Hearing Shao Yuanjia's words, Qi Siran couldn't help widening her eyes.
I don't know how long it had passed before a gritted - teeth voice came from the silent room.
"Shao Yuanjia, are you crazy?!"
The look in Qi Siran's eyes as she stared at him was full of disbelief.
Wasn't this man supposed to be in love with Wen Yin?
Why did he suddenly want her to marry him now?!
The moment Shao Yuanjia's gaze met Qi Siran's, he understood exactly what was going on in this woman's mind.
He couldn't help taking a sip of his red wine. Finally, a half - smile curled up on Shao Yuanjia's lips.
"You don't think I'm marrying you for something, do you?"
These few words fully conveyed the sarcasm in his tone.
It took Qi Siran a while to understand the meaning behind his words.
Her face turned red and then white. She couldn't help speaking up.
"What do you mean! Who do you look down on!"
Shao Yuanjia turned a deaf ear to the dissatisfaction in her tone.
"Now that you're going abroad, this is the best solution for the moment."
After hearing him analyze the pros and cons, Qi Siran thought there was some truth to what he said.
After all, once she married him, Mrs. Qi would surely stop interfering in her affairs.
By then, she would not only successfully escape the plan of going abroad for recuperation but also be able to stay in the country.
As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood.
Qi Siran wasn't unaware of this truth.
After thinking for a while in silence, Qi Siran raised her eyes and looked at him casually.
"You're helping me such a big favor. What do you need from me?"
Qi Siran naturally knew the nature of Shao Yuanjia in front of her.
He was a businessman and would never do charity for her in vain.
No matter what he asked her to do or what help he offered, there must be a certain exchange of interests.
The moment Shao Yuanjia proposed marriage to her, Qi Siran understood that theirs was just a business alliance.
After all, she knew that the only person on Shao Yuanjia's mind was someone else.
Shao Yuanjia raised his eyes and glanced at the woman in front of him. He couldn't help feeling a bit more sarcastic.
She wasn't completely stupid.
Shao Yuanjia gently stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and said coldly.
"All you need to do is cooperate with me."
"I'll tell you about the rest."
Their gazes locked.
They both knew the other had an ulterior motive, but in the current situation, there was no more suitable person than each other.
Qi Siran couldn't figure out what Shao Yuanjia was thinking. So she chatted with him for a few more sentences and then left the villa.
After seeing Qi Siran's figure disappear completely,
Shao Yuanjia slowly walked up to the study on the second floor. He carefully opened the safe in the corner and then squatted down to look at the contents inside.
The safe was empty, with only a contract and a yellowed photo.
Shao Yuanjia's fingertips lingered on the photo for a few seconds, but finally, he picked up the contract.
Looking at the contract, a complex look flashed in Shao Yuanjia's eyes.
This was the coming - of - age gift his old man gave him on the day he turned adult.
It stated that on the day Shao Yuanjia got married, he would be given shares of the Shao Corporation.
Currently, he was only working in an insignificant branch company and had no say in the core affairs of the group. Everything was managed by Shao Yinan and the others, while he could only watch from afar.
Shao Yuanjia tightened his grip on the paper.
He was now at the end of his rope and had to fight this battle to the end.
Coincidentally, Qi Siran came to him for cooperation. He might as well take advantage of this situation and come up with a plan that would benefit both of them.
After all, although Qi Siran had now fallen from grace and was exposed as a fake daughter of the Qi family, her former identity as the Qi family's daughter still counted for something.
Qi Siran was the most suitable candidate for his marriage.
Thinking this way, Shao Yuanjia's gaze fell on the yellowed photo.
There was a thin and short kid standing beside a little girl. The two were hugging each other with big smiles on their faces, looking very warm.
"So we're not on the same path after all, right?"
Shao Yuanjia reached out and gently stroked the little girl's face. A dark and unclear emotion flashed in his eyes.
---
Since Wen Yin met Grandpa Shao at the banquet, he had been constantly chatting with her through Shao Yinan.
Looking at the smiling Grandpa Shao on the video call, Wen Yin blushed when she heard his teasing.
"Grandpa, we're not at that stage yet. Stop teasing me."
Hearing Wen Yin's words, Grandpa Shao shook his head in disapproval.
"It's time to speed up your wedding. I'm still waiting to hold my great - grandchild!"
Hearing this, Wen Yin blushed again.
Shao Yinan saw that the old man not only used to urge him to get married but now was even urging them to have a child?!
Shao Yinan couldn't help moving the phone towards himself, moving the little woman whose face was red as if it was about to bleed out of the video frame.
Grandpa Shao suddenly saw his cold - faced grandson and couldn't help frowning.
"What do you have to do with our conversation? Quickly hand the phone to A Yin."
Shao Yinan reached out and ruffled Wen Yin's hair. Then he said expressionlessly.
"It's getting late, Grandpa. You should go to bed."
In the past few days, the old man had been making video calls with her from time to time, saying that he wanted to bond with his future granddaughter - in - law.
As a result, the time Wen Yin spent with Shao Yinan had been greatly reduced.
Shao Yinan had harbored some resentment in his heart, and he finally vented it out tonight.
After the discussions between the two families in the past few days, they decided to hold an engagement ceremony for them first.
After all, Shao Yinan had told them that he would handle the wedding on his own, so there were many details to take care of.
Shao Yinan couldn't manage everything alone, so the time was extended.
Therefore, the two families decided to hold an engagement ceremony first.
Wen Yin was wearing a simple white dress that made her skin look like coagulated fat. She nervously held onto Shao Yinan's arm.
Shao Yinan seemed to notice her nervousness. He couldn't help booping her on the nose.
"You weren't nervous when you were on the catwalk. Why are you suddenly nervous now?"
Wen Yin couldn't help slapping his hand away and giving him a coquettish look.
Then she picked up the small mirror beside her and carefully checked if the powder on her nose had been rubbed off by him.
"What do you know? The situation then was different from this one!"
Just thinking about the lively deer - like girl on the stage back then, Shao Yinan couldn't help holding his breath.
Fortunately, he had managed to hold the elfin on the stage firmly in his arms.
Shao Yinan reached out and hugged her tightly. He couldn't help whispering in Wen Yin's ear.
"Don't be nervous. I'm here."
These simple words were like a shot in the arm for Wen Yin.
Wen Yin naturally knew that he would always be by her side.
Just as she was about to say something else to him, she heard a commotion at the door.
Then she saw Qi Siran and Shao Yuanjia walking in hand in hand.