It’s Me, Wei Lai
Wei Lai drove the Cullinan back. She hadn’t slept well last night and now had a splitting headache, so she decided to shower and catch up on some sleep.
She had planned to sleep until she naturally woke up, but she was awakened by her dad’s phone call after only dozing off for a short while.
Her dad was downstairs outside her condo. Hearing her sleepiness, he said, “You sleep, it’s nothing.”
“Dad, wait for me, I’m getting up.”
Wei Lai washed up and changed her clothes. Before leaving, she grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge. The tangy and sweet chilled juice woke her up a bit.
Her dad must’ve heard something, otherwise he wouldn’t have come at this time. Moreover, he was certain that she hadn’t gone to work and was at home.
Today, the chauffeur was driving, and her dad sat in the back.
Seeing her come out of the condominium, the chauffeur made an excuse to step away from the car.
Wei Huatian opened the car door for his daughter from inside and placed his suit jacket from the middle seat on the backrest of the passenger seat. He took a good look at his daughter. With many things on his plate lately and having to oversee wedding preparations, he hadn’t seen his daughter in over a month.
Wei Lai smiled. “You don’t recognize your daughter anymore?”
Wei Huatian patted his daughter’s head twice. “Why didn’t you tell Dad that you broke up?” His words were full of self-blame.
“You know about it?”
“Just found out.”
Wei Huatian had accepted a client’s invitation for lunch today, thinking it was to discuss legal matters. However, he learned from the client that his daughter had broken up a month ago and that Zhang Yanxin had gotten engaged to the daughter of the chairman of Yichen Group—Mu Di.
Upon hearing that Wei Lai had broken up, the client’s young son eagerly asked his dad to arrange a blind date for him.
Wei Lai: “Is it Yuan Hengrui?”
Wei Huatian nodded. “Yeah, he asked his dad to talk to me.”
Chairman Yuan invited him to lunch and apologized upon meeting, saying that Wei Lai had just gone through a breakup and probably wasn’t in the mood for blind dates, let alone dating. However, his son was worried that Wei Lai had too many suitors and feared missing this opportunity.
For the sake of his son, he could only swallow his pride.
Not knowing the exact situation between his daughter and Yuan Hengrui, nor his daughter’s recent affairs, Wei Huatian went straight to his daughter’s condo after parting ways with Chairman Yuan.
“Yuan Hengrui said that you and he should’ve been together two years ago but were interjected by Zhang Yanxin. Can you tell Dad what’s going on?”
Wei Lai: “… It’s true that he pursued me first, but I rejected him.” She only met Zhang Yanxin afterward.
However, in Yuan Hengrui’s eyes, he had only pursued her for a few days, and getting rejected was normal. If it weren’t for Zhang Yanxin’s strong interference, he and Wei Lai still had a chance.
Wei Lai vaguely remembered that Chairman Yuan was a client of her stepmother’s, and she confirmed this with her dad again.
Wei Huatian nodded. Chairman Yuan was indeed his wife’s client.
He could guess what his daughter was worried about. Rejecting the blind date might offend Chairman Yuan, and his wife’s client might not be retained.
He reassured his daughter not to have any psychological burden. “It doesn’t matter whose client they are; it’s not important. Marriage shouldn’t be forced. You don’t have to go on this blind date. I’ll let Chairman Yuan know tonight.”
Wei Lai would never sacrifice her own happiness to retain a major client, but she wanted to avoid causing trouble for Auntie Zhao as much as possible.
In the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated to reject any suitors, but now things were different. Zhao Yihan had lowered herself for her sake, and that became her soft spot.
“Dad, you don’t understand Yuan Hengrui.” He was very stubborn, and a simple rejection wouldn’t work for him. Wei Lai reassured her dad not to worry, “I’ll talk to him in person and make things clear.”
“Then you should arrange a time to meet with Yuan Hengrui.” Wei Huatian reiterated to his daughter, “Don’t worry about this or that. Losing one client doesn’t matter; at most, we’ll earn a little less money. It’s not a big deal.”
