{Chapter: 328 Cooperation!}
Yan Ruyue fell silent, deep in thought.
If Lin Yuan truly wanted to cooperate, then the risks involved would be shared between them. It wouldn't be her bearing the full weight of the situation alone anymore. Perhaps her company wouldn't suffer as much loss as she originally feared.
After weighing everything in her mind, she realized something important—she really didn't have a better option at this moment.
If she rejected Lin Yuan's proposal, he likely wouldn't hold it against her. He had no shortage of opportunities elsewhere. But the Yanyue Company was already in a fragile state. She had yet to come up with a feasible solution, and time was running out. Any further delay would only result in massive losses for her business.
The attacks orchestrated by the Chen family and Ye Feng's underhanded maneuvers had severely damaged Yanyue's foundation. The situation was deteriorating by the day, and if it continued at this rate, collapse was inevitable.
On the other hand, if she chose to cooperate with Lin Yuan, her burden would be significantly eased. More importantly, the potential benefits were immense. Lin Yuan had offered to invest both technology, capital and mind. If everything proceeded smoothly, they would both stand to gain substantially.
If the venture failed, Lin Yuan, who was putting up the majority of the resources, would suffer the greater financial blow. Ironically, she would stand to lose the least in such a scenario.
Wait a second…
Didn't she initially ask Lin Yuan to help her fix the problems in her company?
When did that request turn into a business partnership?
Yan Ruyue blinked slowly. She hadn't realized it, but Lin Yuan had cleverly shifted the dynamic of their arrangement without her even noticing. Somehow, she had been maneuvered into a business deal, and not just any deal—one where he held the stronger position.
But in her current circumstances, what choice did she really have?
Lin Yuan noticed her furrowed brows and contemplative silence. A small smile formed on his lips.
This was exactly what he had planned.
He had intentionally leveraged Yan Ruyue's crisis to sabotage Ye Feng's ambitions of building a facial mask empire. In the original trajectory of things, Ye Feng's rise in the skincare industry had been monumental. But Lin Yuan was here to rewrite that story.
This industry was one of Ye Feng's key stepping stones. By cutting off this path, Lin Yuan could begin systematically dismantling Ye Feng's so-called "protagonist aura."
He wasn't doing this out of charity. Lin Yuan had his own interests to protect, and profit to gain. Helping Yan Ruyue was only a convenient byproduct of his true goal—seizing the very fortune that was meant for Ye Feng.
To be honest, the seventy percent share he asked for was actually quite conservative from his perspective. Given how much he was putting on the table, he could have easily justified asking for more than minty percent.
But Lin Yuan was playing the long game.
Eventually, not only the Yanyue Company, but Yan Ruyue herself—and even the influential Yan family—would be his in a white gown. At that point, how the profits were divided would no longer matter. What was hers would naturally become his.
Still, business was business. For now, he had to play his part and demand what he was due.
Of course, he couldn't allow anyone else to take over Yanyue. That was non-negotiable. To ensure full control, he wanted to buy back the outstanding shares from other shareholders.
At last, Yan Ruyue reached a decision.
She raised her head and nodded firmly. "Alright. I agree to the cooperation. I'll begin repurchasing the company shares held by outsiders."
Lin Yuan's smile widened. He extended his hand toward her in a friendly gesture. "Good. I'll have a contract drawn up. Everything I promised will be written clearly in the agreement. If I fail to deliver, we split everything evenly—fifty-fifty."
Yan Ruyue looked at him in surprise, then slowly reached out her hand and shook his. Her fingers were soft and cold, a contrast to his firm grip.
Lin Yuan's terms were bold, maybe even reckless in the eyes of an outsider. But for Yan Ruyue, they were deeply reassuring.
She could see that Lin Yuan was shouldering a much larger share of the risk in this partnership. That meant he truly believed in what he promised.
After recalling how he had once saved her mother, Song Xuan, with those incredible medical skills, she realized something.
Perhaps Lin Yuan really could create a revolutionary facial mask formula.
If the product genuinely delivered noticeable results that surpassed what was currently available in the market, then building a reputation and capturing market share wouldn't be difficult at all.
Still, she forced herself to remain cautious.
It wasn't the time to indulge in daydreams.
Yan Ruyue's voice was steady as she said, "Our cooperation is confirmed. I also believe in your ability to improve the product's effectiveness. But even if we have the best formula, what about the production side? Our current supplier has issues. How will you deal with that?"
She stared seriously at Lin Yuan. "Back to our earlier concern—how will we solve the supplier problem?"
Lin Yuan waved his hand lightly, as if brushing away a minor inconvenience. "Don't worry about those things for now. The priority is to buy back those shares. Otherwise, you risk losing control of your own company."
Yan Ruyue sighed. He was right. "You're making sense. I'll call Xiaoyun now and tell her to begin the process."
