His figure clearly paused for half a step. In the past, it might have been fine, but now Jing Mian couldn’t help being exceptionally sensitive to the name Ren Congmian.
However, Song Yuhang lifted his chin, gesturing toward a nearby promotional poster.
A group of students had already gathered around it, forming a queue to take photos. The midday break was bustling with people, and the atmosphere was lively: “Ren Congmian is coming to our school?”
“Right, check the forum; it’s all over the place.”
Jiang Chen added, “I heard it’s for a charity event. It just happens to coincide with our centennial anniversary, which lasts for several days. Now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.”
“A University is full of hidden talents.”
.
Jing Mian understood.
Ren Congmian… is coming to their school?
Jing Mian had been busy with club training lately and hadn’t had the time to browse the forums. When he finally opened them, he found that the excitement had already been boiling over. The homepage was prominently displaying a red banner: [Ren Congmian is really coming to A University!?!]
1L: [WTF, someone of his caliber coming to our school? Is the news accurate??]
2L: [Absolutely, the schedule has been leaked. Fan groups and celebrity forums are all buzzing.]
3L: [The day after tomorrow!! I’m ending my vacation and heading back to school. My leg is still broken, but I don’t care.]
4L: [Dude, you’re really dedicated…]
5L: [I’m from the neighboring high school. Can anyone from A University tell me if students without ID cards can enter the campus? QAQ?]
…
The schedule must have been set a while ago.
Jing Mian thought about it. Since Mr. Ren had never mentioned it to him, this event probably had nothing to do with him.
After all, with the crowd and the public nature of such a large-scale event, they might not even get to see each other.
Jing Mian took his tray and asked the cafeteria aunt for three dishes and a soup, adding an extra two ounces of rice.
That evening.
Jing Mian had a live stream scheduled.
During the few hours in between, Jing Mian was torn about whether to go to the club for practice.
The captain had mentioned that the Cross-Server Competition was like a ticket to the provincial tournament. Even if they cleared this stage, it was only the first round, and the next one was not far off.
He also heard that Greek’s team had defeated the other two teams and successfully advanced.
Greek himself hadn’t participated, indicating that he didn’t take the Cross-Server Competition too seriously.
If everything went as expected, they would likely meet again in a higher-level competition.
Jing Mian had only recently joined the club, and he still needed to coordinate his team battle and combat habits with his teammates, so he often went to the club.
Xuan Cheng even said that if they won the provincial tournament, the investors and partners would host a decent celebration and post-match interview for the team!
Jing Mian felt like he was learning a lot.
He asked, “What about international tournaments?”
Xuan Cheng paused, “Our best record is making it to the first round of the national tournament, and that’s it.”
Jing Mian: “…”
So, this was a question even the captain couldn’t answer.
That evening, Jing Mian searched for last year’s national tournament highlights on Bilibili, opened a bottle of cola, and drank it with a pizza.
He glanced at the time. If he went to the club now, he might miss the dormitory curfew by the time he returned.
Before he could decide, his phone buzzed.
He opened it and saw an unfamiliar number.
Without hesitation, he answered. The voice on the other end was somewhat familiar: “Hello, Jing Mian… Mr. Jing, right?”
Jing Mian was a bit surprised, “Yes, it’s me.”
“Oh, Mr. Jing, I’m Yang Fan. We met downstairs at the restaurant last time. I’m Brother Ren’s agent.”
Jing Mian remembered, “Brother Yang?”
“Right, hello, hello~” Yang Fan’s side was a bit noisy, with the sound of car horns and traffic. His cheerful and steady voice came through the phone: “Mr. Jing, are you available now? Can you come out of the school for a bit?”
“Our car is parked at the school gate. The guard said this is the east gate, and there’s a burger shop nearby.”
…
?!
Mr. Ren’s agent came to the school?
Did Ren Xingwan come too?
The sudden event left him in the dark. The other party hadn’t mentioned what it was about.
Jing Mian agreed, rolling up his sleeves to put on his clothes, wondering if it had anything to do with the upcoming centennial celebration.
Most likely, they were going to remind him to be discreet. Even though they were a couple, their relationship hadn’t been made public, so he should act low-key. When Mr. Ren came to the school, he should pretend not to know him and avoid going backstage to find him?
Jing Mian fell into deep thought.
Actually, he didn’t need to be reminded.
