Chapter 5

“I…”
Lu Yi blinked, unable to find a response. Under the weight of his earnest gaze, she felt… guilty?
As if she’d let him down?
“Miss Lu, do you have a moment to talk?” Lin Jinshen asked.
“…Sure.”
Someone walked by, momentarily blocking their line of sight. Lin Jinshen crossed the distance with three strides and stopped half a meter in front of her. He was much taller than she, so when he looked at her, he had to lower his gaze. Instinctively, Lu Yi straightened her narrow shoulders, trying to muster up a bit of defiance.
“As far as I know, the Zhong family built their fortune on shipping, and the third son runs his own shop, he isn’t involved in the family business.”
At night, under shifting lights and shadows, his features were sharper than ever, eyes impossibly dark beneath high-arched brows.
He broke down the pros and cons of a Lu-Zhong marriage alliance: Zhong Wenlun’s detached status wouldn’t benefit the two families’ interests in the long run. Coldly logical, he pointed out that compared to the cargo business, a partnership between hotels and home design was tighter. In every way, the Lin family was the stronger play.
The Lin family had more clout than the Zhong family.
And so did he.
Everything Zhong Wenlun couldn’t bring to the table, Lin Jinshen could.
“Like what, exactly?” Lu Yi folded her arms, more intrigued by his last words than all his analysis combined.
Lin Jinshen’s lips pressed into a thin, unsmiling line; his gaze was pitch black. After a pause, he said, “I intend to have only one wife in my life.”
Did he mean, if they married, he’d never divorce, or just that, divorced or not, he’d never remarry?
“I’m not sure I follow. Are you saying that, if we get married, divorce isn’t an option?” Lu Yi asked.
Lin Jinshen corrected her: “I’m saying I won’t initiate a divorce. But I’ll always respect your right to choose.”
One marriage, just once was enough. Anything he’d done, he wouldn’t repeat.
Lu Yi nodded, brows slightly furrowed. “So what makes you so sure Mr. Zhong can’t claim the same?”
“He’s dated a handful of women before. No offense, but I’d question his commitment level.”
“…”
As he said it, his brow creased, not malicious, just judgmental. The tone was less trash talk, more like an adult critiquing a younger relative, as if dating around meant your entire character was one big question mark.
Lu Yi broke into a helpless laugh. “Never thought I’d hear Mr. Lin bad-mouth people.”
“Just stating facts. Not really ‘bad-mouthing’ per se.”
“…”
Lu Yi, for once, had nothing to retort.
In the pause that followed, her phone rang. She held it up. “My driver’s here.”
Lin Jinshen nodded, lips pressed in a straight line, silent.
After confirming with the driver, Lu Yi said, “He’ll be here any second. Mr. Lin, I’ll get going.”
“Alright.”
Lin Jinshen answered, but made no move to head inside.
Lu Yi hesitated, glancing sidelong at the restaurant. “Aren’t you going back in, Mr. Lin?”
“No rush.”
“Well… goodnight, Mr. Lin.”
She saw her driver pulling up on his scooter and waved him down, ready to head for the stairs and across the lot to her car.
Maybe it was the heels and standing still too long, but her ankle wobbled as she took the first step. Just as she stumbled, a hand caught hers, steadying her before letting go, there, then gone in seconds.
Lu Yi’s slender back went rigid.
Her dress was thin in the summer heat; she could feel every detail of his touch, skin grazing skin, fingers curling gently around hers, gone almost before she could react.
“Sorry.”
Apologizing for touching her without permission.
His voice was low, magnetic. “Careful.”
A subtle warning: watch your step in the dark.
Lu Yi ducked her head, throat tight and a bit dry, and murmured a soft thanks.
“Are you the owner of the phone ending in 0257? Did you order the driver?”
The driver, a middle-aged man, called out to confirm.
“That’s me, thanks.”
Before she could hand over her keys, Lin Jinshen’s voice came from behind her again: “How long will it take to get you home from here?”
She had no idea why he would even ask, but she instinctively reported the time on the GPS. “If there’s no traffic, about forty minutes.”
Lin Jinshen didn’t respond. He lifted his wrist to check his watch, then said, “It’s eight forty-three now. I’ll call you at nine twenty-five to make sure you’re safe.”
To check on her safety?
Was he serious? And he’d even thoughtfully added a couple bonus minutes.
Lu Yi stared at him, genuinely caught off-guard, momentarily forgetting how to react.
