In the next room, Zhou Yaozu had just smashed his third cup.
Qin Wan lowered her voice to persuade him: “What are you so anxious about? Just because she chose Zhou Guchuan today doesn’t mean she’s settled on him for good. What kind of family is the Yin family? When it comes to arranged marriages, nothing is certain until the wedding day.”
“Besides, what does Zhou Guchuan have? His mother died years ago. In this family, he doesn’t even have anyone to back him up. Do you really think Yin Lan would take a liking to him?”
Zhou Yaozu sat panting heavily on the edge of the bed, his fists clenched tightly. He couldn’t accept it.
If he had been the one to go today, maybe Yin Lan would have taken a liking to him. Putting everything else aside, just looking at Yin Lan’s face—what man wouldn’t be attracted?
Even if she were just a trophy wife, she’d be a beautiful one.
“Alright, go to sleep. Mom will think of a way to help you.”
Meanwhile, Yin Lan was also being interrogated by her father.
Out of so many outstanding men, she had chosen the most unremarkable one. Yin Wenzhuo suspected there was something wrong with his daughter’s mind.
He tossed the documents onto the table and looked at his daughter, who stood straight in front of him, his gaze filled with pressure.
“Tell me, what do you see in that kid?”
“I see that he’s poor and obedient.” Yin Lan’s voice was unhurried, and she even had the leisure to glance at her nails.
Her brows furrowed slightly. Such flashy nails—was this really her taste when she was younger?
No, she had to make time to call a manicurist to come over and change them. Something simple and elegant would be better.
“Were the other six men present today not obedient to you?”
“Those people are ugly. They’d affect the genes of my future children.” Yin Lan didn’t even look up.
Yin Wenzhuo was left speechless by her words. Affecting the children’s genes? He hadn’t realized before that his daughter was so appearance-focused.
But to be honest, judging from the photos the butler had presented, Zhou Guchuan was indeed the best-looking one.
“So, you want to have children with him?”
Yin Lan hadn’t expected her father to change the topic so quickly or to ask so directly. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
“Dad, isn’t it a bit too early to talk about that? Whether he’s willing to marry into our family is still a question.”
“Didn’t you just say he’s obedient? Would he refuse something as minor as marrying into our family? Any children born must take the Yin surname!” Yin Wenzhuo’s attitude was firm.
“Got it, got it.”
Yin Lan just wanted to brush off the topic as quickly as possible. In her previous life, Zhou Guchuan had been a good man. If he really didn’t want to marry into her family, she wouldn’t force him.
At worst, they could have two children—one with the Yin surname and one with the Zhou surname.
The next day, Yin Lan had originally arranged to meet Zhou Guchuan for morning tea to discuss matters. Unexpectedly, however, a meeting dragged on until noon. Despite the simplicity of the matter, her subordinates’ efficiency was just not up to par.
Yin Lan lost her temper during the meeting, and her team wore expressions of complaint. Just a few days ago, Sister Lan’s demands hadn’t been this high. Why, after choosing a husband, had she suddenly transformed into an elite businesswoman?
In reality, Yin Lan’s experience today came from the accumulation of two lifetimes. Now, she prioritized efficiency above all else.
Rushing to the café downstairs from the corporate building, she found Zhou Guchuan had been waiting for quite a while. But he hadn’t been idle—the man by the window was fully absorbed in his work on his laptop.
His focused demeanor seemed to shut out all the noise around him, and a pair of glasses rested on his handsome, high-bridged nose.
The aura he exuded while handling work was completely different from the person he had been at the Yin family home yesterday.
Strange, wasn’t his family considered nouveau riche? Why were the reports on his computer something even Yin Lan couldn’t understand?
Yin Lan hadn’t meant to peek—she had just happened to glance at them as she passed by.
She took her seat in high heels, her voice tinged with apology. “Guchuan, have you been waiting long? Sorry, I was held up by something.”
The other women in the café, seeing that the handsome man finally had someone sitting across from him, showed looks of disappointment, though they were soon captivated by Yin Lan’s appearance.
