You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As soon as Yan Yiyun finished speaking, everyone in the elevator lobby was stunned.

What did she just say? Waiting for Qi Zhen?

A crowd of eyes shifted from Yan Yiyun to Qi Zhen, then back again, all filled with disbelief.

Why would Qi Zhen, who stormed into the CEO’s office and threw things this afternoon, still be waited on by Miss Yan after work?

Could they have misunderstood? Was this not a company matter, but… a private affair?

No one working at Xingyun Entertainment was stupid. In a flash of realization, quite a few people caught on to a very real possibility.

Qi Zhen always seemed indifferent and aloof, not the type to fight for attention. But what if she and the heiress already knew each other? What if she joined the company precisely to help Miss Yan get a sense of things before taking over?

Look at them—Miss Yan hadn’t even been here long, and the two of them already looked inseparable. If they didn’t already know each other, how would this make any sense?

And Qi Zhen’s personality was well known around the office—she was like an unmelting block of ice. When she first joined, how many people tried to cozy up to her? None of them ever succeeded—she brushed them all off effortlessly.

Among those admirers were even high-level execs and rich second-gens. If Qi Zhen could be won over by wealth or power, it would’ve happened long ago.

Besides, her design skills clearly exceeded the level of the company’s design team. Xingyun was just an entertainment company—mostly putting out promo posters and touching up celebrity photos. It had no real need for such high-level talent. It was only after Qi Zhen joined that they started submitting design work to competitions just to save face.

Someone with her skillset could get into any top-tier design firm. Why stay buried here unless there was another reason?

Clearly, Qi Zhen had known Miss Yan from the start—she was here for her!

The elevator dinged as it arrived. Everyone followed Yan Yiyun and Qi Zhen inside, silently crowding to the sides to give them the best spot by the exit.

Some employees glanced at Qi Zhen’s profile, silently recalling if they’d ever offended her.

If Qi Zhen had been acting as Miss Yan’s scout this whole time, offending her would be no different from offending Miss Yan herself.

Sweat beaded on Hou Yunlan’s forehead. If anyone in the company had caused trouble for Qi Zhen the most, it was definitely her.

She stared hard at her toes, not daring to move, until the elevator finally reached the ground floor. Once everyone had exited, she let out a long breath and tiptoed away.

Yan Yiyun’s chauffeur had already parked at the building entrance. She led Qi Zhen to the car and gave the name of the restaurant. The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror and smiled:

“Meeting again, Miss. May I ask your name?”

This was Qi Zhen’s second time riding in their car. She politely answered, “My surname is Qi.”

Yan Yiyun let out a small huff and leaned back in her plush seat. “Still being so formal.”

The driver had worked for the Yan family for years and was very familiar with Yiyun. He knew she wasn’t genuinely upset and chuckled. “Just being polite.”

Yiyun huffed again and turned to look at Qi Zhen.

Seeing her expression—and recalling the way she’d held that “marriage certificate” earlier—Qi Zhen couldn’t help but find her a bit adorably silly.

She smiled reassuringly and asked, “What are we eating tonight?”

Yiyun instantly lit up, excitedly explaining with animated gestures:

“The rooftop restaurant in the city center—you know, the one with the 360-degree rotating night view. I’ve wanted to try it since I got back, but never found the right time. Finally booked it today!”

Qi Zhen paused slightly at the mention of that rooftop restaurant. So Yiyun really valued this dinner. That place had great reviews and a romantic atmosphere—she used to go there often, but hadn’t been back in years due to work and other priorities.

It was hard to get a reservation there, especially during peak dinner hours. Clearly, Yiyun had gone through some effort.

Qi Zhen glanced at her expression—which was practically begging for praise—and couldn’t help but reach over to gently pat her head, smiling. “You went to a lot of trouble.”

“Not at all!” Yiyun waved her hands quickly, clearly delighted. “I just wanted to eat there myself!”

After saying that, she snuck a glance at Qi Zhen’s face. Seeing no suspicion—just Qi Zhen calmly gazing out the window—she finally relaxed.

Yes, she had wanted to eat there. But not badly enough to brave the Friday night crowds. It was mostly because this was her first official meal with Qi Zhen since reuniting, and she wanted it to feel special.

She leaned her chin on her hand, staring at Qi Zhen’s reflection in the window.

Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, a single soft pearl earring on her ear, a creamy white V-neck sweater paired with a light gray skirt—everything elegant and understated.

Yiyun stared, captivated. Normally, she liked bold colors and styles. Even now she was wearing a flashy color-blocked Hermès dress. In the past, she’d never cared for more subdued looks, but now, seeing Qi Zhen dressed like this…

She was starting to find it beautiful.

Or maybe, it was just Qi Zhen who made it beautiful.

