C28 Plans To Get Married

“Yu, can’t you see it? This woman is in our company but at the same time she is seeking out the interests of our competitor. Her motives are obviously not pure. You must dismiss her from the Ruan Group at once and strip her of her title as manager of the design department!" Once Qian Anrou had caught wind of Mu Qingzhu’s weakness, she clung onto this bit of information and would not let go.

Ruan Hanyu’s face was a bluish-purple. His eyes that stared at Mu Qingzhu were filled with gloom.

“Yo, what’s happening that’s got everyone so lively?” A man wearing a nice suit walked in. The corner of his mouth was curved into a smile. His entire aura exuded total charm and handsomeness.

“Jiajun, what are you doing here?” Ji Xuan asked. Her face visibly darkened when her eyes caught sight of the man. Though her face was full of displeasure, she forced herself to remain pleasant while fixing a smile on her face.

Ruan Jiajun had a calm smile on his face, but he had only eyes for Mu Qingzhu. He walked forward and raised his hand to pat Mu Qingzhu’s shoulder. “Qingqing, I didn’t know that you were back. Nobody thought to tell me. Luckily, my aunt let it slip that you were here. Thus, the reason for me rushing over when I heard it.”

Ruan Jiajun’s whole demeanor was stand-offish and cold. Though his tone was casual and gentle, there was no doubt the note of superiority in his voice. It seemed a direct challenge to Ruan Hanyu.

Mu Qingzhu ducked to avoid his hand. The movement caused Ruan Jiajun’s hand to miss the spot on her shoulder for the second time. Momentarily stunned, Ruan Jiajun fully recovered in the next second and could not help but laugh. “Qingzhu, you are the same since college. You’re still the cold and noble woman I have come to know. You’ve always distanced yourself from other people.”

“Jiajun, what do you need?” Ruan Jiajun’s presence in her office shocked her and she could not keep the surprise from out of her voice.

While she was still in college, she was persistently pursued by Ruan Jiajun. It turned out Ruan Jiajun had fallen for her and would not leave her alone for a moment’s rest. She could remember a few times where he had gotten himself drunk and could not keep his hands to himself. She had to use her wits to cleverly avoid his advances. Therefore, Mu Qingzhu did not see Ruan Jiajun in a good light. She felt that he had immersed himself too deeply into the urban lifestyle of the city and there was always this spark of evil to him that made her want to stay away. She liked her life simple and was only drawn to people who drew a clear line between love and hate. People like Ruan Hanyu.

Ruan Jiajun was the son of Ruan Muminn on the other side of the Ruan family. The old master of the Ruan family had a rule when he was alive that all the descendants must live by: the descendants of the Ruan family had to choose between the path of official and business, which meant that one must be involved in politics while the other had to be involved in business. At that time, the old master had taken a liking to Ruan Jiajun and pointed him towards a life of politics. Whereas Ruan Hanyu, who was smart and decisive, was trained to become a businessman.

Of course, once the old master passed on, his wealth was to be split right in the middle, with no favoritism towards any particular one person.

The old master always upheld the belief that young people were indecisive during the time of their lives before they were married and had children, so he made clear his wishes. Only once the descendants of the Ruan family were married and had a family could the wealth be distributed from their ancestors to them.

The old man’s decree proved most wise.

Ruan Jiajun went on to exceed all expectations, becoming the director of the Finance Office at an impossibly young age. From there, his direction was clear: he set his sights next on the position of Mayor in A City.

Under the leadership of Ruan Hanyu, the Ruan Group was the most powerful in A City.

If Old Master Ruan had known about this, he would have rolled over in his grave!

“Jiajun, why are you here instead of at work?” The expression on Ruan Hanyu’s face was ugly. Since a young age, he had always disliked this brother of his. He always thought Ruan Jiajun was too complicated, ruthless, and reckless to get mixed up with.

“You are paying too much attention to me. I didn’t anticipate seeing so many of you here. I just wanted to make this special visit to come and see Qingzhu, my former sister-in-law.” Ruan Jiajun chuckled once he saw Ruan Hanyu’s darkened facial expression. He deliberately added emphasis on the ‘former sister-in-law.' “It seems that I have walked into the middle of something.”

Ruan Hanyu’s expression visibly darkened some more. His beautiful phoenix eyes caught everything as they swept across the room.

