Being threatened by a jerk, Shen Mo must have felt disgusted in his mind. In his opinion, it was Shen Yan who gave Li Tianci an order to do so. Otherwise, how could he have the backbone to challenge Young Master Mo who was dignified?

Shen Yan, it was you who forced me to show no mercy to you and take action. Shen Mo picked up his phone and called President Bai, asking him to make his daughter and Jiang Tao get engaged at once by all means.

Though President Bai looked down upon Jiang Tao, he knew Old Madame Jiang disliked Jiang An and the whole family was in conflict. If Bai Family supported Jiang Tao at this time, he might get Jiang Group.

Considering that Jiang Tao had limited talents, Bai Family could actually control Jiang Group if Jiang Tao succeeded. Gaining Jiang Group at no cost and pandering to Shen Mo, Bai Family was a winner in any case. So, he agreed with Shen Mo without hesitation.

Hiding in Zhou Yan’s home for a few days, Bai Hong was finally taken home by her parents. Their reason was very simple. She was provided with fine living standards in her family, so she was required to pay back to her family’s prosperity.

Her mother also put it in an explicit and simple way that she was just required to get engaged to Jiang Tao now and not to marry him at once. Didn’t she get engaged to Zhang Peng in the past? But they broke up soon. It was normal that two people stayed together when it was beneficial but parted when it was not.

At last, Bai Hong was coaxed and taken back home by her parents like this. Then the engagement between Bai Family and Jiang Family had become a hit on the media for a long time. However, when it was near the engagement ceremony, the matter quieted down a lot, and the social media’s attention shifted to Old Madame Jiang suddenly.

She unexpectedly transferred the stock shares and a part of the immovable property under her name to Jiang Tao, which meant that Jiang Tao became the biggest shareholder in Jiang Group overnight.

Apparently, she was determined to support Jiang Tao. Jiang An paid great attention to what she did and exchanged his opinion with Shen Yan at once. Shen Yan was also astonished by Old Madame Jiang, but he told Jiang An to calm down first and make plans after seeing the situation.

The news that Jiang Group would come to a makeover soon was viewed by over ten million people in a few hours.

Xia Yu was also a little surprised by this news at that time when seeing it, but she understood that Old Madame always showed her preference for Jiang Tao and giving her property to him could let him get engaged with Bai Hong decently. So, it was a quite normal thing.

As Bai Family started to get more and more support in Jiang Group, President Bai fancied Jiang Tao more as a treasure and demonstrated their harmonious and cheerful relationship in public and in front of the media.

The engagement ceremony between Bai Family and Jiang Family was very grand, and it was held in Ruyi Tower. Though Xia Yu knew Bai Hong was unwilling to get engaged, she still made some arrangements in the restaurant professionally as the person in charge.

The night before the ceremony, the whole Bai Family was very busy preparing for it. The servants had a lot of things to prepare. President Bai and his wife had to deal with the media and the guests coming the next day. So almost everyone stayed up all night. Only Bai Hong’s room was cold and cheerless, with the door shut from beginning to end.

At dawn, Xia Yu went to knock on Bai Hong’s door, wanting to hear any advice from her about modifications of their arrangements. But there was no sound in the room. She had to push the door in by herself. Upon entering the room, she smelled a strong smell of smoke and found that the room was dim.

“Miss Bai!”

Xia Yu turned on the light in order to see clearly the whole room. The dressing mirror and the bed were decorated with characters of “happiness”. The carpet and curtains were new and well laid. Bai Hong just sat on the floor in front of the bed, leaning against the bed with one leg stretched straight and the other one bent aside. There were several empty beer cans which were scattered by her feet, and the ashtray was full of butts.

Xia Yu let out a sigh. “Did you stay up all night?”

Bai Hong didn’t answer her question. She rubbed the place between her eyebrows with her hand. “What’s the time now?” Her voice was shockingly hoarse.

