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Yan Heyu’s social engagement for today was still scheduled at a private club.
The club’s menu was updated every six months.
Today, there was a new soup he hadn’t tried before, an innovative brewing method by the chef.
Before Yan Heyu even tasted it, his thoughts turned to Wen Di.
No matter how far, he used to be able to send it to her.
He excused himself for a moment, getting up and leaving the private room.
Assistant Kang nodded apologetically to the others present and followed him out.
Hearing footsteps, Yan Heyu turned back. “It’s fine, you can go back in.”
Assistant Kang asked, “Would you like an hangover pill?”
“No need.”
Yan Heyu had drunk three glasses, a bit much, but he was still in good shape.
He leaned by the window, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, getting some air. Kang Bo saw his boss take out his phone, looking for a number, and returned to the private room.
Yan Heyu dialed the number and said, “It’s me.”
“Mr. Yan, hello, how can I help you?” Fan Zhisen was puzzled to receive a call from Yan Heyu at this time. For the factory project, he always dealt with Tian Qinglu.
He had saved Yan Heyu’s number but had never contacted him.
Yan Heyu didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose: “I want to send some soup to Wen Di.”
Fan Zhisen’s first reaction was, “Does our Young President Qin want to pursue his niece?”
Anyway, he would never have thought it was Yan Heyu.
At the dinner that day, only Qin Xing was single.
Yan Heyu said, “It’s me who wants to send it.”
Fan Zhisen: “...”
Suddenly, there was silence on the phone.
A man his age had seen everything. Men with fiancées who kept several mistresses were commonplace.
He was suddenly speechless because Wen Di was Wen Changyun’s only daughter.
She was still the daughter of Jiangcheng’s richest man, no matter what.
Yan Heyu explained the situation in a few words: “My current status isn’t convenient. After I resolve the engagement with Ms. Tian and become single again, I’ll do it myself.”
Fan Zhisen was shocked to hear they were breaking off the engagement. It was too sudden. What about the subsequent funding for his project? He dared not think about it.
Yan Heyu seemed to read his mind and reassured him, “The money will be in place, not a single cent less.”
Fan Zhisen breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to ask too much about emotional matters, especially Yan Heyu’s. It must have been love at first sight with his niece that night at the Riverside Restaurant.
He suddenly realized why Yan Heyu had been so respectful to Wen Changyun at that dinner, even standing up to toast him.
Ultimately, he couldn’t resist a beautiful woman.
Business needed to be done, but Fan Zhisen still had a basic conscience. His relationship with Wen Changyun wasn’t just about wining and dining; it was a genuine bond forged during their childhood fights.
“Mr. Yan, some things shouldn’t be said by me, nor is it my place to say them, but I still want to add a word. Changyun has four siblings, and among the younger generation, Wen Di is the only girl. She grew up pampered.”
He paused, “Mr. Yan, do you understand what I mean?”
“I know.” Yan Heyu said, “I’ve invested billions in your project. My pursuit of her isn’t a whim or just for fun. In the future, I want to settle down in Jiangcheng.”
“That would be excellent. Welcome to be our son-in-law in Jiangcheng. I was small-minded, Mr. Yan, you are truly magnanimous.” Regarding keeping secrets, he promised himself before Yan Heyu even hinted at it that no third person would know.
Fan Zhisen was now even more grateful to Wen Di and Wen Changyun. The project’s smooth progress was largely thanks to Wen Di. “Mr. Yan, what kind of soup do you want to send?”
“I’ll arrange for a dedicated person to deliver it. You just need to tell Wen Di it’s your heartfelt gesture. As for the reason for your gesture, you can come up with that yourself.”
________________________________________
When Wen Di received Fan Zhisen’s call, the auntie was just asking her what she wanted for dinner.
“Auntie, please wait a moment.”
She answered the phone first. “Uncle Fan, hello, what brings your call my way?”
Fan Zhisen couldn’t hide his joy: “My secretary just reported that all the initial funds for the project have been received. All of them. You don’t know, even after signing the contract, I was uneasy. Until the money arrived, nothing counted.”
Wen Di was also happy for him.
“Niece, you and your father are truly my lucky stars. The last time I booked a table for you at Jiangjing Restaurant, you only went a few times. I feel bad about it. You don’t come back to Jiangcheng often, so I’ll send you meals for half a year in Beijing. You’re not allowed to refuse. If you’re polite, I’ll fall out with your father.”
Wen Di chuckled, “I actually want to see what it looks like when you fall out with my dad.”