As Ruan Jiajun looked at Mu Qingzhu, Ruan Hanyu could see the love for her obvious in his eyes. Ruan Hanyu had known of his love for his ex-wife since his years in university.

He could not keep the memories of the past from flashing in his mind’s eye. Anger rose imperceptibly in his heart.

With a cold light in his eyes, he narrowed his vision, and his pupils became diluted to the point of appearing like two deep wells. He stood back and waited for the appropriate time to draw his blade.

His thin red lips were packed with venom as he pursed his lips and proceeded to say, “Miss Alice, you are the designer hired by my company. As the newly appointed manager of the designer department it is not ideal for someone of your stature to meet guests during working hours. And you, Jiajun, you’re the director of the Finance Office. You actually were bold enough to visit the female staff of my company during office hours. What do you think people will be saying if word gets out? I don’t think if grandfather were alive today, he would approve of such practices.”

Ruan Hanyu’s blow was quick and decisive. He paid particular attention to mention their grandfather, who had at that time made it clear that Ruan Jiajun could not be intimate with other women aside from Zhang Wanxin, the only daughter of General Zhang in the capital’s military, the woman he was told to marry. So it was a wasted effort for him to have affections for anyone else. This was an iron-clad decree that he had to obey. After marriage, he had to be loyal to his wife and not let such matters affect his career in politics.

When he heard Ruan Hanyu’s words of warning, Ruan Jiajun’s face noticeably darkened. Giving Mu Qingzhu another look, he opened his mouth. “I only came here for official business of the Ruan family.”

Ruan Hanyu’s lips twitched and out revealed a mocking smile. He thought he could fool him? There was no way he could hide his love for Mu Qingzhu from him. It was obvious Ruan Jiajun was playing things down as the light in his eyes was extinguished. A light smile played on Ruan Hanyu's lips as he turned to Qian Anrou. “Anrou, please go back to work. But before you do, go check on everyone in the various departments and make sure they are doing their job. Those who violate the rules will face severe punishment.”

His voice was loud enough for all the staff in the corridor to overhear. Hearing this, they quickly dispersed and took their positions at their workstations.

“Mom, since you're already here, you should go to my office to have a rest there first.” Ruan Hanyu supported Ji Xuan’s arm with a gentle smile on his face. His stern tone left no room for any argument.

Coming from wealthy origins, Ji Xuan was no stranger to the complicated issues that might arise from the business world. She knew that if the events that had transpired today were to get out, this could ruin the company’s reputation. To make matters worse, Ruan Jiajun had shown up. Her nephew has always been one to stir up trouble within the Ruan family. His presence today at the office was unknown, yet Ji Xuan did not pursue things further in her mind and watched him leave with Ruan Hanyu.

Soon, one by one, everyone left the office, so that it was only Mu Qingzhu who was left.

It was only when everything had quieted down did Mu Qingzhu sit down on the soft chair in front of her desk. She curled her body up in a ball on the reclining chair, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to relax.

It was left a mystery to her why Ruan Hanyu did not dismiss her right away. She wondered what he must be thinking in that head of his. Did Ruan Jiajun’s presence today turn things in her favor, or is this something that will be settled at a later time without the eyes of an outsider on them?

Ruan Jiajun and Ruan Hanyu stayed in the conference room together for over half an hour. The smug expressions on their faces after leaving seemed to say they had reached some sort of agreement that could benefit both parties.

“Hanyu, you must listen to me. Fire that woman. Even if she is talented, this sort of talent won’t take the Ruan family far. You must think things through. Jingrui Group is such a good company and Jing Chengrui treated her well. Why would she come to work in the Ruan Group if something didn’t happen there? She is in love with money and Jingrui Group has more money than us. What could be her motive for joining Ruan Group?” Ji Xuan ambushed Ruan Hanyu the moment he walked into his office and sat down. “Besides, associating with such a loose woman is just asking for trouble. So many men are hovering around her. You must think first of our company’s image.”

Ruan Hanyu looked like he was at a loss for words. After a minute or two of silence, he nodded his head and said, “Mom, you don’t need to worry. I’ve got things under control. I will give you a satisfactory answer later.”

Ji Xuan nodded her head, glad that her son was handling things.

