank has money!”
“Huh? There's money?”
“Yes! It's piled up right in the lobby—a mountain of gold!”
“Really?”
There were so many people outside the bank that those in front had to relay the message to those in the back, and the ones in the back kept shouting questions forward, stirring up a frenzy all over again.
Even the policemen from the constabulary were dumbfounded. Song Yuzhang said politely, “Gentlemen, I must trouble you to maintain order here. I’ll treat you to tea later.”
The bank guards emerged from the shadows to surround the gold mountain, and the rest of the staff came out to guide people into the bank.
The first group of people to enter the bank were stunned by the sight of the massive gold mountain. Some who had originally come to withdraw money now stood dumbfounded, unsure whether to go through with it. Tentatively, a few withdrew funds—when the money touched their hands, they still couldn’t quite believe it. One pointed at the mountain and asked, “Isn’t that where the money is? Where did all this come from?”
A bank employee smiled slightly, “That’s just a tiny fraction from the vault. There’s plenty of money—please withdraw with confidence.”
Group after group left with their money. By the fifth wave, people inside and outside finally believed it: the Song Bank had money! A whole mountain of it! Some who had come just to withdraw their funds hesitated, and finally, after the first one turned and left, the tide of withdrawals began to slow.
The crowd began to disperse, and some people who had withdrawn early even wanted to deposit the money back. But the bank staff said bluntly, “The interest rate will be lowered starting next quarter. Think carefully before redepositing.”
“Huh? Lower interest? Why?”
“What do you mean why? That rumor yesterday was obviously out of jealousy for our bank. We can’t afford to offend anyone, so the rate's going down. If you’re not happy, feel free to switch banks.”
“Fine, I’ll switch!”
The man took his money and left, while someone behind him anxiously asked, “How much is the rate dropping?”
“Not too much, about half.”
“Half? That’s a lot!”
“Sir, even with that cut, it’s still higher than other banks, isn’t it? What can we do—after yesterday and today, you’ve seen it with your own eyes. I won’t say more. Even our bank president is disheartened…”
“Hey, are you depositing or not?” the person behind him asked impatiently. “If not, move aside. I am. Lower interest or not, I’ll deposit. With the way things are now, with so many banks going under, just getting any interest at all is already lucky!”
Song Yuzhang stood before the golden mountain in the lobby for a full half hour. He waved his hand, and Liu Chuanzong, who hadn’t slept all night, came over. “Send people down. Move all this back into the vault.”
“Yes, sir.”
Even the process of moving the bills became a spectacle. As the piles of money were gradually carried away, and the staff behind the counters continued their orderly work, the customers’ nerves finally began to settle.
“Did the interest drop?”
“Yeah. Things are so chaotic outside. Even the banks are struggling. But don’t worry—rates may go down, but as long as this bank stands, and as long as our president is here, you’ll always be able to withdraw your money. Not a single cent of interest will be missing.”
People’s eyes naturally fell on the man sitting at the center of it all.
Tall, handsome, with a gentle smile, relaxed bearing, and piercing gaze.
A man like that carried an aura that made people instinctively trust him.
The crisis had passed, and the bank had returned to order. The new interest rate notice was placed where the gold mountain had once stood, but people only glanced at it before looking away.
Just as Song Yuzhang was about to turn and go upstairs, he saw someone entering from outside. A man in a light-colored robe, with exquisite features. Song Yuzhang stopped in his tracks the moment he saw him, smiled slightly, and said, “You came.”
Meng Tingjing looked noticeably thinner. With his jade-like features, the weight loss gave him a slightly sinister edge. His eyes were bright and sharp, shooting two cold beams like arrows straight at Song Yuzhang’s face.
Song Yuzhang continued smiling as he said, “You’ve been standing outside for quite a while. Tired? Come upstairs and sit a while?”
Meng Tingjing stared at him for a long time, and Song Yuzhang stood calmly under his gaze, letting him look. He was radiant today—every detail stood up to scrutiny.
“President,” someone behind him reported, “the cash and gold have all been moved back to the vault.”
“Good.”
Song Yuzhang nodded slightly and waved at Meng Tingjing. “I have work to do. Let’s talk later.” He turned to leave, leaning in to quietly speak to a staff member beside him. But he had barely taken a few steps before his arm was grabbed. As he paused, guards from the Shen and Nie families quickly surrounded them. Song Yuzhang gave them a glance, signaling that everything was fine, then turned back to look at Meng Tingjing.
His face was still expressionless, but his eyes seemed to hold a thousand words—none of them, presumably, kind ones.
Song Yuzhang had an easygoing nature and rarely made enemies. In this world, what’s the point? Making good connections was the best way to survive.
But the bond between him and Meng Tingjing—this was no good fate. It could only be called a karmic entanglement.
He reached out with his free hand and gently squeezed Meng Tingjing’s arm, speaking softly, “Let’s go talk upstairs.”
Seeing that Meng Tingjing remained unresponsive, he lowered his voice further, with a faint smile, “Just this once—listen to me, alright, Tingjing?”
“President.”
“Good day, President.”
