After the Arranged Marriage, I Was Pampered by the Powerful Tycoon - Chapter 20

To Wu Zhou, Cheng Ruan’s refusal was practically an act of playing hard to get. Before Cheng Ruan could even start the car to make his escape, Wu Zhou shamelessly unbuckled his seatbelt, hopped out, and hopped back in—all in one fluid motion—appearing right in the passenger seat.

Cheng Ruan asked, somewhat strained, “What about your car?”

“Someone will come to drive it later.” Wu Zhou pulled out his phone and opened the navigation, urging Cheng Ruan excitedly, “Quick, quick, quick! There are only twenty minutes left. Get moving, don’t be late!”

“Stop rushing me, Boss Wu,” Cheng Ruan said as he stepped on the gas.

Cheng Ruan gazed at the private hall built atop the mountain. “Are you sure it’s here?”

“It’s here, no mistake.” Wu Zhou kept his head down, replying to messages. “They’ve all arrived already. Let’s head in quickly.”

“Wait.” Cheng Ruan pulled Wu Zhou back. “I don’t even know who’s there… besides, I declined the invitation before. Won’t it be awkward to show up now?”

“You aren’t thinking of deserting at the last minute, are you?” Wu Zhou looked at him. “It’s been so long since everyone saw each other. Don’t you really want to catch up?”

“Think back to our happy times in university. Don’t you feel even a little bit nostalgic?”

Cheng Ruan tried to reminisce for a moment but still shook his head. “I just remembered there’s something at the company, can I…”

“Get back here!” Wu Zhou grabbed Cheng Ruan and marched him into the hall.

The lawn was buzzing with voices. Just as Wu Zhou had said, almost all their friends from their university days were present. Cheng Ruan quickly scanned the faces; compared to before, not much had changed.

“Who are you looking for?” Wu Zhou asked curiously, following Cheng Ruan’s gaze. Then, he asked teasingly, “You couldn’t be looking for Hu Chuyang, could you?”

“No way!” Cheng Ruan denied it immediately. “Why would I be looking for him?”

Wu Zhou teased, “You two were so close back then. Now that he’s a famous celebrity, don’t you want to see him again?”

“That’s enough,” Cheng Ruan said, lowering his voice. “I’m not one of his little fans.”

Wu Zhou wanted to say more, but he fell silent upon seeing someone behind Cheng Ruan. He arched an eyebrow. “It looks like someone’s heart is about to be stirred.”

Cheng Ruan instinctively turned around and locked eyes with a pair of gentle, warm eyes.

As usual, Wu Zhou slipped away faster than anyone. “I’m retreating first!”

Cheng Ruan was left standing there alone. The man in front of him was the first to speak.

“Xiao Ruan, aren’t we going to catch up?”

Cheng Ruan turned his head in response.

“Senior?”

Hu Chuyang smiled. “A few years have passed; you’ve become more mature.”

The Hu Chuyang before him looked even more refined than in his memory. Cheng Ruan smiled back. “Thank you, Senior. Fame really does suit a person; you have even more of a superstar aura now.”

Hu Chuyang raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He said in a gentle voice, “Hearing those words… from your mouth, is quite a surprise.”

Cheng Ruan didn’t quite understand. “A surprise?”

Hu Chuyang reached out as if to pinch Cheng Ruan’s nose, but then seemed to remember something and stopped, adjusting his own tie instead. “After all, you never used to say such flattering things to me.”

“…” Cheng Ruan actually still didn’t like giving flatteries. It was just that he and Hu Chuyang hadn’t been in touch for so long; if he didn’t say something polite, the distance between them would only feel more awkward.

Hu Chuyang gazed into the distance. “I heard that a while ago… you got married?”

“Yes.” Cheng Ruan responded bashfully. “I sent you an invitation before…”

“I was filming in Switzerland at the time,” Hu Chuyang said with an apologetic look. “Otherwise, I would have made it.”

Cheng Ruan quickly shook his head. “It’s okay, Senior. I understand.”

“I remember you saying once that you never wanted to fall in love or get married in your life,” Hu Chuyang recalled. “I didn’t expect that among all of us, the first to marry would be you—the one who was against marriage…”

Cheng Ruan gave an awkward laugh, pinching the hem of his shirt behind his back. “Senior is joking.”

Hu Chuyang’s tone was sincere. “In any case, congratulations.”