After all, even before they got married, he had already been prepared for this.
Celebrities are different from ordinary people. Marriages and relationships can affect their careers or be significant turning points. If Mr. Ren wanted to keep things low-key and not publicize their marriage, even if they stayed married for decades, Jing Mian wouldn’t have any complaints.
After all, their marriage was arranged by their families.
The night at the school was cool, and the temperature difference between day and night was significant. Jing Mian realized he hadn’t dressed warmly enough.
Following Yang Fan’s directions to the chicken shop near the east gate, he stepped out of the school and turned a corner, spotting the black limousine parked under a large tree.
It was luxurious and sleek, but the model seemed different from the last time. Jing Mian guessed that this one might not be for Ren Congmian but for the agent’s business use.
It had been a few days since they last met, and Jing Mian had a fleeting sense of unreality:
If it weren’t for this call, the sudden appearance of the limousine at the school gate, and the washed jacket of Ren Xingwan he was holding…
He wouldn’t have felt a bit of the reality of being married and engaged to Mr. Ren.
Before the arranged marriage, they were like parallel lines, with no intersection.
After the brief marriage, they returned to their parallel paths. Mr. Ren was busy with his career, and Jing Mian continued to be a relatively unknown streamer.
Each busy with their own lives, not interfering with each other.
Their lives remained as separate as ever.
As if… two strangers had gotten married.
Before Jing Mian could reach the black car, the rear door opened, and the man inside waved at him: “Mr. Jing! Over here.”
It was Yang Fan, who he had just spoken to on the phone.
As soon as Jing Mian got in, Yang Fan handed him a hand warmer and placed it in his lap. Another assistant passed him a cup of hot milk tea to hold.
“Freezing, huh?”
Yang Fan said, “I should have reminded you to dress warmer. It’s been cooling down in Lincheng lately. You could even wear a down jacket.”
The frozen tips of his fingers gradually warmed up, and the warm air in the car helped Jing Mian feel much better. Despite the unfamiliar environment, he felt an indescribable comfort.
Jing Mian noticed that Ren Xingwan wasn’t there.
Besides the driver, there was the agent Yang Fan, whom he had met before, and a man he hadn’t seen before.
“This is Brother Ren’s schedule assistant, Yu Nian. Brother Ren is often busy and can’t handle everything, so you can reach out to him for any trivial matters. If Yu Nian can’t handle it, you can contact me.”
Jing Mian nodded and shook hands with Yu Nian.
“Can I just call you Jing Mian?”
Jing Mian said, “Of course.”
“Great.” Yang Fan took out a few papers from the front seat, organized them, and said to Jing Mian, “We called you here mainly to discuss the engagement party, the wedding, and the living arrangements for cohabitation with Brother Ren.”
One sentence, three short phrases,
Jing Mian’s brain overheated.
…
???
He knew about the engagement party, which Jing Guozhen and Stepmother Li Qiao had informed him about after the banquet. But… what about the wedding and cohabitation?
Jing Mian’s heart skipped a beat.
First, considering Ren Xingwan’s status, they were actually going to have a wedding… and cohabitation? In Jing Mian’s subconscious, after getting married, he would continue his simple university life, and Mr. Ren would be busy with work.
As for living outside or truly cohabiting with a man… Jing Mian thought a nominal marriage wouldn’t go that far.
So, he hadn’t even considered it, and the sudden news left him bewildered and at a loss.
Jing Mian couldn’t help but ask, “The wedding… is Mr. Ren available?”
“Brother Ren is always available, of course.”
Yang Fan nodded, “Of course, the guests invited to the wedding will be trustworthy, so you don’t need to worry, Jing Mian.”
“The engagement party was mainly arranged by both families. It will be held in a banquet hall near Suishui in Lincheng, on the top floor. The date is the fifth of next month. Your family elders said you have no issues with your school schedule, but we’re still asking… Jing Mian, is there a problem with the date? Do you have any classes or important exams?”
Jing Mian shook his head, “No, it’s fine.”
“That’s good.”
Yu Nian put away the prepared schedule notebook and said, “Brother Ren said everything should be arranged according to Mr. Jing’s preferences.”
Jing Mian was slightly surprised.
“The wedding will be after the engagement party, and the date hasn’t been set yet. When the time comes, we’ll need to measure your size, but that’s not urgent. If you have any specific requirements for the wedding, you can let us know or discuss them with Brother Ren.”
