Nine years without seeing him, and he seemed even more striking.
...
Suddenly, her phone vibrated twice in her bag, and a ringtone sounded.
Xuan Yang's drifting thoughts returned, and she withdrew her gaze from the big screen.
It was Xie Xinglan calling.
She had just finished work and saw Xuan Yang's message, so she immediately called back.
"Welcome back, beauty Xuan. Care to come out for dinner tonight? I'll throw you a welcome party." Xie Xinglan's tone was light; she was happy Xuan Yang was back.
Xuan Yang curled her lips, propped her elbow on the window edge, held the phone loosely to her ear, and said with a soft, smiling voice: "Let's see. I need to take care of things first."
Xie Xinglan then remembered the main reason for Xuan Yang's return and became serious: "Yeah, you need to handle that first. Otherwise, you'll end up married into the Chen family without knowing it."
After a pause, Xie Xinglan worried: "But will the outcome be what you want? Your foster parents aren't easy to deal with."
Xuan Yang wasn't sure either, her voice very soft: "I don't know."
She was the adopted daughter of the Xuan family—everyone in Jingbei's upper circle knew that.
Back then, the Xuan family's biological daughter had gone missing. After searching fruitlessly, her fate was unknown. Unable to accept the loss of their beloved daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Xuan had visited almost all the orphanages in the country before settling on Xuan Yang as a "substitute" for their daughter.
Yes, a substitute.
Xuan Yang was five when she was taken into the Xuan family. From that moment on, she became the substitute for the Xuan daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Xuan projected all their hopes for their daughter onto her, strictly controlling and rigorously educating her, determined to make her the top socialite of Jingbei.
Later, they succeeded. Under their careful cultivation, Xuan Yang mastered piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and grew into a graceful, elegant young woman, every move exuding the dignified reserve of a proper lady. She became the epitome of a socialite in the circle.
If things had gone as planned, she would have followed her foster parents' plan from top socialite to top wife of the Beijing circle, marrying into a high-ranking family at the right time, becoming a virtuous assistant to her husband, and adding glory to the Xuan family.
But when Xuan Yang turned eighteen, something happened.
—The Xuan family's long-lost biological daughter returned.
The return of the true daughter made Xuan Yang's position as an adopted daughter awkward.
Later, to save face, the Xuan couple decided to make it up to their biological daughter, so they sent Xuan Yang abroad to study.
They said it was for further education, but it was actually exile.
Xuan Yang was left in New York for nine years, and more than half of her living and study expenses during that time came from her own part-time jobs.
She had originally thought it was fine to stay abroad, but who would have thought that at 27, her foster parents would suddenly come up with the idea of arranging her marriage to the youngest son of the Chen family.
Xuan Yang found out about this two months ago.
One night, she had just finished processing legal documents from the day when Mother Xuan called overseas, telling her to return to China within three months and marry the Chen family's youngest son.
Xuan Yang was tired and sleepy at the time, but her foster mother's words instantly woke her up, leaving her stunned for a long time.
Later, when she came to, she questioned her foster mother: Why was the marriage arranged without even informing her beforehand?
Her foster mother's tone brooked no argument: "You are the Xuan family's adopted daughter. You've received the Xuan family's support for more than ten years. This is the only way you can repay us."
At that moment, Xuan Yang understood that, in her foster parents' hearts, whether she was willing or not didn't matter.
The phone call was just to inform her to mentally prepare for the marriage, not to ask for her opinion.
And the burden of the Xuan family's kindness weighed heavily on her.
Over the past two months, Xuan Yang had handled her affairs abroad, resigned, handed over her work, and booked a flight back.
She wanted to negotiate the marriage arrangement with the Chen family's youngest son.
...
Xie Xinglan's voice came through the phone with a light sigh: "But come to think of it, at our age, it's normal for families to arrange marriages."
"You don't know, my dad keeps urging me to get married too. My mom has already started looking for potential partners for me. She's planning to set me up on blind dates."
Xuan Yang listened seriously. She had no objection to marriage itself: "For most people, marriage is one of life's required courses. Doing the right thing at the right age isn't wrong."
Xie Xinglan was taken aback, as if surprised she'd say that: "Then why are you resisting the marriage with the Chen family? The Chen family has some status in our circle. As a husband's family, they're barely acceptable."
Xuan Yang was silent, thinking about how to explain.
But Xie Xinglan on the other end had already started jumping to conclusions, suddenly enlightened: "Oh! I know! Are you still thinking about Gu Yan?"
Xie Xinglan couldn't help but sigh: "How many years has it been? Can't you let go of that white moonlight?"
Xuan Yang hadn't expected her mind to jump so quickly and with such a strange logic. She put her other hand on her forehead and rubbed gently to relieve her exasperation, laughing despite herself: "You said it yourself—it's been many years. Of course, I let go long ago."
Xie Xinglan: "Really?"
Xuan Yang affirmed: "Really."
When people are young, they always have some unrealistic fantasies. Adolescent crushes—Xuan Yang had them too. A youthful secret crush was pure and beautiful, but that feeling—at 27, Xuan Yang couldn't recall it anymore.
Now when she thought of Gu Yan, only gratitude remained; the romantic feelings were long gone.
Xie Xinglan finally believed she had moved on, but that only made her more confused about why Xuan Yang refused the Chen family's marriage.
Xuan Yang was a bit helpless under the persistent questioning: "The alliance between the Xuan and Chen families is indeed the Xuan family marrying up. This marriage is more beneficial than harmful to me."
"But Lanlan, I'm just not suitable for the Chen family's youngest son."
To be honest, the Chen family's youngest son, Chen Xingyue, was a bit younger than her, and Xuan Yang couldn't accept a relationship with a younger man.
But Xie Xinglan clearly misunderstood again: "Oh right, you reminded me. Chen Xingyue has quite a reputation for his romantic escapades in the circle. He's really not marriage material. Besides, with his personality, if you married him, you'd probably have to clean up after his messes."
"No way, absolutely not."
Xuan Yang opened her mouth, amused and exasperated.
In the end, she didn't explain further, because Xie Xinglan had to go to class: "If you come out for dinner later, remember to text me."
Xuan Yang hummed in acknowledgment and waited for Xie Xinglan to hang up first.
Then she looked out the window again. On the big screen not far away, the interview with Zhou Group's new president, Zhou Dang, was nearing its end.
The host smiled and asked the cool, handsome man one last question: "I heard your family has been arranging a marriage for you recently. Could you reveal your criteria for a spouse?"
Xuan Yang rested her chin on her hand, quietly watching the close-up of that handsome face on the screen.
Under the HD lens, even a small light brown mole at the end of the man's lower right eyelid was clearly visible.
That remarkably gifted face still showed no flaws.
The only drawback was that the man had a cold expression throughout.
His tone when answering was also very flat, devoid of warmth: "No specific standards."
"If I must say one thing, it's the type that makes me want to surrender the moment she speaks."
That question was basically wasted.
The host froze for a few seconds, then put on a professional smile: "It sounds very affectionate, somehow. I'm a bit envious of your future wife."
"I hope you find that person soon."
"..."
Xuan Yang propped up her cheek and smiled as well.
But inside, she thought:
The one who could make Zhou Dang surrender probably hasn't been born yet.
Author's note: