Chapter 2

Lin Jinshen.
The man she’d picked as her marriage alliance candidate.
Lu Yi was certain he hadn’t recognized her either, maybe she looked vaguely familiar, but that was it. Their glance was nothing but indifferent, like strangers passing on the street, no spark, no emotion at all.
Only then did she realize: the fancy hotel where they were holding the exhibition, Hua Court, was actually a luxury brand under the Lin Group’s Huayu division.
After dinner, as they split up, Yu Yin teased, "Think you’ll be seeing this face again?"
"See."
Yu Yin closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhausted and disappointed, a classic case of talking to a wall all day.
The reason for meeting was honestly simple: Lu Yi didn’t have a bad impression of Lin Jinshen. Whether this would work out, only face-to-face interaction could tell.
"Let’s go."
Yu Yin drove a top-spec Porsche 718, purebred sports car, gleaming white with a bold crimson roof.
Lu Yi’s own car, bought after landing the Yixing offer, was a British racing green Mini. It cost over three hundred thousand, still a splurge for a regular worker, but not ridiculous. Colleagues only half-joked about paying in full or on installment, then let it drop.
It drove like a dream in her hands; the other family cars barely saw sunlight.
When she got home, her parents were still up.
Her dad, Lu Kangcheng, normally buried himself in the study, but tonight was out drinking tea in the living room, a rare occurrence.
As the eldest son, Lu Kangcheng had been managing the family business since his school days. Once it was all handed over, he never slacked, not just because of duty to the Lu family, but for everyone in the group’s employ.
Yet, when it came to Lu Yi’s career, he never meddled or pressured her into joining the family company. All he wanted was for her to be happy, doing what she loved, at least for now.
Lu Yi set down her car keys, swapped into slippers, and sat with them for some TV.
Her dad frowned at her overtime, and suggested, “Maybe you should change companies. You know your Uncle Chen’s son runs a media business, just say the word, you’ve got a spot.”
“No need. Once this project’s over, I’ll finally have some downtime. I promise, perfectly regular hours.”
“As long as you know what you want. But if it ever gets too much, tell me.” Lu Kangcheng smiled, always letting her choose.
Her mother, Xu Shuyi, asked about the marriage alliance. The family’s position was: arranged doesn’t mean loveless, take your time, get to know him. No rush to decide. A little more contact couldn’t hurt.
“So, how’s it going?” Just a couple days ago, Xu Shuyi had sent over Lin Jinshen’s contact info, told them to start chatting and pick a date.
Busy with work, Lu Yi had completely forgotten. From the looks of it, so had Lin Jinshen, neither had added the other.
To put her mom at ease, Lu Yi nodded. “It’s going pretty well!”
“That’s good. Keep chatting, the two of you. Once you feel comfortable, meet up in person.”
“Okay.”
Lu Yi agreed, fiddling with her phone, already searching for his contact to add him.
“Get some rest.”
“Night, Mom, Dad, heading up.”
Lu Yi climbed the stairs. Before her door was even open, she heard Puff’s soft meow.
Puff was a tri-color stray Lu Yi had picked up while out walking. She’d been a tiny runt, looking for a meal ticket and finding Lu Yi instead. Named Puff because she'd been so scrawny back then, Lu Yi had hoped she’d grow up strong. Joke was on her: now Puff was as puffy as her name, a feline freight truck, lazy, sleepy, and always hungry.
She usually stayed in Lu Yi’s room, hardly ever venturing downstairs.
Only when Lu Yi got home did Puff oblige with a few half-hearted meows for show.
Lu Yi crouched to stroke Puff’s head, tossing her a few freeze-dried chicken cubes. No more, this cat could not afford any extra fluff.
She headed to the closet to change, then to the bathroom to remove makeup. Puff followed at her elegant, unhurried pace, supervising like a tiny, fuzzy warden. All this activity probably maxed out her daily step count.
Inspection complete, Puff retreated to her nest for a nap.
Lu Yi showered, changed into pajamas.
She checked her phone, Yu Qian had messaged, saying the project handover dragged late and asking how long she’d waited. “Did Li Chengming give you a hard time again?” Lu Yi replied that it was smooth sailing; no trouble tonight.
Yu Qian kept apologizing, guilt-ridden for leaving her alone and sneaking off to the movies.
[I’ll buy you coffee next time we’re in the office!]
[Deal, thanks.]
