C2 Friends 2

"If you're willing to do me a favor, I'll gladly return it," Nuange said with a confident smile. Her sweet and charming appearance was contrasted by her bold attitude, adding a sharp edge to her beauty—an effect lost on her companion.

"This young lady is all talk," he remarked.

"Perhaps," she replied, "but I promise you won't regret it."

"Oh, Miss Yu is quite confident. What exactly are you proposing?"

"It's simple. I'm willing to marry you, but just as a temporary arrangement. Once I'm free from my family, I'll leave on my own. How does that sound?" Nuange laid her cards on the table. "Of course, I understand if this is too much to ask. If you're really not interested..."

"Agreed."

Before she could finish, he accepted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Nuange's smile deepened, her dimples like pools of fine wine, intoxicating and fragrant.

"Does this put you in a difficult position?" she asked, happy but aware that she couldn't force anyone into such an arrangement. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"It doesn't matter."

His nonchalant attitude pleased her, indicating they both stood to gain.

Sensing her thoughts, he smiled at her. "Miss Yu, there's no need to hesitate. Marriage is something I must do as well. Why not choose a win-win situation? Perhaps our partnership will bring unexpected surprises."

"That's exactly right."

Nuange found it easy to talk to smart people. Her stepmother had indeed put effort into finding her a match, even if it was someone with a health issue.

"So, we..."

"In a few days, I'll visit your home to discuss the marriage."

"Great!"

With that settled, Nuange left, feeling satisfied. "Don't worry, this arrangement won't be something I regret."

"We'll see."

After Nuange left, the man gently rubbed the cup in front of him, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Nuange?"

"Sir."

"Who was supposed to come today?"

"Sir, it was the second young miss of the Yu family, Yu Qianran."

"Heh... hasn't shown up for a while, seems she's not interested." The man's gentle features took on a hint of sarcasm as he looked toward the door, recalling the woman who had just left. A slight smile played on his lips. "The Yu family understands. We won't push them. Look into the woman who was just here."

"Yes!"

"Interesting."

The man withdrew his gaze. Though his eyes couldn't see, he exuded a calm confidence.

Unaware of this, Nuange quickly left and put on a sweet, obedient demeanor before returning home. As soon as she walked in, her stepmother greeted her with a fake smile.

"Nuange, how was it? This match is pretty good, right?"

"It's okay, just a bit flawed," Nuange whispered, glancing at her father sitting on the couch.

"Nobody's perfect, you know. He's quite the catch—good-looking, comes from a great family, and knows how to treat a girl right. I went out of my way to introduce him to you. Otherwise, plenty of others would have snapped him up."

"In a family like ours, we can't settle for anything less. We need someone who matches up to our standards, don't you think?"

Nuange lowered her head, appearing shy, but it was just a cover for the determination in her eyes.