Two highly attractive people sitting by the window were truly a feast for the eyes.
Hearing Yin Lan’s voice, Zhou Guchuan paused his work and raised a hand to remove his glasses.
Having stared at the computer screen for too long, his eyes felt slightly sore and strained. He squinted briefly before finally seeing the woman in front of him clearly.
Today, Yin Lan was dressed in professional attire—tailored to fit perfectly, accentuating her feminine curves without being overly revealing, instead adding a touch of efficiency.
Yin Lan had thick, voluminous hair, with large waves cascading over her shoulders, complementing her outfit beautifully. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting a soft, fuzzy glow on her hair.
Despite her image as a career-driven woman, Zhou Guchuan found himself inexplicably charmed.
Meeting Yin Lan’s smiling eyes, Zhou Guchuan found himself at a loss for words. His awkwardness was on full display now—even though Yin Lan was the one who had been late, he was the one feeling flustered.
Zhou Guchuan remained silent, but Yin Lan wasn’t annoyed. Instead, she smiled again and spoke up. “Guchuan, to make up for my lateness, how about we go for a meal?”
“Sure, whatever you say.”
Following behind Yin Lan, Zhou Guchuan had only one thought in his mind: She called me Guchuan.
For some reason, dropping the surname and using only the given name gave off a sense of familiarity mixed with an intimate, lingering feeling.
Noticing the briefcase in her hand, Zhou Guchuan took a step forward and reached out to take it.
“Miss Yin Lan, let me carry your bag.”
Seeing that he was still holding his laptop, Yin Lan suggested, “How about you put your laptop in my bag?”
“Okay.”
Yin Lan’s bag didn’t contain much. When Zhou Guchuan opened it, he found only three contracts inside—more than enough space for his laptop.
The two arrived at a private restaurant, a place Yin Lan particularly liked. Whenever she had business to discuss, she preferred coming here.
They were led by a server to a semi-private booth deep inside, its carved wooden door slightly ajar.
Daylight filtered in through high, narrow lattice windows, casting soft patterns across the room. The air carried a faint scent of sandalwood, mingling with the distant sound of flowing water from beyond the bamboo blinds.
Every movement of the servers here was gentle, their footsteps almost inaudible as they arranged the dishes.
Once the server withdrew, leaving the spacious room to just the two of them, Yin Lan spoke first:
“The dishes were chosen by my assistant based on your preferences after researching your profile. I’m not sure if they suit your taste, Mr. Zhou, or if there are any discrepancies.”
Only Yin Lan could say something like investigating someone so matter-of-factly.
Zhou Guchuan didn’t find it off-putting at all. Instead, he took it as a positive sign—Yin Lan was willing to put thought into him, and that was a good thing.
“Thank you, Miss Yin Lan.”
Seeing the man across from her barely speaking, Yin Lan rested her chin on her hand and observed him with interest.
Zhou Guchuan sat there as if he were a natural part of the room—not trying to blend in deliberately, but fitting in seamlessly, as if it were ingrained in him.
He spoke little and moved even less. The light from the window lattice fell precisely on his brow bone, while the rest of his features were half-hidden in shadow—unassuming yet strikingly handsome.
The woman nodded, acknowledging Zhou Guchuan’s appearance.
“I have three contracts in my bag. Take them out and sign them.” Yin Lan hadn’t forgotten the main purpose of today.
Zhou Guchuan took out the contracts and unfolded them one by one. One was the cooperation agreement between the Yin and Zhou families, one was a prenuptial agreement, and the last one was a comprehensive introduction of Yin Lan.
When he saw the final contract, the corner of Zhou Guchuan’s mouth unconsciously curved upward. Without a second thought, he opened it directly.
At the same time, he returned the cooperation agreement between the Yin and Zhou families to Yin Lan.
Yin Lan was puzzled. “Mr. Zhou, are you… finding it insufficient?”
That shouldn’t be the case. He hadn’t even opened it, and what she offered Zhou Guchuan was no less—in fact, more—than what she had given the Xie family in her previous life.