Have You Considered Marrying Me?
After replying to Wei Lai’s message, Zhou Sujin received a call from his maternal grandfather.
His maternal grandfather had returned to London yesterday after celebrating his uncle’s 50th birthday. Glancing at his watch, Zhou Sujin noted it was 3:50 a.m. in London. His grandfather must’ve just gotten off the plane.
“Your mom just called me.”
His maternal grandfather got straight to the point, “She was beating around the bush and wouldn’t tell me the truth. I can’t figure out what’s happening, but I think you would know.”
“To anger your mom enough to not sleep well for the past two days, it’s not an exaggeration to say you’re being willful.”
Zhou Sujin listened to his grandfather’s reprimand without arguing.
Having navigated the volatile and cutthroat world of business abroad for many years, his grandfather was naturally more direct and decisive compared to his mom, who tended to be more soft and roundabout.
Even in his 80s, he was still full of energy and accustomed to having his way.
He and his older brother had only ever admired one person since they were kids: their maternal grandfather.
If he guessed correctly, his mom had likely asked his grandfather to pressure him into getting married.
When it came to marriage, his mom was convinced he wouldn’t take it lightly, hence her belief that he would “break up” with Wei Lai.
His grandfather was one of the few elders who fully respected their choices. Although he hoped that Zhou Sujin and his brother would settle down soon, he never said much about it. Fearing he might not live to see that day, he had even given them their wedding gifts in advance.
His grandfather never meddled in their marriages, but if certain actions crossed his bottom line and principles, it was a different story.
In terms of personality, he and his brother inherited more from their grandfather than their mom.
His grandfather’s voice came through the phone again, “I won’t pressure you to get married, but Sujin, you mustn’t upset your mom again. Before the New Year’s, handle whatever you think needs to be managed.
Zhou Sujin finally spoke, “I will take care of it. Grandpa, please get some rest.”
After hanging up, he closed the document folder on the conference table.
In the spacious meeting room, only he and Zhou Jiaye remained.
Zhou Jiaye had a cigarette in his mouth, though he wasn’t smoking it. “Mom went to Grandpa?”
“En.”
“Mom probably didn’t expect Grandpa to confront you directly.”
Everything was deviating from the plan.
Zhou Sujin took the files and left. Returning to his office, he closed the door and dialed Wei Lai’s number.
“President Zhou, what’s the matter?” Wei Lai answered.
Like his grandfather, he disliked beating around the bush.
“The situation has reached my grandfather. Our relationship ends now.”
Wei Lai was stunned for a few seconds. “Okay.”
As he had said, ending things early wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Without his influence, she could learn to play it low. No more competing or stressing about playing the role of his girlfriend, either.
Many times, she struggled to strike the right balance. Sometimes, when she acted like his girlfriend and tried to be playful, he felt she was overstepping her boundaries.
Yet, if she was too formal, she worried about messing up the act.
Now it was over, and she could withdraw in time.
She composed herself for a few seconds. “Did your family give you a hard time?”
“Not really,” Zhou Sujin continued, “It’s just that our relationship as a couple is ending, not the contract. The connections and resources I promised you are still valid.”
Wei Lai immediately declined, “Thank you, President Zhou, but no need. Ending our contract early is due to circumstances beyond our control, so no compensation is necessary. In the past, I’ve often worked on projects for months that ended up going nowhere. It was great working with you, and you’ve already helped me a lot, securing a place in the mall and getting the storefront at Jiang’an Cloud Residences.”
He didn’t respond, and there was a brief silence on the phone.
“President Zhou, you don’t need to come over for my birthday.”
Zhou Sujin opened the calendar on his phone and checked what day her birthday fell on. “I have time to come over that day.”
It was likely to “break up” with her in person. The incident involving Yuan Hengrui was handled by He Wancheng at his request. She still owed him a meal, and if she didn’t treat him soon, there might never be another chance.
“In that case, I’d be honored to have a birthday dinner with President Zhou.”
Zhou Sujin noticed that her tone seemed different from before.
The next day, Wei Lai received a message from Zhou Sujin.
“Lu An is on a business trip in Jiang City, so he needs to use the Cullinan for a few days.“
She had planned to return the car to him when he came to Jiang City for her birthday.
“Ok, have Lu An contact me anytime.“
That afternoon, Lu An called her, introducing himself first and then asking if she was free that evening.
“Let’s have dinner together, with Chairman He, He Wancheng.”
He added, “Just the three of us.”
After arranging a place for dinner, Wei Lai drove the Cullinan over after work.
The last time she saw He Wancheng was the night she and Zhou Sujin went public with their “relationship.” In a way, He Wancheng could be considered the “matchmaker” for her and Zhou Sujin.
She had never imagined she would one day meet Su City’s wealthiest man in private.
The restaurant for the dinner was booked by Lu An. In the main hall, they just casually chose a table to sit.
Wei Lai was the last to arrive. She smiled apologetically, “I’m late again. Tonight, I must drink three cups as a penalty.”