Cheng Ruan nodded. “Thank you.”

After catching up with Hu Chuyang for a while, Cheng Ruan finally managed to slip away when a crowd of people wanting to talk to the big star surrounded them.

Wu Zhou was like a fish in water among the crowd. Cheng Ruan, feeling a bit of a headache, took a glass of lemon water and walked a bit further away, wandering aimlessly across the lawn.

“What’s wrong?” A blonde man stopped and asked the man beside him, who had an unreadable expression. “See someone you know?”

Luo Mingzhi calmly retracted his gaze. “Nothing.”

The blonde man turned his head and successfully caught sight of the lone figure on the lawn not far away.

“Hey, I suggested you wear glasses before. Do you think it helps?”

Luo Mingzhi thought back to the scene he had just witnessed and said with some impatience, “Maybe.”

“Your facial expression management isn’t quite master-level yet,” the blonde man said intentionally. “So cold. No wonder the young master is afraid of you.”

“Look at that Best Actor over there—gentle as jade, a refined gentleman…”

“Have you said enough?” Luo Mingzhi interrupted him coldly.

The blonde man sensibly shut his mouth. Once Luo Mingzhi had walked a little further away, he beckoned over the hall manager.

“What’s the situation over there?”

The hall manager replied, “Mr. Yu, it’s a private gathering we’ve hosted.”

“Hmm…” The blonde man rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Waive the fees. Find a way to organize a ‘mixer’ later.”

After finishing his lemon water, Cheng Ruan checked the time on his phone. Estimating it was about time, he began to slowly walk back.

He really hadn’t expected to run into Hu Chuyang here.

Hu Chuyang was one year his senior and had looked after him a lot when they were abroad. At that time, Wu Zhou hadn’t gone abroad yet. Cheng Ruan lived in an apartment alone and fell seriously ill right at the start of the semester; it was thanks to Hu Chuyang, who lived next door, taking care of him that he got through it.

Naturally, he and Hu Chuyang became friends.

Hu Chuyang studied acting and often had theatrical performances and competitions. As part of his “cheering squad,” Cheng Ruan often dragged Wu Zhou along to support him. Over time, people in the M University drama department joked that Cheng Ruan was Hu Chuyang’s “loyal fan.”

But shortly after, he returned home because of Cheng Duan’s passing, and Hu Chuyang began his acting career. The two gradually lost touch until they met again today.

“Xiao Ruan, there you are!” Wu Zhou’s voice drifted over. “I’ve been looking for you for ages. Come and play!”

Cheng Ruan was pulled back to the gathering by Wu Zhou. It was now evening; strings of lights twinkled on the erected canopy, and a bonfire burned brightly nearby. A group of people sat around a long dining table, preparing to start a “game segment” proposed by someone.

“What are we doing?” Cheng Ruan leaned in and whispered to Wu Zhou. “We aren’t actually going to play games, are we?”

“What else?” Wu Zhou tugged him down to sit. “Since you’re here, just relax. Can’t you stop thinking about work for once and just have a good time?”

“It’s not exactly work…” Cheng Ruan sighed and looked up in compromise. “Fine, I’ll take it as a way to relax.”

“Gentlemen.” A man dressed in a suit walked over, followed by several servers carrying drinks and delicacies. “I heard you are having an M University alumni gathering. These are from our boss. All entertainment expenses today are on the house.”

Cheng Ruan lowered his head to play with his phone as he heard someone ask excitedly, “Really?! Thank you so much! Is your boss also an M University alumnus?”

The manager nodded. “Yes, they are also holding a meeting here today…”

“Then can we invite them to join us after their meeting? This was originally meant to be an M University alumni gathering anyway…”

The manager smiled. “I will convey that to our boss. I wish you all a pleasant time.”

The host of the gathering continued to greet everyone enthusiastically as they prepared for the game. Hu Chuyang walked to the empty seat next to Cheng Ruan. “Xiao Ruan, can I sit here?”

Cheng Ruan looked up and nodded, moving slightly toward Wu Zhou’s side. “Of course.”

The game began. Wu Zhou volunteered to host. Cheng Ruan helplessly took Wu Zhou’s bag to look after it. “He really can’t stand not being in the middle of the excitement…”

Hu Chuyang gave a cooperative smile. “Wu Zhou always likes to liven up the atmosphere.”

