He observes the willowy girl following behind the school's vice principal into the room, her eyes trained on the ground dutifully.
He can tell, however, the moment she notices his presence in the room as she raises her head and her eyes take on a calculating glint, observing him from head to toe, while her face remains completely impassive.
Interesting.
Maintaining a neutral facade especially when meeting a potential business partner or competitor has been ingrained into him as he learned business at the knee of his grandfather. But he doubts this girl learned the skill the same way.
Children exposed to domestic abuse, much like soldiers who have seen combat, are constantly hyper-aware of danger in their environment.
He wonders briefly when this child had lost her innocence and become this way.
"CEO Zhang, this is Han Yu. Ms. Han, Mr. Zhang Yi Zhou," Deputy Principal Liu introduced them, as Yi Zhou stood up from the couch he had been sitting on and approached the two.
"It's good to meet you, Ms. Han," he greets first, holding out his hand to the teen in front of him.
The girl in question narrows her eyes at him for a moment, cocking her head slightly to the side, before the tips of her full lips quirk up in a slight smirk, like something she'd found to be boring suddenly turned out to be very interesting. It's a disconcerting expression to see on someone so much younger than he is, but he was glad to see she didn't look dead-eyed anymore.
"Nice to meet you as well, sir," she replied, shaking his hand once before letting go immediately.
"Ms. Han, I'll just be on the other side of the room doing some work. Just approach me when you're finished talking," Deputy Principal Liu assured her, giving him a slightly suspicious look before leaving them alone.
He would be offended over being accused of preying on a young girl like Ms. Han if he wasn't here to do something worse, which was propose marriage to an underage student. In a way, he couldn't exactly blame the school administrator for being concerned over a full grown man asking to meet a teenager in his school. It's only because his mother has a lot of pull with this particular school that he's been given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to see Ms. Han.
There's a long awkward silence between them as they sat opposite each other, observing the other silently. Anyone else would be eagerly asking what he wanted to see them for or what he wanted exactly, but Ms. Han seems to be content looking him up and down and cataloging his every move.
"Ms. Han," he began, breaking up the awkward tension that was starting to creep up amid the silence. "I'm not sure if you're aware but your late grandfather, Han Jin Luo, and my grandfather, Zhang Mu Yan, fought together in the war 55 years ago. During their stint in the army, Lieutenant Han saved my grandfather's life but ended up losing a leg and being honorably discharged. They maintained their friendship until your grandfather's death."
Han Yu doesn't outwardly react, just continues to look at him in a scrutinizing manner, so he continues his story.
"Prior to your grandfather's death, my grandfather proposed that they should arrange their eldest grandchildren for marriage as a way to repay him saving his life and ensuring the continuation of the Zhang line," he continued. "It was originally supposed to be their children, but they both had sons."
"Ah, I see," she finally said, and the look in her eyes says that she really does see the conclusion of his story. However, she doesn't say anything more and just looks at the table between them with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Do you believe me then?" he asks, hesitantly.
If this were a normal business meeting, he would likely just steamroll over the other person, but this was his possible future wife, someone his grandfather has urged him to treat with respect. But she's also a teenager and he remembers very well how volatile his emotions were when he was her age, so he doesn't quite know how to proceed from here.
Han Yu looks up and straight at him for a moment before replying. "Your suit and shoes are understated but made of the highest quality materials, that jacket, in particular, is made of fabric that is only produced in one European city. Your manners speak of rigorous etiquette training, likely since early childhood. Even if I hadn't been told you were the heir of the Zhang Group, it's obvious you come from old money, likely with at least several hundred years of history judging by your grandfather's concerns over continuing the line," she said.
"Why would a young master of an upper-class family seek marriage with someone from a family with nothing to offer? I might have a genius-level IQ, but you could just hire me as your conglomerate annually recruits specialists from a wide a variety of fields. Otherwise, family history, pedigree, wealth or even an incredibly significant achievement, I don't have any of that. You are too well-brought up and much too busy to propose as a joke, leading me to believe that this could only be real."
He can't help but smile at her accurate assessment. He may not feel comfortable discussing marriage with a minor, no matter how close to 18 she may be, but it's incredibly rare to meet someone who is just as intelligent as he or she appears on paper.
"Indeed, Ms. Han is as impressive as your achievements and scores show," he said, nodding his head in acknowledgment.
Han Yu smiles, but it's not exactly a happy one, more like a mocking little quirk of the lips. "Got a background check on me, did you? Well, it's not surprising considering your background and how much money you stand to inherit."
He shrugs, a little uncomfortable about her knowing he had a background check done on a minor, but not exactly sorry about what he did. "I'm glad Ms. Han understands that precautions always have to be made, especially in such an important case."
She perches an elbow on the armrest of her seat and leans her chin on top of her hand. "Go on then, convince me."
Yi Zhou narrows his eyes at her, not expecting the question. "I'm sorry?"
Han Yu just smiles at him mockingly. "I don't have an emotional investment in our grandfathers' plan and I'm not particularly interested in tying the knot at 18. Mr. Zhang isn't interested in marrying me either, but your grandfather is likely pushing you into this and you are much too filial to refuse and break his heart. If you are here, that means you have exhausted every avenue to try and get out of this arranged marriage and have thus prepared to make a deal with me to make a possible marriage between us bearable. However, my grandfather is dead, and my parents are unlikely to agree even if you approach them. So tell me, Mr. Zhang, how you plan on getting me to marry you under these conditions."
It chafed a bit, to hear such a young brat tell him so plainly she is not even considering marrying him and that he has to convince her to agree to this, but if he were in her shoes, he wouldn't jump into it either, no matter how attractive or rich the other person is. Marriage is one of the most important deals in one's life after all, it should be treated as such.
