Isn't This Driving You Crazy

Bang!

Jiang Yunlu returned home, politely greeted everyone, then marched straight to her room and slammed the door shut.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds from the impact.

Jiang Chengyue, holding a bowl of freshly washed cherries, flinched at the noise, nearly dropping the fruit.

Steadying herself, she shot Jiang Chengshan an exasperated glare, her accusatory gaze practically overflowing. "Look what you've done! Yunlu’s temper is through the roof—honestly, you... really..."

Jiang Chengshan had just set down a steaming bowl of seafood congee on the dining table, accompanied by a few delicate side dishes.

He’d planned to have a heart-to-heart with his daughter over their late-night meal, hoping to clear the air between them.

But now, staring at the tightly shut door and sensing the lingering tension, all his carefully laid plans had been shattered by that single slam.

This daughter of his had inherited her mother’s temper to a T.

"Brother, I hate to say it, but..."

Jiang Chengyue plopped the fruit bowl onto the coffee table and strode over, lowering her voice.

"Yunlu’s personality is exactly like Sister-in-law’s back in the day. Remember how she—"

"Enough. I’m not in the mood for this," Jiang Chengshan cut her off irritably, his tone darkening.

"Oh, so now I’m annoying you, am I?"

Jiang Chengyue’s voice instantly sharpened.

"Fine, Jiang Chengshan, if you want to play the CEO even at home, go ahead.

Next time you upset Yunlu, don’t come crying to me for advice. I wouldn’t dare impose on your highness!"

With that, she snatched up the fruit bowl and stormed off to her own room.

Bang!

Another crisp door slam.

Thankfully, the house was built with high-quality materials.

So the slams were impressively resonant.

Jiang Chengshan let out a bitter chuckle.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, where the neon glow of the city flickered in his eyes—yet none of it could dispel the gloom in his heart.

He pulled out his phone, opened the contacts, and searched for the number his secretary had added.

The name "Lin Mo" stared back at him.

Jiang Chengshan took a deep breath but ultimately didn’t dial. Instead, he flipped the phone face-down on the table.

—System: As everyone knows, betrayal from allies cuts deeper than attacks from enemies.—

Early morning.

Lin Mo and Xie Yuling had just descended the stairs and pushed open the door when they spotted a man in a tailored suit standing outside, his hair impeccably groomed—utterly out of place in the slightly rundown residential building.

Xie Yuling’s brows furrowed slightly as she studied the man curiously.

Lin Mo, however, acted as though he hadn’t seen him at all, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he walked right past without so much as a glance.

The man seemed stunned by the blatant disregard. It took him a moment to react before he hastily called out,

"Mr. Lin, please wait!"

Lin Mo ignored him, continuing toward the street corner.

Inside, Lin Mo scoffed.

This guy deliberately waited until they’d passed to speak—a cheap negotiation tactic, trying to force the other party to turn back and cede control of the conversation.

Too bad he’d picked the wrong target.

So Lin Mo kept walking. He couldn’t be bothered to engage.

Seeing that Lin Mo showed no reaction, the man’s professional smile faltered slightly. He had no choice but to quicken his pace to catch up, his leather shoes tapping urgently against the concrete pavement.

"Mr. Lin! Mr. Lin Mo!"

The man blocked Lin Mo and Xie Yuling’s path.

"One person was just sent in yesterday. Do you want to join them?"

Lin Mo’s calm tone carried an unmistakable warning.

The man immediately raised his hands in a placating gesture, bending slightly at the waist.

"We mean no harm, Mr. Lin Mo. My surname is Zhao—I’m Secretary Zhao, personal assistant to President Jiang Chengshan."

Lin Mo glanced at Xie Yuling.

"Go ahead to the rice noodle shop first. You know what I want, right?"

Xie Yuling gave Secretary Zhao a wary look before nodding.

"Lean pork with extra noodles, right?"

With that, she stepped past Secretary Zhao and headed toward the shop.

She trusted Lin Mo to handle this—after all, she knew just how capable he was.

Seeing this, Secretary Zhao realized Lin Mo was now willing to engage.

He hastily pulled a tissue from his pocket and dabbed at the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Mr. Lin Mo, actually, the president would like to meet with you. Would you be available this Saturday?"

Lin Mo raised a hand to cut him off.

"No time. Tell him to meet me at noon today at the noodle shop by the school gate. If he’s willing, we’ll talk. If not, forget it."

Hmph. I, Lin Beixuan, am the one calling the shots here.

Without another word, Lin Mo strode past Secretary Zhao toward the rice noodle shop.

Secretary Zhao’s expression completely cracked—shock gave way to panic in an instant.

He spun around and hurried after Lin Mo, his voice tinged with pleading.

"Mr. Lin, this isn’t appropriate. We truly mean no ill intent..."

"If I tell Jiang Yunlu that your boss sent people to tail me and even planned to take hostile action against me, do you think your boss will lose his temper?"

Lin Mo enunciated each word deliberately.

Whether his boss would explode, Secretary Zhao didn’t know—but he himself was about to.

So he stopped in his tracks, not daring to pursue further.

Cold sweat drenched his back once more.

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue that the so-called "hostile action" was pure fabrication, but the words died on his lips.

If Lin Mo made such a claim, Jiang Yunlu would likely believe seventy percent of it—and the remaining thirty percent wouldn’t be left for President Jiang.

Then he recalled the president’s assessment of Lin Mo:

"Those who rank first in the entire school are either bookworms or sharp-minded schemers."

Lin Mo was clearly the latter.

Secretary Zhao had also reviewed Lin Mo’s file.

Though his grades at his previous school had been above average, he’d never displayed the same brilliance as now.

The secretary team had analyzed it.

Their theory was that Lin Mo hadn’t applied himself before. After a family upheaval, he’d fallen into a slump, only to suddenly awaken—driven by some unknown stimulus—and rise to the top in one stunning leap.

The logic was sound.

But logic was one thing; reality was another.

Here he was, a top graduate of Tsinghua University, seasoned by years of navigating society’s complexities, someone who prided himself on having seen his share of the world—yet today, he’d been completely outmaneuvered by a high schooler.

Lin Mo’s unshakable composure made it seem like he held all the cards.

Taking a deep breath, Secretary Zhao could only watch helplessly as Lin Mo walked away before turning to leave himself.

As he went, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

"President Jiang, Lin Mo said..."

Secretary Zhao recounted the events that had just transpired word for word, without adding or omitting a single detail.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Chengshan fell silent for a long time—so long that Secretary Zhao wondered if the call had been disconnected.

At last, a nearly imperceptible sigh traveled through the receiver:

"You've done well. I'll go speak with him at noon."