Fan Zhisen talked about a funny childhood anecdote. “We’d fight. When we were little, we’d get angry playing cards and beat each other black and blue. The next day, before the swelling went down, we’d be playing together again.”
Wen Di ultimately didn’t refuse Fan Zhisen, but she also suggested, “Uncle Fan, I need to maintain my figure. Eating restaurant food every day will be too much.”
Fan Zhisen quickly said, “How about I send you a meal every few days? Is that okay?”
So that evening, Wen Di ate the meal sent by Fan Zhisen, including a bowl of soup.
Both the dishes and the soup were light and refreshing, flavorful without being greasy.
Having eaten only 60% full, Wen Di resolutely put down her chopsticks, poured a glass of water, and went to the terrace to aid digestion.
When Qi Mingche messaged her, Wen Di was watching old videos her grandparents had recorded of her childhood and didn’t hear her phone vibrate.
She had been staring at the computer for a while, and her eyes felt sore. Wen Di rubbed the corners of her eyes. Her cup was empty at some point, so she picked up the glass and went to pour water.
When she came back, her phone screen lit up.
Qi Mingche had sent two messages: [What’s going on?]
Then: [Where are you?]
Wen Di took a sip of water and asked: [What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?]
Qi Mingche retorted: [What do you think?]
Wen Di thought for a moment: [Are you referring to not going to the Changqing celebration?]
She was chosen to host, then replaced at the last minute. This incident could easily be used to buy smear articles against her, as not everyone was her friend.
However, she believed Tian Qinglu would handle it properly and wouldn’t let unfavorable rumors spread widely.
[Was I ridiculed?]
Qi Mingche: [No.]
On the trending searches, he saw some videos of the celebration released, showing the hosts on stage, but Wen Di wasn’t there. However, there were no online discussions about Wen Di.
He was curious what happened.
Wen Di said: [I knew in advance that Yan Heyu might be there, and suddenly didn’t want to go.]
Qi Mingche stated confidently: [Tian Qinglu found you?]
Wen Di joked: [Are you a fortune teller? Next time you’re free, tell me when my romantic luck will come.]
Qi Mingche said: [Tomorrow at noon.]
Followed by: [I’ll treat you to a meal, borrowing your home’s restaurant.]
Wen Di laughed. She thought her romantic luck would come tomorrow at noon. It turned out he split one message into two parts: he wanted to borrow her home’s restaurant to treat her tomorrow at noon.
________________________________________
Wen Di thought it would be some rare delicacy, but the next day, when she saw the ingredients, it turned out to be hot pot again.
She woke up late that morning and hadn’t eaten breakfast.
The aroma of the hot pot broth wafted, stimulating her appetite.
All the ingredients were pre-prepared and could be directly put into the pot.
“Did you buy the soup base from that same fresh food supermarket?” She smelled it again and thought it didn’t seem like it.
“No.”
Qi Mingche was busy pouring out the dipping sauces. Today, he didn’t let Wen Di lift a finger; she was only responsible for eating.
“That old shop reopened,” he said.
“?” Wen Di, drinking juice, paused. She looked at the table full of dishes and the soup in the pot, incredulous. “Did you carry this hot pot all the way from a thousand miles away?”
Qi Mingche nodded. “Didn’t I tell you I was going to eat there on June 6th?”
He flew there that noon, queued for two hours, and finally got to eat.
He had originally intended to pack it and bring it back for her that same day, but considering she would be hosting a show a few days later and would definitely diet to maintain her figure, perhaps not even daring to drink much water for fear of a little belly showing in her dress, he stayed there for a few more days.
Wen Di had only mentioned it casually that day, but who knew he would take it seriously and actually pack it for her. “Did you use your dad’s private jet?”
“My own. I made some money from investments when I was slacking off abroad.”
Wen Di chuckled, “You can earn enough for a plane and maintain it even when you’re ‘slacking off.’ What if you were actually working diligently?”
“Then the company would be mine, and my dad would have nothing to do with it.”
“...”
Qi Mingche packed a bit of each dipping sauce, letting Wen Di mix it according to her preferred taste.
The hot pot dipping sauces from this old shop couldn’t be found anywhere else; they were a major feature of the establishment.
He gave her a small bowl and spoon. “Mix it yourself.”
Wen Di thanked him, put down her juice glass, and mixed her dipping sauce. “This is a priceless hot pot.”
Qi Mingche said, “Don’t feel bad. Consider it my payment to you.”
Wen Di looked at him. “Payment? What do you mean?”
Qi Mingche said directly, “Being with you gives me photographic inspiration.”
