Chapter 52

Xu Zhiyi ignored the banter between the two men and calmly finished ordering. Handing the menu back to the waiter, she picked up her glass of water and remarked, “This is my first time here. I’m not sure how the food is.”

Jiang Sixun responded casually, “It’s decent, though the pastries aren’t as good as that little private restaurant in the alley. You didn’t eat much last time, did you? I’ll take you again sometime.”

Shang Yun grinned. “Does Jiang always know about my dates with Zhiyi?”

His tone shifted, calling her by her first name instead of “President Xu.”

Jiang Sixun looked at him. “I knew. I was waiting outside.”

Shang Yun chuckled. “Too bad. If I had known, we could’ve had dinner together, the three of us.”

Jiang Sixun smirked. “Well, isn’t that what we’re doing today? Making up for it.”

Shang Yun let out a low laugh, then turned to Xu Zhiyi. “Zhiyi, how about we give that date another try? After all, Jiang is still pursuing you, right? If you like both of us, we could make it work. You can have two homes—one with me in the country, and one with him abroad. No fights, no fuss.”

“…”

Xu Zhiyi glanced at her watch. “President Shang, I think hunger has gotten to your head. You’re starting to sound delusional.”

Shang Yun laughed. “I haven’t eaten anything all day. Maybe that’s it.” He shifted his gaze to Jiang. “What do you think, Jiang? Am I just talking nonsense, or am I serious?”

Jiang Sixun met his gaze. “You’re not clashing with Qi Zhengchen, Shang. You’re clashing with me.”

Shang Yun burst out laughing and raised his glass as if to toast.

Jiang Sixun picked up his own glass, tapping it lightly against Shang Yun’s. “Nonsense is usually just the truth in disguise.”

Shang Yun smirked. “So, you’ve had your fair share of nonsense too?”

Jiang Sixun sipped his water like it was wine and nodded. “Something like that. Especially when I had to deal with Qi Zhengchen.”

Shang Yun, now well aware of the history between the three of them, smiled at Xu Zhiyi. “You can’t blame me for the nonsense. If you had confessed to Jiang sooner, we wouldn’t have ended up on that blind date, and the three of us wouldn’t be sitting here together now.”

Xu Zhiyi shrugged. “I was only twenty back then. Confessing to my boss? I didn’t have the guts.” She glanced at Jiang Sixun before turning back to Shang Yun. “And later, when he told me he didn’t believe in marriage, I had even less confidence.”

Jiang Sixun interjected. “You missed the key part after that.”

Xu Zhiyi’s gaze shifted back to him.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?” Jiang Sixun pulled out his phone, opened their chat history, and placed it in front of her. “If you’ve deleted it from your phone, you can read it here.”

Xu Zhiyi hadn’t erased their messages. The conversation was still there, and she remembered it well. But she glanced at the screen anyway. It was from the time she had asked him out to dinner, but due to the time difference, he didn’t reply until six hours later.

Jiang: I’m swamped right now, in Hong Kong.

Xu Zhiyi: When will you be back?

Jiang: Not sure, maybe in two or three months.

Xu Zhiyi: Do you have a girlfriend now?

Jiang: No. I don’t plan on getting married. But if you ever need my help, you can always reach out.

At that moment, the waiter arrived with their food. Xu Zhiyi handed his phone back without saying much.

With Shang Yun sitting across the table, she wasn’t about to press the issue further.

But Shang Yun’s focus shifted, a playful glint in his eyes. “Wait, did Zhiyi delete you from her contacts?”

Deleting the chat is the only way to erase the history.

Jiang Sixun responded, “Otherwise, do you think you’d still be sitting here with me?”

Shang Yun laughed and raised his glass again for another toast.

Xu Zhiyi had expected this dinner to be awkward, but to her surprise, it was filled with laughter from beginning to end.

After parting ways with Shang Yun outside the restaurant, Xu Zhiyi and Jiang Sixun headed to the parking lot to get their car. They walked side by side, and she glanced at him.

Jiang Sixun understood her unspoken question and picked up the conversation left unfinished at the table. “About that ‘no marriage’ thing. Back then, my family and Ning Yun’s had plans for an arranged marriage. But you were so determined to draw a line between us, I figured if I ever dated or got married, you wouldn’t even ask me for a favor.”

