Chapter 161: Midway

At 8:00 PM, Zhao Fan arrived at the private dining restaurant booked by An Zhen. Pushing open the door of the private room, he found only An Zhen inside.

"President Zhao, please sit."

With a calm expression, Zhao Fan took a seat: "President An."

An Zhen poured a glass of wine and pushed it across the table toward Zhao Fan: "Tonight, it is just the two of us."

Zhao Fan: "..."

Amidst the silence, he glanced at the glass of wine before him, then raised his gaze to An Zhen's face.

"May I know what President An's true purpose is?"

An Zhen's behavior was beginning to try his patience.

An Zhen rested her chin in her hands: "Of course you may. I only wonder if President Zhao is willing to hear it."

"If President An is referring to a business partnership, then there is no need to speak further," Zhao Fan stated bluntly.

An Zhen smiled faintly, her lips curving: "I am well aware of President Zhao's aversion to partnerships, so what I am about to say has nothing to do with business."

Hearing that it was not about a partnership, Zhao Fan's expression softened slightly. However, he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

An Zhen did not disappoint him and calmly proceeded.

"President Zhao is currently still single, am I correct?"

The corner of Zhao Fan's eyebrow twitched slightly, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

"What is the meaning of President An's words..."

"I presume that President Wu Qingfeng has already told President Zhao about my background, so I will spare you the details. I have a younger sister who happened to meet President Zhao a few days ago and fell in love with him at first sight..."

Zhao Fan's expression darkened: "Please do not joke, President An."

Some younger sister, some love at first sight—he did not believe a single word of it.

An Zhen raised an eyebrow: "Why does President Zhao think I am joking? I am merely speaking the truth. If President Zhao does not believe me, you are quite welcome to meet my sister first."

"I am sorry, President An, but I currently have no thoughts regarding romance."

"How can President Zhao say that? No one ever knows when their destined romantic encounter will arrive. Once you meet the right person, won't you have those thoughts?"

Zhao Fan fell silent. Since his rebirth, this was the first time anyone had ever tried to play matchmaker for him.

No, to be precise, across both his past and present lives, across the two lifetimes he had lived, this was a first.

What made it even more crucial was that the person attempting to play matchmaker was a prominent figure from one of the three great aristocratic families of Kyoto, and the person being introduced belonged to the very same family.

He, Zhao Fan, certainly possessed capability, but he also possessed self-awareness. How could the pampered eldest daughter of the Kyoto An family possibly fall in love at first sight with someone from a small city?

If there were no hidden calculations behind this, he would write his name backwards.

"President An, please do not mock me." Zhao Fan deliberately feigned ignorance while belittling himself, "I am merely someone who struck a stroke of good fortune; I am in no position to climb high enough to match the An family."

An Zhen sighed: "President Zhao, please do not sell yourself so short. Given the sheer scale of Feiteng, President Zhao is a match for anyone..."

Before An Zhen could finish her sentence, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

Zhao Fan and she turned their heads simultaneously and saw Du Xinyan standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Sister An, it has been a few years, yet you seem to have grown even more beautiful."

An Zhen smiled: "Not quite a match for Miss Du. I wonder what business brings Miss Du barging in here?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was merely passing by when I heard familiar voices, so I came in to take a look."

With those words, Du Xinyan walked over and seated herself right beside Zhao Fan.

"President Zhao, it has only been a few days, and yet you have already gotten acquainted with the An family's poisonous scorpion? Everyone in Kyoto knows that this poisonous scorpion loves to put on a facade. To your face, she holds you up high, but the moment you turn your back, she will sting you until not an inch of skin remains intact. Isn't that right, Sister An?"

An Zhen's smile remained remarkably magnanimous: "Miss Du loves to joke. Poisonous scorpion and such nonsense—aren't those all just groundless rumors?"

"Groundless rumors?" Du Xinyan rested her chin in her hands, her eyes blinking repeatedly. "Yet how is it that I heard Sister An did not even spare her own husband?"

The corners of Zhao Fan's mouth twitched. Did not even spare her own husband?

Just what on earth had this An Zhen done?

The smile finally vanished from An Zhen's face, her gaze tinged with a chilling coldness.

"Miss Du, words may be spoken casually, but one must not speak recklessly. Watch your words and actions."

Du Xinyan tilted her head: "I am merely speaking the truth. Why should I watch my words and actions?"

An Zhen stared at Du Xinyan. If she could, she would gladly use her own hands right now to drive this person out.

Zhao Fan lowered his gaze, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly. He had to admit, having Du Xinyan's stubborn tenacity aimed at an opponent was rather gratifying.

"Oh my, why is Sister An looking at me like that? You are making me feel shy."

Du Xinyan covered her face, perfectly demonstrating the word "shy" to its absolute limit.

As for whether she was actually feeling shy or not, only she herself knew.

Because of Du Xinyan's interruption, An Zhen found it inconvenient to bring up the previous topic again.

Zhao Fan played dumb to brush it off and prepared to leave the moment the dinner ended, not even bothering to look after Du Xinyan.

However, no matter how fast he moved, he could not outpace Du Xinyan, who simply went ahead and blocked his path on the only route out.

"President Zhao, I just got you out of a tight spot today. Don't you feel a twinge of conscience treating me like this?"

Through the car window, Zhao Fan looked at Du Xinyan standing outside, feeling completely at peace inside, and even somewhat amused.

"Miss Du, if the two of us truly must define our relationship, it is merely that of a superior and a subordinate. For you to come running here to block my car..."

"I helped President Zhao."

Zhao Fan: "..."

That was one point he truly could not deny.

Du Xinyan curved her eyes into crescent moons: "See? Even President Zhao cannot deny it. As payment, it wouldn't be too much to ask President Zhao to give me a ride home, would it? Oh dear, it is so late at night, and for a young woman to walk home alone... what if something were to happen..."

Before Du Xinyan could finish, Zhao Fan gestured toward the back seat.

"Get in the back."

No matter how little regard Zhao Fan had for Du Xinyan, he would never leave a young woman to walk home alone.

Yet Du Xinyan did not move, simply staring at him in silence.

After a long moment, Zhao Fan frowned: "I told you to go to the back. Why are you still standing there?"

Du Xinyan tilted her head: "I don't want to sit in the back."

Zhao Fan was momentarily stunned before suddenly realizing: "The front passenger seat is out of the question."

He had only agreed to give Du Xinyan a ride because he was uneasy leaving her, but if she was going to push her luck and make demands, he would never agree.

"Don't even think about it. Within three counts, make your choice: get in or stay standing right there."

Without a trace of politeness, Zhao Fan began his countdown: "Three."

Du Xinyan pouted: "Must President Zhao be so unyielding? It is just the front passenger seat. What harm is there in me sitting there?"

"You said it yourself, it is merely the front passenger seat, so there is no need to insist on sitting there." Zhao Fan resumed his countdown: "Two."

His foot was already poised over the accelerator; the moment Du Xinyan caused any further trouble, he would drive away immediately.

Du Xinyan's expression flickered through several changes before she finally conceded defeat and climbed into the rear seat.

"Bang!"

The car door slammed shut, and with a stomp on the accelerator, Zhao Fan sped off into the distance.

"Address," he demanded coldly.

Du Xinyan let out a sigh: "President Zhao, has anyone ever told you that you are utterly devoid of romantic sentiment?"

Zhao Fan remained silent, too lazy to engage with her. Never in his life had he encountered a woman capable of arousing such strong aversion in him, not even his wife from his past life, Wang Ying.

"President Zhao, treating a young woman like this is liable to..."

"Shut up!"