Algorithm system

Face your true selfLin Yuan and Zhang Yan waited for a long time in the restaurant of the Riverview Hotel, but President Wang of Alibaba’s Local Life Services Group still hadn’t arrived.

They were seated by the window, looking out at the rolling river of the Bund.

”Xiao Mei, thank you.”

”Thank me for what? But seeing you thank me so sincerely, it’s quite rare.”

”Thank you for helping me see myself clearly. Everything before my eyes stems from my inner being. So, I plan to accept it.

I shouldn’t dwell on Xia Ye’s changes, nor should I implicitly complain to you.

I should accept everything before me while trying to change things according to my original intention.

I should help Xia Ye gradually become at ease, regardless of what she wants to do, or whether she ultimately wants to apply for a postgraduate degree at Purple Arts. How she does it is secondary; the key is that she makes the decision herself. Although I often jokingly call her my eldest daughter, I ultimately cannot be her father; she must decide her own path.

As for you, Xiao Mei,” Lin Yuan looked at Zhang Yan, who straightened her back, eagerly anticipating Lin Yuan’s upcoming assessment.

”I thought of a word to describe our relationship: ’fate.’

There’s no better word than ’fate.’

If love were mixed into our relationship, it would just feel wrong. We haven’t even held hands properly once.

But to say there’s no affection or love feels like self-deception.

After much thought, only the word ’fate’ fits.”

Zhang Yan pondered slightly, ”You finally understand that I didn’t come to you on a whim. Senior Brother, do you know why I took a liking to you?”

”Hold on,” Lin Yuan wanted to clarify one thing first, ”Let’s first be clear about what ’you took a liking to me’ means.”

”What’s there to explain? I want to be with you for life, and I want to have children with you, that kind of liking.”

”You didn’t give me that impression before.”

”That’s because I scared you. After careful consideration, I also didn’t want to force you to abandon Xia Ye. Not only would that cause endless internal conflict for you, but even if you agreed, it would become a permanent thorn between us. Because I myself couldn’t get past it.

So, after thinking it over, I guess this is how it has to be for now.”

”So you plan to follow me forever? Really not getting married for life?”

”Whether I get married or not doesn’t matter. When the time is right, you can have a child with me.” Zhang Yan said it nonchalantly, ”Don’t bring up these mundane rules. I can be so tolerant of Xia Ye, letting her grow old with you; she wouldn’t be so petty as to argue with me about this.”

As the conversation reached this point, Lin Yuan had also let go.

Zhang Yan originally had the ability to deal with Lin Yuan and Xia Ye, but she didn’t. Given her power, her demands were truly not high.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and asked, ”Many start well, but few finish well. Do you plan to have IVF in the future?”

”You...” Zhang Yan picked up the glass on the table. She really wanted to splash Lin Yuan, but restrained herself due to being in a public place.

”Am I that ugly?”

”Well, no. I just, I just want us to be good buddies forever. If we really did that, wouldn’t it be over?”

”We’ve talked this far, and you’re still bringing up good buddies. Answer my previous question: ’Why do you think I took a liking to you?’”

Lin Yuan asked curiously, ”This is one thing I haven’t figured out until now. To say that you, a young lady, acted on impulse, it doesn’t seem like it; you look like you want to be with me for life. I’m clearly not handsome. As for ability, you must have met quite a few capable people.”

”Hmm, you’re right. New rich, tech elites? Or scions of established families, I’ve seen many. I even went on blind dates arranged by my dad out of curiosity.”

Lin Yuan became interested, ”How many did you go on?”

”Three or five, I guess. Later, I found it boring, so I stopped. But at family gatherings and such, the elders are always enthusiastic about introductions, right? So I’ve seen too many informal blind date settings. Countless.”

”You’re only 23 and you’ve already seen it all?”

”Seen what all? I mean I’ve seen many excellent boys since I was little.”

”Then why did you end up clinging to me, this crooked tree?”

”At first, I didn’t quite understand, but then I gradually began to understand. I just fully understood it now.