Six years ago, he wasn’t against marriage—he just didn’t want to rush into it. He and Ning Yun had used each other to delay marriage, deciding not to consider it for at least five years.

Lu Jianbo wanted him to marry sooner, afraid he would really push it off for five years. So he asked his mother to intervene and try to convince him.

But after Jiang realized things wouldn’t work out with Xu Zhiyi, he lost all interest in marriage. When relatives pushed him, he deflected with the “no marriage, no interest in dating” excuse. Eventually, even his mother believed he didn’t want to marry.

That’s why, when he told his mom he’d fulfill her wish for grandchildren, she told him not to live for her.

As he pulled himself from his thoughts, they arrived at the car.

Xu Zhiyi’s hand rested on the door handle of the passenger seat, but she turned to face him. “If you hadn’t stayed in Hong Kong for so long back then, or if you’d told me about the no-marriage thing later, it might’ve been different. When I invited you to dinner that day, I was trying to hint that you were the one I liked.”

But he had stayed in Hong Kong for nearly three months. Then he arranged for Jiang Shenghe to mentor her, and the distance between them grew wider and wider.

At a family dinner, her relatives had discussed his supposed disinterest in marriage. And after hearing him say he wasn’t interested in dating, she lost any courage to confess.

She pulled a single peony from her bag and handed it to him. “This is for you. Let’s hope neither of us has any more regrets. The past is the past. Now, chase me properly.”

Jiang Sixun accepted the flower. “Thank you.”

But instead of heading to the driver’s seat, he stopped, a past memory lingering. “There’s still one thing left unfinished. The night of the concert, Qi Zhengchen was also in Madrid. He was in your brother’s car.”

Xu Zhiyi couldn’t quite remember how she had opened the car door or even how she ended up sitting in the passenger seat.

It wasn’t until they had left the parking lot that her scattered thoughts started to piece together.

No wonder, on the night of the concert, her brother refused to give them a ride despite having a car. He had even threatened Jiang Sixun, saying they would regret riding with him. Jiang had stared at the back window of the car for so long—because her second brother had been inside.

“You and my second brother?”

Jiang Sixun sighed. “Things will never be the same between us, but we won’t cut each other off completely.”

This was the best outcome they could have hoped for after everything.

“He says he’s come to terms with it, more or less. He told me to treat you well.”

Xu Zhiyi fought back her sadness. “How is he doing now?”

“The worst days are behind him. Qi Zhengchen plans to keep you in the dark for a while longer.” Knowing that the three of them would be in Beijing for the next two months, Jiang figured it was better to get everything out in the open. That way, if they ever crossed paths, they’d be prepared.

The peony Xu Zhiyi had given him was placed in a vase when he got home, a little water added to keep it fresh.

His mother, Jiang Yue, hadn’t gone to bed yet. Seeing her son fussing over a single flower on the kitchen island, she inspected it. The peony’s color wasn’t from the variety she grew in her garden.

“Who taught you to arrange just one flower in a vase like me?”

Jiang Sixun smiled. “I only got one.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“Zhiyi.”

Jiang Yue beamed and took the vase, assuming the flower was for her. After all, she was the one who loved to display a single peony. “That girl has good taste. Thank her for me.”

Jiang Sixun hesitated. “Mom… it was for me.”

“Why would she give you a peony for no reason?”

“To remind me to cherish the present.”

Jiang Yue chuckled. “Cherish the present, huh? In that case, don’t stress me out.” She handed the vase back to him. “Get some rest.”

The next morning, Jiang Sixun walked into Yuanwei Tower holding a bouquet of twenty-one roses, all wrapped in sleek black paper.

Seeing someone chasing after a woman with roses wasn’t unusual. But seeing Jiang Sixun do it? That was a surprise.

He had become well-known for two things in recent years: his colorful shirts and his firm stance against marriage.

Jiang Shenghe, who had already had a bit of a meltdown the previous night, wasn’t too shocked when he saw the bouquet.

“Are you planning to go public?” Jiang Shenghe asked, pressing the button for the farthest elevator.

