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Kang Bo’s reminder to his boss was actually to ask if his boss wanted to avoid this awkward situation.
There was always a way to avoid it. He just needed to subtly hint to Fan Zhisen that this trip to Jiangcheng was for inspection, and the engagement was a private matter.
With Fan Zhisen’s intelligence, he would naturally understand the meaning and wouldn’t mention anything about “the young couple” at the dinner table again. Once he stopped mentioning it, he would also remind the people he invited to accompany them not to mention it.
In that case, the situation of simultaneously toasting his boss and Tian Qinglu would not occur.
Yan Heyu said, “Everyone knows about my engagement to Tian Qinglu now. Is there any difference whether it’s mentioned or not, toasted or not?” He didn’t have time to care about a single toast. What he needed to consider was how to break this deadlock in Jiangcheng in the future.
Kang Bo said no more.
Yan Heyu received a message and opened his phone as he walked.
The other party said: [It’s done.]
He replied: [Thank Director Zhao for me.]
The other party asked: [What is Wen Di to you?]
Yan Heyu replied: [Someone who can threaten me casually, and I can’t do anything about it.]
When they arrived at the private room, the card game had ended.
Wen Di’s departure was just a minor interlude and didn’t affect the dinner party.
With everyone present, Fan Zhisen greeted Yan Heyu and the others, motioning them to be seated.
The chair right next to Yan Heyu was empty, specifically left for Tian Qinglu. In their eyes, the young couple would certainly sit together.
Tian Qinglu returned from the restroom, and only that seat was empty.
She hung her bag on Yan Heyu’s chair back and sat in the vacant spot.
Even if the substance of her marriage alliance with Yan Heyu was already riddled with holes, the facade still had to be maintained.
She had to pretend to be incredibly happy and blissful.
“It’s a pity that niece has other dinner engagements, otherwise you young people would have a lot to talk about,” Fan Zhisen mentioned Wen Di.
Now, Wen Di had some fame. Although not a household name, she was well-known by most young people.
Of course, no matter how famous she was, it didn’t mean Yan Heyu and Tian Qinglu necessarily recognized her.
“You might not be familiar with niece’s name,” he then said, bringing up a few dramas Wen Di had written.
Yan Heyu said, “I know Director Wen’s daughter. I’ve sponsored TV dramas she’s written. She’s a talented and insightful screenwriter.”
Wen Changyun humbly replied for his daughter, “Mr. Yan flatters her.”
Qin Xing mentally interjected: He’s not flattering her; right now, he’s desperately chasing your daughter.
Afterward, the conversation revolved entirely around the absent Wen Di. Because Yan Heyu appreciated Wen Di’s talent, and she was the daughter of Jiangcheng’s richest man, everyone later began talking about Wen Di.
Fan Zhisen and Wen Changyun had been good friends when they were young. Later, as their respective careers grew, they rarely met more than a few times a year. He wasn’t clear on Wen Di’s current relationship status. “Brother, when will your niece bring a boyfriend home? She can’t just focus on her career.”
Wen Changyun downplayed it, “I’ve always let this child do her own thing. I let her do whatever she wants.”
Fan Zhisen tried to get closer to Tian Qinglu, “Ms. Tian knows many talented young men. If your niece doesn’t have a boyfriend, perhaps Ms. Tian could kindly keep an eye out and introduce one.”
He raised his wine glass to Tian Qinglu.
Tian Qinglu smiled, “As long as Miss Wen finds him suitable.”
She lightly tapped her wine glass on the table, miming a toast, and absently took a sip.
Tian Qinglu took a few bites of food, then put down her chopsticks and used the communal chopsticks to put food on Yan Heyu’s plate.
Yan Heyu looked sideways and whispered, “No need, I never eat food that others put on my plate.”
Tian Qinglu still maintained a smile. She leaned closer to him and retorted, “Didn’t you also not eat food that Jiang put on your plate before?”
This was the first time she mentioned Jiang Yunxing to Yan Heyu, the woman she had envied for so many years, like a thorn embedded in her heart, hurting for years, and still hurting whether removed or not.
Yan Heyu looked at her indifferently, clearly not expecting her to provoke him. “Aren’t you bored?”
Tian Qinglu smiled, “It’s precisely because I’m so bored.”
