Chapter 13: Criteria for choosing a spouse
Chapter 13: Criteria for choosing a spouse
When Yan Zhen woke up, she felt empty inside, and her mind was filled with the lonely figure of Chen Huaixu squatting outside the door and kneading chocolate.
Her action of pushing him out of the door was obviously like a knife stabbing his heart, further alienating the relationship between the two people that had just become close.
For several days afterwards, Chen Huaixu did not contact her.
When we were in western Sichuan, I told her that we would meet every day after I came back, but now he doesn’t even want the car that he left at her house.
However, after he stopped looking for her, she realized that all the interactions between them were due to his initiative.
When she went on a trip, he would travel thousands of miles to see her; when one of them was studying and the other was working, and they couldn't see each other on weekdays, he would drive over to see her after get off work; when a friend casually sent a message saying she missed him through her, he knew it was a joke, but he still rushed over immediately...
The distance between the two people was a bit far, but he almost walked the entire distance alone just to be close to her.
Yan Zhen stared at Chen Huaixu's profile picture on WeChat, reading his last reply in the chat box, repeatedly debating whether to send a message. Even while eating breakfast, she was a little absent-minded. Aunt Cui pointed out: "Zhenzhen, you've been a little absent-minded lately. Did something happen?"
Yan Zhen was startled and accidentally tapped her finger on the screen, pressing "Send" and sending out the draft that she had carefully considered in the dialog box.
Yan Zhen: Don’t you want your car anymore?
She wanted to withdraw it in a panic, but she remembered that even if she withdrew it, there would be a record, and if he saw it, it would only make her attempt to cover it up worse, so she simply gave up and didn't care.
Chen Huaixu quickly replied: Yes.
And then there was no further words, as if he was waiting for her to say the next words.
Yan Zhen: Do you want to come and get it yourself, or should I ask someone to deliver it to you?
Chen Huaixu: Both are fine.
Yan Zhen snorted and typed: The car has been washed. I'll ask a driver to take it to your company this afternoon.
Chen Huaixu: Sure, please contact my assistant, Mo Cheng, 13××××××××× when you arrive.
Despite such a businesslike reply, it seems he is still in a bad mood.
In the afternoon, Yan Zhen drove Chen Huaixu's car to the bottom of Hexia Building.
The building towers into the clouds, its smooth glass exterior reflects light, and people in suits come in and out, making it look like a high-end business office space.
She contacted her assistant first, and Mo Cheng replied quickly, saying that Chen Huaixu was meeting a client in the cafe downstairs and could hand it over directly to him. So Yan Zhen parked the car and walked into the cafe.
It was working hours and there were not many people in the cafe. The melodious and low music flowed like water, and the beautiful female voice told the story of the quiet afternoon.
Yan Zhen glanced around and soon spotted Chen Huaixu.
He was half leaning on the sofa, and opposite him sat a young girl who looked only eighteen or nineteen years old. She had her head lowered and her shoulders moving, as if she was crying.
Is this an intern interview? Could Chen Huaixu's infuriating mouth have made the little girl cry?
Yan Zhen was immediately curious, but she didn't want to pry into other people's privacy, so she decided to sit down somewhere farther away. Unexpectedly, before she even took a step forward, she heard the girl sobbing softly, "Brother..."
She was stunned.
Chen Huaixu is an only child, and even though I've known him for so many years, I've never heard that he has a younger sister who's this old.
Maybe she heard it wrong?
The girl sobbed intermittently, sounding particularly pitiful and heartbreaking in the quiet cafe.
"Brother... If I didn't have you... I don't know what to do... I'm really scared..."
Yan Zhen felt as if a basin of cold water was poured over her head, chilling her from the inside out.
Chen Huaixu listened silently, without refutation of the girl's address. He took a few tissues from the table and handed them to her, sighing softly, "Don't cry, leave this matter to me, don't worry."
It turns out that he is not only like this to her, but also to other young girls. He can calmly accept being called "brother" affectionately, and even whisper comforts to them, showing a completely different kind of consideration from usual.
Do they kiss and do that kind of intimate stuff?
Will Chen Huaixu also call her "baby"?
Yan Zhen didn't dare to think about it anymore.
She felt that she had really gone to great lengths, leaving the driver unused and coming here in person, hoping to appease him by offering him a car, but ended up receiving such a big gift.
I thought I liked her very much, but after trying for a long time, I couldn't get the job done with her, so I turned around and looked for another partner.
He has been so cold to her these days. It’s not that he is throwing a tantrum and waiting for her to coax him, but that he has fallen in love with someone else and has no intention of dealing with her.
The bitter feeling in her heart came up and strangled her throat, making her unable to speak.
She found herself caring deeply.
She also became selfish, selfishly hoping that Chen Huaixu would only be good to her forever.
"Miss, Miss?" A reminder sounded from behind. Yan Zhen turned around suddenly and realized that she had been standing in the middle of the aisle, blocking the way for others.
"Sorry." She responded, but was accidentally caught by Chen Huaixu who was standing beside her.
He turned around and asked in surprise, "Zhenzhen?"
The girl also looked over. Yan Zhen said nothing, turned around and walked away with a cold face.
Chen Huaixu immediately caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. She struggled for a moment but couldn't break free.
Yan Zhen stuffed the car keys into his hand and said in a firm tone: "It's your car. I'm leaving."
Chen Huaixu's grip tightened, clearly not wanting to let her go. He asked, "Did you drive here?"
