Chapter 2
Throwing Herself at Him?
What a joke!
Qin Yige supported him, steadying herself, and tilted her chin up haughtily, looking at the man. "Do you think you're worthy?"
A flicker of displeasure crossed the man's eyes. He tidied his sleeves with the blue diamond cufflinks and said faintly, "Unreasonable!"
"I don't need you to be reasonable with me. This young lady has plenty of people who will!"
"..."
The bickering pair parted ways unhappily for the nth time.
What they didn't know was that in a dark corner of the rear garden, a grandmother and grandson had been hiding, listening to their entire conversation.
Elder Madam Shang withdrew her gossipy gaze and looked back at her younger grandson beside her, suddenly smiling meaningfully.
Shang Yu, who was forced to accompany his grandmother to the banquet, paused when he met her eyes. "Grandma, why are you smiling so..."
Cunningly?
"What do you think of your eldest brother and Yige?"
"What do you mean, what do I think?" Shang Yu was a little confused.
"What if they were together?" the old lady asked, her eyes gleaming with sharpness.
His eldest brother and Yige?
Shang Yu shivered and reminded her, "Grandma, it's okay for us to ship couples, even unpopular ones, but... it shouldn't be too weird!"
Elder Madam Shang smiled at her grandson, not saying a word.
She was contemplating something.
Her eldest grandson and that girl, one ice, one fire.
Would the fire melt the ice, or would the ice extinguish the fire?
"My dear grandson, don't you want to ship this couple?"
Shang Yu tried hard to picture the two of them together in his mind. Physically, they were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, like a golden couple.
It was just Qin Yige's fiery personality... Could his taciturn eldest brother handle it?
Elder Madam Shang said, "This couple isn't weird at all. Why didn't I think of it before? Shang Yu, what are you thinking? Tell Grandma your true thoughts!"
Shang Yu hesitated for a moment, then honestly replied, "Grandma, I'm worried."
"Worried about Yige? You don't need to worry. If she marries into our Shang family, I'll back her up."
"It's not about Grandma, I'm worried about my eldest brother."
"???"
"You might not know, but the only person in this world who can anger my eldest brother is Qin Yige. It's unprecedented."
Actually, Shang Sheng used to treat Qin Yige quite well. They were all in the same circle, and she was like a little sister.
But at some point, the two of them started fighting whenever they met, to the point where they now refused to see each other. It had been a long time.
"That girl from the Qin family is quite a handful, but it's okay. As long as she's kind-hearted, filial to her elders, and has a baby soon, the rest doesn't matter!" Elder Madam Shang was so eager for great-grandchildren that she couldn't eat or sleep, and every day she thought about introducing potential partners to her grandson.
As long as Shang Sheng got married, even if he married into the bride's family, she, as his grandmother, would be willing.
*
Qin Yige was so angered by Shang Sheng that she skipped dinner for two days, her mind consumed with plotting revenge.
It wasn't until three nights later, when she was called into the study by her parents.
Qin Father, Qin Shizhao, spoke first. "Yige, Mom and Dad want to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
Qin Mother, Xia Lanqing, asked her cautiously, "Daughter, what do you think of Shang Sheng?"
Hearing the name, Qin Yige's anger flared. "Not good. He has no gentlemanly demeanor, he's scheming, selfish, and domineering. All he does is plot and attack me, a girl!"
The smiles on the couple's faces vanished.
It was over!
Xia Lanqing still forced herself to ask, "If... I mean, if, hypothetically, you were to marry Shang Sheng, would you be willing?"
"Who did you say?!" Qin Yige's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at her biological parents.
"Shang Sheng."
"You want your precious daughter to marry that old fox Shang Sheng? Dad, have you been too busy lately?"
"No, Yige. Dad doesn't want to either, but, alas, it's a long story..." Qin Shizhao's wrinkled face showed distress.
Qin Yige took several deep breaths to calm herself down, then spoke calmly, "Dad, if Shang Sheng is threatening you, just tell me, and I'll go find him."
