As the dinner gathering came to an end, Ye Zhenshu asked the server to pack up a fresh portion of candied fruit for her.
“I’m sorry, miss. The candied fruit is made to order, and we have a lot of orders today. I’m afraid we won’t be able to fit in another batch tonight,” the server said apologetically.
Ye Zhenshu nodded and thanked her.
After parting ways with Wu Tong and the others, Ye Zhenshu wandered around Liuchaochun Restaurant by herself for a while.
It had been a long time since she’d visited somewhere so lively.
The last time had been when Su Ruoting took her to the Lantern Festival[1]A Chinese festival held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, traditionally marked by lantern displays and celebrations. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733030_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733030_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
When she stepped out of Liuchaochun Restaurant, she ran into the tall, broad-shouldered man at the entrance.
Her long-legged boss, her lean-muscle husband, that not-quite-familiar roommate of hers.
He Zhinian.
“President He…”
Ye Zhenshu really didn’t know what to call him. With Zhang Yiyang standing nearby, she felt too awkward to use his full name.
He Zhinian glanced back at her, his expression momentarily dazed.
President He.
It always sounded strange coming from Ye Zhenshu.
Looking at the unfamiliar man and woman, Zhang Yiyang greeted her softly. “Good evening, Madam.”
“…” Ye Zhenshu’s mind abruptly went blank.
She hadn’t figured out how to respond to being called “Madam.”
Zhang Yiyang was He Zhinian’s special assistant. It was only natural that he knew some of his boss’s private affairs.
It was just that Ye Zhenshu wasn’t used to it. He Zhinian had said he didn’t want to make a big deal of things.
So why was he making a big deal of it everywhere now?
He Zhinian’s expression didn’t change, as if nothing had happened.
“Going home?” he asked.
Ye Zhenshu nodded and murmured, “Mm.”
He Zhinian held out the delicate little gift box he was carrying. “Take it.”
Before she could react, the box was already in her hands.
Ye Zhenshu held it carefully and found candied fruit inside.
Her eyes lit up, though she didn’t dare let it show.
Zhang Yiyang tactfully handed He Zhinian his car keys and coat, then turned and left.
With the keys in hand, He Zhinian headed for the parking lot.
Qi Wenwan had just come out behind them. Watching Ye Zhenshu trot along after a tall man, she had a strange feeling that the scene was familiar.
But Ye Zhenshu blocked half the man’s body, so Qi Wenwan couldn’t see who he was.
Ye Zhenshu had just turned her down.
Qi Wenwan had been thinking she’d talk to her alone after they split up, but Ye Zhenshu had wandered around, and somewhere along the way, Qi Wenwan lost track of her.
By the time she saw her again, Ye Zhenshu had already left.
Ye Zhenshu sat in the passenger seat, the delicate little box resting on her lap.
She sneaked a glance at He Zhinian.
He Zhinian drove steadily. When she looked over at him, he noticed.
“That’s from Han. He said he saw you earlier and wanted you to take some home to try.” He spoke unhurriedly, as always.
“Oh, thanks.”
Ye Zhenshu ran her fingers over the box, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
Just then, she remembered what had happened with Qi Wenwan and tried to figure out how best to bring it up with him.
She fretted about it all the way home.
They got back after ten.
She set the candied fruit on the coffee table in the living room, planning to make some milk tea to go with it and settle in for a nice drama binge.
Usually, He Zhinian wasn’t home yet at this hour.
Today, as she prepared to do all that, she felt strangely self-conscious.
“He Zhinian.”
Ye Zhenshu called He Zhinian out to him.
He Zhinian was drinking water at the kitchen island. He glanced over at her.
“I ran into Qi Wenwan at dinner today.”
“…” He Zhinian said nothing. His gaze was as deep as a cold pool, waiting for her to continue.
Ye Zhenshu’s hand tightened around the edge of her clothes. “I…”
She stumbled over her words.
“Did she give you trouble?” A shadow flickered in his eyes as he slowly set down his glass.