“Ah Yu, since I’m already here today, I want to settle with you the matters of your marriage with Anrou. Mayor Qian has been calling more and more frequently these past few days. Although he doesn’t say much during these visits, there is something about the words that he does say that makes the matter between you and Anrou more urgent. I am not senile yet. And I can tell what he means. It is my wish that you marry Anrou as soon as possible and give her your name. You are a man, who Anrou has followed for so long. You have kept her waiting long enough and she is not young anymore. It is time to give her your answer. Tell me, what do you think?” After having said this, Ji Xuan sat up on the sofa, placing her hands lightly on her knees. Her whole essence spoke of nobility and refinement. At this certain point, she had returned to her status as a noble woman. She perceived everything from her high perch above everything, looking down her nose upon all living things. Her dignity as a parent also figured into this aura.

Ruan Hanyu frowned slightly at her words. A shadow seemed to pass over his eyes. His expression was like he was keeping something from his mother. He said in a light tone, “Mom, just continue to live your life in peace. I have my own ideas on how to live my life. But as of right now, let’s focus on Grandma’s birthday which is coming up. It will be Grandma’s 90th birthday this year. Shouldn’t we start preparing soon?”

Ruan Hanyu shifted the topic so that he didn’t have to talk too much about marriage. He never liked people forcing him to do anything, especially when it came to matters of marriage. So when his grandmother ordered him to marry Mu Qingzhu in the past, the failed marriage had left him traumatized.

He had given some thought to marrying Qian Anrou and was prepared for the idea, but he did not like being forced into anything by others. This way, if it wasn’t his idea, then he would feel like his life was being controlled by others. This left a bad feeling in his heart.

Mayor Qian and Ji Xuan were meeting up to talk. This had the suspicious air of an arranged marriage. He couldn’t be more unhappy about this.

“There’s only your grandmother in your eyes.” When Ruan Hanyu mentioned his grandmother, Ji Xuan could not help but feel unhappy. She said in an angry voice, “She said not to do anything big for her birthday. She is old and only wants peace and quiet. Anything else will be a disturbance. She has already made it known that she just wants something quiet for her birthday celebration with just the members of our family.”

Out of nowhere, Ji Xuan suddenly thought of something and said in a serious manner, “Update me on the matter with the Xiangzhang Villa Complex. As you well know, this is not a small undertaking. You also know that the products and luxury cars under the Ruan family have not achieved worldwide fame yet. Currently, what is really bringing in the profits is still on A City grounds. Might I remind you again that this is not a small project and therefore, we must act carefully. Also, Mayor Qian has made it known that he will take care of this piece of land if anything falls through.”

Though he could see that Ji Xuan was right, Ruan Hanyu couldn’t help but grow more and more annoyed by what she said. Originally, the Xiangzhang Villa Complex was a half-baked idea of his to invest in real estate that became a medium-long term investment of the Ruan family. In Qingshaan, Ruan Hanyu felt compelled to invest in the real estate there, where he brought a lot of land. In the past two years, the City Administration of A City was pursuing him to open a deal with building a subway system on his land. This increased the price of the land dramatically. It looked like he could earn a lot of money this way, but something happened to take all this away.

The local residents of the Qingshaan town had been paying the higher-ups with lots of visits in the past few years. They made it known that they wanted to move the garbage incinerator nearer the residents to the vicinity of Qingshaan. From the perspective of the Xiangzhang Villa Complex organizers, this was devastating news.

A high-end villa complex next to the site of a garbage incinerator would prove disastrous!

If this was approved by A City, this could only mean the view of the high-end villa would be obstructed by a trash incineration plant. It would not only be an eyesore but imagine the smells! If things were to progress in this direction, even if the villa were to be sold, the drastic drop in the value of the complex would bring in no profit.

The location of the Xiangzhang Villa Complex was most ideal. It was located at the edge of Qingshaan Lake, placing it right next to the mountains. The area surrounding it was green and beautiful. Besides that, its location was not that far from the city, making it perfect for commuters. This was projected to be the most high-end villa complex in A City. Thousands of villas were planned to be built surrounding the Qingshaan Lake. Such an undertaking would prove an important feat in history.

Such a place would gather a large number of elites from A City to the complex.

Originally, the project was a good idea that sold well with its investors. However, due to a sudden change of plans that placed a garbage incinerator in their midst, delayed further progress of the project.