After all, they were in the coffee shop downstairs from his company, and his subordinates might be among the people coming and going. Yan Zhen didn't want to lose face or cause embarrassment, so he didn't struggle and whispered, "Let me go."
The girl saw them arguing, stood up, and looked over worriedly. Yan Zhen turned her head away in an upset tone, saying sourly, "Why are you arguing with me instead of entertaining the guests?"
Without waiting for his answer, she couldn't help but complain in a low voice: "Chen Huaixu, I hate you, I really hate you."
There was a hint of crying in his voice.
If Chen Huaixu can't hear it anymore, he will have lived all these years in vain.
"She's my half-sister. She came to see me because my mother is sick. I'll explain the details to you later." Chen Huaixu took out his phone and called Mo Cheng. "Go to the office upstairs and wait for me. Baby, I'll be right back when I'm done."
Yan Zhen didn't expect this answer and was stunned for a moment. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a few words from her throat: "But I've never heard of it..."
"Because we haven't been in touch for a long time, there's nothing to talk about right now."
He stuffed the car keys back into her palm and said, "Wait for me, okay? I'll talk to her, have my assistant send her off, and then I'll come right back to you. Five minutes."
When she said nothing, he added, "Trust me."
But towards her, he didn't want her to have any misunderstandings.
"Our company's offices are located on the 31st to 35th floors of this office building. Mr. Chen's office is on the 35th floor. I'll take you there now."
The numbers in the elevator kept jumping. The woman who led Yan Zhen upstairs introduced her to her while secretly looking at her through the glass mirror on the side.
When the elevator reached the 35th floor, the Hexia logo was the first thing that caught my eye. It was gray and black, giving it a cool and sharp futuristic feel. If you didn’t know, you might have thought it was some kind of technology company.
Very much in the style of Chen Huaixu.
The woman walked forward and swiped her card. The glass door slowly opened, revealing the extra-large flat office area without any obstruction.
People, some relaxed, some serious, wandered among the connected desks, their every gesture exuding a calm, elite air. Groups of three or four gathered on sofas by the window for meetings, coffee on the coffee table, laptops on their laps, and the occasional chatter of Chinese and English mingled with conversation.
Although Yan Zhen did not participate in their work, she could feel a sense of oppression at a fast pace just by watching.
"This way."
Yan Zhen's appearance immediately attracted a lot of attention. She could feel the surrounding discussions quiet down a bit, and countless inquiring glances were cast at her, making her inexplicably nervous.
Everyone noticed a strange young beauty suddenly appeared in the office. She was so attractive that they thought she was a new intern. Just as they were about to check which department had the honor of welcoming such a beautiful girl, they saw her being led all the way to the -
Chen Huaixu's office.
Chen Huaixu never brings interns with him. Even when he receives guests, he will directly lead them into the reception room to entertain them.
Considering the boss's usually cold face that showed he was not interested in women, the crowd became curious for a moment.
Yan Zhen felt uneasy and walked into Chen Huaixu's office with her head held high. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the door behind her closed and silence returned.
The interior is spacious and bright, with a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of light. Outside the windows are tall buildings, and the bustling CBD (Central Business District) is in full view.
The dark, square desk had sharp corners. Though it was filled with numerous documents, they were neatly organized and categorized. The computer screen was frozen on the lock screen, and the coffee beside him was still warm, looking as if he had been called away mid-work.
Yan Zhen walked around his office for a while, then went to the door, put his fingertips into the gap between the blinds, and glanced at the office area filled with noisy footsteps.
Looks so busy.
Chen Huaixu kept his word. Less than five minutes after Yan Zhen sat down, when the tea was still hot, he appeared at the door.
The two looked at each other silently, he closed the office door with his backhand, walked straight to her and sat down.
She was still a little unhappy and moved to the side, as if trying to avoid him. Chen Huaixu held her wrist and explained, "Her name is Zhou Wan. She's my mother's daughter after remarrying. She's going to take the college entrance exam this year. A few days ago, my mother suddenly fainted at home. She went to the hospital for a checkup and it was probably cancer. Her family was afraid they couldn't afford treatment, so they came directly to my company, wanting to see me and begging me to save my mother."
The word "cancer" was too cruel. Yan Zhen opened her mouth, wanting to say something but couldn't.
No wonder the girl cried and said she didn’t know what to do without Chen Huaixu. No wonder Chen Huaixu said he would take care of everything and told her not to be afraid. So that’s how it is.
She lowered her eyelashes and asked softly, "Auntie...how is she doing now?"
"We'll arrange for her to be transferred to another hospital in the next two days. We'll first conduct a thorough examination to determine the cause of her illness." Chen Huaixu leaned over to hug her and gently coaxed her, "Are you still angry?"
She said nothing, but gently rested her cheek against his shoulder.
Chen Huaixu thought for a moment and continued, "My parents divorced when I was six. I'm the product of their failed marriage. They didn't want me, so I was raised by my grandfather."
Yan Zhen had heard of these.
"At that time, my grandfather lied to me and said that my parents were working away from home and would be back soon. As long as I was obedient and had good grades, they would be very happy when they came back and would never leave again." His voice was very calm, as calm as if he was not narrating his own story. "I waited for four years, and then I couldn't wait any longer. I took the pocket money I had saved, found a weekend, and secretly took a bus to my grandmother's house. I found out that my mother had a new family and a new child. She smiled happily. I had never seen her smile like that before.
"I was shocked and in pain. I wanted to find my father and ask his mother why she didn't want us anymore. My grandfather tried to stop me. Then I found out that my father also had a new family and a new child.
