At 11:10 AM, in a small conference room at the Jinxiu Grand Hotel where he was staying, Yu Chuanbai, the representative of Baining Medical Technology, solemnly shook hands with Yan Ziruo, her brother’s sole representative, as their respective teams looked on.

This signified that the two parties had reached a consensus on the specifics of their collaboration.

With the major terms of cooperation already set, the two sides had mainly engaged in a back-and-forth discussion over details like payment methods, timelines, the definition of “practical use” for the surgical robot, how the surgical fee share would be paid, and liability for breach of contract.

Assisted by Mr. Jiang, the plastic surgery center’s retained lawyer, Yan Ziruo had thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of a business negotiation.

Now, after more than two hours of arduous negotiations, they had finally reached an agreement.

Yu Chuanbai checked the time and said, “Miss Yan…”

“You can just call me Ziruo…”

Yan Ziruo corrected him with a smile. “The negotiations are over. Let’s be friends now.”

Yu Chuanbai chuckled. “Alright!”

“Ziruo, it’s almost lunchtime. I’ve reserved a table for two at the hotel’s Western restaurant. Please, do me the honor.”

“Of course…”

Yan Ziruo excitedly started to accept, but then she remembered Mr. Jiang, who was still busy nearby, and an awkward expression crossed her face.

“Don’t worry about Mr. Jiang.”

Yu Chuanbai explained, “Once they’ve drafted the cooperation agreement, my assistant will invite Mr. Jiang to lunch with them.”

Seeing how thoughtful he was, Yan Ziruo exchanged a few words with Mr. Jiang and then joyfully accompanied Yu Chuanbai to the Western restaurant.

After they ordered, Yu Chuanbai asked directly, “Ziruo, I’m sure you’ve noticed that my sister has taken a liking to your brother, haven’t you?”

Yan Ziruo nodded, looking a little troubled. “I’m guessing my dense brother is the only one who hasn’t noticed Su Ye’s feelings.”

Yu Chuanbai chuckled. “When I was studying in the United States, I met other geniuses like Mr. Yan.”

“They’re incredibly profound in their professional fields, but in areas that ordinary people find simple, they can be complete idiots.”

After a pause, Yu Chuanbai said slowly, “I have no objection to Su Ye liking Mr. Yan. In fact, I’m quite relieved.”

“An eccentric genius like Mr. Yan is usually quite pure of heart. Even if he doesn’t like my sister, he won’t be like some scumbag who would trick, use, or hurt her.”

Then Yu Chuanbai abruptly changed the subject. “About Lu Yao, who was at the barbecue yesterday—do you know much about him?”

Yan Ziruo said slowly, “Not really, but I could tell he’s interested in Su Ye?”

Yu Chuanbai hummed in agreement and explained, “Lu Yao is one of the so-called ‘Four Young Masters of Jingcheng.’ The Lu Family controls the Saint Yuan Biopharmaceutical Group, which currently has a market capitalization of about fifty billion.”

After a pause, Yu Chuanbai added in a low voice, “Lu Yao is the marriage candidate my grandfather and parents carefully selected for Su Ye.”

Yan Ziruo gasped in surprise and asked with a worried look, “Chuan Bai, don’t tell me this Lu Yao is the eldest son of the eldest son, destined to inherit the Lu Family’s vast fortune?”

Yu Chuanbai couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course not. If he were shouldering that kind of responsibility, he never would have earned the title of one of Jingcheng’s ‘Four Young Masters.'”

“The ones truly being groomed by the family are usually quite low-key. They spend their days either studying or being mentored by their elders. They have no free time to go out gallivanting.”

He further explained, “Lu Yao’s father is the second son in his family, and Lu Yao himself has an older brother and an older sister.”

“As the youngest in his immediate family, Lu Yao was spoiled and became a bit wild. However, after meeting Su Ye, this kid declared he wants to turn over a new leaf and settle down, saying Su Ye is the only one for him.”

“Under these circumstances, the Lu Family is also very much in favor of this marriage.”

Realization dawned on Yan Ziruo. “So, in other words, the elders on both sides approve, and Lu Yao is completely smitten.”

“And right now, Su Ye is the only one who disagrees?”

Yu Chuanbai took a sip of ice water. “That’s the situation at the moment.”

“To be honest, my grandfather had his own selfish reasons for choosing Lu Yao. He wants to leverage the Lu Family’s power.”

“Of course, Mr. Yan is also exceptionally brilliant.”

