"Oh, how can this be?" With a curious heart, Lěng Yè carefully examined the Marriage Contract. He quickly pulled out his phone, searched for the name of the woman's elder, and the result left him stunned—Gāo Yán turned out to be his fiancée! Furthermore, the familiar handwriting on the Marriage Contract belonged precisely to Gāo Yán's grandfather.
"Gāo Yán, you clearly already had a betrothal, yet you still got engaged to Long Kun. This is truly unacceptable!" A surge of passion and a sense of justice welled up in Lěng Yè's heart. He felt somewhat angry, but even more than that, he wanted to uncover the truth of the matter. After a brief moment of reflection, he resolutely decided to go find Gāo Yán and demand an explanation in person.
At that moment, Gāo Yán was sitting in the president's office of Rongyan Beauty and Cosmetics Company, her brows tightly furrowed, looking deeply preoccupied. This company was a part of the Gāo Family's vast industrial empire in Longcheng, and also a precious gift given to Gāo Yán by her father the year she graduated.
*Tap, tap, tap.* A knock on the door interrupted Gāo Yán's thoughts. A female secretary walked in, and Gāo Yán looked up and asked, "Secretary Wang, how are things over there?"
Secretary Wang replied, "Young Master Long left Longcheng early this morning and went into the mountains for trials. He left word that the day he returns from his trials will be the day of his wedding with you."
Hearing this, Gāo Yán couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, secretly rejoicing in her heart: "This Long Kun has finally left."
Recalling yesterday's engagement banquet, Long Kun had tried to force himself upon her under the influence of alcohol. She had seized the opportunity to escape, but she hadn't expected a drunken Long Kun to order a citywide manhunt for her. As she fled in all directions, her cold-infirmity condition happened to flare up, leaving her with no choice but to hide in that massage parlor. Who would have thought she would mistakenly barge into the room, and before she even had a chance to explain, she was taken advantage of by the man inside? Although she utterly despised that man, compared to losing her chastity to Long Kun, it actually made her feel a much greater sense of relief.
She didn't like Long Kun, and even felt somewhat disgusted by him, but this marriage was decided by her parents, leaving her with absolutely no room to resist. Now, she only hoped Long Kun would leave her life as quickly as possible.
"Right, that person I asked you to investigate—is there any result?" Gāo Yán suddenly remembered something and asked Secretary Wang.
Secretary Wang nodded and handed over a file: "This person is named Lěng Yè. He is a delivery driver from an ordinary family background. His parents and grandfather disappeared when he was seven years old, and he was subsequently raised in an orphanage. He used to hang around and get by with an older brother who was also from the orphanage, but that brother passed away a few years ago, and now he only maintains contact with a sister-in-law. He also has a girlfriend."
As Gāo Yán flipped through the files, her complexion instantly turned ashen. The sound of her tightly clenched teeth grinding together seemed almost audible. The man from last night who had made her feel so defiled actually had such a sordid and unsightly side to him. This left her both shocked and furious. An indescribable sense of loss surged in her heart, as if a brilliant pearl had been covered in dust.
"I, Gāo Yán, have always been the center of everyone's attention. To think I would end up falling into the hands of such a person—what an absolute joke!" Gāo Yán muttered indignantly to herself.
Just at that moment, a commotion sounded from outside the office. "Sir, you cannot see our General Manager Gāo without an appointment. Please do not force your way in!" The receptionist's voice carried a hint of helplessness. Immediately afterward, the office door was pushed open, and Lěng Yè's figure appeared in the doorway. Gāo Yán's pupils constricted slightly, evidently surprised by the arrival of this uninvited guest.
The receptionist lowered her head in self-reproach. "General Manager Gāo, this man forced his way in without an appointment. I couldn't stop him."
Gāo Yán took a deep breath, composed her emotions, and said, "You all go outside."
Secretary Wang immediately led the receptionist out of the office, closing the door behind them.
Gāo Yán's gaze locked firmly onto Lěng Yè, her emotions at that moment extremely complicated. She asked coldly, "Since you managed to find your way here, you must already know my identity. Now that you know I'm engaged to Long Kun, what else are you coming to me for?" From those few scattered words, he had learned that Gāo Yán and Long Kun's engagement was not out of genuine affection, but rather forced upon her. Coupled with what happened last night, he became even more determined to help Gāo Yán.
Hearing Lěng Yè's words, Gāo Yán couldn't help but feel a wave of bewilderment. She couldn't help laughing, "Take responsibility for me? Based on what? You?"
