Chapter 166: Political Marriage

When Song Qingyou received Fu Wenzhou's WeChat message, she was presiding over a new shareholders' meeting in the conference room.

Her phone, set aside on the desk, kept buzzing with incoming notifications.

Song Qingyou picked up her phone, her fair, slender fingertips tapping lightly on the table to signal the people below to continue.

Seeing the messages, the corners of Song Qingyou's lips curved upward slightly.

Fu Wenzhou: Youyou, what are you doing?
Fu Wenzhou: Home alone, missing you...
Fu Wenzhou: Gu Bai and the others are throwing a welcome-home party for me. Can I go, baby?
Fu Wenzhou: I promise I'll be back before ten.
Fu Wenzhou: Sister, if you don't want me to go, I won't go.

Below those were a string of puppy sticker animations he had sent.

Song Qingyou tapped her screen lightly.

You: You can go, but no drinking or smoking allowed.

Fu Wenzhou replied exceptionally fast, sending a salute gesture followed by two words: Understood!

Song Qingyou chuckled, sent him a heart sticker in return, and closed her phone.

In the past, when Song Qingyou was busy, she had the habit of putting her phone on silent. But now, Fu Wenzhou loved chatting with her, and during lunch breaks, he would even video call her.

Afraid of missing any messages from Fu Wenzhou, Song Qingyou no longer turned on silent mode.

The employees below were already accustomed to this sight and calmly continued the meeting.

At 7:00 PM.

Night Bar.

A black Maybach stopped outside the bar. The car door opened, and a cool breeze swept through.

Someone stepped out from the driver's seat and respectfully bent down to open the door for the person in the back.

The man inside the car slowly stepped out, his movements unhurried. From Ruan Yinyin's perspective, she could only vaguely see half of his figure.

Dressed entirely in black, with a tall and slender frame, he exuded a proud, aloof, and angular temperament.

He held a lion-head cane in his hand, his fingers slender and distinct at the joints. His entire person was as cold as the frost of the twelfth lunar month, yet the sharp and striking lines of his facial features made him look arrogant and untamed.

No matter how many times Ruan Yinyin looked at him, she was still captivated by this face.

She had learned from Chu Fan's wife, Gu Ruo, that they were throwing a welcome-home banquet for Fu Wenzhou tonight to celebrate his narrow escape from death and his success in finding Master Yunfang's disciple, finally fulfilling his wish.

They called it a welcome-home banquet, but in reality, it was just a group of fair-weather friends gathering to eat, drink, and make merry.

Ruan Yinyin had shamelessly tagged along and waited at the entrance for him all this time.

She came today to negotiate with Fu Wenzhou. Fu Wenzhou's birthday was coming up soon, and by then he would be able to register his marriage with Song Qingyou. She had no time left.

Ruan Yinyin bit her lower lip as if making up her mind. She took two or three steps toward Fu Wenzhou, opened her arms, and blocked his path: "Fu Wenzhou, I have something to say to you."

Fu Wenzhou glanced at her coldly, raised his cane, and pushed her aside. "Sorry, I'm not interested."

Ruan Yinyin refused to give up, her eyes fixed intently on Fu Wenzhou: "We are childhood sweethearts, after all! Do you find me that annoying now? Annoying to the point where you don't even want to say two words to me?"

Fu Wenzhou honestly doubted if there was something wrong with Ruan Yinyin's brain. He was full of wariness toward women, terrified of being misunderstood by Youyou again like last time. He retreated two steps as if avoiding a poisonous snake: "Please keep a certain distance from me. Besides, who the hell is your childhood sweetheart? The only childhood sweetheart I have is Song Qingyou. Who do you think you are? Get lost."

The impatient look on his face pierced Ruan Yinyin's eyes. Seeing him lift his foot to leave, Ruan Yinyin panicked: "You almost died for Song Qingyou! What on earth makes her worth you doing all this? Form a marriage alliance with me, and I can give you all of the Ruan family's shares. Can Song Qingyou do for you what I can? Can she give you the Song family's shares?!"

Fu Wenzhou's patience ran out, his gaze resembling shards of ice: "Ruan Yinyin, if your brain doesn't work, go see a doctor. I don't carry medicine here."

Too lazy to entertain her further, he walked straight into the bar.

Ruan Yinyin's expression shifted, and she gritted her teeth: "I have fifteen percent of the Ruan family's shares given to me by my grandmother. As long as you form a marriage alliance with me, I am willing to transfer all these shares to you!"

This was her last bargaining chip. Ruan Yinyin had shed her pride, speaking almost in a plea.

Fu Wenzhou turned back to look at her, a playful smile curving the corner of his mouth: "Ruan Yinyin, if I remember correctly, last time at the banquet you still cursed me out as a dog. What? A few months later, and you're already willing to marry a dog?"

A flash of shame and anger crossed Ruan Yinyin's face. She still hadn't found an opportunity to return the slaps Song Qingyou had given her last time, which was already deeply aggravating enough. Now, with Fu Wenzhou bringing up past events, it was undoubtedly ripping open the humiliation of that day and making her endure it all over again.

She took a deep breath: "Fu Wenzhou, I like you. I've liked you since I was sixteen, I..."

"Get lost." Before she could finish, Fu Wenzhou ruthlessly interrupted her. He had never been patient with other women: "Ruan Yinyin, you should thank your lucky stars that you are Elder Ruan's granddaughter, otherwise your tongue would be gone by now."

He spoke those words with a completely expressionless face. Ruan Yinyin was frightened into momentary speechlessness, staring at him with vacant eyes.

Fu Wenzhou's expression was cold and indifferent: "This is my last warning to you. If there is a next time, I don't mind cutting out your tongue. You're fucking too noisy."

Without looking back, he walked inside, his expression filled with extreme disgust.

Ruan Yinyin stood frozen in place, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, her eyes flashing with intense hatred.

She had lowered herself to this extent—why was he still unwilling!