Chapter One: Return to Yan City Once More

Returning to Yan City was in the fourth year after the divorce.

Wen Jianan’s company had sent her team to negotiate a potential partnership with the internationally renowned brand Quantum. However, it wasn’t a straightforward meeting—Quantum had not agreed to their appointment. Wen Jianan, as the team leader, was tasked with finding a way to meet someone from Quantum and secure the deal.

Before departure, the company placed great hopes on them. Failure would make Wen Jianan the scapegoat for the entire firm, and the success of this collaboration was crucial for her upcoming promotion.

On the plane, a team member, Xiao Jiang, vented about the company and leadership. Compared to her indignation, Wen Jianan merely smiled silently. She could have chosen not to come, but recently, her mother, Tan Fang, had grown increasingly impatient, persistently arranging blind dates for her. Wen Jianan avoided conflict by evading the issue this way.

They landed around eight at night. The autumn night breeze was chilly, especially in Yan City. After collecting their luggage and stepping outside the airport, a wave of nostalgia struck Wen Jianan, momentarily freezing her thoughts.

Soon, their rideshare arrived, and she got in with Xiao Jiang. At the hotel, Wen Jianan checked in while a waiter helped carry their luggage upstairs. Once alone, Xiao Jiang paused her work to gossip: "Sister Nan, you seem really familiar with Yan City."

A faint shadow of melancholy flickered in Wen Jianan’s eyes. "Yes, I graduated from Yan City University."

She had come to Yan City at eighteen for school, stayed after graduating to marry, and altogether lived there for seven years. She left only after ending a three-year marriage.

Xiao Jiang had never heard of this past before, and this was the first time Wen Jianan mentioned her alma mater.

"Wow, Yan City University, a top institution," Xiao Jiang admired with stars in her eyes.

Wen Jianan chuckled lightly. "It’s just okay."

A message popped up on her phone. She glanced down, her fingers dancing over the screen. Curious, Xiao Jiang peeked at the screen and saw Wen Jianan asking a friend about Quantum’s Asia-Pacific director.

They said he was elusive, barely seen, and even on Quantum’s regional website, there was no information or photo—only an English name sent by her friend: Simon.

Wen Jianan’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone.

Xiao Jiang noticed nothing unusual, puzzled, "Is he really that mysterious?"

Seeing Wen Jianan’s shaky breath, Xiao Jiang grew even more concerned. "Sister Nan, what’s wrong?"

Wen Jianan shook her head to regain composure. No—it couldn’t be him.

Her friend sent another message, greeting her. Xiao Jiang discreetly stepped away.

Wen Jianan replied, then after a moment, Xiao Jiang packed her things and suggested, "Sister Nan, there’s a hotpot place recommended online just across the street. Let’s go for a late-night snack?"

They hadn’t eaten much on the plane—just enough to get by.

Wen Jianan glanced at the suggestion. The refusal hovered on her lips but faltered. After a pause, she agreed, "Alright."

On the way, Wen Jianan busied herself with trying to get Quantum’s director’s contact through her friend but came up empty. Her friend said this person never voluntarily revealed his contact, but they managed to reach one of Quantum’s partners, a director, and sent over his photo and number.

"Sister Nan, we’re here."

Wen Jianan put away her phone and looked up to see a familiar signboard. Her breath caught slightly.

Meanwhile, due to project troubles, Cheng He had been harassed and casually sent out a number. Only afterward did he realize it wasn’t his own. Seeing the digits caused his hand to tremble, knocking over a teacup on the hotpot table.

Liang Yuxiu, sitting opposite, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Cheng He smiled sheepishly, "Nothing."

He called a waiter to clear the table. Liang Yuxiu scrutinized him curiously but said nothing. Soon, a friend request popped up on his WeChat. Recognizing the avatar and ID, his usually impassive face showed a flicker of distraction. He excused himself and went to the restroom.

The hotpot restaurant was large, spanning three floors, each sectioned off with screens.

