Miss Xu Nanyin didn’t stay long in Ning City; she left that same afternoon right after buying a bag from a luxury brand store.
One, there was nothing to do there; two, she had to come back to try on Miss Liang Jiamin’s bridesmaid dress the next day.
That very evening, she was called over by Miss Lin Zhijun to help keep an eye on the herbal medicine brewing at home to check if it was right.
Only after confirming it was correct did Lin Zhijun frown and drink it down.
Lin Zhijun quickly ate a piece of dried peach.
“The medicine’s really bitter. This is sweet—try it. I heard that your spa thing with Liang Jiamin was even in the news.”
“After all, Hong Kong media loves to report on these things, making up nonsense for a while. And they said Lin Zhijun got ‘abandoned.’”
Xu Nanyin withdrew her gaze from above and bit into the piece.
The sweet and sour taste was softer than the rock sugar from that night but not as sweet.
“At that time, Zheng Yuze was always around, so I was with her. She didn’t want to be with Dai Hongshu either, so it worked out.”
Lin Zhijun’s curiosity flared up.
“Those two don’t like each other, but they date every day. What are they after?”
“Stocks, money. What else?”
“Zhuzhu, you really know your stuff.”
“It’s all from the news.”
Lin Zhijun nodded.
“After the alliance, both families’ stocks rose. If I had known, I would’ve secretly bought some.”
Xu Nanyin chuckled.
“You’re not short on that kind of money.”
Lin Zhijun mysteriously said, “It’s different. Last time, my eldest brother took me to invest in something; I made quite a bit of pocket money. That feeling is addictive.”
“But I don’t dare do it without someone guiding me,” she shook her head.
“I’m learning now. Wait until I become an expert—I’ll definitely make you money.”
Xu Nanyin smiled wryly.
A guaranteed profit?
That would require amazing insight.
But such people do exist in this world.
Xu Nanyin had never tried.
Her parents let her pursue her interests without forcing her to learn business.
They said it was okay if she didn’t know; there would always be a dedicated team to manage things, and there was a trust fund—she only had to enjoy life.
Her father had suffered an investment loss recently, proving that investing carried risks.
Besides, since it was a deliberate trap, he had become conservative, even cutting down on socializing with unfamiliar people.
“Zheng Yuze still thought you hadn’t come back to Ning City,” Lin Zhijun giggled.
“He’s been coaxing your parents these days.”
“Let him,” Xu Nanyin didn’t care.
But Xu Father and Xu Mother had changed their attitude toward Zheng Yuze; that night at home, the two even whispered together.
Xu Nanyin hadn’t planned to eavesdrop on her parents’ gossip, but her ears happened to catch her own name.
Listening carefully, she realized Zheng Yuze intended to become a son-in-law!
Xu Nanyin was stunned.
Xu Father kept babbling, “…His family has four sons. Losing the youngest isn’t a big deal. Marrying in suits our Zhuzhu. Then she’ll call the shots in our house.”
Xu Mother had many concerns.
“Haven’t you seen the news? Many men who marry in end up with no heirs! Zhuzhu’s personality is soft!”
Xu Father hesitated.
“That kid Zheng Yuze can’t be that bad, right? He’s said he’s liked Zhuzhu for a long time.”
“Long? How long? His last relationship only ended earlier this month. Liking someone while dating someone else—is that even liking?”
“Zhuzhu had a marriage engagement before…”
“Are you speaking for outsiders?”
“No, no, I just think marrying in isn’t a bad idea,” Xu Father said.
“But the three remaining sons in the Zheng family are all sharp.”
Xu Nanyin couldn’t help but ask, “Daddy, who told you all this?”
She had only been in Ning City for one night and one day, and it had only been just over a week since the last time at the Jockey Clubhouse.
How had the world suddenly changed so much?
Xu Father sighed.
“Zheng Yuze said it himself the day before yesterday.”
Xu Nanyin was curious, “His family agrees too?”
Xu Mother spoke to the point: “His parents probably don’t. The brothers, though, are eager to have one less person to fight over the inheritance.”
In Port City, the older generation was more traditional.
Marrying in was rarely accepted, especially by a wealthy family like the Zhengs.
Back in her room, Xu Nanyin removed Zheng Yuze from her blacklist.
“Zheng Yuze, have you been watching too many dramas recently?”
Zheng Yuze, who had been feeling his shortcut was quite useful, suddenly received the call.
“Zhuzhu, why are you saying that? What’s this about you marrying in?”
“You know already! That’s exactly it! Dai Hongshu came up with it.”
Unlike Liang Jiamin, who had an illegitimate younger brother and wanted to fight for the family fortune, Xu Nanyin was an only daughter with no need to fight for inheritance.
