Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 15

With the conclusion of the market visit, the final task of the trip, their filming schedule in Nanfeng Village gradually drew to a close. After spending two days tucked away in the guesthouse for follow-up interviews, it was finally time to return home.

During the week of recording, both men had accumulated a mountain of unprocessed work. Upon returning home, they began working overtime without pause, spinning like two wound-up tops, rotating day in and day out at high speed.

Every morning, Ye Jiming left for the company. Often, he was gone before Le Xiao even woke up. When Le Xiao eventually came downstairs, all he would find was breakfast set out on the dining table and a note reminding him to “heat it up before eating.”

Le Xiao, for his part, usually had to go to the studio for recording. His new album was already in the preparation stage, involving numerous song recordings and music video planning sessions that needed to be completed. It was not much more relaxing than Ye Jiming’s nine to five office grind. Consequently, the only time the two had to communicate during the day was a few minutes of meaningless small talk while lying in bed before sleep.

This would not do. Even though this was Le Xiao’s first time in love, he knew that communication was the foundation of a relationship. If they hardly saw each other for days on end, how could they talk? During a break in recording, he sprawled on the studio sofa like a limp snake, thinking gloomily.

“Where is Ye Jiming right now? Is he in his office? Is he processing documents, or is he in a meeting? Has he eaten? What time will he be home tonight?”

“Is he thinking of me?”

He could not help but let his thoughts wander further until the producer called his name several times, finally snapping him back to reality. No, no. I am working. How can my head be so full of Ye Jiming? He quickly slapped his cheeks, forcing his thoughts back to reality.

While working, he seemed able to temporarily cast aside these stray thoughts. However, the moment he stepped out of the recording studio, those ideas flared up again like lingering ghosts, relentlessly haunting him. On the way to his next work location, an autumn downpour drummed against the car window, leaving behind trails of tears. The thoughts in his mind meandered like the rainwater into a river, flowing toward places unseen.

“We have not seen each other much or said more than a few words in so many days. Will he become distant?”

“Will our feelings fade because of this?”

“If this continues, will he stop loving me?”

He shook his head violently, trying to pack these thoughts away and hurl them from his mind. Le Xiao, oh Le Xiao, he thought. You used to mock ordinary people for becoming insecure and suspicious after falling into the red dust of romance. Who would have thought you would be exactly the same?

The “romance brain” truly was beyond saving.

“But if, if he really stops loving me, what will I do?”

“What will happen to my newly sprouted, first ever feeling of love?”

The teenager’s melancholy grew denser along with the rain. Struggling to maintain his composure until the end of the workday, he finally slumped into the passenger seat, pouring out his grievances to Xiang Nan, who was driving.

“Tell me, what if he stops loving me because we do not see each other, talk, or message every day?”

“How is that possible?” Xiang Nan kept his eyes on the road, not bothering to spare Le Xiao a glance. “How could he stop loving you just because you do not chat? If it were really that simple, would there be so many people out there making life and death scenes over love?”

“But it feels so miserable,” Le Xiao said gloomily. “I do not see him at all during the day.”

“Forget it. I tell you, but you will not understand,” he said crossly.

“Are you bullying me because I have been single since birth?” Xiang Nan turned the steering wheel and raised an eyebrow. “I may not understand love, but do I not understand communication?”

“If you are really that anxious, why do you not just ask him directly?”

“Ask him? Ask him what?”

“Ask him if he loves you. If he does not anymore, let him give you a straight answer. That is better than hanging yourself out to dry like you are doing now,” Xiang Nan said with a relaxed expression, as if it were not worth worrying about at all. “Besides, he told you he loved you before, right? He wanted to marry you so badly. Can you not tell?”

“The marriage was just our parents’ command. It was not about how much he wanted it,” Le Xiao said offhandedly, then suddenly paused.

The marriage was just an unavoidable command from their parents. Their affection was just an illusion played out for a show. Truth and falsehood, reality and fiction; he always seemed unable to see through the layers of the veil. Beneath the veil, how much sincerity was there?

“Ye Jiming, does he really love me?”

He suddenly realized that in all the time they had spent together, whether in truth or in pretense, Ye Jiming had never actually said the word “love.” So how could he ask him in person? How could he know if Ye Jiming truly loved him? What if all of this was just an act for him? What if all the sweet words, all the physical intimacy, and all the tolerance were just a disguise?

