Chapter 1, A Person's 7th Anniversary
【Hanyun, I'm sorry, something came up at work and I can't be with you today.】
Looking at the cold message on the screen, Wen Hanyun lowered her eyes.
Today is their 7th anniversary.
I excitedly booked a restaurant, sat there from 7 pm to 9 pm, and finally only received a perfunctory apology from Yan Zhe.
Her fingertips went numb. When she put her phone away, she accidentally touched Yan Zhe's profile picture and opened his WeChat Moments.
The latest post was published just two minutes ago.
The location is the airport; there are two photos.
A bouquet of bright red roses, and a pair of hands holding the bouquet.
The accompanying text reads: Welcome back to China, Little Fish!
Wen Hanyun was slightly surprised. She zoomed in on the photo to take a closer look, but the next second, the screen refreshed, and the photo, along with the post on WeChat Moments, disappeared from her phone without a trace.
She opened her mouth, only to feel all the beautiful illusions of the past shatter in that moment, leaving only a vast emptiness.
What an absurd lie.
This is what they mean by "he was too busy with work to be with her, but he was able to show up at the airport to pick up another woman."
Wen Hanyun covered her face with her cold hands, tears streaming uncontrollably from between her fingers, wetting her delicate makeup, and her whole body trembled.
The waiter, who had been waiting for a long time, seemed to understand what was going on, stepped forward, and gave a standard smile.
"Hello, miss, would you like to order anything?"
Wen Hanyun briefly pulled herself out of her emotional breakdown, but the waiter's expression seemed to turn into blatant mockery, stabbing her heart again and again, making her feel increasingly embarrassed.
She suppressed the dull pain in her chest, her voice choked with emotion.
"Sorry, no need..."
"Sorry I'm late,"
Before he finished speaking, the dignified man walked in from the door and pulled out the empty chair opposite him.
"Let's order."
A hint of surprise flashed in the waitress's eyes, but Wen Hanyun was even more surprised.
She looked up blankly, saw the person's face, and her tearful eyes widened suddenly.
"Small......"
"Give me the menu, what would you like to eat?"
The man interrupted her address and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I...I'm fine with anything."
Wen Hanyun nervously clutched the hem of her dress. She felt extremely ashamed that a stranger had seen her in such a disheveled state, and that she even needed a man to come to her rescue.
What's more, this man is hers...
"Then let's have a steak. I remember you don't like raw food, how about medium-well?"
Wen Hanyun's thoughts were disrupted once again.
She was somewhat surprised, not expecting that her preferences would be known by men other than her father.
He sat down naturally as soon as he entered and ordered several of his favorite dishes with practiced ease, as if this seat was originally prepared for him.
"Okay, thank you."
Her voice still carried a hint of sobbing, like a wounded little animal. Her slightly red eyes and the lingering tears on her cheeks made her look incredibly adorable.
The man's eyes were dark, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
After ordering, he handed the menu back to the waiter, then pulled out a decorative handkerchief from his breast pocket.
The man leaned forward, and with just a slight lift of his hand, the handkerchief reached across the square table and touched Wen Hanyun's cheek.
"Why are you crying so hard?" He gently wiped away her tears through his handkerchief, as if polishing a precious jewel. "Did A-Zhe bully you?"
The fresh and delicate scent of cologne, combined with the subtle warmth emanating from the handkerchief, made Wen Hanyun blush.
"Thank you, Uncle, I can do it myself."
She finally called out that name and tried to take the handkerchief, but her fingertips accidentally touched the back of his hand, causing her to jump back as if she had been electrocuted.
The man smiled slightly, withdrew his hand, and handed the handkerchief to her.
"Here, don't let some unimportant people ruin your good mood tonight."
Wen Hanyun bit her lip lightly and took the handkerchief with some trepidation.
"Thank you, Uncle."
The man changed his tone: "Just call me Yansheng. Yanzhe and I are only a few years apart in age. The way you call me makes me feel like I've aged a lot."
