She wasn't wrong. The Zhong family was drowning in debt. Even with the support of the Qi Corporation, whatever profit they made was immediately swallowed by interest payments to the banks. Accustomed to a life of luxury, the family’s finances were perpetually strained. Zhong Xiran had shouldered all of her younger sister's expenses, never imagining she was raising such an ungrateful brat. "You..." Zhong Wanzhi's eyes widened in disbelief, tears spilling from them like a broken string of pearls. "That's Sinian's money, not yours! What do you have to be so smug about?" Zhong Guangcai cut in, "That's enough nonsense." Zhong Wanzhi turned and threw herself into Yu Shulan's arms. "Mom..." Ever since her younger, obedient daughter came along, Yu Shulan’s favoritism had grown more blatant, as had her dislike for the rebellious Zhong Xiran. Cradling her protectively, Yu Shulan glared at Zhong Xiran. "So now you've learned to hit people?! Look at you, so spoiled and willful. No wonder Sinian is so determined to divorce you! I don't know why I gave birth to such a rebellious daughter. First, you try to elope, and now this—" "That's enough. No need to dredge up the past," Zhong Guangcai interrupted, then fixed his gaze on Zhong Xiran. "I, at least, have the right to discipline you." Zhong Xiran lowered her eyes, saying nothing. Zhong Guangcai’s brow furrowed. "Let me ask you first, is Sinian really divorcing you?" "I don't know," Zhong Xiran’s voice was hoarse. "I can't reach him." Her uncle, Zhong Guangli, shot to his feet, his tone grave. "Xixi, you absolutely cannot divorce Sinian. You have no idea how hard business is right now. The Zhong family is only surviving because of the Qi Corporation. If they pull their funding, we're finished..." "If Zhong Corp goes bankrupt, thousands of employees will lose their jobs... This company is your father's life's work. Can you bear to see that happen?" "Your father adores you. How much has he invested in you? When you ran off to elope, he drove through the night to find you and got into that car accident. His leg has never been the same; it still aches whenever it rains..." Zhong Xiran stood at the entrance to the living room, her lips dry. She listened for a while before realizing how long she’d been standing there. No one had even offered her a glass of water. She swayed slightly. Zhong Guangcai saw and came over to steady her, a flicker of paternal concern in his voice. "Sit down." Someone immediately gave up their seat. Zhong Xiran numbly let him guide her to the center of the sofa, where she heard him declare, "The divorce can't happen." "It's not up to me," she said. Zhong Guangcai mulled this over for a moment, then looked at her. "Send Sinian a message on WeChat. Apologize, beg for his forgiveness, and tell him you want to have his child." So much for dignity. A bitter smile touched Zhong Xiran’s lips. "Even if I sent it, he doesn't even want a chi—" "Just send it," Zhong Guangcai cut her off. "I'll watch you do it." Zhong Xiran's hand clenched into a fist. Suddenly, her phone screen lit up with a call from an unknown number. The room fell silent. A flicker of hope ignited in everyone. Could it be Qi Sinian, calling from a different phone? A divorce, after all, required some form of communication. "Answer it," Zhong Guangcai ordered. Zhong Xiran picked up. "It's Huo Xin." "Hang up!" Zhong Guangcai snapped. Zhong Xiran mechanically ended the call. "Delete the number," he seethed. "Don't keep it." A sudden urge to laugh bubbled up inside her. Huo Xin had her number. If he wanted to contact her, did her father really think this would stop him? Zhong Guangcai was so panicked he'd lost all reason. Still, she had no intention of contacting Huo Xin anyway. She raised her hand and deleted the number with a clean tap. A few seconds later, a text message from Huo Xin popped up on her screen. 「Xixi, I'll be waiting for you to get divorced.」 Zhong Guangcai was speechless. This time, before he could say anything, Zhong Xiran deleted the message herself. "Should I change my number, too?" she asked. That shut him up. · At Yunhu Resort, the doors to a villa were shut tight, guarded by several black-suited bodyguards pacing outside. Inside, two rows of people sat neatly at a long spruce table. Qi Sinian’s hand rested on a file. His voice was calm. "4.9 billion. You have three minutes. Agree, and we sign the contract now. Disagree, and this negotiation is over." With that, he crossed his legs and leisurely took a sip of his coffee before glancing at his watch. 6:00 PM sharp. He was a patient man. They'd been negotiating this merger for three days, and the other side was about to break. Sure enough, as the time ran out, a hand extended from across the table. "Mr. Qi, I'm impressed. A pleasure doing business with you." After a firm handshake, Qi Sinian left his team to handle the follow-up and rose to leave. This acquisition by the Qi Corporation involved the semiconductor industry, making secrecy paramount to prevent a rival from swooping in. Both teams had been brought to the Yunhu Resort, their electronic devices confiscated and all network signals blocked. Until the negotiations concluded, no one could contact the outside world. The resort was in the northern suburbs of Beicheng, nearly a two-hour drive back to the city. The back-to-back negotiations were exhausting. The moment he got in the