She kept watching until Qi Zhen turned her head and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”

Yiyun, of course, had nothing to say—but she couldn’t admit she’d been staring. In a panic, she randomly pointed out the window and said, “There’s a milk tea shop ahead. Do you want some?”

Qi Zhen could clearly see through her, and knew perfectly well Yiyun was bluffing—there was no milk tea shop there. But she didn’t call her out. She simply shook her head and said, “I don’t eat much at night. If I drink milk tea, I won’t have room for dinner.”

Yiyun sighed in relief and nodded quickly. “Alright, no milk tea then.”

If Qi Zhen had said yes, she would’ve been in trouble. There wasn’t a single milk tea place around here—what was she supposed to do, conjure one out of thin air?

One more turn, and they arrived at the city center. The restaurant was on the top floor of the tallest building, surrounded by a sea of glittering lights.

Yiyun had reserved a table, so a staff member met them at the parking area and led them up via elevator to the top floor.

The last time Qi Zhen had been here was three years ago. Back then, the Qi family was still doing well, and she had been a carefree young woman who knew nothing of hardship. Her days were filled with leisure, good food, and lively conversations with friends. She never imagined she’d one day have to bow her head just to earn a living.

After her family fell from grace, she stopped going to fancy places like this. Her old social circle faded away—at best, she’d nod in greeting if she ran into someone from that past life.

It wasn’t that they no longer welcomed her. She just knew she no longer belonged.

Walking into this restaurant again stirred countless emotions.

Without her family’s wealth, when would she be able to regain all of this on her own merit?

She followed behind Yiyun, feeling a bit melancholy. But thankfully, Yiyun couldn’t see. By the time they sat down, she had already adjusted her emotions and presented her usual calm, unbothered demeanor.

Yiyun had booked a window seat with a panoramic view. The city glittered beneath them—red and purple neon lights blending into the night sky.

A waiter placed the menus in front of them. Once they chose a set meal, he bowed slightly toward Qi Zhen and handed her the wine list, asking politely, “Miss Qi, what would you like to drink today?”

Qi Zhen felt slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t been here in three years, and yet the staff still remembered her.

Yiyun was here for the first time, so the waiter naturally assumed Qi Zhen had brought her. When in fact, it was the other way around.

Qi Zhen glanced at Yiyun, who nodded in encouragement. After thinking over Yiyun’s taste, she ordered a bottle of sweet white wine and returned the menu.

After the waiter left, Yiyun propped up her chin and shifted her gaze from the cityscape to Qi Zhen. “Do you come here often?”

Qi Zhen shook her head and took a sip of chilled lemon water. “I used to.”

Sensing that Qi Zhen didn’t want to elaborate, Yiyun didn’t press.

Qi Zhen quietly exhaled in relief. If Yiyun had asked why she didn’t come anymore, she wouldn’t know how to explain.

Say her taste had changed?

That wasn’t true. She still liked the food here. She just couldn’t afford it anymore.

But Qi Zhen found it hard to admit that to Yiyun.

Back when Yiyun dropped her off and she was grateful they hadn’t sold the big house—Qi Zhen didn’t understand why she felt that way. She wasn’t someone who cared about vanity.

With her old friends, she could easily say: My family went bankrupt. We’re not rich anymore. I can’t hang out like I used to.

She never mooched off others, never lived off someone else’s dime. So gradually, she stopped going out, and those friendships faded.

Yiyun had known her longer than any of them, but they’d spent little time together. She probably still thought Qi Zhen was that carefree girl from the military compound, working for fun, not out of necessity.

Yiyun was so innocent. Just for the sake of preserving that memory she had of her, Qi Zhen didn’t want to shatter the illusion.

She had heard enough hollow sympathy over the years. None of it had ever helped. Those pitiful looks felt like knives, constantly reminding her of the moment she fell from the clouds to the dirt.

She didn’t want pity. She just wanted to make a better life on her own.

Yiyun, still excited on her first visit here, pulled her to admire the night view. Only when the pre-dinner wine arrived did she calm down.

Sniffing it gently, she asked, “White wine?”

Qi Zhen immediately grew worried—what if she couldn’t hold her liquor?

“Can you drink?” Qi Zhen asked.

Yiyun straightened up proudly. “Of course I can!”

Back when she was studying abroad, she wasn’t allowed to buy alcohol as a minor. So the first thing she did after turning legal age was buy a bottle—and she’d been hooked ever since.

Seeing how confident she looked only made Qi Zhen more uneasy. What if Yiyun didn’t actually know her limits and got drunk after a few glasses?

The Yan family’s driver was still downstairs—how would she explain that?

“If you can’t drink, don’t force yourself,” Qi Zhen said. “We can just order juice.”

Yiyun squinted and gave her a sly smile, like a little fox. “What, afraid I’ll get drunk and not let you go?”