"See him once, then say goodbye."
(Yolanda Fang and Faye Zheng)
It's just a matter of seeing him once anyway. Besides, even if we meet, nothing will come of it, and there won't be any new possibilities. (Faye Zheng and Yolanda Fang, Evan Lin)
"Rather than that, it's better if I get to look at him one more time, and he gets to see me one less time. That way, I gain a glance and lose nothing, and he loses nothing either—because he doesn't even know."
(Tanya Zhan check, glossary compliance)
Yolanda Fang chuckled, "Isn't this pretty good?"
Hearing Yolanda Fang's words, Faye Zheng was momentarily at a loss for what to say.
In Faye Zheng's view, liking someone meant you should go for it—do everything you can to win their affection.
But for Yolanda Fang, liking someone was more of a private matter.
She quietly hid her feelings away, so as not to trouble anyone else, choosing instead to keep all her disappointment to herself.
"You're so selfless. Don't you feel wronged inside?" Yolanda Fang asked.
Faye Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Honestly, trust me—there's no other guy like Evan Lin in this world."
"If you miss it, it'll be a regret for life."
Faye Zheng wanted to persuade her more—the deeper she got to know Yolanda Fang, the more she liked this girl.
Straightforward and decisive, honest and upright.
She looked like nothing ever bothered her, but in reality, she treasured all her tenderness deep inside.
"Regret, huh? How could I not feel regret?"
Yolanda Fang laughed and threw an arm around Faye Zheng's shoulders, then pulled her along without looking back. "But it's exactly because I know I'll regret it that I came here to sneak a few glances at him."
"If I don't look now, there won't be any chances later."
"Life's never perfect—if everything went your way, it wouldn't be life, it'd be more like being God."
Yolanda Fang teased, acting relaxed: "Enough about him. The more we talk about Evan Lin, the more my brain gets annoyed."
"Let's go get hotpot! I know a new place with a rotating hotpot bar—it's super good! Come on, let's go!"
Yolanda Fang dragged Faye Zheng along, got in the car, and drove away.
On the second floor of the high-speed rail station, by the floor-to-ceiling windows, Evan Lin stood there, watching the car leave. He shook his head slightly and sighed.
Rivercrest Province, Harborview City.
The Zhan Family.
Early morning, the sky still not yet bright.
The Zhan Family's main gate was already open.
From the main road in downtown Harborview City all the way to the Zhan Family gate, luxury cars lined up like rain.
A rough count showed a hundred or two vehicles forming a winding line of cars, stretching out into the distance.
"Why are there so many cars today?" Pedestrians on the street glanced over, the office workers heading to their jobs craning their necks, faces full of surprise.
"And they're all luxury cars—wow, even a limited-edition Venom supercar!" someone exclaimed.
"This is basically a massive car show!"
Traffic was jammed, leaving many people amazed. Every car in this lineup cost at least a million.
BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes-Benz were actually the least impressive out of all these cars.
"You don't know? Today is the Zhan Family princess's wedding day!" An insider spoke up proudly.
News of Tanya Zhan from the Zhan Family marrying into the Ancient-Martial Markham Family spread fast, but for ordinary people, that world was still pretty far away.
There were still plenty of people who had no clue about any of this.
"Seriously? The Zhan Family? The one that's about to become the richest in all of Harborview City? I heard they even own shares in Angel Epoch!" a woman exclaimed. "Whoever marries a Zhan woman is basically set for life!"
"You don't know the half of it. I heard this marriage is a strong-strong alliance, and the other side is no joke. My big brother says they're from an Ancient-Martial Family, and what are those like? Don't ask me, I don't really know, but they're basically like those hidden rich clans in webnovels—super rich, super badass."
Someone explained to the crowd.
Instantly, voices of discussion rose up everywhere.
Even the reporters from Harborview City's TV station showed up, coming to cover this grand wedding.
The place was packed with guests.
Inside the room, the makeup artist was doing Tanya Zhan's makeup.
Wearing her wedding dress, Tanya Zhan looked even more dazzling than usual.
"Tanya, soon it'll be our wedding. I hope you can smile."
Maran Markham came in from outside, stood beside Tanya Zhan, and looked at her face in the mirror, raising his brows. "Also, don't worry. Anything I promised you, I'll make happen."
Tanya Zhan remained silent, her gaze distant.
Maran Markham frowned, then turned around and left.
Outside, the Zhan Family's main hall was already filled with guests.
The Markham Family's guests had arrived as well.
The atmosphere was tense and festive all at once.
The Zhan Family patriarch, Titus Zhan, sat at the head table, his expression grave.
Zane Zhan, Tanya's brother, was also present, looking uneasy.
The Markham Family's elders sat at their own table, watching the proceedings.
Maran Markham entered, his face cold and proud.
He strode directly to the Zhan Family patriarch and nodded slightly.
Titus Zhan nodded back, his expression unchanged.
Zane Zhan glanced at Maran Markham, then looked away.
The wedding ceremony was about to begin.
Tanya Zhan walked in, her face calm and composed.
The guests all stood up, applauding.
Tanya Zhan walked up to Maran Markham, standing beside him.
The officiant began the ceremony.
"Do you, Maran Markham, take Tanya Zhan as your wife?"
"I do." Maran Markham answered firmly.
"Do you, Tanya Zhan, take Maran Markham as your husband?"
Tanya Zhan paused, then replied, "I do."
The guests applauded again, the ceremony complete.