With the cooperation agreement finalized, Jiang Mengyue once again represented As Initial Seen Studio in shaking hands with Han Xuan.
“It’s already lunchtime. Let me treat you both to a meal.” Just when Jiang Mengyue thought they could leave, he unexpectedly offered to host them for lunch.
“There’s no need to trouble President Han. We’ll manage on our own.”
“Junior Jiang, won’t you even give your senior the chance to treat you to a meal?”
She hadn’t expected him to remember her. Had he addressed her as President Jiang, she could have declined on behalf of An Yin. For herself, she didn’t mind. “Well, that depends on what our Yinyin thinks.”
“What does A-Yin think?”
Han Xuan stared directly at An Yin, making her swallow the words of refusal that had been stuck in her throat.
Jiang Mengyue’s stance was clearly to let her decide. Logically, if it were merely a former senior simply treating them to a meal, she shouldn’t decline. But what if it wasn’t that simple?
Still, with Jiang Mengyue present, probably nothing would happen.
“Of course, we’d be happy to accept Senior’s invitation. Naturally, we should honor this gesture.”
Her words deliberately maintained an air of unfamiliarity with Han Xuan. But then again, were they really that close? During university, An Yin had merely offered him water during basketball games and asked if he was tired—nothing more.
Han Xuan took them to dine at Yunshang Ke, an elegant restaurant with classical charm.
On the way, An Yin hadn’t figured out how to explain to Lu Muqian that she couldn’t join him for lunch.
No sooner had they sat down than a message from her husband popped up:
Hubby: [Yinyin, are you held up with something?]
Staring at the message on her screen, An Yin contemplated telling Lu Muqian the truth but feared he might overthink it.
After careful consideration, she decided honesty was best. Otherwise, the man she had just recently managed to soothe might spiral into unnecessary worries again.
[Sorry, I can’t join you for lunch today. A client is treating us, and it’s hard to decline (apology jpg).]
He replied quickly, [It’s alright, Yinyin’s work comes first.]
An Yin: [Love you! 😘💕]
An Yin assumed that was the end of it. Little did she know, on the top floor of Lu Corporation, Lu Muqian leaned back in his leather executive chair, squinting at her reply on his phone. With a few swift taps, he pulled up her location—a blinking red dot.
Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk, he addressed his assistant Qiao Yi, who stood nearby, “Where was today’s client meeting scheduled for lunch again?”
“It’s at Yunshang Ke.”
Yunshang Ke—perfect. This wasn’t something he had arranged deliberately; it had been pre-planned. Now he could visit his wife without any reservations.
He stood up, his thin lips parting as he declared, “Notify him now: bring the contract, we’ll discuss the deal at Yunshang Ke. This opportunity won’t come again.”
“Understood.” Qiao Yi knew better than to question it. Just recently, his boss had denied the client any chance, and now he was throwing them a lifeline. What a power move.
In reality, the CEO just wanted an excuse to see his wife.
Back at Yunshang Ke…
“Feel free to order anything you’d like, juniors. Don’t stand on ceremony with me.” Han Xuan handed the menu to the two women.
“Hahaha, with Senior treating, of course we won’t hold back.”
Jiang Mengyue, aware that An Yin was avoiding engagement, smoothly took over, “Right, Yinyin?”
An Yin smiled faintly, “Naturally.”
Jiang Mengyue feigned casual conversation, “So, Senior, when did you return to the country?”
“Not long ago, just last week.”
An Yin was taken aback—a week ago? He returned shortly after she and Lu Muqian registered their marriage? But in her previous life, she had never seen him, or perhaps he never came back at all in that lifetime.
Could it be because she won the preliminary round of the clothing competition this time, altering her interactions with Han Xuan?
But that didn’t make sense—a small clothing competition, and just the preliminary round at that, couldn’t possibly have such a significant impact.
Then, in her previous life, if he had returned but never sought her out, was it because she was unknown and insignificant back then? Or was there another reason?
He explained, “As soon as I returned, I had to take over the company. There was too much to handle, so I didn’t get a chance to catch up with Yinyin right away.”
“Senior, there’s no need to be so enthusiastic. Our Yinyin doesn’t have much to catch up on with you.”
“I’m afraid Junior Jiang isn’t quite clear on that matter.”
Internally, she scoffed—what could Jiang Mengyue not be clear about? The two of you were completely innocent; there was nothing she didn’t know.
“Well, let me share something you might not be aware of, Senior.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Our Yinyin is married. It would be better if you called her An Yin from now on.”
He looked at An Yin in surprise. “You’re married?”
“Yes.”
He pressed further, “When did that happen?”
“Four months ago, almost half a year now.”
Jiang Mengyue then asked, “Senior, after all these years abroad, you must have met someone you liked, or perhaps even started dating?”
“I’ve never liked anyone else overseas because there’s always been someone back home I wanted to marry.”
“Since you’ve returned, are the two of you together now?”
“No, it’s my fault for not making her wait for me.”
“Senior, you’re too modest. Someone as outstanding as you—how could there be anyone unwilling to wait?”
“In my eyes, she’s even better.” His words, if heard by anyone else, would surely be touching, but An Yin was no ordinary person—she had lived two lifetimes.
“Never mind. As long as she’s happy, I’ll let go.”
Finally, An Yin heard something useful. Thank you, she is happy—so please, let go quickly.
During their conversation, the dishes were served. After the earlier probing, Han Xuan stopped steering every topic toward An Yin and instead found common ground with Jiang Mengyue.
Jiang Mengyue had always been a natural social butterfly since childhood—outgoing, sometimes careless, but also remarkably attentive. She could chat with almost anyone, and it was through several days of conversation that she and An Yin became close friends.
Thanks to Jiang Mengyue’s “efforts,” the meal stretched for over an hour. When Han Xuan went to settle the bill, An Yin and Jiang Mengyue followed behind, whispering to each other.
“So, how did I do? Not bad, right?”
“Thanks to you.”
Jiang Mengyue spoke earnestly, “Even though nothing was explicitly addressed today, if he dares to bother you—though he doesn’t seem the type—you still need to be careful. Draw a clear line with him, and most importantly, don’t let your husband misunderstand.”
“Got it. I’ll talk to him about it tonight.” Even if Lu Muqian didn’t know now, it was better to lay everything out clearly.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to tell him now.” As Jiang Mengyue said this, her gaze fixed on a certain spot.
“What do you mean?”