4: protocol

Yan Qinghe looked a lot like the Yan father, Yan Jinming, with somewhat sharp features. In common parlance, he had the classic look of a male lead from a domineering CEO novel.

He was wearing a suit, looking as if he had just come from the office. Although his sitting posture was relaxed, it didn't lack dignity; his bearing was even more elegant, steady, and reserved than it had been five years ago. It seemed the Yan Family's education over these years had been quite effective.

Yan Zhuohua greeted him and took a seat under his watchful gaze.

“Sorry, have you been waiting long?” Although he wasn't late, Yan Zhuohua still asked politely. After all, opening remarks were usually just variations of the same few things.

“No need to apologize, I arrived early,” Yan Qinghe replied directly. “It's twelve o'clock, let's order first.”

Yan Qinghe called for the waiter and handed the menu placed to the side to Yan Zhuohua.

Yan Zhuohua didn't stand on ceremony either, asking, “Do you have any preferences or dietary restrictions?” The number of times they had eaten together was very few, and he really hadn't noticed what Yan Qinghe's food requirements were.

“I'm not a picky eater; just order what you like.”

Not being picky was good; it meant one could eat anything without worry. Unlike Yan Zhuohua, who disliked onions—but onions were everywhere in both Western and Chinese cuisine. As one of the most common garnishes, sometimes you couldn't even tell from the dish's name if it contained them; it was truly hard to guard against. Because of this, Yan Zhuohua only went to a few fixed places when eating out, where the familiar dishes wouldn't go wrong.

This shop seemed to have opened within the last five years, so Yan Zhuohua had never been here. Not knowing the dishes, he could only order a few signature items based on experience. When handing back the menu, he hesitated for a moment but decided that avoiding onions was more important, so he instructed the waiter: “Don't put onions in any of them.” After speaking, Yan Zhuohua stole a glance at Yan Qinghe sitting opposite him.

Yan Qinghe seemed to have no reaction, merely saying to the waiter: “Add two glasses of corn juice, and please serve the food as quickly as possible.”

The waiter took the order and left with the menu, leaving only Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe in the private room. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

After a period of silence, Yan Zhuohua spoke first: “Was there something you wanted to see me about?”

Yan Qinghe looked up at him and said, “There is indeed something, but there's no rush. We'll talk after we eat.”

Hearing this made one feel as if whatever he had to say would definitely ruin one's appetite. Yan Zhuohua felt a bit uneasy, having a rather bad premonition.

The private room fell into silence once more.

Since it would take time for the food to arrive, they couldn't just sit there in silence, could they? Thinking this, Yan Zhuohua spoke up again: “I... haven't been back for a long time. How is the family? Is Mom and everyone else doing well?”

Hearing this, Yan Qinghe gave him a meaningful look and chuckled softly: “We all thought you had forgotten you even had a home.”

These words made Yan Zhuohua feel quite ashamed. “I didn't forget, it's just...” He struggled to organize his words for a long time but still couldn't come up with a perfect explanation.

Seeing this, Yan Qinghe didn't make things difficult for him any further. He simply raised his hand to refill Yan Zhuohua's water glass. “Don't be nervous, it's not like I can do anything to you.” As he spoke, Yan Qinghe noticed Yan Zhuohua seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Suddenly feeling playful, he continued, “However, early yesterday morning, Eldest Brother learned you were back from the Sheng Family's eldest son. He returned home that same afternoon, but he didn't expect that you wouldn't show up.”

This sounded even more terrifying. Yan Zhuohua’s face was instantly filled with despair.

Seeing that the aura of despair radiating from Yan Zhuohua was about to drown the entire room, Yan Qinghe finally found his conscience and changed the subject. “Now that you're back, you're not leaving again, right? What about your school?”

“I'm not leaving. It's summer break now, and I'll be a senior when school starts. I need to do an internship, so aside from submitting reports and such, it doesn't matter if I go back or not.” Yan Zhuohua's voice was listless, clearly not yet recovered from the shock.

Yan Qinghe seemed to look relieved. “That's good. Do you have plans for what comes next?”

Although Yan Zhuohua found it strange that Yan Qinghe would care about such things, he still briefly explained his arrangements. It was nothing more than resting for the summer break, catching up with old friends to restore their relationships, and then preparing for his internship.

While the two were discussing in detail, the waiter knocked on the door.

Dishes full of color, aroma, and flavor were brought to the table one by one. Yan Zhuohua scanned them each—good, no onions!

“It's twelve-thirty, let's eat.” Yan Qinghe said, seeing him looking at the food and assuming he was hungry.

Yan Zhuohua didn't hold back, and the two began to enjoy lunch.

Tasting the dishes, Yan Zhuohua felt this place suited his palate quite well and he could come often. It was just a bit far; for a former e-sports player, this distance was truly a bit daunting.

Once Yan Qinghe had mostly finished, he set down his utensils. Seeing this, Yan Zhuohua also stopped eating.

“If you're not full yet, keep going. Don't mind me,” Yan Qinghe urged him to eat more.

“No, I'm full too. Didn't you have something to tell me? Hurry up and say it. It's already one o'clock; aren't you going to the office this afternoon? Be careful not to be late.” Yan Zhuohua didn't continue eating; instead, he took a sip of corn juice, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and assumed an attentive listening posture.

“Alright.” Yan Qinghe also straightened his posture.