[I’m the one who should thank you, Lu Yi! Hope we end up on the same team again!]
Complete with a barrage of heart-throwing emoji packs.
Lu Yi laughed, typing a quick goodnight, when a red dot notification flashed. She clicked through, to find a fresh friend request: an avatar of a glacier under the night sky, with the handle, Pioneer.
Pioneer?
It was a recommended contact.
She double-checked her chat with Xu Shuyi, scrolled up, and confirmed, it matched the recommendation.
Lu Yi pictured the man she’d seen tonight, cold, distant, absolutely suited to the WeChat persona he’d chosen.
She set her phone down and only accepted the friend request right before bed.
No particular reason, just didn’t want to jump into a round of awkward small talk the moment they were connected.
…
Lin Jinshen wrapped up his work and returned to the Lin family estate long past midnight.
He went to the kitchen island for some water, but before he’d even finished his glass, his mother, Qin Ruyun, appeared, bundled in her robe. “I made some pear syrup. It’s in the kitchen. Drink it before you sleep.”
Whenever she said that, Lin Jinshen knew he wasn't getting to bed anytime soon.
Chilled pear syrup was even sweeter. The porcelain spoon dinged softly against the rim of the bowl.
Qin Ruyun asked, “How’s your chatting with Miss Lu from the Lu family?”
“We haven’t.” Lin Jinshen’s voice was low.
She frowned, "So why not? Did you not reach out, or did she just not reply?"
Given her son’s temperament, either (or both) were entirely possible.
In a few gulps, Lin Jinshen polished off the soup, wiped his mouth, and answered, “Been busy. Haven’t added her yet.”
“…” Qin Ruyun was momentarily speechless. “If you really don’t want this marriage alliance with the Lu family, your father and I can talk to them. But since you agreed to try, isn’t it a little disrespectful to act like this?”
“Got it.”
“Don’t just say it. We’re not the only family the Lus are meeting.” Qin Ruyun actually liked Lu Yi, a rare combination of looks, background, intelligence, and a gentle, easygoing personality. There really was nothing to fault.
“I’ll add her now.”
“I’ll be watching.”
Lin Jinshen glanced back at her.
Brows furrowed, face expressionless.
Qin Ruyun had always wondered which ancestor Lin Jinshen took after. Neither she nor her husband was this frosty. Their daughter was all sweetness and sunshine. Later, she realized, he was just like his late grandfather.
Lin Jinshen pulled out his phone and, under his mother’s watchful eye, sent out that friend request.
"Add a note for the contact name!" Madam Qin reminded him.
Too late, the request was already sent.
That was as far as his cooperation went. Lin Jinshen put his phone away and said, "You should get some rest."
The friend request still hadn’t been accepted. Not that he cared.
He’d sent it past midnight, at twelve sharp. By then, Lin Jinshen had already turned off the lights and gone to bed. The new chat popped up, system notification: You’re now friends, you can start chatting.
Selene, from Greek, means "moon."
He saw it in the morning, glanced at the screen, then put his phone down and went to wash up.
So they added each other, but barely messaged after that.
Strictly speaking, apart from the obligatory “Hi, I’m so-and-so” pleasantries, that was it.
[Hello, Miss Lu, this is Lin Jinshen.]
[Hello, Lu Yi.]
Lu Yi thought he’d say more, but that was the end of it. She wasn’t the proactive type either, and since he didn’t bother continuing, she wouldn’t go out of her way to push it. She set her phone aside and got back to work.
Her exhibit’s theme was urban space, one of the most engaging projects Lu Yi had handled since joining the curation world. Her team wanted to create genuine spatial storytelling, blending the design and layout tightly with the theme, transforming space from a mere container into an immersive experience for visitors.
Through clever use of sound, lighting, scent, and other sensory details, they aimed to make the effect both evocative and full of story.
On the day of the exhibition, Lu Yi arrived early to prepare.
Her coworkers trickled in one after another.
"Hey, did you hear? Li Chengming got kicked off this project," Yu Qian sidled up and whispered conspiratorially.
Lu Yi was making coffee, eyes lowered, voice calm: "No idea."
"Babe, that Li Chengming was stalling for ages up front, then suddenly rushed over at the end. I heard you left him hanging for hours and he still didn’t dare complain?"
Lu Yi had told Yu Qian ahead of time: if anyone from the client side reached out, have them contact Lu Yi directly, and if it got too annoying, just power off her phone. She’d actually done it, too, and turning it off felt amazing.
