"Sure." Yina Yin assumes Winston Fan wants to discuss work, so she stands up and says, "I just spoke with Uncle Max. His authorization will take a little longer."
Or they're hoping for business partnerships, like Nick Ning and Andy Ding.
Or they're just stubborn—wanting a marriage alliance but too proud to make the first move, like Shawn Yan.
And then there are a few who are simply here for the spectacle, with nothing better to do, just having fun.
Anyway, now that so many people have left, the pool to choose from is much smaller.
Gavin Gao feels his chances of winning have just gone up a notch.
Eventually, Yina Yin would rather have tea with Gavin Gao or talk business with Winston Fan than stay in her room and let Gu Miao bother her.
It’s just like watching a soap opera—while watching, they sigh: ‘Casey’s brain capacity must be about the size of a Yuanmou Man’s, huh? How can she fall for such an obvious scam?’ If you have a daughter, just don’t let her turn out like Casey, or you’ll be in deep trouble!
"Gu Miao really is something else…" Ryan King looks exasperated.
"If he didn’t have Gu Miao’s body and face, I’d want to punch him," Leo Mo says helplessly. "But I can’t, so I just have to watch his second personality annoy everyone."
Leo Mo sips from his thermos like an old cadre and says, "A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if her dad’s in that state and the clan leader’s been ousted, I bet they still have some money left."
Theo Mo munches on a slice of watermelon and says, "Since the clan leader’s getting kicked out, only a fool would bring out their hidden stash. The Kofi family just took his position and his house—they didn’t wipe him out. As long as he keeps his remaining strength, making a comeback isn’t that hard. The real question is, will Casey ever be able to rise again? That’s still up in the air."
"So, Nuo, hurry up and pick your fiancé! As soon as you get engaged to someone else, he’ll finally give up." Theo Mo jumps in. "The longer you drag it out, the more he’ll think you still have feelings for him."
Mu Ziyue pats Theo Mo on the shoulder. "Don’t be ridiculous. Nuo still has feelings for his first personality, not the second one!"
"The problem is, the second personality doesn’t get it! He thinks he’s Gu Miao, and Gu Miao is him." Theo Mo shrugs. "You just can’t reason with that!"
Ryan King grins mischievously, "I bet the first thing she’ll do is ask Sister Sakura for money. Do you think Casey will ever realize that all her misfortune is actually because of Sister Sakura?"
"Are you kidding? Sister Sakura would never give Casey a chance to find out." Leo Mo says, "If anyone knows how crafty Sister Sakura is, it’s you. Trust me, Casey will never know who’s pulling the strings. Sister Sakura’s been through a hundred flowers, not a single leaf sticks to her."
"Hey, that saying doesn’t really fit here, does it?" Mu Ziyue says. "But yeah, Sister Sakura really hasn’t left any loose ends. And even if Casey finds out, what could she do? She made her bed with Hausen, so she can’t blame us for what comes next. Honestly, they brought it on themselves. Anyone with half a brain would know it’s time to lay low."
Yuzhen Yin is about to speak when she looks up and sees Yina Yin approaching from afar. She immediately waves, "Sis, over here!"
Yina Yin hurries over and asks, "What are you all talking about?"
"Talking about poor Casey and Lexi, who’s vanished somewhere." Yin Yuzhen answers, "Sis, didn’t Gu Miao bother you today?"
Yina Yin’s face shows a helpless expression. "He probably had something to do today."
These past few days, Gu Miao has been pestering Yina Yin every chance he gets.
If it’s not asking her to revisit old haunts, it’s inviting her to eat at places they used to go.
Yina Yin is honestly fed up.
"In that case, I’ll take my leave." Winston Fan switches back to business. "Once Uncle Max’s authorization comes through, the project can start immediately. I’ll need your guidance then, Miss Yin."
Eventually, Yina Yin would rather have tea with Gao Tian or talk business with Winston Fan than stay in her room and let Gu Miao bother her.
So today, with Gu Miao gone, she actually feels relieved—finally able to get some air.
"Gu Miao really is something else…" Jing Shaohuai looks exasperated.
"If he didn’t have Gu Miao’s body and face, I’d want to punch him," Mo Yu says helplessly. "But I can’t, so I just have to watch his second personality annoy everyone."
Isn’t he just annoying everyone?
You can’t hit him, can’t scold him, you just have to watch him go around doing all sorts of uncomfortable things with Gu Miao’s face.
"So, Nuo, hurry up and pick your fiancé! As soon as you get engaged to someone else, he’ll finally give up." Mo Shuo jumps in. "The longer you drag it out, the more he’ll think you still have feelings for him."