He Wancheng laughed, “You’re not. Lu An and I were having a meeting next door this afternoon, a five-minute walk over.”
Seeing Wei Lai, Lu An understood why Zhou Sujin had brought her home. She truly looked like a fairy descended to earth.
Although Wei Lai and Lu An were meeting for the first time, they were already well acquainted with each other’s names. She handed him the car keys. “It’s parked in the lot downstairs.”
Glancing at the Cullinan keys, He Wancheng turned to Lu An and said, “I remember you bought a car specifically to use here.”
Lu An: “It got scratched and hasn’t been repaired yet.”
Then, he looked at Wei Lai again. “I might need to use it for a few more days.”
“No worries, keep it as long as you need. I rarely drive it, sometimes not even once a week.”
He Wancheng, despite being older, was completely unpretentious around the younger generation. He poured each of them half a glass of wine, saying, “Let’s all drink a little less.”
He first gave Wei Lai a glass and then poured one for Lu An. “You’ve been coming here more frequently than I have lately.”
Lu An sighed. Since no outsiders were at the table, he spoke freely, “It’s peaceful here. Whenever I go home, my mom nags me about marriage. She insists she’s going through menopause and asks me to be considerate and not upset her. Uncle He, do you think this is reasonable?”
He Wancheng laughed, “Parents always worry about their children.”
Feeling frustrated, Lu An downed the half glass of wine in one go. “You’re the exception.”
Putting down his glass, He Wancheng used the serving chopsticks to place food on both of their plates.
“Thank you, Uncle He.”
“Thank you, President He.”
He spoke about himself, “I’m not rushing my son to get married because my own marriage failed. I have no right to rush him, nor do I want to. What’s the point? Look at me, I got married and ended up divorced.”
Lu An: “Uncle He, why don’t you just adopt me? I’ll move to Su City.”
He Wancheng laughed heartily, “You still think you’re a kid for me to adopt.”
The two of them clinked glasses, laughing.
Wei Lai listened quietly to their conversation and learned that He Wancheng was divorced.
“And you, Xiao Wei? Is your family rushing you to get married?” He Wancheng didn’t forget to include Wei Lai in the conversation.
“My parents never rush me. They let me do as I please. I didn’t understand why before, but now I get it after hearing what you said.”
He Wancheng immediately realized that Wei Lai’s parents were also divorced. He toasted to Wei Lai. “Parents are parents, and you are you. Just because their marriage failed doesn’t mean yours will. Be happy with Sujin; I’m looking forward to you guys’ wedding.”
Wei Lai: “…”
She smiled. “Thank you, President He.”
“This isn’t a social gathering, so stop calling me President. It feels too distant. I’m probably older than your parents; just call me Uncle.”
They then talked about her dad’s law firm and her mom’s supermarket.
He Wancheng said he wasn’t too familiar with legal matters, so they discussed a lot about the operations of the supermarket.
“Your mom is quite admirable. She hasn’t blindly expanded over the years,” he joked about himself, “If it was me, I wouldn’t be able to do that; I’m too greedy.”
Wei Lai: “That’s not greed, it’s called endless ambition.”
He Wancheng laughed heartily again, “From now on, whenever I’m here, I’ll have to meet up with you youngsters more often.”
The gathering was a pleasant one, and they left the restaurant around 10 p.m.
He Wancheng’s chauffeur arrived, and he patted Lu An on the shoulder, saying earnestly, “Jiang City may be peaceful, but some nagging you still have to go back and listen to. Just listen and forget it afterward if you must.”
He then turned to say bye to Wei Lai, “You have my contact information. Call me if you need anything. I’ll host and arrange for you and your mother to meet some of my old friends. Business grows by learning from each other.”
Wei Lai expressed her gratitude, “Thank you so much, Uncle He.”
Earlier, when they discussed the expansion of chain supermarkets, He Wancheng mentioned that the largest local supermarket chain in Su City was owned by an old classmate of his, who had no plans to expand into other cities. Meanwhile, their Wei Lai Supermarket was also just going to be rooted in Jiang City. Since there was no conflict of interest between the two supermarkets, they could learn from each other’s management and operations.
After sending off He Wancheng, Wei Lai and Lu An walked to the Cullinan’s parking spot. She needed to retrieve her laptop from the car.
Lu An unlocked the car and asked, “Any other valuables in there?”
“I don’t have any valuables in the car, but Zhou Sujin does.”
“Then, you should take them out.” His car would be at the auto shop for a while.
In the safe were two of Zhou Sujin’s watches. She entered the password and took them out.
As Lu An drove away, he reminded her again that he might need to use the car for a while and asked for her understanding.
This “while” didn’t turn out to be very long.
Ten days later, Lu An sent her a message: “I’ll return the car in the next two days.“
She told Lu An not to rush. Over the past few days, he had sent several messages expressing his apologies which made her feel a bit bad.
Before she knew it, it was November already.
Every year, she celebrated her birthday multiple times.
A couple of days before her birthday, she usually went to her maternal grandma’s house for dinner.
