After hanging up the phone, only the sound of her own breathing remained in the room.
Wen Yan pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping it tightly around her body as if it could shield her from the immense external pressure and the anxiety and unease within.
Late into the night, the lights in the room had long been turned off, leaving only the faint glow of her phone screen illuminating Wen Yan’s furrowed brow and face etched with struggle.
The neon lights of the city outside the window were distant and blurred, and the room was so quiet she could hear her own unsteady heartbeat.
Someone like Li Yanzhou, standing at the pinnacle of the business world in Xijing, wielding immense wealth and possessing a deep, unfathomable mind—how could he so easily and almost carelessly agree to a marriage after just one meeting, simply because of his grandfather’s pressure?
Even… agreeing to register the marriage in just a week?
It didn’t make sense.
Wen Yan stared at the “LYZ” with the pure black profile picture in her WeChat contacts list.
After adding him as a friend, aside from the system’s automatic notification—“You have added LYZ, now you can start chatting”—there had been no further communication.
It was as if he had added an insignificant work contact and then completely gone silent.
And yet, in a week, she would become this “contact’s” legal wife.
This realization made her feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles, restless and uneasy.
No.
At the very least, she had to ask.
Even if the answer she received might be perfunctory, it was better than being left in this unclear, passive state.
Once this thought arose, it grew overwhelmingly strong.
She took several deep breaths, as if gathering courage.
Her fingers hovered over the phone screen, trembling slightly.
She opened the chat window with him.
Her fingertips hovered over the keyboard, pressed down, lifted again, deleting and revising.
“Mr. Li, regarding next Friday’s matter, I think we need to talk.”
No, too formal, like a business meeting.
“Li Yanzhou, why did you agree to get married?”
No, too direct, like an interrogation, and addressing him by his full name felt disrespectful.
“Mr. Li, if I may ask, why did you agree to marry me?”
Alright, that’s it.
Send.
A green message bubble popped up, floating quietly in the chat window.
After sending it, it felt as if all the courage she had mustered earlier had been drained away, replaced by an even more intense heartbeat and a sense of regretful unease.
Time passed minute by minute, and he didn’t reply.
Was this too abrupt?
Would he think she was ungrateful and simply ignore her?
Maybe he was busy?
Just as Wen Yan was about to give up waiting, ready to toss her phone aside and force herself to sleep, the phone screen lit up.
It was a WeChat notification.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly grabbed her phone.
Li Yanzhou: “Are you available for a voice call?”
Wen Yan bit her lower lip and replied:
“Yes.”
A few seconds later, her phone vibrated—it was a voice call invitation.
Wen Yan’s heart rate instantly skyrocketed to an unprecedented speed.
She almost held her breath, her finger hovering over the answer button for two seconds before pressing down firmly.
She didn’t speak first, and on the other end of the call, there was only silence.
This silence carried an invisible pressure.
Finally, Li Yanzhou’s deep, steady voice came through, clearer even than when they had met face-to-face.
“Miss Wen, I thought your question was already clear enough when we were at ‘Lanting.’”
Wen Yan gripped her phone tightly, trying to keep her voice steady, not letting a single tremor slip through:
“Mr. Li, I’d like to know some more detailed reasons. I feel that, given your status and options, there doesn’t seem to be any need for you to accept such a hasty arrangement.”
After a brief silence, Li Yanzhou’s voice sounded again, still low and steady.
“Miss Wen, marriage has never been a choice based on personal preference for me.”
“It is a need, a weighing of interests, a way to solve certain problems.”
“My grandfather is getting on in years and has always hoped I would settle down as soon as possible. The board of directors and some business partners are also constantly trying to use marriage alliances to gain leverage or exert influence.”
“As for you, Miss Wen, your family background is clean, you have old ties with the Li family, your profession is related to mine but without direct conflicts of interest, your personal abilities are acceptable, and it seems you also need to marry me to deal with certain situations.”
“We each get what we need.”
Seeing that Wen Yan didn’t respond, he added:
“Miss Wen can rest assured. After we marry, I will fulfill the responsibilities expected of a husband, including but not limited to marital fidelity, material security, and support and assistance in your career.”
“I will also give you sufficient respect and personal space, and will not interfere arbitrarily with your work or social interactions.”
“In return, I hope that after marriage, Miss Wen will fulfill the corresponding duties of ‘Mrs. Li.’ Mainly, attending social occasions and maintaining the image of our stable relationship and harmonious family in public. The stock price and reputation of the Li Group cannot be compromised.”
After hearing all this, Wen Yan finally spoke:
“I understand, Mr. Li. See you next Friday.”
“See you next Friday. Any other questions?”
“No.”
“Alright, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
The call ended.
The phone screen went dark, and the room fell back into darkness and silence.
Wen Yan remained in the same position, holding her phone, sitting motionless on the bed.
Li Yanzhou’s voice seemed to still echo in her ears.
“Each gets what we need.” Perfect.