"I felt like a piece of trash, completely abandoned. No matter how hard I tried, how obedient I was, or how good my grades were, I would never see my parents come back."
Yan Zhen grew up in the love of her parents and could not imagine what she would be like if she lost this love.
Her throat felt dry, and she said, "Chen Huaixu..."
"My grandfather passed away when I was in high school, and the only relative in the world who cared about me was gone." He wrapped her coat tighter and wiped the tears from her eyes with his fingertips. "Actually, when I first saw Yan Zhao, I felt very inferior. He was born as the heir that everyone admired. He had everything I didn't have: the love of his parents, a happy family, a smooth life, and most importantly -"
He paused, as if joking: "He has such a lovely sister."
Yan Zhen hit him and said, "What are you talking about!"
Chen Huaixu hugged her tighter. Yan Zhen did not struggle. Her fingers gently stroked his back, as if to comfort him.
“It’s true, you probably don’t know how much you mean to me.
"I've never enjoyed much love since I was a child. My friends and classmates all say that I'm a very cold person. I also feel that my life is very boring. I think that constantly setting goals for myself and then completing them is my fate. Until I met you.
"I often wonder how someone can be so pure and carefree. My mood brightens when I see you. It's always so easy when I'm with you. Sometimes I don't even realize it, but I'm always smiling when I'm with you."
His peaceful life was disturbed by her vividness. The monotonous world of black, white and gray was filled with colorful colors because of her intrusion.
His feelings were never formed overnight. The initial attraction he felt when they first met, and the gradual discovery of her tender and lovely heart beneath her pampered exterior, gradually became a deep mark that could never be erased.
"So sometimes I really can't help but tease you. Isn't that mean?"
Yan Zhen: “…”
She pinched him and said, "You should have been packed up with Yan Zhao and taught a lesson by my mother."
Yan Zhao was a very bad boy when he was young and he often teased her.
For example, he lied to Yan Zhen when she went home from elementary school and said that he had eaten the chestnut cake he prepared for her, which made her stunned for a while. When she was about to go and complain, he brought the cake out again, saw her crying and laughing, pinched her cheeks, and laughed at her for being a "glutton" and a "spoiled crybaby."
Because of this, Yan Zhao was often beaten and scolded by his mother.
Chen Huaixu smiled and said, "I envy your family atmosphere. Every year when I spend the New Year alone, although I don't say it, I actually long for some warmth, even if it's just a little bit.
"But then I figured it out. If I don't have it, I'll fight for it. As long as I work hard, I can definitely get what I want." His voice was soft but firm enough. "It was this belief that kept me going all the way through school, including founding Hexia and getting to where I am today."
Yan Zhen listened quietly, but it felt like waves were surging in her heart.
The warm sunlight outside the window filled the office with warmth. Light like broken gold streamed in, and even tiny golden dust particles lurked in the air.
She asked softly, "Have you got what you wanted now?"
"Not yet, not even close. What I want most, I haven't got yet."
"Baby," he hugged her tightly and asked in a low voice, "Do you want me?"
He took off all his disguises and defenses and showed her his true heart.
He asked her if she wanted him, as if to say that if she didn't, then he would be treated as trash again like when he was a child, completely abandoned in the darkness, and would never be able to escape.
The office was very quiet, so quiet that you could clearly hear the two people's breathing, rising and falling, interweaving continuously.
Yan Zhen didn't say anything, but just grabbed his clothes tightly with her fingertips.
After a long while, she spoke sullenly, "You know what? You remind me of Chocolate. The first time I saw Chocolate, it was so small, curled up in a ball and thrown in a corner. It was raining, and I didn't want to bother with it, but it kept following me, giggling like an idiot. Finally, I took it home."
Chen Huaixu chuckled softly and said, "After all, I'm its father, so it's only natural for it to resemble me."
Yan Zhen understood his hidden meaning and pinched his waist again in anger, saying, "Who allowed you to be Chocolate's father?"
"I will be a good father." He leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. "Baby, can you give me a chance?"
It seemed as if his focused gaze always held only her, and his gentle tone, completely different from the usual, made her realize she had no way of refusing.
She breathed softly, pursed her lips and said, "Is this the question you wanted to ask me? About the game."
"I guess so."
"Then ask me again when the time comes," she said firmly, "and I'll give you the answer."
"Well," he sighed softly, "I also don't think this is the right occasion."
Today it was all due to his emotions, which made him pour out everything in his heart to her, but expressing his feelings should have been done in a more formal and romantic setting.
He acted on impulse.
When the two came out of the office, it was already dark.
Many of the seats outside were empty, with only a few people still working at their workstations. The cleaning ladies were walking back and forth with mops and garbage bags, and the rustling sounds echoed in the empty floors, giving a sense of desolation as if a show had ended.
Yan Zhen followed Chen Huaixu into the elevator. Just as the door was about to close, she heard someone running outside: "Wait a minute!"
Chen Huaixu reached out and pressed the button in time to stop the elevator door from closing.
A man arrived, holding a briefcase in his arms, and gasped breathlessly: "Thank you, thank you, thank you very much--"
Before he finished speaking, he looked up and saw the people in the elevator and was stunned for a moment.
Yan Zhen could clearly feel that he immediately became tense, his back straightened, and he stepped into the elevator stiffly.
Suddenly meeting the boss in the company's elevator was probably similar to Yan Zhen meeting her mentor. She could understand his feelings very well.
"Hello, Mr. Chen."
Chen Huaixu responded politely: "Good evening."
