Chapter 9

Regarding the marriage registration, Li Xi was actually misjudging Ying Zhiyu.

If it had been the Ying Zhiyu of his previous life, he might have deliberately delayed, just to set the timing himself.

But after being reborn, Ying Zhiyu had never once thought of cutting ties with Li Xi.

He was simply concerned for Li Xi’s personal safety and didn’t see any rush to drag him into a public setting crowded with people.

Li Xi taking a handsome Alpha out in front of everyone—one could only imagine the scene unfolding inside the private room behind them.

Noticing the faint sigh from the person walking beside him, Li Xi’s face remained cold as he asked, “Reluctant to leave?”

Ying Zhiyu shook his head and smiled. “I’m just thinking that next time we meet, they should be lining up to toast me.”

What goes around comes around.

Tonight, Ying Zhiyu had only two drinks—one as a toast to Xu Suxiao and one to the HR director of Qianqiu Shengshi Biopharma.

He was still a student, not part of the main social force at these dinners. Those two toasts were only possible thanks to his identity as Xu Kuo’s roommate—and because his mentor, Xia Xianru, genuinely valued him—giving him a chance to make an appearance in front of influential figures.

But after Li Xi’s visit tonight, from now on, everyone would probably be scrambling to curry favor with him.

In his previous life, for nearly three years before the marriage, Ying Zhiyu had lived almost entirely in secret.

His social circle hadn’t even been close enough to touch Li Xi’s level—let alone hear whispers from that world.

Even Xu Kuo, a so-called “celestial dragon” at school, wouldn’t have qualified to attend Li Xi’s wedding.

The only one who had seen Ying Zhiyu at a wedding before was Xu Suxiao, the eldest son and legitimate heir of the Xu family.

But Xu Kuo was just a distant cousin of Xu Suxiao, not particularly close. If it weren’t for the name of the Biomed University, Xu Suxiao probably wouldn’t have even shown up at tonight’s dinner.

Ying Zhiyu was simply marveling at how subtly things had shifted in this lifetime.

Li Xi tugged at the corner of his mouth. “If they toast you and you don’t want to drink, just ignore it.”

He assumed the young Alpha couldn’t handle much alcohol, so two drinks were enough to show on his face.

Ying Zhiyu didn’t know Li Xi had already mentally judged his tolerance; he simply changed the subject. “Where are you headed now, Mr. Li?”

At that moment, Zhang Jingrui, who had stayed just a step behind them, let a faint flash cross his glasses.

“General Manager Li, my mom’s waiting for dinner at home, so I’ll head off first.”

Only someone sharp and clever could stick around Li Xi this long.

Zhang Jingrui’s timing was perfect—smoothly excusing himself without awkwardness, while subtly signaling that his boss, Li Xi, probably hadn’t eaten yet either.

Ying Zhiyu also clearly understood that Xu Suxiao’s status alone wasn’t enough for Li Xi to make a special visit. So the real reason Li Xi was here was purely because of him.

He glanced at his watch—almost 9 p.m.

“Shall we just eat here? The seafood platters, matsutake soup, and signature cheesecake upstairs are all pretty good,” he suggested.

Li Xi nodded and let Zhang Jingrui leave.

He shot Ying Zhiyu a look: we?

“You’ve already eaten, haven’t you?”

“I didn’t eat enough. At tonight’s event, I couldn’t really let myself indulge.”

As the Alpha spoke, he lifted a hand to his stomach.

For a moment, it softened the elite, unfamiliar aura he had carried all evening. On his youthful, handsome face, a trace of bashful innocence peeked through.

Li Xi’s eyelashes twitched as he briefly averted his gaze.

When it came time to order, Li Xi signaled the server to hand the menu to Ying Zhiyu.

Since he had recommended the restaurant and already mentioned the seafood and cheesecake, it was only right for him to decide what to order.

Young yet fearless, Ying Zhiyu had never been intimidated—whether it was running into a crowd of Li Xi’s bodyguards unprepared in the library, facing a terrifying shooting, or being suddenly brought to the Li estate to “meet the family.”

Watching him take the menu confidently, Li Xi couldn’t help but feel both curious and puzzled.

Ying Zhiyu had too many unpredictable traits; each one could be called a “pleasant surprise.”

