Sensing the strange gaze from the man beside her, Qiao Shuran felt a little uneasy.
He gave off the feeling of a fierce wolf.
A wolf that had never tasted meat—staring intently at the little lamb before him.
Qiao Shuran instantly felt despair.
Weren’t newlyweds supposed to be gentle and affectionate, sweet as honey? Why did he seem completely unaware of that?
In his current state, all fierce and intimidating—how was she supposed to return to her family and throw her weight around?
After all, her original intention in marrying him was for him to back her up—not to treat her like prey, ready to be devoured at any moment.
No, no—she had to talk to him. At the very least, he should put on an act in front of her family.
Otherwise, her stepmother would laugh her head off.
“Well…”
After some thought, she scooted a little closer to him. Her fair, smooth calf brushed lightly against the fabric of his trousers.
When she spoke again, her voice was soft and sweet—so sweet it even made herself cringe. “You probably know a bit about my family situation. My stepmother doesn’t treat me well, and my father doesn’t care about me… When I said I wanted to marry you, they all said I was ungrateful and that my married life would be miserable.”
“So?”
Zhou Yannan sized up the person leaning close to him, along with her deliberately softened tone, and instantly saw through her intention.
Out of nowhere, she was acting pitiful and obedient in front of him—clearly trying to gain his sympathy and get him on her side.
But she seemed to have forgotten—she was his properly wedded wife. It was only natural for him to protect her.
There was no need for her to resort to such tactics.
Still, looking at her delicate, pitiful appearance, so soft and fragile, a hint of interest appeared in the man’s eyes.
“You want me to act like a loving husband in front of others.”
“Can you?”
Qiao Shuran tilted her face up at him, her tone even more coquettish. “Since I was little, no one in my family has truly cared for me. My stepmother mistreats me, and my younger siblings bully me…”
Perhaps she had immersed herself too deeply in the act. As she spoke, mixing truth with exaggeration, her eyes actually began to well up with tears.
Zhou Yannan couldn’t help but curl his lips into a faint smile.
If he hadn’t done a background check before marrying her, he might have believed her.
Interesting.
The man did not expose her.
He had plenty of time—he didn’t mind playing along with her for a while.
“I can agree.”
Lowering his voice, Zhou Yannan leaned close, his lips nearly brushing her earlobe. “In front of your family and all outsiders, I’ll give you enough respect and dignity. But… what will you give me in return?”
He lowered his gaze, studying her face.
She had a pair of alluring peach-blossom eyes, yet her gaze looked pitifully innocent.
“In return?” Qiao Shuran carefully considered those words.
Right—he was a businessman. He would never make a losing deal.
If she made a request, she had to offer something of equal value.
But she seemed to have nothing to bargain with.
Just as she was troubled, the man spoke again. “Or let me put it another way—what benefit can you give me?”
What benefit could I possibly give you… Qiao Shuran complained inwardly.
In Hancheng, he was practically all-powerful. What could she offer that would catch his interest?
Kiss him?
No, that couldn’t be it. Who would go out of their way to tease their own wife like that?
Sleep with him?
That was bound to happen sooner or later anyway!
Closing her eyes, Qiao Shuran’s mind raced.
Everyone knew Zhou Yannan hated being controlled.
Otherwise, a marriage arranged in his teens wouldn’t have been dragged out until he was thirty.
What he feared most was being restricted after marriage.
That was it—she could promise not to interfere in his life. No checking up on him, no questions asked—he could live exactly as he had before.
After all, she had no feelings for him and didn’t care to manage him.
“Mister Zhou.”
She cleared her throat deliberately, trying to negotiate. “In front of others, you give me respect and dignity. In private, I won’t interfere in your life at all. When you need me, I’ll be there. When you don’t, I’ll stay out of your way.”
Heh…
A faint smile curved at Zhou Yannan’s lips as he gave her a long look.
This little lamb beside him might only appear foolish.
When it came to reading his thoughts, she was surprisingly accurate.
