Pond and Sea

Qin Group Headquarters.

Top-floor office.

Qin Ya stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the city below.

She felt utterly exhausted.

On her desk lay a financial report, the numbers for marketing and price subsidies glaring red.

Profit margins had hit a three-year low.

The office door opened soundlessly.

Huangfu Chengshi walked in, carrying a steaming cup of coffee.

He was dressed in a well-tailored casual outfit today.

Without a word, he stepped behind Qin Ya and gently pressed the warm cup against her cold hand.

Qin Ya startled slightly, snapping out of her thoughts.

She didn’t turn around, simply accepting the coffee with a soft, "Thank you."

After a pause, she spoke again.

"Chengshi, I just got off the phone with Lu Chenyuan."

"Lu Chenyuan?" Huangfu Chengshi's voice was low, tinged with displeasure.

"What does he want?"

Qin Ya didn’t answer immediately, silently staring out the window.

Huangfu Chengshi wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder like a large, comfort-seeking dog.

"Ya-jie, whatever he said, we shouldn’t listen. He’s obviously trying to shake our resolve."

His tone carried a hint of childish pleading.

"‘Feng Mang’s’ tech is just as good as ‘Kai Tian’s.’ If we push a little harder, we can crush him completely!"

His voice had taken on a stubborn edge.

Qin Ya felt the warmth of his embrace, but her weariness remained.

She used to relish this—his unwavering trust, the certainty in his eyes that "we’re the center of the world."

Now, it only drained her further.

"Chengshi," she said softly, "one of our core suppliers just declared bankruptcy."

"I know," Huangfu Chengshi replied dismissively.

"It’s business. Casualties happen. I’ll have the team find better replacements."

"We killed them with our price war," Qin Ya cut in, her voice hoarse.

"We drove them under, and now we’ll pay triple for alternatives."

She turned to face him.

"Chengshi, tell me—are we really winning?"

The ease on Huangfu Chengshi’s face froze.

He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.

His eyes were no longer tender and dependent but sharp with wolf-like suspicion.

"Ya-jie, what are you implying?"

"What did Lu Chenyuan say to you?!"

"Are you doubting us now?"

His voice cracked with hurt.

Looking at his young, handsome face—so full of obsession and possessiveness—Qin Ya suddenly felt they were speaking different languages.

She saw an entire industry bleeding out.

He saw only their war against Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli.

Too tired to argue, she closed her eyes and pulled free.

"Chengshi, I need some time alone. Please leave."

The words struck Huangfu Chengshi like a knife.

He feared Qin Ya’s anger less than this exhausted distance.

"Tired?" He stepped forward, seizing her wrist with enough force to make her wince.

"Because I’m not good enough?!"

"Or because you think Lu Chenyuan’s right? You want to surrender to him?!"

The last words hissed through clenched teeth.

"That’s not it!" Qin Ya finally snapped.

"I just don’t want to keep pointlessly bleeding resources!"

"Pointless?" Huangfu Chengshi laughed, the sound edged with madness.

"Building ‘Feng Mang’ together, fighting Yuan Long, taking back the market—was all that meaningless to you?"

He leaned in, voice rising.

"Ya-jie, you weren’t like this before."

"You never used to sound so defeated."

Qin Ya watched the storm in his eyes.

Nothing she said would reach him now.

Her anger faded into something heavier—helplessness.

She gave up, waving a hand.

"Chengshi, just let me be. Please."

The quiet plea shattered him.

Huangfu Chengshi stared at her, realizing he’d hurt the person he cherished most.

Wordlessly, he released her, stepping back with pained eyes.

"Fine."

He turned and walked out, closing the door gently behind him.

Silence swallowed the office again.

Lu Chenyuan’s words echoed in Qin Ya’s mind:

"We could make the pie bigger together."

She’d always believed her war with Mo Qingli and Lu Chenyuan was fate.

Now, she saw it consuming everything—even those closest to her.

They were two beasts trapped in a mud pit, exhausting each other, while the hunter, Sitelar, smiled and raised his gun.

Sitting at her desk, she picked up the intercom, her voice eerily calm.

"Get me General Manager Li at Tianxin Tech."

She had to act.

At the very least, she’d sound out the others at the table.

---

Night fell.

The countryside stars burned bright; the campfire crackled nearby.

Lu Shi’an was already asleep.

Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli sat side by side before the tent.

"Mo Group has three auto-parts subsidiaries," Mo Qingli said abruptly.

"All losing money this quarter."

"Their clients are second-tier EV makers."

"With Yuan Long and Qin Group’s price war, those smaller players are squeezing suppliers to survive."

"The whole supply chain is bleeding."

Her perspective revealed the wider devastation.

"Those calls today—were you trying to wake them up?" She glanced at Lu Chenyuan.

"Just laying out the facts," he replied.

"The choice is theirs."

"They’ll choose wisely," Mo Qingli said with certainty.

"Ren Qian and Qin Ya are smart. They’re just trapped on a runaway train."

"You gave them a reason to hit the brakes."

She tossed another log into the fire.

Flames lit her profile—gentle yet resolute.

"But braking isn’t enough."

She turned to Lu Chenyuan, her dark eyes gleaming with insight.

"You need a new role."

"One beyond ‘Yuan Long’s Chief Advisor.’"

"Only then can you gather all these proud players at one table."

"You can’t be a player anymore. You must be the referee."

Lu Chenyuan looked at her.

He realized that his wife always had a way of seeing through the deepest schemes in his heart.

He smiled, reaching out to pull her into his embrace.

“Then, what kind of referee do you think I should be?”

Mo Qingli leaned against his shoulder, watching the flickering flames.

“One who draws a bigger arena for everyone.”

“Or perhaps…”

She paused, tilting her face up to meet his gaze with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

“A thinker.”

Hearing this, Lu Chenyuan chuckled as well.

He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.