Chapter 2: Family Chess Game, Marriage Proposal
The day after the banquet, sunlight filtered through the mist, spilling onto the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Su family villa halfway up the mountain, tinting the expensive rosewood furniture inside with a warm golden hue. However, Su Lingwan felt that this sunlight couldn't dispel the inexplicable chill rising in her heart.
When she returned home last night, her father, Su Hongyuan, didn't ask her much about the incident at the banquet. He just gave her a meaningful look and told her to get some rest. But that look contained too many complex emotions that Su Lingwan couldn't immediately interpret, making her feel vaguely uneasy.
At that moment, she sat at her makeshift design table, a charcoal pencil between her fingers, facing a sheet of white paper, yet she hesitated to put down her pen. The paper contained only a few messy lines, devoid of any concrete inspiration. Her thoughts kept drifting back to that moment last night, filled with the scent of cedar and red wine.
Huo Linshen.
This name, along with his stern face, his bottomless eyes, and the cool yet strong touch of his grip on her wrist, replayed in her mind over and over again.
"haven't seen you for a long time?"
Have they met before?
Su Lingwan frowned, searching through the long river of memory. The Nanyang sunshine, the moist sea breeze, a carefree childhood... It seemed as if there was a hazy summer when her father brought her to Hong Kong for a business partner's birthday party. The memory was so distant, as if covered in a thick mist. She only vaguely remembered a tall, thin, silent boy who always stayed alone in a corner, and the adults told her not to disturb him.
Could it be... him?
This speculation made her heart skip a beat. If that was true, then this world was too small. Moreover, he remembered her? This made her feel even more incredible. How could a figure like Huo Linshen, who stood at the top of the world, remember an insignificant little girl from so many years ago?
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus on the design at hand. She was conceiving a jewelry collection themed "First Dew," attempting to capture the shimmering, almost-drip morning dewdrops on flower petals. This was her first attempt to establish herself as a designer after returning to China, and to prove to her father that she wasn't just the heir to the Su Group, but also an artist with independent creative abilities.
Just then, a gentle knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Wanwan, are you awake? Can daddy come in?" Su Hongyuan's gentle voice came from outside the door.
"Dad, the door is not locked, please come in." Su Lingwan put down the charcoal pencil and turned around.
Su Hongyuan walked in with a glass of milk and placed it on a corner of the design table. His eyes swept lovingly over his daughter's slightly tired face and the messy drawings on the table. "Didn't you sleep well last night? Are you still thinking about the party?"
Su Lingwan picked up the milk and took a sip. The warm liquid soothed her troubled mind a little. "A little. Dad, that Huo Linshen... have we met before?"
Su Hongyuan sat down on the sofa nearby. A flash of understanding flashed across his eyes, then gave way to a deeper calculation. He paused for a moment, then continued, "Well, when you were little, around seven or eight, I took you to the birthday party of Old Master Huo, Huo Linshen's grandfather. Back then, the Huo family was... well, a bit chaotic, and that kid was a loner, not particularly sociable. You were lively back then, and you even went to ask him why he wasn't playing with everyone else. Remember?"
A fragment of memory that was almost completely forgotten suddenly became clear because of his father's reminder.
Yes, that summer, Hong Kong was very hot. The old Fok family mansion was cool and empty. There were many children in the garden, but only one teenager, dressed in a white shirt and black overalls, sat alone under the grape trellis, away from the crowd, reading a thick book that was very inappropriate for her age at the time. She ran over, looked up and asked him, "Little brother, can we play hide-and-seek together?"
The young man raised his head, revealing a strikingly handsome yet impassive face. His eyes lacked the innocent innocence of a child, instead displaying a silence and aloofness unbecoming of his age. He didn't answer, merely staring at her quietly. His gaze frightened her, yet also intrigued her. Later, he was hastily whisked away by a servant who whispered to her, "He's the Huo family's young master, a man with a strange temper. Don't disturb him."
