Time rewound to the afternoon.
Liu Ruyan walked with slightly slow steps into the CEO’s office on the top floor.
Her face still carried the cold composure of an iceberg CEO, but only she knew that every step she took felt strange.
The moment she sat down on her custom-made office chair, she couldn’t help frowning and inhaled sharply.
That man was… just too much.
But in the very next second, the trace of pain on her face vanished, replaced by a foolishly sweet smile she couldn’t hide.
What was this tiny price worth?
After all, this was the best proof that she, Liu Ruyan, had given herself completely to the man she had loved for over twenty years.
She carefully took out the brand-new marriage certificate from her limited-edition Hermès bag.
She opened it and stared at the slightly stiff-looking photo of the two of them, giggling foolishly.
After laughing for quite a while, she suddenly remembered something.
Such great news had to be shared!
She immediately took out her phone and dialed a familiar number.
The call was answered after just two rings. A woman’s voice, lazy and teasing, came through.
“Oh? Isn’t this our ever-busy CEO Liu? Did the sun rise in the west today? You actually have time to call me?”
Hearing the voice, Liu Ruyan’s smile grew even brighter.
“Hehe, Mimi, it worked! I’ve successfully landed!”
Her voice was filled with uncontrollable joy, as if she had just won five million yuan in a lottery.
On the other end of the line, Chen Mi was lying naked on her large bed at home. Hearing this, she instantly became alert.
Chen Mi had known Liu Ruyan since high school. They shared the same tastes and gradually became inseparable best friends.
Over the years, whenever Liu Ruyan was driven crazy by that blockhead Xia Feng, she would complain to Chen Mi.
Naturally, Chen Mi became the perfect “advisor,” constantly helping her come up with ways to capture that fossil who had never once had a romantic epiphany.
Just last week, Liu Ruyan’s family had once again pressured her to go on blind dates with so-called “young elites,” nearly driving her mad.
It was Chen Mi, the queen of ideas, who slapped her thigh and came up with this plan.
“For a blockhead like him, reasoning is useless! You’ve got to go hard!
First, trick him into signing a fake marriage agreement and register it. Then find a chance to get him drunk, add a little special effect, and turn raw rice into cooked rice!
When he wakes up the next day and it’s a done deal, how could he possibly run away?”
The plan was simple and crude, but the results proved it was astonishingly effective.
“I told you my method would work, didn’t I?”
Chen Mi laughed smugly on the other end.
“You’d better treat me to a grand feast next time. No, ten feasts!”
Liu Ruyan proudly patted her full chest and agreed without hesitation.
“Forget ten meals. I’ll treat you for a lifetime!”
“Hahaha, that’s settled! I’ll eat you into bankruptcy!”
“Go ahead. If you can eat Liu Ruyan into bankruptcy, that’s your skill!”
The two women joked back and forth over the phone, laughing wildly.
After the laughter died down, Chen Mi’s tone became more serious.
“Seriously though, Ruyan, what about your family situation? You cut them off and acted first. Won’t your parents explode?”
At the mention of this, Liu Ruyan’s expression turned cold, and half of her good mood instantly vanished.
“I don’t need to care about them!”
Her voice carried undeniable determination.
“My life and my man must be chosen by me. It’s not their place to interfere!”
“If they think those men are so great, why don’t they marry them themselves? Why bother me every day!”
Hearing her domineering declaration, Chen Mi laughed.
“That’s the CEO Liu I know. Since you’ve made up your mind, go for it. I’ll always be your strongest backup. If things get out of hand, come to me. At worst, I’ll have my old man step in and help suppress things.”
“Thank you, Mimi.”
Liu Ruyan felt warmth in her heart.
“Haha, what’s with the thanks? We’re practically one person! Alright, I won’t disturb your newlywed bliss. I’m hanging up. Bye. Wishing you happiness and a baby soon!”
“Mm, bye.”
After hanging up, Chen Mi lazily stretched. The silk quilt covering her slid down, filling the room with a vivid and alluring scene.
She stared at the ceiling and murmured, “Ruyan finally ended up with the one she loves. But what about mine… where is he?”
…
After hanging up, Liu Ruyan opened another chat window.
She sent a message to her “good sister” Lin Yu, who was overseas and helping her cover things up.
“Xiaoyu, your big sister has successfully landed!”
She even added a triumphant peace-sign emoji.
She knew it was probably early dawn over there and Lin Yu was likely still asleep, so she didn’t expect an immediate reply.
After doing all this, Liu Ruyan finally put her phone away with satisfaction.
Alright. Time to focus on work.
But…
The next few hours were pure torture for Liu Ruyan.
The financial reports and project plans that usually absorbed her completely now looked like incomprehensible texts. She couldn’t focus on a single word.
Her mind replayed scenes from that morning with Xia Feng over and over.
His domineering side. His gentle side. The way he held her…
The more she thought about it, the redder her face became.
She looked at her watch more often than she looked at her documents.
“Why is it only three o’clock… time is moving so slowly…”
Ten minutes passed.
“Why is it only 3:10… why isn’t it off work yet…”
Another half hour passed.
“It’s not even four yet… I’m going crazy…”
She felt like a young girl after her first date, anxiously waiting for her boyfriend to contact her again, restless and unable to sit still.
She wished she had superpowers to fast-forward time straight to six in the evening.
In this sweet yet torturous state, Liu Ruyan finally endured until the end of the workday.
Just past six, she quickly packed up her things, neatly arranged her documents, and placed her bag within easy reach, waiting for Xia Feng’s call.
Another half hour passed.
Buzz—
Her phone finally vibrated.
Liu Ruyan felt her heartbeat skip. She grabbed her phone in a fluster.
On the screen, a contact labeled [Kissy Husband] had sent a message.
[Wife, I’m downstairs. When are you getting off work?]
The corners of Liu Ruyan’s mouth simply refused to lower.
She typed rapidly.
[I’m coming down now! Wait for me!]
After sending the message, she grabbed her already-packed bag and rushed out of the office like a gust of wind.
But because she moved too abruptly, she tugged at a spot that hadn’t fully healed.
“Hiss—”
She sucked in a breath of pain and staggered slightly.
Yet this small pain could not stop her from running toward the one she loved.
Enduring the discomfort, she almost jogged toward the private elevator reserved for the CEO.
Soon, the elevator arrived at the first-floor lobby.
Liu Ruyan immediately saw the familiar scene outside.
In a parking space not far from the company entrance, her flashy red Maserati sat quietly.
A tall, handsome man in casual clothes leaned lazily against the car door with one hand in his pocket, looking down at his phone as if waiting for someone.
The evening glow cast a golden outline over his profile, making him irresistibly handsome.
At that moment, Liu Ruyan felt her entire world light up.
Her smile bloomed like a rose at full blossom.
She walked quickly in her high heels, her voice brimming with uncontrollable joy.
“Husband, I’m here!”