Chapter 2, "I Don't Need His Love"

The two agreed to meet at a private restaurant in a courtyard house.

Upon entering the courtyard, one finds a fishpond, artificial hills, winding corridors, and a spacious central courtyard with the sound of flowing water.

It's April, and the magnolias are in full bloom.

Cheng Hexi drove herself here.

The manager personally came to greet her, took the keys, and helped her park the car. She was then led into a private room by a waiter.

Opening the carved wooden door and passing through the tea room, I found the person I was looking for was already there.

You Yue turned his head when he heard the voice, stood up and greeted him.

Although his expression wasn't warm, he pulled out the chair opposite her as she walked over.

Cheng Hexi was slightly surprised, but she didn't show it on her face.

She smiled politely: "President You."

The top of the pyramid is only so big. Apart from the Yungang track last night, the two had naturally met before, otherwise they wouldn't have recognized each other at a glance.

However, in those situations, You Yue was always associated with the CEO of Hongsheng, so she didn't pay much attention to him.

With substantial assets and exceptional financial resources, Hongsheng Group seized the opportunity decades ago to shift its focus to the internet industry, making perfect transitions at every juncture, and quickly rose to become a leading player in mainland China. Today, the group boasts numerous subsidiaries and extensive global operations, showing no signs of decline over the years.

Yugoshi, as the heir, is also quite interesting.

He may look like a handsome and arrogant playboy, and he's a favorite of gossip media, but in the business world, he's clear-headed, decisive, shrewd, and insightful.

After graduating from Stanford University, he took a gap year. During that year, he returned to Beijing and interned at the headquarters of Hongsheng. Hongsheng's largest gaming business today was built during that year.

The financial magazine's overall assessment was that he was the most promising second-generation heir, a point that Cheng Hexi agreed with.

With these labels attached, when the real person appeared before her, she couldn't help but have some preconceived notions.

Today, You Yue still carries those labels, but now he's her fiancé, and Cheng Hexi sees him from a different perspective.

The man was wearing a bespoke black suit with a dark red tie.

Despite his understated attire, he wore it with an air of nobility and elegance.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, perfectly sculpted forearms, height estimated to be over 185 cm. Thin lips, high-bridged nose, classic striking features.

Even when she wasn't smiling, her peach blossom eyes were as deep as the sea.

Heartless.

His physical appearance is impeccable; no wonder the media loves him.

After she sat down, You Yue returned to his seat, crossed his legs, and gentlemanly handed the menu to the person opposite him.

"Let's not talk about work, just call me by my name."

Cheng Hexi met his gaze for two seconds, then nodded to indicate that she understood.

She took the menu without hesitation, flipped through a few pages, and looked up to ask the other person about their dietary restrictions.

"They know my dietary restrictions, so please feel free to eat whatever you like."

So Cheng Hexi stopped being polite and ordered a few of her favorite dishes.

She wore makeup today, not too heavy, not too light, and her eyes were still very bright. You Yue only caught a glimpse of her last night, and only now did she notice the prominent beauty mark at the corner of her eye.

On her left wrist she wore a steel Patek Philippe watch. On her right wrist was a platinum bracelet from a high-end luxury brand. Her fingers were long and slender, without any jewelry, completely bare.

You Yue didn't have any extra emotions, but he felt a little bored while waiting for Cheng Hexi to look through the menu, so he went to see her and recalled what occasions he had seen her in the past year, apart from last night.

After ordering, she looked up and her gaze met the man's in the quiet private room.

You Yue was open and honest, and did not hide from anything.

Cheng Hexi didn't take it seriously and only asked him if he needed anything added.

He said "No need," and called over a waiter.

After the waiter left the private room, only the sound of flowing water outside the window remained.

The secretary's initial suggestion to You Yue was that President Cheng preferred a private kitchen. After some thought, he ultimately chose the restaurant he frequented.

Cheng Hexi hadn't forgotten about this, and brought it up now, saying, "You're much more thoughtful than I imagined."

"Really?" You Yue raised an eyebrow and asked, "What image did I originally have in your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hexi didn't stand on ceremony and laughed, "It's the image that Hongsheng has built up through its financial reports, various business reports, and gossip media."

As soon as they finished speaking, their eyes met.

One was all smiles, the other remained impassive.

These words were pointed, yet they were spoken very cleverly and without any flaws.

Cheng Hexi didn't hide her meaning.

I think you are capable and shrewd, but your private life doesn't seem to be very good.

