Chapter 378: Chapter 378: Proposing a Marriage
Xiao Si grabbed the phone and said to him, “Turn your head away, don’t look.”
Lu Zhenyu: “…”
This was clearly his phone, but he was made to feel like an outsider.
“Don’t worry, I won’t spy on your secrets. I’m just borrowing it for a bit,” Xiao Si said.
As he spoke, he opened Lu Zhenyu’s WeChat.
Just then, a ssage popped up.
It was from Lan Yan.
His brows furrowed—oh? She has ti to ssage others?
Hmph…
He had just been worried she didn’t see his ssage. Turns out, she’d seen it but just didn’t want to respond.
She really sticks to her words: if she says she won’t add him, she doesn’t add him.
Not long after, Lu Zhenyu heard Xiao Si say, “Alright, here’s your phone back.”
As soon as Lu Zhenyu turned around, Xiao Si tossed the phone at his chest. Luckily, with his quick reflexes, he managed to catch it.
If not, his phone would have kissed the ground and shattered to pieces.
“Doctor Xiao, a bit of courtesy toward my phone, please,” he complained.
In a relaxed manner, Xiao Si replied, “Your relationship with Dr. Lan seems pretty decent. She even invited you for lunch.”
Lu Zhenyu gave a surprised noise and quickly picked up his phone to check.
Lan Yan really had sent him a ssage.
He and Lan Yan were familiar enough, but this was the first ti she’d taken the initiative to invite him for lunch. She likely had sothing she wanted to discuss.
He wouldn’t dare assu Lan Yan liked him—he had enough self-awareness.
Besides, Lan Yan wasn’t his type, and he wasn’t hers either.
He replied to Lan Yan, saying, “I’m free at noon. Where would you like to et?”
Lan Yan quickly responded, “The restaurant near the hospital. I’ll send you the location shortly.”
Lu Zhenyu sent back an “OK” emoji.
Then, he answered Xiao Si’s earlier question. “Yeah, we’re pretty familiar. But this is the first ti she’s proactively asked out for a al.”
First ti? Proactive?
These five words, Xiao Si muttered under his breath and savored.
Noon, twelve o’clock.
Lan Yan arrived at the restaurant first.
After waiting a few minutes, Lu Zhenyu showed up.
Afraid he might not see her, she was just about to wave him over.
The next second, she froze.
Because behind Lu Zhenyu was Xiao Si.
Lan Yan instinctively furrowed her delicate brows. Why was he tagging along?
Once inside, Lu Zhenyu began scanning the restaurant for Lan Yan.
Xiao Si spotted her almost imdiately.
He patted Lu Zhenyu’s shoulder. “She’s to your right. Let’s go.”
Lu Zhenyu responded with an “oh.”
When they reached the table, Lu Zhenyu spoke first: “Sorry for making you wait.”
Lan Yan replied, “No worries, I haven’t been here long.”
After speaking, she glanced at Xiao Si, who had naturally taken a seat.
Xiao Si grinned and greeted her casually, “Good afternoon, Dr. Lan. You don’t mind joining for lunch, right?”
Lan Yan looked at him, her gaze calm. “What if I say I do mind? Doctor Xiao, would you get up and leave?”
On his refined, handso face, Xiao Si maintained his smile.
“Not really, considering how thick-skinned I am.”
“…”
Lan Yan chuckled lightly, “Doctor Xiao, have you fallen on hard tis lately? Bumming car rides and now als?”
Xiao Si raised his brows slightly. “You really understand , Dr. Lan. I am indeed strapped for cash these days.”
Lan Yan: “…”
She didn’t buy his nonsense. If he were broke, there wouldn’t be a single poor person left in the world!
Lu Zhenyu curiously glanced at the pair.
When did these two start bickering so much?
“What’s up with you two?” he asked.
Both of them answered in unison: “Nothing!”
Lu Zhenyu: “…”
That level of synchronicity—it’s not normal!
Not only was Lu Zhenyu stunned, but the two participants themselves were montarily speechless.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Lu Zhenyu promptly flagged down a waiter and began ordering food.
“I’m starving. Let’s order quickly. Still gotta head back to work afterwards.”
As he flipped through the nu, he asked, “You both don’t have any food restrictions, right?”
Lan Yan said, “Just no scallions for . Everything else is fine.”
Xiao Si hesitated for a mont upon hearing her words.
Not hearing an imdiate response, Lu Zhenyu asked again, “What about you, Mr. Xiao? Any dietary restrictions?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Xiao Si angled his lips upward slightly. “No scallions, no cilantro.”
Lan Yan instinctively glanced at him upon hearing this.
Knowing exactly what she was thinking, Xiao Si remarked, “Dr. Lan, don’t give that look. I’m not copying you—I’ve never eaten scallions or cilantro since I was a child. If you don’t believe , you can go ask my mother, Liang Yun.”
Liang Yun was Mrs. Xiao.
Lan Yan had no leisure to bother with such trivialities or seek out his mother for confirmation.
Without responding, she opted for silence.
Watching the two, Lu Zhenyu shifted his gaze back to the nu.
