Qiao Wenxing and Bai Yue exchanged glances with one another, their eyes filled with surprise.
"You... you’re not angry?" Qiao Wenxing asked, a bit dazed. Though the media had dubbed him a "young master" and "youthful elite," he was actually only twenty-four years old. At home, he was spoiled by his mother and retained a hint of innocence. However, his strict self-discipline and ambition kept him away from vices like heavy drinking, late-night clubs, and other reckless behavior, leading the older generation to view him as a promising young man.
A flicker of light flashed in Bai Yue’s eyes, showing her deep skepticism towards Han Yanyan’s calm demeanor.
For Han Yanyan, it had only been a little over an hour since Ding Yao had used her as a scapegoat and tossed her aside. Her emotions were still in disarray as she looked at this couple, who seemed eager to flaunt their "true love" to the world. With a sarcastic smile, she said, “Why should I be angry? You and I didn’t get engaged out of love to begin with. It was merely a business alliance. If it falls apart, we can always find another suitable match.”
While Han Yanyan spoke the raw truth, Qiao Wenxing felt an uncomfortable twist in his heart at being so bluntly dismissed by his former fiancée. “Then how will you explain this to your family?” he asked.
Han Yanyan frowned, “Explain what?”
“About dissolving the engagement with Uncle Han,” Qiao Wenxing replied.
“What do I have to explain? You're the one who wants to break off the engagement, not me,” Han Yanyan retorted. “It’s clearly you who needs to go home and report to your father. You handle things with him, and then he can talk to my father…”
Her words trailed off, and she looked at Qiao Wenxing as if questioning his intelligence. “You don’t actually think that something as major as breaking off our engagement can be decided solely by the two of us, right?”
A hint of embarrassment colored Qiao Wenxing’s face, and Bai Yue gasped, “Why can’t we?”
Ignoring Bai Yue, Han Yanyan focused on Qiao Wenxing. “You’re wasting time here with me; instead, you should get back home and talk to your dad. The key players in this matter are your dad and my dad, not you and me. Just deal with them, and I’m fine with whatever happens.”
Qiao Wenxing lowered his eyes. He knew exactly what Han Yanyan said was true, but facing his father felt even more daunting than dealing with her.
Bai Yue turned to him, seeing his troubled expression, and grasped his hand, speaking gently yet firmly, “Wenxing, you’re an adult now. You can decide your own life.”
Her eyes were filled with trust and admiration, and Qiao Wenxing felt filled with newfound courage, unconsciously puffing out his chest.
“And you too, Miss Han.” Bai Yue turned to Han Yanyan, her expression sincere. “You’re an adult as well, so please be brave. What’s the point of a marriage without love?”
Bai Yue’s righteous words finally made Han Yanyan lower her gaze towards the girl.
Miss Han had always exuded the pride of a wealthy heiress, and such a character naturally had her own temper. In the past, when her relationship with Qiao Wenxing was still ambiguous, she felt intimidated by Han Yanyan. Now, with Qiao Wenxing acknowledging her and revealing his desire to break off the engagement, Bai Yue felt empowered. She thought she could stand on equal footing with Han Yanyan and even felt a slight sense of victory. Her demeanor transformed as she straightened up, meeting Han Yanyan’s gaze directly.
Just over an hour ago, Han Yanyan had been fighting against three zombie kings and nearly a hundred mutated zombies alongside Ding Yao in a world of chaos. Now, having been treated as a mere pawn by the man she loved, her pent-up anger and resentment simmered beneath the surface. Hearing Bai Yue’s ridiculous words now earned her a dismissive look.
That look from Han Yanyan, calm but laced with the cutting edge of survival instincts, extinguished whatever fleeting pride Bai Yue had in an instant. A chill ran down Bai Yue’s spine, causing her shoulders to instinctively hunch, her confidence shattered once more.
“Meaning? It means a lot,” Han Yanyan sneered, her voice sharp. “Do you know what a business marriage is?”
“Do you know what a business marriage entails?” she continued. “It’s where a man and a woman represent two families, uniting in marriage to combine resources, networks, and share connections. It’s a partnership between the strong.”
“This is a marriage, not a feud. If Qiao Wenxing doesn’t want to ally with our family, that’s fine. I can accept it. In business, if we can agree, we’ll deal; if we cannot, we part ways amicably. We can still earn money together in the future.”
“However,” Han Yanyan narrowed her eyes at Bai Yue, “just because Qiao Wenxing and I can go our separate ways nicely doesn’t mean you, a gold-digging girl, can dictate terms to me.”
Bai Yue was infuriated, her lips trembling, “How can you insult me like that…”
“Have I said anything wrong?”
Han Yanyan assessed Bai Yue from head to toe.
“You’re not bad-looking. There must be a lot of boys pursuing you at school, but you chose Qiao Wenxing. What’s your motive? Isn’t it because he has money? Surely, among the boys pursuing you, there are excellent students from humble backgrounds. If you were to choose someone like that and work hard for a decade or two, both of you would eventually thrive together. But instead, you chose the ready-made option. You want to skip the hard part and go straight to the good life, so you choose to marry into wealth.”
Bai Yue's color drained from her face with anger, her lips pressed tightly together as she stubbornly met Han Yanyan’s gaze. “I like Wenxing because he’s a good person. When my father fell seriously ill, it was Wenxing who helped me unselfishly and supported my family through the rough patch. You don’t know him at all, he…”
Han Yanyan laughed derisively, “The money he used to help you came from his father, not him. If you like him for that reason, you’re liking the wrong person. You should be admiring Chairman Qiao instead.”