The people at the table, seeing them whispering, tactfully didn’t disturb them and instead chatted animatedly with Qin Xing and Assistant Kang.
Qin Xing was effortlessly at ease at the dinner party. A few dry jokes even made Wen Changyun laugh.
Tian Qinglu chewed her food slowly, tasteless, yet her expression remained unchanged. “Hey, did you look for Director Zhao or the head of Culture and Tourism tonight?”
Yan Heyu glanced at her again, his eyes questioning what she meant.
Tian Qinglu unhurriedly said, “After Wen Di left, Fan Zhisen received another call from the head of Culture and Tourism, also asking for her. Did you, by any chance, contact two separate groups to get her out?”
Yan Heyu had only contacted Director Zhao; he hadn’t sought connections with the Culture and Tourism Bureau.
That left only one possibility: Wen Di herself had pulled strings to get herself out of the situation.
Tian Qinglu finally said, “You can see how much she didn’t want to see you. You wasted your effort tonight; she won’t appreciate your kindness.”
Subsequently, she sat up straight.
“Ms. Tian, welcome to Jiangcheng for investment. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Wen Changyun, seeing that the two had finished their conversation, fulfilled his duty as host by toasting Tian Qinglu.
Tian Qinglu quickly picked up her wine glass. “Thank you, Director Wen.”
The two exchanged a few polite words, and Tian Qinglu, giving face, drained her glass.
Wen Changyun toasted Tian Qinglu and then Yan Heyu.
Yan Heyu’s glass only had half a glass of wine. He asked the waiter to fill it, then picked up the glass and stood up.
“Mr. Yan, why are you standing up? Sit, please sit.”
Yan Heyu said, “You are an elder; it’s proper.”
Tian Qinglu sneered inwardly. This was the first time tonight he was toasted and stood up on his own accord.
Fan Zhisen thought to himself, I’m older than Wen Changyun, but you weren’t so polite when I toasted you. He was also immensely emotional, Inviting Wen Changyun tonight was the wisest decision. From start to finish, Yan Heyu’s attitude towards Wen Changyun was respectful.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone became more familiar.
Wen Changyun then simultaneously toasted Yan Heyu and Tian Qinglu, “Congratulations to you two, wishing you happiness and a beautiful future.”
This time, Yan Heyu didn’t stand up, because if he stood up, Tian Qinglu would also have to stand, which would be equivalent to accepting the blessing.
He said, “No rush for blessings. You can bless us later.”
Then he drained his glass.
Those words carried different interpretations for different listeners.
________________________________________
By a twist of fate, Wen Di became Jiangcheng’s tourism ambassador.
Later, her second aunt told her that she had contacted the head of the Culture and Tourism Bureau to get her out, after first trying Director Zhao, but Director Zhao’s phone was constantly busy and couldn’t be reached.
Her second aunt was anxious, fearing a delay, so she had no choice but to contact the Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Without thinking, she knew who had contacted Director Zhao.
Two weeks later, Wen Di heard from her father that the contract for Fan Zhisen’s partnership with Jingyue Group to build a factory had been signed. Work began the day after Yan Heyu returned to Beijing.
The project, which had been under discussion since the year before last, finally settled after two years and three months.
Fan Zhisen regarded Wen Changyun and Wen Di as lucky stars. While he said no thanks were needed for such a great kindness, he still expressed his gratitude by booking a private room at the riverside restaurant for Wen Di for a month straight, where she could go anytime.
Wen Changyun had continuous social engagements and wasn’t always available to accompany her. Wen Di went alone, and after a few days, she had tried all the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Eating alone was boring and desolate.
She brought her tablet, contemplating Ming Jianjun’s custom script when she didn’t feel like eating. It had been so long, yet she had no ideas.
It seemed her inspiration had dried up.
Wen Di leaned back in her chair, gazing at the misty river.
The wind was strong today; she could hear the whistling of the wind across the river even through the window glass.
After staring blankly at the river for half an hour, her grandparents video called her.
They had been out for almost a month and had no plans to return yet.
Her grandmother excitedly told her that the small shop she and her grandfather had visited over twenty years ago was still there. The proprietress had become a grandmother herself, running the shop while taking care of her child.
“See this child?” Her grandmother was resting at a table by the shop entrance, pointing to a two or three-year-old child. “When I brought you here, you were about the same age as this child. The proprietress even specially boiled water to mix formula for you.”