Jiang Sixun nodded. “I’m chasing her. Guess it’ll become public, bit by bit.”

The elevator doors opened, and Jiang Shenghe stepped inside, holding the door for him. “Didn’t you say last night that you were already together? Why are you still chasing her?”

Jiang Sixun remained still. “I upset her before.”

Jiang Shenghe noticed he wasn’t moving. “Aren’t you getting in?”

“I’m waiting for her.”

During the morning rush, waves of people passed through the elevator lobby.

At Yuanwei Capital, people could recognize their boss from a single glance at his back. But employees of Yuanwei Group weren’t all familiar with him, so many stared curiously at him as they walked by.

One of the senior executives at Yuanwei Capital, who had previously worked under Jiang Sixun, dared to ask, “President Jiang, are you chasing someone?”

Jiang Sixun nodded, unbothered. “Yes, your President Xu.”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the elevator lobby stopped pretending to look elsewhere and turned their gazes directly toward him.

Just as the elevator was about to close, someone pressed the “open” button, causing the doors to slowly slide back, as if afraid to miss out on any gossip.

The elevator was packed, but no one seemed in a hurry. They held back their laughter, eager for the show.

Jiang Sixun glanced at the now-open elevator and teased, “Are you all waiting with me to make sure I catch Xu Zhiyi?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Someone mischievously reached out from outside the elevator and pressed the “close” button, prompting a chorus of good-natured complaints. Finally, the doors shut.

Out of the dozens of elevators, one went up, and another came down. Yet, no one seemed eager to get in. Colleagues started politely deferring to one another: “You go first. I’m in no rush. Our team doesn’t have a meeting.”

“Oh, no worries! I’ll wait for the next one.”

It was possibly the most courteous elevator experience in Yuanwei Group’s history.

The company’s flexible work hours meant no one was in a hurry. Gossip won over the desire to leave early, so those who had heard the buzz chose to hang back, waiting to witness Xu Zhiyi’s reaction firsthand. They even ushered confused, uninformed colleagues into the elevator with a vague explanation: “We’re waiting for the boss.”

After all, Jiang Sixun was rarely involved in the company’s day-to-day affairs, so no one felt intimidated by him. If it had been Jiang Shenghe waiting with flowers, they might’ve been more discreet.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Xu Zhiyi arrived.

The previous night, after dinner, she’d stayed up late for a video call with some Manhattan executives, working until 2 AM. She slept in for a couple of hours that morning and arrived later than usual.

Normally, she was the first to reach the office at Yuanwei Capital.

As she walked through the crowded elevator lobby, she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary—until she saw Jiang Sixun standing by the private elevator with a bouquet of flowers.

He looked right at her.

She steadied herself, her pace remaining calm and composed. “Good morning, President Jiang.”

“Morning.” Jiang Sixun held out the bouquet. “These are for you.”

Xu Zhiyi didn’t need to turn around to know how many pairs of eyes were on them at that moment.

When she was twenty, she’d once fantasized about him openly pursuing her—dreaming that they’d date out in the open, arrive at work together, no need to hide anything from their colleagues.

It had taken six years, but finally, it was happening.

She slipped her phone into her bag and accepted the flowers with one hand. “Thank you.”

Jiang Sixun handed over the bouquet and, without missing a beat, took her computer bag and purse from her other hand.

Xu Zhiyi pressed the button for the private elevator. Her ears tinged pink, and the onlookers took in every detail—right down to the way Jiang Sixun was holding her purse, serving up a fresh helping of “relationship goals” to the crowd.

The two of them stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed, blocking the curious stares from the rest of the office.

Neither of them said a word, but Jiang Sixun watched her while she silently counted the roses.

There were exactly twenty-one.

The elevator stopped perfectly on the twentieth floor.

Jiang Sixun carried her bags to her office and, before leaving, reminded her, “I’m taking you to the pub tonight. Don’t forget to keep your evening free.”

Her desk already had a bouquet of roses from the night before, but they didn’t look as fresh as the ones in her arms.

Xu Zhiyi placed both bouquets together and took a few photos with her phone.

