Just as the atmosphere in the private room fell into a subtle, quiet lull after the WeChat exchange—unsure of what to talk about next—a low, rhythmic vibration from a phone abruptly shattered the silence.
The sound came from Li Yanzhou’s phone.
He reached for his device, and the screen lit up, showing an incoming call labeled “Chen Xu.”
Li Yanzhou glanced at the screen but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked up, his gaze first sweeping past his own grandfather before turning to Old Master Wen. He gave a slight bow, his voice steady: “Grandpa Wen, my apologies. There’s some company business I need to attend to.”
Old Master Wen quickly waved his hand. “Of course, of course. Work comes first. Yanzhou, go ahead and handle your matters.”
Old Master Li’s smile faded slightly, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, as if displeased by the interruption during such an important “engagement” moment.
But he also understood the responsibilities on his grandson’s shoulders and could only nod. “Go ahead. Be careful on the road.”
“Yes, Grandfather,” Li Yanzhou replied. Then, his gaze shifted to Wen Yan.
He gave a slight nod, his tone still devoid of emotion. “Miss Wen, excuse me.”
“Please go ahead, President Li,” Wen Yan replied immediately, her voice equally calm.
Inwardly, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief—this was practically the best escape from this suffocating and absurd meeting.
Without another word, Li Yanzhou picked up his phone, answering the call as he strode out of the private room.
To Chen Xu on the other end of the line, he uttered only one brief word: “Speak.”
His voice, low, calm, and carrying an air of absolute control, drifted through the not-yet-fully-closed door.
Old Master Li shook his head helplessly and smiled at his old comrade-in-arms.
“You see, this kid is nothing but a workaholic. Throughout the year, he barely gets any real days off.”
“Old Wen, once Yanyan marries into our family, you’ll have to be more understanding—and keep an eye on him. Don’t let him focus solely on work and neglect his family.”
Old Master Wen naturally agreed wholeheartedly, praising Li Yanzhou for his sense of responsibility and calling him a man destined for great things.
Wen Yan listened quietly, but her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the door through which Li Yanzhou had just left.
The way he instantly shifted into work mode and took control when answering the call stood in stark contrast to his earlier silent acceptance of the arrangements.
Which one was the real him? Perhaps both were.
The sharp and decisive Li Yanzhou of the business world and the silent, compromising Li Yanzhou under the pressure of his elders were strangely fused into the same person.
“Well, since Yanzhou has matters to attend to, we shouldn’t linger either,” Old Master Li said, looking at Old Master Wen as he stood up.
“Old Wen, now that we’ve settled the children’s important matter today, half the weight in my heart has finally lifted. Next Friday—let’s both remember it!”
“We’ll remember, we’ll remember!” Old Master Wen also rose with a smile, and the two warmly shook hands again, as if they had completed a major strategic partnership.
Wen Yan followed her parents as they stood up, politely bidding farewell to Old Master Li.
Old Master Li took her hand and offered a few more words of advice—mostly along the lines of “keep in touch with Yanzhou” and “come visit often”—all of which Wen Yan acknowledged one by one.
Stepping out of the “Lanting” club, the afternoon sun was just right, with a gentle breeze brushing against her face.
Yet Wen Yan felt as if an entire lifetime had passed.
In the span of a single meal, the trajectory of her life had been forcibly steered in a new direction.
Upon returning home, Wen Yan went straight to her room and locked the door behind her.
Leaning against the cold door, her tense nerves finally relaxed completely.
She kicked off the mid-heeled leather shoes she had worn to appear more gentle and demure, stepping barefoot onto the floor. In a few strides, she threw herself onto the bed, burying her face deeply into the soft pillow, trying to push the utterly absurd “engagement dinner” out of her mind.
Yet, all the sounds and images began replaying over and over in her head.
No, she had to talk to someone, or she felt she might go crazy.
She abruptly sat up on the bed, ruffled her hair, grabbed her phone, and without hesitation dialed her best friend Su Wan.
The phone rang several times before it was answered, with some background noise suggesting a café or shopping mall.
“Hey? Yanbao, what a surprise! Calling me on a weekend without having to work overtime on your drafts?”
Su Wan’s cheerful voice came through, tinged with her usual teasing.
Hearing her friend’s familiar voice, Wen Yan’s nose suddenly stung, and her throat felt choked, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Sensing something was wrong, Su Wan quickly moved to a quieter place, her tone growing tense.
“Wanwan…” Wen Yan finally found her voice, thick with a nasal tone and unmistakable panic. “I… I’m getting married.”
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.
Then, Su Wan’s voice rose sharply, filled with disbelief:
“What?! Married?! To whom?! When did this happen?! Wen Yan, you started dating and didn’t even tell me! You’ve been hiding this well!”
