The struggles and hardships of her modern life intertwined endlessly with the blissful life she had now—one that countless people would have begged the heavens and prayed to every god imaginable for, yet could never obtain.
And before the sealed memories of her previous life had even been unlocked, she had already called off her engagement to Lin An?
Good. Very good.
Wen Xi was a cockroach that simply refused to die.
If she had managed to claw her way out of the mountains in her previous life, there was no way she would willingly accept a fate in which her entire family fortune was devoured by someone else.
Tearing apart the script the novel had written for her was nothing psychologically difficult for her.
She had always lived by one principle:
My fate is mine to control, not heaven’s.
Now she was the daughter of the chairman of the Haishi Chamber of Commerce. Her maternal uncle held a position in the military. Her mother was a respected figure in the arts.
She was beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and educated.
How could she possibly fail to live an extraordinary life?
No.
She wasn’t merely going to live an extraordinary life.
She was going to shine brilliantly.
She was going to build a career so remarkable that her name would be recorded in history.
With the knowledge of a chemistry graduate from a top-tier 985 university, the 1960s were practically her playground.
When it came to fertilizer formulation and improving crop yields, she could handle it with ease.
As expected of a highly educated woman, Wen Xi had sorted out her goals for life in a matter of minutes.
Now that her memories of her previous life had awakened, all Wen Xi felt toward Lin An was overwhelming disgust.
She certainly wasn’t going to soften toward him.
Wen Xi stood up and lightly clapped her hands.
Then she casually picked up a glass of champagne and turned toward the guests.
“Today, my family has called off the engagement between the Wen and Lin families. I’m sorry you all had to witness such an unpleasant spectacle.”
After saying that, Wen Xi gently tilted her glass and tapped it against the wineglass on the table.
The crisp clink of glass rang out.
Somehow, the simple sound seemed to soothe the emotional turmoil caused by the earlier fiasco.
“But since everyone has already come, I won’t let you leave empty-handed. The second floor of the Golden Cup Hotel has been reserved for mahjong and leisure activities, and the fifth floor has been reserved for massages and beauty treatments. I hope everyone eats well, drinks well, and has a good time.”
At the same time, the corners of Wen Xi’s lips curved into a faint smile, as though everything that had just happened had nothing whatsoever to do with her.
Lin An’s parents looked terrible.
Knowing perfectly well that their family was in the wrong, they wisely didn’t try to defend their son and embarrass themselves further.
When Lin An’s father reached the doorway, however, he gave his son a hard tug, nearly making him stumble.
His mother, on the other hand, couldn’t bear to see her son looking so disheveled and hurriedly straightened his wrinkled formal clothes.
The Wen family was not someone the Lin family could afford to offend.
This engagement had only been possible because the Wen family had been willing to honor the bond between the childhood sweethearts and Lin An’s role in Wen Xi’s childhood.
Unfortunately, their son had failed to grasp the enormous fortune that had been placed right in front of him.
Worse, he had committed such a serious blunder that he had completely offended Wen Xi.
Less than ten minutes after everything had supposedly returned to “normal,” when everyone assumed the whole farce was finally over, an unexpected voice suddenly rang out.
“Miss Wen, how about considering an engagement with me?”
A man stepped out from around the corner.
He wore a perfectly tailored suit, yet somehow managed to give the formal attire an unmistakably masculine, commanding presence.
His polished black leather shoes struck the marble floor with faint clicks that echoed clearly through the quiet ballroom.
The man had a handsome, resolute face.
His entire bearing was imposing yet refined, exuding an unmistakable air of nobility.
One look was enough to tell everyone that he was not someone to be taken lightly.
Just his presence alone placed him at least three levels above Lin An.
And judging from their appearances and bearing, he and Wen Xi actually seemed remarkably well matched.
The man did not introduce himself.
But no one needed an introduction.
From his bearing alone, everyone could tell that he was far from an ordinary person.
And so, for what felt like the countless time that evening, the entire ballroom collectively drew a sharp breath.
The guests, who had previously been standing in little groups, exchanging animated looks and silently sharing their opinions about the spectacle, immediately began distancing themselves.
They straightened their expressions and instinctively made way for the man.
A few guests who had connections in Pingshi recognized him.
Fu Yi.
The only grandson of General Fu.
The sole heir of the Fu family’s younger generation.
Though still young, he had already made a name for himself in the military.
Any one of those identities alone was enough to make ordinary people keep their distance.
Combined together, they made him an even more formidable figure.
But the Fu family was based all the way in Pingshi.
Why had Fu Yi suddenly appeared at the Wen family’s engagement banquet in Haishi?
Some people were puzzled.
But no one dared to ask.
Then they remembered what Fu Yi had just proposed.
Immediately, excitement spread through the crowd.
