She answered silently in her heart: No, I will only listen to politics and not wield the curtain.
"This marriage is settled."
Qin Yige: No, she came to break off the engagement.
Facing the gazes of everyone, she had to adjust her posture and demeanor, smile and greet everyone generously, "Hello, leaders. I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting. It's all his idea, but you can pretend I'm not here and continue your work normally."
The "he" she referred to was, of course, Shang Sheng.
Qin Yige wasn't going to take the blame. She immediately pushed the responsibility onto Shang Sheng.
The man who was being blamed opened his mouth expressionlessly, "Meeting!"
In a serious and slightly awkward atmosphere, the meeting quickly got to the point.
Qin Yige suddenly regretted it. Sitting here, she felt like an exhibit, constantly subjected to the gaze of everyone.
Since that was the case, she shifted her attention to Shang Sheng beside her.
Actually, putting aside all unpleasantness, Qin Yige had always known that Shang Sheng was very handsome. She had known this fact for over twenty years.
At some point, Shang Sheng, who was always in casual wear in her memory, gradually began to wear mature-colored and styled suits, with ties, and expensive leather shoes instead of casual ones.
He was only a little over three years older than her and Shang Yu, but in terms of personality and appearance, he seemed at least ten years older than them.
Qin Yige's gaze shifted to his hands, which were flipping through documents. They were long, fair, and well-defined, worthy of a hand model.
She smiled mischievously. Such beautiful hands should get a manicure and be painted with red nail polish—
As she withdrew her gaze, she inadvertently met his indifferent yet sharp eyes, and her playful smile froze on her lips.
The man's thin lips parted, and his deep, cold voice reached her ears, "Meeting adjourned!"
The company executives filed out, disappearing completely within two minutes.
Only three people remained in the conference room: Shang Sheng, Qin Yige, and Secretary Chen Ling.
Shang Sheng spoke first, "What brings you to the company?"
Qin Yige grumbled in her heart for a moment, then bombarded him with questions, "Shang Sheng, why did you agree to our marriage? Why do you want to marry me? Don't you hate me? Aren't you afraid of having nightmares every day after marrying me?"
Shang Sheng: "Marrying you is just to deal with my family, nothing more."
"Using me as a pawn?"
"You can think of it that way."
Qin Yige was amused by him, "Mr. Shang is indeed one of the top ten outstanding young men in Hong Kong. So filial!"
"You flatter me."
"But I'm sorry, I don't want to marry you, not at all!" She must have been out of her mind to even consider marrying him.
Others might not know, but she did.
Shang Sheng was cunning and domineering, full of schemes, and extremely controlling.
If she married him, it would be like having an extra father, one who would control everything, even how many grains of rice she ate!
Meeting her gaze, Shang Sheng said casually, "This marriage is beyond your control!"
Qin Yige's cheeks puffed up in anger, making her look like an indignant little frog.
She threatened, "If you insist on marrying me, I'll elope with another man tomorrow and give you a cuckold."
Anyone else, facing such a threat, would have gotten angry.
But Shang Sheng didn't. He calmly asked, "Do you think anyone in Hong Kong can escape my grasp, Shang Sheng?"
"..." Qin Yige detested his arrogance, but there was nothing she could do, as he had the power to back it up.
It's okay, she still had other tricks!
"Fine, in that case, let me tell you clearly, if you want to marry Qin Yige, you must have the 'three letters and six rites' and 'three matchmakers and six betrothals', and a dowry of ten miles of red silk."
Did he think that was all? Of course not!
"At least ten properties, one set each of ruby, sapphire, and emerald jewelry, Paraiba tourmaline, and red, green, blue, black, and purple tourmalines. Three profitable listed companies... and not a single cent of dowry from my side!"
Shang Sheng remained silent.
She was deliberately asking for an exorbitant price, hoping to make him think she was a materialistic girl and make him give up voluntarily.
Chen Ling couldn't help but speak, "Miss Qin, that's a bit excessive. As you know, Mr. Shang is marrying you under pressure from Old Mrs. Shang."
Qin Yige shot her a look and reprimanded, "I'm discussing the betrothal gifts for my engagement with my fiancé. What right does a secretary like you have to interrupt?"
"Miss Qin, you—" Chen Ling's face turned red with embarrassment.
It was better to avoid trouble, and besides, in Shang Sheng's opinion, anything that could be solved with money was not a problem.
To shut Qin Yige up, he added more betrothal gifts: "Two yachts worth over a billion, two convertible supercars, six supercars worth tens of millions, two private jets, ten billion in cash in savings cards, and two unlimited credit cards."
Qin Yige's eyes widened in shock, and she no longer cared about the secretary she disliked.
Suppressing the urge to slam the table, she kindly reminded him, "Shang Sheng, have you lost your mind? Wake up, I'm Qin Yige! The Qin Yige you hate the most! Not your white moonlight!"
The man's sharp gaze swept over the girl's face, "I'm not blind!"
"..."
Qin Yige swallowed, "Why are you offering so many betrothal gifts?"
She had no talent, nor assets worth hundreds of millions... well, she did, but it was her family's, not hers.
At most, she had a beautiful face and a decent figure, but her soul wasn't interesting either. What was Shang Sheng after?
"I'm giving you all this with only one condition: you will obediently be my nominal wife."
Wasn't that simple? Not only simple, but exactly what she wanted! Qin Yige started to get excited, and a question slipped out, "Separate living?"
Shang Sheng shot her a cold glance, "You're thinking too much."
The girl slumped back into her seat, looking utterly dejected.
She knew it. This stinky mulberry wouldn't be so easy to deal with.
*
Since it was "three letters and six rites" and "three matchmakers and six betrothals", besides other ceremonies, there had to be an engagement ceremony.
Half a month later, Shang Sheng and Qin Yige's engagement banquet was held at the six-star Viccas Hotel in Hong Kong.
At the engagement banquet, the fair-skinned bride-to-be, in a wine-red long dress and crystal high heels, obediently held the arm of her fiancé, Shang Sheng.
The couple was a perfect match, talented man and beautiful woman, envied by all.
Shang Yu gave a thumbs-up to the kind-faced Old Mrs. Shang, "Grandma, you actually managed to bring these two together. Ginger is still the spiciest! Your grandson is truly impressed!"
More than ten days ago, his elder brother's attitude towards the alliance with the Qin family was still very decisive, of course, it was decisively rejected.
Father and Mother Shang took turns trying to persuade their son.
Shang Changqing: "This is all your grandmother's idea. She thinks Yige is a good match for you."
Shang Sheng seemed not to hear, "Is there anything else? I have a meeting to attend later."
Sensing her husband's look, Kou Juqing understood immediately, "Xiao Sheng, actually, Mom doesn't want you to get married so early."
After all, her son was less than 27, an age to build his career.
"But?" she changed her tone, "If there is a suitable person, and that person is Yige, then actually, it wouldn't be impossible for you to get engaged first."
Shang Sheng raised his eyelids, "You think Qin Yige is suitable?"