Chapter 139: Extra: If Line 03

Seeing the other person looking at her without saying a word, An Ling felt a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, my memory isn't very good. I didn't recognize you at first."

This was the only excuse that made sense.

She confirmed once more, "Was it at a bar?"

Shen Linyan snapped back to reality. With lowered eyes, he gave a soft "Mm."

She didn't recognize him.

Makes sense...

In other people's eyes, he was just a stranger she had met once by chance, and that night was just the most unremarkable of encounters.

He was the only one still reminiscing about that night.

Even he didn't know why he kept recalling it, yet he couldn't bear to let it go, even yearning for a next time.

He concealed his emotions, stood up, and spoke in his usual tone, though his voice carried a hint of hoarseness. "Did you not go back with your family?"

An Ling shook her head. "I told them to leave first. I'll go back a bit later."

The bar that night had been dimly lit, but right now, the restaurant was brightly illuminated. The striking advantage of the man's chiseled features became even more apparent. With his long legs and narrow waist, just standing there in the private room made him look like he was posing for a magazine shoot.

She felt a momentary flash of doubt.

An Zhou said Shen Linyan was Lu Jingshen's older brother. Were they really biological brothers?

Are they sure they were born to the same parents?

"How could Lu Jingshen fall so short in comparison?"

"What?"

It wasn't until she saw Shen Linyan's stunned expression that she realized she had spoken her thoughts out loud. Her face instantly flushed red.

"Ah! No! That's not what I meant! Just pretend I didn't say anything!"

How mortifying! Who talks bad about a younger brother right in front of his older brother!

Seeming to notice her embarrassment, the man recovered his composure, curled his lips into a smile, and said gently, "It's fine, I won't tell anyone. Lu Jingshen and I don't have a very good relationship anyway."

He stepped toward her. "It's too late, getting a taxi won't be convenient. Let me take you home."

Was it very late?

An Ling was still pondering.

But then she heard the man speak again. "I know about his girlfriend. She's one of my assistants. They are dating in the office, and everyone else in the company knows too. He hid his relationship to enter this arranged marriage with you. I only found out about it today myself."

"He arrived late today, probably because he was fighting with his girlfriend. They've argued in the office area before, too."

Oh?

Oh, really?

She subconsciously walked alongside the man, blinking. "Are you really allowed to tell me this kind of stuff?"

This was the scandalous romantic history of the Shen Corporation's CEO, after all.

The man chuckled softly. "It's fine. Like I said, he and I don't get along. Plus, this is nothing; everyone knows about it."

An Ling recalled a phone call Lu Jingshen had taken earlier today. "Is his girlfriend named Zhou Wen?"

Shen Linyan's steps paused slightly. After a long moment, he slowly nodded.

He pursed his lips, his tone unreadable. "You... knew he had a girlfriend?"

"I didn't know. But when I met with him today and he got a call from this person, his expression completely changed."

An Ling had guessed right then that this person's identity was unusual, but she hadn't expected it to actually be his girlfriend.

"If I had known he had a girlfriend, I would have brought up breaking the engagement right then and there. He even told me to wait half a month before bringing it up."

Shen Linyan looked stunned and turned his head to look at her. "Break the engagement? You don't like Lu Jingshen?"

"Huh?" An Ling also turned her head, bewildered. "...Like Lu Jingshen?"

She burst out laughing, her eyes filled with deep amusement.

"How is that possible?" She wagged her finger with absolute seriousness. "I'm dying to break this engagement as soon as possible. Besides, I have my own standards, and Lu Jingshen absolutely does not make the cut."

"What standards?"

"Of course, they are—" An Ling's voice abruptly stopped.

Wait a minute.

Why was she suddenly spilling all her secrets?

She quickly changed her tune and said with a smile, "Of course, it's about finding someone pleasing to the eye!"

Shen Linyan's pace slowed slightly, quietly falling behind her. He raised his eyes slightly, silently gazing at the girl's slender back.

By the time they walked out of the restaurant, the night had long since fallen. The evening breeze blew against their faces, carrying a slightly cool dampness and the unique chill of a winter night.

An Ling walked a few steps before belatedly realizing that Shen Linyan was no longer right beside her.

Just as she turned her head to look for him, her shoulders suddenly grew heavy. A suit jacket, still carrying his residual body heat, was draped over her shoulders, and a crisp, woody scent of pine and snow instantly enveloped her.

The man's deep voice sounded from behind her.

"The wind is strong at night. The driver will bring the car around shortly."

Wearing the jacket, she nodded obediently and twitched her nose. "Thank you."

Shen Linyan smelled quite nice.

A faint quietness permeated the air. As the night wind swept past, the surrounding leaves rustled.