Back at work, she found out Li Chengming had come by, but Lu Yi just made him wait. When things wrapped up, their boss didn’t even ask questions.
Not long after, Li Chengming was unceremoniously booted from the project team.
Honestly, it was right out of a revenge drama webnovel.
"Babe, be real, do you have someone powerful backing you?"
Just then, someone else came over with work questions, breaking off their little gossip session. When Lu Yi finished up, she turned to remind Yu Qian to finish her earlier question.
Yu Qian just shrugged, grinning: "I was kidding! If you really had some bigshot backing you, you’d have smacked that jerk down ages ago."
Lu Yi smiled, unbothered.
"It’s the first time I’ve seen someone get kicked off a project right at the end. I’ve never liked him, always acting high and mighty just because he’s with the client, treating us like dirt. How much crap have we had to put up with lately? He gets rejected by a girl and goes all petty and vindictive, making things hard for everyone. If you ask me, that’s not ‘pursuing’, that’s straight-up harassment."
Yu Qian was furious, trying to keep her voice down but obviously fuming.
Lu Yi laid a calming hand on her shoulder. "At least it’s over now."
Yu Qian pressed her palms together in a mock prayer: "Please, Buddha, let the next client actually be a decent human."
By afternoon, Lu Yi got a new message.
Pioneer: [Free to meet up today?]
It was abrupt and to the point. No idea if he’d carved out time from his crazy schedule or just happened to be free right now. Either way, he was making sure this “have-to-do” meeting happened without wasting a second.
Lu Yi thought for a moment and replied: [I’m free after work.]
As for the location, Lin Jinshen asked if she minded meeting at the café downstairs in their hotel. Lu Yi didn’t care, honestly, any place would do. She sent him her location info.
Lu Yi: [Actually, our exhibit is right inside your hotel.]
Pioneer: [See you in the gallery at 7.]
Lu Yi: [Okay]
One minute flat and they’d already settled time and place.
Lu Yi had no complaints about such efficiency, if anything, she kind of appreciated it. Since this was an arranged marriage, the less fuss, the better. Treat it like business, keep things clear.
After work, Lu Yi had dinner with her coworkers.
Someone mentioned a new movie with great reviews and asked her to come along, but Lu Yi shook her head, she had other plans.
"What’s up? This isn’t just an excuse to ditch us, is it?"
"Blind date," Lu Yi answered flatly.
Yu Qian nearly choked, coughing until her cheeks went red. She gave Lu Yi a once-over. "A total goddess like you needs to go on blind dates?"
"Family arrangements."
Nearly everyone at the table had stories about being pressured to get married, so they all just exchanged the universal look of commiseration. "Wait, you’re not even having dinner for your blind date? What, is this guy some mega-cheapskate?"
"…"
Everyone looked at her with the faces of people about to light incense for someone headed to a disaster.
Once the topic turned to blind dates, the horror stories poured out. One guy, the infamous ‘napkin dude’, was such a penny pincher, he made everyone split the cost of paper napkins by the sheet. Should’ve gone into accounting instead.
Someone asked, "Seen his photo? Is he good-looking?"
Lu Yi nodded. "He’s decent."
"That’s it then. If a guy looks good in his photos, nine times out of ten, he’s gay."
"…"
Meanwhile, the guy in question had no clue he was racking up all these nicknames behind his back during their meal.
Lu Yi couldn’t help laughing, the tension about the upcoming meeting easing a little.
…
After his meeting, Lin Wenjun stopped Lin Jinshen on his way out.
"Aunt," Lin Jinshen greeted politely.
Lin Wenjun, with her short hair and no-nonsense attitude, was sharp, bold, and always unapologetically herself. She was also one of the few board members in this meeting who had Lin Jinshen’s back.
Lin Jinshen was about to put up two hundred million dollars to acquire boutique hotel group KS. The problem? KS’s brand didn’t align with Huayu’s positioning. Some directors thought this would damage their image, while others simply called it a reckless gamble. From a practical standpoint, sticking to a slow-and-steady, stable expansion made more sense.
But Lin Jinshen wasn’t budging. If the acquisition went through, their portfolio would be next-level. Using Huayu’s established business engine, the growth and future potential would be limitless.
