"Brother, why are you dragging me? Where is it that we men stand around and ask women to cook?" The voices of Yizhiye and Lin Xin's argument still drifted over.
Shen Xiaoyan remained seated, her actions of tending the fire completely unfazed.
But just then, a shadow suddenly fell beside her. Before Shen Xiaoyan could look up, she heard a deep voice in her ear: "I'll do it."
"Can you?" Shen Xiaoyan looked at Zheng Wei with a face full of doubt.
"Men hate being doubted the most," Zheng Wei scoffed, then curled his long legs and sat down in front of the large pot. He started tending the fire, mimicking Shen Xiaoyan's earlier movements.
For him, although he had no prior experience, that didn't stop him from learning just by watching.
"This is seriously messed up," Lin Xin said, watching Zheng Wei sit there with his long legs curled up, tending the fire. He secretly took a picture with his phone and then cursed under his breath.
"Guys, come and see, Brother Zheng is tending the fire." As soon as he finished taking the photo, Lin Xin turned and sent it to their group chat.
His clothes were still a bit rumpled, and his sleepy expression was visible on his profile. In short, he looked nothing like the formidable Big Boss Zheng who walked the streets of the capital.
"Brother Zheng sitting there tending the fire is just like a pampered wife," someone commented in the group.
Lin Xin chuckled, looking at his phone.
Zheng Wei sat there obediently, tending the fire. He looked quite out of place, his long legs seeming to not know where to rest, making him appear rather awkward.
Because it was a rural cooking pot, simply set up outdoors, there was inevitably a lot of dust. When Shen Xiaoyan came over with the wrapped dumplings to cook them, she glanced at the man sitting there and said, without much emotion, "Move your seat a bit outwards; you might get splashed."
"En," Zheng Wei gave Shen Xiaoyan a deep look before, under her increasingly uncomfortable gaze, he moved his stool outwards.
Shen Xiaoyan was clearly very familiar with cooking dumplings. She skillfully stirred them in the pot with a spatula. The plump dumplings rolled around, looking surprisingly cute…
"Need to add more fire?" This seemed to be the first time Zheng Wei asked Shen Xiaoyan in such a calm tone. Yes, it was a question.
Shen Xiaoyan was still unaccustomed to this. She froze for a moment upon hearing his words, then shook her head and said, "No, you can leave after the pot boils again."
Zheng Wei raised an eyebrow and said nothing.
"What do you plan to do after we go back?" Zheng Wei asked, not looking at Shen Xiaoyan. He lowered his head, as if concentrating on tending the fire, but the question was clearly directed at her.
"Probably design," Shen Xiaoyan thought. She couldn't go back to the academy, nor did she want to. She might as well focus on design. She intended to participate in the international design competition this winter.
"Do you want to come to Tiel?" Zheng Wei suggested.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't speak this time. She was aware of Tiel's reputation. Even internationally, Tiel held a certain status; it was a place where top national designers aspired to enter.
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan's silence, Zheng Wei assumed she was considering it. He placed the last piece of firewood under the pot, then clapped his hands and said, looking up at Shen Xiaoyan, "If you agree, I'll arrange it for you now. How about it?"
"No need. I want to do it myself now." Shen Xiaoyan detested dealing with interpersonal relationships and didn't want to step foot in such places again. Thus, she directly refused Zheng Wei's offer.
Zheng Wei seemed a bit surprised by Shen Xiaoyan's decision. He asked again, "Have you thought it through?"
"En, that place is indeed good, but it's not suitable for me." It wasn't just about the people. Tiel's main style was actually closer to international trends, but that wasn't Shen Xiaoyan's style, so she didn't feel any regret.
"But, then I'll set up a studio for you?" Zheng Wei was already preparing to go all out. He wouldn't deny it; he had thought a lot in the past few days. He absolutely would not allow any other man to encroach upon Shen Xiaoyan's space. He would not allow any other competitive man to appear before Shen Xiaoyan again.
Therefore, even though he knew Shen Xiaoyan would refuse, he still said it.
Naturally, Shen Xiaoyan refused. She wasn't the kind of woman who relied on men to do things for her, and Zheng Wei knew this very well.
"No need, I can work from home." Shen Xiaoyan shook her head. She actually felt a little bothered by Zheng Wei's overly enthusiastic help.
But she didn't know that this was exactly what Zheng Wei wanted. Zheng Wei now wished more than anything that Shen Xiaoyan would stay at home, so that other men would have no chance to covet her.
"En, then I'll have someone set up a studio for you." With that, Zheng Wei reached out to make a call. The mansion they were staying in was actually very large, and without any domestic help, there were plenty of rooms. Zheng Wei intended to have two rooms merged into one for her design work.
Shen Xiaoyan wanted to say something, but the man had already put one hand in his pocket and walked away with his long legs.
Looking at his slender back, Shen Xiaoyan felt something was amiss, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She just felt something was very strange.
"Xiaoyan, are the dumplings almost done? Then I'll start cooking vegetables!" Na Gu's voice pulled Shen Xiaoyan out of her thoughts. She quickly responded and began to scoop the dumplings out of the pot.