The issues that arose gave Ruan Hanyu a headache. Although saying otherwise, Ruan Jiajun had rushed over here today to discuss this matter.

But if Qian Anrou’s father was taking care of it, perhaps this matter with the garbage incinerator would be resolved. This was altogether true, but… While Ruan Hanyu was deep in thought, Qian Anrou walked in, tossing her hips from side to side.

When she saw Ruan Hanyu, her cheeks brightened in color and her almond eyes glowed. But she had to suppress her feelings because Ji Xuan was in the vicinity and she could not act so flirtatiously. She walked towards Ji Xuan first, hugging her shoulders and saying coquettish, “Mom, my dad said that we’re gathering together this weekend for dinner. Mom, how about it?”

“Everything sounds good.” As Ji Xuan was being hugged by Qian Anrou, her face immediately beamed with joy. She said, “But leave this matter to Hanyu. He is the man in the relationship, so he should be the one arranging everything.”

Qian Anrou tilted her head and looked at Ruan Hanyu to see if he was alright with everything. She saw that he was sitting in front of his desk looking at his computer. His expression was calm and he did not look like he objected. Feelings of happiness rushed in her heart.

“Alright, I’ll let you guys get back to work. I won’t be keeping you. The Xu family’s madam invited me to do some cosmetic surgery and I can’t leave her waiting.” Ji Xuan stood up, her voice trailing behind her as she left through the door.

“Mom, I can drive you.” Seeing his mother about to leave, he stood up.

“There is no need. You guys continue with your work. I have a housekeeper who can drive me.” Ji Xuan’s refusal left no room for argument. She used to be at the company day and night working hard to keep it afloat. She knew firsthand how hard it was to manage everything. If it wasn’t for Mu Qingzhu that despicable woman, she would not dare have disturbed them.

“Hanyu,” Ji Xuan said. Once Ji Xuan disappeared from the office, Qian Anrou ran to Ruan Hanyu’s side, unable to suppress her rush of happiness to finally be alone with him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she filled his face with kisses. “Hanyu, my father said that our families will be having dinner this Saturday to settle our marriage. Yu, this makes me so happy. Our union will be finalized and we will never be separated in this lifetime ever."

Qian Anrou’s watery eyes looked at Ruan Hanyu. She placed her head on his chest and clung onto him. She felt very happy in her heart. She didn’t have to wait much longer. Only once Ruan Hanyu agrees to marry her will she be at ease.

Just as suddenly the man in front of her broke away from her embrace and calmly and indifferently said, “I know.”

Though he said this coldly, Qian Anrou was pleased that he had agreed. As long as he agreed, she did not have anything to complain about. She could care less about his attitude. All men were like this. They pretended to not care. In addition, Ruan Hanyu carried such a noble aura. So obviously, he would not act so eager about such things like marriage.

“Anrou, please pay more attention to how you portray yourself in the office. I have said this many times already,” Ruan Hanyu reminded her. His handsome face was from top to bottom covered in frost.

“Hanyu, stop pretending. We will be husband and wife soon. Besides, there are no outsiders here so we can just be ourselves,” Qian Anrou said with a pout on her face. But inside, she was secretly snorting in her heart. Ruan Hanyu, don’t act so fake. You know you owe me this. But what he said next soon left her stunned.

Ruan Hanyu’s brows were tightly knitted on his forehead. His expression was tense as he said, “Anrou, tell me, were you the one who told my mother about Mu Qingzhu coming to the Ruan Group to work? Was the newspaper in her hand your idea also?”

Ruan Hanyu’s cold voice sounded out in the room. It was not entirely loud, but every word hit its mark in Qian Anrou’s heart. Qian Anrou noticed that he wasn’t asking this, he was actually blaming her with full certainty.

Ji Xuan was never in the habit of reading the newspaper early in the morning. Her routine in the morning after she woke up would be to go for a walk in the garden then eat breakfast, put on makeup, and then read the newspaper. By the time she got to the paper, it would already be noon.

Hearing Ruan Hanyu’s words of accusation, Qian Anrou’s face instantly paled. Her heart palpitated in her chest, and after a pregnant pause, threw herself into Ruan Hanyu’s arms, unable to hold back the tears any longer.