Chapter 1
Shen Yu had been sitting in the coffee shop for fifteen minutes when his two friends finally arrived.
The contrast between them was striking—Su Xiaole bounced in with his usual cheerful energy, while Bai Qingxian moved with quiet refinement, his reserved demeanor evident even from across the room. You could spot their completely different personalities from miles away.
After they’d settled in and ordered, Shen Yu waited until the waitress had served everything before finally setting down his coffee cup. “I have something to tell you both. Try not to freak out.”
Su Xiaole and Bai Qingxian exchanged glances, then straightened in their chairs like soldiers preparing for battle. “We’re your friends,” they said in unison. “We can handle it.”
“Yan Jin and I are getting married.”
Both men immediately leaned back as if they’d been physically pushed, eyes wide with identical expressions of shock.
“Which Yan Jin?” Su Xiaole asked weakly.
“The ‘Jin’ as in ‘strictly forbidden’?” Bai Qingxian added, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shen Yu sighed. “Who else would it be? Stop acting like I just told you I’m marrying an alien. Let’s talk about this seriously.”
Bai Qingxian’s lips twitched into a smile. “Sorry, but your dramatic announcement activated our fight-or-flight response. It’s practically hardwired into our DNA at this point.”
Despite his gentle appearance, Bai Qingxian was actually the group’s resident master of sarcasm—proof that you really couldn’t judge a book by its cover. But after his quip, he sobered up quickly. “What’s going on? Why are you suddenly getting married, and to Yan Jin of all people?”
Su Xiaole nodded frantically. “Exactly! Everyone knows you two can barely be in the same room without starting World War Three!”
The situation was complicated. Shen Yu worked at Shen Yao Group—commonly known as Shen Group—where he was the chairman’s grandson. Yan Jin worked at Yan Zhen Group—the Yan Group—as the chairman’s nephew. Both chairmen happened to be the largest shareholders of their respective companies.
Individually, Shen Yu and Yan Jin were fine. But put their names together, and the atmospheric pressure would drop for miles around, sending anyone who knew them running for cover. The reason was simple: watching these two interact was like witnessing a slow-motion car crash—painful but impossible to look away from.
Shen Yu settled back in his chair like a storyteller preparing for a long tale. “It all started half a month ago.”
Half a month earlier:
On what had started as a perfectly sunny day, Shen Yu received a wedding invitation from his ex-boyfriend.
Yu Feng was genuinely a nice guy. Usually, after a breakup, ex-lovers either never spoke again or, if they managed to stay friends, rarely invited each other to their weddings. But Shen Yu and Yu Feng were the exception to every rule.
Their breakup had been remarkably civilized—no screaming matches, no thrown objects, just a mutual recognition that they worked better as friends than lovers. They’d discovered too late that their personalities clashed in ways that only became apparent when romance entered the picture. Rather than torture each other further, they’d made the mature decision to let go. In Shen Yu’s words, “Yu Feng deserved better than what I could give him.”
So when the wedding day arrived, Shen Yu attended with proper courtesy and, as expected, ran straight into Yan Jin—his college classmate and universally acknowledged mortal enemy.
It wasn’t really surprising they’d cross paths. Shen Yu, Yan Jin, and Yu Feng had all attended the same university and been in the same department.
“President Yan,” Shen Yu said with a smile so polite it could cut glass.
“Oh, President Shen!” Yan Jin’s greeting was positively theatrical in its enthusiasm.
The moment they acknowledged each other, everyone within earshot automatically retreated five steps, creating an impromptu circle around them like they were about to duel. People who’d been approaching to say hello suddenly found urgent business elsewhere—nobody wanted to get caught in the crossfire between these two corporate titans.
“Yu Feng’s already married,” Yan Jin observed with false concern. “How is it that such an outstanding person like President Shen is still single? We’ll all be waiting to hear your good news.”
Translation: Your ex moved on, but you’re still alone.
Shen Yu’s response was delivered with lazy precision. “Can’t compare to President Yan, who’s managed to stay single for twenty-six whole years. At least I’ve had someone before. When President Yan finally meets his first love, I’ll book an entire venue to celebrate such a momentous occasion.”
Translation: You’ve been single since birth, and you’re laughing at me?
Yan Jin was undeniably handsome, but it was a sharp kind of beauty—even his smiles had edges. “No rush. One soulmate is enough for a lifetime, don’t you think?”