car, Qi Sinian closed his eyes to rest. Less than two minutes later, he heard Jiang Zheng's trembling voice. "Mr. Qi." Qi Sinian didn't move. "What is it?" "It's my fault, sir. A video of Mrs. Qi and Huo Xin was leaked three days ago. Now the internet is buzzing with rumors that she's divorcing you..." Qi Sinian's eyes snapped open. In the rearview mirror, his long, dark eyes seemed to be coated in a layer of frost. · Zhong Xiran stared at the words "I want to have your child" in her WeChat draft for a long moment before abruptly putting her phone away. "I'm not sending it." "What did you say?" Zhong Guangcai demanded. Her throat felt raw. "I refuse to be so shameless." In truth, she had no dignity in front of Qi Sinian to begin with. How could you have dignity without independence? Qi Sinian was decisive, ruthless. If he truly wanted a divorce, a message like that would only make him despise her more. Zhong Guangcai's lips thinned into a hard line, but before he could speak, Yu Shulan jumped in. Her voice was sharp. "What does dignity have to do with a husband and wife talking about having a baby? When will you ever grow up and just listen for once?" Zhong Xiran looked up, her gaze cold. "Haven't I been sensible and obedient enough these past few years?" Yu Shulan froze. It was the first time Zhong Xiran had ever looked at her with such glacial indifference. "And what about you? Are you so sensible?" Zhong Xiran's tone was scathing. "How much was that crocodile-skin handbag last month? What have you ever contributed to this family? You suck my blood while you drag my name through the mud. Is that how you act like a mother?" "You..." Yu Shulan was so furious she couldn't speak. Zhong Xiran turned to Zhong Guangcai. He had injured his leg because of her elopement, and she had carried the guilt ever since. She could be hard on Yu Shulan, but not on him. Looking at his leg, her voice choked with emotion, but she tried to keep her tone gentle. "Dad, if Sinian really wants to divorce me..." Her phone rang, cutting her off. The name "Qi Sinian" flashed across the screen like a lifeline. Zhong Guangcai motioned for her to answer quickly. Zhong Xiran took a deep breath, swiped the screen, and braced herself for the verdict. As the call connected, Zhong Guangcai turned on the speakerphone. Through the phone, Qi Sinian's voice sounded exceptionally cool. "I'll only ask you this: do you want to divorce me?" Wasn't he the one who wanted a divorce? Why was he asking her? Before Zhong Xiran could speak, she heard Zhong Guangcai's placating voice. "Of course not, Sinian. Xixi, she—" "Zhong Xiran," Qi Sinian cut him off, using her full name. "I'm asking you." His voice was crisp and clean, but the way the last syllable of her name trailed off held a hint of huskiness, a kind of restrained sensuality. She never knew her own name could sound so beautiful coming from his lips. Zhong Guangcai didn't dare speak again, shooting her frantic looks instead. Only a few seconds passed, but to Qi Sinian, it felt like an eternity. Finally, he heard her answer. "It never crossed my mind." Qi Sinian tapped the ash from his cigarette. "Are you at your family's house?" "Yes," Zhong Xiran said. "I'll be there in two hours." After hanging up, Qi Sinian finally saw the WeChat message Zhong Xiran had sent. 「I'm sorry. I can explain. It's not what you think.」 He'd been so worried he hadn't even thought to check his phone first. Qi Sinian crushed the cigarette in his hand and gave Jiang Zheng a cool order. "Find out who leaked the divorce rumors. You have two hours. Otherwise, don't bother coming to work tomorrow." Sweat beaded on Jiang Zheng's forehead. "Yes, sir," he said immediately. · The news that Qi Sinian was coming sent the Zhong household into a flurry of nervous preparation. Zhong Guangcai looked at Zhong Xiran's exhausted face and said softly, "It doesn't sound like Sinian wants to divorce you. Apologize properly when he gets here." Zhong Xiran stared at her phone screen, lost in thought for a moment. A new message had just appeared from Qi Sinian in their chat. Qi Sinian: 「No need.」 Was he being magnanimous, or did he simply not care? She suspected the latter. Seeing her lack of response, Yu Shulan grew anxious. "Did you hear what your father said?" "Yes," Zhong Xiran murmured. Regardless, she knew she owed him an apology. Two hours later, the door opened. Qi Sinian strode in, clad in a black cashmere coat. Zhong Xiran looked up at him. Whether from overwork or the long drive, there was a faint trace of exhaustion in his features. Someone nudged her. "What are you spacing out for? Get up and greet Sinian." The moment Qi Sinian entered, his eyes locked on Zhong Xiran. She sat in the middle of the sofa, her fingers curled slightly, like a child who had done something wrong, her gaze filled with a lost uncertainty. Even in a room full of people, he could tell at a glance that her day had not been easy. Seeing that Zhong Xiran hadn't moved, Yu Shulan quickly interjected, "Sinian, Xixi is young and foolish. I've already scolded her. You're a bigger person, don't hold it against her." Then, to Zhong Xiran, "Aren't you going to come over and apologize to Sinian?" Zhong Xiran lowered her eyes and stood up, about to speak. Qi Sinian’s cold gaze swept over Yu Shulan, his voice dropping low and heavy. "My wife. When did it become your place to discipline her?"