Zhuang Yan also saw her. If it were before, he would have gotten up and come to her side, pulling out a chair for her to sit down. But now, he sat there motionless, only slightly raising his head to gesture to her.
Seeing Xia Wan in her younger days again, Zhuang Yan felt a pang of emotion: So this is what Xia Wan looked like when she was young. It feels like so long ago.
Time cannot defeat beauty. Xia Wan is especially favored by time. In her previous life, she was over fifty years old but looked like she was thirty. She had a good complexion, a slender figure, no wrinkles on her face, and no gray hair. Her health was better than many young people, unlike him, who died before he retired.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Yan's thoughts drifted away. In his previous life, he died, and Xia Wan should have married Gu Qian soon, and then the two of them would grow old together and live to a ripe old age.
"Zhuang Yan!" someone called out, pulling Zhuang Yan back to reality.
Zhuang Yan composed himself and smiled, "Sit down, scan the code and order whatever you'd like to drink."
He was quite kind to Xia Wan. Although their marriage in their previous life had many unpleasant experiences, in essence, both he and Xia Wan were victims of this arranged marriage.
Although they were not in love, they had been together for thirty years and treated each other with respect.
He neither hates nor likes Xia Wan now. It's good to be a familiar stranger. Ideally, after today, there should be no contact at all.
Xia Wan stared at him, and you could clearly see the bloodshot veins in her eyes. Her reddened eyes looked like she had suffered a great injustice.
Could it be because he didn't buy her coffee? Probably not... In my memory, Xia Wan doesn't like bitter food. This is her first time at this coffee shop. Xia Wan is a picky eater, and if he orders something bad for her, she'll be even more upset.
Xia Wan sat down and looked at Zhuang Yan, questioning, "Don't you have anything to explain to me?"
"Explain what?"
Why the sudden move?
"I've already broken off the engagement, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to live together."
Xia Wan raised her voice in disbelief: "You really want to break off our engagement?"
"What you said in front of so many people, how could it be false?" Zhuang Yan said with a smile. "I saw the trending topics last night. You and Gu Qian are in love. You missed your engagement for him and even celebrated his birthday with him. I believe in your feelings for him, so I won't force you. After all, marriage is a matter between two people, and a forced marriage will not bring happiness."
Hearing this, Xia Wan's furrowed brows relaxed: "If you're angry with me because of Gu Qian, then I can explain. I didn't intentionally stand him up to celebrate his birthday yesterday. He was injured while filming, and his agent told me that his injury was very serious. I was afraid that something irreversible might happen... Zhuang Yan, our engagement banquet can be rescheduled. The Xia family can handle the negative impact. If you need compensation, you can also ask for it, and I will try my best to meet your needs."
Since things have already come to this point, Zhuang Yan, being a man, shouldn't continue to hold a grudge.
Is Xia Wan bowing down to him? That's really strange.
Zhuang Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise, his expression still gentle: "I've made myself very clear. There are no feelings between us. If you just want to find someone for an arranged marriage, then find someone else."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Yan saw Xia Wan's face darken instantly, turning as black as if it could drip water: "What do you mean there are no feelings between us? Everyone knows you like me."
Zhuang Yan was momentarily stunned. It had been a long time since he had liked Xia Wan, and he had long forgotten that feeling.
His sudden change might have made Xia Wan feel uncomfortable, and Zhuang Yan felt it was necessary to explain things to her to avoid any misunderstandings later.
"I don't like you anymore. You can decide how to annul the engagement. Let's part amicably."
"Oh."
Zhuang Yan listened to Xia Wan's cold, disdainful, and mocking laughter. She looked down at him as if he were an unreasonable child.
After decades of companionship, Zhuang Yan knew that Xia Wan was furious to the extreme at this moment.
Because of her upbringing, Xia Wan would never yell or shout, even when she was angry, especially in public.
"Zhuang Yan, you want to break off the engagement with me? Have you thought about your parents? Have you thought about the Zhuang family's businesses? Marriage is not a game. Born into a family like ours, feelings are cheap. I may not like you, but don't forget, it was your Zhuang family that begged for the marriage alliance with the Xia family. And don't forget who was groveling like a dog back then, and we couldn't get rid of them no matter what we did. Now the contract is signed, the wedding dress has been tried on, the money has been paid, the wedding venue has been arranged, and even the invitations have been sent out. You think you can just break off the engagement like that? Do you think the Xia family is easy to bully? Do you believe that today I can get my father to withdraw all his investments in your family and make it impossible for you to stay in Rongcheng!"
Zhuang Yan originally wanted to have a calm and peaceful talk with her, but Xia Wan didn't want to save face.
Indeed, he knew better than anyone that Xia Wan didn't treat him as her boyfriend, much less her fiancé. She only saw him as a tool to be at her beck and call, to make her happy, and to provide her with convenience.
Now, the disguise has been completely torn off. If Zhuang Yan were only twenty years old, she might have broken down after hearing what she said.
“I’ve already severed ties with the Zhuang family. Go ask whoever gave you the money for it. Xia Wan, I’ve already said this much. Let’s give each other some dignity. If you insist on marrying into the Zhuang family, I have a good idea. Let them adopt Gu Qian. That way, you can be together legitimately. You can talk about feelings and continue to discuss interests.”
"Don't even think about threatening me. I really have nothing to worry about on my own. Your Xia family is so big and powerful that I can't fight back if you want me to die. But if I can't stay in Rongcheng, I can go to another city. If I can't stay anywhere else, I'll go abroad. The world is so big. I don't believe your Xia family can control everything."
Zhuang Yan stopped smiling. He was over fifty years old. Was he afraid of a girl in her early twenties?
In his previous life, Zhuang Yan took over all of the Zhuang family's businesses and was also in charge of the Xia family. His net worth was in the hundreds of billions. Even the most useless person can become strong. Zhuang Yan, who had been in a high position for a long time, could also command respect without anger.
As he spoke, he stared coldly at Xia Wan's stiff, pale face. "You call me a simp, but what do dogs like to lick? Don't get yourself into that trap. In these three years, I, Zhuang Yan, have treated you well. Considering how much I've truly cared for you, don't push me to the brink. If you really push me too far, it'll be a fight to the death. If I don't fare well, then nobody will either!"
"If I dare to break off the engagement, it proves that I no longer have any improper thoughts about you. If I do, I will die a horrible death. You should also be quick and decisive. You, Miss Xia, have plenty of men who love you. You don't need me. Don't think that just because I owe you something, I have to grovel before you for the rest of my life!"
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