A barrage of questions followed, laced with surprise and reproach. Clearly, Su Wan’s first thought was that her friend had finally “come to her senses” and found love, culminating in marriage.
“No… it’s not…” Wen Yan stammered, unsure where to begin unraveling the tangled mess. “It’s not dating… it’s a blind date…”
“A blind date?” Su Wan’s voice lowered, tinged with confusion. “When did you go on a blind date? Last time I asked, you said you’d never go on one, no matter what.”
“Just today, it’s a long story…” Wen Yan replied with difficulty, her fingers unconsciously twisting the bedsheet. “My grandpa forced me to go. It’s his old comrade’s grandson…”
Su Wan pressed further, “And then? Did you hit it off? Love at first sight? Rushing into marriage?”
Her confusion deepened—this was completely out of character for Wen Yan. “Who is this person? To have charmed our high-and-mighty host Wen Yan like this.”
Wen Yan replied, “What are you talking about? It was just forced… His name is Li Yanzhou.”
On the other end of the line, there was dead silence.
A long time passed before Su Wan’s voice came through again.
Her tone was low, carrying a sense of bewilderment and caution after being hit with overwhelming information:
“Li Yanzhou? Which Li Yanzhou? It can’t be the one from the Li Group, right…”
“Yes, it’s him.” Wen Yan’s voice was dry.
Su Wan fell silent again, this time for even longer.
When her voice finally returned, it had completely changed, filled with utter shock and absurdity:
“Wen Yan, what kind of international joke are you pulling with me?! Li Yanzhou?! That legendary Li Yanzhou who could freeze a polar bear with just one glance, whom even the Minister of Finance has to make an appointment to see?! You went on a blind date with him?! And… and got married?!”
“I’m not joking… it’s true…” Wen Yan’s voice trembled with tears. “It was arranged by our grandfathers. They’ve even picked a date…”
“What date?”
“The day to register the marriage… next Friday.”
“…”
On the other end of the phone, there was a long, suffocating silence.
Su Wan seemed completely speechless, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the information.
After a long while, she finally found her voice again. “Registering the marriage next Friday?! You… you agreed?”
“Yeah…”
Wen Yan clutched her hair in despair and slumped down on the edge of the bed.
“The two grandfathers were in perfect sync, all enthusiastic. My parents were delighted too, and Li Yanzhou nodded as well.”
“What?!” Su Wan’s voice was filled with disbelief. “That legendary Li Yanzhou, known for being cold and ruthless, indifferent to women… just… just agreed to a flash marriage with you so easily?!”
“Yeah…” Wen Yan recalled Li Yanzhou’s detached demeanor, and her heart sank even further. “And he barely said a word the whole time, icy cold, as if it had nothing to do with him! In the end, he even left early because of some company matter…”
Su Wan processed this explosive information, her tone shifting from shock to seriousness.
“This… sounds too bizarre. Someone like Li Yanzhou, how could he agree to marry just because of an arranged blind date by the elders? Unless…”
“Unless what?” Wen Yan asked.
“Unless he has his own agenda.”
Su Wan lowered her voice, analyzing the situation. “For example, does he need your family’s background? Grandpa Wen is quite influential in military and political circles.”
Wen Yan let out a bitter laugh. “My grandfather is just a retired old cadre. My dad is a university professor, and my mom is a doctor—all clean and honest. A business empire like the Li family would seek a stronger partner for an alliance marriage, wouldn’t they?”
Su Wan pondered for a moment. “…Then maybe he’s genuinely pressured by his family? Or… maybe he actually fell in love with you at first sight?”
“How is that possible!” Wen Yan immediately denied it. “He’s seen all kinds of beauties…”
Su Wan fell silent again for a while, then let out a long sigh. “No matter what, Yanbao, this is a huge deal. Have you really thought it through? Marrying a man you know nothing about, with no emotional foundation? Just to… appease your family?”
“Wanwan…” Wen Yan spoke calmly. “Tell me, if I become Li Yanzhou’s wife, the CEO of Li Group, wouldn’t things be much easier for me at the TV station?”
Su Wan was taken aback, then understood what she meant. “You… you want to use this status?”
“Yeah.” Wen Yan replied. “Anyway, I’ll have to get married sooner or later. At least Li Yanzhou is a decent candidate.”
“But Yanbao… Li Yanzhou is as cold as ice, unfathomable. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt being with him…”
Wen Yan closed her eyes. “Wanwan, I don’t want to keep hitting walls for interviews anymore. I don’t want to be squeezed out by those with connections. I don’t want to be pressured by my family about marriage anymore… If marrying him can solve all these problems once and for all, I’ll accept it.”
Su Wan let out another long sigh.
“Alright, Yan Bao, whatever you decide, I’ll support you. I hope everything goes well for you. Call me anytime you need me.”
“Mm, I know. Thank you, Wan Wan,” Wen Yan replied softly.