Pausing for a moment, he asked, “Does your mom know about your breakup?”
“No. She doesn’t know anything.” Wei Lai replied, lifting the armrest between the two seats and leaning against her dad’s shoulder just like when she was a child.
There was a pause of more than ten seconds.
Every time her mom was mentioned, there would be a period of silence between Wei Lai and her dad, more or less. Her dad’s feelings toward Mom were complex. They were each other’s first love, from school uniform to wedding dress. Despite being long-distance during university, their relationship remained strong. They got married in the second year after graduation, but all the conflicts started accumulating gradually after they began living together.
Perhaps due to his profession or her dad’s personality, he was always reserved and didn’t express his emotions easily, making it difficult for him to provide emotional support to his partner.
When they were young, Mom tolerated Dad’s personality because of his good looks, but as they grew older, what she wanted changed.
Mom blamed Dad for not understanding her, while Dad complained that Mom didn’t understand him.
When she was 10, her parents had a complete falling out. There was no turning back. A year later, they divorced.
In her first year of middle school, her dad had gotten into a new relationship, which was with Zhao Yihan’s mom.
Her mom had also dated twice, but her dating principle was to not pursue marriage, so both relationships ended without progressing further.
“Which financial firm do you want to work for? Dad can help connect you,” her dad broke the silence in the car.
Wei Lai shook her head. “I’ve decided to do something on my own. I haven’t figured out what exactly yet, but I’ll let you know when I have a concrete plan.”
“Alright, Dad will be waiting for good news from you.” Wei Huatian was worried that his daughter would overthink things if she stayed home alone for too long. “Take this time to go out and clear your mind.”
Wei Lai: “There’s nowhere I want to go.”
She couldn’t muster any interest in going out alone.
“I’ve been free lately, so if there’s anything you need help with for the wedding, just let me know.”
“No need.”
Wei Lai joked, “I can’t just spend your money without lifting a finger.”
“…….”
Wei Huatian exasperatedly tapped his daughter’s head.
—
After her dad left, Wei Lai immediately called Yuan Hengrui.
Instead of arranging a meal with Yuan Hengrui, she chose to meet at a cafe.
The cafe was located on the ground floor of a building. Wei Lai parked the Cullinan directly at the parking spot near the entrance. Yuan Hengrui arrived earlier than her, and the reserved table was by the window, making it hard for him to miss seeing her car.
Yuan Hengrui’s first words upon seeing her were, “I was wondering why you wouldn’t even have a meal with me.”
Wei Lai smiled and sat down, ordering an iced coffee.
Yuan Hengrui leaned back on the sofa, staring at the car outside the window. “When did you two get together?” He had heard the rumors but didn’t believe them.
Just last night, someone had called him specifically to tell him that his goddess was with Zhou Sujin from Beijing. He thought it was ridiculous.
Only now did he realize he was the really ridiculous one.
She had just broken up a month ago, so Wei Lai chose somewhere in the middle. “About half a month ago.”
The timing lined up seamlessly. Surely, there was no love involved.
Yuan Hengrui was filled with regret. “I should’ve gone to find you as soon as you broke up.” He shouldn’t have given her a month to adjust herself.
Wei Lai didn’t give him any hope. “It wouldn’t have made a difference even if you had come to find me. We’re not compatible.” She emphasized, “**Our personalities aren’t compatible.**”
Yuan Hengrui turned to look at her, his gaze softening as he gazed at her.
“Wei Lai, you haven’t let go of your bias against me. How can you be so sure that I’m not serious about you and wouldn’t spend a lifetime with you?”
He gestured toward the car outside the window. “Or is it that you want to marry into an influential family of that level?”
Wei Lai couldn’t be bothered to explain.
As the coffee was served, its strong aroma diluted the stiff atmosphere in the air.
“Do you even know Zhou Sujin? Can you see a future with him?”