Shen Yu lazily raised his champagne glass. “Then I wish President Yan actually meets someone in this lifetime.”
“President Shen must pray very hard for me then, wishing me success in matters of the heart.”
They clinked glasses with a sound so crisp it made everyone around them wince. The crystalline chime perfectly matched their razor-sharp smiles.
Wishing each other eternal solitude wasn’t their usual greeting—that was just today’s wedding-themed variation. On different occasions, these two would find increasingly creative ways to step on each other’s nerves and ruffle each other’s feathers. They never repeated the same insult twice, and together they could create a tornado of passive-aggressive energy that affected everyone within a three-mile radius.
You’d think if they hated each other so much, they’d just avoid each other. But Shen Yu and Yan Jin were nothing if not “courteous.” When they encountered each other, neither ever deliberately walked away. Only after they’d finished their ritual exchange of barbs and parted ways did other people dare approach them.
Yu Feng really was a sweetheart—mild-mannered and kind, with a partner who was equally cheerful. Shen Yu offered them genuine congratulations. Yu Feng was glowing with happiness, his cheeks flushed with joy. During the toast, he pulled Shen Yu aside and said, “I really do hope you find your own happiness soon. I sincerely want you to live well.”
“I’ll treasure that wish,” Shen Yu replied.
Though even as he said it, he didn’t take it to heart. His relationship with Yu Feng had revealed some uncomfortable truths about his own personality flaws. With the way he was, smooth romantic relationships would probably remain elusive.
Yu Feng looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end just smiled and clinked glasses with Shen Yu one final time.
When it came time for the bouquet toss, it landed squarely in Shen Yu’s arms. He caught it reflexively, and amid the cheers and applause, felt genuinely sorry for the flowers. What a waste, giving this to me.
After the midday reception ended, Shen Yu had no plans to stick around. He handed his keys to the designated driver and settled into the backseat, but just as the car started moving, the driver slammed on the brakes before they’d even left their parking spot.
Shen Yu had been resting with his eyes closed, and the sudden stop made him look up. “What’s wrong?”
The driver spoke carefully, “The car next to us…”
His employer’s car was expensive enough to bankrupt him if he so much as scratched it, and he was terrified of having to pay compensation. Worse, the car beside them looked equally expensive—he couldn’t afford to hit either one, so he was being extra cautious.
Shen Yu glanced over. Among today’s guests, there weren’t many who could afford a car in this price range. Most were college classmates in their twenties who, even if they were high achievers, were still in the grinding phase of their careers. As he was wondering who it could be, the rear window of the adjacent car rolled down, revealing exactly the face he’d expected.
Yan Jin had also been drinking and had his own designated driver. Shen Yu lowered his window and met Yan Jin’s gaze, thinking: What are the odds? Truly, enemies are destined to cross paths.
“President Yan, please go first.”
“How could I? President Shen, you should go first.”
The hotel’s parking lot design was terrible—the spaces were cramped and their cars were both quite long. Both drivers were being extremely careful, terrified of scratching the expensive vehicles, straining to hear how their employers would resolve this standoff.
“Why be so polite with me?” Shen Yu asked.
“It’s only proper,” Yan Jin replied smoothly.
The drivers felt their anxiety spike. It sounded polite enough, but something about the tone felt… ominous.
Shen Yu leaned against his window, chin propped on one hand. “You go first. That way you won’t have to look at my face that annoys you so much. Isn’t that better?”
Instead of moving, Yan Jin studied Shen Yu’s face carefully. “When you’re not talking, your face is actually quite pleasant to look at.”
And Shen Yu was genuinely beautiful—different from Yan Jin’s sharp-edged handsomeness. He had clear, bright eyes, especially those peach-blossom shaped ones that seemed naturally affectionate, and features as refined as something from a classical painting.
“What a coincidence,” Shen Yu replied sweetly. “I was just thinking President Yan is devastatingly handsome. Too bad about the mouth.”
Shen Yu had an excellent tolerance for alcohol, and the few glasses at lunch hadn’t even fazed him. But Yan Jin’s sharp eyes caught the faint tiredness on his face—unusual, since Shen Yu rarely let his guard down around him. Yan Jin sat back, no longer looking directly at him but not closing the window either. His voice drifted out casually, “Fine, you go first. It’s obviously you who wants to keep me out of sight and out of mind.”
