It wasn’t the first time, so Qiu Zheng didn’t stand during the ceremony. But this time, Wen Yan didn’t turn away immediately. She noticed his tall figure standing in front of her for quite a while without moving. The moment she looked up, she met his gaze—fixed intently on her.
Being stared at like that made Qiu Zheng feel a little uncomfortable.
Why was he looking at her like that?
She suddenly thought of the necklace she was wearing today. Was he looking at that? Her hand unconsciously went to touch it. “This is the one you gave me.”
“I know.” His dark eyes were unreadable.
Qiu Zheng also realized she had said something rather pointless, but since she had accepted the gift, she still gave him a polite smile. “It’s very beautiful.”
Wen Yan’s gaze shifted from the necklace to her face. He stared long enough to make her uneasy before finally looking away and replying in a low voice, “Mm.”
This time, he didn’t linger any longer. Carrying her fruit basket, he walked to the trunk. Qiu Zheng got into the car, sitting in the seat behind the driver.
The first time she rode in Wen Yan’s car, she had sat in the front passenger seat out of politeness. And then… it was awkward—very awkward. She didn’t even feel comfortable moving.
So after that, she stopped caring about etiquette. Wen Yan didn’t seem to care where she sat anyway. She told herself not to overthink it and quickly moved to the back seat.
After closing the trunk, Wen Yan returned to the driver’s seat.
The car was quiet. Sitting behind him, Qiu Zheng felt much more at ease. She idly scrolled through her phone for a while, but soon felt dizzy and had to put it away.
When she looked up, her eyes met Wen Yan’s through the rearview mirror.
He was looking at her.
Their eyes only met briefly—he was still driving, after all—and his gaze quickly returned to the road.
The eye contact was fleeting, but Qiu Zheng couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something strange about his gaze. She unconsciously straightened her posture.
After that, she caught him glancing at her through the rearview mirror several times while driving. His eyes were cold and sharp, yet seemed to hide something she couldn’t quite understand.
Qiu Zheng wondered if something about her looked inappropriate. What could be wrong? Taking advantage of another moment when he looked away, she adjusted the loose strands of hair by her face using the mirror.
She looked perfectly fine.
Maybe the only flaw was being poor.
The most expensive thing she was wearing was that necklace. Even the slight curls at the ends of her hair were done by herself—but her skills were no worse than a professional stylist, okay? Thinking this, she still felt a bit guilty.
She shifted slightly, trying to move out of the mirror’s range.
“The necklace,” Wen Yan’s voice suddenly said, “is very beautiful.”
“Mm.” Qiu Zheng didn’t quite understand, but followed along.
“Are there any other styles you like?”
“Huh?” She froze.
What she didn’t know was that Wen Yan had already repeated the thought many times: very beautiful. Not the necklace—the person. He tried to eliminate the influence of pheromones and compatibility, to judge objectively.
But the conclusion was still the same: very beautiful.
That shouldn’t be possible. Wen Yan tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He clearly remembered the first time he met Qiu Zheng—in that cramped, narrow room. Her eyes had been as dim as the room itself, with dark circles from staying up late. She was thin, her whole being radiating exhaustion and frailty.
She had been pale then too—but an unhealthy kind of pallor.
That should have been her true self.
The version of her he saw now must be beautified by pheromones.
Thinking this, he once again looked at her in the rearview mirror. Qiu Zheng was also looking at him, confusion evident in her eyes—probably about what he had just said.
She was slightly fuller than in his memory; there was now some softness to her cheeks.
Wen Yan recalled the smile she had given him earlier while touching the necklace—a smile completely different from her former haggard expression.
She seemed very happy. Was it because of the gift?
“This is a newly released piece. There are other styles too. Or if you have other brands you like, you can choose.”
At this moment, Wen Yan had completely forgotten his earlier regret over giving the gift. He suddenly felt that if a gift could make her smile like that, then it wasn’t such a bad thing.
After all… he was in a good mood too.
“No need. This one is enough.”
“One…” Where would one be enough? Fortunately, he stopped himself in time—it would have sounded strange.
“Or if you want to go shopping sometime, I can have my secretary accompany you. You can buy some clothes you like,” Wen Yan paused, then added, “after all, your outfit doesn’t really match the necklace.”
He had to admit, that last sentence wasn’t entirely sincere.
Objectively speaking, regardless of its price, the outfit didn’t look cheap on her.
But in the rearview mirror, the woman’s expression shifted—from confusion to understanding.
