Marriage?!

Harold truly hadn’t expected this answer.

What marriage? It was simply—

Simply absurd!

Xia Xiaolan sensed she and Harold were alike, and Harold felt the same way. In the eyes of people like them, the growth of wealth and expansion of business ventures were far more interesting.

Marriage was something that should come much later.

At least Harold Wilson hadn’t even thought about marriage yet!

He still had unlimited energy to devote to his career.

Shouldn’t Xia Xiaolan be the same?

Young and beautiful, if she sought romance, men would submit to her with just a wave of her hand – there was no need for marriage!

Harold’s tone carried a hint of difficulty:

“…I remember Miss Xia is still very young.”

Indeed very young.

Only 22 this year!

Du Zhaohui was utterly dejected. When Xia Xiaolan told him she was returning to the mainland to marry, it felt like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, striking every organ in his body with pain.

But this showed how Du Zhaohui had matured – despite such a heavy blow, he still completed the signing with Harold as agreed.

Xia Xiaolan’s principles had unconsciously influenced Du Zhaohui – business should come before personal emotions… Now, seeing Harold’s dazed expression, Du Zhaohui suddenly remembered that this American also had feelings for Xia Xiaolan.

There was some sympathy, but more was an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

This American didn’t have significant economic ties with Xia Xiaolan.

Hearing about Xia Xiaolan’s marriage must have left him quite disappointed.

Hahaha, compared to the American, he had so many advantages.

Younger than the American, and closer to Xia Xiaolan—

Du Zhaohui regained his spirits, “Ah, young people are like that, let them marry if they want!”

Ah Hua, standing behind Du Zhaohui, looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

Had Young Master gone mad from distress?

When he first heard the news, he seemed so upset, but now he’s indifferent about Miss Xia marrying Mr. Zhou.

Ah Hua had thought only women were fickle, but now he felt his young master was no different!

After seeing Harold off, when Du Zhaohui asked what wedding gift he should send to Xia Xiaolan, Ah Hua’s expression betrayed his thoughts.

Du Zhaohui sneered:

“Look at your limited vision, it’s just marriage, what of it?”

Many young couples are desperately in love before marriage.

Before marriage, everyone shows their best side, but after marriage, living together day and night, that’s when the chaos begins.

With Xia Xiaolan’s temperament, could she be a dutiful daughter-in-law to the Zhou family?

The Zhou family, being a mainland high-ranking cadre family, surely had many rules and customs. As Xia Xiaolan’s business grew larger, the Zhou family might use her money while despising her public profile—

The more Du Zhaohui imagined the more variables he saw in Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng’s future marriage.

He was still young, what couldn’t he wait for?

He’d played the role of a filial son for so many years to get the Du family assets!

For Xia Xiaolan’s sake, he was willing to wait even longer.

Heh, even if they didn’t divorce, with Zhou’s dangerous line of work… married this year, she might become a widow next year.

Xia Xiaolan’s nose itched.

She had told Zhou Cheng she would return from Hong Kong in November, but after the stock market crash, she bought the Southern Harbor Financial News, and with Du Chengrong’s sudden “awakening,” time slipped to mid-December with these delays.

Not waiting for Du Zhaohui and Harold to sign the acquisition agreement, Xia Xiaolan eagerly left Hong Kong.

She looked at the engagement ring on her hand and smiled foolishly – she was going to marry Zhou Cheng, and she was truly excited.

Why not get married? She liked Zhou Cheng, and he liked her, so why couldn’t they marry?

Accumulating wealth and expanding business had no conflict with marriage.

After all, she was marrying Zhou Cheng, not someone else!

Zhou Cheng understood her ambition and supported her career. Marriage wouldn’t affect her continued climb to career heights.

Of course, she would ensure she reserved some time for her family and Zhou Cheng.

When Xia Xiaolan returned to Pengcheng from Hong Kong, she first went to the municipal government staff quarters. Liu Fen, learning her daughter was coming back, had gone early to buy groceries.

With Xia Ziyu completely powerless now, Liu Fen was naturally safe.

Moreover, after their previous experience, Tang Hongen would protect Liu Fen even better.

At home were only Xia Xiaolan and Tang Hongen. Xia Xiaolan told Tang Hongen about what happened in Hong Kong, particularly emphasizing Xia Ziyu:

“I had originally planned to bring Xia Ziyu back to face legal punishment, but Du Chengrong had his plans and wouldn’t release her.”

Tang Hongen nodded, “Regarding this matter, Du Chengrong personally called me. He said that from now on, Xia Ziyu no longer exists, nor does Fifth Mistress Xia Minwei. He told us not to pursue this person anymore.”

Not pursue this person?

Du Chengrong spoke euphemistically, but he wasn’t asking Tang Hongen to protect Xia Ziyu – he meant to erase “Xia Ziyu’s” existence from this world.

That was terrifying.

When all traces of a person’s existence are erased, what kind of life could they possibly have?

Xia Xiaolan knew Du Chengrong wouldn’t let Xia Ziyu off easily. Even with Xia Xiaolan’s experience from two lifetimes, she recognized Du Chengrong as a deeply calculating and ruthless figure.

Many things Du Chengrong had done before, even analyzing them now, couldn’t reveal his true motives.

Was it elderly paranoia?

Was he deliberately grooming Du Zhaohui after getting cancer?

These were all just speculations, never confirmed by Du Chengrong himself—

With such a deeply calculating and powerful figure, even if Xia Ziyu had offered her sincere heart, it would likely have been trampled, let alone being caught trying to kill him!

Hearing Tang Hongen’s words, Xia Xiaolan became more certain that regardless of how Du Chengrong would deal with Xia Ziyu, she would probably never see her again in this life.

Xia Xiaolan felt somewhat regretful.

She hadn’t found the chance to tell Xia Ziyu personally that she had mistaken the identity of the “reborn” person.

This trace of regret flashed by quickly.

Xia Xiaolan dismissed the thought herself.

There was no point in kicking someone when they were down. Being reborn or not was separate from how one approached life seriously. Even if she had told Xia Ziyu this face to face, Xia Ziyu wouldn’t have awakened – she would only blame everything on luck and heaven’s unfairness.

No one’s success relies entirely on luck.

To control the direction of one’s fate, one can only rely on continuous self-improvement and hard work!

Just as Xia Xiaolan had eliminated the name “Xia Ziyu” from her life, she heard Old Tang sigh deeply:

“While you were in Hong Kong, the Zhou family visited Pengcheng. Zhou’s grandparents came together with Zhou Cheng’s parents. They came to discuss your marriage with Zhou Cheng… Now that you’re back from Hong Kong, are you going to marry Zhou Cheng?”

Grandfather Zhou and Grandmother Zhou had come to Pengcheng.

Xia Xiaolan had no idea.

Of course, Xia Xiaolan had returned to marry Zhou Cheng, but Tang Hongen’s tone clearly showed he hadn’t quite accepted the fact that she was getting married.