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Xiao Donghan picked up the water glass from the small coffee table and examined it repeatedly, as if trying to discern some secret within.
Wen Di couldn’t stand them. “CEO Xiao, are you interested in my cup?”
Xiao Donghan put down the cup and said, “I thought the cup had an automatic disinfection function, so anyone could take a sip.”
Wen Di: “...”
Yan Heyu was still standing nearby, about to speak, but Wen Di’s warning gaze swept over him, and he swallowed the retort he was about to deliver to Xiao Donghan.
He raised the book in his hand. “I’ll put this away. You hurry up and talk business.”
Wen Di waited for Yan Heyu to leave, then she said to Xiao Donghan, “Thanks.”
Xiao Donghan countered, “Thanks for what?”
“Whatever you think I should thank you for, thank you for that.”
Wen Di put down the Ragdoll cat, letting it stay by her leg.
Xiao Donghan said, “I wasn’t helping you. He was delaying my business.”
“It’s the same to me.” She didn’t want to be in the same space as Yan Heyu. Her thoughts would be pulled away, her mind filled with the past, and that suffocating feeling was like being held underwater.
But he was also Secretary Liang’s distinguished guest. Even if she was willful, she knew her limits and couldn’t very well make him leave her house.
Wen Di asked, “What would you like to drink?”
Xiao Donghan pointed to her cup.
Of course, he wasn’t asking to drink the water in her cup.
Wen Di called downstairs and asked for a cup of herbal tea to be sent up.
Xiao Donghan brought up agreeing to authorize her, “Firstly, for Tang Tang’s sake, and secondly, for Director Wen’s sake.” He glanced at his watch: “Twenty minutes, no more.”
“Didn’t you just say half an hour?”
“Yan Heyu wasted ten minutes.”
“...”
Wen Di opened her phone’s notepad, copied and sent him the twelve questions and doubts she had compiled. “Take a look, everything I want to ask is in there.”
Xiao Donghan quickly scanned the twelve questions, “You’re still not giving up on me?”
Wen Di asked, “The last one you mentioned, about whether you have a girlfriend?” Without waiting for his answer, she said, “Then just assume I’m not giving up.”
She looked at him, “Can you answer now?”
Regarding whether he had a girlfriend, Xiao Donghan felt it was a waste of time. “Someone like me, what do you think?”
Wen Di understood. Someone like him was all about lust, no heart. No girlfriend, just female companions, each getting what they needed.
“If you don’t, it’ll be much easier for me to arrange things here. I’ll appropriately add some romantic scenes for you in the script then.”
Xiao Donghan would not allow it. “If you write me as brain-dead, abandoning benefits for a woman, and even try to redeem me in the drama, then I’ll reconsider whether to authorize you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Wen Di said, “Your image is simply not suitable for being written as a hopelessly romantic man.”
Xiao Donghan looked at the first eleven questions. “I’ll have Secretary Lu compile them and send them to you.”
So his secretary’s surname was Lu.
Wen Di thanked him.
Xiao Donghan forwarded the twelve questions to Secretary Lu. He looked at Wen Di, “Time’s not up yet. If you have more questions, keep asking. After today, I won’t have time to chat about these things with you again.”
Wen Di brought up an unrelated topic, “Last May, I rear-ended a car in Beijing.”
Xiao Donghan: “It was my car.”
It seemed her intuition was right. She asked, “How much was the repair fee? Give me your account number, I’ll transfer it.”
“No need. Consider it the rental fee for borrowing your family’s books.”
Repair fees in the hundreds of thousands, what book couldn’t that buy.
Wen Di didn’t like owing favors, and now that she knew he was the car owner, there was no reason not to compensate him. “Then I’ll transfer it to you in installments via WeChat. I’ll give you 500,000, and you pay the rest if it’s not enough.”
“I said, no need.” Xiao Donghan picked up the herbal tea the auntie had just brought, a faint fragrance rising from it. “Wen Di, you’re not the first woman to rear-end my car.”
No wonder that day of the rear-end collision, he told the driver not to bother with compensation, as he was in a hurry.
He originally thought she had deliberately rear-ended him to strike up a conversation.
However, given the location of the rear-end at that particular road section, there was indeed suspicion of intent.
“I was distracted, thinking about something that day.”
Wen Di entered her transfer password, and the transfer was successful.
Xiao Donghan didn’t even look at his phone, “Don’t waste that time. No one will accept the transfer.”
