Left with no choice, Qin Nanshan responded evasively, “We were only together two months; we broke up because we weren’t compatible.”

“Finally together, then broke up? What a pity.”

Qin Nanshan looked at his wife, who seemed to be pitying someone else’s love life, acting as though it had nothing to do with her. Unable to define his feelings, he watched her scoot closer. “Did you kiss? Hold hands?”

As the distance between them closed, Qin Nanshan’s eyes darkened, staring intently at her. He grabbed her fidgeting hand, his voice low and rough. “Wen Yi, enough with the questions.”

Wen Yi was momentarily stunned, sensing a hint of danger. She pulled her hand back and shifted away, mumbling, “Fine, fine. Stingy.”

After all the fuss before bed, she finally fell asleep without any more thoughts troubling her.

—

The next morning, Wen Yi awoke feeling grateful. Thanks to his ex, she could sleep through the night without more questions gnawing at her.

…

After breakfast, Qiao En called multiple times to insist they join her for a meal as a buffer for her blind date. Wen Yi, with nothing better to do, asked Qin Nanshan if he had time. He replied that he had work and would be free in the afternoon.

Qiao En scheduled dinner for 7 p.m.

At 6:30, they were getting ready to leave, though not without a few hiccups. Wen Yi had just put her shoes on when she remembered she’d forgotten to wear her necklace, so she took her shoes off and went back to the bedroom. Qin Nanshan waited, crouching down to play with their cat, Summer.

Five or six minutes later, she returned, glanced out the window, and realized she hadn’t hung the laundry she’d washed.

Qin Nanshan suggested, “You can hang it when we get back.”

“No, it’ll smell by then.”

He watched her take out each piece from the washing machine and hang it on her designated spot on the balcony. They had an unspoken agreement regarding laundry, each taking a corner of the balcony, respecting each other’s space. Qin Nanshan would occasionally catch sight of her small, intimate items in various shapes and colors, but he always just glanced over without lingering.

Wen Yi finished hanging the laundry quickly and ran back over.

“No rush; take your time,” he said.

“I’m rushing. We’ll be late, and that would look bad.”

Qin Nanshan waited patiently, taking her bag from the shoe cabinet to avoid any return trips.

—

They got into the car at 6:50, and on the way, Wen Yi asked, “Is this friend of yours reliable?”

Qin Nanshan thought for a moment and replied, “Zhuang Yue has good qualities overall; he’s smooth-talking and has dated several women before. As a friend, he’s fine, but as a partner, I’m not sure.”

Wen Yi rolled up her sleeves, full of determination. “Well, let’s see if he’s a man or a monster.”

The restaurant they chose was a well-known Chinese spot. When Wen Yi and Qin Nanshan arrived, Zhuang Yue was already there, and Qiao En came in fashionably late.

Everyone had met at a wedding before, so there was no need for introductions. Zhuang Yue took the initiative to order, inquiring about everyone’s preferences. He could even describe the origins of each dish he ordered, eloquent and confident.

Wen Yi thought, “He’s certainly a smooth talker; Qin Nanshan could never compare.”

Though she wasn’t the main focus tonight, she spoke frequently. If this pairing worked out, she and Qin Nanshan would be matchmakers, so she had to make sure he passed the test.

She questioned Zhuang Yue about his family background, work, and finally his romantic history. His responses were flawless, presenting him as an outstanding, successful person with a solid family background and an upward career path.

She glanced at Qiao En, who was smiling gently, the corners of her mouth stretched so wide it was clear she was smitten.

But something felt off to Wen Yi, though she couldn’t pinpoint it. It wasn’t until she and Qiao En left to go shopping that it clicked—ambition.

Zhuang Yue came across as someone who treated love like a business transaction, taking measured steps and calculating every move. The mutual admiration and affection that should spark between two interested parties were conspicuously absent.

Wen Yi shared her thoughts with Qiao En, urging her to think it over. Qiao En, appreciative of her advice, replied, “I know. That’s why I asked you to come. I wasn’t planning to dive in either. Not everyone’s like you two.”

“Hey, Qiao En, are you teasing me?”

Qiao En couldn’t help but wonder, “Isn’t it true? You guys were like a spaceship, straight to the point.”