Lin Jinshen strode down the steps, his expression cold and sharp. “License, please,” he said to the driver. The driver fumbled out his credentials, only realizing what was happening after Lin Jinshen had finished snapping photos of his license.
“Sir, I promise, I’m legit!”
“Really, you can check my profile on the app. My rating’s 4.9, all glowing reviews!”
“Last time, I even got a drunk boss home, he couldn’t remember his address, but I made sure he got there safe. Later he was so grateful, he wanted to buy me dinner!”
The driver was so earnest he could be inducted into the party right then and there.
Lu Yi coughed lightly. “I’ll call Mr. Lin when I get home.”
“Okay.”
Lin Jinshen handed the license back, saying a curt thank you.
The driver breathed a little easier, turned to stash his personal things in the Mini Cooper’s trunk.
“Goodbye, Mr. Lin.”
“Goodbye.”
Lin Jinshen nodded, turned on his heel, and strode up the stairs. His legs were long and powerful, his shoulders broad, proportions perfect, if you ignored the stern face, his figure had the commanding presence of a runway model.
In moments, he’d disappeared into the restaurant.
“Let’s go,” Lu Yi said, finally pulling her eyes away.
The night had cooled off; she rolled down the window to let the breeze in. The sidewalks were crowded, neon lights streaked by, turning into dazzling blurs as the car moved. She rested her hand on the edge of the window, fingers elegantly bent, slender and pale, feeling the wind slip through them.
Her lashes lowered in thought, hiding whatever was on her mind.
After that whole Lin Jinshen inspection routine, her driver navigated like his life depended on it, taking every shortcut, not wasting a second. So instead of forty minutes, they made it in just over thirty.
He said little, retrieved his car, spun around, and was gone in a flash.
Back home, Madam Xu greeted her as usual: How’d it go? Was she happy? She’d been the one to handpick this match, a hint of pride in her eyes. “He’s better than that Lin Jinshen fellow, right?”
She called Zhong Wenlun “Xiao Zhong,” but always used Lin Jinshen’s full name, her bias not subtle at all.
Lu Yi had maxed out her social quota for the day. She soothed Madam Xu with a couple sweet words, nudging her toward bed. Madam Xu had just reached the doorway when Lu Yi’s phone rang.
“Who’s calling at this hour?” Madam Xu’s eyebrow arched. “Is it Xiao Zhong? It must be her, so thoughtful. Hurry up and answer!”
Lu Yi made a helpless face.
Madam Xu grinned. “I’ll leave you to it!” she said, gently closing the door behind her.
Lu Yi turned over her phone. Not Zhong Wenlun, it was Lin Jinshen. She hadn’t saved his number yet, but she recognized those last few digits.
She picked up, holding the phone to her ear, a little uncertain. “Mr. Lin?”
“It’s me.”
His voice was even deeper over the phone than in person. “You didn’t call,” he said.
“…”
It hit her, she checked the time: precisely 9:25. She’d gotten home early and had completely forgotten to check in.
Feeling a bit sheepish, she tried to explain, “These ride apps are all really well regulated now, Mr. Lin. You don’t have to worry, I’m home safe.”
She frowned at herself for being forgetful. She hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously.
“That’s good.”
His tone remained icy. “I just sent you a file on WeChat. Please take a look.”
“…Okay.”
She had no idea what file he was talking about.
Why on earth did they need to be sending files?
She hung up, and there it was, his frosty avatar lighting up the screen.
Pioneer: [This is a draft prenuptial agreement prepared by my lawyer. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to change.]
Lu Yi choked for a second. She clicked open the document and skimmed it. Every single thing she’d offhandedly mentioned last time had been included, she’d barely noticed his reactions at the time, but clearly, he’d remembered it all.
She set her water glass down and replied: [Aren’t we talking about this a little too soon?]
Nothing was even decided yet.
Pioneer: [As long as you haven’t said yes, I still have to try my best.]
Lu Yi asked: [Are you always like this in business, Mr. Lin?] Ruthless, relentless, never letting go?
Pioneer: [Depends on the project.]
Selene: [So what kind of project am I?]
Pioneer: [A unicorn, rare and worth investing in.]
Unicorns: rare, high-growth, in-demand, priceless.
Was that… a compliment?
Lu Yi almost laughed. She’d met all sorts of men, the slick talkers, the sweet-talking players, the braggarts. But Lin Jinshen was his own breed.
Exactly what that was, she couldn’t quite define just yet.
