Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO

At a bar, Siao Jia sat in a corner, crying bitterly as she drank.

I really didn't mean to, she thought, texting Yang Qing.

Unfortunately, she had already been blocked.

Siao Jia was overwhelmed with despair and regret. She went from regretting her breakup with Xu Ke to regretting taking her frustrations out on Yang Qing. Her despair morphed into resentment; she cursed Xu Ke for his faithlessness and condemned Yang Qing for her lack of sisterly loyalty.

Just then, a man sat down beside her.

Siao Jia was a campus beauty, after all. With fair skin, a beautiful face, and a slender figure, her beautiful, tear-streaked appearance quickly drew the attention of others.

"Beautiful lady, would you like to have a drink with me?"

"Who... who are you?" Siao Jia slurred.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ye Chen, a scion of the Ye Family."

Siao Jia was startled.

Ye Family? That sounds familiar… The Wang Family's arch-nemesis?! The Li Family's backer?! One of the six great families!

Then, a hand moved toward Siao Jia's thigh…

***

After leaving the new apartment, Xu Ke and his parents went to a restaurant and were now sitting down for dinner.

"Xiao Ke, are you really okay?" Shen Fen asked, her face filled with concern.

Xu Ke lowered his head to eat. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Thank goodness my hair is covering the wound on my forehead, he thought with relief. If Mom knew I'd been hit by a car, she would be worried sick for a while.

Shen Fen hesitated. "But the mortgage…"

Xu Ke simply took out his phone and showed his parents the 10,000,000 balance. "Don't worry," he said with a grin. "My boss is a tycoon. He wired me ten million just like that. Do you really think I won't have the money to pay the mortgage?"

Though skeptical, Shen Fen set her worries aside.

The three of them ate in silence. The elderly couple tactfully avoided bringing up Siao Jia, despite having a million questions.

Although on the surface Xu Ke seemed to be fine and acting as usual, they knew he must be incredibly distressed inside.

Ever since he was a child, Xu Ke had a habit of sharing only good news and hiding the bad. Now that he was grown up, he bore his hardships alone to keep them from worrying.

Thinking of this made Shen Fen's heart ache even more.

My son was slandered on the street. Insulted by Chang Xiujuan and her family, who pointed their fingers right at him. And now he has to carry such heavy debt… He's our precious son. Why should he have to endure so much out in the world?

Shen Fen wanted to ask Xu Ke to move back to Jiang City, but she knew he would never agree.

A thousand words stuck in her throat, finally morphing into a single phrase of concern.

"Eat more," Shen Fen said, placing a piece of meat in Xu Ke's bowl. "Don't go hungry."

"Okay."

Xu Ke continued to eat with his head down, trying his best to cover the wound.

While Xu Ke wasn't looking, Shen Fen furtively wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"If you need anything, remember to tell me," Xu Zhenguo, who had been silent until now, suddenly said. "Dad will always support you."

Xu Ke felt a pang in his nose. "Okay."

He buried his head even lower…

***

The new apartment had no furniture, so it wasn't habitable yet. In the end, Xu Ke took his parents to a hotel, booking two adjacent rooms. He would see them off on their trip back to Jiang City tomorrow. Afterward, he returned to his own room.

Xu Ke called Wong Qifu.

If Wong Qifu hadn't sent those photos and videos yesterday, I would have been utterly defenseless today, he thought. Whatever her reasons, I have to call her.

"But are there any other reasons?" Xu Ke couldn't help but mutter to himself.

The call connected quickly.

"What's up?" Wong Qifu's voice came through. "You're calling a bit late today. You're not a very competent fiancé."

Xu Ke felt a flush of embarrassment.

So that's the other reason…

Xu Ke changed the subject. "Sister Wang, it's nothing important. I just wanted to say thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Wong Qifu's voice was still a little lazy.

"Thank you for the photos and the video," Xu Ke explained. "She came to my place tonight to cause trouble. If it weren't for your photos, I wouldn't have been able to explain myself."

"Don't mention it. It's what I should do," Wong Qifu replied, sounding unconcerned.

After she spoke, silence fell between them again.

As Xu Ke looked out at the stream of traffic below, he suddenly said, "Sister Wang, are you free tomorrow? I'd like to take you out for a meal."

"Tomorrow?" Wong Qifu repeated, sounding as if she were checking her schedule. "I have a meeting tomorrow; things are pretty busy."

"Oh, okay then…" Xu Ke said, holding his phone and sighing inwardly.

I don't even know why I sighed. Maybe I'm just a little disappointed…

Wong Qifu noticed.

SNAP.

A soft click came from the other end of the line as Wong Qifu put down her pen. "Do you want to have dinner with me that badly?"

Her tone was casual, yet it made Xu Ke's heart race.

"No, it's not that! I just…" Xu Ke stammered, denying it instinctively.

"You don't want to have a meal with me?" Wong Qifu's tone shifted.

Xu Ke's eyes widened. "No, that's not it! I just wanted to thank you in person for your help."

"Is that so?" Wong Qifu said. "Then there's no need. I don't require your gratitude."

Xu Ke took a sharp breath. "Sister Wang, I…"

Something felt instinctively wrong.

But Wong Qifu interrupted him. "Well, that's all. I have to get back to work."

After she said this, she didn't hang up immediately, instead waiting for Xu Ke to respond.

The line was silent for a few seconds.

Since Wong Qifu had said as much, Xu Ke felt a flicker of disappointment but didn't press the issue. "Alright then," he said. "In that case, Sister Wang, get some rest. I'm going to bed now. I still have to take my parents home tomorrow."

Wong Qifu was silent.

Xu Ke's heart pounded. "Sister Wang?"

"Then go to sleep," Wong Qifu said.

The call disconnected.

Xu Ke stared blankly at his phone.

I get it now. Wong Qifu is definitely angry. But what is she angry about? he wondered.

***

「Wang Family Corporation.」

Expressionless, Wong Qifu placed her phone on the table. She went back to looking at the documents on her computer screen and the paperwork in her hands. But her slightly clenched jaw betrayed her true feelings.

After a moment, she glanced down at her private phone. It was silent. No new messages had come through.

Wong Qifu laughed, but it was a laugh of pure frustration.