#56:Saving Money for a Ring...

Their tongues met, and they were lost in passion.

Yan Heyu shifted from dominance to tenderness.

And what Wen Di found most irresistible was his unintentional tenderness, gently coaxing her. Her tongue, at that moment, seemed both hers and not hers, completely out of control, unconsciously following the rhythm he dictated.

He led her, all the way feeling madness, arousal, and tingling.

Later, she became lost in it.

Yan Heyu didn’t forget to give her time to breathe, releasing her lips for a few seconds every minute or two. Just as she was about to turn her face away, intending to end the kiss, he covered her lips again.

Just as fine cuisine is a feast for the taste buds, so too was his kiss for her.

Wen Di turned her head and covered his mouth with her hand. “Put me down, I’m going back.” She couldn’t stay here too long.

Yan Heyu looked at her and kissed her palm.

The kiss was hot, and Wen Di quickly pulled her hand back. Remember the website https://www.google.com/search?q=m.xswang.com.

Yan Heyu didn’t put her down. He changed from holding her vertically to horizontally, gripping her tightly in his arms.

He made a condition: “Kiss me once, and I’ll put you down.”

This kiss wasn’t just a fleeting peck on his lips that she could fool him with.

Wen Di couldn’t possibly deep kiss him on her own initiative. “If you’re not afraid of your arm breaking, then keep holding me. I’ll stay here with you until the end.”

Yan Heyu knew his limits; no matter how much he joked around, he wouldn’t disrupt her important business. “I’ll take you home tonight and we can continue then. You should go socialize with the others first.”

He put her down.

Wen Di took out her lipstick from her bag, touched up her makeup, and opened the door to leave.

Coincidentally, she ran into Yan Heyan.

Yan Heyan had come specifically to pick up her brother and wasn’t entirely surprised to see Wen Di there. Wen Di was the same age as her, two months older, so she called out, “Sister Wen Di, long time no see.”

Wen Di smiled, “Came to find your brother?”

“Yes, have something to talk to him about.”

Neither of them deliberately stopped. After exchanging greetings, they passed each other.

Yan Heyu heard his sister’s voice and opened the door from inside.

He clasped his watch. “What are you doing here?”

“Just passing by.” Yan Heyan didn’t tell the truth, leaning against the doorframe, staring at her brother’s face. His expression was as usual, emotionless, making it impossible to discern his mood.

She didn’t know if Wen Di’s visit was to completely cut ties with him.

She heard that the re-creation of the No One Compares to You script was complete, and his collaboration with Wen Di was temporarily over. Seven months of being together hadn’t made Wen Di change her mind, so it seemed a reunion was hopeless.

Wen Di usually didn’t stay on set, except for Behind Desire, which she invested in herself. She guessed her brother didn’t have enough influence to make her stay on set for No One Compares to You.

“My car is downstairs. You can tell your driver to go home early. I’ll give you a ride.”

“No need.” Yan Heyu picked up his bag and document folder from the coffee table. “I’m taking Wen Di home.”

Yan Heyan sighed inwardly. “Alright then.” She walked downstairs alongside her brother, looking at him sideways several times, wanting to say something but hesitating.

“If you need anything, just say it directly.”

“What could I possibly lack?”

Yan Heyan had actually come specifically to pick him up tonight, fearing he might have another heartbreak.

“Wen Di and I are together now.”

“Holy...” shit!

“Don’t swear.”

“I said ‘Oh my heaven,’ where’s the swearing?” Yan Heyan was too excited. She pushed her brother once, then again, then grabbed his arm and shook it hard a few times. “Why didn’t you tell me about such good news earlier? I was worried about you all night.”

Yan Heyu: “We just made it official.”

This was a public place, so Yan Heyan restrained her words and actions, though her joy was indescribable.

“Then hurry and make it public!”

Yan Heyu found a suitable excuse: “An underground romance isn’t suitable for a big splash.”

Yan Heyan was skeptical. “Given your situation, do you still need an underground romance? Wen Di isn’t like she was seven years ago, still in college. Besides, she’s so famous now; after a few more years of refinement, she’ll be the ceiling of the industry. People won’t think she’s with you for ulterior motives.”