But nothing in life comes for free. Li Xi wondered what enormous price might be hidden behind each of these “surprises.”

Ying Zhiyu finished placing the order.

He had noticed Li Xi watching him closely, seemingly observing, perhaps trying to read his thoughts.

He habitually checked his watch—exactly 9 p.m.

“Like watches?” Li Xi suddenly asked.

Alphas tended not to use their phones to check the time; instead, they instinctively looked at their wristwatches. This was rare among young people.

Ying Zhiyu nodded. “Not bad. I glance at it now and then.”

Few young men disliked watches, and Ying Zhiyu was no exception.

Li Xi, a connoisseur of watches, recognized his instantly—a Sinn U series dive watch.

A small, niche German military-style brand.

Even though Ying Zhiyu had earned a six-figure annual income over the past two years, his money was kept by his parents, presumably for buying a home or a shop.

If he managed to save enough to buy a watch himself, it meant he really liked it.

Hearing Li Xi mention watches, Ying Zhiyu glanced at his pure black Sinn U50 matte watch.

A model under $30,000—far below the notice of the Li heir.

In his previous life, he wouldn’t have bought this watch.

Not only did the brand lack international renown and investment value, but the black PVD coating wore out easily, and even the buckle and bezel faded quickly—no preservation value at all.

But after being reborn, Ying Zhiyu knew he would “marry into a wealthy family.”

Having experienced the top-tier elite world in his previous life for over a decade, he understood that cost-performance meant nothing at that level.

This was one reason he had never considered cutting ties with Li Xi after rebirth. He was already accustomed to that life and its values.

If he were starting from scratch now, he would have to struggle another thirty years—perhaps his entire life—just to reach the same standard.

Oscar Wilde wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray: “When I was young, I thought money was everything; now that I am old, I find it is indeed so.”

No one could resist money, and Ying Zhiyu certainly wouldn’t.

The watch conversation ended when the dishes arrived.

Li Xi had nothing to say about a “worthless” watch, deeming it too trivial to comment on.

Ying Zhiyu’s earlier claim of not being full wasn’t a lie.

The evening meal hadn’t been a proper dinner gathering anyway, so when the dishes arrived, Ying Zhiyu—who hadn’t eaten yet—found it far more satisfying than Li Xi, who hadn’t eaten dinner.

Li Xi also noticed the server brought a bottle of wine:

A 2001 Trockenbeerenauslese sweet white from Dripgold Estate—worth more than the watch on Ying Zhiyu’s wrist.

Yet he didn’t recall Ying Zhiyu ordering any wine earlier.

Aged sweet wine like a Trockenbeerenauslese needed about an hour to an hour and a half to breathe. Before touching the bottle, Li Xi glanced at the calm figure across the table and said nothing.

It wasn’t until the final dessert—cheesecake—was served that the sommelier poured the rested wine into tulip glasses.

Li Xi asked casually, “What made you decide on wine?”

It wasn’t unusual to pair cheesecake with sweet wine, yet the Alpha had chosen the king of sweet wines, a Trockenbeerenauslese from Dripgold Estate, from a notable vintage—clearly someone with considerable knowledge.

But why would Ying Zhiyu know about this?

Watches were a hobby.

Collectible wines too?

He slid the wine gently across to Li Xi and deflected the question. “Tea doesn’t suit this evening. Sweet wine keeps things from feeling heavy.”

Omegas generally favored sweets.

In many ways, Li Xi might not seem like an Omega, but when it came to taste, his stomach truly behaved like one. Ying Zhiyu had only discovered this after years of marriage in his previous life.

Following his advice, Li Xi sipped the wine and took a bite of cheesecake.

Only then did Ying Zhiyu speak. “The trip to the restroom earlier was just an excuse. I went to the front to order this wine myself. Ordering it here, in front of you, feels a bit showy.”

Ying Zhiyu’s knowledge of wine wasn’t as deep as Li Xi assumed.

Whether watches or wine culture, it was all learned from being immersed, in his previous life, in eleven years of marriage with Li Xi.

Had he ordered the wine openly across from Li Xi and started naming vintages, it would’ve been genuine if the restaurant had the bottle; otherwise, it would’ve been pure showmanship.

