Encountering Han Jingnian that day, there were only three words in Xia Wan’an’s heart: a lifetime.
He was the one she saw at a glance, the one she had already determined and wanted for a lifetime.
— From “I Really Want to Live Next Door to You” by Ye Feiye
In the spacious and bright office, Xia Wan’an stared at Han Jingnian, who was sitting at his desk. After waiting for a moment and seeing that he noticed her presence without stopping his work, she took the initiative to speak, “I… I came to find you because I have something to tell you.”
Han Jingnian’s fingers paused on the keyboard, and he stopped for a moment, but he didn’t look at her. His voice was calm and cold when he replied, “Go ahead.”
Feeling distant and aloof, Xia Wan’an hesitated to speak. After a long silence, she saw Han Jingnian raise his head with a puzzled look, and she mustered the courage to say, “I… I want to say, I can marry you.”
Han Jingnian was momentarily stunned, but in a brief moment, he returned to his usual calm and indifference, “I don’t want to marry you.”
With just five simple words, Xia Wan’an’s fingertips instinctively clenched her clothes. She seemed afraid of revealing something to him. Without much hesitation, she quickly continued, “I… I know… I know you don’t like me and don’t want to marry me… but they arranged a marriage between us…”
Xia Wan’an struggled to find the right words as she spoke. After a while, she still didn’t want to give up like this. She bit her lip and tried a different approach, “…You can rest assured, this is just a transaction between us. After we get married, I promise not to affect your current life. And as for the cooperation you want, I’ll have my father facilitate it… I don’t like you, and my intentions are simple. I’m doing this just to make my father happy… so, you, you can…”
Before Xia Wan’an could finish her sentence, Han Jingnian spoke up. His voice was alluring, but his tone was chilly, “I have a meeting now, do as you please.”
As he spoke, he stood up and picked up a document from the table.
Xia Wan’an opened her mouth, wanting to say something else to persuade Han Jingnian, but the words never left her lips. Han Jingnian treated her as if she didn’t exist, leaving her behind and walking away.
As the heavy office door closed, Xia Wan’an finally shifted her gaze from the direction Han Jingnian had left.
She glanced around his office and eventually focused on his desk.
Staring at the spot where he had just been sitting, a touch of warmth appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by a hint of sorrow.
She knew he didn’t like her, wouldn’t marry her, but she still couldn’t give up and came to test him…
…
Han Jingnian adjourned the meeting and returned to the office two hours later.
As he walked toward his desk, he spoke to his secretary trailing behind him. By the time he sat down in his chair, he had finished speaking, and the secretary finally had a chance to speak, “Mr. Han, Miss Xia left two hours ago…”
Facing this statement, Han Jingnian’s expression remained unchanged.
The secretary continued, “I suggested having the driver take her, but Miss Xia declined.”
Han Jingnian maintained his nonchalant demeanor, as if the secretary were merely air.
“This is a document that Lawyer Chen asked me to deliver to you.” The secretary spoke again for the third time and handed over a document.
Han Jingnian finally reacted. He nodded slightly and swiftly opened the document. As he read its contents, his brow furrowed.
“Mr. Han?” Seeing that Han Jingnian didn’t respond promptly, the secretary spoke again.
Han Jingnian snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the secretary.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll go now.”
Han Jingnian murmured an acknowledgment. After the secretary stepped away, he once again looked at the document in his hand.
As he read, anxiousness seemed to overtake him, and he tossed the document into a drawer. He then powered on his computer and immersed himself in his work.
However, his keystrokes betrayed his lack of focus.
This state continued for about an hour. He pulled open the drawer again, took out the document, and leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the ceiling.
He sat there alone in silence for a long while. Finally, he picked up his phone, dialed Xia Wan’an’s number, and it was answered quickly.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Xia Wan’an’s voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised yet timid, “Hello?”
Han Jingnian didn’t dwell on the tone in Xia Wan’an’s voice for too long. He spoke directly, conveying the essence of his message, “I can marry you.”
…
After ending the call, Xia Wan’an stared at the call history on her phone in disbelief. She looked at it several times before confirming that Han Jingnian had indeed called her just now.
He said he could marry her… He actually agreed to marry her… But he had clearly refused so decisively in the afternoon. How did he suddenly change his mind after just a few hours?
Although Xia Wan’an was puzzled, a trace of joy still couldn’t be contained, and it appeared in the arch of her eyebrows.
Since the first time she met him, she had been waiting for a chance to get closer to him. She had been waiting for six years, almost two thousand days and nights, and finally, she had waited for this opportunity…
Yes, she liked him. Liked him a lot, a deep kind of liking.
The day she met him, there were only three words in her heart: a lifetime.
He was the one she saw at a glance, the one she had already determined and wanted for a lifetime.
However…
The joy that had only lasted for a short while faded from Xia Wan’an’s eyes, and a shadow fell over her expression.
He agreed to marry her… But he said other things too…
He said, “I don’t want to have too much interaction with you. This marriage is just like you said, a transaction, in name only.”
He also said, “I hope you can stick to your words and not affect my life. Don’t cause trouble for me. If possible, don’t let irrelevant people know about our relationship.”
…
Two years later.
Xia Wan’an was working late today and returned home at ten o’clock in the evening. As she pushed open the door, she was met with darkness and silence throughout the entire room.
Without exaggeration, out of 365 days in a year, there were 360 days where she returned to this same scene. Yet, every time she faced this situation, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of disappointment.
Han Jingnian… Once again, he didn’t come home…
Xia Wan’an stood at the doorway for a moment before turning on the lights and changing her shoes. Then, as usual, she practiced pre-sleep yoga, took a shower, did her skincare routine, and got into bed alone in the empty room.
Late into the night, while Xia Wan’an was sound asleep, she was awakened from her dreams in an instant. Even before opening her eyes, she could recognize Han Jingnian’s distinct scent.
She blinked and immediately opened her eyes, “You’re back?”