…
Perhaps it was because she had slept too much earlier, but Shen Xiaoyan lay in bed for a long time, unable to sleep. Zheng Wei was the same; he had only woken up in the afternoon, nearly dusk.
The two of them were now lying in the same bed. This scene was somewhat familiar to both of them.
Zheng Wei turned over and saw Shen Xiaoyan still staring wide-eyed. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace.
This position had never happened before, but for some reason, every time he held her, his heart felt full, as if he had found something he had lost. He felt complete.
Shen Xiaoyan, however, was not used to such intimacy. She wanted to move, but every time she tried, Zheng Wei would hold her even tighter. After a few attempts, Shen Xiaoyan dared not move anymore.
"I don't want to make love to you here. The conditions are too poor, not worthy of our union," Zheng Wei said very frankly, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with his words.
Since just holding her brought him such great satisfaction, possessing her would surely bring even greater satisfaction. But Zheng Wei still found the conditions here very unsatisfactory.
Shen Xiaoyan: "..."
"Did you have some kind of dream when you had your car accident?" Seeing the changes in Zheng Wei and recalling what Lin Xin had said about him after the accident, Shen Xiaoyan felt that Zheng Wei's transformation had begun after the accident, and this transformation was clearly centered around her.
"How did you know?" Zheng Wei was surprised.
"Lawyer Yi told me," Shen Xiaoyan said briefly, just mentioning Lin Xin. "Your... attitude towards me is very different from before. Therefore, something must have changed your perspective."
Although it sounded a bit absurd, this seemed to be the most logical explanation.
"Shen Xiaoyan, I did have a dream, or rather, two dreams..." Zheng Wei didn't really want to recall that dream. In the dream, he was also tending the fire and cooking in a rural setting... He was a very rational person, but he couldn't explain this matter, because the feeling in the dream was too real. Even when he thought about it, his heart ached unbearably.
"Don't worry, I won't cheat before the engagement is finalized," Shen Xiaoyan looked at Zheng Wei in surprise. This was her bottom line; she would absolutely not cheat in marriage.
"What? You still want to remarry?" The word "remarry" angered Zheng Wei. He flipped over and pressed Shen Xiaoyan down, his voice cold and resentful.
"As you said, I indeed owe the Zheng family. I will not proactively ask for a divorce because of another man." Without even thinking, this wasn't Shen Xiaoyan's style.
"Unless you're the one who wants to end it." Shen Xiaoyan felt that this was the normal course of events. It was thanks to the Zheng family that she could now distance herself from her vampiric relatives, but for that, she also had to pay a price. However, proactively divorcing for another man sounded quite ridiculous.
When Shen Xiaoyan said this, Zheng Wei was truly stunned.
There was no light in the room, but at this moment, their gazes seemed to be able to see each other's eyes clearly.
Zheng Wei thought of everything that had happened in his dream... She was not wrong. It was indeed... it was he who had given up on her first... He had personally handed her over to another man...
At this thought, Zheng Wei's heart felt as if it were being grabbed by a pair of bloody hands. He was in so much pain that he could barely breathe, and could only... could only ask the woman before him to save him.
He madly lunged for Shen Xiaoyan's lips. Shen Xiaoyan's hands were also clasped by him. He seemed like a person drowning in darkness, desperately drawing light from Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan had never experienced such a situation. Zheng Wei's kiss felt as if he were swallowing her whole. She was inexperienced and didn't even know how to breathe. In the end, it was Zheng Wei who came back to his senses and let her go.
She actually wanted to ask if what she had said earlier was correct, but Zheng Wei's actions seemed to have already explained something.
Was this an omen? Would they not be able to go on forever? Shen Xiaoyan thought this in her heart.
"Zheng..." Shen Xiaoyan didn't know what to call him. Should she still call him President Zheng as before? In the end, she gave up. Seeing Zheng Wei roll off her, she said, "Actually, dreams are just dreams. You don't need to force your will because of a dream."
Zheng Wei's and his friends' words from before were still vivid in her mind. Shen Xiaoyan rationally agreed that what they said was indeed true. Her appearance wasn't particularly stunning in their eyes, nor was her talent extraordinary. Compared to a celestial being like Zheng Wei, she was indeed very ordinary.
For Shen Xiaoyan, dreams seemed rather absurd. As for Zheng Wei forcing himself to change his feelings for her because of a dream, that was also quite absurd.
"What, have you met someone? Do you wish to divorce me? You think it's not honorable to propose divorce yourself, so you're waiting for me to do it, hmm?" Shen Xiaoyan's words further stimulated Zheng Wei. Zheng Wei's hands tightened around Shen Xiaoyan's waist, and his voice reverted to its usual cold demeanor.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't know how to explain. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she replied, "You don't need to force yourself to change anything because of a non-existent dream..."
"Shen Xiaoyan, what exactly are you trying to say?" Zheng Wei knew that behind Shen Xiaoyan's slow words, there must be something that would make him very angry.