Wen Di looked up, “CEO Xiao, you always misunderstand that I’m interested in you. So if you don’t accept my money, can I interpret that as you trying to use this opportunity to get my attention?”
Xiao Donghan answered irrelevantly, “Wen Di, I’m not suitable for you. You don’t need to test me.” He thought about her ex-boyfriend’s name, “Someone like Qi Mingche suits you. If you date again, you should look for someone like that.”
“I thought you didn’t follow entertainment news.”
“It’s not that I want to follow you; Secretary Lu talks about it constantly.”
After hearing it so much, he naturally knew who she was dating and when they broke up.
Wen Di continued her previous thought, “Next time I date, I can only find someone like you, someone who won’t get hurt when we break up.” Heartless, without pain.
Today’s time and place seemed perfectly suitable, and he wasn’t busy. At any other time besides today, he wouldn’t have the leisure. Xiao Donghan humored her a little more, “Tell me why you want to be with me.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to be with you. I just said that if I were to look for someone, I’d have to find someone who’s a match for him, without much disparity. You just happen to fit the criteria.”
Qi Mingche’s family company also had good strength, yet Yan Heyu could just join the board of directors whenever he wanted. She couldn’t drag down the other party’s family just because she was in a relationship.
Whether she got married or not was irrelevant to her; maybe she wouldn’t get married at all.
But she couldn’t possibly not fall in love in this life.
Xiao Donghan spoke frankly: “You want to use me to get rid of Yan Heyu?”
“It’s not about getting rid of him; he’s not harassing me. But who can guarantee that when I’m in my next relationship, he won’t do something to my boyfriend’s family? I need to find someone with comparable abilities to him.”
Wen Di transferred the third installment, still continuing, “Your Xiao Ning Group has also established itself in Jiangcheng. You know yourself, the investment isn’t a mere one or two billion; it’s a strategic corporate deployment. He came directly to Jiangcheng to win me back. I know his determination, and I want him to know mine too.”
He hurt her too deeply; she couldn’t go back. If she did, she would be shattered.
“Wen Di.” Xiao Donghan put down his water cup. “Is it so hard to admit you’re interested in me? You have to make up some excuse about me being as capable as Yan Heyu for you to want to be with me, making me live in the shadow of another man.”
Wen Di laughed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”
Xiao Donghan opened his phone, “You take it easy with the transfers. If you transfer it all at once, what excuse will you use to find me next time?”
Wen Di transferred the fourth installment, then looked up at him. “I never proactively seek out others.”
The Ragdoll cat beside her also “whoop”ed, looking up at him with its head tilted, as if to say: My mom never actively pursues anyone.
One person, one cat, the same expression: proud yet languid.
Both looking at him.
The sunlight, filtering through the treetops before four o’clock, cast a little light on her hair.
There were tiny, fragmented lights in her eyes.
Very beautiful.
Xiao Donghan met her gaze and said, “Coincidentally, I’m also not in the habit of proactively contacting any woman.”
Wen Di: “Then you can cultivate that slowly.” She answered his previous question, “Admitting I’m interested in you is indeed not difficult, so you have a chance to pursue me now.”
Xiao Donghan found it amusing; her tone was one of casual notification.
He asked, “Is there a tennis court in the backyard?”
“Mm. Do you want to play tennis?”
“Better than sitting here chatting with you.”
Wen Di asked, “Did you bring casual clothes?”
Xiao Donghan nodded, “Yes.”
No matter where he went on a business trip, formal wear was essential, but casual clothes were even more so. Roughly half of all business entertainment was at the negotiation table, and the other half was at leisure venues.
Wen Di told him there was a dedicated changing room downstairs.
She also planned to go back to her room on the third floor and change into a set of sportswear.
“Wen Wen, go play by yourself. I’ll come back to accompany you in a bit.”
“What’s this cat’s name?” Xiao Donghan hadn’t heard clearly earlier.
Wen Di said, “My daughter, her surname is Wen like mine, and her given name is also Wen.” Her grandma raised the cat for her.
Wen Wen was very obedient. She no longer clung to Wen Di and went downstairs to find Old Master Wen.
The living room on the first floor was relatively quiet. Wen Changyun and the others had started a card game at the tea table on the second floor.
Several old photos were displayed in the living room. Yan Heyu stopped and looked at them for over ten minutes.
“These were taken when Di Di was in school.” Grandpa Wen brewed the tea and came to find Yan Heyu. “Care for a cup of tea?”
“Okay.” Yan Heyu followed Grandpa Wen to the adjacent tea room.
