She could only watch other people’s cats online.
Feeling suffocated that morning, she wanted to go out, find a place to relax, and decided to check in at this shop.
At the moment, Guan Yingtang had ordered a pile of desserts and was texting Jiang Kewei on WeChat:
“It’s like ten people are watching me eat. He might as well buy a cage and just lock me up.”
JKW Da You Ke Wei: “Look at it another way—Meng Qinghuai is just worried you’d have no one to look after you at home.”
Complaints aside, Guan Yingtang actually understood—
Although she and Meng Qinghuai had agreed not to hire a butler for now, last night she’d suddenly fallen ill. If Meng Qinghuai hadn’t come over by accident, who knew if she would have fainted from the pain.
A marriage alliance wasn’t child’s play. He’d brought her to the Northern City without telling anyone. If anything happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to explain to both families.
In business, you always mitigate any possible risk in time. Their marriage, which was more like a business deal, was no different.
Guan Yingtang was still stewing, understanding but not convinced: “He still shouldn’t have hung up on me. So rude.”
……
When Meng Qinghuai arrived at Azul, Guan Yingtang was still focused on texting Jiang Kewei, completely unaware that her new husband was now sitting in a booth not far from her.
Only two simple Japanese-style bamboo curtains separated them.
“When did you start liking this kind of place?” The chairman of Hong Shi Group, already over sixty, was used to doing business in tea houses and clubs. Suddenly finding himself among a bunch of lively young people, he couldn’t help but feel a little out of place.
“Sometimes it’s good to try something different, for a change of mood.” Meng Qinghuai spoke calmly, his gaze slipping through the crack in the bamboo curtain to look at Guan Yingtang.
She sat by the window, wearing a mask, head lowered, tapping on her phone, messaging someone.
A few seconds later, as if she’d finished, she put down her phone and took a sip of juice.
Meng Qinghuai withdrew his gaze, paused for a moment, and suddenly took out his own phone.
No new messages.
Across from him, Hong Guang chatted warmly, “What have you been busy with lately?”
Hong Guang was from Hong Kong. Back when Aowan Group first entered the Hong Kong Island real estate market, they had a brief cooperation with Hong Shi Group. Now that Meng Qinghuai was handling more and more of Aowan’s affairs, he was also taking over his father’s old connections one by one.
“Just some minor things.” Meng Qinghuai put away his phone.
“Don’t be modest. Anything you handle now is no small matter.” Hong Guang laughed. “Even a half-dead company like Dao He Technology was revived by you. I heard after last month’s restructuring, the first round of funding brought in five hundred million Hong Kong dollars?”
“Just lucky.” Meng Qinghuai replied lightly, then looked up. “Uncle Hong, let’s get to the point.”
Hong Guang seemed surprised, then smiled, “Alright.”
Back when Aowan and Hong Shi Group worked together around the turn of the millennium, Hong Guang had witnessed Meng Songnian’s boldness. Now, decades later, Meng Qinghuai’s style was completely different from his father’s.
In those golden years, Meng Songnian had expanded the family business through daring moves. But his eldest son was incredibly steady, perfectly inheriting the qualities needed to keep a legacy going.
“The other day was Fu Weng’s birthday banquet. I couldn’t make it back, or I’d have caught up with your father.” Once business was mostly discussed, Hong Guang suddenly shifted topics, “I saw in the news that you and that Miss from the Guan Family are dating. Is it true?”
That was a tricky question.
Admit they were dating? That wasn’t true at all.
But denying it wasn’t quite right either.
After all, they’d skipped ahead—straight to marriage.
Meng Qinghuai curled his lips, easily shifting the focus, “Since when did you start reading those gossip magazines?”
“I don’t have the time. It’s just that a friend’s son is interested in Miss Guan.”
So he was here to do some reconnaissance for a friend.
Meng Qinghuai paused, his smile still faint, “Miss Guan is very popular in Hong Kong.”
As he spoke, his eyes naturally drifted past the bamboo curtain.
Guan Yingtang was no longer messaging, but now there was an orange tabby in her arms.
She hugged it, sometimes cuddling, sometimes lifting it up to take selfies.