And it was exactly what he wanted.
He had never intended to be controlled by his wife after marriage.
Now that she had said it herself, it saved him the trouble.
“Deal.”
With that single word, the man sealed the “transaction.”
Seeing him agree so easily, Qiao Shuran finally relaxed.
In front of the Qiao family residence, all kinds of luxury cars had already filled the area.
The marriage alliance between the Qiao and Zhou families had stirred the entire city of Hancheng.
After all, Zhou Yannan was a man who held influence in both political and business circles, with connections everywhere.
Today was the newlyweds’ return banquet. Many people who couldn’t reach the Zhou family but had some connection to the Qiao family had come, hoping to build relationships.
But as noon passed and all the guests had arrived, the couple was nowhere to be seen.
Qiao Yuanshan and Ling Yaqin stood at the gate, waiting eagerly.
Qiao Yuanshan was Qiao Shuran’s father.
After her mother passed away, he remarried Ling Yaqin and had a pair of twins.
As the saying went, with a stepmother came a distant father.
For over twenty years, he had treated his eldest daughter poorly—even withholding company shares from her.
Yet unexpectedly, the one he had least favored turned out to be the most capable.
When Qiao Chu ran away from the marriage, it was Qiao Shuran who stepped forward to save the Qiao family.
Saving the situation was one thing, but more importantly, with his daughter marrying into the Zhou family, his status had risen—from Zhou Yannan’s brother-in-law to his father-in-law.
An entire generation higher.
Naturally, his standing in Hancheng had only increased.
Thinking of this, Qiao Yuanshan straightened his back and adjusted his clothes again.
Standing beside him, Ling Yaqin glanced at the time—it was almost 12:30.
She couldn’t help but mutter, “She just got married yesterday, and today she’s already putting on airs. Who is she trying to impress?”
“Keep your voice down,” Qiao Yuanshan snapped. “If we want to benefit from our son-in-law in the future, we’ll need our daughter to smooth things over. Be smarter about this.”
“Daughter?” Ling Yaqin scoffed. “Now you remember she’s your daughter? Qiao Yuanshan, aren’t you a bit too realistic?”
“Enough, stop talking—the car’s here.”
Unwilling to be exposed, Qiao Yuanshan stepped forward. From afar, he saw a line of black cars approaching slowly along the road.
Inside the car, Qiao Shuran looked coldly out the window.
The couple stood respectfully by the roadside, with a group of younger relatives trailing behind them.
So they were putting on a grand welcoming display now?
When had she ever received such treatment?
Oh, right—Zhou Yannan was sitting beside her.
She covered her mouth, nearly laughing.
This was what they called borrowing a tiger’s might.
Whatever—her status had risen now. Even if they were displeased, they wouldn’t dare say anything.
The car drove steadily into the crowd and stopped in the center.
Before A Wen could even step out, several people rushed over to open the door.
“Hello, Young Master! Hello, Miss!”
“Mm.”
Zhou Yannan stepped out with his long legs and gave a slight nod to those present.
“Yannan,” Qiao Yuanshan and Ling Yaqin greeted with slight bows, their tone polite.
“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law.”
Zhou Yannan lifted his gaze and explained calmly, “We left a bit late—sorry to keep you waiting.”
No matter how high his status, at this moment he was still a junior. Proper etiquette had to be observed.
Hearing his courtesy, the couple’s smiles grew even more ingratiating. “Not at all, not at all—perfect timing.”
“Yes, being a little late doesn’t matter,” Ling Yaqin added, adjusting her shawl. “Come inside.”
“Alright.”
He turned and stood facing the car.
One long arm rested on the car door as the other extended to take the hand of the person inside.
Qiao Shuran had been sitting still, deliberately maintaining her composure while waiting for him to finish greeting everyone before turning back to invite her. Only then did she rise slowly.
Hmph—so the big shot really did keep his word.
Watching Ling Yaqin’s ever-changing expression, Qiao Shuran knew—
this time, she had successfully put on quite the show.