From his tone, He Zhinian didn’t sound pleased.
Ye Zhenshu couldn’t read his thoughts.
“No.” She paused, then murmured, “Well… not exactly.”
She wasn’t sure if it counted as trouble.
He Zhinian toyed idly with his glass. “What happened?”
“…”
How was she supposed to explain?
Wait. He Zhinian wasn’t just her boss now—he was her husband too.
He Zhinian didn’t rush her. He waited patiently for her to speak.
“Before my mom passed away, there was an exchange event she hadn’t finished organizing. The places were already assigned, but Qi Wenwan used her connection to one of my mom’s close friends to try to get in. I wanted to ask you…”
Ye Zhenshu was afraid there might be misunderstandings between them later.
She was also afraid He Zhinian still liked Qi Wenwan. If so, things would be awkward.
The tension in He Zhinian’s body eased a little. “Does she know about our relationship?”
She couldn’t tell whether he was reproaching her or simply asking.
“I don’t know. I don’t want her to take part, but she’s your…”
Ex-girlfriend.
“Ye Zhenshu.” A flash crossed He Zhinian’s eyes. His presence was imposing even without anger. “You don’t need to consider anyone else—not even me. What you should consider is whether you’re happy. Your happiness and comfort shouldn’t depend on me, no matter who she is.”
His commanding presence momentarily overawed Ye Zhenshu.
He Zhinian took a breath, his voice softening.
“I’m thirty this year. It’d be strange if I’d never had a girlfriend or liked anyone before. If she’s making things difficult for you, tell me. I want…”
For the first time, he found himself at a loss over something.
He wanted to try building a life with Ye Zhenshu.
That was why, when Ye Zhenshu couldn’t order any candied fruit, he’d asked Han Jichuan to go to the kitchen and snatch up a portion for her.
He hadn’t dared tell her.
He thought it was childish of him.
Only someone out of their mind would do something like that.
“What do you want?” Ye Zhenshu asked, noticing his momentary distraction.
He Zhinian came back to himself, his expression composed and unreadable. “Things are pretty good between us now.”
If Ye Zhenshu had understood him correctly, He Zhinian meant he wanted them to keep living like this, right?
Was he no longer planning to keep their marriage secret?
“Can I ask about you and Qi Wenwan…?”
He Zhinian had no intention of hiding it.
“When I came back after leaving the military, I was going to marry her. She knew my hometown was North City, and that there weren’t many wealthy people in the He family there, so she ran away.”
But once she found out that He Zhinian was the head of the most powerful He family in the entire capital, she suddenly appeared again.
The day He Zhinian lost control, Mr. Zhou had invited him out. He hadn’t expected it to be Qi Wenwan’s welcome-back banquet.
“…”
He Zhinian had been in the military?
No wonder he was in such good shape…
Poor He Zhinian. He’d actually been dumped by a woman for not having money?
It was downright unjust!
You couldn’t buy a face like his for any amount of money.
And that body of his—if she could sleep with her arms around him, who cared whether he had money?
So many people would pay anything just to touch him!
Qi Wenwan was an idiot!
Besides, He Zhinian really was great.
He Zhinian noticed Ye Zhenshu looking him up and down, her gaze lingering in one particular place, and his expression darkened.
“Where are you looking…?”
Ye Zhenshu’s cheeks flushed. She turned her face away.
In a low voice, she asked, “Would you regret it? If you do, that’s okay too.”
He Zhinian said, “We’re in this for good now.”
“…”
He Zhinian almost laughed in exasperation.
What did she think marriage was?
They were already married, and just because of one ex-girlfriend, she was ready to give He Zhinian up?
One little setback, and she wanted a divorce?
A few days ago, hearing her say something like that might have shaken He Zhinian.
But now Ye Zhenshu was his woman—and besides, Ye Zhenshu seemed pretty good too.
He Zhinian fell silent, his expression stiff.
He felt as though he were once again at risk of being abandoned.
Whether he had money or not.
References[+]