An Ling was staring absentmindedly at the side of the road when the man's voice suddenly rang in her ears.

"Do you absolutely have to cancel the engagement?"

"Hmm?"

She snapped back to reality and smiled. "Under these circumstances, it should be canceled, right? Don't tell me I should still go through with the wedding?"

The man didn't speak; he just slowly turned his head to look at her.

His eyelids were slightly lowered, and his noble, elegant features seemed to soften with a layer of tenderness under the warm light.

"What I mean is, could you consider marrying me instead?"

The man's deep voice was as light as the wind, yet every word fell clearly into her ears.

An Ling's eyes went blank; she even thought she had misheard him.

After a long moment, she opened her mouth, just about to speak.

But Shen Linyan suddenly raised his hand. His long, slender fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as his eyes slowly curved into a smile.

"You're going to reject me, aren't you?"

"Actually, truth be told, this marriage arrangement should have gone to the eldest son. But I'm not very well-liked at home, so I only found out about this engagement today."

"I know you wouldn't just marry someone casually because of an arrangement. I just want you to give me a chance."

His eyelashes lowered, and his warm fingertips inadvertently brushed against her earlobe.

"Consider me as a potential marriage candidate too, okay?"

The man's gaze was as gentle as being immersed in warm water. There was no urgency, no probing; he just looked at her quietly.

The sounds of the surrounding crowd seemed to have hit the pause button.

An Ling's mind went completely blank.

The surrounding leaves rustled, and the sound of the wind brushed past the hair by her ears. But as it settled, it couldn't take away the lingering warmth the man had left on her earlobe—a heat that made her heart pound wildly.

Thump, thump.

She felt like she had lost her ability to think, or perhaps there were too many thoughts to sort through at all.

I'm doomed...

This seems to be my exact ideal type.

Why did Shen Linyan have to use such a handsome face to say things that were so easy to misunderstand?

She had never considered that Shen Linyan might actually like her; after all, they had only met twice.

Looking at it this way, a marriage of convenience was still the much more likely motive.

She remembered that Shen Linyan had recently taken office and did indeed need a marriage alliance to consolidate his interests.

Moreover, Shen Linyan had just mentioned that he wasn't well-liked at home, though she didn't know if that was true or false.

After recovering for a moment, she slowly spoke, the tips of her ears red. "...Do chairmen really go to such desperate lengths for a marriage alliance nowadays?"

He was even selling his looks.

A low chuckle rumbled from the man's chest. He raised a hand to pull the jacket tighter around her, his movements gentle. "An Ling, this is my first time."

"..."

First time for what?

Don't say it in such an ambiguous way!

And who isn't on their first time?

An Ling's cheeks burned, and she slowly uttered an "Oh."

It was truly magical. If any ordinary person she had only met twice said they wanted to marry her, she would have completely ignored them.

But now that the person in question was Shen Linyan, she didn't find it repulsive at all.

Just like back at the bar, she actually knew that anyone who could be on the second floor was either rich or powerful, mostly people from their social circle. She had never liked getting to know people from that circle, and generally ignored them whenever possible.

But the first impression Shen Linyan gave her that day was truly too special, so when he struck up a conversation, she couldn't help but follow the topic and keep chatting.

So at the end of the day, it was all to blame on this man's handsome face!

"My standards are very high, you know." Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked up, her gaze crashing right into the man's smiling eyes.

"Then once I meet your standards, will you marry me?"

"..." Why was marriage the only thing on his mind?

Seeing the girl's subtle expression, Shen Linyan smiled and took a step closer, his tone carrying a comforting warmth. "Sorry, it's just that I'm terrified you might marry someone else first."

An Leng's brows relaxed slightly. "I doubt anyone else would be like Chairman Shen, wanting to marry someone after only meeting them twice, unless someone else comes looking for a marriage of convenience."

Hearing this, Shen Linyan's movements paused slightly.

"I didn't expect it either, that I would want to marry someone I've only met twice."

He slowly raised his eyes, the corners of his lips curving into a gentle smile, and said softly,

"Does this mean I like you even more than I imagined?"

An Leng froze, her cheeks flushing slightly. She turned her head away, her eyes darting around as she stammered.

"How should I know... Where is the car? Why isn't it here yet?"

Shen Linyan's eyes were filled with amusement as he reached out, wanting to hold her hand.

But he stopped halfway, ultimately just silently helping the girl adjust her clothes.

"It will be here right away. Are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything all night."

...

An Leng eventually returned home carrying a bag of bread.

As soon as she opened the door, An Zhou, who was playing on his phone on the sofa, saw her and casually called out.

"You're back."

"Yeah." An Leng placed the bag on the table. "Do you want some bread?"

"You actually bought bread?" An Zhou put down his phone and got up to grab the bread, asking as he tore open the packaging.