Originally, this marriage was a sham. Had it been the old Le Xiao, he would have wished for Ye Jiming to have not even a shred of sincerity. That way, they could play the loving couple in public for a while and go their separate ways in private, bothering no one. That was exactly the scenario he had dreamed of.

But now, Ye Jiming’s true intentions were hard to discern, and Le Xiao was already in deep. If everything was fake, if all the kindness and love were a lie, what would he do? A chill climbed from his feet up his spine, leaving Le Xiao shivering all over.

Ye Jiming, far away in his office, knew nothing of the young man’s first romantic anxieties. Having missed over a week of official business, he was already busy enough to be flying in circles. His spare time was not even enough for a cup of coffee.

In addition to his backlog, Mingkong had recently been expanding its business. A newly established development project was in its initial stages, requiring a massive investment of time, energy, and capital from the entire company. Documents flew onto his desk one after another, making it impossible for him to keep up, let alone pick up his phone to chat with Le Xiao. He could only catch a quiet glimpse of Le Xiao in the middle of the night when he returned home to find him already in the land of dreams. By the light of the bedside lamp left on for him, he would gently kiss the young man’s forehead.

“President Ye, the professor from T University has arrived with his students. He said he has an appointment with you to discuss the new project,” the secretary walked in, interrupting his thoughts.

“Yes, bring them in.”

The new project involved the research and development of robotics and artificial intelligence chips. The idea had first been proposed by a professor at T University, which had piqued his interest. T University was a domestic leader in the field of artificial intelligence, boasting first class faculty, students, equipment, and cutting edge research results. Ye Jiming himself was a graduate of the AI program at T University, so he naturally had great trust in his alma mater’s standards. Therefore, after the company discussed the matter, they decided to invest and support it. Before going to record the show, he had set a time to meet with the professor for negotiations.

However, he never expected that the person walking into his office would be a familiar face.

“President Ye.” Duan Weiyue walked in, wearing a white shirt with the top two buttons undone and a black suit jacket left unbuttoned, looking professional yet casual.

“Professor Duan.” Ye Jiming rose from his seat in surprise to greet him. “I only knew the professor coming today was named Duan. I did not realize it was such a coincidence. I did not ask about your specialty while we were on the show.”

“President Ye is joking. I just usually do research in the lab and lead students,” Duan Weiyue said politely. “I brought two little ones today to see the world. I hope you do not mind.”

“Not at all. They are my juniors after all,” Ye Jiming smiled, gesturing for Duan Weiyue and the students behind him to take a seat.

The two talked about professional issues for the entire afternoon. It was like two masters sparring, back and forth, in an exhilarating exchange. Unlike other executives who were outsiders to the field, Ye Jiming had studied the relevant major. Even though he had graduated several years ago, he could still communicate smoothly with industry professionals. Duan Weiyue did not need to struggle to explain professional terms or concepts. At the same time, after several years in the business world, Ye Jiming’s insights had become increasingly piercing. Often, Duan Weiyue only needed to provide a hint for him to quickly understand the intended meaning, and their professional depth grew deeper as they dug. The two students beside them, apart from an occasional comment, spent their time frantically taking notes, as if two professors were teaching them simultaneously.

As a result, the discussion about the project went exceptionally smoothly and even finished much earlier than expected. As they reached the end, Ye Jiming made the final call. “Then it is settled.”

“Thank you for your help, Professor Duan. Once the project officially starts, we will certainly need your further guidance to provide theoretical and technical support for Mingkong.” With that, he extended his hand to Duan Weiyue.

“President Ye is too kind,” Duan Weiyue said, reaching out to shake his hand. “I should thank you and Mingkong for being willing to put some of our impractical ideas into practice.”

Ye Jiming escorted Duan Weiyue all the way to the elevator. He watched his figure disappear behind the elevator doors before turning to ask his secretary, “Are there any more arrangements for today?”

“No, President Ye.”

Ye Jiming’s expression remained unchanged as he gave a slight nod, but internally, he was quietly jumping for joy. He could finally go home early to accompany the “little one” waiting for him.

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