He took a document out of his briefcase and handed it to Yan Zhuohua.

Yan Zhuohua flipped open the document and wondered if he was dreaming because he had eaten too much.

“Marriage?”

“Yes, marriage.”

“...”

This was truly a bit ridiculous. Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe had barely met a few times. Furthermore, given their relationship as the real and fake young masters, people in their circles said that the fact they hadn't staged a dramatic 'palace struggle' was thanks to the many years the Yan Family had spent serving the country and protecting the people. How could this turn into a marital relationship?

Yan Qinghe looked perfectly natural, as if what he had proposed was as simple as scheduling another lunch.

“I don't really understand you.” Yan Zhuohua still couldn't figure out Yan Qinghe's reason for doing this. He felt that his five-year “runaway” was enough to show that he had no intention of competing with Yan Qinghe for anything.

Yan Qinghe easily read Yan Zhuohua's indescribable expression.

“It's not for the family inheritance or anything like that. It's just that I want to marry you.”

That was even more ridiculous.

Perhaps because Yan Zhuohua's confused expression was too obvious, Yan Qinghe knew it would be hard for him to understand the request. Moreover, he didn't have any intention of explaining for the time being, so Yan Qinghe didn't plan to explain why.

He only needed to achieve his goal; reasons and understanding could come slowly.

Yan Qinghe adjusted his tie and lowered his head slightly. The midday sun shone through the screen by the window, dappling the table. A few thin rays of gentle light fell on Yan Zhuohua's eyelashes, casting slight shadows on his face. His gaze was hidden in the shadows, making Yan Zhuohua sense a trace of sadness and distress for no apparent reason.

Yan Qinghe spoke slowly: “For the fifteen years I can remember, I have always...”

Before Yan Qinghe could finish, Yan Zhuohua quickly interrupted his trip down memory lane. “I know, I understand. You don't have to keep dwelling on the past. I know, this is what I owe you.” Yan Zhuohua's voice gradually softened, and the last sentence drifted out like a sigh.

Seeing Yan Zhuohua's expression, Yan Qinghe knew his judgment was correct—this might actually work.

Yan Qinghe was somewhat eager, yet he pretended to ask calmly, “Then this contract...”

“...”

Yan Zhuohua was quiet for a good while before slowly looking up.

“You... let me think about it,” Yan Zhuohua said somewhat shyly.

“How long do you need to think?” Yan Qinghe didn't want to let him off easily. If it dragged on too long and he snapped out of this guilt, it would be difficult.

“I...” Yan Zhuohua had originally intended to say ten days or half a month, but looking at Yan Qinghe's deep gaze, he unconsciously changed his tune. “Tomorrow, I'll give you an answer tomorrow!”

Yan Qinghe was extremely satisfied.

As soon as he said it, Yan Zhuohua regretted it. But it wasn't easy to go back on his word, so he started trying to make excuses.

“Does the family know about this decision? Aren't you afraid they'll have objections? That would be bad. And if this affects the company or the family, that wouldn't be good either. Shouldn't we consider all these things clearly first? Besides, this is a huge matter concerning your entire life! How can you decide so rashly?”

Yan Zhuohua scrambled to pull every reason he could think of from his brain, attempting to persuade Yan Qinghe to abandon this terrifying idea.

Having finally gotten Yan Zhuohua to agree to an answer, how could Yan Qinghe let him off so easily?

Yan Qinghe refuted Yan Zhuohua's points one by one: “I've considered everything you've said. The family has never interfered with the children's freedom of marriage; besides, everyone is exceptionally lenient toward me. It's even less likely for the company or family to interfere in my personal matters; all they want are benefits, which is easy to handle. As for myself, I am responsible for all my actions and have no regrets.” And how do you know I haven't given this deep thought?

Perhaps it was the phrase “no regrets” and Yan Qinghe's firm gaze that stunned Yan Zhuohua; for a moment, he couldn't find any words to argue back.

After a long while, Yan Zhuohua finally compromised.

“I will definitely give you an answer tomorrow, but you should also think it over clearly again.”

Yan Qinghe breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief. “Of course, I'll wait for your news.”

“It's getting late, you should go back to the office.” Yan Zhuohua didn't want to face this atmosphere for the moment and wanted to find a reason to end this lunch quickly.

“I'm the boss.”

“The boss should lead by example!”

Seeing that Yan Zhuohua was indeed getting a bit anxious, Yan Qinghe smiled knowingly and prepared to let him go.

“Alright.” Yan Qinghe placed a bag that was beside him in front of Yan Zhuohua. “Take the agreement back with you. I hope to see a signed document tomorrow.”

Yan Zhuohua took the bag and nodded.

Seeing that he had agreed, Yan Qinghe stood up and took his phone, preparing to leave. “Tomorrow, I'll be waiting for your call anytime, or you can come to the office.”

Without waiting for Yan Zhuohua's reply, Yan Qinghe pushed open the door and left.

The door to the private room closed, leaving Yan Zhuohua alone. He picked up the corn juice and drank it all in one go, then let out a long breath, leaning back in his chair as his strength left him.

Today's meal was truly intense. “Could it be that I provoked my fans, so I'm suffering retribution?” Yan Zhuohua murmured to himself.

Unable to figure it out for the moment, Yan Zhuohua stopped dwelling on it. He stood up, picked up the bag that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and left.

He hoped tomorrow would arrive slowly.