"I'm sorry, Xiao... Yansheng."
The name lingered on her tongue, and her face flushed even more, like a ripe peach, fragrant and delicious, tempting one to harbor a desire to pluck it and savor it.
Yan Sheng's eyes grew darker, but his face remained as gentle and refined as jade.
"Tell me, did A-Zhe bully you? I'll go back and teach him a lesson. How could he leave a girl out alone?"
"He didn't bully me. Yes, something came up at his company, and he couldn't come at the last minute. I was so upset that I..."
Wen Hanyun spoke with difficulty, not because she intended to cover up for Yanzhe, but because she felt that their relationship didn't need to involve elders to judge.
"I remember you two were getting married soon, but I didn't know he was busier than me at work, so busy that he didn't even have time to have a meal with you."
Yan Sheng snorted coldly and convicted Yan Zhe.
Wen Hanyun forced a smile and explained, "His company is just starting out, so it's normal that he's too busy to take care of other things... It's a good thing that he's ambitious."
If it were truly for work, he wouldn't have lost his composure like this. What's ridiculous is that he has no time to spend with his fiancée, but he has time to secretly pick up another woman at the airport.
What does she mean to him?
She felt lost; was this marriage really necessary?
Seeing that she was in low spirits, Yansheng didn't press her for more information and changed the subject at the right time.
"There's a fireworks show tonight, and the rooftop observation deck has the best spot. Want to go see it?"
"Fireworks show? I've never heard of that."
Wen Hanyun was a little surprised. When she booked the restaurant, she had never heard of any fireworks show, but she did enjoy admiring beautiful scenery.
"The Wang family and the Li family are getting engaged tonight, and a celebration ceremony has been arranged on short notice."
Yan Sheng tapped his phone lightly with his fingertips, secretly sending a series of messages.
Wen Hanyun suddenly realized why Yan Sheng was here.
"Uncle, if you're busy, don't worry about me. I can manage on my own."
Once his emotions calmed down, he reverted to using the same form of address.
Yan Sheng pursed his thin lips, silently turned off his phone screen, and placed it on the table.
"It's alright, the banquet is over. I was busy with social engagements and didn't eat much anyway."
He smiled and extended his hand to Wen Hanyun as an invitation.
"Beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me? Please spare me the trouble of my stomach."
The previously tense atmosphere instantly lightened, and Wen Hanyun couldn't help but laugh out loud for the first time that night.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure, sir."
The meal was a pleasant one for both host and guests, and Wen Hanyun managed to temporarily set aside her concerns about Yan Zhe.
Yansheng is indeed an excellent dining companion. He always manages to bring up topics that interest her at just the right time and shares many interesting things that happened at work with her.
Watering the rival's money tree with hot water, employees pulling the power switch on their boss's office—these absurd actions were far removed from the business battle stories she had heard from Yan Zhe in the past, and they brought her a joy and comfort she had never experienced when she was with Yan Zhe.
Every time she brought up such topics with Yanzhe out of concern, he would always be impatient and brush it off with a "You wouldn't understand."
Looking back now, do you really think she didn't understand?
It's just that I don't want to share or communicate with her.
The empty observation deck was adorned with only two figures walking side by side. Brilliant fireworks lit up the night sky, illuminating Wen Hanyun's focused profile.
"So beautiful."
Even if the flowers weren't blooming for her, she didn't mind appreciating the beautiful scenery at that moment.
"Yes, it's beautiful..."
The man beside her did not focus his gaze on the fireworks, but instead lingered on her face with a subtle yet intense intensity.
The most beautiful scenery was right in front of him.
Suddenly, the jarring ringtone broke the silence.
Wen Hanyun hurriedly took out her phone, stared at the two big characters 'Yan Zhe' on it, and suddenly came to her senses.
Why aren't you answering?
Wen Hanyun had no choice but to grit her teeth and press the call button.
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