The man blocked the elevator door and said with embarrassment, "Sorry, Mr. Chen, could you please wait a moment? There are a few colleagues behind us. They just finished a meeting and are in a hurry to catch the shuttle bus."
Chen Huaixu hummed and said, "It's okay, we're not in a hurry."
us.
The man keenly caught the word, and his eyes unconsciously moved to Yan Zhen beside him. Although the two were very far away and looked like strangers, it was hard not to be suspicious since they were the only two people in the elevator.
Feeling his gaze, Yan Zhen pretended to look away as if nothing had happened. The man also realized his impoliteness and turned away awkwardly, coughing twice.
More hurried footsteps soon arrived outside the elevator door. They were noisy and bustling, but upon seeing Chen Huaixu, they all pressed the mute button without exception.
Everyone's attitude changed 180 degrees. They greeted each other politely, put away their relaxed attitude, and stepped into the elevator in an orderly manner.
More and more people gathered, and Yan Zhen kept retreating, being forced into a corner. At this moment, Chen Huaixu reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him, and before the crowd filled up, he protected her behind him.
The surroundings suddenly became quieter.
The elevator door slowly closed, and silence reigned. Everyone pricked up their ears. Some, ostensibly clutching their phones, were actually already distracted, their gazes flicking to the corners, intentionally or unintentionally.
The elevator ride to the 35th floor had never felt so long to her.
In the silence, someone suddenly opened the WeChat voice chat, and a surprised female voice rang out: "Chen Huaixu brought a woman to the company? No wonder I heard people on the 35th floor say today-"
The voice stopped abruptly and the audio was hastily stopped.
A complete scene of social death.
Yan Zhen didn't know for a moment whether the other party was more embarrassed or she, the person involved, was more embarrassed.
"It's my girlfriend." Chen Huaixu spoke at the right time, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
Yan Zhen was stunned. ×|
He held her fingers and made physical advances with her in front of all his colleagues without hesitation. A rare smile appeared on his face as he said, "It took a long time to finally catch her. Everyone, please bear with me. She's shy, so don't scare her away."
Only after walking to the parking lot did Yan Zhen calm down a little.
"Who's your girlfriend?" She turned her face away and muttered, "I haven't promised you yet."
After Chen Huaixu finished speaking, she could clearly feel that the way they looked at her had changed.
Envy, surprise, admiration...
If nothing unexpected happens, this news will spread throughout Hexia tomorrow morning.
"You don't have to make it public so early." Yan Zhen said, "This way, if we don't succeed, or if you regret it, your name grass can have another owner."
Chen Huaixu placed his hand against hers, interlocking their fingers tightly, and said, "There won't be anyone else. No matter what time, I will only be yours."
The night outside the window was colorful. The car merged into the traffic flow, leaving the roadside lights behind one after another.
Yan Zhao called at this time: "Are you home? I'll pick you up."
Yan Zhen glanced at Chen Huaixu who was driving and replied, "What's wrong?"
"Mom and Dad's flight will arrive in Ningchuan tonight. I reminded you last time, you didn't forget, did you?"
"Tonight?" Yan Zhen was shocked. She frantically turned on the hands-free mode and checked her calendar. She said in frustration, "Oh no, I made a mistake!"
"It's okay, there's still time." Yan Zhao's voice was still nonchalant, "I just got off work, I'll go home and pick you up later."
With the hands-free mode on, Chen Huaixu could naturally hear the voice. He gripped the steering wheel and said as he drove, "I'm taking Zhenzhen out for dinner now. I'll send you the address later. You can come directly to the restaurant. Or I can take her directly to the airport."
Hearing Chen Huaixu's voice, the person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's only been a few days?"
Yan Zhen instantly understood what Yan Zhao meant.
A few days ago, she refused to admit the relationship in front of him, but the next day, the two of them were together again.
She turned her head to look out the window and covered her hot face.
The car stopped. Chen Huaixu glanced at his watch and said, "We need to hurry up. I'll have something to eat with you."
Yan Zhen grabbed his sleeve, preventing him from getting out of the car, and leaned over to hug him.
Chen Huaixu was a little surprised, but he still naturally reached out his hand to hold her waist, holding her in his arms, tilting his head to kiss her lips, touching the skin behind her ear with his fingertips, and said in an intimate tone with a low laugh: "Why are you so clingy?"
"Is this what you call clinging?" She frowned and said dissatisfiedly, "Then you'd better give up quickly, or I'll cling to you to death in the future."
"I couldn't ask for more." He touched the back of her head and couldn't help but kiss her. "The more you stick to me, the better."
Yan Zhen leaned on his shoulder and finally expressed her worries: "My mother is back. Before I deal with her, we should not meet for the time being. You should stay out of the spotlight."
Chen Huaixu: "What?"
Yan Zhen added sadly, "My mom... doesn't like you like this. If you expose it too early, we'll all be doomed."
After saying that, she kissed him on the lips and soothed him, "Be obedient and don't be angry."
At 9:30 in the evening, the brother and sister waited for Yan's father and mother at Ningchuan Airport.
Although Ms. Yan Hui is over 50, she has taken excellent care of herself, and her youthful beauty still evokes her. With a slender figure and a steady pace, she exudes the aura of a superior.
Yan's father Duan Zheng followed behind her, dragging a heavy suitcase with a gentle smile on his face.
"Dad, Mom!" Yan Zhen rushed over and hugged Yan Hui's arms affectionately, "I missed you so much!"