Yet you still remember to "politely" make excuses for yourself—of course, I don't know you, it's all just hearsay.

They acted very politely, but in reality, they weren't at all.

It is incisive yet not sharp, thoughtful and tactful yet achieves its purpose.

You Yue thought, how could someone who could hold Xilin in his grasp under those circumstances be an ordinary person?

Watching her scald the bowls and spoons, You Yue finally spoke after a moment: "I was always alone before, and I didn't pay attention to how they wrote it."

He leaned back in his chair and promised, "I'll pay attention to these things in the future."

Although he still maintained his habitually controlling attitude, he also showed basic sincerity.

“It’s better if there’s no problem.” Cheng Hexi’s smile remained unchanged. “If there is, please cut ties completely before the wedding, Mr. You.”

You Yue nodded slightly: "Understood."

He's explained it once, and whether the other person believes him or not, he won't say it a second time.

"Mr. Cheng, if you have any other requests, please bring them up today. Once we've discussed everything, both parties can bring their lawyers tomorrow to finalize the agreement."

“No more,” Cheng Hexi said.

She just needed a reliable "backer" to seek a mutually beneficial partnership, and You Yue happened to be the perfect marriage partner.

She doesn't need any real help.

If I had to make one more request, it would be mutual respect after marriage. But... the man in front of me clearly has the kind of temperament that doesn't like anyone but himself and isn't interested in any carbon-based life forms. Even if I didn't say it, he certainly wouldn't bother to do it.

Dishes of delicious food, each with its own appealing color, aroma, and taste, were laid out on the deep wooden table.

After all the dishes were served, Cheng Hexi did not feel wronged and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

She had changed her schedule a few days ago to prepare for the meeting that evening, and had several meetings in the afternoon. She only had a quick bite for dinner, and now she was really hungry.

While eating, Cheng Hexi couldn't help but wonder whether You Yue or his assistants had chosen this place.

Surprisingly, it suited her taste perfectly.

The dishes are absolutely worthy of the brand name, which is quite rare.

After eating quietly for a while, she continued the conversation and asked him, "And what about you? What do you want me to do?"

You Yue's answer was not much different from what she had expected.

“I don’t talk about feelings,” he said. “Talking about feelings is too much trouble, and I don’t need it to provide emotional value.”

"Don't worry," Cheng Hexi smiled beautifully, "I'm the same as President You."

Chinese dishes are diverse, with excellent color, aroma, and taste. They are steaming hot and look even more cozy under the soft light.

The atmosphere was nice, but they were complete strangers and had nothing to say except for business. So the entire private room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

However, both of them are highly self-aware individuals who are used to being managers and decision-makers. They are not influenced by the external environment and are enjoying their meal in a relaxed manner.

In the second half, Cheng Hexi focused entirely on taking care of her taste buds and stomach, no longer thinking about her fake husband across from her.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed such a relaxing and delicious home-cooked meal.

Perhaps the stomach really is an organ of emotions. She was in a good mood because she ate to her liking, and she didn't forget to say a polite word before leaving.

"Thank you for asking me what I wanted to eat."

"You're welcome."

You Yue put his hand in his pocket, casually raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Your favorite thing is home-cooked food?"

"It's really impressive that you can make home-style dishes this delicious."

Her heels clicked on the brick pavement.

In the spring nights of Beijing, a breeze blows, the trees stand still, and a thousand leaves sing.

She took the car keys from the manager and was seen out the door, the keys twirling casually in her hand the whole time.

When You Yue saw her slender fingers and the white sports car not far away, he was reminded of her at the Yungang racetrack last night.

His attire was completely different from that of Mr. Cheng today.

However, they also have similarities.

Sharp-witted, intelligent, and loves to win.

The driver, You Yue, had already brought the car over. The two said a brief goodbye, and he walked to the back seat. The driver got out and opened the car door for him.

Before getting into the car, he suddenly called out to her, "Cheng Hexi."

Her hand was already on the driver's side door. Hearing this, she looked up at the man.

Throughout the meal, I kept calling her "President Cheng," and only now did I finally call her by her name.

He asked, "What should I wear on the day we get our marriage certificate?"

Cheng Hexi paused, her gaze falling on the man. After thinking for a moment, she said, "A white shirt, I guess."

After receiving the answer, You Yue nodded and stepped into the back seat.

The black Cullinan stood silently outside the yard, not immediately driven away.

Cheng Hexi fastened her seatbelt, knowing he was waiting for her first, and stepped on the gas to leave.

