On the day of the Zhou family wedding, not only Xu Yanzhi but also the Tan family saw the news published in the newspaper.

Tan Yuchen's phone was ringing off the hook. A few days ago, he went abroad, and the old lady couldn't catch him. After he returned to China, she gave him an ultimatum: if he didn't come back and explain, he should never come back.

So while Meng Jiuyi went to find Xu Yanzhi, Tan Yuchen went back to Orange Garden first.

Today, on the day of Lichun (the beginning of spring), the sun shines brightly, and the frost and wind are no longer as biting as they used to be. The eldest grandson, Tan Yuhuai, is at home and has asked someone to set the dining table in the garden, which is the old lady's favorite spot.

When Tan Yuchen returned, they were having afternoon tea, chatting about Yu Huai's life abroad, and specifically telling the old lady the things that pleased him.

Laughter could be heard from afar.

Tan Yuchen rested his hand on the old lady's chair and asked casually, "What are you talking about?"

Nobody paid him any attention.

The man's appearance was like an ice cube being thrown into a lake; the atmosphere instantly cooled down. The old lady took a sip of tea, as if she hadn't seen him at all.

Tan Yuhuai, who was standing next to him, winked at him, and Tan Yuchen pulled out a stool and sat down in front of the old lady.

On the table were various entertainment newspapers, and he was undoubtedly the headline story on the front page, from every angle, stealing the spotlight even more than the unexpected twist at the wedding that day.

In the photo, he has his arm around a girl's shoulder, looking down at that moment. His nonchalant expression reveals a tenderness beneath.

Tan Yuchen picked up the newspaper, glanced at it, and clicked his tongue in commentary.

"This photography skill is terrible; the photo doesn't even do him justice—he's not a tenth as handsome as he is in person."

Suddenly, he was hit on the back with a stick. The old lady hit him with the cane next to her, and Tan Yuchen winced in pain.

"You brat, you're too lawless! If you hadn't caused a scene at someone's wedding, how long were you planning to keep it a secret?"

The old lady said, "I've already had your older brother investigate the girl's background. Now we're just waiting for you to tell the truth."

Tan Yuchen raised his eyebrows, his arrogance almost palpable on his face.

She was wearing a mask, and there was no such person in the world. Where did the old lady find her?

He leaned back in his seat, leisurely using his arm as a pillow.

“Since Grandma has investigated so thoroughly, I won’t resist anymore. Just give me a straight answer on whether we should stay together or separate, and I’ll listen to you.”

The old lady was so angry that she swung the stick at her again, but Tan Yuchen immediately put his arm around her waist to make sure she didn't get hurt.

The old woman glared at her coldly, "Why don't you confess right now!"

"I'm just afraid that you'll interfere. You're so picky about your future granddaughter-in-law. My sister-in-law is a perfect example. She can't be someone who isn't of a good enough status, or someone who isn't good-looking enough. Celebrities and models are out of the question. She also has to have a clean background and good character. There aren't enough rich girls in Kyushu for you to choose from."

Tan Yuchen said slowly, "Your grandson's reputation outside is that of a widower who brings bad luck to his wife, indulging in all sorts of vices. Anyone who takes a liking to me should be grateful."

The old lady was so angry she almost fainted.

The fact that the Shen family was investigated at the last engagement banquet has been dug up by entertainment newspapers for some reason, who are now criticizing him for being unlucky in marriage, otherwise how could he have ruined the whole family so soon after the engagement banquet?

The text also details the romantic history of this philandering third young master of the Tan family, whose female companions are comparable to several football teams, making him as prolific as Ximen Qing in modern times.

The old lady was furious when she saw this and ordered her men to pay the media to shut up. However, bad news travels fast, and the powerful families had already seen everything they needed to see.

Of course, she had no idea that Tan Yuchen had ordered the fire to be started.

"I'm not as old-fashioned as you make me out to be."

The old lady said, "Wealth and status are not the most important things. Your partner will be scrutinized in public, with people looking for his flaws one by one. It is more important that he is of good character, intelligent and insightful."

Talking about how I feel I've lost out.

"Grandma, that's not what you told me before."

Years ago, when the old lady was choosing a granddaughter-in-law, she didn't use this kind of rhetoric.

Tan Yuchen patted him on the back, "You are the eldest grandson, it is only right that you take on more responsibility."

Tan Yuhuai told him to get lost.