"Miss me?" Yan Hui tapped her between the eyebrows, a smile on her lips. "I've seen your circle of friends, you're always traveling and sightseeing. You've long forgotten what a mother like me looks like."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Yan Zhao standing beside her, and her expression suddenly became displeased.
Yan Zhao smiled and said, "Dad, Mom."
"Oh, I thought you'd forgotten me, your mother." Yan Hui sneered, "I'm retired, not dead. How did you come up with such a thankless and stupid decision as acquiring IH? When I heard the news in Egypt, I was so angry that I almost lay in the coffin with the mummy."
Yan Zhao lazily put his hands in his pockets and said nonchalantly, "Mom, you don't understand. This is called using a small amount to gain a big advantage."
"What are you fighting for?"
"I'll get you a daughter-in-law."
Yan Hui laughed angrily, "You're trying to fool me again. I've seen through you for so many years. You've lied to me every year that I'd find someone soon, but what happened? You're 27 years old now, and I haven't even seen the shadow of a woman. Don't try to change the subject this time. You must give me a reasonable reason for the acquisition."
Duan Zheng hurriedly stepped out to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, you two haven't seen each other for a long time, don't start discussing company matters right away."
Yan Zhen also echoed: "By the way, Mom, why did you come back so early this time? Didn't you say you would wait until summer?"
Yan Hui glanced at her son, tossed him her handbag, and replied, "Grandpa Liang's 70th birthday is coming up soon. After all, he's an old friend of your grandfather's. Given our friendship, I have to attend no matter what."
"Oh." Yan Zhen replied in a long voice.
"I guess the Liang family will want to talk to me about you and the Liang family's son this time. I heard that he has also returned to China?" Yan Hui said as she walked outside.
Yan Zhen stopped and Yan Zhao patted her shoulder from behind.
"What's wrong?" Yan Hui looked at her and smiled. "Didn't I hear you say every day when I was little that you would marry your prince charming in the future?"
"Those were just random things I said when I was little. How could you believe them, Mom? Besides, I'm still young, I wouldn't—"
"Alright, alright," Yan Hui soothed gently, "I was just kidding. Your lifelong event is so important, of course you have to decide for yourself."
Yan Zhen asked tentatively: "Can I really decide for myself?"
Yan Zhao pulled up the back seat, and Duan Zheng and Yan Hui got in one after another. Yan Hui said, "You can pick whatever you want, and Mom will check it for you. If you can't pass my test, it's absolutely not acceptable."
After Yan's father and mother came back, the villa became noticeably more lively.
Yan Hui was too lazy to attend those hypocritical gatherings of rich ladies. She only went out for afternoon tea with friends occasionally. She spent the rest of her time at home arranging flowers, walking the dog, and doing yoga, living a comfortable life in retirement.
Duan Zheng is the director of the Ningchuan City Museum and a visiting professor in the History Department of Ningchuan University. After Yan Hui handed the Yan family over to Yan Zhao, Duan Zheng resigned to accompany her abroad to enjoy life. However, neither the museum nor the university wanted to lose him and retained his position, hoping that he could return at any time. Duan Zheng felt bad about it, and since he truly loved archaeology and history, he has been running back and forth between the museum and the university since returning to Ningchuan, becoming the busiest person in the family besides Yan Zhao.
Yan Zhen has turned down some invitations from friends these days and stayed at home with her parents. In addition, the date for her thesis defense has been set, so she has to focus and prepare well.
Since that day, she and Chen Huaixu really haven't seen each other again, but they do send a lot of WeChat messages every day. Although most of them are very meaningless and childish conversations, she never gets tired of it.
Yan Zhen: Let me show you my family’s lunch today. Guess which one I made?
Chen Huaixu: Eggplant.
Yan Zhen: Why?
Chen Huaixu: Normally fried eggplant will not be this color. You fried it too burnt.
Yan Zhen: ...
Yan Zhen:?
Yan Zhen: Why do you think I was the one who cooked it if it was burnt?
Chen Huaixu: Did I guess wrong?
Yan Zhen: No.
After a while, Yan Zhen said: "So boring. What are you having for dinner?"
Chen Huaixu must have been busy, and he replied half an hour later: I plan to eat eggplant tonight.
Yan Zhen: ...
He sent another message: Zhenzhen, can we video chat tonight?
Yan Zhen:?
Chen Huaixu: We haven’t seen each other for five days.
Yan Zhen leaned on the sofa, holding the phone, looking at these words, the corners of his lips rose unconsciously, and he couldn't help himself.
Yan Hui, who was sitting next to him, glanced at him and said, "Who are you chatting with that makes you laugh like that?"
She hurriedly closed WeChat and casually opened the video app, pretending to be calm and saying, "I'm watching a video. I just saw a funny clip."
"Really?" Yan Hui's eyes fell on her fingers. She was typing quickly just now, clearly chatting.
But she didn't expose it: "Going back to school tomorrow?"
"Well, the college requires you to attend lectures."
"Grandpa Liang's birthday party is this weekend, remember?"
"Of course, I'll go." Yan Zhen curled up on the sofa, stepping on the cushions with her toes. "Liang Yu even called me."
Yan Hui nodded and said, "Just remember it."
As the school anniversary is approaching, Ningchuan University has replaced the banners and flags on campus early on. They look neat and uniform at a glance, which sets the atmosphere to the extreme.
Yan Zhen returned to school today because she had received a notice requiring all graduates from the School of Economics and Management to attend a lecture. This kind of thing was all too common in the school, where they usually just found a random classmate to sign in on their behalf, but this time the school was very firm. It was said that the guest was very difficult to invite, so they insisted that all students attend.