She picked up her phone and called her secretary.
After the call, she turned to Lin Yuan and noticed he was still standing beside her.
"Would you like to take a seat?" she asked, her tone softening. "You've been standing this whole time. I'll have Xiaoyun bring a stool for you."
There were no extra chairs in Yan Ruyue's sleek, minimalist office. The space was designed to project professionalism and authority—intimidation, even. Very few people ever sat down during their meetings with her. It wasn't an accident; it was deliberate. She liked having the upper hand, and staying seated while others stood was part of her strategy.
But today was different.
Lin Yuan was a guest, and more importantly, he had come to offer her help—potentially vital help. Watching him stand there for so long made her feel slightly uneasy. A flicker of guilt stirred in her heart, something rare when it came to business interactions.
Before she could give it much thought, Lin Yuan smiled in his usual relaxed, unbothered manner and said, "No need to trouble your secretary, Miss Yan. You don't have to get me a stool. I am a little tired, though. Why don't we just sit side by side instead?"
"Eh?" Yan Ruyue blinked, momentarily confused by his bold request.
Her office chair was large and ergonomically designed, crafted for comfort during long work hours—but it was still a single chair. Meant for one person.
Yet, despite her hesitation, she found herself silently shifting to one side, making room for him.
And just like that, Lin Yuan sat down right next to her.
The plush leather creaked slightly under their combined weight. Although the chair was spacious, it wasn't that spacious. Their bodies pressed closely together, shoulders and thighs touching. It was unavoidably intimate.
Lin Yuan caught a whiff of her subtle, expensive perfume—light floral notes with a whisper of something sweeter underneath. Meanwhile, Yan Ruyue could feel his body heat radiating against her. It made her acutely aware of just how close they were.
She hadn't expected Lin Yuan to be so shameless. She had offered to get him a separate seat—and instead, he had gone and made himself at home on hers.
Even though she was already familiar with him to a certain extent—and yes, even though she had kissed him once, and yes, she had once even sat in his lap during their visit to the cinema—this was different.
This was her office. Her territory. Her image as the untouchable, ice-cold CEO was something she took pride in.
Sitting like this… it shattered that image.
What kind of example was she setting? What if someone walked in?
Yet deep down, she could already tell what Lin Yuan was trying to do. His charming smile said it all. If she asked him to move now, it would only make things more awkward. She began considering an escape route of her own.
Perhaps if she stood up first, she could avoid any embarrassment. Her secretary, Xiaoyun, was bound to arrive soon, and the last thing she wanted was to be seen like this.
She coughed lightly and said, "You sit. I've been sitting for a while anyway. I could use a stretch."
Just as she tried to get up, she felt a warm hand catch hers gently—but firmly. She turned in surprise, only to see Lin Yuan pulling her back down.
Before she could react further, he wrapped an arm lightly around her shoulders.
"What are you doing? This is my office!" she protested, trying to sound commanding and stern.
But her voice betrayed her. It wasn't sharp or commanding—it was soft, tinged with embarrassment and the faintest trace of a pout. Her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink, making her look far more adorable than intimidating.
Lin Yuan, ever the picture of calm confidence, grinned and said, "Of course I know it's your office, Miss Yan. That's exactly why I can't let you stand while I sit. That would make me look like some shameless freeloader who barged into your space and claimed your seat. How humiliating would that be for me? No, no… it's far better that we share, don't you think?"
"You…" Yan Ruyue opened her mouth, trying to find a counterargument, but nothing came to mind.
What kind of logic was this? She was baffled, but Lin Yuan's tone was so casual, his reasoning delivered with such earnestness, that she found herself unable to refute it.
Before she knew it, he was holding her close.
To her surprise, her body didn't resist. Apart from that one moment where she tried to rise, she hadn't really fought him off. And if she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to.
The warmth of his embrace… the rhythm of his breathing… it felt familiar now. Safe. Even comforting.
She remembered the first time he had helped her—how he'd healed her mother, Song Xuan, with his incredible medical skills. From that moment onward, something in her had shifted. She began to see Lin Yuan not just as a man, but as someone irreplaceable.
Maybe that's why, instead of pushing him away, her heart fluttered.
Maybe… this wasn't so bad.
In fact, part of her even wanted to lean into him, to rest her head on his shoulder and allow herself to enjoy the quiet closeness.
But that could only happen if they were somewhere else.
Not here. Not in this office where she wore the mask of the no-nonsense, unapproachable CEO.
As her thoughts drifted between fantasy and responsibility, a sudden knock at the door snapped her back to reality.
"President Yan? You called for me?" came the familiar voice of her secretary.
Yan Ruyue stiffened.
She was still in Lin Yuan's arms.
They were still sitting together, on the same chair.
And Xiaoyun was about to walk in at any second.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
This situation… was about to get very difficult to explain.