Every guest was practically bursting with anticipation at the enormous piece of gossip unfolding right before their eyes.
Wen Xi’s delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Her dark, luminous eyes turned toward Fu Yi, who had appeared out of nowhere.
Her expression was difficult to read.
She didn’t say anything, but her face made it perfectly clear that she was just as baffled by this sudden development as everyone else.
Wen Xi’s parents exchanged a glance.
They saw the same familiar confusion in each other’s eyes.
Then, almost instantly, they adjusted their expressions and put on warm but dignified smiles.
If Wen Xi was willing, they would wholeheartedly approve.
Fu Yi was at least someone who could barely be considered worthy of their daughter.
Compared with Lin An, he was worlds apart.
Meanwhile, as Fu Yi continued walking toward her, Wen Xi’s brows furrowed more and more deeply.
Get engaged to him?
A man she didn’t even know?
Did she look like she was desperate to get married?
Had she somehow lost her mind?
Marriage would only interfere with her plans to make her mark on history.
Within the few seconds Wen Xi spent thinking about it, Fu Yi had already crossed the distance between them with his long strides.
Now that he was standing close, his features became much clearer to Wen Xi.
Oh, right.
Their Wen Xi had about 120 degrees of nearsightedness.
She simply refused to wear ugly glasses, so no one outside her family knew she was slightly nearsighted.
Fu Yi’s features were striking enough to hit her like a visual assault.
Even Wen Xi, who had become accustomed to the handsome faces of modern male idols, couldn’t help staring blankly for a moment.
Noticing that she was staring directly at his face, Fu Yi’s lower lip curved slightly.
His deep, powerful black eyes remained focused on Wen Xi as he repeated his proposal.
“Miss Wen, would you consider it?”
The way he said the words Miss Wen was soft.
They were nothing more than a conventional form of address, yet somehow his tone carried a faint hint of intimacy.
His low, magnetic voice.
His focused dark eyes.
His sharply defined brows.
His almost unreal face.
Everything about him was attacking Wen Xi’s senses at once.
Wen Xi raised the hand holding her wineglass and placed it between the two of them, using it to create a little more distance.
How had things ended up like this?
Wen Xi quickly recovered.
Looking at Fu Yi from such a close distance, her eyes shifted thoughtfully.
There was clearly deep consideration in her gaze—not the slightest trace of flirtation.
Very soon, Wen Xi gave him her answer.
“I refuse.”
Rejected…
She had…
Rejected him.
Rejected…
The word seemed to echo repeatedly through Fu Yi’s mind.
His eyes lowered slightly, hiding the fleeting disappointment that flashed across them.
But he wasn’t someone who would give up easily.
He quickly met Wen Xi’s eyes again and tried to persuade her.
“I’ll be a good husband, a good son-in-law, and a good father.”
The moment he finished speaking, Fu Yi continued staring steadily at Wen Xi.
His unwavering focus made his gaze seem considerably more affectionate.
Yet his words were dry and straightforward, without much emotional fluctuation.
There was only calm certainty in his voice.
Fu Yi remained completely composed, showing none of the embarrassment one might expect after having his proposal rejected.
Wen Xi’s lips twitched.
She lifted her chin slightly and stared directly into his eyes.
That handsome face hadn’t changed.
But how could he have such thick skin?
And where did that inexplicable confidence come from?
He couldn’t even understand the meaning of no.
And now he was already volunteering to be the father of her future children?
Was he expecting her to have children with him?
Wen Xi nearly rolled her eyes.
Meanwhile, the guests surrounding them were staring even more intensely than they had when watching her humiliation earlier.
It felt as though their gazes were about to pierce right through her.
Wen Xi closed her eyes briefly.
She didn’t want to continue standing there like some monkey on display for everyone.
With a helpless sigh, she said,
“Come with me.”
With that, Wen Xi turned and headed toward the private lounge upstairs, setting her wineglass down as she went.
Fu Yi was confused, but obediently followed behind her.
Then, with deliberate intent, he placed his own wineglass beside Wen Xi’s.
The two glasses sat together, looking almost like a pair.
The moment the two figures disappeared around the staircase landing, the entire ballroom fell silent for three seconds.
Then the guests once again gathered into little groups, and waves of hushed conversation broke out.
Wen Xi’s parents were just as confused as everyone else.
They hadn’t even had time to follow the two upstairs to make sure their daughter was all right when several guests who had recognized Fu Yi’s identity surrounded them.
…
Inside the private lounge, Wen Xi looked at Fu Yi.
He sat upright and composed on the sofa, both palms resting neatly on his knees.
Suddenly, something clicked in Wen Xi’s mind.
She walked over to him and stopped directly in front of him.
Then she asked tentatively,
“Are you a soldier?”