As Yan Zhen opened the dormitory door, she grumbled idly, "What's so hard about inviting guests? I think they're just afraid the room won't be full, and then the scene will look too awkward, so they're forcing us to attend."
She pushed open the door, and the dormitory was silent. She took a few steps inside, but there was no one there. She turned around and glanced at her desk. The desk was covered with all kinds of things that didn't belong to her: lotions, creams, foundation, mirrors... It was like it was being used as a storage space. There were even two quilts on the bed, and she didn't know whose they belonged to.
Yan Zhen had been renting a room outside since she started school. Although she didn't live in the dorm all the time, she would occasionally stay overnight if her evening classes ended late and she had an early class the next day. Now, someone was just casually occupying her place without her permission, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. But she didn't get angry. She walked to the bookshelf and was about to pick up a professional book when she heard laughter coming from behind the curtains of the bed opposite.
"Jiang Yi?" she asked hesitantly.
"Hey!" someone answered, and then a face popped out from behind the curtain, "Zhenzhen, you're back? I was watching a variety show."
Jiang Yi glanced at Yan Zhen's position and felt a little guilty. He quickly climbed down from the bed and said, "I'm so sorry, these things belong to them. Because I thought you wouldn't come back to live here, so..."
Yan Zhen pulled out a professional book and stuffed it into her bag, saying, "It's okay. Was everything okay with the volunteer incident last time?"
"No problem, I was just about to say that. Thank you so much for helping me. I wanted to treat you to a meal, but you're not here. Why not today? Let's go have lunch and then come back for the lecture."
Yan Zhen glanced at the other two empty bunks and asked, "Are they not going?"
"I don't know," Jiang Yi shrugged. "One is interning at the company, and the other is busy traveling abroad. They both leave early and come back late. We haven't communicated for a long time."
"Then let's go."
Jiang Yi packed up, and the two of them walked out of the dormitory building side by side, all the way to the back door of the school. Across from the back door was the commercial street, which was extremely lively at night but seemed a bit deserted at noon.
Jiang Yi took her to a home-style restaurant and ordered a few dishes. Yan Zhen was not picky and ate quietly. Suddenly, she heard Jiang Yi sigh: "Time flies so fast. It's been four years in a blink of an eye, and we are about to graduate."
Yan Zhen swallowed his food, smiled, and said, "Didn't you get into graduate school? You still have to stay for another three years."
"That being said, I'm a little sad that all my classmates have gone their separate ways. Even though we're in the same dormitory..." She hesitated, "We're classmates after all, and I don't know when we'll see each other again."
Yan Zhen didn't seem to be reluctant to leave. He took a sip of his drink and said nothing.
Jiang Yi looked at her, thought for a moment, and decided to speak out: "Zhenzhen, I've always thought you were a good person, but you don't like to defend yourself, which has led to some misunderstandings about you. There have been many class gatherings before, and some people said they wanted to invite you, but someone always retorted: 'You are the daughter of a group, how can you condescend to come to this small restaurant?' But today I invited you here, and you didn't even frown, and you still ate happily. It was the same last time you were a volunteer. Later, I heard that they asked you to pour tea, and I was really shocked, because in my impression, you would never do such a thing, but to help me, you still did it.
"So sometimes I feel like they just don't know you well enough. Based on their impression of you, they think you're high and mighty, relying on your wealth and beauty to look down on others. They gossip about you behind your back, but you never take it personally."
"What's there to worry about? We're almost graduating."
"You have a really big heart." Jiang Yi smiled, then sighed, "I can't do that. I always care too much about what others think."
After lunch, the sun was shining brightly, and the two of them strolled along the tree-lined path on campus. Jiang Yi rambled on about the school gossip that had been going on recently, and said that they had to get to today's lecture early to avoid being unable to get a seat. Yan Zhen was very confused when she heard this: "There haven't been many lectures that have been full before, right? And this time, in the auditorium, there are more than enough seats. How could it be possible that we couldn't get a seat?"
Jiang Yi asked in surprise, "You don't know who's coming today? I heard a lot of girls from the external colleges are coming to attend the lecture."
"Who's coming?" Yan Zhen's phone rang in her pocket. She picked it up and said, "I just received a notice saying that to celebrate the school anniversary, the college has made a great effort to invite many well-known entrepreneurs to hold a series of theme lectures. Today is the first one, and everyone is required to attend."
After that, she picked up the phone: "Hello?"
Jiang Yi watched her talking on the phone and never found a chance to answer.
"The teacher asked me to deliver the documents." After hanging up the phone, Yan Zhen looked at Jiang Yi, "Why don't you go to the auditorium first? I'll come find you after I'm done."
Jiang Yi nodded and said, "Then I'll be leaving first. Bye."
Yan Zhen returned to the dormitory to retrieve the documents, rushed to the college building, and took the elevator all the way up to the floor where the administrative offices were located.
The office building was a little deserted in the afternoon. She could hear her own footsteps clearly echoing in the empty corridor, like jumping notes.
Turning a corner, the notes were instantly overwhelmed by a louder, more clamorous rhythm. She paused and saw from afar a group of dark figures appear at the other end of the corridor, instantly filling the narrow aisle. The one leading them seemed to be the professor of one of her classes.
Yan Zhen couldn't go forward or backward, so he had to stop and turn slightly to let these people pass first.
