(Happy New Year! A new month, a new year, but the monthly pass situation is still bleak… Old Lai desperately running naked in the freezing cold for a monthly pass!)

Li Yan's explanation made Wen Qianyi feel it had some truth to it. The reason she has remained single is because she couldn't find a suitable partner.

In the past few years, she had been busy building her career. A young woman just out of campus wanting to achieve in business, without any backing and unwilling to use her looks to get ahead, faced hardships that left her no time for romance. By the time her career stabilized and she considered personal matters, she became apprehensive, not wanting casual relationships but aiming straight for marriage. This made her choices even stricter.

Among those pursuing her, there were many excellent men. Like Zhang Songyang, rumored to have family wealth exceeding billions, yet a man whose success wasn't entirely his own effort couldn't give her security. Successful self-made businessmen were either older, divorced, or had children. Men her age were mostly still fighting their battles, and even those reaching her level often preferred a gentle wife to take care of home rather than a strong career-oriented woman.

In such circumstances, although good at socializing and knowing excellent men from various fields, finding someone whom she could relate to, like, and match in career was nearly impossible. Based on Li Yan's earlier performance, even if she paid attention, he'd only be a conversational friend, not someone she considered romantically or maritally.

But Wen Qianyi is Wen Qianyi, and even in moments that touched her heart, she still noticed a fine detail with keen insight.

She discovered Li Yan's secret, as he had confessed to her in Beihai Country that he was an assassin!

In other words, his laziness at work was entirely because he didn't lack money; working was just a sideline for him, while assassination was his true occupation. Though she didn't know the level of assassin he was, dismissing even the generous commissions from Paradise Group's business development branch indicated he was wealthy, not lacking income or savings!

Being such a person, how could he have self-doubt?

"That's not right! You're an assassin, you have economic stability, you should be quite confident!"

Looking at Li Yan, as she spoke, Wen Qianyi was a bit skeptical. Was he really as he said, a passive person lacking emotional experience, and not intentionally pretending to be pure?

Li Yan was momentarily stunned, forgetting that detail. He had disclosed the assassin secret back in Beihai Country months ago, finding an excuse now was tricky.

"Well, this..."

Seeing his hesitation, Wen Qianyi slightly frowned, "How do you explain? You haven't been an assassin for a long time, and you don't have much money? I know what you did after that!"

Li Yan nodded, "You're right… I haven't retired, and I do have substantial savings. Economically, I'm slightly stronger than you. But... does that mean I have absolute confidence before you? In front of the outstanding girl I admire, can't I feel nervous and inferior?"

Wen Qianyi was taken aback.

"Honestly, I didn't analyze it much myself; it's only now that we're discussing it, that I think about it. The earlier mention of financial conditions was just an example. The surrounding environment exerts a comprehensive influence on a person.

Take Little Di for instance: growing up in an affluent environment, she's accustomed to luxury items, and has no reverence towards successful people. Like Zhang Yurong, everyone in the company is tense around her, yet Little Di met her without any discomfort for the first time. I suppose meeting the likes of CEOs, chairmen, or even deputy mayors, the youthful she would remain composed.

Another example, with your observation skills, you must notice it. Hai Fu's authority initially stemmed from an inferiority complex, needing strictness to maintain respect, which over time became habitual. Normally, people would assume her self-taught career rise, from an employee to an executive, should be a point of pride, yet in front of colleagues with prestigious university degrees and MBAs, she naturally feels inferior. You've observed her change, gradually beginning with my persuasion over the past months."

Upon hearing this, Wen Qianyi sighed inwardly. She understood this principle well!

Every effort to own a stylish sports car, frequent pub visits, indulgence in high fashion, and social drinking—boils down to insecurity!

Her achievements are due to talent and hard work, her income is decent now. But compared to friends with privileged backgrounds, every enjoyment and taste was learned and cultivated later. These efforts are not for a bourgeois lifestyle but are work-related necessities. Hai Fu in administration can mask it through self-isolation, while Wen Qianyi in business meetings compensates through knowledge, understanding, and integrating into such environments.

It's due to years of cultivation that today she possesses omnipresent charm and aura recognized by the public, which the mentor Little Di used to think had undergone a complete transformation over the years.