Lěng Yè scratched his head, looking somewhat awkward, but his gaze was exceptionally firm. "Yes, I will take responsibility for you."
Gāo Yán disdainfully tossed Lěng Yè's file onto the desk. "Don't be foolish. Didn't you know I'm already engaged to Long Kun? What makes you think you have any right to compete with Long Kun?"
Lěng Yè picked up his file and glanced at it, then calmly retrieved a Marriage Contract from his pocket. "Based on the fact that I am your true fiancé."
Gāo Yán looked at the Marriage Contract on the desk, the expression on her face shifting gradually from doubt to astonishment. She never would have imagined that the man who had suddenly appeared before her would actually be her true fiancé.
She stood up in agitation, her gaze filled with a light of utter disbelief. Staring intently at Lěng Yè, she asked with a trembling voice, "You... you are the person Grandfather told me to keep waiting for?"
Lěng Yè smiled and nodded, his tone resolute. "Yes. Everything has an order of priority; since we have long since had a betrothal, your engagement to Long Kun naturally cannot count. Even if Long Kun's father is the underground overlord of Longcheng, he cannot act so unreasonably."
Gāo Yán took a deep breath, struggling to calm the turmoil in her heart, and then said earnestly to Lěng Yè, "I understand that you might find me somewhat difficult to accept, but I must admit that you took away an important part of my life. I am willing to offer some compensation for this, but please rest assured, I am not forcing you to marry me. As for the marriage between you and Long Kun, I only hope he will back down. As for whether you are willing to be with me, it entirely depends on your own heart. Long Kun has nine fiancées; naturally, he won't be troubled by losing you."
After a brief silence, Gāo Yán finally gathered her wits. She rubbed her tightly furrowed brow, looking somewhat fatigued. Raising her head, she looked at Lěng Yè with a steadfast gaze and said, "I am a child cherished by my grandfather, so I have no objection to the marriage he arranged for me. But the reality is far more complicated than you imagine. You must have heard of Long Aotian's reputation. Once he finds out about the betrothal between you and me, your situation will become extremely dangerous."
Lěng Yè's eyes flashed with a steadfast radiance as he spoke earnestly, "Right now, I may seem insignificant in Long Aotian's eyes, but in the near future, I will surely make a name for myself in Longcheng and eventually surpass him!"
Hearing this, Gāo Yán shook her head lightly. She remembered her grandfather telling her that this fiancé would be an extraordinary person, yet the Lěng Yè before her seemed somewhat lacking compared to the expectations in her heart. However, upon hearing his words, she couldn't help but admire his self-confidence and determination.
Just as she was about to advise Lěng Yè to be more down-to-earth, a sudden wave of chill swept over her, turning her limbs weak and causing her to collapse to the floor. Seeing this, Lěng Yè immediately rushed forward, pulling Gāo Yán tightly into his arms, and asked with deep concern, "Miss Gāo, what's wrong? Why is your body so cold?"
Gāo Yán replied weakly, "My... my cold-infirmity condition has flared up. Quickly, help me call a doctor."
Lěng Yè's brows furrowed tightly as he quickly took Gāo Yán's pulse. Feeling the bone-chilling cold within her body, he was startled. Recalling that Gāo Yán had exhibited the exact same symptoms last night, he finally understood why she hadn't resisted. Staring intently at Gāo Yán, his eyes filled with determination and gentleness. "Miss Gāo, I solemnly promise you that I have mastered a method capable of curing your cold-infirmity. Can you give me a bit of trust?" Lěng Yè's gaze was filled with unwavering certainty and passion.
Gāo Yán raised her head slightly, a trace of doubt flashing in her eyes, and softly asked, "Really?"
Lěng Yè immediately nodded solemnly, his heart brimming with confidence because he knew that the medical knowledge within his inherited memories was more than sufficient to handle such a condition.
"Yes, Miss Gāo, I am certain I can help you." Lěng Yè's voice was filled with warmth and care.
Upon hearing this, Gāo Yán spoke in a slightly weak yet resolute tone, "Then I leave it in your hands, Lěng Yè."
However, at this moment, Lěng Yè appeared somewhat ill at ease. He gave a light cough and said with a touch of embarrassment, "However, Miss Gāo, I need to clarify that this treatment method requires me to place my hand directly on your lower abdomen, and... and it cannot be through clothing. It needs... needs direct contact..."
Though his words carried a hint of awkwardness, his gaze was filled with sincerity and firmness. He believed Gāo Yán would understand and accept his treatment method.