“President Pei, engagement is a serious matter. This is not something to joke about,” Su Zhen said, barely restraining himself from punching Pei Jingyan.

No matter how you look at it, the relationship between Pei Jingyan and Jiang Chenlin made people think deeply.

Lu Ruolan also asked, “So, Mr. Pei, are you just cleaning up the mess for your younger brother? Sorry, we don’t need that, and Qingran shouldn’t be repeatedly humiliated by you all!”

Facing the two of them, Pei Jingyan’s tone remained respectful and polite, “No. Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I genuinely intend to marry Qingran.”

Su Zhen’s brow twitched sharply, and he turned to look at Su Qingran.

But all he saw was his daughter with red eyes, filled with a stubborn determination.

He suddenly understood—Su Qingran had been dealt a heavy blow today, and now her rationality had departed. She just wanted to break the curse of being abandoned at the engagement banquet.

No matter who it was with.

“Mr. Su, let’s talk,” Pei Jingyan said.

Su Zhen understood what he meant and nodded. “Alright.”

At this point, he wanted to know what Pei Jingyan was really up to.

The two of them walked into the lounge, while Lu Ruolan and Su Shantang took Su Qingran to the dressing room.

“Qingran, can we just go home?” Lu Ruolan asked, hugging her daughter with heartache. “You’ve already done enough today. We don’t need to keep going.”

She knew that her daughter, despite appearing lively and gentle, was actually very strong-willed and had her own convictions.

As expected, Su Qingran shook her head and pulled away from Lu Ruolan’s embrace.

She said seriously, “Mom, I’ve already thought it through. Today is a good day, perfect for an engagement.”

Lu Ruolan didn’t dare to pressure her daughter further and gently patted her back. “Alright, today is perfect for an engagement. So, let’s go through with it.”

After all, an engagement wasn’t a marriage. Once Su Qingran didn’t want it anymore, they could call off the engagement and cut ties with the Jiang and Pei families.

Su Shantang held her sister’s hand, saying earnestly, “No matter what you decide, we’ll support you.”

Meanwhile, the conversation between Pei Jingyan and Su Zhen didn’t last long.

To Lu Ruolan’s surprise, Su Zhen changed his mind and decided to go along with Su Qingran and Pei Jingyan, allowing the engagement to proceed.

Pei Jingyan stepped out and quickly instructed his assistant, Zhou Yu, “Go buy an engagement ring right away, from the nearest store. Don’t worry about setting up anything else, just get the standees ready—I’ll send you the photos to print.”

Zhou Yu took his boss’s card and hurried off.

Su Qingran sat in front of the mirror, staring blankly at her reflection.

She had just asked for a moment alone, so her mother and sister were waiting outside.

Neither of them could relax, staying near the door until they saw Pei Jingyan approaching.

“Pei—” Lu Ruolan wasn’t sure how to address this suddenly-arranged son-in-law.

After all, Pei Jingyan, as the head of his company, had always interacted with people like Su Zhen as an equal.

But Pei Jingyan was very polite. “Mother-in-law, I’d like to go in and check on Qingran.”

Lu Ruolan nodded. “Alright.”

She couldn’t help but sigh, uncertain whether today’s decision was right or wrong.

In front of the mirror, Su Qingran saw the man reflected behind her.

In reality, she didn’t know him well, and she was even a little afraid of him.

Just moments ago, acting impulsively, she wasn’t sure if she had wanted to prove something to Jiang Chenlin or simply didn’t want to be the one abandoned at her own engagement party, but she had made an absurd decision.

Now, as her rationality gradually returned, she began to feel hesitant and regretful.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. So, before things get out of hand, let’s go tell the guests that it was just a joke.”

Pei Jingyan walked to the side of the mirror, leaning down so their heights were more aligned.

He asked, “So, Miss Su wants to abandon me at the engagement party?”

With that one sentence, Su Qingran turned sharply to look at him.

Their eyes met, and Su Qingran faced that deep, dark gaze, her words suddenly stuck in her throat.

Pei Jingyan braced one hand on the dressing table, while the other rested on the back of Su Qingran’s chair. In a calm, gentle tone, he said, “Don’t run away from the engagement—I’m afraid of getting hurt, too.”

Perhaps it was the word “hurt” that suddenly unlocked Su Qingran’s tightly sealed emotions, causing all her senses to break free.

She looked at Pei Jingyan, her voice trembling, her eyes filled with emotions she couldn’t accept. “Why did he leave me? Why would he treat me like that?”

She had kept silent earlier when facing Jiang Chenlin, trying to maintain her dignity.

But that didn’t mean she hadn’t thought about it.

They had known each other for over ten years and had been together as a couple for four. Like the scenes from the slideshow, maybe even hundreds of photos wouldn’t explain why everything had suddenly changed.

Had she done something wrong? Why did Jiang Chenlin hate her so much and feel no hesitation in hurting her so deeply?!

With so many people present today, had Jiang Chenlin even considered how she would face them all in the future?

Could she walk in the sunlight without feeling the shame of today?

And in the end, would she be the one in pain?

Her love wasn’t that cheap!

The room fell silent, and after asking her questions, Su Qingran clearly didn’t expect Pei Jingyan to answer. She just silently shed tears.

The overwhelming sadness and grievances caused her shoulders to shake as she tried to suppress her sobs, making no sound.

It was as if an invisible hand pressed against his chest, gradually increasing its grip. Pei Jingyan felt as though his internal organs were being wrung together, making it hard for him to breathe.

He silently looked at Su Qingran, pulling out a tissue to hand to her.

She took it, choking back tears. “Thank you.”

Pei Jingyan half-knelt beside her, and after a long pause, he finally reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.

Suddenly engulfed by an unfamiliar scent, Su Qingran clutched tightly at Pei Jingyan’s shirt, wrinkling the fabric.

Pei Jingyan’s hand hovered awkwardly for a moment before finally resting gently on her back.

The lace of her wedding gown’s back felt unfamiliar to him, momentarily distracting him, but his mind wasn’t focused on that.