Shen Yu gave a soft “Mm,” not bothering to deny it. “For both our sakes, I hope we don’t run into each other again anytime soon. Drive.”
Ideals are beautiful; reality is harsh. As if his words had been a cosmic challenge, the very next afternoon after Shen Yu made that declaration, he and Yan Jin found themselves sitting face-to-face once again.
Silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
Finally, Yan Jin spoke first. “I heard something yesterday that concerns both of us.”
Shen Yu drummed his fingers against his arm. “Grandfather mentioned something to me last night too.”
They looked at each other, and despite being enemies, their thoughts aligned perfectly: We’re talking about the same thing.
Sometimes the person who understands you best is your opponent. After all, you spend so much time studying each other’s weaknesses.
In perfect unison, they said: “Marriage alliance.”
Bingo. Same topic.
They’d just wished never to see each other again, and now their families had arranged their futures together. Crystal clear manipulation. Shen Yu’s grandfather and Yan Jin’s uncle had already decided everything, set it in stone.
After countless thoughts raced through their minds, Shen Yu spoke in a purely businesslike tone: “A marriage of convenience. Strictly for our mutual interests.”
Yan Jin caught on immediately, lifting his eyes to respond: “Mutually beneficial arrangement.”
In any normal situation, this would’ve been the perfect moment to shake hands and seal the deal. Unfortunately, neither extended a hand. They were in agreement, co-conspirators now.
Back in the present:
Bai Qingxian took several sips of coffee to steady himself, studying Shen Yu’s expression. “How are you so calm about this?”
“What’s the alternative? Crying, screaming, or threatening suicide won’t cancel the marriage.” Shen Yu signaled the waitress for a refill, then casually dropped another bombshell. “We already got our marriage certificate.”
“Pffft—” Su Xiaole choked spectacularly, spraying coffee everywhere. “Cough, cough, cough!”
His friends showed appropriate disgust but still patted his back to help him breathe. When Su Xiaole finally recovered, he gasped, “Are you insane? You moved that fast?”
“Getting the certificate is the easy part—just sign some papers, get a stamp, take a photo. It’s the wedding planning that takes forever, but other people are handling that anyway.”
“That’s not the point!” Su Xiaole sputtered. “The point is you actually got married! To Yan Jin!”
The idea of mortal enemies who insulted each other at every meeting suddenly teaming up for domestic life was mind-boggling. Would they bicker over everything? Fight about who controls the thermostat?
Bai Qingxian frowned. “You didn’t object at all?”
Su Xiaole’s imagination immediately conjured a dramatic scenario of Shen Yu rebelling against his grandfather’s wishes, failing spectacularly, and going from fury to resigned defeat—which would explain his unnatural calm today. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Did your grandfather pressure you? That’s terrible! What century does he think this is?”
Everyone talked about free love, but what was true freedom anyway? It was all relative. Shen Yu glanced at him. “Sit down. I don’t know what soap opera you just imagined, but let me clarify—I didn’t fight with Grandfather.”
Su Xiaole’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“If I had someone I genuinely cared about, Grandfather would’ve investigated them thoroughly. He told me straight up that I’ve been single too long, so I was already mentally prepared for an arranged marriage. I just didn’t know who the candidate would be. Filtering by age, family background, and character, Yan Jin was obviously on Grandfather’s shortlist. It’s not that surprising.”
Bai Qingxian looked stunned. “Did you just… praise Yan Jin?”
“I did not. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Su Xiaole counted on his fingers. “You literally mentioned his character… Forget it. Even if his character is decent, you two have no chemistry whatsoever. There are no feelings involved. The fact that you didn’t object at all is making me wonder if years of you two going for each other’s throats was just an elaborate performance!”
Shen Yu picked up his refilled coffee cup with the same calm as if he were discussing the weather, not his own marriage. “It’s a business alliance, nothing more. It’s about profit. He’s a suitable candidate. When news of our marriage breaks, stock prices for multiple subsidiaries of both Shen Group and Yan Group will rise. There’ll be numerous business advantages.”
Bai Qingxian looked at him with something approaching sadness. “But in everything you just said about your marriage, two words are completely missing: ‘like’ and ‘love.'”
Shen Yu’s fingers paused on his cup handle. Yan Jin’s face flashed through his mind for just a moment before being quickly buried under practical considerations.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly, his voice steady and final. “It doesn’t matter.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
