Shen Zhiyi held the watermelon slice, still seemingly awkward, and refused to look at him.

After a long pause, he stammered, "Who is it?"

"Your father means that you should marry into a political alliance." Gu Lianzhou's throat tightened, and he squeezed out these words coldly.

He knew it better than anyone else.

Arranging a marriage for her would be a better choice for him as well.

As long as he secretly wins over the family she marries into, making them his own, the Shen Group will naturally be under his control.

When the time comes, kicking her out will be even easier.

But……

He didn't know why he felt so sluggish.

Is it because they are dissatisfied with being manipulated by Shen Qing?

Gu Lianzhou's eyes turned cold.

Shen Zhiyi looked up and glared at him angrily.

"I'm not going."

"Don't act like a child." Gu Lianzhou frowned. "If you want to pass the board meeting smoothly, finding a reliable assistant is the best choice."

He scolded her indifferently, but a secret joy rose in his heart because of her rejection.

It startled even him for a moment.

"What gives you the right to make decisions for me?" Shen Zhiyi suddenly stood up and protested.

"Because you called me brother."

Gu Lianzhou looked into the inner room of the ward, his expression indifferent.

Shen Zhiyi stood there, her fists clenched, tears welling up in her eyes.

"good."

"Since this is what my brother wants, I'll go!"

She pushed him aside and walked out of the ward.

Gu Lianzhou lowered his head, the pain from her elbow strike still lingering in his chest.

It spread all the way to the bottom of my heart.

He quickly composed himself, nodded to Uncle Chen, and said, "I'll take Zhiyi back."

Shen Zhiyi didn't speak to him the whole way.

After arriving home, he went straight back to his room and slammed the door shut.

Gu Lianzhou followed behind her, looked at the closed door, pursed his lips, said nothing, and walked towards his own room.

The next day, a masquerade ball.

The light swirled in the dance floor, ambiguously cutting through the moving figures of the crowd.

The air was filled with the scents of alcohol and perfume, and a tacit, restless atmosphere.

Gu Lianzhou leaned against the shadow of a pillar on the second floor, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, swirling it slowly, his gaze coldly fixed on the sapphire blue figure below.

Shen Zhiyi wore a blue butterfly wing mask, soft in texture, that clung to her skin. Several small, light blue diamonds dangled from the corners of her eyes, shimmering faintly under the light like suspended teardrops.

Bright and dazzling.

She wore the royal blue velvet dress that she had previously strictly forbidden herself from wearing.

Her beautiful figure was on full display.

At that moment, she was pouting her red lips and smiling as she spoke to the man in front of her.

Gu Lianzhou's fingers curled slightly as he heard the crisp sound of ice hitting a wine glass.

It creaks and groans.

It made him inexplicably irritable.

He recognized the man. He was He Weilin, the only son of the He family.

She was the one he personally selected for marriage, and she was impeccable in terms of family background, appearance, and ability.

They are the kind of people that Shen Qing would "feel at ease" with.

Wearing a black mask, He Weilin leaned slightly forward, his posture elegant, patiently listening to Shen Zhiyi speak.

His gaze remained fixed on her without blinking.

Even though Gu Lianzhou couldn't see his whole face, he could still see the expression in his eyes.

Amazing, I admire it.

There was also a glint of excited gleam in the eye, intently watching its prey.

Gu Lianzhou turned his head and saw his own reflection in the glass pillars.

The expression in his eyes was the same as He Weilin's: viscous, greedy, and full of longing.

It's disgusting.

He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful of wine.

Leng Rui's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Gu Lianzhou slammed his wine glass on the table, stopped the waiter, took a black mask just like He Weilin's, put it on expressionlessly, and went downstairs.

The vibrant dance floor lights gradually dimmed.

He walked into the crowd.

Seeing Mr. He Weilin bow and extend his hand to Chen Zhiyi, he said, "Beautiful lady, may I have this dance?"

Shen Zhiyi laughed at his joke.

The eyes hidden behind the mask keenly spotted the tall figure that had appeared in the crowd.

She subtly withdrew her gaze.

She gently curved her lips into a smile and placed her hand in He Weilin's palm.

"certainly."

Gu Lianzhou stood in the shadows.

Everything around me faded into a blur.

Only the two people spinning on the dance floor were clearly imprinted in his gloomy gaze.

He saw her smile at Hervelin.

Her eyes sparkled with a hint of girlish shyness.

He Weilin's hand lightly supported her lower back, while the fingertips of his other hand intertwined with hers, and the infatuation in his eyes grew stronger.

He wished he could possess her entirely.

Gu Lianzhou clenched his molars.

Hearing the sound coming from between his teeth, a fierce, poisonous fire called jealousy suddenly flared up in his heart, burning him with pain in his internal organs.

He should be happy, even gratified.

But inside his body, it felt as if a roaring beast was tearing at his reason.

A metallic taste rose in Gu Lianzhou's throat.

"Now, it's five minutes until the lights go out!" the host announced excitedly from the platform. "Please keep an eye on your dance partners!"

The elegant music suddenly changed pitch.

The frenzied drumbeats exploded in the dance floor, almost tearing people's eardrums apart.

The venue was plunged into darkness.

Shen Zhiyi jumped just at a pivot point.

As soon as she turned the corner, a hand reached out from the darkness, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into his embrace.

Shen Zhiyi staggered half a step and instinctively hooked her arm around his neck.

She smelled a faint, cool fragrance emanating from the newcomer.

He lowered his eyes, concealing the fleeting glint of cunning in them.

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