So that was it. As expected, he thought her outfit didn’t match his necklace. That made sense—aside from being poor, what other flaw did she have?
“Anyway, we’re just going to see Grandpa. He won’t mind.”
Wen Yan said nothing. Qiu Zheng assumed he probably thought she was beyond help.
But she didn’t care what he thought.
The Wen family’s old residence was a bit far from the city center, so the drive took some time. Unable to use her phone, Qiu Zheng grew drowsy. By the time the car door opened, she jolted awake.
They had arrived?
She really couldn’t handle riding in cars—either she got carsick or sleepy. She should just drive herself next time!
It was Wen Yan who opened the door. He stood outside, looking at her. Qiu Zheng quickly turned her head to tidy her hair.
A bit embarrassing—especially when she got out and saw a group of servants standing outside.
Was Wen Yan the type to open car doors for people?
He must have done it on purpose.
When she felt awkward, Qiu Zheng tended to assume the worst of others.
She stood still as Wen Yan closed the car door, then went to the trunk to retrieve her fruit basket. She brought it every time she visited—after all, you couldn’t visit elders empty-handed.
But she never quite knew what to bring. This was the best she could come up with after much thought.
Wen Yan had never commented on it. Carrying the fruit basket, he walked inside alongside her as the servants greeted them in unison.
Some went to park the car, others led them inside.
No one went to take the fruit basket from the young master.
After all, he would never hand it over anyway. Watching them walk in from behind, anyone would think they were a newlywed couple.
The Wen family’s old residence was practically an estate, covering a vast area. The main villa was built with magnificent grandeur.
The first time Qiu Zheng came here, she had been extremely nervous. Now, she finally felt a bit more familiar with the place and could relax slightly.
As soon as they entered, they saw an elderly man sitting on the sofa in the high-ceilinged living room.
He looked quite old, with white hair and beard, but his eyes were sharp and his spirit vigorous. Truly—Qiu Zheng wasn’t exaggerating—he seemed far more energetic than someone like her, who felt half-dead most of the time.
She smiled. “Grandpa.”
Though Wen Qingsheng’s face appeared stern, it had long been softened with a hint of a smile. Hearing her call him that, his lips curved upward even more.
“Zhengzheng is here.” When he turned to Wen Yan, however, his tone was much less pleasant. “I told him long ago to bring you here to visit, but he insisted on waiting until the weekend.”
Naturally, Qiu Zheng played the role of a considerate wife and spoke up for Wen Yan. “He’s just been busy.”
“He’s the busiest one every day. As if not just the company, but the whole world would stop running without him.”
Wen Yan ignored the complaints entirely and placed the fruit basket on the coffee table. “Your granddaughter-in-law brought this for you.”
Qiu Zheng, who had already sat down, snapped her head toward him in shock.
Hey—don’t do that. It’s giving me goosebumps.
But the words “granddaughter-in-law” had an excellent effect on Grandpa Wen—so effective that he swallowed the rest of his complaints, his smile widening even more.
“Xiao He, wash these fruits. I want to taste what my granddaughter-in-law bought.”
A young man immediately responded and went to do it.
Qiu Zheng felt a bit embarrassed, but also warmed up. Grandpa Wen had always been kind to her. She knew the Wen family was very particular—everything they ate and used was top-tier.
She had heard that even their fruit was air-shipped daily from specific regions. Yet Grandpa Wen never once looked down on anything she brought.
In fact, he always showed his appreciation, having it washed and eaten right away.
Wen Yan also sat down—right beside her, very close. Qiu Zheng stiffened and glanced at him again.
Shouldn’t he be sitting across from her?
A thought even flashed through her mind: Could it be that Grandpa Wen was ill, and Wen Yan had decided to put on an act to make him happy?
Wen Yan glanced at her, his look practically saying, What kind of nonsense are you thinking?
Qiu Zheng quickly dismissed the thought. Turning her head, she saw Grandpa Wen looking lively as ever. She had heard he even went hiking last month. Honestly, if anyone was going to fall sick, it would be her—the one who got winded after climbing two flights of stairs and was always dealing with aches and pains.
Grandpa Wen watched the two of them “exchanging glances,” his expression filled with undisguised satisfaction.
“Look at that—haven’t seen each other for two months, and now you miss him so much you’re sticking close!”
Qiu Zheng: “…”
Grandpa might dare to say it, but she didn’t dare to listen.
No matter what they said, Wen Yan had no intention of joining the conversation.
He leaned back casually against the sofa, a tablet resting on his legs, supported by his crossed knees, and began reading something in that position.