Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Regarding the marriage certificate, Li Xi had actually misjudged Ying Zhiyu.

The Ying Zhiyu of his past life might have deliberately delayed the registration, given he could set the date himself.

But since his rebirth, Ying Zhiyu had never once considered severing ties with Li Xi.

He was simply concerned about Li Xi’s personal safety and wasn't eager to rush him into a crowded public place.

Li Xi had just walked out with a handsome Alpha, right under everyone’s noses; one could only imagine the scene unfolding in the private room they’d left behind.

Noticing a faint sigh from the man beside him, Li Xi asked coolly, "Reluctant to leave?"

Ying Zhiyu shook his head, smiling. "I was just thinking, next time we meet, they'll be lining up to toast me."

How the tables had turned.

The two drinks Ying Zhiyu had tonight—one with Xu Suxiao, the other with the HR director of Qianqiu Shengshi Biopharmaceutical Group—were rare opportunities.

As a student, he wasn’t a primary player in such high-level social events.

He’d only managed those two toasts thanks to being "Xu Kuo’s roommate" and because his mentor, Xia Xianru, genuinely valued him, bringing him along to give him a chance to make an impression on important figures.

But after Li Xi’s dramatic appearance tonight, from now on, it would likely be others scrambling to curry favor with *him*.

In his previous life, Ying Zhiyu had lived in virtually a secret marriage for the first three years.

His social circle couldn't even brush against Li Xi’s world, let alone hear a whisper from that echelon.

Even Xu Kuo, the "privileged young master" at school, wasn't important enough to attend Li Xi’s wedding.

Xu Suxiao, the eldest son and grandson of the Xu family, had indeed seen Ying Zhiyu at the wedding.

But Xu Kuo was merely a distant, not-so-close cousin of Xu Suxiao. If not for the reputation of the Biomedical University’s School of Biology, Xu Suxiao wouldn’t have even been at tonight’s dinner.

What Ying Zhiyu sighed about were the subtle, unexpected shifts that had already occurred in this life.

Li Xi quirked a corner of his mouth: "If they toast you, just ignore them if you don’t feel like drinking."

Li Xi assumed the young Alpha probably couldn’t hold his liquor—just two drinks had already flushed his face.

Ying Zhiyu didn’t know Li Xi had already judged his tolerance. He simply changed the subject and asked, "Where to now, Mr. Li?"

At that, Zhang Jingrui, who had maintained a respectful distance behind them, subtly shifted his gaze from behind his glasses.

"Boss Li, my mom is expecting me home for dinner tonight, so I’ll take my leave?"

Only the sharp and astute could last long by Li Xi’s side.

Zhang Jingrui’s timing was impeccable—he smoothly excused himself without being a third wheel, while subtly hinting that Boss Li Xi likely hadn’t eaten either.

Ying Zhiyu also realized that Xu Suxiao wasn’t significant enough for Li Xi to come all this way just to "greet" him. So Li Xi’s presence here was purely for him?

Ying Zhiyu glanced at his watch—it was almost 9 p.m.

"Shall we eat here? The seafood platter, pine mushroom soup, and signature cheesecake at the restaurant upstairs are quite good," he suggested.

Li Xi had already nodded, allowing Zhang Jingrui to slip away.

He glanced at Ying Zhiyu: "We? Didn’t you already eat?"

Ying Zhiyu: "I didn’t eat much. There was no way I could eat freely at an event like tonight."

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

For a moment, the gesture softened the polished, distant aura Ying Zhiyu had carried tonight, revealing a trace of youthful embarrassment beneath his handsome features.

Li Xi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before he looked away.

When ordering, Li Xi gestured for the server to hand the menu to Ying Zhiyu.

Since Ying Zhiyu had recommended the restaurant and specifically praised the "seafood" and "cheesecake," he could decide what to eat.

The Alpha was young but never timid.

Whether encountering Li Xi and his security team in the library unprepared, facing a terrifying shooting incident, or suddenly being taken back to the Li family to "meet the parents,"

watching Ying Zhiyu confidently accept the menu, Li Xi found himself constantly intrigued and puzzled by the man.

There were too many unexpected facets to Ying Zhiyu—each one alone could be called a "surprise."

But surprises rarely came free. What Li Xi wondered was: what significant cost lay hidden behind these "surprises"?

After Ying Zhiyu finished ordering,

he noticed Li Xi watching him—staring, as if studying him, or perhaps seeing something beyond him.

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

"Do you like watches?" Li Xi suddenly asked.