After years of pining in secret, the relationship was finally out in the open, and everything seemed brighter.

---

The two of them spent the rest of the day working separately, except for a brief lunch together in the company cafeteria.

By noon, word had spread throughout Yuanwei Capital: the boss was chasing after President Xu. During afternoon tea, her secretary couldn’t help but ask, “President Xu, is this just to appease your families, or…?”

If it was for the sake of their parents, she would help them maintain the ruse.

Xu Zhiyi smiled. “No, it’s not for the families.”

Her secretary beamed and joked, “Then we’ll have to ask President Jiang for red envelopes!”

As the last rays of the sunset faded, Jiang Sixun finished up his work and shut down his computer. His phone vibrated on the desk—it was his father calling.

Lu Jianbo was at the airport, having just received a response from the Yu family. They had agreed to support Jiang Sixun in the board election, but only if he ceded a portion of the market to Xinrui Medical.

To gain the Yu family’s backing for his rebellious son, some concessions had to be made. Trading business interests for support wasn’t uncommon, but Yu Rui had specific demands due to his lingering resentment toward Jiang Sixun.

Lu Jianbo asked his son, “What’s your decision?”

“Tell Yu Rui no deal. She can vote however she wants.”

Father and son were on the same page—both resented the idea of trading power for favors. Originally, Lu Jianbo had planned to have his secretary vote on his behalf, but now he told Jiang, “I’ll attend the election in person.”

“No need. Send Secretary Cai back to Hong Kong,” Jiang Sixun replied. His uncle, Lu Jianliang, thought he could pressure Jiang with the Yu family’s vote, but Jiang had already made the decision to let that go.

If he couldn’t secure leadership, then no one else would either.

“Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up. I’ve got a date with Zhiyi.”

Lu Jianbo was speechless.

He had just lost a critical vote, but his son was completely unfazed, even calmer than him.

“Zhiyi added you back?”

“No.”

Jiang Sixun hung up, grabbed his jacket, and headed next door.

Xu Zhiyi was texting her brother: I won’t be home for dinner tonight, going to a pub.

Xu Heng locked his phone and casually tossed it aside. “I’m not coming back for dinner. I’m going to the pub with Jiang Sixun,” he announced to his parents.

Xu Xiangyi and He Yi’an had come by to surprise their daughter, but it seemed they had bad timing.

Xu Heng glanced at the table, already set with prepared dishes. “So, are you still cooking, or…?”

“Of course,” Xu Xiangyi replied. “But you’re not staying to eat?”

“I was worried you wouldn’t be motivated if I didn’t.”

“Even if I said I was, you wouldn’t believe me,” he retorted.

“…”

He Yi’an handed them a plate of washed fruit. “Why did Zhiyi suddenly decide to go to a pub? She’s not much of a drinker.”

Xu Heng mused, “Probably because of the pub’s name.”

At the pub entrance, Xu Zhiyi stared at the sign overhead: “You Come, I’m Still Here.” Finally, she understood why Jiang Sixun had brought her here. The name tugged at her heart—it felt like the pub was waiting for someone who never arrived.

Jiang had reserved a table ahead of time, the one furthest inside, where it was the quietest.

The pub had dim lighting, and old nostalgic songs played in the background. The food wasn’t anything special, and the best lamb ribs came from the restaurant next door.

Zhiyi ordered two glasses of fruit wine. Lamb ribs and fruit wine—a mismatched combo, but it worked for her.

She had grown more comfortable around Jiang. Casually, she grabbed a lamb rib and started gnawing on it while taking in the decor. Her gaze drifted to Jiang, who was watching her.

“How’s the lamb?” he asked.

“Tastes just like my dad’s,” she replied, still chewing.

Her father often made cumin-spiced lamb ribs, crispy and full of flavor.

She asked, “Do you come here often?”

“A few times. Jiang Shenghe had a team-building event here when he was chasing someone.”

“I heard from my dad he’s been crushing on someone for years.”

“Yeah, seven years,” Jiang replied. “When he found out I was with you yesterday, he spilled water all over his shirt—probably because he realized he’d have to start calling you sister-in-law.”