Wen Di had no memory of it, only seeing the places she visited as a child in photos and videos.
At that time, her parents were busy, so her grandparents took her traveling all over the country.
Everyone praised her for being insightful, and a large part of that insight came from her grandparents, who accompanied her in her studies and took her traveling. There might also be a genetic component, as well as family affection.
She grew up pampered, including those three years with Yan Heyu.
But now, this so-called insight had died in a failed relationship.
She was unwilling.
But it was gone.
“Grandma, where is this place? Could you organize the travel route for me? I’d like to visit when I have time.”
Grandma said, “It’s Yunshu Village. The tourism development is quite good. When we return to our place, your grandpa and I will organize it and send you all the photos we took twice. Maybe by the time you visit next, there will be more changes.”
Yunshu Village, a scenic village nestled among mountains.
Wen Di made a note of it.
After staying in Jiangcheng for three weeks, Wen Di was ready to return to Beijing tomorrow.
She had already decided which apartment to move into; it was also an apartment, even larger than the previous one. The apartment had been renovated a few years ago and wasn’t her preferred style, so she had asked a designer to redecorate it. The earliest it would be ready was in three months.
Before returning to Beijing, Wen Di discussed with Qi Mingche: [Can I rent your apartment for three months? My new place is being renovated.]
Qi Mingche replied: [You can rent it for half a year.]
Wen Di liked dealing with straightforward people. As a thank you: [When are you free? I’ll treat you to dinner.]
Qi Mingche replied: [You know, I never eat with people whose minds aren’t on the food.]
Wen Di used to always get distracted while eating; she couldn’t control herself.
She said: [Don’t worry, I’m sincere about treating you to dinner.]
The two arranged a place to eat.
On the night Wen Di returned to Beijing, she met with Qi Mingche.
This was her first time at this restaurant. Qi Mingche had chosen the place; its decor was very distinctive. Only those familiar with the owner could book a table; it wasn’t open to the public.
Tonight, Qi Mingche was still wearing a pink T-shirt. Wen Di glanced at the pattern on his chest a few times. “You really like pink?”
“Not really.” Qi Mingche poured her water and said, “I bought them off-season online. I didn’t pay attention when I ordered, bought five of them. It’d be a waste not to wear them.”
Wen Di: “...”
Qi Mingche propped his chin, leisurely drinking water, “Just got back from your hometown?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s just a breakup, not like you lost your phone. Is it that big a deal?”
“Who told you I went home because of a breakup?”
Qi Mingche said nothing, continuing to drink water.
Wen Di spoke to him properly, “I went home to adjust my mood. And I took on a job; filming a promotional video took up some time.”
She peered at him. “How about you? How many times have you been in love?”
Qi Mingche met her bored gaze. Seeing her indifferent demeanor, he also responded indifferently, “I can’t remember.”
Wen Di just asked casually; she wasn’t interested in other people’s privacy.
“Very promiscuous, aren’t you?”
“Not bad.” Wen Di had written about playboys herself. She said, “My best friend Shen Tang has a friend who’s a typical playboy. Do you know why there are so many waves in the ocean? It’s because he makes them at night.”
Qi Mingche laughed, “Those waves in the sea after he falls asleep are the ones I made.”
Wen Di clinked her water glass with his, “The back waves push the front waves.”
Qi Mingche had just taken a few sips when the director of the “As If in Shadow” program sent him a message, reminding him to update his blog. It just needed to be related to the program, he could post a few random photos.
The first episode of “As If in Shadow” would air tomorrow night.
Qi Mingche found two photos from his saved album to post on his blog, and the next day, they became trending topics.
Both photos were of Wen Di: one was a shot of her back, walking in the rain with an umbrella, which he casually took; the other was a photo of her turning back to look after arriving at the guesthouse entrance.
On the day “As If in Shadow” aired, the topic quickly soared to the top of the trending list.
Yan Heyan also followed this variety show. Previously, she never watched such programs, maybe two episodes if she had time. This time, it was entirely because of Wen Di, driven by curiosity, she tuned in on time.
“Here, have a glass of milk.” Ye Minqiong brought her daughter a glass of warm milk, then sat down next to her.
