The CEO's Beloved Wife

Chapter Two: Liu Zhenwei's First Date

Mu Zihan curled up in a soft chair, its back perfectly supporting her neck. According to Lu Dong, this was the most comfortable chair in the entire internet café and her exclusive spot. She sipped the coffee Lu Dong had personally brewed for her, idly browsing web pages. Suddenly, a thought of Gu Ao crossed her mind. They were high school classmates, their relationship was ordinary back then, and they had only exchanged letters twice during their four years apart at university. They would occasionally meet during holidays. Zihan had always been fond of him—not just because he was handsome, but because he excelled in things she couldn't do. She admired and perhaps even idolized him, eventually developing feelings for him. However, Gu Ao was always aloof. When she wanted to start a relationship, he appeared, but when she missed him, he was nowhere to be found. She never knew what he was doing or if he liked her. Sometimes he would take her out with his friends, but never introduced her as his girlfriend. He had endless conversations with his friends, but when alone with her, words were scarce. Often, Zihan wanted to impulsively ask if he liked her, if she held a place in his heart, but her pride and fear of rejection always stopped her. Her longing turned into sorrow, and she helplessly waited for an answer that never came.

While Zihan was lost in thought, someone tapped her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Liu Zhenwei.

"Didn't you say you were busy today? What are you doing here?" Liu Zhenwei asked with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Zihan smiled and replied, "I’m busy because I'm here!" Liu Zhenwei was taken aback. Despite her smile, he sensed a lack of interest in her demeanor, which left him feeling slightly defeated. After a moment, he said, "Let’s go for a walk. The smoke here is terrible, and the air isn’t great either." Thinking about the person she had been waiting for who never showed up, and seeing that her friends on QQ were all offline, she agreed.

The moonlight outside was hazy, perfect for a romantic date. They walked aimlessly along a path. Liu Zhenwei felt inexplicably nervous and couldn’t find a suitable topic to discuss, while Zihan was naturally quiet. After a while, Zihan suddenly said, "It’s getting late; I should go home."

"So early?" Liu Zhenwei was reluctant but couldn't insist since they weren’t familiar enough. "Let me walk you home," he offered. Zihan nodded. To break the silence, Liu Zhenwei asked, "Where are you working now?" Zihan smiled and replied, "At the Chinese office of a foreign company." Under the moonlight, her smile had a magical allure that drew him closer.

"A foreign company, huh? So, you deal with foreigners often?"

"Yes, every day."

"Your English must be quite good then?"

"Just average."

"You're modest. My English is terrible, so I really admire people who are good at it!" Zihan couldn’t help but laugh at his comment, unsure if he was complimenting her or implying something else. Before they knew it, they reached her home. "I'm home. Thank you for walking me back. Good night!"

"So soon?" Liu Zhenwei was disappointed; he wanted to spend more time with her. Zihan smiled and walked into the hallway. Liu Zhenwei quickly stopped her, "Wait!"

"What is it?"

Feeling a bit awkward, Liu Zhenwei stammered, "Could you give me your phone number? Maybe we can go for a walk again when we're both free." After a moment of hesitation, Zihan gave him her number, which he quickly noted.

Their first date ended simply. On his way home, Liu Zhenwei felt inexplicably excited. When he entered his home, humming a tune, his mother called out from the living room, "Zhenwei, come here!" He sat next to her, smiling, "What is it, Mom?" Seeing her son's carefree demeanor, she sighed and said, "You're still the same. Today, Mrs. Zhou from next door introduced a girl to you. Her father is a bank manager, and they have a good family background. She's supposed to be quite pretty. Do you have time this weekend to meet her?" Upon hearing another matchmaker suggestion, Liu Zhenwei sighed and leaned back, "No need. I'm still young; there's no rush."

"Zhenwei, you're already twenty-five and don't even have a girlfriend. In a few years..."

Before she could finish, Liu Zhenwei interrupted, "I already have someone in mind, and you'll definitely approve!"

His mother lovingly patted him, "You're teasing me again!"

"No, it's true!"

"How long have you known her? What does she do? What about her family?" Liu Zhenwei, annoyed by his mother's barrage of questions, covered his ears dramatically and stood up, "She's as beautiful as a goddess!" He then walked towards his room. His mother quickly grabbed him, "Wait, tell me more about her. What’s her family like?"

Growing impatient, Liu Zhenwei replied, "We just met. I don't know much yet. I’m going to sleep!" He hurriedly escaped to his bedroom, thinking how scary women can be at a certain age, but couldn’t help but smile as he thought of Mu Zihan's lovely smile again.