“It is almost five thirty. The stylist will be here in half an hour, and there are a few reporters downstairs. Would you like to make up?” How could she appear like this in public? She was stinking of wine, and there were traces of blood in her eyes. People might misunderstand that she was going to attend a funeral if they did not know the truth.

Bai Hong lowered her head and gave a long sigh heavily. Then she stretched her body and feebly leaned against the bedpost again.

Xia Yu saw she was quiet again. She just sat still with her eyes closed tight like that. These days, she had lost a lot of weight, which made her cheekbone look a little raised from this angle. Xia Yu inevitably felt sad in her mind and waited there for a few minutes.

“Miss Bai, if you are really reluctant, you can speak it out. You can still break off the engagement. You still have time now! Anyway, your parents will never abandon you or hurt you. At most, you’ll be scolded harshly.”

“I know you don’t like him. Why should you bet with your marriage? It’s your lifetime happiness!” Xia Yu felt sympathy for Bai Hong.

She was brought up in this social class, so she was disappointed after seeing so many people exchanging their lifetime happiness for an advantageous marriage. She thought that there was nothing more disgusting and more inglorious than this.

“You don’t have to live for others. Why not follow your own wishes? Why should you sacrifice for their ambition?” Xia Yu resented this kind of marriage in the bone.

Bai Hong, sitting on the floor, took two hard breaths. She then opened her eyes. “I wish my father could be like yours very much.”

“What?” Xia Yu was stunned.

“You can do whatever you like.” Bai Hong forced a bitter smile. Both of them were rich second generation. Why could Xia Yu get engaged or break off at her will? She glanced at Xia Yu. “Don’t talk nonsense. Help me get up.”

Sitting on the floor all night made her legs numb. Xia Yu held her arm and then dragged her to get up. Bai Hong stumbled a little and barely stood on her feet firmly by holding the bed rail. Suddenly, they heard a sound of “ding”. It seemed that something was dropped from her body, rolling down to Xia Yu’s front. It was a ring, delicate and fancy.

“You even got the ring ready?” Xia Yu picked the ring up, and her face was full of contempt. What a complete compromise!

But Bai Hong hurriedly took it back. “Not for him! You go out first. I’m going to take a shower.” She said and then turned around to go to the bathroom.

But Xia Yu stood there still. She repeatedly recalled in her mind Bai Hong’s expression when she took the ring back just now, which was so hurried and hasty but with much forbearance.

It seemed that she hadn’t forgotten Zhang Peng, so she kept this ring all the time and held it in her hand all night. What was she feeling at that time on earth?

Xia Yu caressed her eyes with her hand. “Bai Hong, how about running away from your engagement?”

Her words made Bai Hong stop moving. She felt like her heart was punched by someone heavily, which made her almost out of breath in pain. No one cared about her feelings these days. They all pushed her at their will.

They all schemed for their own purposes and interests while she became the person who was fully constricted by duty, morality, Bai Family’s reputation, and the company’s future as well as development. These things entangled her limbs like stones, which drowned her in the sea.

However, Xia Yu was the only person who had the insight and dared to say “running away from the engagement”, which was presumptuous and ridiculous.

“Go ahead! I’ll deal with problems arising from this for you. Anyway, don’t be with someone you don’t love, or you’ll think that your life is no better than death.” Xia Yu always spoke explicitly, especially in the matter of feelings, to which she showed no tolerance.

But Bai Hong knew well that she was different from Xia Yu. If she didn’t show up at the engagement party today, public opinions and the media would probably ruin Bai Family completely.

Having come to such a pass, how could she still have any right to decide her life?

“Don’t be silly. Go out. I need a shower.” Bai Hong finally closed her eyes sadly and walked into the bathroom. Soon, there was the sound of water coming from inside. She hoped that the cold water which spouted down to her head could make her sober a little.

