The Year He Claimed Me

[Darling, I have an unexpected meeting this morning. Won't be back in Su City until this afternoon, arriving around 3:30.] [Qi, asleep?] [Meeting starting now, might not reply immediately.] Vibrations hummed from Lorraine Luo's phone tucked inside her bag. Sebastian Pei had sent three messages in quick succession, but Lorraine, asleep in her seat, didn't hear them. She'd attended a business dinner the night before, ending well past midnight, and had risen before dawn to catch the first high-speed train to Su City. On the train, lulled by soft music, she'd drifted off. Lorraine woke an hour and a half later. Reading the first message, she paused; it took her a moment to adjust to the term 'darling'. In all their years together, Sebastian usually called her by her name or 'Qi'. 'Darling' was rare. She glanced up at the information screen. [Three stops to Su City. Just woke up.] Sebastian was likely still in his meeting; ten minutes passed with no reply. Lorraine locked her phone and turned to watch the scenery blur past. Both she and Sebastian were from Su City. This weekend, they'd planned to return together to finalize their wedding venue. The ceremony was scheduled for mid-December. Booking the venue was secondary; the main point was seeing each other. Since the start of the year, they'd been living apart – her in Beijing, him in Shanghai. Both were busy, and it had been nearly two months since their last meeting. Approaching noon, Lorraine arrived at the station. Her mother's call came right on cue, asking if she'd arrived. "Mom, just got off the train, haven't left the station yet." "Did Sebastian come to pick you up?" "He had an unexpected meeting, won't be back in Su City until this afternoon." "Why didn't you say so earlier? I could have asked your uncle to fetch you." "No need, taking a taxi is easy." The timing of her trip was unfortunate; both her parents were away on business trips. Lorraine hailed a taxi. Instead of heading to her family home, she input the address of their new marital apartment into the app. She had two large suitcases. The driver got out to help stow them in the trunk. The marital apartment was a lake-view penthouse, one of Su City's premier properties. Neither she nor Sebastian would spend much time living in Su City – perhaps ten days to half a month a year. But Sebastian had insisted they have wedding homes in all three cities they frequented, and only the best would do. Lorraine knew all of Sebastian's passcodes by heart. Arriving at the lake-view apartment, Lorraine keyed in the code. It was her first time seeing the furnished place; Sebastian had sent videos earlier. All the furniture had been chosen according to her taste. She found new slippers in the shoe cabinet, changed into them, and texted Sebastian to say she'd arrived safely. Half an hour later, Sebastian called. Lorraine was unpacking one of her suitcases; she'd brought back some personal items and clothes to leave at the new place for future visits. Setting down the clothes, she took the phone out to the viewing balcony. "Just finished the meeting. Have you had lunch?" Sebastian's deep voice came through. "Not yet. I'll order something once I finish unpacking." Lorraine leaned on the railing, watching ripples dance on the lake surface, then changed her mind. "Let's go out when you get here. I'm not hungry right now." A brief silence hung on the line. Sebastian couldn't make it for lunch. "Qi, I can't come back this week. A project has issues. I'll order lunch for you now," he apologized, his voice thick with regret. "Is it serious?" Lorraine asked, concerned. "Yes, quite tricky." His inability to return brought disappointment, but fixing the project was paramount. Sebastian was now an Executive Partner at Huanheng Capital. If he deemed it serious, the project must be in real trouble. Lorraine understood. "You focus. I'll handle the venue booking myself." Sebastian hesitated, wanting to say more. He'd promised to return to Su City to book the venue and accompany her for her wedding dress fitting, only to break that promise last minute. In all their years together, he'd never let her down before. "Sorry, Qi." "It's okay." After a pause, Sebastian suggested, "I'll be pulling all-nighters for the next few days. Why don't you come to Shanghai? Keep me company at the office while I work?" Lorraine answered without hesitation, "I won't come. After booking the venue, I'll head back to Beijing. Come see me when the project is stable." She wouldn't dream of distracting him at the office when he was swamped. If it were her project in crisis, she wouldn't be in the mood for a date either. She understood his position. Sebastian chatted with her for another ten minutes before hanging up to order her lunch. Usually, this task fell to his Assistant, but today he handled it personally. He selected several of her favorite dishes. An hour later, Lorraine was enjoying the meal Sebastian had sent, complete with a fruit platter. She