“You’ll be crying in two years!”
“Or maybe not,” he chuckled. “Maybe you won’t even need two years before being dumped again. Wei Lai, is it worth it to find just anyone for revenge against Zhang Yanxin?”
Wei Lai remained silent, drinking her coffee. No matter what he said, even if he was being blunt, she didn’t respond or get angry.
He was about the same age as Zhang Yanxin but far from as mature and steady as him. Sometimes, he even acted impulsively. Perhaps it was related to his upbringing; Chairman Yuan had him late in life and tended to indulge him, spoiling him rotten.
Naturally, he wasn’t completely lacking in propriety, but he certainly didn’t have much.
“Is your boyfriend really Zhou Sujin?” Yuan Hengrui couldn’t help but ask, unrelenting.
“En.”
“Wei Lai, are you doing this on purpose?”
“What do you mean?”
“For rejecting me. You’re intentionally choosing someone I wouldn’t dare to provoke. Last time, it was Zhang Yanxin. Now, it’s Zhou Sujin.”
“…. You’re overthinking it.”
“Haa.“
Yuan Hengrui grabbed his iced coffee and gulped it down in one go, completely foregoing his usual elegance.
Even the iced coffee couldn’t suppress the frustration in his heart. He loved her more than anyone else, but unfortunately, she just couldn’t see it.
“Since you’ve made your choice, I wish you well and hope you don’t regret it.”
He set his coffee cup down, paid the bill, and left.
Wei Lai remained in the cafe for another half an hour. She had finished her coffee but hadn’t planned on leaving yet. As she surveyed the cafe’s decor, her mind was filled with plans for her future career.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, displaying an unknown number.
She answered softly, “Hello, who is this?”
The caller identified themself by name in a harsh tone and demanded to know her location, insisting that she come over.
Upon hearing that it was Yuan Hengrui’s dad, Wei Lai felt a surge of anxiety, causing her right eyelid to twitch. Upon inquiry, she learned that Yuan Hengrui had punched Zhang Yanxin…
“Just a moment.”
The cafe was too quiet for such conversations, so she quickly gathered her belongings and hurried outside. “Mr. Yuan, please continue.”
It was a long story. Half an hour ago, after Yuan Hengrui left the cafe, he grew increasingly vexed. With nowhere to vent his anger, he drove his dark blue sports car straight to Zhang Yanxin’s company.
Previously, he had been cautious and hesitant to offend Zhang Yanxin. But now, with the addition of Zhou Sujin, whose background was even stronger, he couldn’t allow both of them to lord over him.
At first, he hadn’t intended to punch him; he simply wanted to vent by hurling a few insults at him.
“Zhang Yanxin, you should be ashamed! I was pursuing her just fine, but you had to stick your nose in. When you’ve got her, you should’ve treated her well!”
“Why should the person I like with all my heart be trampled on by you!”
Zhang Yanxin had just finished a meeting when Yuan Hengrui cornered him at the doorway. There were people inside the meeting room and in the corridor outside. There was no time to question the receptionist about how someone was allowed in so easily. He glanced at Yuan Hengrui and sneered, “Do you know why Wei Lai didn’t like you?”
His words struck like a dagger to the heart.
Yuan Hengrui, consumed by a mix of new grievances and old grudges, lost his temper completely after being struck in a sensitive spot. In a fit of rage, all rationality left him. He grabbed Zhang Yanxin’s collar and swung his fist, his mind consumed by a single thought: I don’t dare to hit Zhou Sujin, but you’d think I won’t dare to hit you?!
As his punch was thrown, the entire floor seemed to fall silent.
But just as quickly as it began, bystanders intervened and restrained Yuan Hengrui, pulling him away.
Zhang Yanxin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Despite the loss of face in front of his subordinates, he managed to keep his temper in check.
Secretary Liu, trembling with fear, asked, “President, how should we handle this?”
Zhang Yanxin issued, “Notify his dad to come here and take him away!”