Yan Heyan usually lived in her own apartment, returning on weekends to accompany her mother.
Ye Minqiong never paid attention to entertainment news. “What kind of variety show is this?”
Yan Heyan: “You haven’t seen it before. The first episode just aired.”
It was playing the scene of Xin Yuan and her partner. Ye Minqiong had watched TV dramas starring Xin Yuan. “Who’s partnering with Xin Yuan? I don’t recognize them.”
Yan Heyan said, “He’s a photographer. This variety show pairs celebrities with photographers; it’s quite interesting.”
The camera cut to another group of guests.
Ye Minqiong looked at the guests on the screen, frowning. “These two look familiar. I think I’ve seen them somewhere.”
Yan Heyan tentatively asked, “Mom, do you know Wen Di?”
“Who looks familiar?” A voice interjected, interrupting the mother-daughter conversation.
Ye Minqiong looked up and asked her son, “Why are you free today?”
Yan Heyu handed his overcoat to Auntie, saying, “On my way...” Before he could finish, Yan Heyan cut him off, “His backyard caught fire, his home burned down. Where else could he go if not here?”
Ye Minqiong patted her daughter’s head, “Talk properly, what’s with ‘burning’!”
Yan Heyu glanced at his sister, then sat on the other side of his mother, looking at the TV.
On TV, Wen Di was struggling to complete a task.
When she filmed the first episode, he and she were still doing well, and he would frequently air-ship her dishes and soup from private restaurants.
Yan Heyu continued his interrupted sentence and asked his mother again, “Mom, who did you recognize?”
“It’s Wen Di and this photographer.” Ye Minqiong suddenly remembered, “That’s why they looked familiar. I had dinner with your aunt last night and ran into them at the table next to us. This variety show has a script; they deliberately make them seem to have conflicts to create buzz.”
Yan Heyu asked, “What do you mean?”
Ye Minqiong said, “Last night, when the two of them were eating, they were laughing and talking, nothing like how they appear on the show with cold faces.”
Yan Heyu turned his head to look at his mother. “Only those two were eating? It wasn’t a crew dinner?”
“No, not a dinner,” Ye Minqiong said, “It was a table for two people, and no third person showed up until they finished.”
“Ha.” Yan Heyan chuckled suddenly.
Ye Minqiong looked at her daughter, puzzled. “What are you laughing at?”
Yan Heyan: “Nothing.”
She bluffed, “The TV show is funny.”
Yan Heyu leaned back on the sofa, seemingly focused on watching TV.
Since they started dating three years ago, he and Wen Di had always been considerate of each other’s feelings, never going out alone with members of the opposite sex, not even for work.
Now, she was going out to dinner with Qi Mingche.
________________________________________
For the next month or so, Yan Heyu received push notifications about Wen Di and Qi Mingche’s rumored relationship almost daily. Their posts also floated across his homepage.
With the broadcast of “As If in Shadow,” their names became intertwined. Wherever Wen Di appeared, comments inevitably mentioned Qi Mingche.
Netizens were detectives, always finding clues related to Wen Di in Qi Mingche’s updated Weibo posts, which were then amplified and interpreted at will.
During this period, Wen Di and Qi Mingche had dined alone more than once, with netizens capturing them together three times.
Yan Heyu uninstalled several apps. “Does this show only rely on fabricating scandals to gain attention?”
What could Assistant Kang say? Going out to eat was Wen Di and Qi Mingche’s personal behavior. Given Wen Di’s personality, she certainly wouldn’t create a fake couple pairing; she wasn’t lacking in popularity or reliant on traffic.
The production team simply saw a trending topic and capitalized on it.
As for Wen Di frequently having meals with Qi Mingche, it was probably because they got along well and felt comfortable with each other.
Wen Di was a free spirit; as long as she believed in something, she never cared what others said.
Just like her best friend Shen Tang, a controversial actress with a heap of negative publicity. Everyone advised Wen Di to keep her distance, yet Wen Di had only Shen Tang as a friend all these years.
Yan Heyu was silent for a moment, then asked, “Has Wen Di finished filming the show?”
Assistant Kang kept a close eye on “As If in Shadow”‘s official Weibo. “The last episode was just filmed.”
“Didn’t she take on a custom script from Ming Jianjun?”
“Yes, she did.”
“I want to meet her.”
