In his youth, his elders wished for him to marry the Ye family's daughter.
At a gathering, he met Wu Xiufang, who stood beside the Ye family's daughter. He was captivated by her demeanor, which set her apart from other affluent young ladies.
She was like a wild roadside flower amidst a garden of peonies, her unique beauty bringing a sense of novelty and charm.
Later, Huangfu Sisong learned that although she was the Wu family's daughter, she had grown up in the countryside. This was her first time attending such a high-society event after returning to the Wu family, and people were privately mocking her for being unsophisticated.
Huangfu Sisong, however, fell in love with her at first sight. He helped her out of an awkward situation, and their relationship quickly blossomed.
The Wu family was naturally pleased with the prospect of them being together. However, for the Huangfu family, while the Wu family was wealthy, they were still far from matching the Huangfu family's status, making it not a suitable match in terms of social standing.
Huangfu Sisong, as the eldest son, was expected to be the rightful heir.
But he was too young then to gain the recognition of some elders and group veterans in the Huangfu family.
His father had not publicly declared him the heir, so his position within the Huangfu family was not secure.
He needed to achieve something through his own abilities to earn everyone's respect.
At that time, his father entrusted him with managing the group's worst-performing pharmaceutical factory, hoping to showcase his capabilities to everyone.
However, achieving remarkable results was not easy. The factory had been losing money year after year, lacking funds for new drug research, and only producing products that were obsolete in the market.
He was consumed by worry during that period. Fortunately, Wu Xiufang was by his side, offering him advice. Together, they schemed to obtain a hereditary prescription from a rural doctor, which revitalized the pharmaceutical factory. No one in the group dared to question him afterward.
He also overcame all opposition and, as he wished, married Wu Xiufang.
They lived together for decades. Wu Xiufang had long shed her rustic ways, becoming gentle, virtuous, and an impeccable wife.
Wu Xiufang never involved herself in the group's affairs, but he knew her character well. Her ruthlessness in helping him revive the pharmaceutical factory, and her decisive actions in consolidating the Wu family into the Huangfu Group after the unexpected deaths of her father and uncles, leaving aside other Wu family relatives, was no less than any man's.
Regarding Shaohua's affections and marriage, she also had her own ideas and was determined to achieve her goals.
It was only in this aspect that he wished she would change, but in the end, it led to the death of their only son, a grave mistake.
...
The next day, Mengyao proactively applied for a business trip to assist another unit with a project, using it as an excuse to avoid Hong Jiaxi and to calm herself down.
During her time away, she did not answer Jiaxi's calls or reply to his messages. She felt a lingering shadow in her heart and did not want to hear his voice or see him for the time being.
Mengyao had a busy day working with the unit collaborating with her research institute, returning to her hotel close to ten o'clock at night.
She took a bath, closing her eyes to relax her body and mind.
At that moment, her phone, placed beside her, rang. It was an unfamiliar landline number.
Mengyao assumed it was a colleague from the collaborating unit and cautiously picked up the phone.
"Hello, is this Ms. Huangfu?" a male voice asked.
She replied, "Yes, it is. Who is this..."
"This is the police station. A Mr. Hong was involved in a fight at a bar and is currently at our station. We need you to come over."
"Mr. Hong?" Mengyao couldn't believe it. Had Hong Jiaxi tracked her down here?
"Yes, his name is Hong Jiaxi. He asked us to contact you."
"Alright, I understand. Please tell me the police station's address."
The other party provided her with the detailed address.
Mengyao felt a headache coming on. She had no choice but to get out of the bathtub, change her clothes, and head straight to the police station.
Once in the taxi, she urged the driver to speed, wondering what Hong Jiaxi had fought with someone over and if he was injured.
Upon arriving at the police station, she saw Hong Jiaxi leaning with his eyes closed on a chair in the lobby, his face bruised. She hurried to ask, "Jiaxi, are you alright? Are you badly hurt? Why did you get into a fight?"
Hong Jiaxi opened his eyes, saw Mengyao, and smiled, saying, "You're here. I thought you would never speak to me again."
Mengyao said helplessly, "I just want some peace and quiet without any disturbances."
At that moment, a police officer approached and asked Mengyao, "Are you his friend?"
Mengyao nodded and asked, "Where is the person who fought with him? My friend is injured, and I want to press charges."
"Madam, they have both agreed to a settlement. The person who injured your friend has been picked up by his family. You can also take your friend home now," the officer said, presenting a settlement agreement for her to sign.
Mengyao read the details on the settlement form. It turned out that Hong Jiaxi had a scuffle with someone at the bar, and they resorted to fighting when words failed. Furthermore, Hong Jiaxi had initiated the physical altercation.
Both had only sustained minor abrasions, and they had been drinking.
After the bar called the police, they had sobered up somewhat and agreed to a settlement, not wanting to escalate the situation.
Mengyao signed the document and helped Jiaxi out of the police station.
Jiaxi, being drunk, leaned on her, saying, "Mengyao... Mengyao... I'm so sad, never been this sad before. You still don't like me at all, and you want to leave without saying goodbye..."
"Don't lean on me, I won't be able to support you. Walk properly yourself," Mengyao said, freeing one hand to steady him.
She didn't know what trick Jiaxi was up to now. After the last incident, she was no longer foolish enough to trust him so easily.
Mengyao helped him into a taxi. After he got in, he closed his eyes and remained motionless, appearing genuinely drunk.
She had no choice but to take him to the five-star hotel where she was staying. She booked him a separate room, put him on the bed, and prepared to leave.
Jiaxi, lying on the bed, felt her about to leave. Still with his eyes closed, he said, "I thought you wouldn't come to pick me up. Have you ever liked me even a little?"
"You're drunk. Rest now," Mengyao said as she left his room, her heart once again in turmoil.
Back in her own room, she threw her bag aside and collapsed onto the bed, still unable to make a decision.
Jiaxi's love for her was overwhelming, and she felt suffocated. Why couldn't he give her more time?
Waking up the next morning, Mengyao ignored the drunken Jiaxi from the previous night and went directly to the collaborating unit.
Her business trip was time-limited, and she needed to help the cooperating unit overcome technical challenges within the given timeframe, leaving no room for further entanglement with Jiaxi.
When she returned to the hotel that evening, Mengyao discovered that Jiaxi had already checked out and had not bothered her.
She wondered what trick he was playing now but had no intention of contacting him herself.
Just then, the doorbell rang. A hotel staff member delivered a small gift box and a card, saying, "Mr. Hong, who checked out this morning, asked me to give this to you."
Mengyao took the gift box and thanked the staff member, knowing that Jiaxi was up to his usual tactics again.
She closed the door, set the gift box aside, and opened the card. Jiaxi had written a message inside.
"Yao, whether you believe it or not, I came here on a business trip and didn't intend to disturb you. I went to the bar last night because I was in a bad mood, and I didn't expect my impulsiveness to cause you trouble. You can take as much time as you need to consider our matters. I'll wait for you, always."
Mengyao's heart was once again in turmoil.