Mu Ziyue pats Mo Shuo on the shoulder. "Don’t be ridiculous. Nuo still has feelings for his first personality, not the second one!"
"The problem is, the second personality doesn’t get it! He thinks he’s Gu Miao, and Gu Miao is him." Mo Shuo shrugs. "You just can’t reason with that!"
Yina Yin sighs, "It’s really hard for me to choose right now. I’ll figure something out. If I can’t beat him, can’t I just hide? Worst case, I’ll find somewhere he can’t track me down."
Everyone shakes their heads—if only it were that simple.
At lunch, everyone gathers together.
Since there aren’t many people left, there’s no need for a buffet. They set up three long tables and serve dishes banquet-style, so everyone can sit together and chat.
Winston Fan spots Yina Yin and walks straight over. "Miss Yin, do you have a moment to talk?"
"Sure." Yina Yin assumes Winston Fan wants to discuss work, so she stands up and says, "I just spoke with Uncle Mo. His authorization will take a little longer."
Winston Fan smiles, "That’s not what I came to talk about."
"Huh?" Yina Yin doesn’t get it at first.
These days, whenever she’s with Winston Fan, it’s always about work or business deals.
(Irrelevant system message, skip translation.)
So Yina Yin instinctively sees Winston Fan as a business partner, not a matchmaking candidate.
Winston Fan gives a helpless smile and points at his own face. "I know I look older than I am, but you do remember why I’m here, right? I’d love to stay longer, but my company needs me, so I have to say goodbye today. Still, just leaving like this doesn’t fit my plan, so I wanted to talk to you ahead of time. Shall we walk in the garden?"
"Alright." Yina Yin nods and walks outside with Winston Fan.
This season, the garden is in full bloom.
Everywhere you walk, there are yellow flowers—not the expensive kind, but the more ordinary they are, the more they flourish. Even from afar, it’s a sight that lifts your spirits.
"The others left because they gave up. But I’m leaving to ask you—do I have a chance?" Winston Fan gets straight to the point. "From the start, I’ve really hoped to marry you, Miss Yin. I know you’re busy, so I’ve been patiently waiting for your answer. But today, I have to go back, so may I ask, what do you think of me?"
Faced with Winston Fan’s straightforwardness, Yina Yin gives him a helpless look. "If you hadn’t brought it up, I’d almost forgotten about the matchmaking. These days, I thought we were just talking business."
"If you want, we can keep working together after marriage." Winston Fan smiles.
"Mr. Fan, let me ask you: do you actually like me?" Yina Yin asks.
Winston Fan throws a straight punch, and she returns one right back.
Winston Fan thinks for a moment, then answers honestly, "I don’t dislike you. You’re a great woman—the best choice for a marriage alliance."
"So basically, I’m great, but you don’t have any special feelings for me." Yina Yin laughs. "Thank you for your honesty."
"To me, women are all the same. Since there’s no difference, why not pick someone with the best qualities, compatible personality, and business sense?" Winston Fan stops and looks down at Yina Yin. "You’re the best in every way—personality, business mind, you’re fun to be with, and while you’re not a classic beauty, you’re very unique. So I can’t think of a reason to say no, unless you don’t accept me."
"Mr. Fan, have you ever been in love?" Yina Yin laughs again. "Thanks for the compliments, but all those good things can’t compare to liking someone. Not disliking isn’t the same as liking. If you don’t like someone, no matter how great they are, it’s still zero."
"Never. And I don’t want to." Winston Fan frowns. "It’s a waste of time."
"Hahaha! Mr. Fan, you really are something!" Yina Yin laughs heartily. "Let me be honest—I feel the same way about you as you do about me. I don’t dislike you, but I can’t say I like you, either. You’re a great business partner, a good friend, a good teammate, but maybe not the right partner. I’ve loved someone before, so I know the difference between loving and not loving."
Winston Fan asks, "So you’re rejecting me?"
"It’s not a rejection, more like giving us both some breathing room." Yina Yin says calmly. "If I can move on from my past and don’t fall for anyone else, I’ll consider you, Mr. Fan. Let’s make a deal—five years from now, if we’re both single, we’ll marry for business, not love, just responsibility."
Winston Fan nods. "I accept. Five years, right? I can wait."
He’ll only be thirty-two then.
"In that case, I’ll take my leave." Winston Fan switches back to business. "Once Mr. Mo’s authorization comes through, the project can start immediately. I’ll need your guidance then, Miss Yin."
"Of course. It’s my pleasure." Yina Yin offers her hand, and Winston Fan shakes it firmly. "Looking forward to working together!"