After getting into the car, He Linxi buckled his seatbelt and casually asked, "What do you want for dinner?"
Xu Yumo was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at him. "Don't you have plans tonight?"
"That was just a polite excuse to go along with what you said earlier. It's New Year—what could I possibly have going on?" He Linxi started the engine, his tone lazy.
"Oh…" Xu Yumo pursed her lips awkwardly and explained in a small voice, "But I actually already have plans with someone tonight."
He Linxi's movements paused slightly.
His narrow, elongated eyes narrowed as he turned his head, casting her an unreadable glance.
"Your schedule's pretty packed."
His tone was flat, impossible to read as pleased or displeased.
"You just proposed to me at lunch, and you're not free tonight either. What, is there another proposal lined up?"
"…"
Xu Yumo nearly choked on his dry humor and quickly waved her hands.
"No, no. This was arranged before the New Year. At the time, I never imagined I'd be proposing to you today."
"Oh, so I'm the one who got squeezed in at the last minute."
He Linxi raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of displeasure seeping through his tone—tinged with something oddly sour.
Xu Yumo froze, then quickly lowered her head to fiddle with her cuff, mumbling in a placating way.
"It's not really like that…"
Her thick lashes fluttered gently as her expression turned cautious.
"If you feel we still have things to discuss, I can cancel my plans for tonight."
He Linxi stared at her for a few seconds before finally looking away.
"Who are you meeting tonight?" He restarted the car, his tone feigning nonchalance. "A man, or a woman?"
Xu Yumo figured that since they were about to get the marriage certificate, there was no need to hide anything. She answered honestly, "A woman. She also went to No. 1 Middle School back then—her name is Li Man. I don't know if you remember her."
"I do." He Linxi responded flatly. "Wasn't she your deskmate back then?"
Xu Yumo was slightly taken aback.
For some reason, she always felt that the people and things He Linxi remembered all seemed to be connected to her.
But then she reconsidered—Li Man had been quite active in school, getting along with everyone. It wasn't surprising that he remembered her.
"Are you heading straight to the restaurant, or going home first?"
Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a while, He Linxi asked again.
Xu Yumo snapped back to attention and answered softly, "Home first. The restaurant is near the place I'm renting."
"Alright."
The car slowly exited the villa district and merged into the smooth flow of traffic on the main road.
Neon lights flickered on outside the window, their glow filtering through the glass and settling quietly between the two of them.
Xu Yumo was silent for a moment, but ultimately couldn't hold back the words weighing on her heart.
"Um… earlier, at my place, about what you said to my dad regarding the formal betrothal—I think there's really no need to go through all that trouble."
She kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously twisting the strap of her bag, her voice barely above a whisper.
"After all, this marriage of ours is only a temporary arrangement. We're not actually planning to spend our whole lives together. As long as we get the certificate and have something to show for it to the Xu family, that should be enough…"
Before she could finish, the pressure in the car inexplicably dropped a few degrees.
He Linxi's grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened, the backs of his hands faintly turning pale.
A moment later, a short, derisive laugh escaped his throat as he cut her off with measured weight: "The He family doesn't take a wife in secret, nor do we do things half-heartedly."
"Regardless of what the agreement inside this marriage actually is, appearances must be properly maintained. If I were to bring you into the family without a word, do you want the entire circle to laugh at the He family?"
Xu Yumo was startled and quickly said, "That's not what I meant…"
"Then from now on, however the He family arranges things, you'll follow along." He stared at the road ahead, his previously languid voice turning cold and hard, carrying an unyielding authority.
Xu Yumo could only twist her fingers in her lap and reply softly, "Okay…"
But inside, she still didn't understand.
She just didn't want to take advantage of him, nor did she want him to go to great lengths for a marriage that existed only in name.
Yet the cold look that had come over his face just now felt as though her words had touched some hidden scale.
That flash of displeasure had been too abrupt, leaving her completely unable to fathom the reason—and too afraid to argue with him further.
Perhaps it was because someone standing as high as him had dignity and family honor carved into his very bones.
So even if this was merely a performance of mutual benefit, he wouldn't tolerate the slightest bit of carelessness or disrespect.
With that thought, Xu Yumo pressed her lips together, beginning to worry that she might have upset him just now.
What if he changed his mind and refused to honor the marriage agreement…
After wrestling with it for a while, she could only venture tentatively, "Then… when do we get the certificate?"
Hearing this, He Linxi finally turned his head to glance at her.
The tension in his expression seemed to ease slightly.
"The He family hasn't even formally come to propose marriage yet, and you're already rushing to get the certificate," he said, his voice low and deep, impossible to tell whether he was teasing or serious. "Not afraid of getting the short end of the stick?"