Secretary Liu immediately called Chairman Yuan and explained the situation.
Zhang Yanxin had only one demand: Yuan Hengrui must bow down and apologize to him, with no room for negotiation.
Yuan Hengrui’s stubbornness was as obstinate as a mule; even his dad’s words couldn’t reign him in when he was stubborn.
Apologize? Not a chance.
Whoever loves to apologize should apologize.
After receiving Secretary Liu’s call, Chairman Yuan, who was in the middle of a meeting, dropped everything and rushed over. His presence proved futile; no one was willing to compromise. In a deadlock, he had no choice but to call Wei Lai to resolve the situation.
“Come over now,” his tone was commanding.
Without giving her a chance to respond, Chairman Yuan angrily hung up the phone.
Wei Lai calmed down in her car for a while. Previously, she had been afraid of offending Chairman Yuan, a big client. Now, she had thoroughly offended him.
Zhang Yanxin was the last person she wanted to see, and his office was the last place she wanted to go.
But now, not going was not an option.
Almost simultaneously, news of Zhang Yanxin being assaulted spread within their circle.
“Have you arrived in Beijing? Your girlfriend’s admirer just beat up her ex. It’s become quite the scandal.“
Just as Zhou Sujin was boarding his flight, he received a message from a friend in Jiang City. This friend had been present at the dinner when he had gone public with Wei Lai as his girlfriend.
“I’m still at the airport; the flight’s delayed.“
“That’s normal. It’s a small airport, so flight delays are common. Next time you come here, you should just fly your own plane.“
Returning to the main topic, Zhou Sujin asked, “Who beat up Zhang Yanxin?“
“Yuan Hengrui.“
Zhou Sujin hadn’t heard of this name before and wasn’t interested, so he didn’t bother asking further.
“Yuan Hengrui is currently at Zhang Yanxin’s company. His dad hasn’t managed to take him away yet. Chairman Yuan cares a lot about his reputation, so he’s probably angered to death this time. Originally, the assault wouldn’t have much to do with your girlfriend, but Chairman Yuan’s company is a big client of Wei Lai’s stepmother. Her stepmother’s daughter treats her pretty well. It was Zhao Yihan who took her to the dinner party that day.“
His friend said so much, mainly just wanting to gossip. “By the way, how did you and Wei Lai meet?“
Ignoring him, Zhou Sujin found a number in his contacts and dialed it.
As soon as the call connected, he got straight to the point. “I need a favor. It’s related to Wei Lai, and it involves Zhang Yanxin and someone named Yuan Hengrui. I’m at the airport. As soon as I left, she caused trouble. It’s really a headache.”
He Wancheng chuckled, teasing, “Look at that, there’s finally someone who can make you scratch your head. And finally, there’s someone who can make you explain so much at once.”
Zhou Sujin chuckled for once.
—
Outside the cafe, Wei Lai spent over 10 minutes calming herself down inside the Cullinan before starting to drive toward Zhang Yanxin’s company. If she didn’t handle this matter well, she would completely offend Yuan Hengrui’s dad. Her stepmother could potentially lose more than just Chairman Yuan as a client.
Halfway there, she received another call from Chairman Yuan.
His tone was neither warm nor cold but slightly better than before, informing her that there was no need for her to come over anymore.
“You’ve got quite a bit of face, managing to get He Wancheng to make a personal visit.”
Wei Lai was puzzled, but the caller had already hung up.
She didn’t have the ability to get the wealthiest man in Su City to make a personal visit on her behalf. The only person who could have that kind of face was Zhou Sujin.
Wei Lai looked around for a spot to park her car. After driving a few hundred meters, she finally found a parking spot by the road. After parking the car, she called Zhou Sujin, but it didn’t go through.
Then it occurred to her that he should still be on the plane.
Texting him was futile; he never checked his messages. However, his personal WeChat didn’t add people so easily. After much hesitation, she added him on WeChat.
It’s me, Wei Lai.
