Shen Wu abandoned his casual attitude, sat up straight, and looked at Yan Qiao seriously.

"Grandpa, you might want to think it over."

Grandpa Shen waved his hand, "Grandpa is old, and your father has no interest in the company, so the future of Hongmei is in your hands. Just remember one thing: behind you is the Shen family, including your Aunt Zhou, your younger brother and sister, all of whom are Shen family members and must be treated equally."

Chen Wu nodded. "I know."

Zhou Yuanxi married into the family more than ten years after her mother passed away. By then, Shen Wu had already developed the ability to think independently and had no hostility towards her.

On the contrary, Zhou Yuanxi was wary of Chen Wu at every turn, always feeling that this eldest son would harm his younger siblings. She wondered if it was because she watched too many family dramas.

As a result, Shenzhou also became distant from him.

He's not crazy; why would he give up a good life to harm his own siblings?

The old man immediately had a transfer contract drafted, and Chen Wu signed his name on it; the matter was now settled.

Zhou Yuanxi's face was deathly pale, and she could not hide her despair.

They, mother and son, are not even qualified to compete with Shen Wu.

It was a crushing defeat before it even began.

She began to complain about her son: "If I had known you were this useless, I would have been better off giving birth to a piece of barbecued pork! What's so great about Yan Yaoyao? Is she worth all this effort from you?"

Shen Zhou's expression wasn't much better than hers; he had clearly gotten what he wanted—the marriage was dissolved.

But why am I not happy at all?

He closed his eyes. "Mom, Yao Yao saved me. She saved my life!"

Those repeated "Don't be afraid" echoed in the purest and cleanest part of his heart.

Chen Wu raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"In addition, the twenty million is a quiet compensation gift," the old man said.

Yan Qiao originally wanted to refuse, but the old man was unusually firm: "Just consider it as putting Grandpa's mind at ease, otherwise Grandpa Shen will have no face to face your grandpa in the future."

She had no choice but to accept it.

The marriage between the Shen and Yan families has now come to an end.

Yan Yaohui got up to say goodbye, and pulled the almost unsteady Chen Lan away in a disheveled state.

Yan Qiao naturally had no reason to stay there any longer, so she got up to say goodbye.

Just as she stepped out the door, Chen Lan suddenly sprang to her feet, heading straight for Yan Qiao with intense resentment.

Just as she raised her hand, she heard Xu Ran's voice: "Quietly."

She paused, her reason returning, and realized that this was not the place to lecture someone.

Xu Ran smiled at her, "Aunt Chen, Grandpa asked me to see Qiaoqiao off."

Chen Lan snorted coldly, "The marriage between the two families has already fallen through, so why be so polite?"

Xu Ran laughed and said, "The marriage is over, but the feelings remain. Does the fact that we no longer have a marriage alliance mean that Uncle Yan and Aunt Chen will sever ties with our Shen family?"

Yan Yaohui quickly replied, "Of course not. Xu Ran is right. The relationship between our two families is still there, and we should visit each other more often in the future."

Chen Lan's face was stiff; he dared not utter the words "sever ties."

Xu Ran pulled Yan Qiao out, and then deliberately said to Chen Lan: "Your brother Chen Wu said that if you suffer any grievances outside, just go to him. Grandpa said before that he wanted to recognize you as his goddaughter, so we can accept the title of brother and sister-in-law."

Yan Qiao knew it was just a polite remark and didn't take it seriously, but simply smiled and agreed.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Ran took out his phone.

"Let's add each other as friends. This is a private matter between us and has nothing to do with the Shen family."

After today, Xu Ran seemed to have just gotten to know Yan Qiao and was very interested in her.

Yan Qiao added her as a friend and told her to stay and not to see her off.

As Yan Qiao walked out of the Shen family's gate with her parents, she hesitated. She wanted to take a ride in the Yan family's car, but it was hard to get a taxi here, and it was too far to walk out.

But Chen Lan pushed him away.

"With your abilities, you might as well not acknowledge me as your mother anymore!"

Yan Qiao staggered a few steps before regaining her balance, a chill running through her heart.

"You can't even keep a man, you're useless! We were hoping you could help your brother out, it's a miracle you're not a burden to him! You think you're so high and mighty, but parents like us don't deserve to stand with you!"

These words were harsh and unpleasant to hear, and Yan Qiao felt uncomfortable, but not particularly heartbroken.

"Is there nothing else about me, your daughter, that you care about besides this marriage?"

Chen Lan sneered, "If it weren't for this marriage, what value would you have? Come home when you've figured things out and won Chen Zhou back!"

Yan Qiao closed her eyes, holding back the tears welling up in them.

Watching the Yan family's car speed away, Yan Qiao let out a long sigh of relief.

After standing at the door for a while, Chenwu came out from inside.

"Gone with the idea?" He had a cigarette dangling from his lips, one hand in his pocket, looking utterly smug.

Yan chuckled softly, "I didn't have high hopes for them anyway."

Shen Wu nodded. "Alright, I'll take your favor today. If you still want to work in the entertainment industry, I can arrange it for you."

Yan Qiao shook her head, "I'm going through the contract termination process. Once I terminate my contract with the company, I'll retire from the entertainment industry."

Shen Wu thought of her age; she was only nineteen, a girl in the prime of her life, and it was not appropriate for her to be in that kind of chaotic place.

"I suggest you go back to school. I remember you had pretty good grades."

Yan Qiao nodded. "I do have that plan."

Shen Wu knew she had her own plans, so he didn't say much, only hinting at the key points.

"If you want to study abroad in the future, I'll arrange it for you."

Yan Qiao did not refuse his kindness and thanked him with a smile.

Then Songbo arranged a car for her and took her home.

As soon as she got into the car, Chen Wu seemed to remember something and asked, "Yan Qiao, do you remember when you jumped into the water to save someone when you were in middle school?"

Yan Qiao was stunned, her expression blank, as a hole opened in her memory and flooded back.

It seems... there is such a thing.

"It was a school-organized activity. I was a junior high student at the time. We were with the senior high students and we did save someone. Later, I went to find the teacher, but when I came back, the person was gone."

Her memory was a little hazy, but she still remembered it.

Because she was going to the Shen family for dinner after school that time, she was soaking wet, and her hair was still dripping wet, so Chen Lan scolded her.

Chen Wu chuckled and bit his cheek.

Sun Zhou, you were truly blind.

At this moment, heartbroken and dejected, Shen Zhou couldn't wait to escape the Shen family and go to a place where he could find peace.

He had nowhere to go except for Zixing Garden.

But I almost forgot that the house had already been transferred to Yan Yaoyao.

Although a lot of photos of that dinner party were taken online, he and Yan Yaoyao are innocent.

He was sleeping like a log, unable to get up to do anything.

After hearing Yan Qiao's words, he understood that Yan Yaoyao was not drunk, and that she had taken off her clothes herself.

The same method was something Yan Qiao avoided like the plague, but she wanted to use this opportunity to marry into the Shen family.

This realization left Shen Zhou confused. Was Yan Yaoyao really like the person he knew?

"Brother Chenzhou, didn't you say we shouldn't meet these next few days? Why did you suddenly come?"

Yan Yaoyao was originally participating in a live broadcast on a gaming platform when she heard his voice and quickly came out.

Chen Zhou said, "I'm sorry, I forgot that I already gave you this house."

Yan Yaoyao pulled him down to sit, "Do we still need to say such polite things between us?"

"Yan Qiao and I have dissolved our engagement."

A sudden remark caused Yan Yaoyao's face to freeze.

Overwhelmed with joy, she didn't know how to react.

"It's...it's already been lifted?"

Seeing her suppressing her joy, Chen Zhou said calmly, "Yes, Grandpa has made the decision, and it has been lifted."

Yan Yaoyao asked excitedly, "When can we get married?"

"Yaoyao, are you in a hurry to marry me, or are you in a hurry to marry the second young master of the Shen family?"

Yan Yaoyao's face stiffened, and she let go of his hand.

"Aren't you the second young master of the Shen family?"

"But if I weren't, would you still like me? Or, if my grandfather didn't want me to break off the engagement, and I had to settle you outside, would you still be willing to stay with me?"

Yan Yaoyao had already prepared her words. She leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Of course I will. I only like you, Brother Chenzhou."

At that moment, Chen Zhou suddenly remembered Xu Ran's words.

"I have principles. I won't touch a man who's already in a relationship."

Yan Yaoyao and Xu Ran are clearly not the same kind of people.