"It's still early," Ye Zhi chuckled, "If we were to get married, it would probably be in another year or two."
"That long?" Zhan Ruoqing was shocked.
"Of course," Ye Zhi said with a smile. "My marriage to Qi Xuan isn't as simple as paying nine yuan to get a marriage certificate. It's almost equivalent to merging two large companies, so it requires careful consideration. Even if Qi Xuan and I have a good relationship, it's better to handle things that can be done before marriage rather than dragging them out and arguing afterward. Better to be upfront."
Zhan Ruoqing was stunned. She naturally agreed with Ye Zhi's words. However, Ye Zhi had just given Qi Xuan a grand drone show and fireworks display as a confession gift, yet when it came to marriage, Ye Zhi immediately calmed down, not letting love cloud her judgment. One could say she was truly a business mind.
"Ah, this..." Zhan Ruoqing couldn't help but ask, "Does Qi Xuan feel the same way?"
"Yes, we're on the same page. Ruoqing," Ye Zhi's voice grew a bit more serious, "Actually, it's the same for you right now. Spending a little money to make the people we like happy is nothing. But if you plan to enter into marriage, it's very necessary to protect your own assets before marriage.
You are no longer just the daughter of the Zhan family; you are also the boss of Zhiwei. Simple commercial marriages no longer apply to you. Your parents probably haven't realized your role transition yet, which is why they are rushing you to get married. Next time they pressure you, you can remind them of this, and they will be more serious about your marriage. Of course, it's not just your parents; you need to think it through yourself."
Zhan Ruoqing came back to her senses, feeling a warmth spread through her heart.
She had called Ye Zhi that morning primarily to complain about her father pressuring her to marry. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, and she hadn't had a chance to say much more to Ye Zhi. But she never expected Ye Zhi to have taken it to heart and to be considering things entirely from her perspective.
"Yes, I'll have a good talk with them," Zhan Ruoqing agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Zhan Ruoqing began to seriously consider how to persuade her parents. But in the end, she found it difficult.
From childhood to adulthood, her parents had only one expectation for her: to marry into a suitable family. She could learn piano, painting, or dance; she could learn anything except for business knowledge. The study was off-limits to her, and she couldn't listen when her father was teaching her brother.
When she pestered to listen, her father would just laugh and say it wasn't something a girl should know, then give her a gift and have the servants take her away.
As she grew up, she hadn't refrained from asking to go to the company, and she had even thought about trying to start her own business, but her family didn't support her. They said she was a girl and should be "raised richly," with no need to start a business or work. Inheriting the family business was something for her brother to handle.
In fact, she had always been in pain and confused. She felt her family's words were wrong, but living in such an environment for so long, she couldn't quite grasp what was wrong.
She wanted to rebel, but her family, aside from not nurturing her in business, treated her very well in other aspects. She even felt guilty when she was angry.
Their way of appeasing her was to give her money, letting her buy luxury goods herself. She had tried shopping, but spending money couldn't soothe her inner turmoil. So, she used her refusal to buy luxury goods as a silent protest against her family. She didn't want to become the person her parents expected, and unexpectedly, she managed to save a considerable sum of money.
Until she met Ye Zhi.
It was then that she understood the reason for the imbalance she had felt in her heart for so long.
At that time, she made the most rebellious, yet most correct, decision of her life. She took out the money she had saved for years and invested it in a competitor of the Zhan family.
In fact, after investing in Taoxun, she was very anxious.
She had looked at the data provided by Ye Zhi, and Taoxun clearly had more development potential! The only uncertainty was that Taoxun was too new and too weak, making the risk higher.
But why would her father and brother choose Qianbai? Was it because choosing Qianbai was more stable? She even suspected that perhaps she was too foolish, and her father and brother were right, and she had missed something.
However, in the end, she was proven right, and her brother and father were wrong.
But when faced with mistakes, their first thought wasn't to cut their losses, but to force her to withdraw her investment. This completely ignited her rebellious spirit, and she finally entered her life's rebellious phase.
She went to Ye Zhi wanting to work for her, partly out of defiance towards her family, but Ye Zhi once again enlightened her, saying defiance was unnecessary, and she could prove herself in other ways.
With Ye Zhi's encouragement, she founded Zhiwei.
She was quite scared because she hadn't received any training in this area since childhood, so for many things, she had to figure them out slowly on her own.
Unfortunately, her family scoffed at it, thinking she was just playing around. They even joked at dinner, betting that she would fail in her startup within a few months and come home crying. They had even prepared gifts to comfort her.
Only Ye Zhi supported her with practical actions, sending her Yao Hongbo as an assistant and mentor. Yao Hongbo's evaluation of her was that she had accurate insight and was good at recognizing and employing talent.
However, she was not satisfied with this; she was constantly improving in secret. She often clung to Ye Zhi, not only because she genuinely liked Ye Zhi but also because she truly wanted to learn something from her. And Ye Zhi was not stingy with her.
Finally, she successfully proved herself, making her family look at her with new eyes. Her father also acknowledged her abilities and even began to teach her seriously, allowing her to interact with some of the family's businesses.
However, prejudice is not something that can be changed overnight.
After Fangxin Rent a House was established, her father directly assigned Zhan Ruofeng to manage it, leaving her with only some shares and advisory rights.
She didn't say anything. It wasn't until she and Ye Zhi went to various places for inspections that she, unlike Ye Zhi, didn't just eat and play around. She also conducted detailed investigations and understanding of whether those places were suitable for Fangxin Rent a House's expansion.
When she returned to Kyoto and placed the detailed inspection reports and company plans on her father's desk, her father's expression was one of utter shock. It was then that he gave her most of the management rights for Fangxin Rent a House, letting Zhan Ruofeng assist her.
However, she wasn't happy at all. Because whatever she wanted, she had to prove herself first, but her brother didn't.
As for marriage, it was likely the same.
Her parents' views on her marriage were still stuck on finding someone of equal standing for an arranged marriage, someone with certain assets before marriage to ensure she wouldn't lack money after marriage, and that the Zhan family could guarantee she wouldn't be bullied by her in-laws.