The chaotic footsteps were getting closer and closer, and intermittent conversations also reached her ears -
"This floor is our administrative center. The administrative offices are located here, and there is also a large conference hall..."
It sounds like an introduction to someone.
She lowered her head, hoping these people would pass by quickly.
"This conference hall isn't the venue for our speech today. After showing Mr. Chen around, we'll head to the auditorium..."
Catching the key words, Yan Zhen subconsciously raised her head and happened to meet a pair of dark eyes.
The person she met through the screen last night was now standing in front of her, looking at her sideways.
Chen Huaixu curled the corners of his lips slightly.
However, the smile at that moment seemed to be just an illusion. When Yan Zhen looked again, Chen Huaixu had turned back. With a calm expression, he continued to walk forward surrounded by the crowd and soon disappeared at the end of the corridor.
It seemed like just a chance encounter.
After delivering the documents, Yan Zhen rushed to the auditorium. Just as Jiang Yi had said, even though the class was still twenty minutes away from starting, the crowd had already completely packed the hallway, even the aisles. She signed in with the monitor, then struggled to find Jiang Yi and sat down next to her.
But not long after she sat down, the monitor came over, patted her shoulder, and whispered in her ear in a low voice: "Professor Li wants you to go to the backstage lounge."
"Me?" Yan Zhen was a little confused. "What do you want from me?"
"I don't know either. Go quickly."
She had no choice but to stand up and walk backstage against the flow of people.
Yan Zhen knocked on the lounge door and waited for a few seconds. The door opened from the inside, and light instantly poured in. She was met with a familiar face.
It’s Chen Huaixu’s assistant whom I met last time.
Mo Cheng was obviously surprised to see Yan Zhen. He looked at her, then turned to look at Chen Huaixu, as if he had no idea why Yan Zhen was here.
While the two of them were stunned, Professor Li spoke first: "Is Yan Zhen here?"
Yan Zhen called out "Professor Li", nodded to Mo Cheng, and walked in from his side.
There were two sofas in the lounge, and on either side sat Chen Huaixu and Professor Li. Both of them had teacups in their hands, and it seemed they were chatting about something.
As soon as she entered the room, Yan Zhen felt Chen Huaixu's gaze on her. She pretended not to see him, moved closer to Professor Li, and asked, "Did you call me?"
"Yes," Professor Li waved at her cheerfully. "I was just chatting with Mr. Chen and mentioned your Yan's. Mr. Chen said he and your brother were alumni and good friends. I thought it was a coincidence that Mr. Yan's sister happens to be in our School of Economics and Management and is attending the lecture today, so I called you over to chat. You two should be familiar with each other, right?"
"I'm sorry, this is also my first time meeting Mr. Chen today." Yan Zhen smiled and finally looked at Chen Huaixu. "I've only heard my brother mention him before, but I haven't met him in person."
Professor Li was stunned, clearly not expecting this answer. He awkwardly tried to smooth things over, "Hahaha, it seems I was overthinking it. My good intentions led to my wrongdoing."
"It's okay. Since this is our first time meeting, it wouldn't hurt to get to know each other." Chen Huaixu calmly stood up from the sofa, extended his hand to her, and said politely, "Hello, Miss Yan. My name is Chen Huaixu. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Yan Zhen didn't expect Chen Huaixu to start acting so quickly. She could only pretend to extend her hand, shook it perfunctorily, and said, "Hello."
The contact of their warm palms instantly triggered a tingling electric current. Yan Zhen wanted to withdraw her hand after just one touch, and Chen Huaixu quickly let go, only deliberately scratching her palm lightly with his fingertips as he pulled away.
The subtle movement was hidden behind her hand, and Professor Li did not notice anything unusual.
Yan Zhen felt the scratched area burning like fire. She hurriedly withdrew her hand and rubbed it vigorously against the corner of her clothes. When she looked up, she saw Chen Huaixu sitting back calmly as if nothing had happened, and then turned to continue talking to Professor Li.
There was another knock on the door. Mo Cheng walked over and opened it. A voice came in: "Professor Li, we need you to go over to the audience."
"Okay, I'm coming." Professor Li answered the door and stood up, shaking hands with Chen Huaixu. "Then I'll leave first and not disturb Mr. Chen's rest. I wish you a great success in your lecture later."
Chen Huaixu nodded and said, "Take care."
Mo Cheng opened the door and politely escorted Professor Li out. Yan Zhen followed him out the door. Just as she was about to reach the door, a hand was quicker than hers and slammed the door to the lounge shut, isolating her from everything outside.
Before she could react, an embrace came from behind, pressing her against the door with her back against it.
They had just pretended to be strangers in front of others, but as soon as the door closed, the two of them got entangled with each other.
"How long will it take?" He lowered his head and asked in her ear.
"What?"
Chen Huaixu pondered and said, "If you are just worried about your mother, you can actually trust me—"
"No." Yan Zhen interrupted him, "I haven't even given you a name yet, and you're already thinking about meeting my mother?"
"I regret it." He leaned against her cheek and sighed softly, "When I set the game time, I should have made it shorter."
Yan Zhen felt sweet inside, but she didn't show it. She asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to the lecture today?"
The two of them had a video call last night, but Chen Huaixu didn't even mention it.
"I've got a surprise for you."
He wanted to lower his head to kiss her, but Yan Zhen turned her head away and said, "The lecture is about to begin..."
"Because it's about to start, we have to hurry up."
He turned her around, held the back of her head and kissed her.
Having not seen each other for many days, Chen Huaixu kissed her extra hard. Yan Zhen couldn't bear it any longer and pushed him away, but he pressed her tighter.