It was exactly like the night she’d grabbed Meng Qinghuai for a selfie.
She really didn’t care what others thought.
“Of course,” Hong Guang replied, oblivious. “Everyone knows the Guan Family raises their daughter well. Miss Guan is beautiful and gracious, and her fate is said to be the classic Wangfu Fate. Plenty of outstanding young men in Hong Kong want to marry her.”
When elders spoke, the younger generation should listen humbly.
But for some reason, what Hong Guang said didn’t sound so pleasant to Meng Qinghuai’s ears.
He withdrew his gaze, smiled noncommittally, and took a sip of water.
Hong Guang sensed the atmosphere cooling and realized the young man wasn’t interested in the topic. He thought to himself, No wonder. The Hong Kong elite believe in fate and fortune, but mainland youth probably don’t buy into that.
Since business was done, Hong Guang got up to leave. “I’ll wait for your news, and give my regards to your parents.”
Meng Qinghuai shook his hand calmly, “Goodbye.”
After Hong Guang left, Meng Qinghuai didn’t leave right away. He sat there, watching Guan Yingtang from a distance.
She was still happily playing with the cat. The orange tabby seemed used to her, lying there in her arms with a dazed expression as she petted it.
Sunlight cast a soft glow around her. When she smiled, her eyes shone with a brilliance he’d never seen before.
To be precise, ever since they met again, it felt like she’d hidden away many things.
Meng Qinghuai picked up his phone and called her. He saw her put down the cat, her lips turning down in a slight pout as if she snorted before answering.
“Hello.”
“Sorry, Miss Guan.” Meng Qinghuai said calmly, “I was in a meeting this morning and my phone died. I didn’t hang up on purpose.”
The moment she’d hung up on him earlier, Meng Qinghuai had realized the Guan Family Miss was just returning the favor.
Guan Yingtang was taken aback, not expecting his first words to be an apology.
She was actually easy to get along with—as long as she got an explanation, she could understand anything.
All the pent-up annoyance faded a lot, but Guan Yingtang still said, “I thought Mr. Meng was so busy he wouldn’t even let me finish speaking.”
Meng Qinghuai explained calmly, “Miss Guan, about the butler—I meant no harm.”
He wanted her to know he had absolutely no intention of monitoring or restricting her freedom.
“But I don’t like it.” Guan Yingtang shifted in her seat, one hand stroking the orange tabby’s head, her voice dropping, “You didn’t even ask me.”
Her tone sounded gentle, but there was a hint of grievance and complaint, as if Meng Qinghuai’s arrangements had wronged her.
Meng Qinghuai crossed his legs, leaning back against the sofa as he looked at Guan Yingtang.
Thinking carefully, he realized his approach had been somewhat presumptuous. He’d assumed a First Daughter of the Guan Family, who’d grown up surrounded by luxury, would be used to having people take care of her.
But he hadn’t expected it to make her unhappy.
After a while, Meng Qinghuai finally asked, “Then what do you think would be better, Miss Guan? Should I dismiss half of them?”
Guan Yingtang: “Not a single one!”
Perhaps realizing her tone was too harsh, Guan Yingtang softened a bit, “I just arrived in the Northern City. I don’t know anyone, and I don’t even know Mr. Meng very well. Suddenly having so many strangers living with me makes me feel very unsafe.”
Sunlight still shone on her. She sat quietly, her eyes seeming a little misty with grievance, while the upturned corners added a hint of charm.
Eyes like that were hard to forget once you’d seen them.
Meng Qinghuai suddenly recalled what Hong Guang had said—
So many outstanding young men want to marry her.
A few seconds of silence,
“All right.” Meng Qinghuai let out a slow breath, stood up, and drew back the bamboo curtain as he walked out. “I can dismiss the butler team right away.”
Guan Yingtang’s eyes lit up, “Really?”
“But on one condition.”
That little bit of happiness immediately froze into wariness.
“If the butler leaves, I move in.”
“?”
Suddenly sensing a tall figure beside her, Guan Yingtang instinctively turned while holding her phone—
And the man from the call was already standing before her, looking at her calmly. “Your choice.”
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