But ordinary wines simply weren’t suited for Li Xi’s palate.

So Ying Zhiyu chose to handle it quietly at the front desk.

Li Xi ended up finishing the entire cheesecake.

Ying Zhiyu was a little surprised. Li Xi had quite an appetite tonight.

After finishing the wine, Li Xi dabbed his lips with a napkin, relaxed his expression, and casually asked, “You thinking of interning at the Xu Corporation?”

On the way to the Peninsula Hotel, Li Xi had already figured out why Ying Zhiyu would show up at tonight’s dinner.

Ying Zhiyu shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Why?” Li Xi paused, studying him.

The Xu Corporation was a good platform. Wasn’t this Alpha running around all this time just to get a head start?

Ying Zhiyu smiled faintly. “Xu Kuo wouldn’t want me to go.”

Xu Kuo—the Xu family’s minor branch heir, Ying Zhiyu’s roommate—was someone Li Xi had already researched.

Ying Zhiyu explained plainly: “I work behind the scenes. No one wants their ‘gunman’ stepping into the spotlight.”

Xu Kuo had parachuted into being Xia Xianru’s student, Ying Zhiyu’s mentor. Their academic paths were completely different.

The “celestial dragon” little master had little real talent. In grad school, he relied on Xia Xianru, and also on Ying Zhiyu.

Knowing Ying Zhiyu’s abilities, Xu Kuo wouldn’t dare let him into the Xu Corporation, nor risk catching Xu Suxiao’s attention.

“His gunman?” Li Xi scoffed. “He even qualifies?”

Ying Zhiyu chuckled. “Not yet.”

Although in his previous life Ying Zhiyu had lived almost entirely in secret during the first few years of marriage, Li Xi had never let him suffer academically or professionally behind the scenes.

Li Xi stared at him for a moment, said nothing further, and stood to leave.

At the front desk, he intended to settle the bill, only to be told:

“General Manager Li, this gentleman has already paid.”

Li Xi paused.

Tonight, that single bottle of 2001 Dripgold Trockenbeerenauslese would cost tens of thousands. When had the Alpha paid in advance?

Ying Zhiyu casually put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Paid when I ordered the wine.”

Since he had already paid, transferring the money now would be improper and undermine the Alpha’s dignity.

But this dinner should never have been Ying Zhiyu’s treat—it far exceeded the cost of a normal meal.

Still, he said simply, “General Manager Li already shares trust income with me. This meal is nothing. I can afford it.”

By now, they had stepped out of the Peninsula Hotel.

Bodyguard Panda had been following at a careful distance, and Ying Zhiyu knew others were discreetly stationed nearby.

Accustomed to their presence, he asked lightly, “Why did you suddenly change the agreement, Mr. Li?”

The Li family had its own trust. Even considering only Li Xi’s personal assets, the conservative annual net return on the trust’s income was 2–3.5 billion. In reality, it would be far higher.

In his previous life, Li Xi had adjusted the distribution of trust income in the seventh year of marriage with an intra-marriage agreement.

This time, before marriage, the pre-marriage agreement already specified that the spouse would have equal rights to that portion.

Li Xi hadn’t expected Ying Zhiyu to bring it up proactively.

He assumed a prodigy Alpha might have some natural pride or sense of money shame.

But Ying Zhiyu’s gaze showed curiosity and inquiry, but also plainly expressed enjoyment and satisfaction.

The Alpha openly liked the change.

Ying Zhiyu liked money.

Li Xi understood.

“Nothing. You’re worth it,” Li Xi said, averting his gaze.

Ying Zhiyu blinked in surprise.

Li Xi lowered his eyes. “Equivalent exchange—you said that, didn’t you?”

“What I can gain from this marriage is already spelled out in the agreement.”

“And whatever you need your Alpha to provide in this marriage, I’ll fully cooperate.”

“We’ll try to make it an equivalent exchange, mutually beneficial.”

These were the exact words Ying Zhiyu had said on the way to the civil affairs office to register their marriage last time.

Li Xi: “Tomorrow, we register.”
Ying Zhiyu: “I…”

They spoke almost simultaneously.

Ying Zhiyu smiled faintly. “Okay.”