The Alpha checked the time not with his phone, but instinctively with his watch—a habit uncommon among young people.

Ying Zhiyu nodded: "Sure, I pay attention to them sometimes."

Few Alphas disliked watches, and Ying Zhiyu was no exception.

Li Xi was a watch collector. He recognized Ying Zhiyu’s watch at a glance—a Sinn U series dive watch.

A niche German military watch brand.

As far as Li Xi knew, despite the Alpha’s annual income reaching millions in recent years, Ying Zhiyu’s money remained with his parents—likely intended first for buying them a house or shop.

That he could save tens of thousands to buy a watch himself meant he truly cherished it.

Hearing Li Xi mention watches, Ying Zhiyu glanced again at the pure black timepiece on his wrist.

The Sinn U50 matte black model, purchased for under thirty thousand yuan. A price that wouldn’t even register for the young master of the Li family.

In truth, this watch was something Ying Zhiyu had bought after his rebirth.

In his previous life at this time, he wouldn’t have bought it.

Not only because niche brands lacked international recognition or resale value, but also because a black watch like this—with its PVD coating—had a limited lifespan, and the clasp and bezel were prone to fading, meaning it wouldn’t even retain its worth.

But after his rebirth, Ying Zhiyu knew he would "marry" into a wealthy family.

Having spent over a decade immersed in the top echelons of high society in his previous life, concepts like value for money were utterly meaningless to that class.

This was also one of the reasons why, after his rebirth, Ying Zhiyu unhesitatingly retraced his previous life's path and never considered cutting ties with Li Xi.

He had grown accustomed to that lifestyle and its values.

If he were to rely solely on himself now, he would have to work hard for thirty more years, or might never attain the same standard of living again in this lifetime.

Oscar Wilde wrote in *The Picture of Dorian Gray*: "When I was young, I thought money was everything. Now that I am old, I know it is."

No one turns their nose up at money.

Ying Zhiyu considered himself clever, and of course, he was no exception.

The conversation about watches ended when the dishes arrived.

Li Xi didn’t comment on Ying Zhiyu’s "worthless investment" of a watch, likely because, in his eyes, something worth just tens of thousands of yuan wasn’t worth remarking on.

Ying Zhiyu wasn’t lying when he said he hadn’t eaten his fill.

The evening gathering wasn’t truly about dining, so when the food arrived, Ying Zhiyu ate with more relish than Li Xi, who hadn’t had dinner.

Meanwhile, Li Xi noticed the server bringing over a bottle of wine.

A 2001 Château d'Yquem, worth as much as the watch on Ying Zhiyu’s wrist.

But Li Xi didn’t recall Ying Zhiyu ordering wine earlier?

Aged sweet white wines need to aerate for one to one and a half hours. Before touching the bottle, Li Xi glanced at the composed figure across the table and also remained silent.

It wasn’t until the final dessert, cheesecake, was served, and the server poured the aerated wine into tulip glasses, that Li Xi casually asked, "What made you think of ordering wine?"

Moreover, pairing cheesecake with sweet wine wasn’t unusual, but for an Alpha to immediately choose the king of sweet wines, Château d'Yquem’s Sauternes, and a notable vintage at that, showed deep knowledge.

But why would Ying Zhiyu have such expertise?

Was watches a hobby?

Was collecting fine wine also one?

Ying Zhiyu gently pushed the wineglass toward Li Xi and answered evasively, "Tea isn’t suitable for evenings; otherwise, it would cut the richness better."

Omegas generally have a sweet tooth.

Li Xi might not resemble an Omega in many ways, but when it came to taste preferences, he indeed had an Omega’s palate.

This was something Ying Zhiyu only discovered several years into their marriage in his past life.

Li Xi took a sip of the wine as suggested and then picked up a dessert fork to taste the cake.

Only after Li Xi started eating the cake did Ying Zhiyu explain, "Earlier, going to the restroom was an excuse. I specifically went to the front desk to order it. Ordering this wine here felt too much like showing off."

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

Whether it was watch collecting or wine culture, it was only because his eleven-year marriage with Li Xi in his past life had exposed him to it, leaving him with some understanding.

If he had ordered the wine while sitting across from Li Xi and casually named a specific vintage and wine, it would have been fine if the restaurant had it in stock. But if not, it would have come off as pretentious.

Yet, ordinary wine wasn’t worthy of Li Xi’s palate.

So Ying Zhiyu chose to discreetly arrange with the front desk.

Surprisingly, Li Xi finished all of his cheesecake.