It turns out that the "weird" little brother is Huo Linshen, who now has a strong aura and attracts the attention of the entire Hong Kong city.
Su Lingwan's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason. So, he really did remember. He remembered that impetuous little girl.
"So it's him..." she murmured softly.
Su Hongyuan observed his daughter's expression and saw that she did not seem to have any obvious aversion to Huo Linshen. He made up his mind and turned the conversation to the topic of today.
"Wanwan, since we've mentioned the Huo family, there's something Dad wants to have a serious talk with you about." Su Hongyuan's tone became serious.
Su Lingwan put down the milk cup and sat up straight. His father's tone usually meant something important. "Dad, go ahead."
"You know the roots of our Su family in Southeast Asia. No matter how well the jewelry business does, it is ultimately confined to a corner. Hong Kong City is the financial and trade center of Asia and even the world. It is the bridgehead for our Su Group to gain a foothold and further expand into the European and American markets." Su Hongyuan said slowly, his eyes sharp, which was the look of a helmsman who had experienced the ups and downs of the business world for a long time.
Su Lingwan nodded. She was well aware of this. The family business was a responsibility she couldn't shirk, even though her dream was to become a pure jewelry designer.
"But," Su Hongyuan changed the subject, "the Hong Kong City pie has long been divided up by several wealthy families, and the relationships are complicated. As an outsider, it's not easy for our Su family to forcefully intervene and get a piece of the pie, or even occupy a place. We need strong allies."
Su Lingwan's heart sank slightly, and she seemed to have a premonition of what her father was going to say next.
"The Huo family," Su Hongyuan uttered these two words with great weight, "is the undisputed top wealthy family in Hong Kong City. The Huo Group is involved in real estate, finance, shipping, and technology, and its business empire spans the globe. If we can establish in-depth cooperation with the Huo family, our Su family will be able to enter the Hong Kong City market with twice the result with half the effort. We can even leverage the Huo family's channels to promote our jewelry brand to a broader international stage."
The study was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds outside the window. The sun moved, falling on Su Hongyuan's slightly weathered but still shrewd face.
Su Lingwan was silent, her fingers unconsciously stroking the wall of the warm milk cup.
Su Hongyuan looked at her, knowing his daughter was intelligent and quick to grasp the point. He cut to the chase and went straight to the point: "The Huo family is also interested in collaborating with our Su family. Old Master Huo and Huo Linshen's father have both expressed similar intentions. And the best way to consolidate such a business alliance, since ancient times, has been one and the same..."
He paused, looked at his daughter's eyes which were instantly raised and filled with astonishment and resistance, and said clearly:
"Marriage."
There was a soft "clang" sound as Su Lingwan's milk cup slipped out of her hand and spilled onto the design table. The milky white liquid quickly spread, soaking the messy drawings. But she couldn't care less at the moment.
"Marriage?!" Su Lingwan stood up suddenly, her voice rising with shock, "Dad! Are you saying... let me and Huo Linshen?!"
She couldn't believe her ears! What era was this? There were still such things as business marriages? And the partner was the ice-cold Huo Linshen?
"Yes." Su Hongyuan's attitude was unprecedentedly resolute. "This is currently the most advantageous option for both families. The Huo family is attracted by our Su family's deep roots in Southeast Asia, unique jewelry resources, and... relatively simple family structure. And we need the Huo family's business network in Hong Kong and around the world."
"No! I don't agree!" Su Lingwan blurted out, her chest heaving violently. "This is my marriage! Not a business bargaining chip! I don't understand him at all! And he... he's that kind of person..."
Huo Linshen's stern face flashed through her mind, those eyes that seemed to see through everything yet seemed indifferent to everything. Spending her life with a man like that? The mere thought of it suffocated her. Her love should be passionate, a mutual attraction, a resonance of souls, not a cold, calculating commercial union!