Assistant Kang hesitated for a moment, then understood what he meant. “...Okay, I’ll arrange it now.” His boss wanted him to arrange a meeting with Wen Di under the pretext of discussing a custom script.
Kang Bo only took half a day to finalize the matter. He found an acquaintance to contact Wen Di’s company. That acquaintance was also a friend of Qu Pei.
The acquaintance asked him: What does Yan Heyu want?
He replied: He just wants to see Wen Di; he probably has something to say in person.
The acquaintance: What was he doing before? He’s causing trouble.
Later, through Qu Pei, he contacted Wen Di, arranging a meeting with her under the name of “General Manager Ye.”
His boss’s mother’s surname was Ye, so calling him “General Manager Ye” was barely plausible.
The meeting with Wen Di was arranged at a coffee shop, not a private room, but in the second-floor hall. Yan Heyu had booked out the entire coffee shop in advance.
The meeting time was in the afternoon.
Wen Di habitually arrived twenty minutes early. The reserved seat was empty, so she casually picked up a magazine to browse.
Although she had agreed to meet General Manager Ye, she had no intention of taking on this project.
She didn’t want to take on custom scripts. She had only accepted Ming Jianjun’s script previously out of respect for Director Ruan, as Ming Jianjun had invested in so many of Director Ruan’s films.
That was her way of returning Director Ruan’s favor.
She had expressed her feelings to Qu Pei over the phone: her state wasn’t good, she wasn’t taking on new work.
Qu Pei said: “My old friend is too enthusiastic. I really couldn’t refuse him over the phone. Just go meet General Manager Ye once and politely decline him in person.”
The coffee shop was very quiet. Sunlight fell on the corner of the table, a sliver of it landing on the magazine.
Wen Di turned a page, then her fingertip suddenly paused. She didn’t turn to look at the person standing beside her; a familiar scent enveloped the surroundings.
Yan Heyu brought two cups of coffee. He placed one in front of her and the other across from her.
Wen Di slowly looked up then. She was somewhat surprised that he had gone to such lengths to see her. It was truly not easy for this member of the Yan family to condescend.
But she didn’t care anymore.
Yan Heyu took off his suit jacket, casually draped it over her sofa back, then went to the seat opposite her.
It had been two months since he last saw her in Jiangcheng.
Wen Di closed the magazine, composed herself for a few seconds, and asked with a smile, “Are you General Manager Ye?”
Since he claimed to be General Manager Ye, she would treat him as General Manager Ye.
Yan Heyu didn’t respond. Across the table, he stirred her coffee.
Wen Di placed the magazine on the corner of the table by the window. Outside the window, leaves swayed wildly with the wind, and the sunlight passing through the layers of leaves into the room also danced incessantly.
Yan Heyu finished stirring her coffee and put down the spoon. “With so many seats, you picked one with sun to sit in.”
Wen Di didn’t answer, but instead said, “General Manager Ye looks a lot like my former boyfriend.”
Yan Heyu looked at her and after a moment said, “Oh, really?”
Wen Di’s gaze directly met his eyes. She didn’t look away, her voice calm: “Yes, very similar. Isn’t General Manager Ye curious about my ex-boyfriend?”
Yan Heyu didn’t know what she wanted to say, but he still followed the direction of the conversation she wanted to control, asking, “I am a little curious, since he looks so similar. What’s his name?”
“His name is Yan Heyu. I used to like calling him ‘husband’.”
Yan Heyu no longer looked at her, staring instead at the magazine beside her. The tree shadows and sunlight on the magazine swayed independently, not intertwined. “How long have you been broken up with your boyfriend?”
“Over three months.”
“How long were you together?”
“Three years and two months.”
Yan Heyu’s hand rested on the table, holding his coffee cup, but not lifting it. “Over three years, quite a long time.”
Wen Di nodded. “Yes. For a while, I couldn’t understand why he treated me that way.”
She smiled, then calmly said, “Actually, I later realized it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand; it was that my heart was extremely unwilling to accept the truth. After I accepted it, I completely let him go.”
As she said, “I completely let him go,” Yan Heyu looked at her. “Wen Di.” He stopped her from continuing. His tone seemed calm, but the emotions within were overly complex.
Yan Heyu finally picked up the black coffee cup and took a few sips.
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