Ying Zhiyu was somewhat surprised—Li Xi’s appetite was unusually good tonight.

After a final sip of wine, Li Xi dabbed his lips with a napkin, his expression relaxed, and he casually asked, "Do you want to intern at Xu Pharmaceuticals?"

On the way to the Peninsula Hotel, Li Xi had already learned why Ying Zhiyu appeared at tonight’s gathering.

Ying Zhiyu shook his head. "Probably not."

"Why?" Li Xi paused and looked at Ying Zhiyu.

Xu Pharmaceuticals was a good platform. Hadn’t the Alpha been busy lately to get his foot in the door early?

Ying Zhiyu smiled. "Xu Kuo wouldn’t want me to."

Xu Kuo, a young master from a branch of the Xu family and Ying Zhiyu’s roommate, was someone Li Xi had learned about while investigating the Alpha.

Ying Zhiyu explained calmly, "I’m the person behind him. No one wants their ‘ghostwriter’ stepping into the spotlight."

Xu Kuo had become a student of Ying Zhiyu’s advisor, Xia Xianru, through connections—his path to graduate school was entirely different from Ying Zhiyu’s.

The privileged young master lacked real substance. Over these two years of graduate school, he had relied on Xia Xianru and Ying Zhiyu.

Precisely because he understood Ying Zhiyu’s capabilities, Xu Kuo would never let him into Xu Corporation.

He was even more afraid Ying Zhiyu might catch Xu Suxiao’s eye.

"His ghostwriter?" Li Xi sneered coldly. "Is he worthy?"

Ying Zhiyu also smiled. "Not anymore."

Although in his past life, Ying Zhiyu had been dissatisfied with the forced marriage and kept it hidden for the first few years, when it came to academics, work, and achievements, Li Xi had never let him suffer behind the scenes.

Li Xi stared at Ying Zhiyu for a moment, said nothing more, and stood up to leave.

He went to the front desk to settle the bill, but the staff informed him, "Mr. Li, this gentleman has already paid."

Li Xi paused.

Tonight’s meal, especially the 2001 Château d'Yquem, cost tens of thousands of yuan. When had the Alpha paid in advance?

Ying Zhiyu casually slipped his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "I paid when I ordered the wine."

Since he had already paid, transferring the money now would be disrespectful to the Alpha.

But Ying Zhiyu shouldn’t have been the one to pay for this meal, and it far exceeded the price of a normal dinner.

Ying Zhiyu simply said, "Mr. Li, you’re even willing to share trust income with me. It’s just a meal—I can afford it now."

They had already stepped out of the Peninsula Hotel.

Pan Da, the bodyguard, had been following them at a respectful distance since they left the hotel. Ying Zhiyu knew there were other bodyguards positioned discreetly around them.

He seemed completely accustomed to their presence, casually tilting his head slightly to ask, "Mr. Li, why did you suddenly change the agreement?"

The Li family had its own family trust. Even considering only the trust income from Li Xi’s personal assets portion, based on the most conservative estimated annual net return, the amount would fall between 2 to 3.5 billion yuan per year.

And the actual returns would far exceed this estimate.

In their previous lifetime, Li Xi had only signed a supplementary marital agreement in the seventh year of their marriage, adjusting the distribution of trust income from his personal assets.

But in this life, they weren’t even married yet, and the prenuptial agreement had already stipulated that the "spouse holds equal claim rights" over these assets.

Li Xi hadn’t expected Ying Zhiyu to initiate this conversation proactively.

He had assumed that a prodigy like Alpha would possess some measure of pride and aversion to money matters.

Yet in Ying Zhiyu’s gaze, there was "confusion" and "curiosity," but even more prominently, "liking" and "pleasure."

The Alpha made no effort to conceal his satisfaction with this change.

Ying Zhiyu liked money.

Li Xi understood.

"It's nothing. You're worth that much," Li Xi averted his eyes.

Ying Zhiyu paused in surprise.

Li Xi lowered his gaze and said, "An equal exchange—isn’t that what you said?"

"What I can gain from this marriage is clearly laid out in the agreement."

"And what Mr. Li requires his Alpha to provide in this marital relationship, I will do my utmost to fulfill."

"Let’s aim for equal exchange, mutual benefit, and a win-win situation."

These were the words Ying Zhiyu had spoken in the car on their way to get their marriage license.

Li Xi said, "We'll get married tomorrow."

Ying Zhiyu said, "I—"

They spoke almost simultaneously.

Ying Zhiyu smiled warmly. "Okay."