You Must Marry Me! - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Yan Yiyun’s heartbeat suddenly sped up. In the silent air, she could almost hear her own breathing. She pressed her lips together, not wanting to smile too soon and let Qi Zhen see through her thoughts.

“You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you?” Yan Yiyun pretended to be calm and linked arms with her. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

“Not really, it hasn’t been long,” Qi Zhen handed her a box of yogurt. “Have this first—you must be hungry after such a long ride.”

Yan Yiyun was hungry—very hungry, in fact.

Although she’d been sitting there all afternoon, listening to reports required mental effort, which was no easier than reading documents at work. Now she was even starting to feel a bit hypoglycemic.

Sitting in the car, Yan Yiyun sipped her yogurt while listening to Qi Zhen patiently guide the driver, teaching him how to turn into a narrow alley to find the hidden barbecue restaurant.

“We’re both dressed so formally,” Yan Yiyun glanced at their outfits, “it’s a bit strange for barbecue.”

Qi Zhen gave her a reassuring look and said, “It’s fine—I booked a private room. No one will see you.”

Yan Yiyun gave an “Oh” and obediently continued drinking her yogurt.

Qi Zhen looked at her sipping yogurt like a little kitten, her eyes full of tenderness.

To Qi Zhen, Yan Yiyun was truly adorable.

She was like a piece of pristine white paper, full of innocence and warmth. Her heart was pure, untouched by any filth. She always moved forward toward her goals with unwavering determination, never backing down.

Others might see Yan Yiyun as cold and aloof—someone who never said a word more than necessary and whose methods were swift and decisive. Within just two weeks of joining the company, she had already established herself. She hardly seemed like the naive, pampered heiress returning from abroad.

There were always a few people in the company whispering that Yan Yiyun was calculating and unreasonable, suggesting that she was power-hungry.

But Qi Zhen believed that it was precisely because Yan Yiyun had such a clear, unclouded heart that she could ignore all the messy gossip and focus on doing her job well.

When Yan Yiyun first joined the company, Qi Zhen didn’t really pay attention to her. After all, to an ordinary employee, who the CEO was didn’t really matter.

She just hoped the company would make money and not go bankrupt.

But after Yan Yiyun came, the proposals she put forward genuinely piqued Qi Zhen’s interest and stirred her long-dormant passion.

Hardly anyone supported those proposals at the time. Most people preferred to rely on existing successes. Why bother exploring new ventures when Xingyun Entertainment already had award-winning actors and popular celebrities? There seemed no need to invest in self-produced variety shows or a trainee program.

But Yan Yiyun wasn’t one to stand still. When an opportunity arose for internal promotion, she seized the chance to overhaul things from the inside out.

Initially, when Xu Haiyang approached Qi Zhen and asked her to participate in the internal competition, she was hesitant.

Sure, the salary would be higher, but so would the workload. Managing people at Xingyun Entertainment wasn’t easy—especially in departments that were expected to deliver results. Anyone could see that.

But after seeing what Yan Yiyun was doing, Qi Zhen changed her mind.

If the future of Xingyun Entertainment was going to be led by Yan Yiyun, then maybe they could become something better.

That’s when she sought out Xu Haiyang and expressed her willingness to join the competition.

By the time Yan Yiyun finished the yogurt, they had arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

It was tucked away in a narrow alley, right next to a bustling commercial district. If you weren’t a local, you’d never find it.

The storefront was small, with only a neon sign displaying the single character “Meat” by the door. Simple—no other markings.

A cloth curtain hung at the entrance, printed with a cute cartoon of a cat playing with a ball of yarn. Qi Zhen lifted the curtain and opened the wooden door inside, letting Yan Yiyun enter first.

Inside, it was a whole different world.

Behind the unassuming façade were three floors of space. In the spacious main hall, a skylight lit the room, with tables packed full of diners. The rich aroma of grilled meat filled the air, tempting people to glance at neighboring tables, then completely stealing their attention with the sight of those juicy meats.

The third floor consisted entirely of private dining rooms. Qi Zhen’s reserved table was here too. One room had a window that, when opened, offered a view of the bustling night outside—neon lights twinkled in the cozy alleyway, and passersby strolled along with cheerful faces.

Since they were both dressed so formally, grilling meat would be inconvenient, so they took off their outer layers once inside the room.

The air conditioning was on a bit too high. Qi Zhen undid the first button of her shirt and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair, slender wrists, and then began browsing the menu.

She had eaten here often before—the meat was freshly delivered, the quality top-notch, and the dipping sauces made in-house with a unique recipe. It was a flavor found nowhere else in the entire city, which explained the restaurant’s booming business.

While scanning the menu, Qi Zhen asked, “Snowflake beef, fresh-cut beef cubes, pork jowl, pork neck ribs, and a serving of black tiger shrimp and grilled eggs. Do you want some lamb?”

Yan Yiyun held the menu and looked at the pictures. “Let’s get lamb spine. I kind of want that.”

Qi Zhen added the lamb spine and, seeing that they were ordering a lot of meat, included a mixed mushroom platter and a fruit-vegetable salad to balance things out.

For drinks, she ordered iced watermelon juice and a serving of frozen grapes—perfect pairings with grilled meat.

She handed the completed order to the server with a smile, saying, “Please bring the drinks quickly.”

As Qi Zhen extended the menu, the cuff of her sleeve slipped further down her arm, revealing a stretch of pale skin. Around her wrist was a delicate bracelet, making her complexion look even fairer.