“Take your time, don’t rush it. President Fang and the others aren’t wrong; nobody wants to ruin Huayu’s reputation. Keep working on the proposal, and I’ll help smooth things over.”
Lin Wenyun was thoroughly pleased with her nephew. He was both steely-willed and ruthlessly effective. With him at the helm of the group, she had nothing to worry about.
“I understand.”
The assistant brought in tea; the gentle bitterness filled the air, softening the tense, knife-edge atmosphere left after the meeting adjourned.
With some leisure now, Lin Wenyun brought up something she’d heard recently: “I hear you agreed to the marriage with the Lu family’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Have you met her yet?”
“No.” Lin Jinshen had almost forgotten about the whole thing. His mother kept bringing it up, nagging him to arrange a meeting, he was starting to get annoyed. He thought it totally unnecessary; just let the families settle on a date and announce it to everyone at the right time.
Qin Ruyun bristled: “How would you know if you even like her if you don’t meet?”
“Doesn’t matter if I do or don’t.”
“That’s ridiculous! Just because you’re willing doesn’t mean the girl is. I heard the Zhong family from Yuanyang is interested too. Go see her as soon as you can.”
Lin Jinshen still wasn’t bothered. “Got it.”
Qin Ruyun was sure he was just paying lip service and not taking it to heart. She called over and over all day.
“Your mother’s just worried about you. You’re not getting any younger, it’s time to settle down,” Lin Wenyun said unhurriedly, sipping her tea.
As they spoke, Qin Ruyun’s call came in, again.
“…”
Lin Wenyun guessed it was her sister-in-law. She tried to help: “You know exactly what your mom wants. Even if you’re not thrilled, you could at least go through the motions and meet her once.”
Lin Jinshen’s dark lashes lowered. Two seconds later, he pulled up his contacts, Selene, that was her. He remembered.
He hadn’t changed her note; he messaged to ask if she was free to meet today.
Half a minute later, she replied.
Selene: [I’m free after work.]
Less than a minute after that, Lin Jinshen called Qin Ruyun back and told her he had a meeting time set.
Lin Wenyun looked impressed. “That was quick. Are you just saying that to appease your mom?”
“I’m not. I just confirmed it.” Lin Jinshen put away his phone, dialed inside, and asked his assistant to clear his schedule for the rest of the day.
Lin Wenyun chuckled over her tea, a lingering bitterness followed by a surprising sweetness. She mulled it over. “Sounds like this young lady has some spark herself.”
Lin Jinshen said, “Auntie, I’ll need your help with the KS acquisition.”
“Relax, I’ve got it handled. Go take care of your business, don’t keep the lady waiting.” Lin Wenyun figured they’d set dinner as the time and excused herself from the office.
Lin Jinshen had already sent the address to his driver. The ride would take about twenty minutes.
Summer days stretched on; before seven, dusk still hadn’t fallen.
The car glided smoothly into the hotel driveway.
Lin Jinshen glanced up. Just outside the window, a slender silhouette appeared. She carried a pale parasol, tilted to shield her face. Only a swan-white neck was visible beneath the brim as she turned slightly, delicate frame, elegant arms, long fingers around a black umbrella handle. A smoky-blue dress, strappy high-heeled sandals; as she walked, she carried the quiet, rain-washed grace of a Jiangnan watercolor.
His gaze lingered for two seconds, maybe longer.
She reached the revolving doors, lowered her parasol, tightened her grip as she gathered it away, and there was her face in full.
She’d tied her hair back with a hairpin, loose wisps framing her jaw. Her lips soft and red, teeth pearl-white, brows dark and graceful, and beneath them, a pair of clear, apricot-brown eyes shimmering with gentle light, a glow made brighter by the natural daylight.
Lin Jinshen recognized her.
He had seen her yesterday, too, here at the hotel, though he wasn’t entirely sure at the time.
Now, seeing her in person, her WeChat name seemed just right for her.
Lu Yi didn’t know Lin Jinshen had spotted her first. She waited in the lobby, about to text her arrival when a pair of gleaming, jet-black leather shoes appeared in her lowered gaze.
She looked up, and collided headfirst with a pair of cool, fathomless eyes.
Lin Jinshen was still in his dark suit. His tall frame cut a sharp silhouette in tailored fabric, tie from Stefano Ricci, held by a silver clip, just as buttoned-up, reserved, and meticulous as he looked.
He spoke, voice deep and velvet-soft: “Miss Lu.”