"What are you going to find him for?"
"How dare he threaten my dad! I'll smash his skull!"
Qin Shizhao reached out to placate her. "Alright, alright. Do you think Shang Sheng is still the same Shang Sheng as before? Smash his skull? Go wash up and go to bed."
"I know. Isn't he the CEO of Shang Corporation? Hmph, I'm still not afraid of him!"
Qin Shizhao quietly gathered his emotions and sighed heavily.
"Dad, why are you sighing?"
"Dad is sighing because... the company is facing a major crisis. I originally thought you could marry Shang Sheng and form an alliance with the Shang family to save our Qin Corporation. Seeing how resistant you are, Dad won't force you." Knowing his daughter best, Qin Shizhao employed a strategy of retreating to advance.
Qin Yige asked suspiciously, "The company is in crisis? How come I don't know about it?"
"Of course, you don't know. Dad didn't tell anyone. The company is currently facing difficulties with its cash flow and is on the verge of bankruptcy. It's not that Dad is sad about the company's potential demise, but that my precious daughter won't be able to live a life of luxury anymore. She'll have to think for days before buying a bag worth ten thousand yuan..."
She couldn't even afford a ten-thousand-yuan bag? Was it that dire? Qin Yige felt a pang of heartache.
"Yige, you know the Shang family's wealth better than I do. Shang Sheng is not only the pillar of Shang Corporation but also a figure who can control everything in our Port City. If you marry him, at least you won't have any financial worries."
Qin Shizhao's words made so much sense. Qin Yige, disregarding Shang Sheng himself, was already tempted by the Shang family's wealth.
However, "Dad, just declare bankruptcy. If we have no money later, I'll support you! Shang Sheng only has a few stinking bucks, this young lady doesn't care!" She wasn't incapable of earning.
Declare bankruptcy?
Qin Shizhao clutched his chest, nearly losing his breath.
Qin Mother Xia Lanqing exchanged a look with Qin Shizhao. She gently comforted her daughter, "Yige, don't rush. Mom knows you and Shang Sheng have some minor disagreements. But think about it from another perspective: if you marry Shang Sheng and become his wife, won't he have to coax you and indulge you? You can also spend his money, live in his house, and share his assets."
She knew Yige didn't care about Shang Sheng's money, and the Qin family didn't either, but the Qin family cared about Shang Sheng as a son-in-law!
"He'll indulge me? Mom, do you have a misunderstanding about that stinky mulberry?"
Xia Lanqing said, "No misunderstanding. Elder Madam Shang said that if you marry into the Shang family, you'll have her support, and Shang Sheng will indulge you out of respect for her."
Qin Shizhao: "My dear daughter, Dad actually doesn't want you to marry so early."
Qin Yige was genuinely touched. "Dad—"
"However, Dad's company is facing an economic crisis lately, and your uncles are barely able to get their salaries. It's a small matter if Dad's company goes bankrupt, but if you have to bear the debt with Dad and suffer so much, Dad might as well jump off from here right now!"
Qin Yige: "..."
She wanted to say: Dad, this is the second floor.
"But if you marry Shang Sheng, then Dad won't have to jump, he'll definitely help."
The young girl bit her lower lip, and after a long pause, she said indignantly, "You don't need to persuade me. Shang Sheng definitely won't agree to this marriage either! He has someone he likes!"
Tang Anruo's words about having a crush were half-believed, half-skeptical. She only believed half of what she said a few days ago.
Shang Sheng's crush wouldn't be her, but it certainly wouldn't be her, Qin Yige!
Besides, she said she'd have eight sons for Shang Sheng. How could that be possible? She just said it to annoy him.
Qin Shizhao: "What if Shang Sheng agrees?"
Qin Yige boldly patted her chest and guaranteed, "If he agrees, I agree too. If you tell me to marry tomorrow, I won't wait until the day after!"
She was certain that Shang Sheng would absolutely not agree.