"If you don't understand, you can learn more slowly!" Su Hongyuan's tone also became a little firmer. "Huo Linshen is young and promising, with outstanding abilities. How many famous ladies in Hong Kong dream of marrying him? Whether it's family background, ability, or appearance, he is top-notch! Wanwan, Daddy won't harm you. This marriage is the best arrangement for you and the Su family, both publicly and privately!"
"The best arrangement?" Su Lingwan felt it was ridiculous, tears welling up in her eyes. "Just because of his family background, ability, and looks? So I have to marry him? Dad, I'm a living person! I have my own feelings and dreams! My dream is to become a top jewelry designer, not just a decoration for a wealthy marriage!"
She pointed at the design draft soaked in milk, her voice choked with sobs: "This is what I want to do! Instead of playing a role I'm not familiar with and catering to a man I don't love at all!"
Su Hongyuan looked at his daughter's excitement, a flash of heartache in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by a stronger rationality. He stood up, walked to his daughter, and put his hands on her shoulders, which were trembling slightly with excitement.
"Wanwan, Dad knows your dreams. Dad has never opposed you pursuing your own career. But," he emphasized, "you are first and foremost a daughter of the Su family and the sole heir to the Su Group! If you enjoy the glory and wealth brought by your family, you must shoulder the corresponding responsibilities! In this world, there is no such thing as taking without giving!"
"Dreams and responsibilities are not an either-or choice! We can cooperate with the Huo family in other ways, why must we bet on my marriage?" Su Lingwan tried to argue.
"Another way?" Su Hongyuan gave a wry smile, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Silly boy, trust in the business world, especially in such deep collaborations involving core interests, is so fragile? Only blood ties or in-laws are the strongest bonds. This has been an unchanging rule for thousands of years! The Huo family's proposal itself demonstrates their utmost sincerity! If we refuse, not only will the cooperation fall through, but we might even be seen as ungrateful by the Huo family, and thus face resistance when entering the Hong Kong market! Then, the price we pay will be even greater!"
Su Lingwan was stunned. She had never imagined that such complex business interests were involved behind a marriage. Could a refusal mean damage to the family business?
"But... Dad..." Her voice trailed off, filled with helplessness and grievance, "Can you bear to let me sacrifice my lifelong happiness for the sake of our family?"
Su Hongyuan looked at his daughter who was about to cry and his heart softened for a moment, but when he thought about the challenges and opportunities the company would face in the future and the huge benefits that would come from marrying into the Huo family, he hardened his heart.
"Wanwan, happiness needs to be cultivated. Huo Linshen may have a cold personality, but from what I know, he has a strict private life and outstanding abilities. He is a person worthy of trust. Feelings can be cultivated. Many couples who had no feelings before marriage have been able to live a stable life with mutual respect after marriage. What's more," he paused, slowing his tone with a hint of guidance, "if you can win Huo Linshen's heart, with his ability and status, he can not only protect the Su family, but also protect your dreams. With the identity of the Huo family's young mistress, your career in jewelry design will be smoother."
"I don't need his protection!" Su Lingwan turned away stubbornly, "I can rely on my own abilities!"
"There are many capable people, but not everyone has the opportunity and platform!" Su Hongyuan said earnestly, "Wanwan, be realistic. Daddy won't force you to agree immediately. Think about it carefully. Think about the Su family, think about the responsibilities on your shoulders, and also think about... this may not be a shortcut for you personally."
After saying that, Su Hongyuan patted his daughter's shoulder, sighed, turned and left the study, leaving Su Lingwan alone, facing the room full of sunlight and the messy design table.
The door was closed gently.
Su Lingwan felt as if all her strength had been drained from her, and she slumped back into her chair. Finally unable to hold back her tears, they rolled down, dripping onto the milk-soaked, ink-smudged design, making the mess even more unbearable.
Marriage?
And Huo Linshen?
She felt the irony was immense. She had thought last night's unexpected reunion was just a minor incident in her life, but she hadn't expected it to become the prologue to a forced rewriting of her life's main theme.
She recalled Huo Linshen's cold eyes and distant aura. Would a man like that be willing to accept an arranged marriage? Perhaps he would object?
