Chapter 11 — My Best Friend's Older Brother Took Responsibility for Me

I carried my bag downstairs, with Xiao He calling out behind me, "Sister Wan, wait for me—I'm coming down to eat too..." Before she finished her sentence, she ran right up beside me. Stepping out of the company entrance, the Maybach was parked by the curb. The driver's side window rolled down, revealing half of Li Hangzhi's face. Today he wore a black turtleneck sweater—not a suit—looking less formal, yet his commanding aura remained intact.

"Get in," he said. Xiao He beside me nearly shrieked out loud. "This is your husband?!" Her eyes nearly popped out. "Sister Wan! Your husband is way too handsome!" Li Hangzhi shifted his gaze over. Xiao He immediately covered her mouth, taking a step back. "H-hello, sir." He nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

I sat in the passenger seat and buckled up. "Aren't you busy this afternoon?" "Meeting finished." "What do you want to eat?" "What do you want to eat?" "Sour and spicy beef brisket soup." "Okay." The car smoothly rolled away. In the rearview mirror, Xiao He was still standing blankly at the entrance, holding her face watching us leave.

Returning to work in the afternoon, I found Xiao He had spread the rumor that "Sister Wan's husband is super handsome" across half the floor. Qiu Nian stepped out of her office, bumping into me by the water dispenser. "You're Lin Wan, right?" "Yes." "Heard your husband picked you up for lunch at noon." "Yes." "Mind your work conduct in the future—don't let personal relationships affect work evaluations." Saying so, she turned and walked away. I stood by the dispenser without responding—an obvious public provocation.

Xiao He charged over angrily. "What does she mean by that?! So what if your husband picked you up for lunch? It's not like you were late or left early!" "Ignore her—why bother?" I filled my bottle and returned to work.

Near clock-out time, I received a text from Wen Ruyue: *Miss Lin, free this weekend? I'd like to invite you to afternoon tea.* I thought for a moment and typed back: *Sure.* Wanting to see what she intended to talk about.

Saturday afternoon, Wen Ruyue scheduled the meeting at a private pastry shop. Arriving earlier than me, she sat by the window with two cups of matcha tea set out. Sitting down, she smiled faintly. "Miss Lin, I assume you don't mind if I get straight to the point?" "Not at all." "How long have you and Mr. Li known each other?" "Counting from the registration date, about half a month." Her hand holding the teacup paused slightly. "Half a month." "Yes." "Aunt Li mentioned the blind date to me three months in advance."

Her tone held no overt hostility, but the information conveyed was massive. Three months—Wen Ruyue had prepared for three months, while I jumped in to take the spot in just half a month.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose," she said. "But can you understand my feelings?" "I can understand." "I don't mean to tell you to give up your spot. I just want to confirm one thing." She looked straight at me. "Do you truly like him? Or was it just because of that night's accident, forcing you to go along with it?"

The question went straight to the heart. I thought for a moment. "Initially, it was an accident." "What about now?" "Now I'm in the process of getting to know him." Wen Ruyue's expression remained unchanged. "Good. Then I'm also in the process of getting to know him." "What do you mean?" "I don't intend to give up, Miss Lin," she smiled. "Aunt Li likes me very much, and Uncle Ye thinks I'm suitable. Even though Mr. Li registered a marriage with you, after all, their family is prominent—a marriage can't be decided by a mere piece of paper."

Her words were polite on the surface, but every word was a declaration of war. I didn't rush to counter. "Miss Wen, my ring was bought by him, the marriage certificate was taken by him, and the person was acknowledged by him. If you feel that's still not enough, you can go ask him directly." I stood up. "This afternoon tea is on me." Leaving two hundred yuan on the table, I grabbed my bag and walked out.

Ye Zhiyi's car was parked outside waiting for me. "How did it go? What did she say?" "She said she doesn't intend to give up." Ye Zhiyi slapped her hand against the steering wheel. "That's way too thick-skinned! My brother is registered married, and she still won't let go?!" "She thinks your mom likes her better." Ye Zhiyi paused for two seconds. "I can't say much about that—my mom did praise her a few times. But that was before she knew you and my brother registered." "What about now that she knows?" Ye Zhiyi looked at me. "Now... my mom definitely likes you better. But in her heart, there might be a slight reservation, because your marriage with my brother was too sudden—no engagement, no family meeting, no formal protocol." "Does Auntie think it lacked formality?" "No, my mom isn't that conservative. But as for Wen Ruyue..." Ye Zhiyi frowned. "She better stop running her mouth."