“Come tomorrow morning,” Murong Yuchen said, as if it were no big deal.
“……” Qiao Yitong tilted her head. “Are you really in such a hurry?”
“Yes, I am,” Murong Yuchen replied. “You’re not a commodity up for sale—you’re my future wife.”
Murong Yuchen disliked how people treated Qiao Yitong as if she were a commodity on a shelf—as if whoever offered the highest price could have her. Qiao Yitong was a living, breathing person; she had her own thoughts and could make her own choices.
Among the wealthy elite, many valued only material gain; they didn’t care about genuine feelings. Take Murong Yuchen’s biological mother, for example. Others had set their sights on her precisely because she was the only daughter—and sole child—of the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Murong; that’s why Murong Yuchen’s biological father had decided to marry into the family.
“Of course, I’ve never been a commodity,” Qiao Yitong said. “It’s just that everyone has their own value—don’t be too idealistic. This society is very pragmatic. I chose you because you’re more capable than Yun Ruozhu—you have more to offer. At least, that’s how it is for now.”
Qiao Yitong had always been aware of her own hypocrisy. She placed greater value on those in positions of power, and when it was time to bow her head, she would do so. Qiao Yitong had never once considered giving up everything she currently possessed for the sake of so-called love.
Besides, Qiao Yitong felt no romantic attraction toward Yun Ruozhu. Given the dynamics within Yun Ruozhu’s family, if she were to marry into it, she’d have to kowtow to others. But with Murong Yuchen, it would be different. If Qiao Yitong married into the Murong family, everyone there would surely expect her to treat Murong Yuchen well. If they treated her badly, she’d treat Murong Yuchen badly in return—giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Yun Ruozhu has an older brother and sister-in-law. Even if he were a man and could inherit some of the family fortune, Qiao Yitong’s life in the Yun family wouldn’t be much better. If Yun Ruozhu were to fight for it, those people would say it was Qiao Yitong who pushed him to do so. If Yun Ruozhu didn’t fight for it, those people would look down on Qiao Yitong, and Qiao Yitong would still be the one to suffer.
If there were no better options, perhaps Qiao Yitong would choose Yun Ruozhu. But if there were better options, why would Qiao Yitong choose Yun Ruozhu?
“I won’t let you down,” Murong Yuchen said firmly.
Murong Yuchen helped Qiao Yitong carry her things to her room. “Are you going to see Yun Ruozhu?”
“Why do you ask?” Qiao Yitong asked.
“You two are friends,” Murong Yuchen said, knowing that Qiao Yitong and Yun Ruozhu got along well.
“The fact that he sent his mother to the Qiao family to propose marriage without consulting me first shows that he doesn’t view me as a truly independent person,” Qiao Yitong said. “If he can act first and ask for permission later today, he’ll certainly do the same in the future.”
Setting aside the fact that Qiao Yitong and Yun Ruozhu weren’t dating, even if they were in a passionate relationship, Yun Ruozhu shouldn’t have spoken so directly without consulting her first.
This showed that Yun Ruozhu and the Yun family were well aware that Qiao Yitong held no decision-making power within the Qiao family; she was bound to act according to the will of Old Master Qiao.
Yes, Qiao Yitong had to bow to the Old Master Qiao, but she didn’t want others to get things done through him. This made Qiao Yitong feel she wasn’t being respected at all.
Of course, Murong Yuchen was only slightly better than Yun Ruozhu in this regard—but not by much. But Murong Yuchen had more money and power—that was the cruel reality.
Qiao Yitong wasn’t afraid of Murong Yuchen’s split personality; even if she were, it wouldn’t do any good. If Murong Yuchen wanted to come after Qiao Yitong, he would do so whether she married Yun Ruozhu or not. It would be better for Qiao Yitong to just be with Murong Yuchen directly; that way, she could spare herself some suffering.
“As for you, you should learn from past mistakes,” Qiao Yitong said. “Think about it: are you in love with a real, living person, or just a puppet?”
Qiao Yitong took the item from Murong Yuchen’s hand and urged, “All right, you can go now.”
“Okay,” Murong Yuchen nodded.
Murong Yuchen watched as Qiao Yitong closed the door, then headed home.