Tan Yuchen calmly continued the previous topic, "How do you judge good character? Does it count if someone almost gives up their own life to save others? And does it count if someone is intelligent and insightful, and has not relied on anyone for so many years, while others are being handed everything to them, they have worked hard to support themselves clearly?"

In that instant, a figure vaguely appeared in the old lady's mind.

But it vanished so quickly that she herself couldn't even catch a trace of it.

Still concerned about her situation with Xu Yanzhi, Tan Yuchen pulled out a chair and stood up.

"You'd better keep your word and bring her back next time. Get the red envelope ready."

Before he left, Tan Yuhuai couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly is your sister-in-law? Why can't I find out about her?"

Tan Yuchen held up two fingers and waved at him, speaking in a nonchalant manner.

"She's too beautiful and I'm afraid someone will steal her away, so I don't dare let her show her true face."

After leaving Orange Garden, Tan Yuchen drove directly to the coffee shop where she and Xu Yanzhi had arranged to meet. The dark brown glass windows reflected the two figures together, blurring the spring scenery outside.

There was nothing to hide, Meng Jiuyi hummed softly, wondering what to say.

"I had some things to do that day, so I wore heavy makeup. Doesn't it look a bit different from usual?"

That's something that makeup can't change.

After their reunion, Xu Yanzhi always felt that she was very mysterious and had too many secrets that he did not know.

For example, on the night of Grandpa Shen's birthday banquet, she clearly did not appear on the cruise ship, but he bumped into her on the road when he left.

But Tan Yuchen already knew, and was not surprised at all.

Xu Yanzhi smiled faintly, "I'm happy to see that you've recovered so quickly."

Meng Jiuyi smiled knowingly.

"Senior Brother Xu, how are you doing?"

She knew he had suspended all his positions in the group, so she no longer dressed as formally as before.

He was a man whose well-being couldn't be discerned from his expression, because he was too reserved. But Meng Jiuyi still wanted to ask him with concern.

"Not bad. With more time, I'll seriously think about what I really want."

Xu Yanzhi held his coffee cup, his tone even and calm, "Once these things are settled, I plan to go abroad and continue the journey I haven't finished before."

He lied. He spent a long time in the flower garden he gave her, and by the window of Xifu Mansion where he could see the sycamore trees. The wind blew the card on the tree trunk and it swayed gently. He could vaguely see the words he wrote when he held her hand.

He had more free time, but his sleep wasn't very good; he remained silent all day.

Meng Jiuyi became interested.

"If you go, remember to post on WeChat Moments so we can also see the scenery!"

Xu Yanzhi hummed in agreement.

A sudden silence fell between them. They felt awkward staring at each other, and Meng Jiuyi still owed him a calm and sincere apology.

"I was blinded by greed before. If I have caused you any harm, I am sorry, Senior Brother Xu."

She was referring to how he was taken advantage of.

Xu Yanzhi was surprised that she still remembered this, and chuckled softly.

He gazed intently at her, his dark eyes, like fireworks bursting in the warm afternoon, suddenly cooling down.

"No, whatever your reason, I'm glad you were willing to take the initiative to approach me and let me understand what it means to like someone."

He said, "If I had another chance, I wouldn't let anyone find an opportunity."

Meng Jiuyi remained silent.

Xu Yanzhi noticed her unease and picked up his phone from the table.

"Let's go get our things."

As they left the coffee shop, passersby brushed past each other to enter the building. Meng Jiuyi stepped aside to make way, but Bu Ting was only so big, and the cobblestone path beside her was a bit shorter. She stumbled and Xu Yanzhi grabbed her arm. When she turned around, she accidentally bumped into his arm.

A warm, gentle breath wafted over, and at the same time, a deep, resonant male voice came from behind, its tone hooking at the end.

"Wife."

The voice was so familiar, there was no way Meng Jiuyi wouldn't recognize it.

But didn't he go home?

She snapped out of her daze as Tan Yuchen walked toward them with his hands in his pockets, sunlight streaming down his shoulders.

Meng Jiuyi was still immersed in his embarrassing nickname, her face blank. He took a bottle and warmed her face with it. It was hot. Meng Jiuyi took it and saw that it was bottled milk tea.

Tan Yuchen looked down at her, "Have you finished talking with Chairman Xu?"

"Yes, I was just about to go get something."