took a photo and sent it to him: [The food from this place is really good.] Sebastian replied: [It just opened. I'll take you there next time we're in Su City.] He then asked: [When are you viewing the banquet halls?] Lorraine: [This afternoon.] Sebastian forwarded contact information for managers at several five-star hotels: [Book whichever style you like best.] Lorraine added each manager, scheduling viewings for the afternoon. The hotels all shared the same major shareholder, Robert Zhao, a longtime friend of Mr. Pei. Robert Zhao had even offered to redecorate the banquet hall entirely if its style didn't suit her. Seven years ago, when she was still accustomed to luxury, Lorraine might have taken him up on that offer. Back then, with money and confidence, perfection was her standard. But now? Not anymore. At 3 PM, Lorraine arrived at the first hotel. She was greeted by the General Manager's secretary, Emma Yang. Emma Yang had anticipated Lorraine would be beautiful – she'd seen many beauties in her line of work – but her first sight of Lorraine still struck her with awe. Tall, striking, yet with a calm, distant aura accentuated by her porcelain skin. Her features were serene yet carried an inexplicable coolness. As Lorraine approached, Emma Yang introduced herself and guided her towards the elevators. Lorraine smiled politely. "Thank you for your time." Emma Yang returned the smile. "Not at all." She couldn't help another glance. Lorraine wasn't just beautiful; her voice held a captivating, melodic quality. Emma Yang found herself wanting to chat more. If this woman chose to be coquettish, who could resist? she thought. She'd heard snippets about Lorraine and Sebastian. Rumor had it the Pei family initially disapproved of the match, wanting Sebastian to marry someone of equal social standing. But Sebastian had held firm, and eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Pei had relented. The Pei family ranked among Su City's top three wealthiest clans, and Sebastian himself was exceptionally capable, a target of many socialites' affections. Lorraine's family had once been well-off; her parents ran two companies. But seven years ago, an investment failure led to bankruptcy. Charles Luo had been left with tens of millions in debt. Emma Yang wasn't sure if it was all paid off yet. The elevator reached the sixth floor. Lorraine and Emma Yang stepped out. This hotel, newly built last year, was unfamiliar to Lorraine. The banquet hall featured a stunning, pillarless design with an ethereal oceanic theme, capable of hosting sixty-six tables. After the tour, Lorraine decided immediately: this would be their wedding venue. Leaving the hotel, she messaged Sebastian: [Venue booked. Chose the one we just saw.] Sebastian replied swiftly: [I've already told my parents we're booking there. Don't worry about anything else. Do you want to try on dresses? Or should we wait until next month when I can join you?] Lorraine didn't hesitate: [Next month.] Sebastian promised: [I'll make time no matter how busy I am.] He apologized again for breaking today's plans: [Once this project is stable, I'll make it up to you with several days together.] Lorraine: [Don't worry about it. Work comes first.] Even as she typed the words, a pang of regret lingered. She'd looked forward to this reunion for so long, only to miss him. Lorraine didn't return to the marital apartment. Instead, she took the metro back to her family home. Unlike Sebastian's upscale neighborhood, her home was in the old city, nestled within a narrow alleyway. The house, passed down from her late Grandparents Luo, had stood empty for years. Seven years ago, when their family villa was seized, her parents, Charles Luo and Claire Jiang, had moved here and stayed ever since. Crossing a stone bridge, Lorraine entered the cramped alley. The old house wasn't a standalone dwelling; a small courtyard housed three families. Their neighbor, Grandma Qian, sat in the shaded courtyard enjoying the cool air. Seeing Lorraine, she went inside and returned with two slices of watermelon. "Your mother said you'd be back this week. Shame she's busy and can't see you." Grandma Qian had watched Lorraine grow up. Lorraine didn't stand on ceremony. She accepted the watermelon, sat on a small stool beside the old woman, and chatted while taking bites of the refreshing fruit. "Your mother said you were back to book the wedding venue. All settled?" "Yes," Lorraine nodded, telling Grandma Qian which hotel she'd chosen. Age often brought a tendency to advise. Grandma Qian spoke earnestly: "Your grandmother isn't here, so I feel I should say what she might have. Once you're married, it's best to move back. Young couples shouldn't live apart for too long; it can cause problems." Lorraine listened attentively. "I'll move to Shanghai next year." "I've heard your mother say your boss is good to you, values you highly." Grandma Qian sighed, conflicted. Quitting such a position seemed a waste, but staying meant the young