Over the past few days, Mrs. Qiao hadn’t gone out; she’d mostly stayed at home. She spent a lot of time chatting with Aunt Qiao; when she wasn’t talking with Aunt Qiao, she stayed in her room or tended to her flowers and plants.
When Mrs. Qiao returned from the greenhouse, she saw Murong Yuchen just as he was about to leave.
“Hello. My family and I will be formally visiting tomorrow to ask for your daughter Yitong’s hand in marriage,” Murong Yuchen told Mrs. Qiao upon seeing her, out of respect.
“Ask for her hand in marriage?” Mrs. Qiao asked in surprise.
“That’s right,” Murong Yuchen replied.
“Is this for Xudong’s sake, or do you genuinely care for Xiaotong?” Mrs. Qiao asked.
Even though Mrs. Qiao was always talking about “climbing the social ladder,” she still cared deeply about her daughter’s future. In marriages, some couples love each other, while others lack a foundation of affection; different relationships have different ways of getting along.
If Murong Yuchen didn’t genuinely care for Qiao Yitong, then she wouldn’t need to be so heartbroken over him.
Mrs. Qiao felt a bit conflicted; she wanted her daughter to marry into a good family, yet she worried that this man might not treat her well. Qiao’s mother knew that many men from wealthy families liked to keep mistresses; very few were truly above board.
“It’s not for Qiao Xudong’s sake,” Murong Yuchen said, mentioning Qiao Xudong’s name directly. “He can’t force me to do these things. This is a matter that will affect the rest of my life—it’s no joke.”
Murong Yuchen’s initial interactions with Qiao Xudong were driven by self-interest, but later, they were increasingly for Qiao Yitong’s sake.
“Today…” Qiao’s mother opened her mouth but didn’t continue; Yun Ruozhu and Mrs. Yun had come to the house, and Qiao’s mother had gone to meet them.
“Old Master Qiao has already spoken,” Murong Yuchen said. “He’s given Tongtong a chance to choose. But in this case, there’s no choice.”
Qiao Yitong knew it, Old Master Qiao knew it, and Murong Yuchen knew it too.
The only choice Qiao Yitong had was Murong Yuchen!
Yun Ruozhu was too weak. If Qiao Yitong chose him, and the two families announced their engagement, people would only think that Qiao Yitong—someone of little use—was marrying a man who was coasting through life on his shares. Yun Ruozhu did have some ability, but he wasn’t outstanding enough yet.
There are so many outstanding people out there, not to mention that Yun Ruozhu hasn’t accomplished much yet.
Murong Yuchen has long been in charge of the Murong Group, and his older sister didn’t inherit the company—she works as a fashion designer instead. Murong Ya never even considered competing with Murong Yuchen for the Murong Group’s inheritance; she comes across as very assertive in public, and no one dares to cross her.
Murong Ya is also in the service industry; she is indeed much gentler with her clients, but that doesn’t mean she’s someone to be pushed around.
Yun Ruozhu had been meaning to call Qiao Yitong for a while—he’d thought about it ever since he got home. Yun Ruozhu figured Qiao Yitong wouldn’t be home, and since he’d be calling from his cell phone—which might not have much battery left—there were certain things he’d rather not say over the phone. Yun Ruozhu then considered going to find Qiao Yitong in person; he’d originally planned to stake out the entrance to the Qiao residence, but Mrs. Yun wouldn’t allow it.
Mrs. Yun felt that Yun Ruozhu was paying too much attention to Qiao Yitong, and she didn’t particularly like Qiao Yitong. For one thing, Qiao Yitong was far too beautiful; for another, her parents were the type who liked to climb the social ladder and live off others’ coattails. Qiao Yitong’s own older brother was always on the lookout for women he could marry into their family—especially those who were capable and powerful.
These people are completely unable to help Yun Ruozhu; Mrs. Yun even believes they’ll hold the girl back.
At the Yun residence, seeing her son’s eagerness to contact Qiao Yitong, Mrs. Yun looked rather displeased.
“Don’t be in such a rush,” Mrs. Yun said, picking up the coffee on the table and taking a sip. “If you wanted me to go propose marriage in person, I’ve already done so. Now, it’s up to the Qiao family.”