“It’s just that the direction of his brilliance isn’t quite what my grandfather is looking for… unless Mr. Yan can become a titan in the medical world. To be specific, he’d need to reach the level of an academician, at least.”

Yan Ziruo frowned. “There’s not enough time for that. He’d have to be in his forties or fifties to even have a chance of being elected as an academician, right?”

She asked tentatively, “Chuan Bai, don’t people believe in the freedom to choose who you marry these days?”

Yu Chuanbai smiled faintly. “As a family of doctors, the Yu Family is still quite conservative in many respects.”

“Especially the older generation’s way of thinking.”

He said meaningfully, “Su Ye is prepared to resist.”

“But if she doesn’t get enough support from Mr. Yan’s side, there’s a limit to how long a girl can hold out on her own.”

Yan Ziruo understood. She quickly declared, “Chuan Bai, my brother is just a little dense, but he’s not a lost cause.”

“He’ll understand Su Ye’s feelings soon.”

At this, a thought struck her, and she asked, “Chuan Bai, your marriage… is it also…?”

Yu Chuanbai finished her sentence. “Also arranged by the family.”

Not giving up hope, Yan Ziruo asked, “Are you going to fight it?”

Yu Chuanbai shook his head. “Arranged marriages aren’t all bad. Her personal qualities and family background are both excellent. I’m quite satisfied.”

“The wedding is set for the end of the year…”

Hearing this, Yan Ziruo’s expression remained calm and breezy, but inwardly, she was cursing up a storm.

‘Damn it, another hope dashed…’

That Mr. Gao was quite efficient.

The same day he received the call from Wang Chuan, he had one of the three candidates—who happened to be filming at the Binhai Film and Television City—rush over.

The man’s name was Shen Qing. He came from a local opera troupe and had left to become an extra because he dreamed of being an actor.

He had struggled and clawed his way up for nearly ten years, doing everything from being an extra to a martial arts double and a stuntman.

But even after all this time, he had only managed to land a dozen or so minor roles with just a few lines—a dozen at most.

Now, he had been fortunate enough to be discovered by Mr. Gao.

The man was very talkative. From the moment he met Yan Feifan until they finished dinner together, he never stopped talking.

Yan Feifan wanted to learn more about him, so he would ask a question from time to time, guiding the conversation to keep him talking.

As Shen Qing spoke, Yan Feifan kept mentally superimposing several plastic surgery plans onto the man’s face.

Shen Qing’s features were actually quite handsome.

However, his eyes were somewhat long and narrow, and his lips were a bit thin, which made him look slightly effeminate and lacking in masculine presence.

When Shen Qing mentioned that he had trained in martial arts roles since he was a child, had good skills, and had worked as a martial arts double many times, the first thought that popped into Yan Feifan’s mind was…

‘He’s perfectly suited to play a master from the Ming Dynasty’s Eastern Depot or Western Depot.’

By the time Yan Feifan concluded their conversation, he realized it was already almost ten o’clock at night.

Yan Feifan tidied up, took off his white lab coat, picked up his briefcase, and left the research office with Shen Qing. They continued chatting as they walked out of the emergency department and arrived together at the hospital’s south entrance.

“Shen Qing, I’ll come up with two or three proposals. We’ll decide on the final plastic surgery plan with you and Mr. Gao.”

Shen Qing bowed politely and said, “Mr. Yan, thank you for all your trouble!”

The two waved goodbye to each other at the hospital entrance.

Afterward, Yan Feifan unlocked a shared bike, got on, and began to ride slowly in the direction of Zuimo Court…

A few minutes later, Yu Suye, who was still busy in the emergency department, received a call from Yan Feifan.

“What? You already left?”

“It completely slipped your mind?”

Hearing this, Yu Suye was furious.

She threw two punches at the air in front of her, pretending it was Yan Feifan.

‘We were supposed to bike back together so I could make sure he got home safe.’

‘And that idiot just forgot and left by himself.’

“Feifan, I give up. You’re unbelievable. Don’t bother turning back. I’ll pack up and leave now.”

Yu Suye replied, frustrated.

Just as she was about to end the call, the obnoxious ROARING of an engine came through the phone.

It was immediately followed by a loud BANG from a violent collision and Yan Feifan’s sharp cry of “AHH!”

Then, another BANG…

Noticing that the call with Yan Feifan had been abruptly disconnected, Yu Suye felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss, her whole body trembling from the cold…

P.S.

Thank you to our reader “Long Xiang Sheng Teng” for the generous tip!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep