The marriage between the Cheng and Ji families was already arranged, and the news had even been released, leaving Cheng Zhili no room for rebuttal.

Even Cheng Zhibo, who was the best to her in the family, couldn't help but persuade her: "Little sister, you've met Brother Ji Yunyang, and he is indeed very outstanding. Besides, it's just an engagement. You'll have to wait at least a few years to get married. Maybe you can develop feelings for each other during these years?"

Cheng Zhili gave a mocking smile: "What if you don't have one?"

Cheng Zhibo paused for a moment: "I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't cause trouble outside."

Cheng Zhili then stopped talking. She said it was because she loved her, but in reality, she couldn't let go of the high profits that would come from cooperating with the Ji family.

“Sister…” Cheng Zhibo felt a little reluctant, but he really felt that Ji Yunyang was the best choice.

"Brother, I want to be alone for a while, is that okay?"

Cheng Zhibo sighed softly: "Alright, but don't overthink it. You are a daughter of the Cheng family. You should know that none of us would harm you."

Cheng Zhili gave a mocking smile. Yes, he wouldn't harm her, but he also wouldn't respect her or consider her preferences. He would only guarantee her a glorious marriage and that the company's stock would rise. Nothing else mattered.

She was even puzzled, wondering how Ji Yunyang, who shouldn't have been so powerless as herself, had agreed.

Or is it that men like him and his brother, who are destined to inherit the family business, are all the same, and that the company's stock price is more important than lifelong happiness? No, it should be said that for them, happiness is the company's stock price and orders.

Feeling frustrated, I wanted to call Wenwen, but in the end I didn't dial. Since I couldn't change the outcome, why should I make Wenwen and Aunt Song worry about me?

If we told them, the two people who are currently on vacation would definitely be unhappy.

After the Ji and Cheng families finalized their cooperation, the engagement preparations officially began. Nowadays, as long as you have money, anything can be prepared quickly. So when Song Xia and Wenwen returned from their trip, they received the news that Zhili was already engaged.

"Why so suddenly?" Wenwen was taken aback. "Last time I said I didn't want to think about these things. Will your family respect your preferences?"

Cheng Zhili smiled casually, "Anyway, in the end I'll be engaged to someone who's no less than the Cheng family. Ji Yunyang just happens to be good; he's much better than the other young masters in City C."

"But he's not the one you like!"

Wenwen hit the nail on the head, and Cheng Zhili fell silent for a moment.

She sighed softly, "Wenwen, this is not something I can decide. I think as a daughter of the Cheng family, this is probably my responsibility. It can't be said that it's entirely a bad thing, because the Ji family is indeed good, and Ji Yunyang has taken good care of me."

Wenwen was puzzled: "Does raising you mean you have to repay me with your own marriage? Zhili, that's not how it works."

Cheng Zhili knew exactly what her friend meant, but she couldn't resist, nor did she have the confidence to do so.

That's fine, she thought. If she got married sooner, she might be able to get free sooner. At least after getting married, her parents wouldn't be able to interfere with her like they do now.

So, do you also have time to travel, time to go shopping with Wenwen, and time to eat Aunt Song's cooking?

Instead of being unable to control her own phone and sacrificing her marriage for other freedoms, she thought Ji Yunyang shouldn't have the controlling nature of her mother and seemed to be someone who would respect her.

"Let's meet. When do you have time?" Wenwen was very worried and eager to see Cheng Zhili in person.

"Tomorrow, it'll be there tomorrow." Ji Yunyang had asked her to go to the movies tomorrow, and her mother had agreed on her behalf. After the movie, she should leave early so that Ji Yunyang wouldn't complain.

Wenwen hung up the phone and told Song Xia about her friend's ordeal. A cold glint flashed in Song Xia's eyes.

If the Cheng family truly cared about Zhili, why rush the engagement? The child is only fifteen!

A child who is still a high school student and is getting engaged so quickly is bound to raise suspicions. The Ji family seems like a good family, but what if there are conflicts in the cooperation with the Ji family in the future? What will Zhili do then?

If they accidentally develop feelings for each other again, should she listen to the Cheng family and cancel the engagement, and go to find someone better, or should she sever ties with the Cheng family and get closer to the Ji family?

No matter what she does, Zhili is disliked by everyone, and public opinion will relentlessly target her.

Even in the best-case scenario, if the cooperation between the Cheng and Ji families remains unchanged, what kind of image will she have in the eyes of outsiders if she gets engaged at such a young age?

She didn't believe the Cheng family hadn't considered these things; they just didn't care, considering them insignificant compared to the Cheng family's interests.

Even if we have to wait another two or three years, it's fine. Fifteen! Many children her age don't even have this kind of thinking, but the Cheng family has already planned out her future.

Zhili didn't have many friends to begin with, and now that she's back at school, she'll probably face even more targeting.

Furthermore, there's another point that Song Xia finds very objectionable: Ji Yunyang isn't as outstanding as he seems.

In his past life, despite being engaged to Zhili, he still provoked Wenwen.

If he truly loved her, he could have canceled his engagement with Zhili and then pursued Wenwen openly and honestly. But he didn't. He knew that the Cheng family valued Zhili more, so he showed kindness to Wenwen in a vague and ambiguous way, hiding his affection for Wenwen from Zhili.

Song Xia knew all too well what he was thinking. Men are a bit shameless, enjoying the game of having one at home and another on the side, and even justifying it by saying that he had no choice but to make a decision.

Although it was wrong for Wenwen to deliberately hook up with Ji Yunyang in order to get revenge on the Cheng family, Ji Yunyang's lack of rejection and his maneuvering between the two was even more disgusting.

In Song Xia's opinion, Ji Yunyang was not a good match for either Zhili or Wenwen.

In this lifetime, she would never let these two children get entangled with Ji Yunyang.

Now she has become one of the catering giants in City C. Even though her net worth is not as high as that of the Cheng family, once the background of her two children is exposed, the Cheng family will not ignore her like they did in the previous life. Especially in recent years, she has been buying shares of the Cheng family intermittently.

If only the Cheng family could lose control of the Cheng Corporation. Just thinking about what Wenwen suffered in her past life made Song Xia's heart ache. Even though the Cheng family raised Zhili, it couldn't undo the harm they had done to Wenwen. They had to pay the price.

What does the Cheng family care about most? Nothing more than the Cheng family name and their reputation. Losing these would be the best punishment for them.

Without these things, they would act according to her mood and would no longer force Zhili to do anything.

Tsk, this is a bit difficult, but Song Xia is least afraid of business battles.

Ideally, the cooperation between the Cheng and Ji families should be destroyed, thus killing two birds with one stone.