But then, his father's words rang in his ears again: "The Huo family is also interested..."
So, this is what he, or at least his family, meant?
A huge sense of resistance and powerlessness overwhelmed her. She loved life, yearned for freedom, and longed for pure love. She imagined a partner who was warm, someone who could laugh and play with her, someone who understood and supported her dreams, not a moving iceberg like Huo Linshen.
But her father's words weighed on her heart like a mountain. Responsibility... family... these weights, which she had never felt so deeply, now weighed heavily on her shoulders.
What should she do?
Rebellion? If it resulted in damage to the family's interests, could she afford the consequences? Although her father doted on her, he would never easily give in on matters concerning the family's fate.
Submission? Sacrifice her love and marriage in exchange for the prosperity of her family? Then is she Su Lingwan still Su Lingwan?
She picked up the design draft, ruined by milk and tears. The theme of "First Reveal" had been completely distorted. Just like her current mood, the vision and plan for the future were shattered by this sudden "marriage proposal".
The sun was still shining brightly, shining through the window, casting a small shadow on her thick, curled eyelashes. She stared blankly out the window. The Hong Kong sky was high and vast, with clouds rolling and unrolling, but it could not give her an answer.
What she didn't know was that at almost the same time, a similar conversation was taking place in the president's office on the top floor of the Huo Group in the heart of Central.
Huo Linshen sat behind a large ebony desk, listening to his father, Huo Zhenting, on the overseas phone, mentioning in an unquestionable tone the "necessity" of marrying into the Su family - integrating resources, consolidating status, developing the Nanyang market, and finding him a wife with "equal status and clean background" to eliminate certain ideas of those side branches within the family that were ready to make moves.
Huo Linshen listened expressionlessly, his fingers unconsciously turning an expensive pen, his eyes fixed on the skyscrapers outside the window, his eyes colder than the steel forest outside the window.
Until Huo Zhenting mentioned on the other end of the phone, "The Su family's daughter, Su Lingwan, just came back from abroad. I heard she's doing some jewelry design..."
Huo Linshen paused slightly in turning the pen.
In an instant, the bright and flustered face at last night's party, the clear and vivid amber eyes, and the warm and lively aura around her that was incompatible with this cold world of fame and fortune flashed through my mind.
Su Lingwan...
His thin lips moved slightly, silently pronouncing the name.
On the other end of the phone, my father was still talking about the various benefits that would come with the marriage.
A very faint, barely perceptible ripple flashed across Huo Lin's deep eyes.
Perhaps... this arranged chess game is not completely boring.
He spoke into the phone, his voice still devoid of any emotion, and replied with only three words:
"knew."
Then he hung up the phone.
Silence returned to the office. Huo Linshen stood up and walked to the huge French window, overlooking the bustling Hong Kong below.
His world had always been a cold realm of precise calculation and profit above all else. Marriage, to him, was merely another form of commercial contract. He had never expected so-called love; to him, it was something distant and empty.
Su Lingwan...
The woman who accidentally entered his sight like a little sun.
He remembered the delicate and warm touch of her wrist, and her eyes that were still bright even when she was panicked.
If marriage is an inevitable choice, then a partner who seems less boring and even... a little interesting seems like a good choice.
At least, she is much more pleasing to the eye than those pretentious socialites who only want to curry favor with the Huo family.
A plan began to take shape quietly in his sophisticated brain.
Don't directly agree to the family's arrangements, that would be too passive.
Instead, he brought this unexpected "pearl" into his orbit in a way that he could better control.
He needed a negotiation, and an "agreement" that belonged only to the two of them.
The corners of Huo Linshen's lips curled up into an almost imperceptible, cold arc.
The chess game has been set.
At this moment, Su Lingwan, who was still immersed in shock, grievance and resistance, was unaware that what she was about to face was not only the pressure from her family, but also the cautious hunting from that icy man.
Her fate is being pushed towards an unknown direction by two powerful forces.
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