Grandpa Wen poured a cup of tea for Yan Heyu, “May I ask, did you know Di Di a long time ago? You separated in February last year.”
The question came out of nowhere.
Yan Heyu’s hand had just touched the teacup when he paused. “Did Wen Di tell you?”
“She didn’t say anything.” Old Master Wen had inferred it from many details. Earlier upstairs, he had observed his granddaughter’s expression when she greeted Yan Heyu. Others might not have noticed anything, but he did.
Others only glanced at Wen Di’s photos and moved on, but only Yan Heyu gazed at them, lost in thought.
“Those books Fan Zhisen sent, you sourced them, didn’t you?”
Yan Heyu nodded, “You guessed that too?”
“Fan Zhisen never liked studying as a child, let alone reading. He doesn’t have the taste to pick books.” And Yan Heyu said he had a book friend who also enjoyed finding books. All the books he found were ones his granddaughter liked, so he must have known his granddaughter well.
Old Master Wen calmly asked, “Are you getting married into the Tian family?”
“Yes.”
He then added, “The engagement was called off last year.”
Old Master Wen knew the powerful Tian family. “From a business perspective, I understand you. As a grandfather, I certainly can’t forgive it.”
“Grandpa, I know.” Yan Heyu picked up the teacup, “Thank you for the tea.”
Grandpa also picked up a small cup from the tea tray. The tea was fragrant, and steam diffused into the air.
“You should have given Di Di a dignified farewell. Look how long it’s been, she still hasn’t recovered.”
Yan Heyu’s throat moved slightly as he swallowed the tea. “I thought about it. But then I couldn’t let go.” For him, there was no emotion he couldn’t let go of, but this time, he overestimated himself.
“I planned to disrupt her relationship with Qi Mingche, and I even offered Qi Mingche enough money, but Qi Mingche didn’t take it. Then, during a dinner party, I learned that Wen Di had lost her inspiration.”
She could only write realistic scripts like “A Dream Awakened.”
“Grandpa, I want her to be happy, even if it’s not with me. But sometimes I can’t do it.”
He put a lot of effort into it, entering the board of directors of Qi Mingche’s family company, and completely resolving Ming Jianjun’s affair to prevent it from becoming a huge scandal that would affect Wen Di.
At that time, if his capital hadn’t gone in and Ming Jianjun’s competitors had known, they would have kicked him while he was down, and the company would have had almost no hope of survival.
Everything was secretly resolved perfectly, and they safely weathered the crisis.
His original intention for doing so was to hope that Wen Di’s relationship with Qi Mingche could go smoothly, and that she would be happier.
But he also desperately wished they would break up immediately.
The conflicting feelings tore him apart.
For the past year and a half, he had been in a state of division. He wanted Wen Di to be happy and to have a new life, but he also wanted her back.
He fantasized that she could forgive him, and they could have a home.
“I understand your determination to win Di Di back, whether it’s breaking off your engagement or investing in Jiangcheng, it’s not just talk.” Grandpa Wen remained calm. “But young people, some mistakes can be corrected. Some, however, cannot be undone.”
He picked up his teacup. “From now on, Jiangcheng will still welcome you.”
How could Yan Heyu not understand the unspoken meaning?
Jiangcheng welcomed him, but the Wen family did not.
This time, out of respect for Secretary Liang, they would entertain him well.
Regardless, he was still grateful for the hospitality.
Just then, the door to the tea room gently opened, but there were no footsteps.
Yan Heyu looked over. It was Wen Wen pushing the door open.
Wen Wen circled Grandpa Wen’s chair once, then looked at Yan Heyu, wanting to approach but seeming a little hesitant, lingering there.
Yan Heyu wasn’t particularly fond of small pets. Heyan also had a cat, but he had never held it.
Although this was his first formal meeting with Wen Wen today, he and Wen Wen had some sort of connection.
In previous New Years, when Wen Di video-called him from home, Wen Wen would appear on screen, and Wen Di would hold Wen Wen’s front paws, saying, “Say hello to Dad.”
Yan Heyu put down his teacup and bent down, “Wen Wen, come here.”
He reached out, making a gesture to pick it up.
Wen Wen wasn’t shy and didn’t refuse to be held by him.
Yan Heyu picked up Wen Wen and placed it on his lap, feeling an indescribable subtle sensation, like holding a daughter.
Wen Wen was just like its name, exceptionally gentle, staring straight at him with those beautiful, curious blue eyes.