-

Lingjiang is a members-only club located on the top floor of a building in the CBD, with understated yet luxurious decor. The owner is a friend of Cheng Hexi and Xu Zhumeng, and the two arranged to meet here today.

They met the club owner while studying in the United States, and he always reserved private rooms for his friends. He was based in New York and had a Western palate. Cheng Hexi and Xu Zhumeng both agreed that the food wasn't very good, but its advantage was its extreme privacy.

The clubhouse wasn't too far from Xilin. Cheng Hexi arrived early and waited for Xu Zhumeng in the private room.

She was wearing a white suit and matching high heels, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the fountain in the central garden below.

The door was pushed open from the outside, and the waiter led Xu Zhumeng in.

She wore a mask, a simple long brown trench coat, and her hat was held in her hand. Sunglasses covered her beautiful eyes.

Cheng Hexi smiled when she saw her: "Welcome, big star."

She called him that on purpose, the teasing tone was obvious.

"Ah, I miss you so much—"

Xu Zhumeng took off her sunglasses, casually hung up her clothes, and pulled her to sit down.

Cheng Hexi asked with concern, "Were you photographed when you went out?"

"No, I'm very cautious."

She asked, "Have you been here long?"

"Just arrived. I'm a little hungry, I've been in meetings all morning."

Xu Zhumeng couldn't help her with this, so she comforted her, "It's okay, the food here is served pretty quickly."

The main problem is that there are many chefs, but not many people.

Cheng Hexi understood what she meant and chuckled.

"Could you suggest Finn replace these chefs next time?" Xu Zhumeng flipped through the menu, starting to have ulterior motives.

She only said that, but Cheng Hexi knew that this person was going to be on camera tomorrow, so she had to control her diet today, otherwise she would have hired a private chef.

But still, he went along with her words: "The two of us can't persuade him. Let's wait until Finn has a girlfriend."

“Oh,” Xu Zhumeng chuckled, “Tell his girlfriend to whisper in his ear.”

"yes."

Ultimately, the two were just joking; they were actually quite grateful to him.

While waiting for the food to be served, Xu Zhumeng leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed and raised her eyebrows slightly.

A posture in preparation for "interrogating" her.

Cheng Hexi saw through her intention at a glance, smiled, and said, "Ask whatever you want."

"Don't you know what I want to ask?" Xu Zhumeng pretended to be heartbroken.

"I know... no one can force me to do things I don't want to do. Don't worry, I haven't been wronged, I just don't want to be too passive in the future."

While in the United States, Cheng Hexi was busy accumulating experience, studying, interning, and experiencing life. After returning to China, she devoted herself to her career. She has never been in a relationship, nor has she ever been in love. She doesn't care who she marries, and sometimes she thinks that so-called love is just a publicity stunt.

Didn't her mother also think she had found love back then? And what happened?

All love in the world is the same; its shelf life is shorter than a carton of yogurt.

“Okay,” Xu Zhumeng reminded her, “Have you seen the rumors about your fiancé?”

She hummed in agreement, indicating, "I saw it."

Even collaborations require background checks, and marriage is no small matter, so of course you need to understand the other party's background thoroughly.

"Just an 'hmm' and that's it?? Just a few days ago the media was reporting that he had lunch with some rich girl."

Cheng Hexi was amused by her.

"'Hmm' means I know, but his romantic history is none of my business. We'll deal with it before we get married."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "You Yue's personality is quite distinct. He doesn't seem like he'll fall in love with anyone, and he won't do anything like getting entangled with someone after marriage."

Cheng Hexi had been following the gossip about him and the Tan family's daughter. It was all the rage a few days ago, but yesterday it had completely died down, and she couldn't even find it by searching anymore.

Xu Zhumeng pursed her lips and looked at her: "I don't want you to be unhappy."

“No,” she said. “His grandmother and my grandmother were old friends, and she was very kind to me. As for You Yue…”

"I don't need him to love me, I just need him to respect me."

Will he?

Cheng Hexi nodded: "He will."

Before the meal, I would ask her what she liked, and I would proactively pull out a chair for her and let her go first when I left.

While doing so may represent a certain sincerity in cooperation, one's character and upbringing are revealed in the details.

She has a good eye for people and is confident in herself.

A note from the author:

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No one had a crush on anyone else; it was a true case of marriage of convenience leading to love. Mr. You's actions stemmed from a sense of propriety and responsibility; after all, he's a wealthy, highly educated young master. Let's wait and see if this arrogant prince falls for her.