Ning Yuan put down her teacup and asked with great interest—
"Which elders? Tell me, I want to see who is so 'concerned' about my marriage."
Ning Bingyu took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Your uncle still insists that you should marry Bing'an. After all, it's better to keep the benefits within the family. If you marry him, your uncle will get the most benefits. The two branches of the family are closely related and there will be no distinction between you and me. It's a win-win situation."
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow and sighed, "Sigh, I thought you were the smartest one, but who knew Uncle was even more cunning than you. And what about your dad... our dad? What did he say?"
Ning Bingyu paused for a moment, then said, "Daddy doesn't care. It doesn't matter to him who you marry. As long as you marry well and don't embarrass him, he will make up for the dowry. It's a way of making up for the years you've been away from home."
Ning Yuan said coolly, "Is he unwilling to get involved, or afraid to get involved? Our father doesn't seem to have any say in family affairs."
My mother has recognized her for so long, but as a mainlander, it's inconvenient for her to go to the Hong Kong government.
Ning Manfei had represented the main branch of the family to visit the mainland, but her father never mentioned coming to Shanghai to see her, which showed that they didn't have much affection for each other.
After all, they had never lived together. When her mother gave birth to her in the chaos on the mainland, her father was in Hong Kong and had no concept of having a daughter.
Ning Bingyu glanced at her, but didn't reply. He simply continued speaking—
“Bing’an has a very good reputation in the family. He has always been clean and virtuous. He has only had one girlfriend, and they broke up a long time ago. Mom thinks it would be better for you to marry him than to marry into another family through an arranged marriage. In the Ning family, she is the matriarch, and Bing’an is practically a son-in-law. He wouldn’t dare to bully you.”
He paused for a moment: "But now that she has found out that Anan is her friend's son, she is firmly on Anan's side and has turned to support your marriage with Zhaonan. On the one hand, she sees Anan's potential, and on the other hand, she hopes that you can be happy."
Ning Yuan put down her teacup, her bright eyes crinkling as she looked at Ning Bingyu with a half-smile: "So, what's your opinion, brother?"
Ning Bingyu said slowly and deliberately, "Me? I originally planned to have you marry Bing'an. That way, I could gain my uncle's full support and have more say in the company. But..."
He paused, a smile playing in his eyes as he looked at Ning Yuan: "Since Anan is that mainland guest's agent, of course I support Anan. His background and status are beneficial to both me and the Ning family. Is there any need to ask?"
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Big brother, you really are a businessman at heart."
Ning Bingyu didn't mind her sarcasm, and just smiled faintly: "It's only natural for merchants to pursue profit. However, Seventh Sister, let me remind you, our opinions don't carry as much weight as Uncle's. In the end, it all depends on what the Old Master thinks."
"What did the old man say?" Ning Yuan asked curiously.
She knew that this elderly man, who had long lived behind the scenes, was the one whose words carried the most weight in the Ning family.
Ning Bingyu pondered for a moment: "As for the old man... although he also thinks Rong Zhaonan is a good choice, in terms of ability, methods, and background, he is no less than Ning Bing'an, and you and he are already married, so it's a fait accompli..."
"But?" Ning Yuan narrowed her eyes. There's always a "but" in this kind of statement, and the key is in that "but".
Ning Bingyu gently pressed his gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose: "However, my uncle dotes on Bing'an more than his own daughter, and he wants you to marry Bing'an for the sake of the eldest branch of the family. The old master is worried that the two branches of the Ning family will develop a rift because of this, so he is still hesitant."
Ning Yuan understood: "Grandpa is worried that your eldest uncle will harbor resentment towards the second branch of the family and towards you, the eldest grandson, which could lead to infighting within the Ning family."
Ning Bingyu smiled: "Not bad, very smart."
Ning Yuan said sarcastically, "I'm already married, what are you elders still thinking? Want me to divorce and remarry?"
Ning Bingyu swirled his teacup coolly: "So what? In this family, marriage has never been something unbreakable. It's just a contract. If the partnership doesn't work out, it's over."
Ning Yuan suddenly slammed down her cup with a clatter, spilling tea and leaving a small water stain on the mahogany table.
She leaned slightly forward, her round eyes sharp as knives—
“Young Master Ning, we’ve been dealing with each other for over a year now. As you know, I’m a girl from the north, and I’m not quite the same as any of you Ning family members. Whether or not I’m a member of the Ning family isn’t that important to me.”
She wasn't without being abandoned in her past life, and being her mother's daughter and being the Ning family's daughter were not the same thing for her.
What she didn't understand was why they were so confident they could control her life.
Not a single person felt the need to ask her what she meant?
Just because she's an ignorant "Northern girl" who came back from the mainland, someone who can be molded and manipulated at will, not a person?
Ning Yuan continued speaking expressionlessly—
“If you like to talk business, then let’s talk business. In business, it’s all about mutual consent. Forcing someone to buy or sell is not a good habit.”
"I will not do business that does not serve my personal interests. Whether I want to get married or divorced is my own decision."
Even Rong Zhaonan couldn't change her principles of conduct, let alone these people.
"Tsk, don't take it out on me, little sister. Of course I know what kind of person you are. I've said it before, I respect your free will and I absolutely support you and Zhao Nan being together." Ning Bingyu raised his hand and smiled slightly.
After more than a year, how could he not know what kind of person she was?
The Ning family really didn't have any leverage to suppress her; they could only rely on the goodwill their mother had accumulated.
But if this char siu girl turns her back on you, there's nothing Mommy can do.
Ning Yuan didn't reply, she just looked at him quietly.
She knew that what Ning Bingyu had said to her today was not just idle chatter; he must have other plans in mind.
Sure enough, Ning Bingyu put down his teacup and looked at her intently: "I know you don't have any feelings for the Ning family, but you are still a Ning, and you have Ning family blood. I hope that when facing certain people and things, my brother and I can stand on the same side."
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Big brother..."
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