Jing Mian’s throat moved, “Okay, thank you.”
“Lastly…” Yang Fan paused, lowering his voice, “These are all formalities for the public. Internally, we know that you and Brother Ren are already married, so the timing for cohabitation is up to you.”
“Brother Ren has three residences in Lincheng. One is in the city center, another is a riverside apartment, and the third is a seaside villa.” Yang Fan explained:
“Brother Ren usually stays in the city center, but the first two are close to your school. The third one is about a forty-minute drive… but the residences are relatively new and regularly cleaned, so they are ready for immediate occupancy.”
Jing Mian’s throat tightened, and he nodded, “Okay, I’ll consider it.”
Yu Nian couldn’t help but chuckle.
Brother Yang was being a bit too casual.
His mouth was running non-stop, and the sudden barrage of information had clearly startled the young man.
Yu Nian silently handed Jing Mian a bag of snacks he had prepared. The packaging was very elegant, with many foreign brands and common snacks like jelly, chips, and chocolate, in case Jing Mian didn’t like any of them.
Jing Mian took it in surprise, “Thank you.”
“Oh, right, there’s one more thing, the most important one.”
Yang Fan seemed to remember something, took out a small briefcase, and soon pulled out a stack of bank cards and a check-like document.
Yang Fan unfolded it slightly in front of Jing Mian and pushed it over, saying:
“The password is your birthday.”
Jing Mian was stunned.
Yang Fan added, “Of course, the check is signed, the amount is specified, and it’s effective immediately.”
Jing Mian finally understood.
So, after getting married,
Mr. Ren’s cards can be used freely…?
Unearned benefits, Jing Mian swallowed.
Should he be more polite?
Sensing the young man’s bewilderment and surprise, the observant Yang Fan immediately realized what was going on. He patted the young man’s shoulder to comfort him, but then hesitated and pulled back:
“Jing Mian, you don’t need to feel pressured. Just spend it on whatever you want. The amount isn’t much.”
Yang Fan: “Just a few million.”
Jing Mian: “…”
The few cards in front of him suddenly glowed with a heavy, dazzling light.
Jing Mian’s pupils dilated.
He knew Mr. Ren was wealthy, but he hadn’t expected this level of wealth. Was this… a dowry? Should he contribute something as well?
But at the moment…
Who would refuse a few million?
There might be someone who would,
But Jing Mian wasn’t that kind of person.
However, he still felt it was too much.
But then he thought, as a married couple, they could use this money for household expenses, which wasn’t a bad idea.
So, when he accepted it, Jing Mian not only thanked Yang Fan sincerely but also answered the question about which of Mr. Ren’s residences he would move into.
Yang Fan praised, “The riverside apartment is great. It’s a large flat, and at night, you can enjoy the river view and the city’s night lights. The atmosphere is particularly good, beautiful and romantic.”
Jing Mian asked, “Will it just be Mr. Ren and me living there?”
As soon as the question came out, Jing Mian felt it was meaningless. After marriage, a couple living together was a given.
But, Jing Mian felt a bit nervous.
After all, their previous meetings had mostly been in public places, like restaurants, the civil affairs office, or family gatherings… Even though they didn’t talk much, there were always others to fill the silence.
But cohabitation was a completely different concept.
However, Yang Fan didn’t seem to catch the underlying meaning, nodding, “Yes, but there will be a nanny or housekeeper. They will leave after completing their tasks and won’t disturb your life with Brother Ren.”
Jing Mian: “…” I see.
So, the future would involve living with Mr. Ren,
Just the two of them.
But, Jing Mian gently rubbed the small ring on his ring finger, feeling a bit dazed.
He wasn’t quite ready yet.
Jing Mian returned to the dormitory, hung the freshly washed, clean-smelling black coat on a hanger, and placed it back in its original spot.
He didn’t return the coat.
Because the temperature had dropped so much, the agent had told him to wear Ren Xingwan’s coat back to the dormitory. If it was warm enough, he wouldn’t need to return it next time, as Brother Ren wouldn’t mind.
Wearing Mr. Ren’s coat, holding Mr. Ren’s cards, carrying the snacks Mr. Ren had bought for him, and wearing the ring Mr. Ren had given him, Jing Mian returned to the dormitory in a daze.
Jing Mian: “…”
What did he have left that wasn’t Mr. Ren’s?