Yan Yiyun suddenly felt her cheeks flush. She quickly looked down, avoiding Qi Zhen’s gaze.

What was going on with her? Why was she staring at Qi Zhen’s arm like that?

Qi Zhen, unaware of her thoughts, had just finished ordering. Seeing Yan Yiyun with her head down, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Yan Yiyun looked up at her. “Nothing, nothing.”

Qi Zhen leaned in slightly, smiling at her. “Why do you keep zoning out while looking at me lately?”

The sudden closeness brought Qi Zhen’s cool fragrance to Yan Yiyun’s nose, making her heart race. A thin layer of sweat broke out on her palms—she was so nervous.

“I didn’t—”

Yan Yiyun was stubborn, but her eyes darted toward the window—obviously guilty.

“Who’s looking at you!”

“Oh—”

Qi Zhen took her glass and poured her a cup of watermelon juice, sliding it over with a knowing smile in her eyes.

“Were you admiring the painting on the wall?”

“Yes!” Yan Yiyun quickly replied. “Exactly!”

She looked at the watermelon juice Qi Zhen had just set down, feeling a little sulky inside.

Qi Zhen had leaned in so suddenly, her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest. She thought she was going to say something important—but it was just to pour a drink.

Just a drink! Was that necessary?

“Admiring the painting, huh…”

Qi Zhen turned to glance at it and said slowly:

“It’s twenty yuan per set on Taobao. I’ll buy ten sets for your office tomorrow so you can admire them properly.”

Even Yan Yiyun, as dense as she could be, knew she was being teased.

So what if she didn’t admit she was staring at her? Why did Qi Zhen have to be like this!

“I don’t want them!” Yan Yiyun said.

Qi Zhen was in a great mood, smiling the whole time. She laid a few pieces of meat on the grill and asked, “Fine, don’t want them. What do you want to eat?”

Yan Yiyun looked at the sizzling meat on the grill. Qi Zhen was so methodical—two slices of beautifully marbled snowflake beef placed in the center, sizzling as fat rendered out, the juices touching the nearby pork jowl and pork ribs, making those smell delicious too.

She became even hungrier, her eyes lighting up. “I want to eat all of it!”

“Don’t rush, don’t rush,” Qi Zhen poured some dipping sauce into a small dish and slid it over to her. “It’ll be ready soon.”

In the center of the grill was the meat, and off to the side, a foil tray held the grilled eggs—beaten with scallions and minced garlic, pre-seasoned, now slowly cooking and releasing bursts of aroma.

Yan Yiyun was quite tempted by that. She’d had plenty of grilled meat before, but grilled eggs were a first.

Her eyes fixed on them. “When will those be ready?”

“Still early,” Qi Zhen replied. “Eggs take longer—they need to cook thoroughly.”

“Oh.” Yan Yiyun sounded disappointed. “I’m hungry.”

Qi Zhen promptly placed a slice of snowflake beef in her dish. “Try this.”

Being fed made Yan Yiyun feel good even before eating.

When they had hotpot before, Qi Zhen only occasionally helped her dip vegetables. But this time, Qi Zhen was clearly taking care of her—pouring drinks, grilling meat—Yan Yiyun barely lifted a finger.

She reasonably assumed: Qi Zhen must think I’m pretty great too!

She happily picked up the meat to take a bite, only to hear Qi Zhen say: “Dip it in the sauce first.”

She paused, dipped it obediently, then took a bite—and was stunned by how good it tasted.

The snowflake beef was grilled to perfection—edges crisped golden with rendered fat, releasing a rich aroma. The lean meat was tender and chewy, the marbling evenly distributed. Paired with the spicy-salty sauce, it immediately awakened her taste buds.

Yan Yiyun squinted in delight. “So good!”

Qi Zhen was amazing! Who knew she could grill meat so well?

Staring at the rest of the meat still on the grill, Yan Yiyun had absolutely no desire to grill anything herself.

Qi Zhen saw her expression and felt a sense of relief.

Judging from how clumsy Yan Yiyun had been with hotpot, it was obvious she was the type to eat but not cook. And grilling wasn’t as forgiving as hotpot—leave it a second too long, and it’s ruined.

She had already planned to take full responsibility for this meal. No way she was letting Yan Yiyun do any of the grilling.

As long as Yan Yiyun sat there and enjoyed herself, that was enough.

Unaware she was being “disqualified” from grilling, Yan Yiyun happily focused on the meat, fully enjoying Qi Zhen’s “care.”

A bite of watermelon juice, a bite of grilled meat—she was having a wonderful time.

Qi Zhen, watching her carefree look, couldn’t help but feel her mood brighten too.

In the middle of chewing, Yan Yiyun looked up and saw Qi Zhen smiling at her. Remembering how Qi Zhen had teased her earlier, she boldly asked:

“What are you smiling at?”

Qi Zhen answered honestly, “Watching you eat makes me hungry.”

Yan Yiyun froze mid-bite. She wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult. After pondering for a moment, she decided to let that go—there was a score to settle first.

“Oh yeah?”

Yan Yiyun grinned slyly. “How about I record a little video of me eating and send it to you every day?”

Feeling she had just gotten even for the hanging-painting joke, she continued eating, quite pleased with herself.

What she didn’t expect was for Qi Zhen to laugh even more.

Yan Yiyun was just too amusing. How could she think sending her a video would be a punishment?

Qi Zhen placed a slice of pork neck rib into her dish, pulled out her phone, and said nonchalantly:

“Go ahead, I’m recording now.”

Yan Yiyun: “…Huh???”