He quickly selected a few dishes.
“Let’s go with these for now. If it’s not enough, we’ll order more later,” he told the waiter.
The waiter responded, “Alright.”
Once the waiter left, the table fell silent.
Lu Zhenyu felt uncomfortable in the quiet and took it upon himself to spark conversation.
He turned to Lan Yan and asked, “By the way, what’s the reason you asked here?”
Lan Yan indeed had a matter to discuss with him.
But now she wasn’t in the mood.
“Nothing much. Just wanted to treat you to a al,” she replied.
Xiao Si observed her with an enigmatic gaze but said nothing.
Lu Zhenyu remarked, “I thought you might have sothing to talk about. After all, this is the first ti you’ve ever proactively invited for a al.”
Xiao Si chid in with a playful comnt, “Maybe Dr. Lan has a joyful event coming up and wanted to treat you to a celebratory al.”
Lu Zhenyu looked puzzled, “Huh, what kind of joyful event? Don’t tell she’s getting married?”
Lan Yan shot Xiao Si a fierce glare, her expression carrying a clear warning.
Is his brain defective?
She said, “Doctor Xiao, you can play around with food, but don’t ss around with words!”
Xiao Si’s deep, playful eyes were full of mirth. He gave an “oh” and obediently shut his mouth.
Lu Zhenyu observed the two and found them increasingly odd.
About ten minutes later, the waiter brought over the food.
The al proceeded with an unusual calm. Only Lu Zhenyu occasionally broke the silence with remarks, while the other two seed uncharacteristically quiet.
Lan Yan’s silence was ordinary; Xiao Si, normally known for his chatter, kept quiet as he focused on eating.
After the al, Lan Yan used an excuse to visit the restroom, then secretly paid the bill at the counter.
By the ti she returned, Lu Zhenyu was alone.
Lu Zhenyu explained, “Mr. Xiao got a call and returned to the hospital ahead of us.”
Lan Yan responded indifferently with an “oh.”
Then she added, “Actually, I need to trouble you for a few minutes. I have sothing to ask you for help with.”
Lu Zhenyu said, “Alright, go ahead.”
Lan Yan paused for a few seconds before saying, “You must’ve heard of rcy dical, right?”
Lu Zhenyu pondered and muttered, “The na sounds vaguely familiar. I feel like I’ve heard about it sowhere before.”
Lan Yan helped him recall, “It’s a dical institution under the Lu Group.”
Lu Zhenyu suddenly rembered, “Oh, right! My mom ntioned it once when I was ho. My second uncle is in charge of that subsidiary.” He looked at her curiously, “Why are you asking about this?”
Lan Yan explained, “I need you to get detailed information about this institution, particularly its financial status.”
She had previously asked soone to investigate, but no matter what they found, sothing felt off.
Her research facility was preparing for an upcoming bid. Not just anyone could participate; they needed to vet the companies beforehand.
Right now, rcy dical seed problematic, but the company had taken extensive asures to protect its confidentiality.
Then she did so digging and found out the institution was under the Lu Group.
Originally, she thought it might be more efficient to ask Lu Zhenyu’s older brother, but unfortunately, his brother was no longer involved with the Lu Group.
Lu Zhenyu asked, “Wouldn’t it be faster if you asked my brother about this instead of ?”
He had never been involved in the Lu family’s business affairs and was thoroughly clueless.
Lan Yan replied, “Your brother isn’t part of the Lu Group anymore, is he?”
Lu Zhenyu noted, “That’s technically true, but the real decision-maker of the company is still him.”
“…”
“Alright, I can ask around for you,” Lu Zhenyu offered. “But you’ll have to tell —what exactly do you need this information for?”
Lan Yan didn’t hide the truth and explained the situation to him.
Lu Zhenyu nodded, “Alright, no problem. Leave it to .”
Lan Yan thanked him, saying, “I appreciate it.”
After that, the two parted ways.
Lan Yan returned to the research facility.
At 6 pm, as Lan Yan finished her work, she received a ssage from Yu Mu on WeChat.
He asked if she had finished work yet.
She replied, “Just wrapped up. Mr. Yu, is there sothing you need?”
Yu Mu quickly responded, “I’d like to invite you to dinner and discuss so dical-related matters. Are you available? If not, don’t feel pressured—I completely understand.”
Lan Yan pondered briefly and then answered, “Sure. Please send the location.”
Yu Mu struck her as a gentleman—she didn’t mind interacting with him in moderation.
But only within the boundaries of friendship.
Soon, Yu Mu sent her the address and added, “No rush, take your ti.”
After tidying up her workspace, Lan Yan left the laboratory.
Right at the door, she bumped into Su He.
“Boss.”
Su He looked at her and asked, “Heading ho for dinner with tonight?”
Typically, if there was no work, Su He brought Lan Yan ho after hours.
Lan Yan replied, “Boss, I’ve got other plans tonight. I’ve already made an appointnt with Mr. Yu.”
Su He raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Yu?”
Lan Yan explained, “The one from the banquet—the guy nad Yu Mu.”