He leans back against his seat, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Then Ms. Han Yu, please tell me what are your terms."
Han Yu shakes her head. "CEO Zhang, I may not know much about business, but I know enough not to make the first offer. I would like to know what you are willing to offer me in exchange for my freedom," she says, the last word sounding very much bitter despite the mocking smile on her face.
A chip in the armor.
Yi Zhou can spot a weakness a mile away and Ms. Han Yu just revealed hers.
Freedom is a concept he's very much taken for granted for most of his life. While he has had to undergo training and lessons even as a child, he has always been free to do what he wants for the most part. His parents had wanted him to study in the top school in China, but he'd insisted on Yale. They'd even allowed him to have a gap year, even though it had pushed the timeframe of him entering the company.
But Han Yu, who has likely felt shackled her entire life, whether by her abusive and neglectful parents, her gender, her social status and lack of any money and the advantages it brings, must yearn for freedom more than anything else.
And she would have been banking to be free of her parents the moment she became a legal adult, but now here he was, offering a different type of shackle that would chain her to a more luxurious cage, but still a cage nonetheless.
Ah, this is a test.
She is aware he has a hundred ways of coercing her into this marriage with or without her or her family's approval, but she is waiting to see if he would do that or actually try to convince her.
"Three years. We only have to stay married for three years and only after you turn 21 or finish university, whichever comes first," he starts, carefully observing her expression and body language. "A full ride to any university, no matter which country, and a monthly allowance that would cover all expenses. If you do not want to attend college, I could help you gain an apprenticeship with whichever company or specialist you prefer. Even after our marriage ends, you will have a standing job offer with Zhang Group in whichever field you prefer that will be available to you for the rest of your life."
Her expression doesn't change much, but he can tell she is genuinely surprised by his offer due to the slight widening of her eyes.
"No money, villas or jewelry? Or offers to make me some sort of celebrity or something?" she asks, brows furrowed for the first time in suspicion.
Yi Zhou huffs in amusement and exasperation. He almost wants to laugh at the suspicious look in her eyes, but he knows that wouldn't go over well with her. "I wouldn't insult you by offering an actual amount or material things you don't actually want. I may not be a genius like you, but I am a successful businessman for a reason you know," he explained.
"I am very aware that while you stand to gain some monetary and material things by marrying me, not mention a boost to your social status, you are still doing me a favor. And with your intelligence and talents, it is not difficult to see you would be successful in the future and gain all of what I could have offered yourself. Thus, I decided that I could offer you a definite timeframe, freedom and some assistance to help you get to wherever you want to be in the future."
Han Yu continues to look at him suspiciously for a long moment, before giving him a small, impressed-looking smile. "Mr. Zhang is indeed a skilled businessman who did his research," she acknowledged. "You'll put all this in writing?"
"Of course. I can have the contract ready within the day, though you won't be able to legally sign it until you turn 18 so we have time to iron it out," he replied. "Do you have any conditions or additional terms to add?"
Han Yu looks away for a moment, toward the window, looking contemplative. She then turns to him, a serious expression on her face. "I will be the one to tell my parents upon my discretion. And before I turn 21, either of us can break the engagement and the contract without repercussions, if we have a valid reason to."
He nods in agreement, "Of course, we will set an out clause. We would need to define the terms that would be valid reasons to end the contract, but we can discuss it during the contract negotiations."
He pauses, uncertain how his next words would be received, but seeing no way around it, he continues, "I don't have any problem with you telling your parents at your own time. However, my grandfather and parents are very traditional, so they assume that if we go through with this, our families would meet before the actual wedding. I could give you six months after I tell my own family about your agreement to inform your own parents before my grandfather, father and mother start pestering me to introduce them to their future in-laws."
Han Yu frowns for a moment before her expression returns to back to blank. "That's fine, I can live with that."
Yi Zhou smiles, glad their talk went smoothly. Honestly, if all his prospective business partners were as reasonable and intelligent as Han Yu, he wouldn't nearly be half as stressed as he is nowadays.
He was pleasantly surprised by the girl. He didn't know what he was expecting, perhaps someone more broken and weak-minded due to the years of abuse, someone who would try to either gain his sympathy or run away from him entirely, but he never expected someone who could match him word for word and probably outsmart him altogether, if she had his experience and background.
Three years. He could deal with her for three years. If he could get through a business course in an Ivy League while working part-time, he could handle a girl eight years younger than him.
It would be peaceful and drama-free at least, based on her personality and how she handled even unexpected occurrences.
Of course, he never expected that he would be proven wrong even before she turns 18.
+
After thanking Deputy Principal Liu, she headed back to her classroom, face completely blank as she stared in front of her.
She didn't notice the admiring or jealous looks aimed at her, nor the way the students automatically parted to give way to her.
Her mind was busy contemplating the man she had just met.
Mid-20s. Takes care of himself meticulously. Did not touch offered drink or couch with hands, mild case of OCD. Likely due to upbringing rather than trauma. Played a sport regularly, but injured his left ankle five to six years ago. Injury healed right, but it's become a habit to lessen pressure on his left leg.
Smart, arrogant, but never boasts, never flaunts, never shows his hand. Honest and straightforward when necessary, but not naturally manipulative. Family can sway his decisions, no matter how much he disagrees with them, but he will still do things on his own terms. Won't fall for a pretty face, but a sob story can soften him. Uses flattery as a weapon.
Despite thinking himself to be ruthless and cutthroat, he has too many openings, too many weaknesses that can be exploited by her or anyone.
Well, she won't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Now, how to use this arrogant young master...