The winter sun was always so warm, and the atmosphere in the Su household early in the morning was equally cozy and heartwarming.
Su Zhaotang had rarely woken up early to have breakfast with her family. Su Mom, Liu Xinruo, couldn’t hide the smile on her face as she kept picking up food with her chopsticks, almost without pause, until Su Zhaotang’s plate was nearly overflowing.
“Sweetie, have more of these shrimp dumplings. Mother knows you love them. I had the housekeeper queue up at that Cantonese dim sum place first thing this morning. And this red date cake—come on, try some,” she said, adding another serving with her chopsticks.
“Mother, if you keep adding more, I won’t be able to finish it all,” Su Zhaotang whined playfully, trying to avoid this food assault because she was almost stuffed. She pulled her mother’s hand and placed it on her belly. “If I eat any more, your grandchild might just pop out and make an appearance,” she joked.
But upon hearing this, Su Mom genuinely thought her daughter had gotten pregnant while abroad. Her hand froze on Su Zhaotang’s belly, her smile stiffened, and she looked utterly shocked. “No, darling, don’t scare me like that. I can’t handle such a surprise,” she said, her voice trembling. The scene even startled Su Dad into pausing with his food, afraid their daughter’s next words would confirm it was true.
Seeing how frightened her parents seemed, Su Zhaotang stuck out her tongue mischievously and blinked her seemingly innocent big eyes. “This ‘grandchild’ is just hotpot, fried chicken, and milk tea!”
Su Mom let out a huge sigh of relief, then lightly tapped her daughter’s head. “You little rascal, you scared me to death! You’re still engaged to Lingjing. What would it look like if you were pregnant now?”
Hearing this, Su Dad suddenly put down his chopsticks and said, “Zhaozhao, tonight we’ve arranged a dinner with Lingjing’s family so everyone can get together. It’ll also be a good chance for you and Lingjing to meet properly. After all, you haven’t had any direct contact all these years. You need to get familiar with each other soon.”
Su Zhaotang’s face fell upon hearing this, and she pouted. “Alright, while you’re still not working yet, the two of you need to connect. This marriage can’t be called off. Your future husband must be Zhou Lingjing,” Su Mom said with a smile, gently stroking her daughter’s head, her eyes filled with affection. “My precious daughter deserves only the best,” she thought to herself.
But after hearing her mother’s words, Su Zhaotang’s mind inexplicably drifted to the man she had met last night at Nightfall—that noble and handsome face. No, Su Zhaotang, what are you thinking? He’s just a stranger you met once. She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.
Zhou Lingjing’s workplace was in the tallest commercial building in Jing City, located in the city center, with his office on the top floor. The building housed nearly ten thousand employees, overseeing various aspects of the Zhou Group’s operations.
The office was decorated simply yet elegantly. Hanging on the wall was a Van Gogh painting that had recently been bought at a Paris auction by an anonymous Chinese tycoon. Through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, one could take in the bustling view of Jing City’s prosperity. The spacious office was understatedly luxurious yet exuded an air of nobility, reflecting an extraordinary character inside and out.
This morning, as soon as Zhou Lingjing arrived at his desk, he saw a personnel file placed on it. He understood immediately.
Opening the first page, that familiar delicate little face came into view; the photo must have been from her university days.
Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, her eyes curved like crescent moons when she smiled, and the corners of her mouth lifted to reveal two shallow dimples, along with a row of clean, neat white teeth. Paired with her naturally exquisite oval face, she looked charming, bright, lively, and adorable.
“Su Zhaotang, it really is you,” Zhou Lingjing murmured.
Flipping through the pages, he found basic information about Su Zhaotang: she had graduated from the University of the Arts London, specialized in cheongsam design, won second prize in the London Fashion Design Competition, and had also participated in world architectural engineering design.
When he reached the last page, a soft, chubby little face made him pause his flipping. The years of youth had passed in a flash.
“Little fool,” Zhou Lingjing chuckled softly to himself. This marriage arrangement set by his grandfather didn’t seem so bad after all—at least it promised to make his future days less dull and tedious.
Zhou Lingjing sat at his desk, focused on his work. His slender fingers flew across the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, his thin lips slightly pursed. Just as he was deep in thought, a phone notification interrupted his concentration.
He sighed softly, rubbing his temples with his fingers before leaning back lazily in his chair. Picking up his phone, he saw it was a message from Mrs. Liang.
“Son, don’t forget about tonight’s dinner with the Su family. Zhaozhao used to play with you when you were kids—don’t stand her up.”
Zhou Lingjing scoffed inwardly. “Who was playing with whom?”
He replied: Got it.
As night fell, the city’s streets and buildings were adorned with colorful lights, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The nightscape of Beijing resembled a dazzling pearl, captivating and unforgettable.
The restaurant where the two families were meeting was located in the heart of the city, renowned for its exquisite decor and top-notch service.
Fresh flowers and modern art pieces adorned the entrance, allowing every guest to appreciate its unique taste.
They had reserved the private room on the top floor of the restaurant, where the atmosphere was serene. The elders from both families had already arrived, exchanging greetings and handshakes before settling into conversation—only the two main characters were yet to appear.
Su Zhaotang’s father, Su Zhiyuan, explained, “Zhaozhao was dragged out shopping by her girlfriends this afternoon and got a bit delayed. She said she’ll be here soon.”
Su Dad’s refined and handsome appearance, even in middle age, gave off a warm and pleasant impression, unlike other businessmen who indulged in excess and ended up with potbellies.
Zhou Lingjing’s mother quickly waved her hand. “No worries, it’s perfectly normal for a young lady to go shopping. My silly boy is on his way too—maybe they’ll even bump into each other at the entrance!”
Mrs. Liang reassured them, “Let’s chat for now. It’s been so long since both families sat down together like this.”
With that, Zhou Lingjing’s father, Zhou Qingluo, and Su Zhaotang’s father, Su Zhiyuan, began discussing business matters on the side.
Zhou Lingjing parked his top-of-the-line Maybach steadily at the restaurant entrance. Dressed in a dark suit, he stepped out of the car with an air of elegance.
Before he could take more than a few steps, his phone rang. Zhou Lingjing assumed it was his mother urging him again, but when he checked, he saw it was his childhood friend Chen Yuhang. He answered the call and asked in a low voice,
“What’s up?” Hearing his tone, Chen Yuhang paused for a moment before responding.
“No, just wanted to catch up. I’m back from France. Coming to my place tonight?”
Zhou Lingjing frowned slightly, seemingly not very interested in his return, and replied, “Another day. I have plans tonight. Bye.”
Just as he hung up and was about to go inside, someone suddenly bumped right into him.