"Agreeing to marry me is already a huge favor you've done me." Xu Yumo lowered her eyelashes, her voice so light it was almost like a passing breeze. "A little loss doesn't matter."
"Xu Yumo."
He Linxi suddenly called her name, his tone growing heavier. "Can you have a little sense of deservingness? Why do you have to put yourself at a disadvantage?"
"…"
Xu Yumo's fingertips trembled violently, her whole body freezing in place.
Because of Xu Zhengming's years of suppression, and because of Zhou Shiye's cold treatment in their relationship, she had long grown accustomed to placing herself at the very back of any relationship.
Afraid to make demands, afraid to have expectations, afraid to accept others' kindness as if it were her due.
Always feeling that as long as she wasn't abandoned, that was already lucky enough.
This almost instinctive self-effacement and humility had long since seeped into her bones, so deeply that even she herself hadn't realized it.
Until this moment, when he called it out so bluntly.
The car fell into a brief silence.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and He Linxi pressed the brake steadily.
The moment the car came to a stop, he turned his head, his gaze heavy as it settled on her face.
"Since you're going to be my wife from now on, don't hold onto that mindset of 'it's fine to take a loss.'"
His voice was low and slow, but every word was crystal clear.
"From now on, if anything feels unfair or displeases you, speak up."
He paused for a moment, then his tone suddenly turned forceful and domineering. "People of the He family have never had the habit of being wronged."
"Understand?"
Xu Yumo almost didn't dare meet his eyes. She could only hastily avert her gaze and let out a soft "Mm."
But somehow, her nose suddenly stung with a hint of sourness.
As if somewhere in her heart that had long since scabbed over had been gently touched.
After returning to her rented apartment, Xu Yumo changed out of that stiff, formal outfit, and as if all her strength had been drained away, she collapsed into the sofa.
Too many things had happened in the past two days—so many that only now, in this moment of quiet, did she finally feel a belated wave of exhaustion.
Her father's coercion, Zhao Yuwen's offense, He Linxi's sudden appearance, and that hastily arranged, almost absurd engagement…
One thing after another, pressing down on her so heavily she didn't even have a moment to breathe.
She raised a hand to rub her slightly throbbing temples, slowly closing her eyes, trying to let herself blank out for a brief moment.
But her mind uncontrollably flashed back to that scene in the car.
The man turning his head to look at her, his gaze heavy, his voice low and unhurried yet brooking no argument.
"Can you have a little sense of deservingness?"
That voice seemed to still be pressed against her ear, sending a faint tremor through her chest.
Xu Yumo pressed her lips together, her lashes trembling slightly, and instinctively buried her face into the sofa cushion, trying to push down all those messy thoughts together.
She hadn't been resting her eyes for long when her phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a message from Li Man.
【I'm here. Have you left yet?】
Xu Yumo looked down at the screen, unable to stop the corners of her lips from curving up. She replied: 【Coming now】
She grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
The restaurant Li Man had chosen was near her rented neighborhood—a newly opened Western restaurant.
The atmosphere was quiet, with warm yellow light spilling softly down, casting the entire space in a warm and relaxed glow, perfect for chatting.
The moment Xu Yumo pushed open the door, she saw Li Man already seated by the window, waving at her enthusiastically.
"Over here!"
She walked over, and before she could even sit down, Li Man leaned in with a worried expression.
"I heard you went on a blind date with Zhao Yuwen last night and slapped him? What the hell happened?"
Xu Yumo hadn't expected the news to spread so fast, and couldn't help but give a wry smile.
"He tried to force a kiss on me."
"Holy shit." Li Man's face changed on the spot. "How dare that bastard?"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Her hand slammed heavily onto the table, making the lemon water in her glass tremble slightly.
"You only slapped him once? If it were me, I'd have swollen his face up."
Xu Yumo's lips curved at her words.
"I only had time for one slap."
She looked down, idly stirring the lemon slice in her glass, her tone quite calm.
"Then I ran into He Linxi."
Li Man was taken aback. "He Linxi?"
"Mm."
Xu Yumo recalled the scene from last night, paused briefly, then added softly.
"He just picked Zhao Yuwen up and threw him against the wall."
"…"
Li Man was silent for two seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"That dramatic? How come I haven't heard this part?"
"Probably because Zhao Yuwen doesn't dare mention it." Xu Yumo said flatly. "He probably only dares to say I hit him."
"True." Li Man nodded in deep agreement. "In this circle, who would dare hold a grudge against someone from the He family."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh again.