“…”

Zhiyi couldn’t even picture that. After all, Jiang Shenghe had been like a mentor, guiding her step by step.

After finishing her lamb ribs, Zhiyi rested her head on her hand, sipping her third glass of wine for the night.

Jiang stood up. She thought he was heading to the restroom, but instead, he moved to sit beside her. The long wooden bench had no dividing line between them, and sitting that close, even the slightest movement made their clothes brush against each other.

Zhiyi looked straight ahead. The wall across from them was covered in various decorations, but after staring at them all night, they had lost their charm.

Jiang clinked his glass against hers. “Shall we leave after this one?”

Zhiyi glanced at the time—just after nine. “So early?”

“If you’re enjoying it, we can stay. If not, I’ll carry you home,” Jiang explained. “If we walk, we’d better leave now, or we won’t make it home before midnight.”

The pub had a special name, tasty lamb ribs, and decent drinks.

Zhiyi couldn’t bring herself to say she wanted to leave.

She swallowed her wine. “I like it… but I also don’t.”

Jiang looked at her. “I’ll carry you home, and we’ll come back next time.”

As they stepped out of the pub, Zhiyi couldn’t help but glance back at the sign again. Before she could turn around fully, Jiang scooped her up and placed her on a nearby flowerbed, instantly making her a head taller than him.

Just as she regained her balance, Jiang turned, grabbed her arm, and pulled her onto his back.

Before she could react, she was already being carried two steps forward.

Zhiyi quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. Her heartbeat, racing wildly, only calmed down once they exited the alley.

“Every time I go to the village to watch the sunrise, I think about how great it would be if you carried me along the beach,” she said dreamily.

Without hesitation, Jiang replied, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you.”

“That’s impossible—I still have a project to finish. There’s no rush,” Zhiyi chuckled.

Resting her chin on his shoulder, she gazed at the night streets of Beijing as he carried her.

After a while, her legs grew uncomfortable. “You can put me down. Let’s catch a cab.”

But Jiang didn’t let go. “I’m not tired.”

“It’s my legs that are going numb.”

Reluctantly, he set her down. “I said I’d carry you home, so I will. We’ll take a cab to the gate of the villa area, and I’ll carry you the rest of the way to the third floor.”

She didn’t mind now that her brother knew about them.

Zhiyi nodded. “Alright.”

The driver pulled up, and on the way, Zhiyi grabbed a bottle of cold water from the car’s mini fridge. By the time they reached the villa gate, she still hadn’t finished it, so she brought it along.

The neighborhood was quiet, the occasional car driving past.

Today was the first day in six years with Jiang Sixun where nothing felt missing.

The villa was brightly lit. From afar, Zhiyi noticed her brother’s SUV parked in the driveway. She didn’t see the black sedan hidden behind it.

Before entering, Jiang turned to her and said, “You don’t have to get down. I’ll carry you straight to the third floor.”

Once inside, Jiang removed his shoes. Zhiyi kicked off her sandals and called back, “Make sure to put my sandals in the shoe cabinet when you’re done.”

“Sure, I’ll take care of them in a bit,” Jiang replied.

The sound of the front door opening and closing caught He Yi’an’s attention. She glanced at the time. “They’re back early,” she remarked, already standing up.

Just as Jiang entered the living room, carrying Zhiyi on his back, he froze mid-step. He found himself locking eyes with He Yi’an.

Beside her stood Xu Heng and Uncle Xu.

“Uncle Xu, Aunt He,” Jiang greeted, still carrying Xu Zhiyi on his back.

He Yi’an raised an eyebrow. “Is Zhiyi drunk?”

“No, I just carried her back,” he replied casually.

Zhiyi’s heart sank. She had hoped Xu Heng wouldn’t be in the living room, so she had buried her face in Jiang’s shoulder. Now, with her parents arriving, she squinted her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.

Xu Xiangyi and He Yi’an exchanged glances, unsure of how to react.

Xu Heng remained unfazed. He strolled over, attempting to pry the soda bottle from his sister’s grip but found it surprisingly stubborn. “Stop pretending to be asleep. You wouldn’t be clutching that tightly if you were really out cold.”

Zhiyi couldn’t help but cringe. “…”