She took a piece of raw lettuce, dipped it directly in the sauce, and casually chatted, “How long can this kind of inspiration last?”
“Who knows?” Qi Mingche also copied her, wrapping some dipping sauce in a crisp green lettuce leaf and eating it. “You’re the first. I’ll know when the inspiration is gone.”
“Anyone who didn’t know you would think you’re a pure young man.”
Qi Mingche laughed, “Don’t insult me like that. When I was dating, I was goofing off and barely touched my camera. Even if a girlfriend could give me inspiration, I wouldn’t have known it was inspiration.”
He wrapped another lettuce leaf, this time with a bit of fermented bean curd, and offered it to Wen Di.
“Thanks.” Wen Di took it.
She wasn’t used to being taken care of. At the dining table, others always served her, including Yan Heyu. The food she liked, she didn’t even have to reach for herself; they always remembered her preferences and directly served it to her, picking out the best pieces.
Over time, she became accustomed to it, even subconsciously feeling it was her right to be taken care of that way.
Qi Mingche sighed, “It’s not easy to make you happy.”
Because he used a private jet to airlift surprises for her, Yan Heyu didn’t know how many times he had done it.
What Yan Heyu gave her was the pinnacle of romance.
“It’s not as exaggerated as you say.” She shook the lettuce in her hand. “I’m very content right now.”
Qi Mingche changed the subject. “Just because Tian Qinglu approached you, you didn’t go host?”
Wen Di stuffed the last bit of vegetable leaf into her mouth. “I didn’t want to see him myself. It just so happened someone else could host for me, so it didn’t affect the celebration. It’s nothing.”
The pot was boiling. Qi Mingche turned down the heat, took another empty bowl, and served Wen Di some food. He said, “We’ll watch a movie this afternoon. I’ve already booked the tickets.”
His abrupt changes in topic always made her unpredictable.
The movie was scheduled for 3:10 PM.
After eating, Qi Mingche cleaned the dining table, and Wen Di went back to her room to change into outdoor clothes.
There was a bit more kitchen waste today. After Qi Mingche finished cleaning up, he first took the trash downstairs.
He told Wen Di he’d wait for her in the car downstairs.
Wen Di grabbed her bag and left, telling the auntie not to prepare dinner for her tonight.
Downstairs, she wasn’t sure which car was Qi Mingche’s. He had many cars and always drove different ones to pick her up, so she wasn’t very familiar with his license plates.
She didn’t like memorizing license plate numbers; even Yan Heyu’s license plate number she didn’t remember back then.
Wen Di called Qi Mingche. “Where are you?”
Qi Mingche said, “I’m going to the restroom. The third black G65 on the right. The car isn’t locked; you can wait for me inside.” Just as he stepped into the restroom, he hung up.
Wen Di opened her umbrella and headed straight for the third car.
The right side of the parking space was right next to a roadside bush, so only the driver’s side door and the rear passenger door were easy to open.
She stopped at the rear car door, closed her umbrella, and with her other hand, almost simultaneously pulled open the car door.
There was someone in the car.
The man was wearing a white shirt, and his pants were likely black or dark blue.
The sunlight outside was dazzling, so Wen Di didn’t look closely, nor did she have time to.
The man’s long legs were naturally crossed, and he was looking down, wiping his glasses.
Startled by the sudden opening of the door, he turned his head to look, and Wen Di quickly shut the door. The closing motion was merely an instinctive reaction when a person was embarrassed.
Just then, Qi Mingche’s voice came from behind her: “Wen Di! You got into the wrong car!”
Wen Di apologized to the person inside the car through the window, “I’m sorry, I mistook the car.” The car window film reflected light, so she couldn’t see the person’s expression inside.
Qi Mingche ran over from the apartment building.
Wen Di slightly bowed towards the car window and awkwardly walked away.
Qi Mingche caught up, his breath uneven. He put his hand on her forehead to shield her from the sun; a tiny bead of sweat appeared on her nose.
Wen Di rolled her eyes at him.
Qi Mingche smiled. At this moment, he inexplicably wanted to hold her.
It had been a long time since he had seen her so vibrant and alive.
In recent months, she always appeared incredibly calm, seemingly devoid of joy, anger, or sorrow. To use an inappropriate word, she was like a living corpse.
No matter what happened, it was difficult to evoke an emotional fluctuation in her.
When he first met her, during the filming of the first episode of “Like a Shadow,” she gave the initial impression of being cold and unapproachable. But as they got to know each other, he found her witty and humorous.
When she finished work and called Yan Heyu, she transformed into another person, sly yet proud.