An Leng paused. "I didn't buy it."

"Your friend bought it?"

She hesitated for a moment and was just about to speak when she heard An Zhou continue, "But tonight's dinner was definitely worth going to. After what happened tonight, this arranged marriage is basically ruined."

Even if nothing happened, it would have been ruined sooner or later.

An Leng blinked. "Brother, are you close with Shen Linyan?"

"Just average." An Zhou looked down, scrolling through the news on his phone. "He hasn't been back in the country for long, but he's quite capable."

To be able to secure the position of chairman at the Shen Corporation, he definitely had some solid skills.

He looked over. "Didn't you ask about him once before at the restaurant?"

"It's nothing, I was just suddenly a bit curious."

An Zhou cast a suspicious glance at her, then looked down and clicked his tongue softly. "But to be honest, if you were really going to have an arranged marriage with the Shen family, you'd be better off choosing that Shen Linyan. It's just that I heard it's quite hard to even get a meeting with him..."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up, sizing An Leng up and down, then slowly shook his head with a look of pity.

"Never mind, never mind. Since you never leave the house, it would probably be even harder for you to see him. It seems the shortcut of an arranged marriage won't work for our An family."

An Leng: "..."

What is that supposed to mean! She didn't like hearing that at all! How was it hard to see him? Hadn't she just run into Shen Linyan before the dinner?

And who said it wouldn't work?

An Leng snorted and went upstairs with her bag without saying a word.

After taking a shower and lying in bed, An Leng turned on her phone. She had added Shen Linyan's contact information before getting out of the car. She clicked on his Moments, but it was completely clean, with absolutely nothing posted.

Just then, a message suddenly popped up.

Shen Linyan: Are you free tomorrow?

An Leng: Yes, why?

Shen Linyan: I want to see you tomorrow.

This unexpected message caught An Leng off guard, and she didn't react at first, though the temperature of her cheeks rose slightly.

An Leng: Since you put it that way, I'll reluctantly agree ^^

As soon as the message was sent, the other side went silent for a dozen seconds before sending another message.

Shen Linyan: Are you going to sleep?

An Leng: Not yet.

Shen Linyan: Then can we video call?

Shen Linyan: Actually, I really miss you right now too ^^

She froze, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. Lying in bed, she held her phone and initiated the video call, which connected almost instantly.

The man was sitting at the head of his bed. The tips of his hair were still slightly wet from a recent shower, and a few stray strands fell over his eyes, hiding some of his sharp edge. The dim yellow light washed over his handsome profile, creating a soft, warm haze.

Seeing only the blanket on the screen, his eyes curved, and a faint, gentle smile graced his lips.

"Lingling, I can't see you like this."

The sound of fabric rustling came through the phone, followed by her voice.

"I never said I was going to show my face." The girl's voice was soft and light, carrying a hint of coquettishness. The end of her sentence tilted up slightly, sounding pure and gentle.

A few seconds later, she silently turned the camera around anyway.

The girl was lying on her pillow, half her face buried in the blanket. Her clear, bright eyes sparkled beautifully under the light.

"Can you see me now?" The corners of her eyes curved slightly, looking so soft and adorable that it made one's heart feel light.

Shen Linyan's gaze paused slightly, his fingertip gently brushing across the screen.

He really wanted to get married...

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he smiled and said softly, "I see you."

An Leng felt a bit shy under his intense gaze. Her cheeks flushed slightly beneath the blanket, and she silently looked away.

"Now that you've seen me, hang up. It's almost time for sleep."

The man gave a soft "Mm," and said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

They had said their goodnights, but neither of them hung up the call. They just looked at each other through the airwaves, leaving only a tranquil silence.

An Leng blinked, her fingertip slowly hovering over the screen. "I'm really hanging up now. Get to sleep early and rest."

As soon as she spoke, the screen in front of her suddenly zoomed in.

The man lowered his head, his lips landing gently on the screen.

"I love you." His magnetic voice came through low and husky, restrained yet wrapped in an affection that was shockingly hot.

Under her stunned gaze, he slowly lifted his head and smiled, his eyes curving.

"Goodnight, Lingling."

Even after the video call ended, An Leng still hadn't fully recovered her senses.

She put down her phone and sat up in a daze, touching her own face, which was already burning hot.

With a flushed face, she fell back into the blankets and closed her eyes.

"How could he cheat like that."

After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes again and picked up her phone once more.

After the video call ended, the man had sent another message.

Goodnight ^^

She typed with a blushing face.

Didn't you say this is your first time pursuing someone? How are you so good with words? Are you lying to me?

A moment later, a reply came from the other side.

Shen Linyan: I'm not lying to you.

Once I think of you as my wife, these words just come naturally.