"But I really didn't expect He Linxi to meddle in something like this. From what I remember, he's so aloof, can't be bothered with anyone, like an iceberg."
Xu Yumo gave a soft "Mm." "That's the impression I have of him too."
"Didn't you take this opportunity to treat her to a meal and thank her?"
Li Man suddenly raised an eyebrow, her tone becoming meaningful.
"Maybe something could even develop."
She deliberately dragged out her last syllable, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Don't keep all your attention hung up on Zhou Shiye."
At the mention of that name, Xu Yumo fell silent for two seconds.
Her fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of her glass, as if weighing how to broach the subject.
A moment later, she looked up, her expression slightly unnatural, and said softly, "Actually… I'm going to marry him."
Li Man froze for a moment, then her expression shifted dramatically, her voice rising several notches.
"What?!"
"Wasn't Zhou Shiye all over Jiang Yao at that gathering when I came back last time?"
She looked utterly distressed, as if she wanted to shake Xu Yumo awake on the spot.
"Yumo, you've lost your mind!"
Xu Yumo was taken aback and quickly waved her hands to explain: "Not Zhou Shiye. I mean… He Linxi."
The air suddenly went quiet.
The expression on Li Man's face completely froze.
It took her a long moment before she seemed to find her voice again.
"You and He Linxi… are getting married?"
She stared at Xu Yumo in disbelief, eyes wide: "When did you two even start dating?"
"We never dated."
"…"
Li Man was even more confused.
"Then it can't be…" She seemed to think of something, her eyes flying open, her tone turning exaggerated, "Last night he played the hero saving the damsel in distress, and you decided to offer yourself to him in gratitude?"
"No."
Xu Yumo was caught between laughter and tears at her antics, so she simply laid out the whole story from beginning to end—how Xu Zhengming had forced her into this marriage alliance, the company's funding chain problems, and the He family's proposal for a contractual marriage.
After Li Man heard it all, she was silent for a long time.
The playful expression on her face gradually faded.
Finally, she let out a soft sigh: "No wonder you don't even come home to stay anymore."
Li Man raised her glass and clinked it against the rim of Xu Yumo's.
"But regardless, I still have to wish you a happy marriage. And He Linxi seems way more reliable than Zhou Shiye—at least in all these years, I've never heard of any messy scandals around him."
Xu Yumo lowered her eyes, gently swirling the red wine in her glass.
The liquid rippled with a faint sheen under the warm amber light, blurring the reflection in her eyes.
"Honestly, reliable or not doesn't matter that much."
Her voice was soft, as if she were trying to convince Li Man, and also herself.
"It's just a contractual marriage anyway. It might fall apart in a few years."
At that, she looked up and gave Li Man a faint smile.
The smile was barely there, yet it carried a calm that bordered on resignation.
"Besides, I've already given up on love. From now on, I just want to focus on my career."
As she finished speaking, she raised her glass and lightly clinked it against Li Man's.
The glass met with a crisp, clear sound.
Like a belated farewell to all her past grievances and obsessions.
By the time He Linxi returned to the He family's old estate, darkness had fully fallen.
The courtyard was brightly lit, and from the direction of the dining room came the soft clinking of cups and the murmur of conversation and laughter.
He pushed open the door, and the noise inside momentarily faltered.
He Wanshan set down his wine glass, his brow furrowing: "So you finally remembered to come home? Today is your grandfather's birthday, and you—you managed to make the old man so angry he barely touched his lunch. Now get over here and apologize."
The old master of the He family sat upright at the head of the table. Though he hadn't lost his temper, his expression was indeed deeply grim.
He Linxi handed his coat to the housekeeper, walked over with composure, and poured himself a glass of wine.
His tone carried his usual nonchalance, but with a hint of the affectionate familiarity reserved for elders: "Grandfather, consider this glass my apology to you. But didn't I rush back as fast as I could to keep you company? For this meal, I didn't even stay with the girl longer—I came straight back."
The old man let out a cold snort, not even lifting his eyelids: "Keep spinning your tales."
"No tales, I swear." He Linxi paused. Then, with deliberate slowness, he raised his left hand and, under the dazzling crystal chandelier of the dining room, gave it a conspicuous little wave. "Take a look—I even brought back the engagement ring."
Every gaze at the table instantly snapped to him.
There it was: on the finger of this eldest young master of the He family—a man known for his cold, detached nature, seemingly immune to worldly romance—was a ring folded from a piece of white paper, shaped like a little dog.
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, and the air went still for two seconds.
He Linxuan, who had been drinking soup, caught sight of the ring and nearly spat it out.