Wen Yi argued, “We’ve known each other for ten years; it’s not like we were strangers. I had a sense of security.”

“I’m beginning to see it. You always said you liked funny guys, but you nitpicked Zhuang Yue to pieces. Let’s face it—you’re into Qin Nanshan’s type, strong and silent.”

Wen Yi paused for a moment, then countered, “It’s not like I’d fall for any funny guy. Love is about chemistry. Besides, Qin Nanshan’s not flirtatious—just quiet.”

“Okay, okay, if you say so.” Qiao En couldn’t stop laughing, imitating Wen Yi’s tone, “Brainy is the new sexy~~”

“Scram!”

“Alright, alright, I’m off to buy my goddaughter some clothes.”

…..

Qin Nanshan and Zhuang Yue found a random café to wait for the two women shopping. Since Qin Nanshan didn’t drink coffee, Zhuang Yue ordered him a lemon water.

Zhuang Yue chuckled, “Nanshan, I never expected you’d get married before I did.”

Qin Nanshan sat up straight and smiled; he hadn’t expected it either and hadn’t even thought about it for most of his life.

“And your choice in a wife was surprising too. I thought you’d go for the gentle type, but you ended up with someone like her.”

Zhuang Yue hadn’t interacted much with Wen Yi at the wedding, but from the way she had just interrogated him like a prosecutor, he could tell she wasn’t simple. Her sharp eyes and effortless communication showed she could hold her own. If they worked in the same department, Zhuang Yue wasn’t sure he could outcompete her on her way up.

In short, she didn’t seem like someone Qin Nanshan could easily handle.

Qin Nanshan said nothing, so Zhuang Yue pressed on. “Does your wife work at NuAn?”

“Yes.”

“Her salary must be pretty high?”

Qin Nanshan didn’t shy away. “About two or three times mine.”

Zhuang Yue was taken aback. Qin Nanshan was a professor, so his salary wasn’t low, and even as an office director, Zhuang Yue wasn’t sure he earned that much. Adding in bonuses and performance incentives from working for an international company, Zhuang Yue looked at him enviously. “Wow, Nanshan, you’ve landed yourself a rich wife.”

Qin Nanshan wasn’t interested in such things. To him, salary was merely compensation for her work, which he knew wasn’t easy. Her productivity was much higher than his, and she deserved every penny.

“What about Qiao En?” Zhuang Yue continued. “She said she’s a marketing manager for an international company, but I didn’t ask much about it. Do you know anything?”

“Not much.”

“But you were high school classmates?”

Qin Nanshan frowned slightly. “Zhuang Yue, I think you could ask her directly, try to get to know her better.”

“Yes, yes.” Zhuang Yue took a sip of coffee and changed the topic. “I heard that Mr. Chen handed over the National Natural Science Foundation project to you this time?”

Qin Nanshan nodded. “Yes.”

“Not bad. Out of all the math students from our class, you’re the only one still sticking with it. The others in our dorm are long gone. As for me, a science student now working with words—it’s funny how things turn out.”

Qin Nanshan had no strong feelings about it. The path of mathematics was a lonely one, and naturally, if there were better opportunities, one would choose another route.

But Zhuang Yue’s goal wasn’t just to reflect on the past. “The deadline for the application is late March. Have you decided on the project topic and team members?”

Qin Nanshan turned to look at him, calm and composed. Zhuang Yue continued, “This is a big project; you can’t do it alone with just the professors in your department. With such a large project, you need someone to manage all the relationships and logistics involved. Why not leave that to the professionals? Nanshan, think about it—I can help.”

Qin Nanshan narrowed his eyes, his right hand touching the wedding band on his left, but he said nothing.

Zhuang Yue, knowing Qin Nanshan’s character from their four years as classmates, pressed on, “Nanshan, as you know, Director Li is retiring soon, and I’m the only candidate left. I have a strong resume; all I lack is a major project under my belt. This one would be perfect and is directly related to our field.”

“No need to lead?”

“Not a problem. I can arrange that; just being on the team is enough.”

From the moment Zhuang Yue mentioned the project, Qin Nanshan had some idea of where this was going. But he couldn’t make this decision alone. “Understood. I’ll talk it over with Mr. Chen.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to make things difficult for you. If Mr. Chen disagrees, we can figure something else out.”

“Alright.”

—