It wasn’t until just now, when she glared at him, that she truly seemed like her old self.
“I’m sorry.” Qi Mingche pointed to the car behind them. “This is my car.”
Wen Di was amused and exasperated. “Can’t you count? This is the second car, not the third!”
Qi Mingche also looked innocent. “When I went to the restroom, there was a car behind me. Who knew it would drive off so quickly?” The car Wen Di had mistakenly opened was the same model as his, both black G65s.
The cars parked in front of this apartment building were all quite expensive.
It was perfectly normal for one or two cars out of ten to be of the same make.
Qi Mingche opened the car door and let her sit in the back seat to cool down. “I’ll be your driver today.”
He got into the driver’s seat.
The car drove away.
“Mr. Xiao, that lady just now was Wen Di. She’s the one who rear-ended our car earlier.” The driver reported in detail. That car was still being repaired at the 4S shop.
“Mhm.” Xiao Donghan unhurriedly wiped his gold-rimmed glasses and put them on.
He seemed unconcerned about Wen Di.
He had come here to wait for someone, arriving a bit early.
The secretary in the passenger seat was checking emails. After reading them, she turned to Xiao Donghan and said, “Mr. Xiao, the other party replied, saying the Jiang family might be a breakthrough. Their funds had previously flowed heavily into one project and are now being withdrawn. It’s estimated that there’s a problem with the project.”
Their Mr. Xiao was the CEO of Xiao Ning Group. Currently, there was intense internal conflict within Xiao Ning, with everyone vying for control of the group. Mr. Xiao wanted to completely open up the domestic market on his own, not just open it, but firmly establish himself.
After Mr. Xiao’s funds came in, it was bound to affect the profit share of competitors. Mr. Xiao was born abroad and had always been responsible for the European and American markets. His domestic connections and resources were a bit weaker, so he needed resources from Yan Heyu’s powerful circle.
However, their circle was difficult for outsiders to enter, and their information and resources were basically shared within the circle.
After a slight pause, Xiao Donghan said, “Then we’ll start with the Jiang family to find a breakthrough.”
The secretary paused, then said, “If possible, collaborating with Yan Heyu is best. He only looks at profit, and there’s less fuss in collaborations with him.”
Xiao Donghan: “At that time, will I listen to him, or will he listen to me?”
Secretary: “...”
One mountain cannot hold two tigers.
Collaboration would have to be scrapped.
________________________________________
Since the embarrassing incident of getting into the wrong car, every time Qi Mingche came to pick up Wen Di, he would clearly send her the license plate number, including the car model and color.
He even offered her a spare key.
He said, “Using the key to find the car, you’ll never go wrong.”
Wen Di naturally refused; they were just friends.
Qi Mingche didn’t insist and put away the spare key. “The cover shoot has been moved up to mid-July.”
“Moved up so much?”
“Mhm, I went to check again; the scenery is most suitable at that time.”
Mid-July, the hottest time.
Qi Mingche said, “We’ll leave before dawn and shoot in the morning, guaranteed it won’t be hot.”
They chose a windy, sunny day. Wen Di woke up at 4 AM that day, and Qi Mingche was already waiting for her downstairs to pick her up and take her to the small village/town in the suburbs.
She forgot if it was a village or a town.
They chose three outfits for the outdoor shoot, all new designs from this year, borrowed through Qi Mingche’s connections.
During his years of “slacking off” abroad, he made many friends in the fashion industry.
Today, the driver was driving, and she and Qi Mingche sat in the back.
“Have you been on a magazine cover before?” Qi Mingche asked her on the way.
Wen Di nodded. “Once. Thanks to Tangtang, she brought me along.”
That issue’s theme was sisters, and she was Shen Tang’s only good friend.
Speaking of Shen Tang, she hadn’t seen her in a long time. Shen Tang’s last drama had wrapped up, and now she was filming another, with the shooting location in Haitang Village.
Qi Mingche peeked at her. “Why are you spacing out?”
Wen Di turned her head and said, “I’m thinking about visiting Tangtang someday. And seeing Grandpa Shen again. I miss them.”
Qi Mingche had a good impression of Haitang Village. He said, “Call me when you go.”
After saying that, he leaned back in his seat. “I’m going to sleep for a bit.”
He had been busy until 11 PM last night and woke up before 3 AM this morning, so sleepy he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
The car drove for over two hours and stopped at the entrance of the small village.
Wen Di looked out the window. She remembered she had been to this small village before, during college, when she came here for an autumn outing with classmates. The autumn in the small village had a unique charm.
The summer scenery of the small village was also good; the entire village was nestled in lush greenery.