Zheng Yuze hesitated for two days before deciding on the idea of marrying in, mainly because marrying in in Port City wasn’t like the mainland.
His three older brothers even analyzed with him that spending money in his own home or in the Xu family was the same; nowadays, marrying in was different, and maybe he could even rely on his father-in-law to become the next Watch King.
“Isn’t it good that I’m willing to marry in?”
Zheng Yuze was a bit unhappy. He had already lowered himself this much.
Thinking of Xu Nanyin’s ideal type she mentioned last week, he instinctively thought of the man who overshadowed him.
He asked, “Did you go to Ning City yesterday?”
Xu Nanyin, still annoyed by his matters, replied softly but firmly, “That’s my private business.”
Zheng Yuze: “You never paid attention to your family’s branch opening events before. Were you there for the opening or for someone?”
The news of the Xu family opening branches in the mainland had been promoted in Port City, including exclusive limited editions, so he knew about it.
Over the years, the Xu family had opened countless stores; Xu Nanyin used to attend with her parents when she was little but stopped after university.
Xu Nanyin was stunned for two seconds, then closed her eyes.
“Zheng Yuze, do you think I have anything to do with you?”
Hearing her tone grow cold for the first time, Zheng Yuze was a little panicked.
“Zhuzhu, I’m just unhappy. You don’t care about me at all.”
Xu Nanyin didn’t understand.
She had told him she didn’t like him—why should she care about him?
He liked her, so why demand she reciprocate?
“Forget it.”
Xu Nanyin lost all desire to talk and ended the call.
Zheng Yuze, after being hung up on, only knew she was angry, yet felt her anger was unreasonable since he was even jealous of her rivals.
He called Dai Hongshu, his strategist, again.
That day, Liang Jiamin was having a candlelight dinner with him.
Since the last time a model used Dai Hongshu for a photo op and was caught by the tabloids, for any unimportant calls, he would have Liang Jiamin answer.
Zheng Yuze bombarded with questions, and Liang Jiamin sneered twice.
“Wow, so romantic, the love saint, moving the entire universe. Men like this, I need to line up for!”
She rolled her eyes at him while cutting steak.
Dai Hongshu said, “He’s not right for you.”
After thinking for a moment, he explained, “He couldn’t win over Xu Nanyin, so he came to me. I gave him the idea.”
Liang Jiamin immediately applauded, praising, “Brilliant idea!”
Dai Hongshu continued talking to Zheng Yuze, “You have nothing with her. Where she goes and what she does is for her parents and future boyfriend or husband to care about—not you.”
He found himself speechless after talking so much.
How had Zheng Yuze dated before?
After the call ended, Liang Jiamin asked, “Do you think he’s suitable for marriage?”
Dai Hongshu, sensing her sarcasm, said, “No.”
“Then why are you giving him advice?”
Liang Jiamin glared.
“If you have so much free time, why not help your future wife inherit all the family fortune?”
Dai Hongshu: “I am helping you. Why are you mad?”
Liang Jiamin: “If you help him and make me, his bridesmaid, quit, we might as well swap and be his groomsman and bridesmaid!”
***
At 10 PM, most of the lights in Villa No. 75 had been turned off.
The butler, after checking there were no security issues, planned to go to bed.
Since his master had returned to Ning City, it was expected that it would be quiet here again for some time.
Just as he took a few steps, he suddenly saw the courtyard light up.
The butler thought there might be a thief, wondering why the security system hadn’t triggered. Could it be Miss Xu from next door?
Last time, he saved her face recognition data, so she could enter directly; she had indeed come late at night before, but the master wasn’t home this time.
The butler hurried to the living room entrance.
Seeing the man striding towards him, he was surprised and opened his mouth, “Sir, why didn’t you say you were coming tonight?”
Song Huaixu casually undid a shirt button with one hand, revealing his toned chest.
“It’s sudden.”
Secretary Jiang nodded silently behind him.
If it weren’t for the early meeting tomorrow, he would have come even earlier.
By the way, why didn’t Miss Xu check her phone today?
Secretary Jiang, now cautious, asked a few more questions: “Has anything major happened in Port City these days?”
He added, “Anything related to Miss Xu?”
The butler didn’t even need to think; today something was spreading like wildfire in Port City.
“Secretary Jiang, is it big news that Zheng Yuze, the youngest son of the Zheng family, voluntarily wants to marry into the Xu family?”
Secretary Jiang: ?
Two people already rumored to be getting married??
Before he could ask if the news was true or not, a deep voice came from the man in front of him.
“Marrying in?”
Perhaps because Zheng Yuze was impossible to reason with, Xu Nanyin was in a bad mood today.
This was better than when that useless engagement was still on; at least fewer people annoyed her then.