Until there was a knock on the door behind him.
"Boss, the lecture is about to begin."
Chen Huaixu then slowly let her go, kissed her moist lips with an unsatisfied look, and whispered, "Wait for me after the lecture."
Yan Zhen tried to calm down and said, "No, I have to go home tonight."
"Can't we even have a meal together?"
"Let's talk about it later." She pushed his shoulder, "Go quickly, don't be late."
He didn't say anything else, just rubbed her nose affectionately, tidied his appearance, then opened the door and went out.
Yan Zhen paused in the lounge for a long time before getting up and leaving. Fearing she would attract attention, she quietly slipped out of the auditorium through the back door, made a long detour, and went to the restroom, which took quite a while, before finally entering through the side door of the auditorium.
Under the bright lights, a tall man in a suit and tie was giving a speech with ease on the stage, and the audience burst into warm applause from time to time.
She bent over and quickly returned to her seat. Jiang Yi asked curiously: "Why did you take so long? You missed the front, what a pity!"
Yan Zhen sat down, raised her head, and happened to see Chen Huaixu's eyes passing over her.
"Nothing, I went to the bathroom and was delayed for a while."
She even put on some makeup. The kiss was so intense that even her lipstick was eaten away.
Yan Zhen looked at the meticulous, serious person on the stage again.
What a scumbag.
Yan Zhen sat in his seat, his gaze following everyone else's to the center of the stage, where the beams of light converged.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time she had calmed down and carefully examined Chen Huaixu.
Even though the two of them had kissed so intimately not long ago.
A sharp, tailored suit outlined his broad shoulders and long legs. His shirt collar was buttoned meticulously to the top, neatly bound and fastened by his tie, giving off a sense of abstinence and aloofness. Above him was a handsome face, with sharp angular features, a high nose bridge, and dark, deep eyes. His gaze swept across the audience without emotion, then calmly retracted.
Her slender fingers held the microphone, her arm was bent, her cuffs were pulled, revealing a watch with a cool luster on her wrist, adding a touch of nobility.
Facing the dense audience below the stage, he was very calm. Holding the remote control pen, he flipped through the PPT slides and slowly talked about his insights on the venture capital industry.
Once you enter his realm, the charm he exudes is simply hard to look away.
The speech did not last long and soon entered the question-and-answer session.
This event wasn't rehearsed beforehand; it relied entirely on the active participation of the students present. In many lectures Yan Zhen had attended in the past, the final Q&A session was met with a complete silence, often supported by the professors in the front row.
But today, the students present were obviously very enthusiastic. The host looked at the raised hands and couldn't count them all. He was sweating.
Although Chen Huaixu looks aloof, he answers questions patiently. When a student directly asked, "I didn't get a chance to apply to Hexia during the spring recruitment. Can you give me another chance?", he replied earnestly, "Thank you for your recognition of Hexia. I also welcome all outstanding students to join us. After the recruitment, you can send your resume to the HR email address. We will carefully screen them."
Perhaps it was his gentle attitude that gave people courage. One girl stood up and boldly asked, "You just mentioned a lot of standards in your speech, such as industry standards and market standards. I'd like to ask what your criteria are for choosing a partner?"
The whole audience was stunned for a moment, but soon everyone laughed knowingly. The whole audience burst into applause, and some even whistled.
The audience was full of young college students, who were obviously very interested in gossip.
Professor Li, who was sitting in the first row, could no longer sit still. He stood up and looked in the direction of the questioner, his brows almost twisted into knots.
Jiang Yi was shocked and said, "That's a really bold question. But it seems he's not from our hospital, otherwise, I'd definitely be dragged away by Old Li for a heart-to-heart talk, which would take at least an hour."
Changing the subject, she continued, "I'm also curious about this question, but Chen Huaixu is so smart, he'll either evade it or be vague. He can't possibly tell the truth in public."
Chen Huaixu was clearly accustomed to this kind of question and showed no surprise. After the applause died down, facing the countless pairs of inquiring eyes from the audience, he slowly spoke, "First of all, thank you for your question.
"As for my criteria for choosing a partner," he paused, his hands casually shoving into his pockets. "Actually, I don't have fixed standards. I also believe that people shouldn't be confined by so-called standards. Just be yourself. I'll be the one who's forever attracted to her self."
He held the microphone, his eyes fixed accurately on Yan Zhen, and their gazes met silently in the air.
Even though there were so many spectators in the audience, Yan Zhen inexplicably felt from his eyes that those were sweet words spoken only to her.
Everything seemed to be still and distant at this moment, blurring into insignificant blocks of color, like a slow motion shot in a movie, with only him and her frozen in this moment.
He was on the stage and she was below.
In the sea of people, I can only see you.
Chen Huaixu's gaze stayed on Yan Zhen for only a moment, then moved away. He scanned the entire audience again and said "thank you", which ended his answer.
There was no joking around, no actual enumeration. His tone was calm and steady, as he announced his personal rules with the tone of a theoretical exposition, as if it were a matter of course and the most normal thing.
No one expected that he would answer this question so seriously. They were all shocked, and then broke into even more enthusiastic applause.
"Oh my god! I didn't expect this answer! Isn't he a little too good?!"
"That's a perfect answer, right?... He's so much better than those men who say they need to be sensible and smart and set certain expectations for women."
"Help, help, help, he just looked in our direction!"
The surroundings were in an uproar, but Yan Zhen silently lowered his head and bit the straw.
My heart is beating so fast.
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