Cheng Ruan was about to respond when he suddenly heard someone call his name. “Xiao Ruan! Your turn!”

“Huh?” Cheng Ruan looked up at Wu Zhou blankly. “What?”

“The time bomb!” Wu Zhou pointed to a phone that had appeared by his hand at some point. “Even though you didn’t catch it, it appeared by your table, so it counts as yours by proxy.”

“…” Speechless, Cheng Ruan picked up the phone. He exchanged a look with Hu Chuyang and asked Wu Zhou, “So what do I have to do now?”

Wu Zhou: “You have to answer the question from the person who set the alarm.”

“Fine.” Cheng Ruan asked the person who started the timer, “What’s the question?”

The person asked, “What type of person do you hope your significant other to be?”

As soon as the question was asked, people in the crowd began to jeer. “This question is outdated! Cheng Ruan is already a married man!”

“Exactly! You should ask… what part of your significant other are you most satisfied with—”

“No, no, no.” Seeing the teasing getting louder, Cheng Ruan quickly stepped in to stop it. “I’ll follow the game rules and answer the original question.”

Cheng Ruan thought for a moment and said, “I… I have no requirements for my significant other.”

He was telling the truth. Just as he had told Hu Chuyang before, he had never thought about what his own romance or marriage would look like, nor had he ever envisioned the personality or image of a “significant other.”

To him, it was too ethereal.

“I hope…” Cheng Ruan pursed his lips as Luo Mingzhi’s face flashed through his mind. “I hope he can keep his promises.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd that had been discussing heatedly suddenly fell silent.

Cheng Ruan turned his head curiously and unexpectedly looked straight into those pitch-black eyes.

A breeze picked up, and the night sky shimmered with silver light. Only that man’s figure stood straight and tall. Though he was still dressed in black, he did not blend into the night; instead, he stood before Cheng Ruan, prominent and superior.

A flash of disappointment crossed Hu Chuyang’s eyes. People around them whispered, “Isn’t that Mr. Luo?”

“No way? Why would he be here?”

“I think this place is also one of his properties?”

The host of the gathering stood up. “You… you are the owners here?”

The blonde man smiled. “I am Yu Xichuan, and this is Luo Mingzhi. We are also M University graduates. May we join you?”

“Of course! You two are distinguished alumni of M University! It’s such a coincidence to meet you here!”

Cheng Ruan watched as Luo Mingzhi walked over. His gaze briefly swept over Hu Chuyang before converging on Cheng Ruan.

Cheng Ruan nodded to him awkwardly.

“Is this seat taken?” Luo Mingzhi looked casually at Wu Zhou’s spot.

Before Cheng Ruan could answer, Wu Zhou answered for him, “No! Please, take a seat!”

The chair beside him was pulled out, and Luo Mingzhi sat down next to him. Cheng Ruan had no choice but to shift his own chair slightly away, which had originally been leaning toward Wu Zhou.

Sensing Cheng Ruan’s movement, Luo Mingzhi said nothing, lowering his eyes as he turned the ring on his ring finger.

Wu Zhou, caught in the middle, let his eyes dart around. “To welcome our seniors, how about we change the game?”

The people at the table were extremely cooperative. “Sure! Change it to what?”

“Hmm… ‘I Have, You Haven’t’? I saw it on a variety show before; it seems quite fun.” Wu Zhou explained the key points. “In a moment, I’ll randomly generate two numbers and pick two people from left to right to battle. The players hold up their right hand and take turns stating experiences or traits they believe only they have. If you have it and the other person doesn’t, they fold a finger; otherwise, you fold one of your own. The first person to fold all their fingers has to drink three glasses as a penalty!”

“Starting the number generation now!” Wu Zhou opened a mini-program on his phone and clicked “Start.” Soon, a number was randomly generated on the screen.

“Eleven!” Wu Zhou announced the first number with a smile. “From left to right… who will it be?”

“Gosh, it’s Senior Chuyang!”

Cheers erupted from the scene. Hu Chuyang, who was chosen, was also somewhat surprised. But being a celebrity who had seen many big scenes, he quickly calmed down and nodded, waiting for the next number to be announced.

“Let’s see who the lucky person battling Senior Chuyang will be.” Wu Zhou looked at his phone. “Nine!”

Wu Zhou, who had been in high spirits, suddenly went quiet. He did another count, seemingly unable to believe it.

“Uh, it seems to be… Mr. Luo.”