Grandpa Wen refilled Yan Heyu’s tea and looked at Wen Wen, “Wen Wen, go play outside, don’t disturb the guest.”
Wen Wen seemed to understand. With reluctance, it got down from Yan Heyu.
That word, “guest,” was Grandpa Wen drawing a clear line between them.
Just then, a dark shadow flashed by the doorway; it was Xiao Donghan, who had finished changing in the adjacent changing room.
Yan Heyu wasn’t welcome in the tea room either, so he found an excuse and went to the tennis court in the backyard.
Xiao Donghan was sitting on a lounge chair by the tennis court, sipping coffee and waiting for Wen Di.
His peripheral vision caught Yan Heyu, and he slightly turned his head.
Yan Heyu sat down on the chair next to him. Who could hide their thoughts from whom? Wen Di could attract him back then, and naturally, she could also attract Xiao Donghan.
So, no need for beating around the bush.
“CEO Xiao planning to pursue Wen Di?”
Xiao Donghan gently blew on his hot coffee. “If she genuinely pursues me, I might consider accepting her. Anyway, I won’t be like you, giving in for three months.”
Yan Heyu chuckled, “You’ve investigated so thoroughly, you even know I gave in for three months. Actually, it was more than three months, it was three months and five days.”
Just then, Wen Di came down, having changed her clothes.
The two men, with an unspoken understanding, stopped their conversation.
It was rare for Wen Di to be in the mood for outdoor sports, so Yan Heyu got up and left, not wanting to disturb her.
As the two were about to pass each other, he stopped, “Wen Wen seems to still remember me.”
Wen Di said, “Don’t add drama to yourself. Sometimes when I’m away from home for too long, it doesn’t even remember me. How could it remember you?”
Yan Heyu was speechless.
Wen Di strode past him.
Yan Heyu returned to the small library on the second floor, found a book, and sat down in the spot where Wen Di had been reading earlier.
The auntie came over to tidy the small coffee table and incidentally took away Wen Di’s unfinished snacks.
Yan Heyu said, “Leave the snacks here.”
Wen Di rarely finished a whole bag of snacks at once. He usually had to finish whatever was left. He was a person who never ate snacks, but later became indiscriminate.
The auntie felt embarrassed to let a guest eat leftover snacks, “There are plenty more at home, I’ll get some more.”
Yan Heyu: “No need, it’s a waste not to eat this.”
The bag of snacks was left behind, and the auntie brought him another cup of tea.
He asked, “Do you have hot water?”
He needed a cup of hot water now; his stomach was starting to feel faintly uncomfortable again.
The auntie quickly brought him a cup of hot water.
Wen Wen had arrived at some point and was lying in a comfortable cat bed.
Yan Heyu reached out and called Wen Wen.
Wen Wen stared at him, and after a while, moved closer.
Yan Heyu picked it up and placed it on his lap. He always felt that Wen Wen recognized him; they had video-called so many times before.
Wen Wen clung to him for a while, then went to play with her ball.
Yan Heyu turned ten pages of the book, but nine and a half pages didn’t register.
He took his water cup and went to the tea table on the patio, asking Guan Xiangmu for a cigarette.
Someone asked, “CEO Yan, aren’t you playing tennis?”
“No, my stomach’s bothering me. Just reading a bit.”
Wen Changyun concernedly asked, “Should we have a doctor take a look?”
Guan Xiangmu interjected, “No need, it’s an old problem of his, intermittent. There’s no good cure.”
Yan Heyu was lighting his cigarette and glanced at Guan Xiangmu.
Fan Zhisen also had stomach problems, caused by drinking. “CEO Yan, haven’t you had it checked at the hospital?”
Yan Heyu took the cigarette from his mouth and said, “I have. No issues.”
Fan Zhisen was purely concerned, “If you’re still uncomfortable, it might not be stomach pain. You should check somewhere else.”
Guan Xiangmu chuckled, then immediately said, “This hand of cards, I’m sure to win.”
Yan Heyu knew Guan Xiangmu was laughing at him.
He exhaled a puff of smoke, “You guys play. I’ll go look at the view over there.”
This large patio faced north and south, with the north side directly facing the tennis court.
He had only walked a few steps when Guan Xiangmu called out to him, “Hey, don’t forget that favor I asked you for.”
Yan Heyu said, “It’s already arranged.”
Guan Xiangmu nodded.
Others didn’t understand what they were saying, nor were they curious.
Yan Heyu leaned against the railing of the patio. There was an ashtray on the nearby table, and he casually flicked off some ash, his gaze, however, fixed on the tennis court.