The engagement ceremony between Bai Family and Jiang Family was very grand. The Internet had been full of all kinds of explosive revelations since this morning about how much the bride-to-be spent on her garments, which designer from Xiang Gang served, and how much the site layout cost. Foreign teams were in charge of the flowers and lights. Some photos of the internal field were also released successively. Everything looked romantic and fancy.

The news about the engagement ceremony between these two families became a hit on Weibo in only two hours as if the whole world paid attention to this happy ceremony today. Lights, flowers, the catering, bands, honor guards, designers, and the media were all working for and in full swing for tonight’s party. Needless to say, it was a very bustling scene.

“Miss Xia, I’m very satisfied with these arrangements.” Bai Hong’s mother walked to the front of Xia Yu with a smile.

“Making customers feel satisfied is our duty.” Xia Yu answered with a smile. But in her heart, she felt sympathy and sorry for Bai Hong. Though it was only an engagement ceremony, it was against her will, after all.

“Satisfied. Quite satisfied!” Mrs. Bai held Xia Yu’s hand and said, “Thank you very much.”

When they were talking, a maid from Bai Family came to call Xia Yu, “Miss Xia, our Miss asked you to come over.”

“OK.” Xia Yu answered. Then she nodded to Mrs. Bai and said with a smile, “Excuse me. I’d better go there first.” After she finished her words, she headed for Bai Hong’s lounge.

“Come in. I want to have a word with you.” Bai Hong dragged Xia Yu into the room immediately after she came to the door. Then she shut the door and locked it.

“What’s wrong?” Xia Yu was still confused.

“I’ve thought it over carefully. If you promise me one thing, I’ll then break off my engagement.” Bai Hong stared at Xia Yu and said seriously.

“What did you say?” Xia Yu was a little stunned. It was not her business at all. Bai Hong could accept or refuse the engagement at her will. Why should she be required to make a promise?

“Xia Yu, do you really think that I’m not aware of what you came to Zhou Yan’s home for that day?” Bai Hong said with the corners of her mouth upward, “In fact, my engagement to Jiang Tao is to cooperate with Shen Mo and make trouble for Shen Yan. If my guess is right, then you were sent by Shen Yan to persuade me from getting engaged to Jiang Tao that day. I have figured it out. As long as you tell Yang Ke’er that I want Zhang Peng to come back to me, I’ll then refuse the engagement to Jiang Tao.”

After all, she was a lady from Bai Family, who was not foolish at all. Xia Yu smiled and said, “Bai Hong, your refusal of the engagement to Jiang Tao is beneficial to Shen Yan indeed, and this is indeed what he wishes. But if you really want to get engaged to Jiang Tao, he will respect your choice. After all, this is related to your lifetime happiness.”

“What do you mean?” Bai Hong frowned. “I know you have great conversation skills. But it doesn’t work in front of me. If you don’t promise me, I will get engaged to Jiang Tao. At that time, not only Shen Yan but also Jiang An and your beloved sister, Dong Qingyuan, will be under great disadvantages. You don’t even care about her anymore?”

Xia Yu smiled. “First of all, you should figure out your relationship with Zhang Peng. He tried to break up with you by all means at first, and he even gave up his family property to make it. I don’t think you forgot it, right?”

Speaking of her break-up with Zhang Peng, Bai Hong also felt shameful and became less aggressive a little. “I haven’t figured it out yet. I don’t think that I’m worse than Yang Ke’er. Why should Zhang Peng choose her and dislike me?”

“Do you want to know the reason?” Xia Yu asked.

“Of course!” Bai Hong glanced at Xia Yu. “You know it?”

Xia Yu nodded. “It’s very simple. It’s his own choice to be with Yang Ke’er while he was pushed by his parents to be with you. In the beginning, he was reluctant. Additionally, you didn’t have good communication with him. Instead, you were very arrogant in front of him because you felt assured that he would marry you at all events out of business interests. At last, you lost the best chance to be with him. So, your relationship finally broke up.”