C3 I Want Her to Marry Me!

Moo Haoyan had been unfaithful with her sister, Qiao Xue.

Just yesterday, she rescued a man and had him send a voice message to Qiao Xue using her phone.

What happened next?

Qiao An clutched her head as a jumble of memories and dreams reverberated through her mind.

It seemed she had overpowered a man.

The very man she had rescued!

Qiao An bolted upright and felt the bedsheet; the man's presence was gone, but the various aches in her body were clear reminders that last night was not a dream.

She had indeed had a bewildering encounter with a man!

She was utterly frustrated.

She racked her brain, recalling that she had felt fine before getting home yesterday. It was only after drinking a glass of water in the living room that she began to experience the effects of some drug.

So, who drugged her?

A name flashed through her mind. Biting her lip, Qiao An reached for a nightgown and clumsily got out of bed.

She pressed her ear against the door, listening intently in the silence. The living room was quiet, devoid of even the sound of breathing.

She cautiously opened the door to find the living room empty of any unfamiliar presence.

In that moment, her heart was filled with an indescribable emotion.

She groped her way to the sofa and sat down, reaching for the kettle which still contained quite a bit of water.

Her phone's ringtone abruptly pierced the silence. Qiao An fumbled for her phone and answered, "Hello?"

"Qiao An." The voice on the other end was that of a cold, middle-aged woman—her mother, Zhou Yun.

"Mom," she responded.

"You have one hour to come home," Zhou Yun commanded icily.

Qiao An furrowed her brow, "What's going on?"

"Oh?" Zhou Yun's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Have you grown so bold since coming back from studying abroad that you can't be summoned? Don't forget who raised you. Where would you be without us? You'd better not think that..."

"Fine," Qiao An cut her off, not wanting to endure her mother's endless taunts, "I'm on my way."

Zhou Yun's half-finished sentence hung in the air, her irritation palpable. "Just get back here quickly!"

After ending the conversation, she promptly hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, in the Huan Cui neighborhood.

Qiao Xue was engrossed in her phone on the sofa when she noticed Zhou Yun disconnect the call. She looked up and asked, "Mom, why are you so upset with her? Is it really worth it?"

Zhou Yun took a sip of water to cool off, her frustration evident. "Just hearing her voice gets me all worked up! If it hadn't been for that valuable piece of suet jade around her neck, who would have bothered to bring her into our home? She was a complete loss!"

Qiao Xue's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Mom, how much did we sell that jade for back then?"

"A few million, I think," Zhou Yun replied with a sly grin. "It was with that money that your father acquired a small factory, which laid the foundation for our success today."

"She doesn't know about this, right?"

"Hah, what difference does it make if she does? What's wrong with earning a little interest after she's been calling us 'mom and dad' for over a decade?" Zhou Yun's voice was laced with sarcasm. "If we hadn't taken her into the Qiao family, who knows what sorry state she'd be in now!"

"Exactly," Qiao Xue agreed with conviction. "She owes us big time! Even arranging for her to marry Huo Chengzhou, despite his disability, is letting her off easy!"

"My dear daughter, just focus on your relationship with Moo Haoyan. Once this is settled, you two can get engaged."

Zhou Yun's face beamed with pride. "The Huo family's betrothal gift this time is a contract worth 50 million. Once Qiao An is married off, I'll have your father get you a new car as part of your dowry."

"Really?" Qiao Xue embraced Zhou Yun excitedly. "Mom, I've got my eye on a red Ferrari sports car—it's over 3 million..."

"Buy it!" Zhou Yun declared triumphantly. "Once we marry Qiao An to Huo Chengzhou, you can have whatever you want!"

Qiao Xue leapt from the sofa, her excitement palpable. "Mom, I also need to go to the store to custom order a set of jewelry."

"Absolutely!" Zhou Yun gestured grandly. "You're dating Haoyan, and we can't have the Moo family looking down on us. For the engagement, I'll make sure you have a brand-new gown and jewelry. We'll get only the best for everything! That way, you'll marry into their family with your head held high!"

Qiao Xue appeared to have glimpsed a radiant future ahead. She embraced Zhou Yun tightly and planted a firm kiss on her, but as she regained her composure, her brows furrowed with concern. "But Mom, will Qiao An agree to marry in my stead?"

Zhou Yun let out a dismissive snort. "She doesn't have a say in the matter!"