I had originally planned to find an opportunity to have an honest talk with her about her scar.
But on the morning of New Year's Eve, Zhan Bei Jue personally went abroad due to a huge funding gap.
Before leaving, he handed a black gold affiliated card to Jiang Nan Fang.
"I can't spend the New Year at home. If you have time, buy yourself some clothes and food to amuse yourself."
"Stop acting like a clown to work anymore. It's a waste of time, and the effort doesn't match the reward."
"If you're short of money, use the card. Spend your time reading more. I believe you understand this simple truth without me needing to elaborate."
After the new year, on the eighth day, the company reopened, and Jiang Nan Fang also returned to school.
Zhan Bei Jue rushed back home right on time.
Although she hadn't touched the card after he gave it to Jiang Nan Fang, she had finally started to open up, discarding her old clothes and beginning to wear dresses like other girls.
They were mostly black, very common styles, and made of very ordinary fabric.
But Zhan Bei Jue knew that this money was earned by her, bit by bit, through her own labor. She was slowly changing, and he was already very happy for her.
On the first day of school, Zhan Bei Jue personally took her to school.
On the way, Jiang Nan Fang was on the phone with a classmate, arranging to register together. He was surprised to realize that she was already in her second year of university.
Another year passed, and she was twenty.
She had reached the legal age for marriage registration.
Did this also mean they could share a bed?
Because he was so happy thinking about this that day, Zhan Bei Jue, uncharacteristically, became distracted during the opening work meeting.
Midway through the meeting, the conference room suddenly fell silent. Ah Zhong quickly went behind Zhan Bei Jue to remind him.
Coming back to his senses, he found everyone looking at him and realized he had been smiling foolishly.
"In the new year, I have a premonition that the company will do better and better, so I'm in a good mood."
"Alright, that's all for today's meeting. Everyone go encourage your subordinates. We'll get off work an hour early. Happy New Year!"
Little did Zhan Bei Jue know, that day was the most amiable he had been in his nine years since joining the company.
On the first day of school, Jiang Nan Fang was also free.
At noon, Zhan Bei Jue couldn't resist his longing and called her. She said she could get away in the afternoon, and he made plans to register their marriage.
"Grandpa is urging me. We've been married for so long and haven't registered yet."
"It's convenient that I'm free today too. Take your household registration book, and let's go register our marriage."
On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, couples lining up to register their marriage were a dime a dozen.
Ah Zhong went ahead to help queue, and they didn't get to their turn until four in the afternoon.
After picking up their marriage certificate, Zhan Bei Jue planned to take her out for a celebratory meal. Unexpectedly, his mother, who had been living abroad for many years, returned that very day.
She had gone abroad after his father's death. Zhan Bei Jue's relationship with her was not very close, and he wasn't particularly happy about her return, but he couldn't avoid seeing her, so he had to go home.
Upon meeting her daughter-in-law, who was worlds apart from her son in terms of dress, style, and appearance, his mother immediately exploded.
First, she claimed Grandpa had poor eyesight, and then she called Zhan Bei Jue foolishly filial.
"How can such a monumental matter be settled with a compromise, with such a casual agreement? Even if not for yourself, you should think about your descendants!"
"Zhan Bei Jue, do you want to have a child who is inferior to you in the future? What are you thinking?"
"No! I absolutely do not agree to this marriage! Divorce, you two haven't registered yet, have you? While she's still young, send her home. We can't make another mistake!"
Zhan Bei Jue threw the freshly obtained marriage certificate at her. His mother almost fainted from anger.
Seeing that she couldn't reason with Zhan Bei Jue, she turned to Jiang Nan Fang.
"I heard you received a sky-high dowry of five million yuan for the marriage. You must be marrying my son for money, right?"
"Your family saved his life back then, so consider this five million as repayment. I'll give you another million yuan to leave him!"
Jiang Nan Fang was clearly insulted at that moment and looked at Zhan Bei Jue in astonishment, unsure how to react.
Zhan Bei Jue pulled his enraged mother away.
But even so, this incident became another obstacle between them.
Their relationship, which was not very close to begin with, gradually returned to its former state due to his mother's words and their individual busyness.
This year was a year of Zhan Corporation reaching new heights.
On the tenth day of the year, the company's sales department secured a fifty billion yuan project in Dubai.
The Zhan Corporation couldn't handle this tough challenge alone, and with it being an international project requiring extensive management, Zhan Bei Jue embarked on a new round of busy work.
From the initial stages of receiving the project, through financing and securing partners, to the commencement of work, it took over seven months.
During these seven months, he only returned home three times and saw Jiang Nan Fang once.
When he was not at home, Jiang Nan Fang slept in the master bedroom.
When he returned that night, Jiang Nan Fang was fast asleep, a small lump curled up under the covers, quiet and still.
Zhan Bei Jue turned on only a floor lamp, intending to quietly look at her sleeping face.
However, before he could get close, Jiang Nan Fang jolted awake, then covered her head with the quilt and frantically rushed him out.
Zhan Bei Jue thought he had startled her by his sudden return and could only retreat.
After a moment, Jiang Nan Fang emerged from the room, rubbing her sleepy eyes and hugging a pillow: "You're back?"
"The room is yours. Go to sleep quickly. I'll go back to the guest room."
"..."
After nearly three months of not seeing each other, this was all she said upon meeting?
Zhan Bei Jue couldn't hide his disappointment and wanted to reach out and get close to her.
However, Jiang Nan Fang covered her left cheek and jumped back as if she had seen a ghost: "Don't come near me!"
"..."
"I slept, and my mouth tastes funny. It's not convenient to talk to you right now. We'll talk tomorrow! Hurry up and go to sleep, goodbye!"
The next day, Zhan Bei Jue finally decided to take a day off and spend it with her at home.
Who knew she had to go out first thing in the morning.
"Where are you going? So early, aren't you even eating breakfast?"
"Exam! I almost overslept, I don't have time! The coach scheduled my Subject One test for today!"
"..."
Was it already summer break? She was also starting to get her driver's license?
"I'll drive you."
"No, no, no, you still need to change. There's no time. The driver has been waiting at the door. Could you ask him to take me?"
And so, on a rare day off, the two missed each other again.
When Jiang Nan Fang returned in the evening, Zhan Bei Jue had already left again.
She, uncharacteristically, took the initiative to send him a message, accompanied by a text emoji: "Passed!"
Zhan Bei Jue turned on his phone after landing and saw the message, as if he could see her excited face.
For the first time, she was so happy, it was such a memorable moment, and he wasn't there.
While feeling a sense of loss, he replied: "Congratulations."
Evidently, Jiang Nan Fang wasn't someone who was good at or enjoyed flirting, and the conversation ended there.
In the two years before their marriage, although they didn't see each other often, the overall relationship was one of mutual respect and harmony.
It wasn't until the third year that the cracks between them grew larger and more numerous, directly leading Zhan Bei Jue to initiate divorce.