Seeing Zheng Wei about to pounce on her again, Shen Xiaoyan didn't know where she found the courage. In the darkness, she looked directly into Zheng Wei's sharp eyes and said, "I want to say that you don't need to force yourself to like me because of some baseless dream."
Shen Xiaoyan knew very well how much Zheng Wei had disliked her before.
Zheng Wei's sudden 180-degree turn in his attitude towards her now didn't make her feel happy at all. Especially after hearing about that dream, she always felt that it was nothing more than possessiveness at play.
"Are you worried about me? What, afraid I can't handle it? Did you not feel it when I kissed you just now?" Zheng Wei suddenly scoffed. He looked down at Shen Xiaoyan, their bodies pressed tightly together. She wasn't an ignorant little girl, and Shen Xiaoyan could clearly feel the changes in his body.
These words stunned Shen Xiaoyan.
"My affairs don't require your concern. You just obediently come back to the capital with me. As long as you don't get close to other men, I will treat you well." With that, Zheng Wei suppressed the arousal in his body, rolled over, and continued to embrace Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan couldn't articulate what she was feeling. If it were anyone else, they would probably be overjoyed by now. But Shen Xiaoyan remained very calm throughout, and if one looked closely, a slight frown could even be seen on her brow.
Returning to the capital again naturally brought a sense of unknown fear. On her own, Shen Xiaoyan wouldn't have much trouble, but with the title of Mrs. Zheng, her troubles would surely be numerous.
Zheng Wei hadn't failed to hear her soft sigh. In his eyes, however, no one in this life could snatch her away from him.
…
The next morning, Assistant Hou was already waiting outside with the car. Shen Xiaoyan didn't have much luggage. Zheng Wei reached out and picked up her rolling suitcase, then turned and walked outside.
"Na Gu, I'll come back when I have time." Shen Xiaoyan felt very apologetic towards Na Gu.
Na Gu waved her hand. "Your man donated so many things to our elementary school. You shouldn't feel bad. If anyone should feel bad, it's me."
"Huh?" Shen Xiaoyan didn't know when Zheng Wei had done this. She turned and glanced at the man. Even while carrying the suitcase, he looked like a male model on a runway, exuding an extraordinary aura.
"Xiaoyan, it's not easy to meet a suitable person in one's life. Live well, okay?" Na Gu hugged Shen Xiaoyan and advised her.
Shen Xiaoyan nodded, waved goodbye to her again, and then followed them towards the car.
"Sit in the passenger seat." There were two cars. Zheng Wei got into the driver's seat. Before Shen Xiaoyan could open the car door, he directly opened the passenger door.
"Oh." Shen Xiaoyan responded and sat in the passenger seat.
In the car following behind, Assistant Hou was about to start driving when he heard Lawyer Xu in the back seat excitedly sending a voice message in the WeChat group: "Oh my, guys, guess what I saw? Old Zheng actually let someone sit in the passenger seat of his car!"
"Lawyer Yi, I can hear you," Assistant Hou, Zheng Wei's most trusted assistant, suddenly said.
"What, are you going to report me?" Lin Xin, upon hearing this, immediately looked at Assistant Hou with vigilance. He had gotten carried away and forgotten that Assistant Hou was driving.
"Lawyer Yi, it's best not to spoil our boss's plans." Assistant Hou knew that although their boss appeared cold, everything he had done recently was to gain favor with Shen Xiaoyan.
"Got it, got it, you're so clever! Where did Old Zheng find people like this? The people your boss hires, their lips are tighter than anyone's. With people like you around, those old fuddy-duddies in the group won't be able to usurp power. It's wishful thinking."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lawyer Yi," Assistant Hou chuckled.
Lin Xin: "This is seriously messed up!"
"There's something in the cabinet. It's a four-hour drive to the airport from here. If you get hungry, eat it first," Zheng Wei said while driving. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan sitting rigidly in the passenger seat like a well-behaved child, he found it a bit amusing and gestured towards the small cabinet in front of her.
Shen Xiaoyan responded with an "En," but she still didn't move.
"Are you very nervous?" Seeing her sitting so stiffly, Zheng Wei frowned.
He had never let anyone else sit in his passenger seat before. Why was this woman acting like she was facing a formidable enemy from the moment she got in?
"The mountain roads here are very dangerous and require a lot of skill." Shen Xiaoyan turned her head when Zheng Wei called her and truthfully stated her reason.
Zheng Wei was so angered by Shen Xiaoyan's words that he almost laughed. He narrowed his eyes, looked at Shen Xiaoyan with a dangerous gaze, and asked in a slightly rising tone, "You think my driving skills are not good?"
"I didn't say your driving skills are not good, just that these mountain roads are really rugged." Shen Xiaoyan didn't know how to explain.
Zheng Wei didn't care about her explanation. He continued to ask, "So, you've been sitting so attentively just because you're afraid of an accident?"
"En." Feeling a prickle on her scalp from his gaze, Shen Xiaoyan still forced herself to nod and said something that almost made Zheng Wei furious: "The passenger seat is the most dangerous position, so one must be attentive at all times."