At the wedding photo shoot, flashbulbs were going off constantly.
A large group of people took a family photo. After they had taken most of the photos, they all dispersed, but the couple who were the main characters in the photo couldn't leave.
The photographer shouted, his camera shutter clicking incessantly—
"Groom, move a little to the left! Yes, just like that!"
Ning Yuan and Ning Bing'an changed into two or three outfits, each carefully coordinated, and the filming process went smoothly.
The moon-white mandarin jacket Ning Bing'an wore today suited him exceptionally well, making him look like a refined and elegant nobleman who had stepped out of a Republican-era film.
After taking photos of the traditional Chinese dragon and phoenix gowns, the Ning family's butler strolled over and gave a slight bow.
"The chairman has specially arranged for the two of you to go to the most famous wedding photography studio in the city. He hopes you will go there today to take Western-style wedding photos. The car is already waiting outside."
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan suppressed the urge to roll her eyes: "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but we've already taken a lot of photos today. How about we go another day? I have something to do today."
The butler was taken aback, his face showing distress and hesitation: "This..."
Ning Bing'an was silent for a moment, then turned to Ning Yuan and coughed lightly: "How about I go and ask about the betrothal gifts?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan's eyes immediately lit up, and she quickly changed her mind: "Then I'll wait until you've finished asking your questions, and then we'll go to the wedding photography studio together! I'll wait for you in the car, so hurry back!"
Ning Bing'an: "..."
Every time he saw Ning Yuan, he felt conflicted, feeling both worthless and incredibly valuable.
But if you were to tell Ning Yuan, she would probably confidently say that being valuable is a good thing, and that it's an honor for him!
Ning Bing'an sighed inwardly and went to find Ning Zhengkun.
...
Half an hour later
Ning Yuan sat in the Rolls-Royce, a forced smile on her face, and said—
"So you mean the dowry my future husband will give me depends on when I get married and whether I have children? These days, even my uncle is playing the futures game when it comes to getting a wife?"
His "sky-high" dowry included several decent-looking properties and HK$8.88 million in cash, which sounded quite generous.
But the betrothal gifts have to be paid in installments?!
Ning Bing'an rubbed his temples: "We can't expect Daddy or the family office to sell properties to raise money for your dowry, can we? Our group is having some cash flow problems lately."
"You know, it's difficult to run two large projects at the same time, and besides, you're not really going to marry me and have children with me!"
Ning Yuan coldly interrupted him: "Alright, stop arguing with me. I'm not new to business. Do you think I need to explain this to you? In the end, it's all because your eldest son's family caused trouble back then, and now they're unwilling to cut their losses!"
“Brother Bing’an, our relationship is a partnership, each of us getting what we need. There’s no point in you saying all this now! You need to show your sincerity for the Ning Group shares you can get!”
A few million in cash is an astronomical figure for ordinary people, but it shouldn't be this difficult for the Ning family.
But now, this money will take some time to arrive, which shows that the Ning family has indeed encountered some cash flow problems recently.
Ning Bing'an, who was usually calm and composed, was now so angry that his temples throbbed: "Didn't we already give you a shopping allowance of 400,000 US dollars?"
Ning Yuan glanced at him sideways and waved her finger: "Brother Bing'an, that's not enough! See if I need anything? I want a colored diamond, a Fancy Vivid Pink, at least ten carats. Go check it out at the auction!!"
Isn't he involved in arms smuggling? He must have a lot of money! Humph!
Ning Bing'an couldn't help but sneer, "You want this kind of auction-quality diamond ring so you can sell it for money, right? All those other pieces of jewelry you bought before, weren't they all converted into cash as soon as you got them? With your personality, the Independent Commission Against Corruption will be watching you sooner or later."
He had never seen a woman as mercenary as Ning Yuan in his life, who even had the audacity to demand bribes and then act innocent after getting the benefit.
Despite this, Ning Bing'an still took out a bank card from his pocket and coldly threw it onto Ning Yuan's lap.
“I have no money. This card contains my one million dollar salary as the general manager of Regent. Take it or leave it.”
Ning Yuan deftly put away the bank card and said with a smile, "Of course! Consider it your investment, and I'll calculate the dividends for you when I have time."
Ning Bing'an was amused by her shameless behavior.
This woman has no sincerity at all. What does she mean by calculating his share of the profits when she has time later?
She's been too busy, so she lost her bonus?
The car quickly arrived at the luxury wedding dress shop designated by Ning Zhengkun.
As soon as Ning Yuan got out of the car, she was dazzled by the wide array of wedding dresses and formal wear in the store.
A well-dressed middle-aged woman, accompanied by a shop assistant, came to greet them.
"Miss Ning, Mr. An, hello! I am the chief designer of this store. We have top wedding dress brands from all over the world. You can tell me what style you want, or would you like to take a look at our design catalog first, and I can give you some advice?"
Ning Yuan waved her hand listlessly: "Just pick a few of the most expensive ones. I need to get back to the factory to work, so let's do it as quickly as possible!"
Chief Designer: "..."
In all her years of wedding styling, this was the first time she had encountered such a casual bride from a wealthy family.
Ning Bing'an said calmly, "Alright, let's do it according to my little sister's plan."
The wedding stylist also put on a professional smile and had the staff quickly lead Ning Bing'an and Ning Yuan into the men's and women's VIP rooms on the second floor, respectively, so that they could choose their dresses and get their hair and makeup done separately.
Ning Yuan plopped down on the soft sofa, closed her eyes to rest, and looked completely submissive.
She simply gave the order: "A maximum of three sets, no more than that."
The stylists and shop assistants looked at each other, but dared not say anything. They could only follow Ning Yuan's request and carefully select a few of the most luxurious and expensive wedding dresses for her to try on.
Throughout the entire process, Ning Yuan was like a delicate wooden doll, letting them manipulate her as they pleased.
The makeup artist did her makeup, and the hairstylist styled her hair, but she seemed uninterested.
After the first set of fitting photos was taken, the shop assistants busily prepared for the next look.
Ning Yuan felt extremely bored. She stood up, stretched, and planned to go to the balcony of the lounge for some fresh air.
She wore an exquisitely tailored mermaid wedding dress, the skirt studded with tiny diamonds that sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
Ning Yuan, however, had no interest in appreciating the clothes; she only felt that they restricted her movements.
Stepping onto the balcony, Ning Yuan picked up a cup of coffee, took a small sip, and felt the bitter liquid slide down her throat.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, calculating her plan in her mind.
Last month, she brought Jiajia back to Shenzhen and entrusted her to Grandma Xia and Grandpa Tang. The two elders were happy, and she was able to travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen with peace of mind, without worrying about her daughter.
Once this mess is over, she'll head back to Shenzhen the day after tomorrow.
As Ning Yuan was thinking, she suddenly heard a commotion downstairs.
She subconsciously looked down and saw a group of people walking out of the building across the street.
The leader was a tall man.
He was dressed in a crisp black police uniform, the badges on his epaulets gleaming in the sunlight, making him appear even more dashing.
Even though they were some distance apart, Ning Yuan recognized him at a glance—Zhou Yan!
Ning Yuan frowned, a feeling of indescribable irritation welling up inside her.
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