At the village entrance, there was a pagoda tree, so large that it would take several people to encircle it, likely over a hundred years old.
The car stopped steadily. Qi Mingche woke up, took a can of coffee from the fridge, opened it, and drank a few sips to perk up.
Two cars came today; the assistant and stylist were in the car behind.
“I’ve been here before,” Wen Di said. “There’s a well in the village; the water is sweet. I’ve tasted it.”
“After the shoot, I’ll take you back to visit that place, to see that well.” Qi Mingche pushed the door open and got out to set up the shooting location. Wen Di went to the nanny van behind to prepare to change and do her makeup.
The various shooting spots, in Wen Di’s eyes, were no different from other places. This was probably the barrier between an expert and a layman.
Qi Mingche’s working demeanor was unfamiliar to Wen Di. If she hadn’t known him, she would never have believed he used to be a good-for-nothing playboy.
The shooting time was shorter than estimated, finishing an hour early.
Even the assistant said that when Qi Mingche photographed Wen Di, every shot was an inspiring masterpiece, not even needing photo editing.
Qi Mingche didn’t forget his promise to her and took her to see the well.
Wen Di vaguely remembered the way. “It seems like you follow this small path all the way, and then turn right at the end.”
Qi Mingche said, “Turn left.”
“You know about that well too?”
“No.”
“...”
“The navigation says it’s on the left.”
Only then did Wen Di notice he was carrying a 2L mineral water bottle in his hand, almost empty. Before, he always poured water into a cup, but now he wasn’t holding a cup.
Perhaps there wasn’t much water left, so he intended to drink directly from the bottle.
The well was behind the village. Some households still used the water from it, mostly for watering flowers and trees, and also for washing clothes.
When Wen Di and Qi Mingche went over, there were villagers drawing water from the well.
Qi Mingche poured the remaining water from the mineral water bottle into the nearby bush and asked the villagers for well water.
Wen Di: “What are you doing?”
Qi Mingche used a dipper to scoop water into the bottle. “Didn’t you say this water is sweet? I’ll take a bottle back and boil it to make tea for you.”
Wen Di watched him intently filling the bottle, then hesitated to speak. It was just a casual remark she made during their conversation, but he took it to heart, specifically bought a large bottle of mineral water, drank it all, and then used it to hold the well water.
She walked to the well and helped the villagers draw water. She had drawn water here before when she visited, and it was quite fun.
“So much water?” She tucked her phone into her pocket and glanced at the well opening. The water surface was only two or three meters from the well opening.
A villager told her, “There’s been a lot of rain recently, and the spring water in the well flows quickly.”
Wen Di nodded and said, “When I used to come here, I had to use a rope over ten meters long to draw water.”
“Do you have relatives in our village?”
“No. I just came to visit. The scenery here is beautiful.”
“Oh. In recent years, quite a few young people have been coming here, talking about ‘checking in’.”
After a brief chat, the person pushed a few buckets of water home with a handcart.
Qi Mingche, worried she was bored, teased her, “There might be small fish in the well.”
Wen Di didn’t believe him, but played along, “Really?”
“Look closely.”
Wen Di leaned over the well curb and looked down. The well water was like a mirror, reflecting the July sky and the old tree by the well.
Before she could see herself clearly, a black object slid down.
“Oh!”
She reached out to grab it but missed.
With a “thud,” it fell into the well. There wasn’t even a splash, just ripples spreading out, and all the reflections inside shattered.
“What happened?” Qi Mingche walked over quickly.
Wen Di stared at the well water for a long time before saying, “My phone fell in.”
Qi Mingche threw the mineral water bottle he was holding by the well. “I’ll help you get it out.”
Wen Di stopped him. “Forget it. This well is dozens of meters deep, and there might be silt at the bottom. How would you retrieve it? By the time it’s retrieved, the phone will be ruined anyway.”
She repeated, “Forget it.”
As if speaking to herself.
Qi Mingche knew she liked to jot down inspiration on the fly. Even if the content currently on her phone wasn’t directly related to Yan Heyu, those writing inspirations must have come from bits and pieces of their three years together.
He insisted, “I’ll find a way to get it out for you.”
“No need. I don’t want it anymore.” Wen Di picked up the mineral water bottle he had tossed aside. “I’ll just get a new SIM card later. And a new phone.”
She smiled. “I’ll use the phone the production team gave me. Let’s go.”
Qi Mingche looked at her retreating back, then at the well, before shifting his gaze back. He walked behind her, returning the way they came.
He took out his phone and quickly sent messages as he walked.
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