Using power to force marriage

Ruan Fu took another nap and when she woke up, she received a message from a friend inviting her to a socialite tea party that evening.

This tea party is a regular private gathering of the wealthy wives and heiresses of Beicheng. Those who are qualified to attend are all from top-tier families, pampered young ladies and socialites. They regularly gather to exchange information on various luxury goods, beauty and fashion resources, and their social networks.

Ruan Fu's high-end pet medical and care center caters to this group of top-tier clients, and she needs to maintain good relationships within this circle.

Although her foot injury hadn't fully healed, she still accepted the invitation.

She sent a message to Zhao Jingnian to report the news.

Soft and Fluffy: [I have a party tonight, I have to go out.]

She sent him the invitation to the tea party.

The older man was always meticulous and strict about her health, repeatedly ordering her to stay home and rest.

Soft and Fluffy: [These people are all my clients; I need to maintain these relationships.]

Less than half a minute after the message was sent, Zhao Jingnian replied.

N: [Okay, I'll pick you up after this.]

Although Zhao Jingnian was worried about her injury, he would not forcefully restrict her preferences and career.

N: [You have an ankle injury, so tonight remember to prioritize comfort in your shoes while still looking stylish.]

His gentle and considerate reminder.

N: [Don't wear shoes with heels that are too high, otherwise your feet will get very tired.]

Ruan Fu stared at the message he sent, her lips involuntarily curving into a bright smile.

The old man kept nagging and showing endless concern, but her foot had long since stopped hurting; it was no exaggeration.

N: [Remember not to stand for too long.]

Her eyes crinkled into a smile as she obediently replied, "Okay, I'll wear flats today."

They worry about her even more than her parents do.

N: [Our little Fu is being so well-behaved today.]

Soft and fluffy: [I'm very good every day, okay?]

Zhao Jingnian showered her with small acts of concern, asking if she had eaten, slept well, and if she had missed him.

Ruan Fu replied to each one:

Just woke up, I had such a good night's sleep.

Aunt Sun has finished cooking and will be downstairs to eat soon.

I miss you, I miss you so much~

She felt that words were not enough to express her emotions, so she added a voice message.

He opened the voice message and heard Ruan Fu's sweet, coquettish voice:

"Honey, I miss you so much. I think about you every single minute of every day. Do you miss me too?"

I had just finished listening to this one when a second one popped up.

"Here's another kiss for you, mwah~"

The afternoon is a time when people are prone to fatigue. He had just had a cup of Americano brought in, but after drinking it, he didn't feel that it had much effect.

But when he heard his little Fu baby being affectionate with him and giving him kisses, Zhao Jingnian instantly felt refreshed and invigorated.

-

Tonight's tea party is all attended by her acquaintances.

Meng Shutan went with her and also met Jiang Qiyu's arranged marriage partner, Cen Dai.

The couple's engagement party is scheduled for early October, less than a month away.

Ruan Qian went to a poor mountainous area for a free clinic and planned to come back after their engagement banquet. She really didn't want to attend.

Upon seeing Ruan Fu, Cen Dai walked unsteadily toward her.

"Fufu, it's been a while, you've become even more beautiful!"

Ruan Fu smiled and thanked her, "Sister Cen, you look beautiful too. This dress suits you very well today."

Young women always like to compliment each other when they meet.

"Where's Qianqian? Hasn't she come back from the free clinic yet?"

When Ruan Qian was mentioned, Ruan Fu's expression paused slightly. "No, my sister is going away for three months."

Cen Dai smiled gently, "You two sisters, one runs an animal rescue station and the other goes deep into the mountains to provide free medical services, you are both angels with great love in your hearts."

Ruan Fu smiled broadly at the praise. She and her sister were simply following their hearts, wanting to do their part for the world.

Meng Shutan thought Ruan Qian would only be gone for a month, but she didn't expect it to be three months.

"Then Sister Ruan Qian won't be able to attend my brother and sister-in-law's engagement party. What a pity." She didn't know that Ruan Qian liked Jiang Qiyu.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Fu and Cen Dai's expressions simultaneously became subtle.

They couldn't very well say directly that Ruan Qian didn't want to attend their engagement party at all.

Ruan Fu could only feign regret, "Yes, my sister probably won't be able to make it back in time."

Cen Dai chuckled lightly, "Whether the engagement banquet will be held or not is still uncertain. Maybe they'll cancel the engagement in a couple of days."

Ruan Fu and Meng Shutan were both surprised. "What do you mean?"

"It means I might have to annul the engagement, and the marriage might have to be called off."

Last night, after she and Jiang Qiyu finished dinner, it started raining heavily outside.

She was wearing a tank top and felt a little cold, so she put his coat on her shoulders.

Jiang Qiyu took her home, and Cen Dai, noticing the scent of her perfume on her coat, said she would wash it and return it to him.

Back home, she took off her coat and handed it to the nanny to wash.

The nanny took a hair clip out of her pocket, thinking it belonged to Cen Dai, and placed it on her dressing table.

It's a pink bow style, studded with small rhinestones.

"That hair clip isn't mine."

Cen Dai's face held a hint of sarcasm. "Jiang Qiyu has someone he likes, so I want to call off the engagement."

Their marriage was purely a business arrangement devoid of love. You don't love me, and I don't love you; it's all about interests, not feelings, which is fair to both of them.

"I can accept that my future husband doesn't love me, because I don't love him either, but I absolutely cannot accept that he has someone else in his heart."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Fu's heart trembled violently, and she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

She tentatively asked, "Sister Cen, do you know who my brother likes?"

"I don't know, but it should be a girl he's known since childhood."

That hair clip looks like the kind worn by teenage girls.

"A girl I've known since childhood?"

Meng Shutan pondered for a moment, "Could it be the unrequited love of my youth?"

Cen Dai has principles and a bottom line. She can accept a loveless business marriage, but she would never marry a man who loves a woman in his heart.

"Jiang Qiyu meets my standards in every way. We share the same values ​​and goals; we are both profit-driven and ruthless businessmen. If it weren't for the hair clip incident, he would have been a very good marriage prospect."

Unfortunately, fate allowed her to discover Jiang Qiyu's secret before their engagement.

Meng Shutan felt that Jiang Qiyu and Cen Dai were a good match and had already reached the point of discussing marriage, so she offered a few words of advice.

"Brother Qi Yu isn't the kind of man who's two-timing. Maybe it was just youthful infatuation. Brother Qi Yu has always been chaste. It was just a cartoon hair clip; it doesn't really count as love."

"The fact that he has treasured a hair clip to this day is enough to show that the girl held a significant place in his heart."

Cen Dai couldn't accept it, even though he hadn't seen the owner of the hair clip for many years, or even though the owner of the hair clip had gotten married and had children.

But Jiang Qiyu always kept this in mind. In Cen Dai's eyes, this was a taboo. Her arranged marriage partner could not love her, but he absolutely could not love anyone else.

"I plan to talk to him in a couple of days. If he admits that he still has feelings for the owner of this hair clip, then I will have no choice but to call off the engagement."