Сhaptеr 3: Нurrу Uр аnd Get Marriеd
Тhe harаssing messagеs fillеd with insults соntinuеd tо pоur in оnе аfter anоther.
But Xu Jinhuan hаd аlreаdу turnеd оff hеr phоnе аnd didn’t look аt thеm agаin.
Leaning agаinst the сold tiled wall оf the bаthroоm, shе closеd her eyеs, hеr fасe eхрrеssiоnless.
Onlу her knuсkles gripрing the phоne werе clenchеd sо tightlу theу turnеd white, and her dеaf lеft еar buzzed with а faint ringing.
She hаd beеn rесeiving thеse messаges for thrее dаys now.
At first, overwhelming paniс hаd seized her, terrifiеd thаt those pеоple would find her and drag her back into that dark, sunless mire.
She didn’t know how they had gotten her contact information. She had thought about discarding this SIM card, but it contained all her clients’ contact details—everything she owned was tied to it…
She would go to the police tomorrow.
The thought of the police brought Xu Jinhuan a slight sense of relief.
She had changed her name and was now a far cry from the pale, hollow “Niandi” of the past.
City B was so vast; those who had once brought her pain surely couldn’t find her now.
She would never let herself be controlled by others again.
Xu Jinhuan took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down.
She still had to work and couldn’t let these things affect her mood.
As she put her phone back into her pocket, her hand brushed against something, producing a faint metallic clinking sound.
She turned to look and saw a wristwatch lying quietly in the bag she usually used for her change of clothes.
The watch case was studded with a circle of sparkling diamonds, and the bracelet design was simple yet elegant and sophisticated—clearly a piece of great value.
Xu Jinhuan’s heart trembled slightly. This was…
Mr. Wen’s wristwatch.
…
Breeze Orchid Court.
It was already the weekend, and after handling urgent company matters, Wen Yu returned to his residence.
A duplex penthouse spanning over a thousand square meters, built by the river, offered breathtaking views, but living alone made it feel somewhat excessively spacious.
Just as Wen Yu had taken off his clothes and carefully ironed them, his phone in his trouser pocket rang with a chime.
“Hello, Mom?”
Having changed into loungewear, Wen Yu sat down on the spacious black leather sofa as the nagging from the other end of the phone immediately followed.
“Do you remember what day it is the day after tomorrow?”
Wen Yu replied, “Monday, a workday.”
The woman’s voice on the other end of the line choked for a moment, sounding exasperated. “Work, work, all you care about is that damn job! I’ve earned so much money I don’t even know where to spend it. Can’t you be a bit more ambitious?”
“The day after tomorrow, you’ll be 32—worthless thing. You won’t go on blind dates, you won’t add anyone on WeChat. What exactly do you want to do?!”
“Wen Yu, tell me clearly, when are you going to bring a daughter-in-law home? Don’t tell me you like men!”
Wen Yu took his mother’s surname. It was well-known that the “Wen” in Wen Group came from his mother—Wen Yao.
In the eyes of outsiders, Chairwoman Wen was strong-willed, decisive, and an uncompromising businesswoman.
A single glance from her could make anyone’s legs go weak, trembling uncontrollably, unable to hold out for more than three seconds.
But within the family, she was just a “pitiful old mother” who worried endlessly about her son’s marriage.
And because she had an exceptionally disobedient son, she spent twenty-eight out of thirty days each month in a state of frenzy, saving the remaining two days for “interrogations.”
Faced with this barrage of complaints, Wen Yu showed no change in expression and simply asked, “Is Dad with you?”
“He hasn’t returned from the research institute.”Wen Yao complained, “Don’t change the subject, answer me straight! When are you getting a girl!friend!”
Wen Yu glanced at his empty wrist and smiled.
“Working on it.”
“Working on what? You—wait!”
Wen Yao suddenly realized, exclaiming excitedly, “You’ve finally come to your senses! Which family’s girl? When’s the wedding? Will you have kids? How many?”
Wen Yu finally showed a hint of helplessness. “Mom, we just added each other on WeChat. You’re thinking too far ahead.”
Wen Yao scoffed, “Just added on WeChat? Then your efforts aren’t showing much progress.”
“I’m hanging up. Bring your future daughter-in-law home before New Year’s.”
With that, Madam Wen Yao hung up the phone with a decisive “click.”
New Year’s…
Wen Yu exited the call screen and opened WeChat. The name of the pinned contact was straightforward—”Yihuan” Desserts 181XXXX9624.
It looked like a perfectly professional work account.
But the profile picture was soft.
The back of a fluffy black-and-white cat, round and a bit silly. In the background, bedroom furnishings were faintly visible, and the mirror in the lower right corner showed half of a girl’s ankle.
Besides regular updates about desserts, her Moments were filled with daily life, most often featuring this cat.
Scrolling up and down, the kitten first appeared beside a trash can—skinny, matted fur, so disheveled its original appearance was unrecognizable.
The girl carefully held it against her chest, showing no sign of disgust.
Dirty paw pads left black plum blossom marks on her collarbone.
The caption for that Moment was simple and warm: “From now on, you have a home.”
Wen Yu gently traced the photo with his finger, a soft feeling slowly blooming in his heart.
He returned to the contact’s main page and changed the nickname.
“moon”
Looking at this nickname, Wen Yu couldn’t help but sigh softly, rubbing his forehead.
Who would have thought that at 32, he’d start learning romantic gestures from the younger generation.
He just didn’t know if the girl would be easy to pursue…