"We won't put up with this!" Chen Yan stood up abruptly, reaching out to grab Shen Lan's hand to march out of there.
Shen Lan was almost reduced to tears from laughing.
Did she think she married He Songquan?
"Sit down and listen to me. It's not He Songquan."
Pulling Chen Yan back to her seat, Shen Lan resumed speaking only then.
"This time, I really didn't settle. He was introduced to me by my mom. He's devilishly handsome, and tall, too - towering over one point eight meters. He's even got abs - eight of them! Not a bad deal at all."
"Really? Are you kidding me again?" Chen Yan asked, genuinely concerned.
Shen Lan lifted four fingers, swearing to heaven, "Truthful as a pearl."
Seeing Shen Lan's own reaction to her words, Chen Yan finally let out a hearty laugh. She relaxed.
"You're not going to ignore me when you're married, right?" asked Chen Yan, while carefully sipping her newly served coffee. She was clearly tense.
"Of course not! He may be after my money, but he's not in it for the emotions," Shen Lan answered with her eyes half-closed, unsure if she was reassuring herself or her friend. "This is great - no real emotions involved, it's the best thing for everyone."
When they were younger - reckless and naive - they used to hold emotions at highest regard, devoted to each other through thick and thin.
Only until they took the toll of the emotional rollercoaster they learned that a relationship built on trust and material support was not to end up scattered by the first storm it encountered.
What good are feelings?
Money is much more reliable.
Seeing Shen Lan falling into her nostalgic musings again, Chen Yan hastily decided to change the subject. "Hey, what's he like as a person? What's his job? When are you two planning on getting married? I insist on being the bridesmaid!"
A flurry of questions from Chen Yan had Shen Lan unintentionally charmed. Between chuckles, she answered all of them in order,
"He's a nice person, incredibly honest. I heard he's an early-stage entrepreneur. He's often on business trips, mostly for client visits."
"What about the wedding? When will it happen?" Chen Yan asked, unable to hold her eagerness.
They had always promised each other they'd be each other's bridesmaids.
Sipping her coffee, Shen Lan hesitated for a moment before answering, "The wedding is nothing more than a formality. He has no parents and comes from a poor background. I don't care for a ceremony."
"What?!"
Chen Yan smacked the table, causing those at nearby tables to turn their heads towards them. Only then did she realize her reaction and quietly seated herself, leaning in to whisper to Shen Lan.
"Shen Lan! You must be out of your mind! He's clearly a typical gold digger! All he got was a marriage document! He might sell you without you even realizing it!"
Upon hearing Chen Yan's words, Shen Lan was laughing so hard she was leaning back against the couch. She replied with a smile, "That won't happen. I've roamed the social scene long enough to have a keen eye for people."
"At worst, he's just a slightly egotistical bookworm." Occasionally, he'd reveal a sultry charm...
The moment Shen Lan remembered him saying "I miss you to the point I can't sleep" last night, she felt an unbearable urge to wash her eyes.
It was just... too cheesy.
If Xu Tingfeng heard their conversation, he would probably get injured trying to hold in his laughter.
Their sister-in-law thought that the hotshot businessman, Young Master Cheng, was just nothing more than an egotistical... what?
A nerd?!
But he was indeed, very sultry.
Their sister-in-law probably hadn't seen when this nerd, out of sheer boredom and on a whim, completely reshuffled the entire business circle's personnel.
Tsk, cold-blooded...and ruthless.
Seeing Shen Lan utterly ignoring her advice, Chen Yan decided to stop preaching.
As long as Shen Lan was happy and living comfortably, Chen Yan would support her unconditionally.
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Yan still decided to tell Shen Lan, "Um, Lan, our school is planning a reunion next weekend. I heard he'll be there too..."
"A school reunion, huh?" Shen Lan bobbed her leg, casually tapping her heel against the floor, "I won't go to the reunion. I am a married woman now. What if my husband needs my company? Right?"
Shen Lan raised an eyebrow at Chen Yan and grinned mischievously.
Seeing her lighthearted manner, Chen Yan finally let out a sigh of relief. She poked some fun at Shen Lan, "Aren't you ashamed!"
But deep down, she was genuinely happy for her.
How wonderful.
Her Lan Lan had finally regained the youthful brightness in her eyes. Here's to hoping that everything goes smoothly in the future!
Just when Chen Yan was about to finish her coffee and drag Shen Lan to the shopping mall, the latter's phone rang.
One look at the caller ID and Shen Lan's mood visibly darkened.
That man... at some point he had sneakily changed his contact name on her phone.
"Dear husband I love you" was flashing wildly on the large screen causing Shen Lan's temples to throb violently.
Before Chen Yan could lean in to see who was calling, Shen Lan quickly accepted the call. From the earpiece came a soft yet magnetic voice that asked bluntly, "Where are you?"
"What's up?" Shen Lan responded, noticeably irritated.
"Can't I want to see my newly wedded wife?"
"beep, beep, beep -"
Shen Lan casually ended the call, her face stoic.
She knew it! Not a single serious word ever emerged from that man's mouth!
Chen Yan, who had been eavesdropping, was now dumbfounded. In disbelief, she looked at Shen Lan, stammering, "This... Is this the...egotistical...bookworm you talked about?!"
Shen Lan coughed deliberately, "And northern."
Chen Yan: ...