She closed the chat, phone pressed to her chin, considering for a moment before she messaged Yu Yin.
Before bed, Lu Yi texted Yu Yin.
Lu Yi: [If I pick Lin Jinshen, are you going to unfriend me?]
A few seconds later, a voice memo from Yu Yin came through; she was so exasperated she didn’t even bother texting.
Yu Yin: [Aaaaarghhhh!]
Yu Yin: [Be honest, what spell did Lin Jinshen put on you?!]
Yu Yin: [What’s so great about some thirty-year-old virgin who’s never even dated?!]
Yu Yin: […]
Her voice messages bombarded Lu Yi, a clear threat: explain, or nobody’s getting any sleep tonight.
Lu Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
She didn’t have answers, she only knew that, in this multiple choice test, she kept drifting closer to him.
She wanted to take the chance.
The wedding between the Lin and Lu families was, for all intents and purposes, a done deal.
Lin Wenjun heard it first from her sister-in-law, Madam Qin. In the week or so since the two kids officially set a date to meet, she’d been there, Lin Jinshen had looked utterly bored out of his mind.
And now, barely a couple of days later, it’s all sealed?
She’d watched Lin Jinshen grow up and knew him inside out, a classic Capricorn, the dependable eldest son, fulfilling every family duty like clockwork. Even his marriage, he was willing to let the family arrange, prepared to marry a woman he barely knew.
She knocked on the door to Lin Jinshen’s office.
“Hi, Auntie.” Lin Jinshen looked up, greeting her.
“You can go all in on the KS acquisition now. Aside from a few stubborn old-timers, the rest have flipped to our side.”
Which meant, with or without their approval, this acquisition was going to happen.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It’s not hard work, just hard luck,” Lin Wenjun scoffed. She’d spent days running interference, smoothing things over, sweet-talking, and putting up with all kinds of faces from the board.
“Sorry, if it weren’t for you, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”
“I’ve done all I can. Whether you pull this off or not is up to you, don’t make my effort for nothing.” Lin Wenjun sat on his guest sofa, turning sideways with one arm draped over the armrest, studying him.
Lin Jinshen replied, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”
“Business talk done. Now, care to explain what’s going on with your marriage to the Lu girl? Are you sure about this?” Lin Wenjun couldn’t help but add, “Marriage isn’t business, you can’t just rush for efficiency. It’s not that simple.”
“I just think it’s a good match.”
“A good match with her, or with the Lu family?”
“Both.”
No matter what she asked, he answered all businesslike, never any fun with this one.
Since he kept insisting it was a good match, she figured he was lukewarm about the whole thing. She asked, “After the wedding, where will you two live? At the family estate or somewhere else?”
Lu Yi had mentioned this part. Lin Jinshen said, “On our own.”
“Good, young couples need their own space. Have you decided on a place? If you’re getting married, you need a proper marital home.”
All things that needed planning ahead.
“Haven’t chosen yet.”
“Make up your mind early. There’ll be plenty to deal with after the wedding, it’s best to get a jump on things. If you need anything, just tell your auntie.”
She’d said what needed to be said, and had no desire to stay. Apart from business and family affairs, there was very little to talk about with this nephew of hers.
Hopefully this Miss Lu wouldn’t end up regretting her choice one day.
“I’ll get going, then.”
Lin Wenjun stood up.
Lin Jinshen rose to see her out, the reminder about their future home still echoing in his mind.
He had several privately owned apartments, prime location, great size, plenty of room for two.
But, which one? Lin Jinshen messaged Lu Yi for her company’s address.
She received the message just as she was taking a coffee from the break room. When she set her cup down, his completely context-free text was staring back at her.
Her fingers curled subconsciously; she didn’t reply right away, wondering, what on earth is he planning?
Was this going to be a “special coffee delivery” à la Zhong Wenlun?
Half a minute later, Lu Yi sent him the company address anyway.
A few minutes after that, Lin Jinshen replied.
He’d sent her info for an apartment, one she knew, a coveted location where even a single unit was nearing nine figures.
Pioneer: [When can you come sign the deed transfer?]
Selene: [Excuse me, what?]
Pioneer: [Our future home. It’s close to your office, only fifteen minutes by car. Makes your commute easier.]
“…”
Lu Yi took her time processing that one. She pressed her forehead, then remembered: the prenup, Lin Jinshen insisted their future home be in her name, deed transferred before the wedding, her personal asset.