"Qin Tianyi and Gu Susu shouldn't still be targeting her. Qin Tianyi is very wary of the Shu Group, so there's no need for that at all.
"Does it still hurt?"
Shu Yan nodded and said, "Much better, thank you."
"I shouldn't have indulged you with hot pot. Knowing you have a sensitive stomach, we should have gone for something like millet porridge."
"As long as you like it. Besides, I think the hot pot here is really delicious, it made me eat more than I should have."
"By the way, what did you mean earlier when you asked about 'going out for fresh air'? I called you twice a while ago, but you didn't answer. Was something going on?"
Shu Yan said in a low voice, "Nothing much. My father thinks I'm an embarrassment and won't let me go out. He also confiscated my phone and told me to stay home and reflect."
Xiao Anjing pondered for a moment and said, "Ah, I see. That's why I couldn't reach you."
Shu Yan began to cry sadly, "It's not my father's fault, it's all my fault. I was so foolish before, I did so many stupid things that caused my father to lose face. I know I was wrong and I really want to start over, but those things can't be undone. What should I do?"
Her sadness was half genuine and half feigned, making her appear more sincere, which evoked sympathy and pity from Xiao Anjing.
Xiao Anjing handed her a tissue and comforted her, "It's not too late for you to start over. Your father's anger is just temporary, everything will be alright."
"Will my father truly forgive me and not find me embarrassing?" Shu Yan still looked pitiful.
"He will. Don't be sad, your eyes will look swollen if you cry too much."
Shu Yan stopped crying and said sadly, "Although my father was decent to me before, it was only because of my mother. In his heart, he always thought I was useless and couldn't help him with anything. He said he loved me, but he never let me do anything at the Shu Group. He just wanted me to marry a capable husband who could help his company. Now that things have turned out like this, I'm worthless in his eyes, just a failure..."
"Don't say that about yourself," Xiao Anjing couldn't bear to see her like this and said softly, "I have something to tell you, which might make your father look at you differently."
"What is it?" Shu Yan stared at him, her face full of anticipation.
"Recently, the Shu Group wants to cooperate with our Aoxiang on the second phase of the amusement park project. However, Qin Tianyi doesn't plan to cooperate only with the Shu Group anymore. He wants to find several other groups, aiming for at least a three-party cooperation."
Shu Yan asked, not quite understanding, "Is that good or bad for our Shu Group? What should I do?"
"President Shu definitely wouldn't want other investors to join. If you tell him this news, he should know what to do." Xiao Anjing, considering the future profits of the amusement park, still believed that cooperating with the capable Shu Group was the best option.
He asked Shu Yan to pass on this message, hoping that the Shu family would come up with a countermeasure to make Qin Tianyi agree to cooperate solely with the Shu Group.
Shu Yan smiled with relief and said, "I feel like I can't do without you now. You always care for and help me when I'm at my lowest and most heartbroken."
"It's what I should do. Actually, it's also my fault that I kept trying to set you up with Tianyi for Aoxiang's benefit, which led to your current situation."
Shu Yan smiled and asked him, "Are you feeling guilty and want to make it up to me?"
Xiao Anjing averted his gaze and lowered his head, saying, "Something like that."
Shu Yan suddenly held his hand and said, "Since you want to make it up to me, will you marry me?"
Xiao Anjing was surprised into silence. Shu Yan's words were too sudden. Asking him to marry her meant she wanted to marry him.
Marriage? He had never considered marriage in his thirty-five years of life. The thought of spending his entire life with just one woman seemed incredibly dull.
Shu Yan looked at him, surprised that he didn't respond even after she had taken the initiative to ask.
"If you marry me, you and our Shu family can join forces, and we can sideline Qin Tianyi. Aoxiang will be yours."
Xiao Anjing said, "Do you want to be with me for revenge against Tianyi?"
"You can think of it that way," Shu Yan said. "But in reality, I truly can't do without you. When I was locked up at home, I thought a lot, and I realized that throughout my life, only you have truly been good to me without asking for anything in return."
"Give me some time to think," Xiao Anjing said. "I never thought about sidelining Tianyi, I just sometimes wish he wouldn't be so autocratic. As for marriage, I've never really considered it. It's not because you're not good enough, it's just that my heart has never settled."
Shu Yan asked cautiously, "Are you looking down on me..."
"No," Xiao Anjing inserted the car key. "It's too late, I'll take you back first. I'll give you my answer in a few days."
Shu Yan said "Okay" and looked forward.
She had made the first move, and Xiao Anjing's lack of an immediate response made her feel incredibly embarrassed.
She hadn't expected her mother to be right. Even if she was willing to marry Xiao Anjing, he might not be willing to marry her. Xiao Anjing wasn't as easy to win over as she thought.
The atmosphere in the car was a bit awkward during the ride; neither of them spoke again.
After dropping her off, Xiao Anjing simply said goodbye politely, watched her enter the Shu family mansion, and then drove away.
...
Shu Zhongze had something to attend to and hadn't returned that night. Jia Nanfang hadn't slept, waiting for Shu Yan's good news.
When she heard movement outside the mansion, she immediately rushed to the floor-to-ceiling window. Seeing Xiao Anjing dropping Shu Yan off from a distance, she felt that this matter had potential.
As soon as Shu Yan entered the house, Jia Nanfang dismissed the household servants and greeted her, "Darling, your date with Xiao Anjing lasted quite a long time. Did you two talk well?"
"He had overtime, and I waited for him for two hours. It's infuriating!" Shu Yan kicked off her high heels, wanting nothing more than to go back to her room to rest.
Jia Nanfang carried her slippers and followed behind her, "Why aren't you wearing shoes? How many times have I told you, the marble floor at home is too cold."
Shu Yan had to stop and put on her slippers, saying, "Mom, it's really tiring to accommodate others. You've been with Dad for so many years, and you've always accommodated him. How do you manage this life?"
Jia Nanfang pulled her and said, "Don't worry about how Dad and I manage for now. Did you talk to Xiao Anjing tonight? Is he eager to marry you immediately?"
"He's unappreciative," she said, both angry and feeling humiliated. "He just said he needs to consider it and that he's never thought about marriage."
"No way, he's so concerned about you, isn't it because he likes you?" Jia Nanfang couldn't quite understand.
Shu Yan said indifferently, "If he doesn't want to marry me, then I don't want to marry him either. Forget it, forget it, Mom, your method won't work! I have a headache, and my stomach hurts. Let me go rest first."