Su He instantly understood and nodded, “Alright then. Keep an eye out for yourself.”
It wasn’t that Su He didn’t trust Lan Yan—she knew Lan Yan’s abilities better than anyone. It was just an instinctive precautionary reminder.
After all, she didn’t know much about the character of this son from the Yu Family.
However, with Mrs. Xiao’s endorsent, there likely wouldn’t be an issue.
Lan Yan understood her concern and responded with a soft “Mm.”
After they parted ways, Su He answered a call from Jiang Yan, informing her that Gu Beiyan had arranged a dinner gathering at Taoyao Inn tonight and invited her.
Su He got into her car and instructed her driver, Fei Xu, “Fei Xu, take to Taoyao Inn.”
Fei Xu replied, “Understood, Young Madam.”
Forty minutes later…
When Su He arrived at Taoyao Inn, Jiang Yan was already waiting for her at the entrance.
“Why didn’t you go in earlier? It’s not like I don’t know my way,” Su He remarked.
Jiang Yan extended his hand, grasping her delicate fingers, and led her inside.
“Without you there, sitting inside doesn’t feel right,” he said.
The dining room was filled with couples—it felt incomplete without her.
Su He comnted, “Leaving our son at ho again might not be the best idea, don’t you think?”
After all, they had hardly been ho for family dinners in recent days.
Jiang Yan reassured, “He’s with Uncle Zhong and Ye Jiuqing—he’s hardly alone.”
Ye Jiuqing was still living at Moon Gift Villa and hadn’t left.
He was tirelessly trying to gather information about Ella from Su He, but no matter how much he pressed, Su He refused to disclose anything.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t trace the woman’s whereabouts either.
…
In the private room, everyone had arrived, with Su He and Jiang Yan being the last to join.
An Mi was there as well. Ever since her relationship with Wan Muqi was approved by Mr. An, the couple no longer had to hide.
“Sis, brother-in-law,” An Mi greeted them.
The couple replied in unison, “Mm.”
Xiao Si chid in, “Old Wan, aren’t you going to say sothing?”
Wan Muqi raised his eyes and gave him a glare.
Xiao Si returned his gaze with a mischievous smile—a smile that one doesn’t often fight against.
Besides, he was doing it on purpose.
He remarked, “If you start saying it now, you’ll get used to it in no ti.”
Wan Muqi: “…”
Unable to hold back, Xiao Si continued with a smirk, “You’re not shy, are you? A grown man fumbling to call soone nas like a bashful woman.”
Before An Mi could jump in to defend Wan Muqi, he pressed her hand lightly to signal her silence.
Wan Muqi retorted, “Everyone here is paired up—you’re the lone single dog. Quit stirring the pot.”
In their crowd, blunt truth didn’t require filters.
What’s more, Wan Muqi’s words were precise and straight to the point.
Xiao Si’s face darkened, his playful expression fading slightly.
He pressed his tongue against his cheek but stayed silent.
In the past, he hadn’t cared about such things.
But now, it seed to bother him in an inexplicable way.
“Didn’t you say you’d go for a flash wedding? Go ahead—it’ll be quicker than Old Wan’s pace,” Gu Beiyan teased. “You could go for a post-marriage romance the.”
Jiang Yan chid in, “Exactly, Mr. Xiao! These post-marriage love stories are trending right now. I’ve even seen several scripts where the leads fall in love after marriage.”
Xiao Si: “…”
They were clearly egging him on.
The conversation shifted to Gu Beiyan and Jiang You’s wedding, set for next year’s Lantern Festival.
Then ca talks of Wan Muqi and An Mi’s engagent. With Mr. An’s approval, Wan’s parents had formally proposed, and the families were discussing the engagent. However, as An Mi was still in school, the matter remained paused.
Next ca discussions about children…
At every turn, Xiao Si seed unable to join in.
He, typically the most talkative, was left out for once.
Feeling restless, he took out his phone to entertain himself.
And then, on impulse, attempted to add Lan Yan’s WeChat again.
The stubborn girl had outright declined in the past—she said no, and no remained her answer.
But in this world, a thick skin can do wonders.
If she refused once, he’d keep requesting until she relented.
anwhile, Lan Yan was engaged in conversation with Yu Mu, addressing so dical topics; the Yu family was deeply involved in dical equipnt businesses.
In this area, Lan Yan’s expertise outmatched his.
Her phone chirped once, but she ignored it.
Then it began buzzing repeatedly, interrupting their discussion.
Yu Mu smiled politely and said, “Perhaps it’s best if you check your ssages first. Don’t miss anything important—I’m in no rush.”
Lan Yan replied, “Sorry about this. Let quickly check.”
Picking up her phone, she opened WeChat.
It wasn’t usual for soone to bombard her phone with ssages.
For the first ti, her inbox was flooded with notifications.
Upon opening, it wasn’t actual ssages—it was friend requests.
A WeChat na read: Mr. Xiao.
Lan Yan stared at the request note, speechless.
Did this man have a ntal issue?
Reviews
All reviews (0)