couple struggled to meet. "Not exactly quitting, transferring to a branch office." Lorraine was assistant to the Vice Chairman, Eleanor Jiang. She'd already discussed with Eleanor Jiang her plan to end the long-distance separation after marriage. After five years of training under Eleanor Jiang, Lorraine was now highly capable. Eleanor Jiang had promised to transfer her to Shanghai to head Yuanwei Group's branch office there. Eleanor Jiang was the aunt who raised the group's formidable CEO, Alexander Jiang. Their bond was closer than many mothers and sons. A promise from Eleanor Jiang was as good as done. After finishing the watermelon, Lorraine went inside to unpack. The old house had two compact bedrooms. Her room felt stuffy from disuse. Lorraine opened the window to air it out. Her phone rang on the desk. Thinking it was Sebastian, she hurried over. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was a senior contact from one of Yuanwei Group's partner companies. Answering, they exchanged pleasantries before he asked: "Lorraine, how's Eleanor Jiang's surgery? Stable now? I'd like to visit the hospital tomorrow; could you help arrange it?" Lorraine: "..." She was stunned. Eleanor Jiang was in the hospital? As Eleanor Jiang's assistant, she had no idea her boss had undergone surgery? This was a monumental failure. Even blindsided, Lorraine betrayed no surprise. Calmly, she replied, "Of course, no trouble at all. I'll arrange it and get back to you." After hanging up, Lorraine immediately called Eleanor Jiang's Driver. She learned Eleanor Jiang had been admitted on Friday for a gallbladder removal. She was now stable with all indicators normal. As for why she hadn't been informed? The Driver explained: "It wasn't intentional, Lorraine. Eleanor Jiang's orders. She didn't want to disrupt your trip back to Su City to finalize the wedding plans and try on dresses." Lorraine felt a complex mix of emotions. "I'll return first thing tomorrow." She ended the call and immediately changed her return ticket. The next day at noon, Lorraine was back in Beijing. Eleanor Jiang was on the top floor of the private VIP ward. Security at the entrance included Bodyguards Lorraine recognized as belonging to Alexander Jiang. The realization that Alexander Jiang might be in the room sent a ripple of dread through her. Within the entire Yuanwei Group, aside from Eleanor Jiang, no one felt entirely at ease around Alexander Jiang, especially when he fixed his silent, intense gaze upon them. His work team operated under palpable pressure. No one in the CEO's office dared slack off, let alone slack, during work hours. The upside of this relentless efficiency was minimal overtime. The CEO's office staff often enjoyed two-day weekends most months and generally clocked out on time – a schedule envied throughout the industry, even by Lorraine herself. She'd even once entertained the idea of joining Alexander Jiang's office. The Bodyguards recognized Lorraine and waved her through. She nodded her thanks, holding a bouquet of flowers. Unsure if Eleanor Jiang was resting, Lorraine instinctively softened her footsteps. The door to the room was slightly ajar. A weak but animated voice drifted out: "...Being sick has its perks. Peace and quiet. Your parents, especially your father, haven't dared pester me these past few days. You wouldn't believe it, the day before my surgery, he called me, telling me to hurry you along, 'settle things.' Infuriating." "Next time he nags, Aunt, just tell him I'm not done playing yet. Need another year or two." The reply was a cool, clear voice laced with a deliberately flippant laugh. "You want to give the man a heart attack?" Eleanor Jiang teased, then her tone shifted, becoming more meaningful. "But you... if you keep sinking deeper like this... what will you do?" Lorraine only caught fragments, but it was clearly private. Not her place to hear. She turned and walked back down the corridor a short distance, then approached the door again, this time letting her footsteps sound normally. Inside, the conversation seemed to pause as Alexander Jiang heard her approach. Lorraine gave a soft knock. Peering through the gap in the door, Alexander Jiang saw her outline. "Enter." Lorraine pushed the door open. Her eyes first landed on Alexander Jiang, seated on the sofa, legs crossed. Eleanor Jiang turned her head slowly. "It was a minor procedure, really nothing. But you... you finally had a trip home, only to rush back like your hair was on fire! Did you even have time to look at dresses?" Lorraine smiled, offering a white lie: "Dress is chosen, venue is booked." Only after responding to Eleanor Jiang did she turn to acknowledge the other presence in the room. "Mr. Jiang." Her gaze flickered towards Alexander Jiang's face but didn't quite meet his eyes, veering away from his overwhelming presence almost immediately. Alexander Jiang gave a slight nod. His gaze lingered on her face for two or three seconds, then shifted away, seemingly casual.