“Mom,” Yun Ruozhu knew Mrs. Yun wasn’t very happy, but he said anyway, “I haven’t told Yitong yet.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you’ve told her or not,” Mrs. Yun said. “Once she finds out we went to her family’s house to propose, she’ll surely be delighted to agree.”
“Murong Yuchen…”
“His family doesn’t think much of Qiao Yitong,” Mrs. Yun said. “With Qiao Yitong’s looks, how could she ever be the matriarch of the Murong family? How could Murong Yuchen possibly be interested in her?”
“That banquet the other day…”
“That was just a coincidence. ” Mrs. Yun said, “Murong Yuchen and Qiao Xudong are friends; he just didn’t want to embarrass his friend.”
“Mom, I think…”
“It doesn’t matter what you think—just wait and see,” Mrs. Yun said. “You don’t need to contact Qiao Yitong; she’ll happily reach out to you on her own. If she hasn’t contacted you yet, it’s just because she’s playing hard to get—she wants to put on a show so she doesn’t seem too eager to accept this match.”
“Mom, Yitong’s actually a nice girl,” Yun Ruozhu said, feeling a little uneasy at Mrs. Yun’s words. Yun Ruozhu knew that Qiao Yitong had always been rather laid-back, and that she came across as playful and not particularly capable. Yet Yun Ruozhu liked Qiao Yitong; he thought that once they were together, the two of them could gradually help Mrs. Yun accept her, and Qiao Yitong might even make some changes herself.
That’s right—Yun Ruozhu wanted Qiao Yitong to make some changes. He believed she was still young, and it was perfectly normal for young people to change. Yun Ruozhu wasn’t expecting Mrs. Yun to fully accept Qiao Yitong as she was now; since Qiao Yitong was to marry into the Yun family, she would indeed have to make some changes.
In Yun Ruozhu’s mind, he had already made up his mind about Qiao Yitong.
“The only thing she has going for her is her pretty face,” Mrs. Yun said. “If she’s just going to sit there as a decorative ornament, I’d even find her taking up too much space.”
Mrs. Yun made no secret of her dislike for Qiao Yitong; had Qiao Yitong merely been friends with Yun Ruozhu, Mrs. Yun wouldn’t have said such things. But now that Yun Ruozhu was set to marry Qiao Yitong, Mrs. Yun began to find fault with her.
“She’s a good student, too,” Yun Ruozhu argued. “She earned a full scholarship to a university abroad—she’s not just a pretty face.”
Yun Ruozhu believed Qiao Yitong was still quite different from other socialites who only knew how to enjoy themselves. Qiao Yitong hadn’t completely given up on herself; she still had her merits. Some girls from wealthy families aren’t pretty enough, and they don’t even try to study hard—they just wait for their families to support them.
“What good are good grades?” Mrs. Yun said. “She’s been spoiled since childhood—she’s willful and capricious, and not very tactful. Only you would take a liking to her. If she weren’t the only granddaughter of the Qiao family in this generation, I’d definitely make you choose someone else.”
Mrs. Yun’s tone was full of disdain. Even if Qiao Yitong was a daughter of the Qiao family, so what? There were plenty of young women from wealthy families out there; it was just that others didn’t know Qiao Yitong was the family’s only granddaughter. Qiao Yitong was relatively fortunate, but as for the Qiao Patriarch’s niece—well, a niece was still just a niece, not as valued as a daughter.
Qiao Yitong was on somewhat better terms with Qiao Xudong and the others, and that was still somewhat useful.
“Wait. There’s no need to rush,” Mrs. Yun emphasized once more. “We’ve all gone to propose marriage first; now it’s Qiao Yitong’s turn to contact you. As long as I’m not watching you, you’re not allowed to call her or go see her. Don’t stand waiting anxiously at the Qiao family’s front gate—you’ll make people think you can’t live without her!”
“Mom, Yitong’s older brother is in such a state…”
“It’s precisely because her older brother is in a coma that you mustn’t rush things,” Mrs. Yun said displeasedly. “It’s not us who need the Qiao family—if anything, it’s the Qiao family who needs our Yun family!”