Bai Yue was rendered speechless.
“So besides the money and the aura that comes with it, what do you actually love about him?” Han Yanyan continued to mock her.
Bai Yue’s eyes brimmed with tears from her pent-up anger. Qiao Wenxing, feeling sympathetic for Bai Yue, chastised, “Yanyan! Stop talking nonsense! Yueyue isn’t that kind of girl.”
Han Yanyan snorted and replied, “She might not understand, but don't think that just because she isn’t yet Mrs. Qiao that she won’t have the right to speak down to me when she is.” With that, she pushed her chair back and stood up. “Alright, the mood for dinner has been spoiled by your woman, so you two can eat by yourselves.”
As Qiao Wenxing stood, Bai Yue followed suit.
Han Yanyan picked up her bag, casting one last glance at Qiao Wenxing. “As someone who’s known you since childhood, here’s some advice. This engagement was decided by your dad and my dad, primarily your dad, who is very determined… you know why. Your dad calls the shots in your family, and I advise you not to go against him. After all… you’re not his only son.”
Bai Yue, clearly unaware, turned in shock to Qiao Wenxing, asking, “You… you’re not an only child, are you?”
Qiao Wenxing didn't care much about it, responding casually, “Just a love child. If my dad truly cared, he would’ve brought him home long ago.”
Han Yanyan smiled.
In the past, with a dependable heir in the Qiao family, bringing home a love child would only create conflicts of interest, destabilizing the family and the corporation. But with the heir suddenly losing his mind, chasing love above all else, if Han Yanyan were in charge, she too would reconsider the heirs’ situation. Moreover, the Qiao family had been on a downward trajectory, and the marriage alliance with the Han family had been vigorously pursued by Qiao’s father. He would never allow that union to fail because of some triviality born of naivety.
Besides, although the love child had not been officially recognized, he had still attended prestigious schools, studied abroad, and received elite education.
Han Yanyan’s smile widened, “Well then, I wish you good luck.”
With that, she turned on her heel, the sound of her high heels echoing confidently against the floor as she left in style.
Bai Yue bit her lip, watching her retreating figure, mumbling softly, “I… I don’t like her…”
“She’s just spoiled and has a bad temper. I’ve known her since childhood, and I understand her quite well. She’s actually a good and simple girl. She’s not a bad person,” Qiao Wenxing consoled Bai Yue.
That wasn’t what Bai Yue wanted to hear. She hoped Qiao Wenxing would take her side, uniting against his former fiancée, but he didn’t, leaving her deeply disappointed.
She lifted her head and smiled, “She must be angry about the engagement. She claims to be indifferent, but perhaps she still cares. After all, where else could she find someone like you? You’re so wonderful…”
Her usual soft demeanor and obedient admiration made Qiao Wenxing feel as if he were truly standing tall.
She added, “I felt guilty towards her, but now it seems her anger overshadows any real feelings she may have for you. Breaking off this engagement might be a good thing for her too. I hope she can find someone she truly loves, just as I hope to. It’s so sad for someone to only talk about money and transactions.”
Qiao Wenxing held her hand and said, “Let’s not bother with her. She gets angry quickly but also calms down just as fast. She’ll be fine. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”
Bai Yue opened the menu, ordering dishes that Qiao Wenxing loved.
As Han Yanyan confidently walked out of the building in her high heels, people crossing paths with her instinctively stepped aside, avoiding her.
At the bottom of the steps, the driver of a private car opened the door for her, ensuring the heiress wouldn’t bump her head while getting in. Once the door was closed and he was back in the driver’s seat, he heard Han Yanyan lazily say, “Confronting people feels great; it really helps to release bad emotions.”
The driver chuckled, “Who had the guts to provoke you?”
Han Yanyan sighed, “Two idiots.” She then asked, “Uncle Chen, are there any good places to eat nearby? I’m still hungry.”
The driver, surprised, knew Han Yanyan had met with the Qiao family’s young master. What could she possibly have eaten without dining? This fell beyond his duties, and he refrained from prying. Instead, he suggested one of her favorite restaurants, asking, “Would that be alright?”
“Sure,” Han Yanyan replied cheerfully. “When I’m in a bad mood, I treat myself to a nice meal. If one isn’t enough, then I’ll have two.”
The driver cast a glance at Han Yanyan through the rearview mirror. Though she appeared fierce, she was generally quite good to the staff. However, today he sensed something different about her. Sitting in the back, her gaze was directed through the glass, seemingly lost in thought, a hint of darkness overshadowing her exquisite features.
Just as he turned his gaze away, he heard Han Yanyan say, “Uncle Chen, please book me a flight for tomorrow and a hotel.”
The driver asked, “Where would you like to go?”
“Just find a place with sunshine, beaches, and handsome guys,” Han Yanyan leaned back in her seat lazily, saying, “I need to relax, go on a vacation.”
The driver smiled, “Got it.”
The next day, Han Yanyan flew abroad. In first class and at a luxurious resort, she embraced sunshine, beaches, and handsome men from all over.
The electronic voice announced: This world was now her playground.
In this world, although she didn't have immense wealth herself, she had a wealthy father backing her. It felt like being granted a second life.
Being a rich girl felt divine!