Seeing her silence, Li Yan assumed she didn't believe or comprehend. He continued, "In fact, my educational qualification in the company files is false; I didn't even graduate high school. Being an assassin was lonely and isolating. Over the past two years, I've tried hard to integrate into society, only just learning to be a normal person, still far from your level. Therefore, I wasn't lying; not actively pursuing you doesn't mean I don't like you. Like this secret, you're the only one who knows; neither Hai Fu nor Little Di… none of them do!" He silently added, including Yurong.

Wen Qianyi shook her head, "Alright, I believe you, you don't need to say any more. As for this secret, don't use it against me. If I hadn't discovered your secret by accident that time, would you have told me voluntarily?"

Li Yan chuckled awkwardly, he really wouldn't! "Well, not necessarily. If you weren't someone I liked, maybe I'd have to kill you to keep it quiet!"

Wen Qianyi gave him a sideways glance, of course she didn't believe he would actually kill her. Her concept of assassins was limited to the movies, without a clear definition.

"Alright, that's it. I believe you like me and understand why you didn't pursue me actively." Wen Qianyi patted the bed, "Do you have anything else to say? If not, you can leave."

"...!"

Li Yan looked at her speechlessly, then unapologetically took out a cigarette and lit it. While puffing away, he cheekily said, "That's it? I'm not leaving. You've made me confess so deeply and explained so much, the least you could do is give me some kind of response, right? Just dismissing me like this is kind of disheartening, isn't it?"

"What kind of response are you expecting?" Wen Qianyi looked at him with a smile, "Haven't I already responded that I know and understand? It's your business to confess, and you have the right not to explain. If you choose to say it, it's your business too. But you can't expect me to accept your confession unconditionally, can you?"

Seeing her smiling face, obviously more relaxed, Li Yan cautiously asked, "I don't mind you accepting it conditionally, what are your conditions? Can you tell me?"

Wen Qianyi was speechless, why is this guy so shameless? Giving him a way out, yet he still insists on pushing!

"I just said, I don't criticize your fondness for many. You have your freedom, your views, I can't deny you on behalf of anyone. But I can represent myself in not accepting this view!"

"Then let me put it this way, what would it take for you to accept my view?" Li Yan sat up again, asking expectantly.

Wen Qianyi shook her head with her eyes closed, saying irritably, "No matter what you do, I cannot accept!"

Perhaps feeling this was too vague and worried he might find a loophole, she continued more directly, "You might be able to like several people at the same time, but I can't!"

"That's alright, as long as you like only me, it's fine."

Wen Qianyi opened her beautiful eyes wide, "Can you be any more shameless? I can't share a man with others!"

"Do you have a favorite male celebrity? That's also sharing a man with others."

Qianyi realized this guy was indeed trying to find a loophole, took a deep breath, and emphatically said, "What I'm saying is—I won't be one of many girlfriends! My man must be devoted to me alone!"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and then said, "Don't be so serious. Let's go back to what you said earlier. You said 'not being able to share a man with others', which means, it's not that you 'don't want to' or 'don't like', but just 'can't', so you do like me after all! I'm so happy! Now we need to work on turning 'can't' into 'can'..."

Listening to his twisted logic and sophistry, Wen Qianyi was dumbfounded. He's so eloquent, why doesn't he use this on his clients? He seems to put all his mind on the wrong things!

Seeing him truly as joyful as can be, and still eagerly discussing how to turn 'can't' into 'can', an annoyed Qianyi extended her delicate hand, forcefully pressing it onto his face, and pushed hard to knock him over!

Of course, this pushing over wasn't the other kind; she just felt this guy was boasting right in front of her, almost spraying her face with spit.

But what she didn't expect was, although Li Yan's mouth was covered by her delicate hand, he quickly reacted by moving his mouth and giving her palm a kiss!

Moreover, he fell onto the bed, and conveniently grabbed her hand, pulling her down onto the bed with him.

"I've thought of a great idea, let's just cook the rice until it's done!" Monthly Pass!

(Thanks to yesterday's rewards: CuriousBaby, High Seas Fleet, Book Friend 100626184409515, Taste Mood, Yagami Light II, White Water Elder, Book Sea Traveling Immortal, dongmin8061, Cp Pampas) (To be continued, to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support original reading!)