"You're right, we're both adults and we need to take responsibility for our own actions."
"Starting yesterday afternoon, we completely broke up. Whatever either of us does is none of the other's business, and I'm not going back. If you need anything, just go find Wang Songyang—that way you two can finally be together openly."
"Don't call or text me anymore. Goodbye."
Without giving Zhang Jiameng another chance to speak, Qin Yuan hung up the phone right then and there, picked up his duffel bag, and walked out of the room.
Hearing Qin Yuan hang up on her yet again and hearing those rebellious words, Zhang Jiameng was so angry her face flushed bright red.
She clenched her teeth and grabbed her phone, wanting to call Qin Yuan right back. Above all else, she felt like she couldn't swallow this insult without yelling back at him.
Just then, however, the door to Zhang Jiameng's room suddenly swung open. Instinctively, she stood up, turned around, and glared fiercely.
"Auntie Wang, what are you doing? Don't you know how to knock when entering my room? I—Dad?"
Her expression suddenly turned to one of shock. Seeing her father's gloomy face, she couldn't help feeling a little frightened, so she asked in confusion, "Dad, why... why are you suddenly back in the middle of the day?"
"It's all because of you! Let me ask you: yesterday afternoon Qin Yuan proposed to you—such a huge deal, why did you stand him up?"
"Don't think I don't know that you went to find that Wang Songyang. You knew perfectly well you were about to marry Qin Yuan, yet you still kept running off to see that surnamed Wang kid! How do you expect to live like this? Now Qin Yuan wants to cut ties with you entirely, and you're still not going to go bring him back?!"
Faced with her father's angry rebuke, Zhang Jiameng sat back down on the bed. Not only did she fail to feel any remorse, but a wronged look appeared on her face instead.
"Dad, why are you getting so worked up? I didn't even know he was going to propose yesterday, he kept it all so secretive. Besides, yesterday... Songyang had to take part in the singer selection contest, and we'd already agreed on it beforehand. Of course I had to go."
"Besides, I just graduated. Is it right to accept his proposal this fast? Dad, are you and Mom in such a rush to marry me off to Qin Yuan? Look at him yourselves—what capability does he even have right now, what kind of good life can he give me? Even the job he got after graduation was arranged through our family, and he can't even afford the bride price!"
Hearing his daughter's words, Zhang Maoyue's gloomy expression gradually softened a fraction.
Deep down, he felt that while his daughter's words sounded a bit harsh, they were indeed the truth.
What truly angered Zhang Maoyue was that Zhang Jiameng had stood up Qin Yuan's proposal, causing the young man to publicly break ties with her. This was tantamount to a public slap in the face for the Zhang family.
Zhang Maoyue waved his hand, his expression serious and grim. "No matter what, you've been with Qin Yuan for over three years. There has to be some closure to this. Don't keep one eye on the bowl while eating from the pot."
"Figure out how to resolve this with Qin Yuan yourself. The company has a new product launch next week—don't pull any more stunts that turn us into a laughingstock. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Dad, I know."
Zhang Jiameng nodded indifferently, though she had no intention of actually following through with any of it. These words were just a stalling tactic on her part.
As for Qin Yuan proposing to her, Zhang Jiameng didn't care about it in the slightest. In her eyes, Qin Yuan wasn't even worthy of being a live-in son-in-law, let alone marrying her.
Right now, her heart was simply waiting for Wang Songyang to advance in the singer selection contest, for him to officially debut as a pop star, and then for him to endorse Gadiba clothing products for her family's company. That would be a win-win situation.
By then, all voices of opposition would vanish, and she could be with Wang Songyang openly and honorably.
...
The next day, around nine-thirty in the morning.
After having breakfast at the hotel, Qin Yuan packed his belongings, checked out, and headed straight for Tianheng Building.
As one of Haicheng's landmarks, Tianheng Building was located right in the city's CBD district. In the few years Qin Yuan had spent in Haicheng, he had only ever visited such an ultra-high-end place once or twice.
Morning rush hour traffic was a bit congested, but fortunately Qin Yuan made it to Tianheng Building by 9:50 AM. Thinking of Wen Yue's overbearing and cold demeanor in the back of his mind, Qin Yuan got out of his car and trotted straight toward the front desk in the lobby.
"Hello, my name is Qin Yuan. I'm here to see Wen Yue," Qin Yuan said concisely.
The male receptionist, dressed in a black business suit, frowned slightly and looked Qin Yuan up and down. After all, nobody had ever come to Tianheng Building and addressed Wen Yue so casually by her full name.
He spoke quietly into his walkie-talkie, saying, "President Wen, Mr. Qin has arrived." Receiving a response, he escorted Qin Yuan to the elevator and up the building.
The receptionist's use of "President Wen" just now actually took Qin Yuan by surprise. He guessed that Wen Yue must be a high-ranking executive at one of the companies inside Tianheng Building.
Ding.
The elevator reached the 35th floor. The man walked ahead, leading Qin Yuan to the president's office at the very end of the hall. He knocked on the door and said politely,
"President Wen, Mr. Qin has arrived."
"Come in."
A cold, clear voice came from inside.
Qin Yuan walked into the office alone. As soon as he entered, he saw Wen Yue sitting behind a desk, dressed in professional attire, giving off the absolute aura of an ice-queen female CEO.
On the wall directly behind Wen Yue hung four prominent black characters:
[Wen Group]
If Qin Yuan still didn't know Wen Yue's true identity by this point, then he truly would have wasted his years living in Haicheng for nothing.
"I told you to be here on time today. Do you know you're one minute late?"
"Y-You're the... president of the Wen Group?"
Qin Yuan skipped over her question and asked timidly.
Wen Yue nodded calmly, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Surprised? You haven't answered my question yet."
"Of course!"
Qin Yuan felt his head spin. The woman he had registered a marriage certificate with yesterday was actually the president of the Wen Group! This identity shocked him far more than the fact that they had slept together and gotten married in the first place.
Qin Yuan swallowed hard and said, "I'm not late. I arrived at Tianheng Building at 9:50, but I had to take the elevator up, and wait around for it in between. Who would have thought your office would be all the way up on the 35th floor?"
Wen Yue leaned back slightly in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. Her cool gaze swept over Qin Yuan as she said indifferently,
"Come here."
"What do you want?" Qin Yuan asked cautiously.
"...Sit down."
"Oh."
Qin Yuan walked over and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. Immediately afterward, Wen Yue raised her chin slightly and glanced at a black folder lying on the table.
"What are you panicking about? I'm not going to eat you."
"Sign this paperwork in a moment, but before that, I need to lay down three rules for you and make the regulations crystal clear."