The old lady swept her eyes over them and replied, “Alright then, you can go together.”

Damn!

David Carter wished he could strangle his older sister. Originally, only he knew about that boss, but now it was all messed up—who knows what kind of trouble might come up.

But since the Empress Dowager had already spoken, he could only pinch his nose and accept it.

The meal was full of undercurrents, each with their own gains and losses. Fortunately, near the end, the old lady casually asked, “Henry, what is Little David doing at the company now?”

“He’s mainly in charge of planning, has come up with quite a few creative ideas, and is doing well.”

“Oh, since this child is capable, as his father, you shouldn’t be too strict. Encourage him when it’s due.”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Don’t be fooled by the old lady stepping back from the front line—her shares are still rock solid, and there’s a whole bunch of old loyalists in the company. Henry Carter is, at best, just the executive president; for major decisions, he still has to listen to his mother.

He’s always been troubled by his children’s affairs, but for now, it seems the old lady is leaning toward her grandson, and he’s happy to give him the opportunity.

...

“Bang!”

Late at night, in the hotel bathroom, Yvonne Carter was removing her makeup with a bottle of remover. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she smashed the bottle on the floor. The thousand-yuan makeup remover shattered into pieces, fragments scattering everywhere.

Still not satisfied, she kicked the shards around in frustration, only calming down after a while.

There was nothing she could do—a crushing defeat!

Just getting that string of beads had taken her a lot of effort, and everything had been planned out. Who knew that guy would play by his own rules?

Pah! What a lousy Qingrui fragrance, making it sound so mysterious?

Yvonne Carter had never been interested in fragrances; she only dabbled in it to please the elders. She knew in her heart that her grandmother agreed to let her go partly to save face, and partly to keep her brother from getting too cocky.

But in the end, her brother had already taken the lead.

“Clang!”

She kicked away another shard, fuming inside: I really want to see what kind of so-called master this is!

...

In another room, the scene was completely different.

Clothes were strewn everywhere, the bedding was a mess, and two naked bodies were lying entwined on the bed. Even in the post-passion “sage time,” David Carter couldn’t contain his excitement—his left arm around his girlfriend, his right hand holding a cigarette, blowing smoke rings one after another.

Olivia Thompson looked at him helplessly and reminded, “Little David, don’t get too happy too soon. You still don’t know if you’ll actually become the supervisor.”

“Even if it’s not certain, it’s pretty much set.”

He stubbed out the cigarette and grinned, “Didn’t you see grandma’s attitude? As long as I bring that person in, it’s basically a done deal.”

“So what do you plan to do when you find him? Try to win him over?”

“Not quite yet. I’ll wait until we meet. If grandma really values him, that’s when I’ll make my move. By then, it’ll depend on whether my sister or I can offer better terms.”

David Carter got excited again, rolled over on top of her, kissing as he said, “But this is definitely a way forward. I need to build a good relationship first.”

Chapter 10: Where the Clouds Are Deep and Unfathomable

The next day, Phoenix Mountain.

The siblings got up early and rushed over, not even bothering to eat breakfast. It was still early, and only a few scattered tourists from the first batch were entering the mountain gate.

David Carter brought Olivia Thompson along, acting all lovey-dovey—half out of habit, half on purpose. Yvonne Carter usually exercised, so climbing the mountain wasn’t hard for her, but being force-fed dog food put her in a terrible mood.

With no elders around, they couldn’t be bothered to pretend to get along—either ignoring each other or trading barbs. Olivia Thompson was the most awkward, trying to appease both sides, afraid they’d start fighting.

When the three of them reached the rest area halfway up the mountain, they saw lots of vendors and well-equipped facilities, so they took a short break before continuing after half an hour.

The weather was great today—clear winds and gentle sun, with a hint of coolness. The higher they climbed, the more the scenery changed: lush green forests, tranquil valleys, and looking up, the mountaintop seemed shrouded in mist.

In such a setting, even the most restless person would quiet down a bit. It was Yvonne Carter’s first time here, and she couldn’t help but sigh, “I didn’t expect Phoenix Mountain to have such charm.”

“Just wait, you’ll be crying soon. Don’t get weak in the knees when we reach Old Ox’s Back,” her brother tossed out indifferently.

“...”

She couldn’t be bothered to respond and turned to ask, “Little Olivia, is that person really just a street vendor?”

“Yeah, yesterday he was up there selling things. I even saw a little squirrel—so, so cute.”

“If he’s so skilled at making incense, why is he still selling stuff on the mountain?” She still found it hard to believe.

“Maybe, maybe everyone has their own ambitions.” Olivia Thompson replied absentmindedly, still thinking about the little squirrel.

“What do you mean, everyone has their own ambitions?”

David Carter scoffed, “You can’t make a living making incense. Traditional crafts are so out of favor now—promotion, marketing, networking, which of those doesn’t cost money? Unless it’s protected as cultural heritage with government support, how many aren’t struggling?”

“Oh? That only proves two things…”

Yvonne Carter shot him a glance and mocked, “First, this person is stupid. Second, the local government is even stupider.”

“Hmph!”

He snorted coldly but didn’t argue. It was obvious—if the relevant departments had any brains, they’d develop and value this craft. Plus, since it’s a tourist area, if they promoted it properly, it’d be a win-win for both sides.