She egged him on: “Make it public, let others know you’re taken.”

Yan Heyu: “...My status isn’t quite suitable.”

“What status?” Yan Heyan was completely confused.

Yan Heyu avoided answering, “Let’s go back. We’ll make it public when the time is right.”

Yan Heyan stared at her brother. “Tell me honestly, is it your status that’s not suitable, or do you simply have no status at all?”

“...”

“Haha, you’ll have to tough it out.”

Yan Heyan guessed, then waved goodbye to him.

Yan Heyu felt that he didn’t care about titles or recognition; they were all very superficial things.

Back in the car, he told Kang Bo that he and Wen Di had reconciled.

Kang Bo was overjoyed, as if he himself had regained something lost: “Congratulations, Mr. Yan!” His boss had finally persevered and seen the light, enduring hardship like a daughter-in-law becoming a mother-in-law.

Although the latter metaphor wasn’t entirely appropriate, the meaning was similar.

The days of carrying luggage to Wen Di’s place for his boss were back on the agenda. He prayed that his boss would have fewer cold wars with Wen Di in the future.

“Mr. Yan, are you driving yourself or...?”

Kang Bo understood his boss best.

Yan Heyu went along with it: “I’ll drive myself. You all can go home.”

Kang Bo and the driver got out, leaving the car to him.

The bodyguards were in the car behind, so they could safely go off duty.

Yan Heyu got into the driver’s seat and sent a message to Wen Di: [I’m waiting for you in the parking lot.] He then sent the parking spot information.

He leaned back in his seat, staring blankly at the windshield for a moment, then opened Wen Di’s Moments, downloaded a few photos of Wenwen, and two photos of Wen Di holding Wenwen, looking down and playing with her.

He captioned it: [My daughter Wenwen, five years old this year.]

A friend commented: [Are you showing off a fairy cat or a fairy?]

[Such a beautiful Ragdoll, with its mother’s temperament.]

They all knew Yan Heyu wasn’t interested in pet cats. Posting so high-profile about a cat on Moments meant he most wanted to show off the person holding Wenwen.

The comments quickly exceeded a hundred.

Most of them were teasing him: [Oh, are you official?]

[Does Wenwen know you’re her dad?]

[Know what? He stole photos from Wen Di’s Moments.]

They only dared to tease him about Wen Di, and he never took offense.

Yan Heyu exited Moments and looked out the window to see if Wen Di had come out of the hotel.

He glanced at his watch, unsure if she had seen the message he just sent, and called her.

Wen Di answered, “I’m coming out.”

Yan Heyu saw her familiar figure and cut the call.

Before she got close, he pushed open the driver’s side door. “Get in from this side.”

Getting from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat was something she used to enjoy doing.

Yan Heyu adjusted the seat back, leaving enough space in front, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and offered his hand to Wen Di: “Come up.”

Wen Di sat on his lap. He held her in a horizontal embrace, kissed her mouth, then lifted her up, his arm muscles taut, forcefully lifting her over the center console, and gently placed her on the passenger seat.

He took a moment to compose his breath, then moved her legs from the center console and placed them properly.

Wen Di rubbed her waist with the back of her hand, then squeezed her knee, and then gave him a faint glance, saying nothing.

Yan Heyu recognized that look—it was a look of complaint, blaming him for being out of practice and hurting her.

“Haven’t carried you in years, it’s normal to be out of practice.”

He readjusted the seat. “I’ll carry you more often from now on.”

With the seat adjusted, Yan Heyu pulled down his sleeves. The cufflinks he had just taken off were on the dashboard. He picked one up and put it on slowly and methodically.

Then, remembering something else, he took off the cufflink he had just put on.

He flicked his finger, and the cufflink dropped to Wen Di’s feet.

“Help me pick it up.”

Yan Heyu started the engine.

Wen Di had just seen him deliberately drop the cufflink. She didn’t pick it up, but instead kicked it.

Yan Heyu smiled but said nothing, looking in the rearview mirror as he backed the car out.

Wen Di bent down to pick up the cufflink and pulled the seatbelt to buckle it.

