“If Dad is worried about this, then I don’t need to go through with the arranged marriage at all.”

She clenched her fist, as if summoning all her courage, and said firmly, "I will secure the company's latest land project and prove to Dad that I can be a qualified heir without relying on a marriage alliance!"

Uncle Chen reminded her with concern, "Miss, your second uncle has been in charge of that land project in previous years."

"He probably won't give it to you so easily."

"Who asked him to give up?" Shen Zhiyi looked fearless, like a newborn calf. "I will compete with him fairly based on my own abilities!"

"I will definitely prove myself!"

She pleaded and persuaded Shen Qing for a while, finally managing to convince him to temporarily postpone the arranged marriage.

“Okay,” Shen Qing said, “but if you can’t secure this project, you’ll have to marry the person I’ve chosen for you.”

Shen Zhiyi nodded in agreement.

Gu Lianzhou looked at her profile, his eyes deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.

Uncle Chen hung up the video call, sighed, patted Shen Zhiyi on the shoulder, gave Gu Lianzhou a meaningful look, and then turned and left the villa.

Shen Zhiyi was about to leave when Gu Lianzhou called her back.

"Why don't you want to marry someone else?" he asked, staring intently at her.

Shen Zhiyi stopped in her tracks.

"No reason."

"Just like when I wanted to acquire land projects, I simply wanted to have a voice and be able to make my own choices."

She turned around and gave him a soft glare.

"Brother, don't be so narcissistic as to think I did this for you and didn't want to see you get beaten up."

"I'm not!"

Gu Lianzhou initially had some doubts.

They suspected she wanted to seize power.

He originally intended to snatch this lucrative land project from Shen Zhang and take it for himself.

After all, the profit margin is huge.

But hearing her say that dispelled his doubts and made him even more convinced that her decisions were related to him.

“Isn’t that right?” He stood up and took a step, dangerously approaching her.

Shen Zhiyi subconsciously took a step back.

But he cornered her against the wall.

"What do you want to do?" She nervously gripped the hem of her skirt. "I'm telling you, I've already gotten Dad's permission."

"You can't, you can't force me to marry someone else..."

Gu Lianzhou's gaze slowly swept over her from top to bottom, gradually becoming deep and gentle.

“In that case…” he leaned closer, his voice slightly hoarse, “I will help you.”

He hooked his finger around her pinky.

"Please forgive your brother just this once, okay?"