Craving Skin Syndrome flares up more easily when anxious, and tonight was no exception.
A Li felt heartbroken and held her tightly.
Xu Nanyin suffered for a long time before finally drifting off drowsily.
The next day, A Li sighed repeatedly while looking at Xu Nanyin’s complexion.
“Ah, if only there really was that medicine you mentioned last time that works so well.”
Xu Nanyin paused her spoonful of porridge.
She curved her lips.
“There’s no such medicine. I was just talking nonsense last time.”
A Li knew very well that if there really was such a cure and their family was wealthy, they’d have bought it outright.
In her heart, she cursed Zheng Yuze for being the cause of Zhuzhu’s Craving Skin Syndrome relapse—just last week she was perfectly fine.
Before leaving, Xu Nanyin glanced at her phone and realized she had rested too early last night and missed a message from Song Huaixu.
[You believe it when others say I’m getting married?]
A whole night had passed.
Xu Nanyin’s focus was on how he knew she went to Ning City.
She hadn’t told anyone. Did Ke Wei say something? She promised not to tell.
Did he have such omniscience?
But his marrying-in plan was indeed fake.
With many thoughts swirling, she replied: [I said if it were true.]
She didn’t fully believe it.
She couldn’t help adding: [So it’s fake?]
Maybe it was too early for a reply.
Xu Nanyin wasn’t anxious; today she was going to try on Liang Jiamin’s bridesmaid dresses, with pick-up, drop-off, and lunch all arranged and paid for by Liang Jiamin.
It was a simple girls’ gathering, so she was in a relatively relaxed mood.
However, this relaxation only lasted until she stepped outside, where Zheng Yuze’s car was parked nearby.
He stood outside waiting, holding a bouquet of Red Roses.
Seeing her come out, he hurried over.
“Zhuzhu, yesterday was my fault. I made you angry. I apologize.”
Xu Nanyin pressed her lips.
“And then?”
Zheng Yuze had never seen a girl react like this and noticed she didn’t accept the flowers.
“Please don’t be mad at me. I was wrong. It won’t happen again.”
She didn’t like Red Roses.
She didn’t like him.
Xu Nanyin smelled the strong fragrance. She preferred the sea breeze in the early morning, though she rarely woke up that early, usually sleeping until nine.
“Put out your hand,” she suddenly said.
Zheng Yuze didn’t understand, but stretched out his hand.
Xu Nanyin exhaled and lightly touched his hand with the back of hers.
The skin felt no different from anyone else’s—so-so.
This feeling—security from her parents, privacy from A Li—he would never understand how miserable she was during an episode.
He was also not the one who could fulfill the only reason they could get married.
Zheng Yuze was pleasantly surprised.
This was the first time Xu Nanyin had physical contact with him, so he wanted to hold her hand.
Xu Nanyin avoided it and withdrew her hand.
“You should go back. I have things to do today. Take your flowers with you.”
“You don’t accept my apology?”
Zheng Yuze asked.
“Not all apologies have to be accepted. What do you think?”
Xu Nanyin’s voice was as gentle as usual.
Zheng Yuze always gave without considering and then demanded a response.
She inevitably compared him to Song Huaixu, who never asked for anything in return.
The Liang and Dai families both attached great importance to this marriage alliance.
In Port City, weddings often feature the traditional dragon and phoenix gown, and Liang Jiamin was no exception.
The bridal attire was extravagantly exquisite, complemented by eighteen pairs of dragon and phoenix bracelets.
Besides that, there was a wedding dress and several sets of costly jewelry.
There were five bridesmaids, not many by Port City standards, but all born into wealthy families, heirs to major groups.
The bridesmaid dresses naturally had high standards.
Today, Liang Jiamin had booked an entire store to have them try on dresses.
When Xu Nanyin arrived, the others were almost all there, chatting.
Lin Zhijun quickly pulled her over.
“Liang Jiamin’s late herself,” she bluntly complained.
“I was only one minute late. As the bride, I deserve some privilege, don’t I!”
Liang Jiamin said, overhearing her as she came in.
Chen Shi He laughed, “Sure, sure.”
Since it was Liang Jiamin’s big day, they wouldn’t say anything too harsh.
Besides, the day after the last incident, Dai Hongshu publicly cleared things up.
Whether to believe it or not was up to others; both Liang Jiamin and Dai Hongshu had dated before, no one could interfere.
“What color scheme do you like?”
Liang Jiamin waved her hand.
“I had many colors prepared; pick what you want.”
Xu Nanyin had no particular opinion; as long as it looked good on her, it was fine.
Each girl had her own preferences, and they tried on their favorites separately.
In the end, they would vote to select one set since the bridesmaids shouldn’t wear vastly different styles.
Liang Jiamin even prepared several makeup artists.