She took a tissue, carefully wiped the cufflink, and asked him, “Do you want to wear it?”

Yan Heyu looked at the road. After a few seconds, he said, “No. I’ll have to take it off again in a bit.”

The car merged onto the main road, and its speed slowed.

Yan Heyu looked at her. “Will you live with me from now on? You probably won’t find a better place to watch the night view than that apartment for now.”

Wen Di propped her chin and looked out the window. “What night view haven’t I seen?”

Was the night view important?

No.

Yan Heyu: “Aren’t I home?”

He was home, to watch it with her.

“I’ll binge-watch dramas with you during breaks, otherwise the money paid for digital TV would be wasted.”

“...”

Wen Di stopped talking to him completely.

The car passed his apartment building, but Yan Heyu didn’t stop, driving towards her apartment.

Yan Heyu rolled down the window. The May breeze was unusually gentle, blowing from her face to his.

He wanted to invite her to join the crew of No One Compares to You and asked if she was willing.

Wen Di refused: “No need to be on set, I’ll visit the set more often when I have time.”

Yan Heyu didn’t push it: “Then visit the set once for every location we film at.”

All the filming locations were chosen for her.

When they arrived at her apartment building, Yan Heyu got out of the car to see her up.

Wen Di had long forgotten what he said in the VIP lounge; she hadn’t taken it seriously at the time.

Before she opened the door, Yan Heyu picked her up by the waist, looked into her eyes, and said, “Let’s continue now. Kiss me once, and I’ll put you down.”

So, he hadn’t worn the cufflinks earlier, saying he’d have to take them off again.

Anyway, since they were at her doorstep, she wasn’t in a hurry to go inside and had time to humor him.

Wen Di poked him in the heart. “Your heart is completely rotten.”

Yan Heyu tilted his head slightly to look at her. “The part I gave to you has gotten better.”

“And what about the parts for others?”

“You know it’s not like that, you just like to argue. Other parts are also trying to get better, but you know, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in business, what can you do?”

Yan Heyu coaxed her, “Kiss me once, I still have some work to do when I get back.”

Wen Di: “Then put me down, it’s simple.”

“I want to hold you longer.”

Wen Di’s fingers traced his sharp features, from his forehead all the way down to his chin. Yan Heyu just watched her quietly.

Wen Di’s hand returned to his forehead, moving down along his nose bridge, her fingertip stopping at his lower lip, poking it. She lowered her head and bit his lower lip.

A deep kiss was impossible.

She gave him a little pain.

When she released him, Yan Heyu leaned against her cheek and whispered, “Anyway, you’re in my hands now. We’ll take our time sorting things out later. Get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

Wen Di opened the fingerprint lock. Yan Heyu placed her inside the door and closed it for her.

Today felt like a dream.

________________________________________

Yan Heyu returned to his apartment. Aunt Cui hadn’t left yet and was busy unpacking a parcel—a cat bed he ordered online for Princess Wenwen.

He couldn’t let her continue living in a single-parent household.

Aunt Cui asked when he would bring Wenwen back.

This was Yan Heyu’s wishful thinking; he didn’t know if Wen Di would agree. “It depends on Wen Di’s thoughts.”

Just as he was speaking, Kang Bo’s call came in.

Yan Heyu went to the study to answer the phone. “What’s up?”

The curtains on both floor-to-ceiling windows in the study were open. He only had one floor lamp on.

Kang Bo said, “Jiang Zhengqian hasn’t made any big moves besides targeting our Jingyue and Huayuan Industrial, but he invested in a not-so-famous film and television company these past two days. We’re not sure what he’s up to yet.”

The boss’s biggest worry was that Jiang Zhengqian would target Wen Di’s career.

Yan Heyu: “What’s the background of the film and television company’s boss?”

“No particular background, around thirty years old, but he does have talent and ability.”

Yan Heyu stood with one hand in his pocket by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the glittering night view, pondering for a moment. “Keep an eye on Jiang Zhengqian for now. I just started a relationship, so it’s not suitable to do anything too ruthless. After some time, I’ll make him lose everything.”

“...Okay, understood.”