Tan Yuchen glanced at Xu Yanzhi and said in a low, lazy tone, "President Xu has become even more handsome since I last saw him."

".....The same to you."

He casually replied, "I'm free anyway, would you mind giving me a ride?"

Xu Yanzhi: "......."

Gao Xianyue's apartment has already gone through the auction process. She had very few belongings from her lifetime. Apart from the designer bags and luxury goods, there were very few things worth remembering.

Aside from music, she loved painting all her life, leaving behind only a few sketchbooks and a photo album of her daily snapshots.

Meng Jiuyi searched through the clothes but didn't find anything strange. However, just to be on the safe side, she took them back with her. Apart from Orange Garden, Tan Yuchen had taken more clothes back from the seaside villa. The few boxes of clothes that Meng Jiuyi had brought were piled up in the corner and didn't even fill a room.

"I still don't understand why these things are worth secretly searching for. Are we wrong?"

Meng Jiuyi stared blankly at Gao Xianyue's sketchbooks, which were just simple everyday drawings.

After an afternoon had passed, she looked so tense she could practically see a hole in her. Seeing her tense state, Tan Yuchen carried her to the side and began tidying up the things she had brought.

"Perhaps the other party is not sure if it exists, so they have someone secretly investigate. These things can't be rushed; we have to look for them slowly."

Meng Jiuyi thought it made sense, and tilted her head back to rest her chin on his chest.

"What were you and Senior Brother Xu talking about just now?"

After looking through the art books in the study, she noticed that the balcony window was tightly closed, and two men were chatting against the railing, looking rather mysterious.

Tan Yuchen narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly said, "Are you curious about me or him? Well, it's understandable. After all, it's normal to be curious about someone you liked for so long."

"Oh!"

Meng Jiuyi heard the sour tone in his voice and knew that if they continued talking, they would be doomed. "I secretly had a crush on him for a short while in college, just a short while. He didn't even know me back then. You can ask him if you don't believe me. He only found out about me after we met again. How could we possibly like each other?"

This man is incredibly jealous. Meng Jiuyi has suffered a lot because of his jealousy in bed in the past, and now she just wants to appease him first.

Her chin rested against his chest, her eyelashes fluttering, shimmering with a golden light that softened one's heart.

Tan Yuchen pinched her cheek, his tone displeased, "Never thought about confessing your feelings?"

"Of course not!"

She denied it so vehemently that she swore an oath to heaven.

"I just think he's a decent person, how could it be such a big deal as confessing my feelings?"

"Then how do we give him some ointment for his injuries?"

The man still remembered what Gao Jingchen said about her delivering medicine to Xu Yanzhi on that rainy night, and he was already incredibly jealous back then, let alone now that it had been brewing for so long.

Meng Jiuyi stared wide-eyed, looking completely innocent.

"That was just because my roommate happened to have some, and I didn't want to waste it, so I gave it to him. If you had been injured at the time, I would have done the same."

That's not necessarily true, depending on their previous relationship.

She drew circles to curse him, wishing him a swift death, or more likely, she would.

Even though he knew the girl was just talking nonsense to coax him, Tan Yuchen was still coaxed by her. She stroked his hair, and he bent his neck to let her stroke it, just like a big dog whose fur had been stroked.

The landline rang at that moment, and the maid downstairs said that the takeout had been delivered; it was fried chicken that Meng Jiuyi had ordered.

She went to get it in her slippers, not forgetting to give instructions.

"Could you take the books out of the second box for me? They're a bit damp."

She didn't want to attract attention here; she just wanted to slip away for a while and come back to normal.

Little did she know that under her book was an MP4 player that she had used for a long time, which could record audio. Back then, she practiced a recording countless times.

Tan Yuchen took it and saw that it still had power. He turned it on, puzzled.

The stuttering noise proved that it had been used for many years. Just as he was about to turn it off, he heard a gentle voice coming from inside.

When Meng Jiuyi went upstairs, she secretly tasted a chicken wing, and it tasted pretty good.

When she entered the room, the man was sitting on the carpet with his back to her, his posture languid and his neck drooping, making it impossible to see his expression.

The MP4 player in my hand was flashing.

I don't know how many times I've heard it.

"...Xu Yanzhi, my name is Meng Jiuyi, Meng from Mencius. I'm sorry to get to know you this way, but it's the bravest thing I've ever done in my life..."

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good evening