On the court, two people were battling it out. Xiao Donghan wasn’t going easy on Wen Di.
Beneath the patio, a osmanthus tree released wafts of fragrance upwards, covering the smell of tobacco.
“Mr. Yan.”
Behind him, Kang Bo came to find him.
Yan Heyu turned around, “What is it?”
It wasn’t convenient to discuss private matters here. Kang Bo handed him his phone, which showed an email. He had already compiled the information his boss requested.
Yan Heyu opened it. It was all related to Xiao Donghan.
Xiao Donghan chose to cooperate with Wen Changyun in Jiangcheng, but to truly open up the domestic market, relying on the Wen family wouldn’t be enough. So he chose the Tian family.
The Tian family’s influence was not something that could be borrowed easily. Now that the Tian family was willing to give him resources, his sincerity to the Tian family was very strong.
Assistant Kang said, “CEO Xiao probably doesn’t know about your relationship with Miss Jiang.” At that time, only the Tian family was suitable, and the Tian family was the only one Xiao Donghan could cooperate with.
Yan Heyu finished reading and handed the phone back to Kang Bo. “I can’t control who he cooperates with; that’s his right, as long as it doesn’t affect my interests.”
Kang Bo asked, “Mr. Yan, do you want to play tennis? Your suitcase is in the trunk.” It contained all kinds of clothes.
Yan Heyu said, “Should I play by myself?”
Kang Bo: “...You could spar with CEO Xiao.”
“I’d rather play by myself then.”
Yan Heyu glanced at his watch. They had been playing tennis for forty-two minutes.
It was about time, and Wen Di must be tired. He extinguished his cigarette. “I’ll go down and see.”
Returning to the side of the tennis court, he sat down, drank water, and watched the match.
Wen Di hadn’t had such a refreshing sweat in a long time and had no intention of stopping yet.
Undeniably, Yan Heyu sitting nearby affected her a little. She slowly adjusted and quickly got back into the zone.
Yan Heyu was drinking water when suddenly a small green ball rolled in front of him.
With just a bend, he could help pick up the ball.
He could pick up the ball for Wen Di, but he couldn’t be a ball boy for Xiao Donghan.
“Mr. Yan, I’ll get it.” Secretary Lu jogged over, picked up the ball, and handed it to Xiao Donghan.
Xiao Donghan squinted at him, “Running so fast, doesn’t your knee hurt?”
Secretary Lu: “...It’s alright, I had a nerve block injection last night.”
His knee joint was perfectly fine, and he hadn’t had any nerve block. CEO Xiao was probably annoyed that he picked up the ball, and thought he should have let Yan Heyu pick it up.
He was worried that Yan Heyu wouldn’t pick it up, which would be awkward. So he had to rush over first to preemptively diffuse the awkwardness.
On the tennis court, it looked tranquil, with Xiao Donghan playing and Yan Heyu sitting there drinking water.
Those undercurrents and tensions, Kang Bo felt them.
He messaged Guan Xiangmu for help: [CEO Guan, please come to the tennis court. The scenery here is beautiful.] The surrounding landscape was indeed unique and pleasing to the eye.
Guan Xiangmu: [What’s wrong? Did they start fighting?]
Kang Bo: [No.]
[Yan Heyu wants to play tennis?]
[No, CEO Yan isn’t in the mood for that. He’s drinking water in the休息区.]
Guan Xiangmu: [Alright, I’ll be right there.]
Actually, he was also agonizing upstairs. Sitting opposite him was Qizhen’s brother.
Yan Heyu felt a presence and turned around, “What are you doing here?”
Guan Xiangmu said, “It would be a pity not to see all the valuable trees at Old Master Wen’s house.”
He was still a bit uneasy, fearing that Wen Qizhen would suddenly return that evening. If she saw him at her house, she’d kill him on the spot.
Guan Xiangmu feared no one, except Wen Qizhen.
He quietly reconfirmed with Yan Heyu, “Are you sure everything is arranged properly?”
Yan Heyu: “Director Zhao arranged the dinner, what are you worried about?”
He had troubled Director Zhao again, asking him to arrange a private dinner and invite Wen Qizhen. Director Zhao and Wen Qizhen were kindergarten and elementary school classmates; their bond from growing up together was different, and they often met up, so Wen Qizhen wouldn’t think too much of it.
If he didn’t leave his gathering, Director Zhao’s gathering wouldn’t end either.
So, there was no possibility of them running into each other.
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