Kang Bo thought to himself that what his boss most wanted to say was “I just started a relationship.”

He hung up the phone and sat back down at his computer desk. While it was booting up, he called Wen Di.

She didn’t hear it the first time; she had just taken a shower.

He called a second time. Wen Di came out of the bathroom, her hair not yet dry.

Yan Heyu logged into his email and said into the phone, “You don’t even ask if I got home.”

Wen Di dabbed the water from her hair with a dry towel. “You’re the king of overthinking now. If I asked you, wouldn’t you think I’m madly in love with you?”

Yan Heyu: “Not that much. I’d just think you care a little about me.”

“I don’t even want to care.”

“My demands aren’t high. Just leave me a little space to watch TV with you.”

“I’m not talking anymore. I’m going to blow-dry my hair.”

“Say goodnight to me.”

“You go busy yourself with work.” Wen Di hung up the phone.

Yan Heyu looked at her contact name, which was still “Screenwriter Wen.” He considered what a suitable new name would be, and finally changed it to “Didi, the one with absolute power.”

________________________________________

Yan Heyu’s reconciliation with Wen Di was known to everyone in the family.

The next day, he returned to the old family home.

Ye Minqiong was off work today and at home, asking him when he would bring Wen Di home.

Yan Heyu said, “No rush.”

This wasn’t a question of whether he wanted to bring Wen Di back. “Later, proposing, getting engaged, bringing her home, buying a house will all be hurdles, she has a knot in her heart.”

Ye Minqiong sighed, “Thankfully, you didn’t wear a ring back then.”

Even if he hadn’t worn it, Wen Di wouldn’t have bought him a ring.

“Are things still good between you and Wen Di?”

“Still good.”

Yan Heyu didn’t tell his mother that his reconciliation with Wen Di was a unilateral declaration on his part. Except for Heyan, everyone else thought they had truly reconciled with no lingering animosity.

His phone vibrated. Wen Di sent him a message: [Don’t come looking for me these next few days. I’m going to Shanghai with Yin Ziyu.]

Yan Heyu: [I’m also busy lately. Tell me when you get back, I’ll pick you up if I have time.]

Wen Di simply acknowledged. The trip was for four days. The night the event ended, she and Yin Ziyu flew back, landing after 11 PM. She didn’t let Yan Heyu pick her up.

On the way back, Yin Ziyu kept looking down and replying to messages, a smile on her face.

Wen Di asked, “Are you in love?”

She never paid attention to or inquired about her artists’ private lives.

Yin Ziyu didn’t hide it, “Not really, we broke up after a lot of arguments, but neither of us could really let go.”

Wen Di nodded and offered her blessings.

Qu Pei never interfered with her either, giving her enough private space. She treated Yin Ziyu the same way. Yin Ziyu was hardworking and sensible, and Wen Di was very confident about that.

“Next, I’ll be busy with my own script. Qin Xing has arranged a new agent for you, and all your work will be handled by the new agent.”

“I’ll try my best to work well with the agent.”

Wen Di returned home and had a good night’s sleep, waking up naturally the next day.

Yan Heyu didn’t know she was back. At noon, she chose a restaurant, turned on her location, and posted on WeChat Moments.

The restaurant wasn’t far from Jingyue Building, only a ten-minute drive even with traffic.

Yan Heyu arrived late and sat down, looking at her. “You didn’t even tell me you were back.”

The waiter brought his simple meal, which Wen Di had ordered for him in advance.

“Did you expect me to come?”

“Even if you don’t have time to scroll through WeChat Moments, Assistant Kang will have people checking it constantly. I never post with my location.”

Yan Heyu casually cut his lamb chop and said, “On the way to the restaurant, people in the group chat were talking.”

“Hmm.” Wen Di looked up at him. “Talking about what?”

“Talking about how much pocket money they get every day.”

Wen Di understood. “Are you asking me for pocket money?”

Yan Heyu wanted to save money for a ring. If he asked her for too much at once, she would definitely refuse.

He looked at Wen Di. “Give me ten yuan pocket money every day from now on.”

Wen Di glanced at him. “Why are your expenses so high?”

Yan Heyu: “...”