Wen Jianan had come to borrow a power bank at the front desk when she caught sight of Cheng He. Her first instinct was that he looked familiar. Quickly, she opened a photo sent by Qin Wei to confirm she wasn’t mistaken.

That was the Quantum director she had been searching for—Cheng He.

A flash of joy crossed Wen Jianan’s eyes.

Truly, after searching high and low, fortune had found her effortlessly.

The number sent out couldn’t be recalled. Cheng He was pondering how to fix the mistake when, unexpectedly, Wen Jianan appeared, smiling warmly at him.

"Director Cheng, hello, I’ve heard so much about you."

Cheng He blinked. "Do we know each other?"

Wen Jianan smiled faintly, "Not before, but maybe from now on. Let me introduce myself—I’m Wen from Feidu Company."

Feidu? That sounded somewhat familiar… He thought he’d heard the name before but couldn’t place it. He responded politely, "Pleasure."

"I just added you on WeChat."

"Just now?"

Suddenly recalling something, Cheng He grabbed his phone to check. Wen Jianan, noticing his confusion and worried the request hadn’t gone through, handed her phone over.

"Here, isn’t it this—ah—"

Neither noticed when their phones collided, and Cheng He lost grip.

Splash!

The phone fell right into the spicy hotpot.

The spicy side.

Silence fell over the table.

After a few seconds, Cheng He let out a sharp beep and frantically scooped his phone out with a ladle.

But it was too late.

Though the screen still lit up, water and red oil had seeped inside. Cheng He immediately powered it off and looked at Wen Jianan with a dark expression.

Wen Jianan had recovered and kept apologizing, offering to cover all costs.

"No need," Cheng He said coldly, pulling away and heading to leave.

Realizing this, Wen Jianan hurried after him and caught up downstairs, pressing a business card into his hand.

Her expression sincere, she apologized again. "This is my card. No matter what, it was my fault, and I should take responsibility. Whether you repair or replace the phone, I’ll cover the expenses."

Without giving him a chance to refuse, she apologized once more and left swiftly.

Standing there, Cheng He held the card, his gaze distant.

When Liang Yuxiu came downstairs, he saw Cheng He flick the card into the trash.

Xiao Jiang, unaware of what had just happened, saw Wen Jianan’s frustrated face and asked, "Sister Nan, did the Quantum director accept your friend request?"

Probably not, Wen Jianan thought bleakly.

Her face was heavy, her spirit broken.

Back at the hotel, her mother Tan Fang called again, saying she had arranged a blind date for Wen Jianan in Yan City.

Wen Jianan was stunned at how far her mother’s reach extended. "Mom, I’ve been really busy lately; don’t waste your effort."

"That Cheng just happens to work in Yan City. Since you’re staying here a while, why not meet him? What’s the harm?"

Xiao Jiang went to shower first. Wen Jianan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dazzling nightscape of Yan City, trying to respond to everything with silence but unable to resist the cadence of her mother’s nagging.

In the first year after the divorce, her family wasn’t this desperate. But as time passed, their urgency intensified, claiming that a woman of her age would struggle to find a partner, especially divorced.

Because of this, the conditions for her dates kept worsening.

Forty years old, divorced with a son—such terms were still considered good by Tan Fang’s standards.

This all came to a head last year, nearly bringing Wen Jianan to tears, which planted the seed for her desire to return to Yan City.

"I’ve told you so much—did you listen? This time, the matchmaker is your father’s senior sister. Don’t embarrass her. Tomorrow is Sunday, so if you’re busy with work, wait until Monday. Just meet him. If it feels right, I won’t stop you from staying in Yan City."

After saying this, she hung up and soon sent the meeting’s address and time, leaving Wen Jianan no room to refuse.

The night had been full of misfortune. She finally collapsed onto the bed, sighing deeply.

Yet the next day, she still decided to go.

Unless she resolved this, Tan Fang wouldn’t relent, and Wen Jianan didn’t want to juggle this on top of her work.