Senior Brother,” Zhang Yan stared at Lin Yuan very seriously, ”Given your background—from a rural family, graduated from a mediocre school, and just a few months ago you were still a delivery rider—it’s really very ordinary. But the things you’ve done make me feel that you’re not ordinary.

I just find it fun to be with you, because even though your abilities aren’t outstanding, there are many people richer and better-looking than you, and even more with better family backgrounds.”

Given Lin Yuan’s current situation and the talent he had displayed, he was indeed quite ordinary at Zhang Yan’s level.

”So you’re trying to say you were blind?”

”Don’t interrupt. It’s because your actions are very difficult to predict.”

”Huh?” Lin Yuan was very curious about her further explanation.

”Those people I know. What they want to do is predictable. Those from official families will definitely pursue a political career in the future, and those whose families are in business will definitely inherit the family business. As for tech elites and academic leaders, they will definitely advance in their respective industries.

I can see what they want to do at a glance; it’s especially boring, nothing more than fame, wealth, and status, just in different forms.

But I’ve never lacked these things since I was little, so why would I look for them?

Since I was little, I’ve loved listening to my grandparents tell stories of the older generation. I just feel that such a life is not lived in vain. Otherwise, what’s the difference between me at twenty-something and eighty-something? Then I would already be able to outline my entire life at my current age.

This kind of life is utterly boring. It’s truly too dull.”

Lin Yuan looked at Zhang Yan’s genuine emotion, ”It’s hard for me to empathize with you. But I believe what you say, because you were born in Rome. And everyone, more or less, has some rebellion in their bones, but you were born in Rome and can’t see the possibility of ever leaving Rome.”

”Yes.” Zhang Yan made an arch shape with her hand, ”I was born in a golden cage, but I can’t see any hope of getting out of this cage. You appeared in my life like an anomaly, so you completely disrupted my life plan.

I had originally wanted to become a criminal detective. If my dad hadn’t stopped me, I would have done it long ago.”

”Because criminal detectives are more dangerous?”

”Of course. But also exciting.

However, after meeting you, I discovered another, safer way to seek excitement.”

”What is it?”

”Because you are completely different from those people; I simply can’t guess what you’ll do next.”

”Really?”

”Of course. If those people were in your current situation, they would definitely set up a company and then think about how to carve out a piece of the pie in the food delivery industry. But I see you have no such intention; at most, you just want to make some money, and you have no intention of staying in the food delivery industry for long.

And you would actually, because you got a raw deal at Good Group, go to Lanbiao Factory to retaliate against Good Group.

This kind of move is simply childish in the eyes of those people.

But I like it.”

”Also,” Zhang Yan became more excited as she spoke, ”if it were those people, they wouldn’t even bother with the Xia Ye issue; they would definitely choose me. As for Xia Ye, those with good character would break up, and those with bad character would keep her as a mistress.

Oh, right. The worst kind would even take Song Xiaoxiao.”

”Ah?” Lin Yuan admitted honestly, ”Actually, I... I did think about that.”

”But you didn’t do it. And you were so stupid as to say it to my face. Several times I heard you and Xia Ye being affectionate in the room, and I impulsively wanted to send Xia Ye abroad. But I didn’t do that either.

I finally figured it out.

Senior Brother, you have a bit more ’humanity’ than those people.

So, what I’ve liked about you all along is precisely this. I completely understand it now.”

Lin Yuan savored her words, ”I really didn’t plan to stay in the food delivery industry for long. And I’m really not that interested in money; I don’t even know what I’d do with so much money. I’m not saying I don’t want money—who would dislike having more money? I’m saying that after I had a few million, I wasn’t so eager for money anymore.

That’s not right,” Lin Yuan suddenly realized, ”This looks like I’m cheating.”

”That’s not cheating; it’s you growing too fast and then being unwilling to abandon your ex.”

Zhang Yan’s comforting logic was so airtight that Lin Yuan was left speechless.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment, ”Xiao Mei, actually, you value me because I don’t follow the conventional path? Is it because my actions are highly unpredictable?”

”Yes.” Zhang Yan gave an affirmative answer, ”Actually, it should be put this way: Senior Brother, you haven’t lived like an adult.”