Song Yuzhang smiled as he nodded to a passing staff member. “Thanks for your hard work.”
He ascended the stairs with light steps, pushed open the office door, and turned to Meng Tingjing. “Please, come in.”
Meng Tingjing stepped into the office, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room before finally settling on the dazzling pigeon blood ruby atop the desk.
Song Yuzhang noticed his gaze and said calmly, “That was from you, wasn’t it?”
He walked over and gently brushed the surface of the gem. “Big and beautiful. I really like it.”
Taking a seat, Song Yuzhang picked up a teacup and took a sip. The tea was from the day before and long cold, but he wasn’t picky—he even found it refreshing. Gesturing to the seat across from him, he said, “Sit.”
Meng Tingjing didn’t move. He stood at a careful distance and asked slowly, “The money—where did it come from?”
Song Yuzhang smiled, eyes downcast. “Seems like the man you had watching me wasn’t quite up to the task. He didn’t notice I drove away from the bank yesterday afternoon. Don’t blame him—I used Song Qiyuan’s car and left through the side door. He missed it by a moment.”
“I asked you,” Meng Tingjing repeated, “where did the money come from?”
Song Yuzhang lowered his head, hands clasped leisurely. “Tingjing, what do you think?”
Meng Tingjing strode forward and slammed his palms down on the desk, shaking the ruby violently. He spoke in an interrogative tone: “I’ll ask one more time—where did the money come from?”
Song Yuzhang’s eyes rested on the glittering gem as he replied, voice light and slow. “Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Nie family.” He lifted his gaze to meet Meng Tingjing’s, whose eyes were red. “...And I spent the night.”
Song Yuzhang had seen Meng Tingjing angry many times before. He had a temper, flaring up at the smallest things. He was delicately handsome, so when he got angry, it was like a blooming peony—fierce, yet somewhat pitiful, even adorable. It made one want to coax him, tease him.
But now, at this point, Song Yuzhang could no longer appreciate anything about Meng Tingjing. All he saw was raw fury—pure, vicious rage.
“You’d rather…” Meng Tingjing’s lips trembled, seemingly unable to finish the sentence. After another moment of shaking, he clenched his teeth and forced the rest out: “...than come to me?”
Song Yuzhang was quiet for a few moments before looking up with a slight smile. “Don’t be angry. I was only joking.”
Meng Tingjing’s expression froze—caught between rage and relief, blank and absurd. Even Song Yuzhang, who no longer had any fondness for him, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
He had to admit, Meng Tingjing was a venomous snake—clingy, dangerous—but his feelings were real.
That “love” might not be pure or beautiful, but it was genuine, and Song Yuzhang wouldn’t deny that.
“Tingjing, you can strike first, and I’ll strike back. That’s only fair. In this round, I won.” His expression grew serious. “Business is business. If you’re not satisfied, take another shot—I’ll be waiting.”
Meng Tingjing still stared at him, eyes bloodshot. After a long pause, he said, “Business is business?”
Song Yuzhang met his gaze. “Yes. Business is business.”
Their eyes locked. One pair was bloodshot and flickering with emotion; the other, clear, steady, and utterly calm.
Win or lose—it was already decided.
Meng Tingjing slowly lifted his hands from the desk. He was a smart man. Even in madness, his heart remained sharp. This—this was a total defeat. After all his scheming, Song Yuzhang didn’t even hate him. He just swept everything away with a cold phrase: “business is business.”
Ridiculous. Laughable.
Meng Tingjing turned around.
Song Yuzhang rose as well, circling the desk to follow behind. “Let me walk you out.”
Meng Tingjing turned his face slightly, catching a glimpse of Song Yuzhang’s calm expression—gentle brow, with even a trace of quiet concern.
Was he… worried about him?
Did he know he had been utterly defeated—reduced to a pathetic, miserable loser?
Meng Tingjing’s eyes turned bloodshot. Suddenly, he grabbed Song Yuzhang by the neck and slammed him down onto the sofa. Saying nothing, his eyes burning with anguish, he bent down and kissed him fiercely.
It wasn’t really a kiss—it was closer to biting. Meng Tingjing, in his rage, seemed like he wanted to consume him. But Song Yuzhang had neither the interest in a shouting match nor in an actual fight. Seeing Meng Tingjing in such a frenzy, he simply let him be. When Meng Tingjing finally released him, Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. “Tingjing, do you really love me that much?”
Meng Tingjing stared at his swollen lips, feeling a deep sorrow. He realized just how pathetic he’d become—like a mad dog, lashing out in desperation. He didn’t know how things had gotten to this point. His hands trembled twice before he said nothing more, turning to leave before he completely lost control.
After he was gone, Song Yuzhang remained sprawled on the sofa, lazily crossing his legs. He rubbed his neck, licked his bitten lips, and rested one arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a sigh. “Crazy rabbit. Venomous snake. Ah... you really love me that much, huh? Being too handsome really is a curse...”
Realizing his thoughts were getting absurdly narcissistic, he broke out in goosebumps, immediately sat up, and downed the cold tea in one gulp.
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