After her parents’ divorce, her grandparents never forgot her birthday. They would invite her uncle’s family as well, making it a lively celebration.
The day before her birthday, she would visit her paternal grandparents. Her grandma would make her hand-pulled noodles, and her grandpa would cook a few of her favorite dishes, sharing a simple yet warm family meal with her.
On her birthday, either her dad or mom would celebrate with her. After she started dating, Zhang Yanxin would celebrate with her.
This year was no different.
On the evening of the 7th, she had dinner at her paternal grandparents’ house and then spent some time with them.
Her grandma brought out some fruit for dessert. “How’s your mom’s health lately?”
Wei Lai: “She’s doing well.”
“Tell your mom not to overwork herself. As long as there’s enough money to live comfortably, that’s enough.”
Wei Lai nodded. Every time she visited, her paternal grandma would always express concern for her mom.
Her grandma then looked her over. “You shouldn’t overwork yourself either. You look thinner than the last time you were here.”
“I’m not tired.”
After leaving her grandparents’ house, she walked back to her condo.
She passed by the main campus of Jiang City University, the place she had visited most often as a kid. Then, she passed by their former home, which had long been sold. She also walked by her dad’s law firm; the firm occupied three floors, and her dad’s office was on the top floor. The light in his office was still on, but she didn’t go up.
By the time she reached her condo, it was nearly 10 p.m. Wei Lai took a hot bath.
While she was drying her hair, she received a message from Zhou Sujin: “I just arrived in Jiang City. Can we meet tonight?“
“Sure.“
“Come downstairs in 40 min.“
Zhou Sujin instructed Uncle Yan, “Go to her condo.”
The car had just exited the airport expressway, turning left toward the city.
He asked Lu An, “Is the Starlight headliner ready?“
“Yea. The cost of a watch went up there. I’ll bring it over to you tomorrow.“
“Bring it over now. No need to deliver it to me; just drive it straight to Wei Lai’s condo.” He sent Lu An the address of Wei Lai’s condo.
About half an hour later, a black Bentley and a deep emerald Cullinan arrived one after the other outside the condominium. Wei Lai was already waiting downstairs.
She didn’t dress up or anything, just wearing the suit and shirt she wore to work.
Lu An waved at Wei Lai from a distance before getting into the Bentley and leaving.
Zhou Sujin looked at her and said, “Didn’t I tell you to come downstairs in forty minutes?”
“You came all this way to celebrate my birthday; I can’t make you wait.” As she spoke, Wei Lai walked up to him and stood at a suitable distance. “President Zhou, let me treat you to late-night.”
“That’s fine.” He handed her the Cullinan keys. “Go see your birthday gift.”
Since he had already bought her a gift, Wei Lai didn’t insist and accepted it graciously. “Thank you.”
She instinctively went to open the trunk, but Zhou Sujin said, “It’s not in the trunk. Since you liked the starlight headliner, I had it installed for you.”
Wei Lai was momentarily speechless, her heart skipping a beat.
Wei Lai now realized that Lu An’s excuse for needing the car was just a cover to install the starlight headliner.
He explained, “Originally, I had planned for Uncle Yan to drive it to get installed, but Lu An insisted it wouldn’t be romantic and should be a surprise. I didn’t go into detail about our relationship with him.”
Wei Lai’s awkwardness eased. She knew he wouldn’t be the type to plan a surprise behind her back; it turned out to be Lu An’s idea.
Regardless, she was already more than content with the gesture of installing the starlight headliner as her present.
Zhou Sujin gestured to her, “Go check it out.”
He wasn’t interested in the fake starry sky, standing outside the car to take a work call from overseas.
Wei Lai closed the car door. In the enclosed space, the black canopy of the sky was right before her eyes, with stars twinkling and meteors streaking across, all just for her.
It was a birthday present.
And also her “breakup” compensation.
After Zhou Sujin finished his call, she still hadn’t come out of the car.
He knocked on the car window. “I’m heading back now. You can take your time enjoying it later.”
Hearing that she could take her time, Wei Lai suddenly understood and hurried out of the car. “I don’t need the car; have someone come by later and take it back.”
Her gaze was resolute. “There’s no need for compensation. Thank you, President Zhou. I appreciate the gesture.”
“It’s not compensation.”
There were some things that Zhou Sujin had planned to discuss with her the next day over dinner, but there was no time like the present. He slightly nodded, signaling her to get in the car, and took a seat in the back of the Cullinan.
The starlight headliner wasn’t turned off, and meteors continued to streak down.
After closing the car door, Zhou Sujin placed his suit jacket on the armrest of the front seat. He turned to look at her, the soft, scattered starlight from the roof reflecting in her eyes, making them look extraordinarily beautiful.
He got straight to the point, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to end the contract early?”
Words were one thing, but reality was another.
“After we break up, my mom will still keep trying to matchmake me. You don’t want to end things, and I don’t have time to deal with matchmaking.”
He paused for a moment, looking at her as he asked, “Have you considered marrying me?”