On the day Claude accepted the Calvin Family, the weather was clear and cloudless, perfect for putting people in a good mood.
The old foxes in the company who had long known the news each stepped forward to offer the most loyal blessings to Claude, while Bart’s other children, who were caught off guard by the news, stood on the scene with smiles on their faces but no trace of amusent in their eyes.
They had a premonition that Bart would eventually hand over this position to Claude, but hadn’t it not been given then? They believed they still had the strength to compete, and since Bart was still young and could hold this position for at least another ten or twenty years, they thought they could endure until then. Never did they imagine that he would give the position to Claude so early.
Wearing a smile, Claude stood in the middle of the hall, had a few drinks, and then pushed through the crowd towards Xu Ke.
"I’ve got the position," Claude said.
"Congratulations!" Xu Ke said simply, clinking glasses with Claude.
"I promised you that when I got this position, I would fulfill one of your wishes. At that ti, you said there was sothing you wanted from , but I didn’t have it then. Now you can tell what you want. As long as I can fulfill it, I won’t hold back," Claude said.
"No rush, let’s talk after the banquet. Since the thing is now in your hands, it can’t run away," Xu Ke, whose recent maneuvers were all for this, surprisingly wasn’t in a hurry now that he could reach out and take it.
Seeing that even Xu Ke wasn’t in a hurry, Claude was certainly unhurried as well.
"Our relationship is peculiar, isn’t it? From the first ti I saw you, I felt you were very different. I even wondered if I was bent, after all, I had never been attracted to won. Keeping you by my side was a way to confirm my suspicions. I used to feel uncomfortable seeing you get too close to others. I really thought I liked you at one point."
Upon hearing such a confession, Xu Ke’s expression faltered montarily. Unsure of how to react, he was relieved when Claude said it was only temporary, and his expression softened.
"Why do you have that expression? Aren’t you disgusted, or finding it unbelievable?" Claude asked, looking at Xu Ke’s nonchalant deanor.
"What’s there to be disgusted about? I’m excellent, isn’t it normal for soone to like ?" Xu Ke raised an eyebrow and gave Claude a cheeky grin of arrogance and pride.
"You’re really sothing, leaving speechless," Claude chuckled, shaking his head.
"Besides, didn’t you yourself say you only thought you liked back then? Now you should know it was just an illusion," Xu Ke said, calming his expression.
"You’re right. From the first ti we left the chamber, I knew why seeing you felt different from seeing others. It’s because we’re the sa kind of people, which is why I had that illusion," Claude said, raising his glass for another sip.
"Seeing a kindred spirit in you, I wanted you to stay by my side, as your presence made life feel less lonely. But I know it’s impossible. You’re destined to leave, so I can only bless you and hope we stay in touch," Claude said.
"Though I will leave, the bond between us will not fade. If you ever need my help, just ask," Xu Ke said with a gentle smile.
"Of course, I won’t hesitate to do so," Claude said, clinking his glass with Xu Ke’s and downing the contents.
The banquet concluded perfectly in the early morning hours. After seeing off all the guests and finishing everything up, Xu Ke finally found Claude and revealed what he wanted.
"So you did all this just to get a gem?" Claude asked incredulously, now puzzled by Xu Ke’s thinking.
"Aren’t you considering anything else? You’ve helped so much these days, if you want anything else, I can give it," Claude said.
He hoped Xu Ke would change his wish. Although the gem Xu Ke wanted was valuable, its worth was nothing to Claude now. He thought Xu Ke deserved better, not to waste a chance for a simple object. After all, considering Xu Ke’s contributions, even offering him a few companies would be reasonable.
Understanding Claude’s intention, Xu Ke smiled gently again. "I appreciate your goodwill, but I don’t need anything else. This gem is important to ," Xu Ke said.
"Since you’ve made up your mind that this is what you want, I won’t stop you. I’ll have the gem sent to you tomorrow," Claude replied, seeing Xu Ke’s insistence.
Claude was a man of his word. As promised, he delivered the gem to Xu Ke early the next day. Surprisingly, the gem Xu Ke said was important yesterday was casually tucked into his pocket today without a glance.
Noticing Xu Ke’s action, Claude remarked, "Didn’t you say this gem was important to you? Yet today you just shove it into your pocket so casually, aren’t you worried I might’ve given you a fake one? This gem is quite valuable, you know."
"I know you’re not that kind of person. Once you promised to give it to , you wouldn’t do anything underhanded," Xu Ke said smiling, leaving Claude montarily stunned.
Claude himself couldn’t rember the last ti he t soone like Xu Ke who completely trusted him, and since Xu Ke wasn’t one to make such remarks lightly, Claude felt a mix of complex emotions. However, it was undeniable that these words brought Claude considerable comfort.
"You really know how to say the things I like to hear," Claude said.
"I have to leave, and you won’t hear say much more," Xu Ke announced abruptly.
"So soon? When are you leaving?" Claude paused, asking.
"Today, I have a flight at eleven. I need to head to the airport shortly," Xu Ke said, checking the ti.
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