His eyes bulged, his expression as if he'd seen a ghost: "Brother, who are you kidding? What kind of girl could tame you—this ten-thousand-year-old iron tree—with a scrap of paper?!"
He Linxi completely ignored his brother's loud, teasing jab. He downed his apology drink in one gulp, then pulled out a chair and sat down beside the old man.
"Believe it or not." He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of cold dish, his tone casual yet carrying the weight of an announcement. "Anyway, the family needs to start preparing in the next few days. I plan to go to the girl's family to propose right after the New Year."
The moment those words landed, the dining table fell completely silent. Even the sound of chewing stopped.
After a long pause, He Wanshan finally spoke in a deep voice: "You're really going to get engaged? To that girl you rescued last night when you stepped in to do the right thing?"
"Of course." He Linxi answered with complete confidence. "Like I said, I wasn't lying."
His mother, Wen Lanxia, finally couldn't hold back and spoke up, her voice tinged with concern: "Linxi, although your father and I have always said we'd respect your choice when it comes to marriage, isn't this a bit too fast? How long have you two even known each other? Marriage isn't something to be taken lightly."
He Linxi lifted his eyelids and glanced at his mother, a hint of nonchalance curling at the corner of his lips: "Not fast at all. When fate comes knocking, there's no stopping it. Besides, weren't you and Dad also a whirlwind marriage back then?"
Wen Lanxia was momentarily choked by her eldest son's words and instinctively looked at her husband beside her.
He Wanshan gave a light cough and, putting on his fatherly authority, tried to cover: "That's different. Before your mother and I got together, our two families were already old family friends with some history. It's not like I just rescued some complete stranger by the roadside."
"It's the same for us." He Linxi smiled, lowering his gaze to the paper ring on his finger. "We were high school classmates."
"High school classmates?" He Linxuan perked up with interest, craning his neck excitedly to ask: "From No. 1 High? Who, who?"
Although he was three years younger than He Linxi, the middle school and high school divisions of No. 1 High were only separated by a sports field. He'd heard the names of most of the people from prominent circles in the high school division.
He Linxi unhurriedly uttered three words: "Xu Yumo."
He Linxuan froze for two seconds, his mind rapidly searching for the name. The next moment, he suddenly slapped his thigh and blurted out: "Ah! Isn't she the one who was with Zhou—"
Before he could finish, He Linxi swept a cold, sharp glare in his direction.
He Linxuan felt a chill run down his spine and immediately took the hint to shut his mouth, silently lowering his head to pretend to be dead while sipping his soup.
"Xu Yumo?" He Wanshan searched his memory but indeed had no recollection of the name.
"She's the daughter of the Xu Heavy Industries family." He Linxi said succinctly.
Upon hearing that the other party came from a respectable family and was part of their circle, the old man, who had been keeping a stern face, finally relaxed completely.
Even the corners of his eyes carried a hint of softened amusement: "Alright, as long as you're not making something up to fool this old bones of mine. You're almost twenty-five—finally done something proper!"
He Linxi raised an eyebrow in amusement: "Now look at what you're saying. Weren't all the things I did before proper too?"
"How is that the same?" He Linxuan chimed in from the side, gnawing on a pork rib while speaking indistinctly: "Grandpa's worried about your personal life. You've never even been in a single relationship your whole life—who in the family isn't worried about your orientation…"
He Linxi lifted his eyelids and swept a cool glance at him: "Can't food keep your mouth shut?"
He Linxuan shrank his neck and finally behaved himself.
Wen Lanxia, who had been mostly quiet, set down her soup spoon at this point and looked at her eldest son with a bit more warmth in her eyes: "Linxi, since you've decided to get married, this is a great joy for the He family. This Miss Xu… when would be a good time to bring her home for us to meet? I'd also like to prepare the proper etiquette for the occasion in advance."
"No rush." He Linxi picked at his food with a lazy tone. "She's shy and has a quiet temperament. A sudden visit to the house would make her feel awkward. It's fine to wait until the formal proposal to meet."
Wen Lanxia caught the protectiveness in her son's words and smiled knowingly: "Alright, we'll do as you say. As long as you two truly love each other, we as the elders will naturally follow your wishes."
He Linxi gave no clear response, lowering his long lashes.
His gaze landed on the somewhat crude little dog ring on his ring finger, his deep pupils appearing obscure and unreadable in the shadow of the light.
Where was there any true love?
This marriage was nothing more than his own wishful thinking, plus a scheme of taking advantage of someone's vulnerable moment and luring them in.
If he actually brought her home now, the truth would probably be exposed within half a day.
After all, his family was different from the Xu family.
His parents had known and stood by each other for most of their lives—they knew better than anyone what two people in love should look like when they were together.