With the thought of never wanting to see him ever again, she actually encountered him on a blind date that day. She wanted to cry, but unfortunately for her, Song Chuyi was sitting motionlessly next to her and staring at her.
"Wha… What's wrong?" She nervously asked.
"Seatbelt," Song Chuyi reminded her.
Changqing frantically put on her seatbelt.
"Do you have any café that you prefer?" Song Chuyi asked her. As always, his voice sounded pleasant and pure.
"… Don't have one."
""I'll pick a café with a good ambiance then."
The place wasn't far from the restaurant. It was a café in an old bungalow with a quaint atmosphere.
Changqing used to go to the place with Guan Ying and Ruan Yang in the past. Guan Ying mentioned the cake in the store tasted delicious. Hence, she guessed the reason Song Chuyi knew about this place was probably because Guan Ying introduced the café to him.
Sure enough, after sitting down, Song Chuyi asked, "Do you want cake? I've heard that the cakes here taste good."
"… How did Dr. Song know the cakes in this store taste delicious?" Changqing deliberately asked.
Song Chuyi restrained his eyebrows and went silent. The surrounding light fell on his cold eyebrows as if there was a faint sadness in them.
Upon seeing his reaction, Changqing felt miserable as well. Her childhood friend, who she had liked for a long time, became Guan Ying's boyfriend. Furthermore, it seemed that currently, her blind date, who she needed to make her best effort to have a good relationship with, had also not forgotten about his ex-girlfriend, Guan Ying. If it was possible, she really wanted to leave the place.
"What does Miss Yan think about the notion of marrying me?"
As the aroma of fresh coffee just reached her, she became transfixed by his abrupt question.
"Huh?"
"From what I've learned, the situation of the Yan family isn't looking too bright," Song Chuyi said as his perfect figure leaned on the sofa with an appearance akin to that of a typical rich son. "Once the Yan family declares bankruptcy, saddled with hundreds of millions in debt and with no possible way to repay it, it's possible that your father will be sentenced to prison. The house and the car that you own now will disappear. It's a possibility that you might not be able to stay employed at the TV station as well. Also, your sis… from what I know, although your brother-in-law is an engineer and his salary is considered decent, once the pressure of repaying the debt goes on for some time, I reckon that he might not be able to persevere in their marriage when faced with reality."
Changqing clenched her teeth and replied, "For some, love is priceless even in a monetary sense."
Song Chuyi raised his eyebrows. Without saying a word, he just looked at her with his penetrating gaze.
Changqing gradually lost confidence from his stare. "Yes, I work at the TV station and have encountered people and incidents that were terrible. However, I still believe in the existence of everlasting love."
Song Chuyi quietly pondered for a few seconds, bowed his head and drank his coffee before he said, "If we're going to get married, I hope we can do it as soon as possible."
Changqing clenched her fists and replied, "I want to know—why did you choose me? Yes, the state of my family's company is indeed grim, but you should be able to find someone better than me with the Song family's position."
"The Yans represents a traditional old brand, and we need the Yans branding to act as an intermediary to tap into the Chinese market. If the Yan family didn't carry any sort of benefit to the Song family in any way, neither of our families would be sitting here having coffee and lunch." Song Chuyi continued to speak flatly. "Besides, I don't want to waste time on love. For people like me, a business marriage is inevitable. It's perfect—you require the Song family's help, and I need to fulfill my obligations as well. Isn't it best that we get married and both of us can benefit from each other?"
Changqing fell into silence.
She had always had great fantasies about love and marriage. However, she didn't expect herself to enter a marriage like this. She felt defeated, and her face became as pale as a sheet as a result, but she was incapable of refuting him.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Song Chuyi escorted her to the door of the Yan's family bungalow. "After we get married, all the Yan family's problems will be resolved, and you can continue to work at the TV station. I won't interfere with your matters, and your sister will have a smooth-sailing career at the hospital. Think about it. When you have figured it out, give me a call and we'll register for a marriage certificate."