Three days later, 4:30 PM.
Wen Zhi stood inside the glass elevator at the top of Yunling Hotel in Jiangcheng, glancing down at a text message on her phone.
[Location: Top-floor tea lounge, Yunling Hotel. 17:00.]
She didn't think much of it. The blind date was just a formality—she didn't intend to waste much time. Say a few polite words, nod, and then turn it down tactfully. After all, her bottom line was clear: marriage could be a partnership, but it had to be built on mutual respect and compatibility.
But when the elevator doors opened, and she looked out, her steps faltered.
Near the window in the tea lounge sat a man in a charcoal gray dress shirt, perfectly tailored. His long, well-defined fingers held a teacup, eyes lowered as he flipped through the documents on the table.
As if sensing her presence, he slowly looked up.
Their gazes collided in the air.
In that moment, it felt as if time had frozen.
Wen Zhi stared, stunned. "...You?"
Yan Zhiheng set down the cup, his gaze calm. "Have a seat."
She walked over almost on reflex. Just as she sat down, she frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Blind date," he replied matter-of-factly.
"..." She blinked. "You—you're the... match?"
"Who else?" He raised an eyebrow.
Wen Zhi was at a complete loss for words. Her mind momentarily went blank.
She had expected some spoiled rich second-gen, forced into marriage by his family and lacking initiative. Instead, the man sitting across from her was Yan Zhiheng—the CEO of YanHeng Pharmaceuticals, whom she had only recently added on WeChat because of the "follow-up incident." The man who had felt oddly familiar to her just last night... was really the one from her childhood memory.
"Aren't you... not into women?" she blurted out, then immediately realized how blunt that sounded. "I mean, online they say you don't date."
He chuckled, voice low and husky. "You believed that?"
"...I used to."
"And now?"
Suddenly, his smile faded. He looked at her seriously and said, "You said you don't care about love, only respect. But I think, if we're going to get married—I hope I can be the one you're willing to try love with."
Wen Zhi was caught off guard.
She hadn't expected him to speak so candidly—or to take this more seriously than she did.
"So, you're willing?" she asked softly. "To go through with this kind of marriage alliance...?"
"If it's with you, I'm willing," he said, slowly but firmly.
Silence fell between them. Outside, the daylight faded, and the setting sun cast a warm glow in his eyes, highlighting the sincerity within them.
Suddenly, Wen Zhi felt something stir lightly in her heart.
She pressed her lips together and looked toward the table to change the subject. "You got here early?"
"I was afraid you'd arrive first and I'd come off impolite." He paused, then added more quietly, "And I was afraid... you'd see someone else and walk away."
She froze, then let out a soft laugh. "So you get nervous too?"
He looked at her, a quiet warmth in his eyes. "I'm more serious than you think."