His physiological preference

Yang Zhiyan poured her a glass of plum juice. "That project you mentioned last time, is it finished?"

"I'm done. I'm exhausted. How about you? How's Teacher Mu doing?"

Yang Zhiyan told Mu about her recent situation, her work, and how busy and tired she was at the end of the year.

The two chatted for a while, and the steam from the hot pot rose, dispersed, and rose again between them.

Yang Zhiyan put down her chopsticks, took a sip of plum juice, then looked up and glanced at Jiang Siya.

"Siya, I have something to tell you." Her voice was a little softer than before.

Jiang Siya was scooping shrimp paste when she heard her tone was off, so she stopped and looked at her.

"What's wrong? Don't scare me."

Yang Zhiyan recounted what happened that night: Beijing, living room, Qin Yuzheng kneeling on one knee, holding a ring, property certificate, and bank card.

Then the phone rang; something had happened to Teacher Mu.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Jiang Siya, who still had shrimp paste in her mouth. She stared at her with wide eyes.

"and then?"

"And then that was it. He never mentioned it again."

Jiang Siya swallowed the shrimp paste, put down her chopsticks, and looked serious.

"What do you mean? He proposed halfway through, got interrupted by a phone call, and then never mentioned it again?"

Yang Zhiyan nodded. Jiang Siya leaned back in her chair, remained silent for two seconds, and then spoke:

"Sister, are you desperate to get married?"

Yang Zhiyan was taken aback by her words. "I didn't."

"Then why are you in such a hurry?"

Jiang Siya picked up the plum juice and took a sip.

"You'll only be twenty-six after the New Year, what's the rush? It's your husband who should be worried. He's thirty-five, a total bachelor. He finally found a beautiful young woman like you, does he have to be crazy not to marry you right away?"

Yang Zhiyan was amused by her comment about an "old bachelor," and it seemed to make sense.

"But he..." Jiang Siya waved her hand, interrupting her.

"And think about it, when you're dating, it's so great. He listens to you and obeys your every word. If you tell him to go east, he won't dare to go west. But it's not necessarily the same after marriage. It's a man's nature to take things for granted once he gets them. And when you're dating, all you have to do is take a shower, but after marriage, you'll be doing all the housework."

Yang Zhiyan was a little stunned by her words.

"Do housework?" Jiang Siya tilted her head with a "you're too young" look on her face.

"You think marriage is just about changing a certificate? Think about it, when you're dating, you live at your own place and he lives at his, each taking care of your own things. After marriage, you live together, who washes the dishes? Who mops the floor? Who hangs the clothes to dry? If you don't want to do it, he'll say, 'Isn't that a woman's job?' Can't you believe it?"

Yang Zhiyan opened her mouth, thinking it made some sense. But now that they lived together, either Aunt Li or Qin Yuzheng did the work.

Yang Zhiyan lowered her head, took a sip of plum juice, and thought for a moment. "Well, I think things are pretty good right now."

Jiang Siya looked at her and smiled. "That's settled then."

While eating hot pot, Jiang Siya put down her chopsticks, picked up her phone and glanced at it, her expression suddenly freezing.

"What's wrong?" Yang Zhiyan asked. Jiang Siya placed her phone face down on the table.

"My boss's messages are so annoying."

Then he added, "He's back."

Yang Zhiyan was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Mu Chenli, Jiang Siya's first love, the one she was inseparable from in college, the one who went abroad without a word after graduation.

Jiang Siya was depressed for a long time because of this.

"He's back? And then?" Yang Zhiyan asked.

Jiang Siya's expression was ashen, like she was constipated. "And then, of all times, he became my boss."

Looking at her expression, Yang Zhiyan didn't know what to say. "Isn't his family very wealthy? Why is he at your company?"

"Damn it." Jiang Siya lowered her voice. "I heard that this company is a small branch of his family business. He's back to inherit the family business."

She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, looking furious.

"Can you imagine your dead ex suddenly coming back to life, standing in front of you, and bossing you around?"

Yang Zhiyan thought about the scene for a moment, then looked at Jiang Siya's expression, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have laughed."

"Go ahead and laugh," Jiang Siya waved her hand, "I'm already heartbroken and can't laugh anymore."

This is so unlucky!

Jiang Siya also said that she was almost scammed some time ago.

Yang Zhiyan quickly asked what happened.

In Yang Zhiyan's mind, Jiang Siya was a clever and cautious person, and fraud was something that had nothing to do with her.

Jiang Siya said that a while ago someone asked her for her WeChat, saying, "Hello, can I add you on WeChat? I can help your ex-boyfriend and an old sow have a ghost marriage."

Jiang Siya said, "Who could refuse to give him their contact information?"

Yang Zhiyan comforted him, "It's alright, these kinds of rich kids get promoted very quickly. They'll be back at headquarters inheriting their family fortune in less than two months."

Jiang Siya picked up the plum juice, took a sip, and put down the cup. "You're right. I hope he goes back to arrange a ghost marriage soon. Then I'll be a hero again."

Yang Zhiyan almost laughed herself silly.

After finishing their hot pot meal, the two went for a stroll in the mall.

Jiang Siya bought a coat, and Yang Zhiyan bought a pair of boots. When they walked out of the mall carrying their bags, it was almost nine o'clock.

A cold wind blew in from the mall entrance, and Yang Zhiyan shivered. Just then, Qin Yuzheng called to ask where she was and said he would come pick her up.

Yang Zhiyan gave Jiang Siya the location of the mall, hung up the phone, and turned to say:

"He's coming, do you want to wait a bit?"

Jiang Siya shook her head. "I'm driving myself today, so I'm leaving first. Don't let me see you two being all lovey-dovey, I'm jealous."

After Jiang Siya finished speaking, she waved to Yang Zhiyan and turned to walk towards the entrance of the underground parking lot.

Yang Zhiyan stood under the warm yellow lights at the mall entrance, hunching her shoulders as she waited for Qin Yuzheng.

Qin Yuzheng's car was parked on the temporary driveway outside the mall entrance.

Yang Zhiyan was about to walk over when she saw another person standing next to Qin Yuzheng. It was a man, a little shorter than her, wearing a dark blue coat, with very short hair, talking to Qin Yuzheng.

Looking at him from the side, Yang Zhiyan felt that the person looked somewhat familiar.

She took two steps closer, and the man turned to the side—Mu Chenli.

Yang Zhiyan recognized her.

Although it had been a few years since I last saw him, he was thinner than before and his temperament had changed a lot, but his facial features hadn't changed much.

Yang Zhiyan stood a few meters away, watching the two men talking under the streetlight.

Qin Yuzheng saw her and said something to Mu Chenli. Mu Chenli turned around, saw her, and nodded slightly.

Then he turned back and said a few words to Qin Yuzheng, and then turned and left.

By the time Yang Zhiyan walked over, Mu Chenli's figure had already disappeared into the lights of the mall's side entrance.

"He is...

Yang Zhiyan opened the car door and got in. While fastening her seatbelt, she asked a question.

Qin Yuzheng started the car, drove out of the temporary lane, and looked at the road ahead.

"Mu Chenli, Mu Cheng's cousin. And you, how do you know him?"

His tone was casual, but only Qin Yuzheng himself knew the tension hidden beneath.

Could it be a rival in love? Qin Yuzheng still feels quite threatened by the fact that this divorced man from Zhongdeng is protecting his young wife.

"Universities have them," Yang Zhiyan said.

Qin Yuzheng tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly.