Chapter 22

Pei Yuning couldn’t describe her feelings at the moment. Shang Yanci seemed genuinely excited to marry her, but they had only known each other for four days. Was the charm of love at first sight really that special?

Pei Yuning called Song Qingyi on video. She needed advice.

Song Qingyi answered immediately, “Baby, what’s up?”

Pei Yuning, clutching the fur of the little rabbit doll on the bed, spoke softly, “I’m getting married, Qingqing.”

Song Qingyi asked hesitantly, “Am I still drunk?”

Pei Yuning: “I’m really getting married, we’re getting the marriage certificate tomorrow, with Shang Yanci.”

Song Qingyi bounced up from the bed, “Who proposed to who?”

Pei Yuning: “He proposed. Shang Heng didn’t come to the annulment banquet today. Shang Yanci proposed that I marry him, and I agreed.”

Song Qingyi: “Is there any kind of causal relationship between the two of them?”

Pei Yuning: “Oh, I forgot to mention, Shang Yanci is Old Master Shang’s youngest son, Shang Heng’s uncle.”

Song Qingyi was overwhelmed by this series of bombshells. After a beat of silence, she excitedly slapped the bed and exclaimed, “Shang Yanci is actually a member of the Shang family! And he’s Shang Heng, that scumbag’s uncle! My god, what kind of Mary Sue script is this? You’ve gone from Shang Heng’s ex-fiancée to his elder aunt!”

Hearing that, it did seem a little cool. But Pei Yuning hadn’t thought about it that way before. She agreed to marry Shang Yanci because she was interested in him, he met her standards, not because of his identity as Shang Heng’s uncle.

Song Qingyi: “Ningning, baby, please tell me everything that happened today, I really want to know!”

Pei Yuning: “Okay.”

Half an hour passed.

After listening, Song Qingyi couldn’t help but sigh and began to analyze in depth: “In my opinion, this Mr. Shang has been plotting this for a long time. You haven’t even met him, but he knows your name. Imagine, an elder who has been living abroad for years, would he be idle enough to investigate his nephew’s fiancée’s name and appearance? Is his work at Xinoel Group not busy enough?”

“Also, this ‘love at first sight’ may not be the ‘first meeting’ you think it is. After all, in less than four days, it’s normal for you to want to fall in love, but it’s abnormal for him to want to get married. Either he saw you unilaterally before, and has been secretly in love with you; or he’s love-brained, and truly fell head over heels for you at first sight.”

“As for whether he wants to regain control of Shang Group for his deceased mother, I won’t make any comments.”

“But don’t believe what he says about ‘disciplining the unruly younger generation in the family, avoiding unnecessary trouble for you from Shang Heng’, and ‘using your marriage as a way to legitimize his stay in Beijing’. Those are just excuses to marry you.”

“Shang Heng’s grandfather and parents are still alive, there’s really no need for Shang Yanci, his uncle, to discipline him personally; and there are more ways to legitimize his stay in Beijing than just marrying you. If Shang Yanci wants to, there are plenty of methods and means.”

Finally, Song Qingyi concluded: “Shang Yanci has definitely been plotting this for a long time, waiting for his chance to ascend. He was fishing for you before, baby. It’s completely normal for you, a pure-hearted girl, to take the bait, after all, his looks, family background, and age and experience are all there, a mature and steady older man is very charming. He’s also sincere, let’s not talk about anything else, just that marriage agreement, in the wealthy families of Beijing who engage in arranged marriages, no other man would dare to agree to that.”

After Song Qingyi finished her analysis, Pei Yuning was practically worshipping her, blinking her beautiful starry eyes, “Qingqing, you’re so amazing!”

If she had this level of ability to analyze people’s psychological motives, hooking Shang Yanci back would be a piece of cake.

Song Qingyi, through the screen, patted her head, “You two get along well, respond to him with your heart. Shang Yanci seems pretty good, the marriage agreement doesn’t make you lose out, and he doesn’t require you to fulfill marital obligations, but respects you. Wait until you both have a deep emotional foundation, and after the wedding, then consider these deeper levels of communication.”

After hanging up the video, Song Qingyi’s words played on a loop in Pei Yuning’s mind.

Finally, Pei Yuning clicked into Shang Yanci’s chat box and replied to him according to her truest feelings: [Fortunately, see you tomorrow. ]

The next day.

The Pei family sat together in the hall, Pei Yuning couldn’t help but look towards the entrance.

Until Shang Yanci arrived as promised and walked into the hall, he held a bouquet of bright Freud roses in his arms, wearing a sharp, tailored charcoal suit, a matching tie tied into a formal Windsor knot, and a purple diamond butterfly brooch at the lapel.

The man’s brow bones were excellent, a pair of captivating phoenix eyes, the ends of his eyes slightly upturned, his thin lips tinged with a faint pink.

He belonged to the kind of exquisite appearance with a full face, but because of his own calm and self-possessed aloofness, his beautiful features were weakened, making him look elegant and precious, an unattainable superior.

Behind him followed seven bodyguards in black, holding gift boxes. After putting down the boxes, they left in unison.

Shang Yanci greeted the elders, then handed the Freud roses in his arms to Pei Yuning, and sat down beside her.

Old Master Pei said, “Yanci, you’re thoughtful. What did the fortune teller say?”

Except for Pei Yuning, the rest of the Pei family didn’t know what the fortune teller’s divination results were. Shang Yanci had told her in advance last night, just to reassure her. In front of the elders, naturally, it would be more formal and show how much he valued this marriage if he told them in person.

Shang Yanci presented the betrothal contract, “The fortune teller said that Ningning and I are compatible, the divination shows auspicious signs, it’s a good match made in heaven. The auspicious day for the betrothal is May 27th.”

“Good.” Old Master Pei nodded, a month’s time was enough for the family to prepare Ningning’s dowry, after all, the elders had been preparing for this since she came of age, naturally, it would be magnificent.

Old Master Pei took out the betrothal contract from the brocade box, unfolded it and placed it on the table. Everyone looked at the red brocade satin with dragon and phoenix lotus patterns, Pei Yuning and Shang Yanci’s names were listed vertically side by side, written in thin gold script with gold ink, the penmanship was strong, the style unique.

As for the wedding, the elders of both families had discussed it yesterday. It was not suitable to have a big wedding at this time, a small wedding would be unfair to Ningning, and both families were reluctant. So they agreed to postpone the wedding, and it wouldn’t be too late to hold it when their relationship was stable and on track.

Taking the household registration books, on the way to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The beautiful Freud roses were placed in the middle of the back seat by Pei Yuning. Shang Yanci glanced at them casually, suddenly feeling that the roses were a bit of an eyesore.

Pei Yuning was wearing an ivory white cheongsam today, with embroidered butterfly and peony patterns at the hem. She was slender, with porcelain white skin, tinged with a light pink, a very delicate color. Her makeup was fresh and elegant, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, pure and beautiful.

Shang Yanci praised, “Ningning, you look really good in a cheongsam.”

Pei Yuning remembered her reason for wearing a cheongsam. Because Shang Yanci said yesterday that she looked beautiful in a cheongsam, so she wore it again today, for him.

She reciprocated, “You look good in a suit.”

Shang Yanci looked really cool in a suit, his Adam’s apple protruded sharply, his bones were prominent, and his neck was long, with obvious veins. His shirt buttons were always buttoned to the top, his shoulders were broad and his waist was narrow, his legs were straight, when he sat down, his trousers were stretched by his firm and powerful leg muscles, revealing a cold and sexy line, his dress socks were wrapped to the mid-calf position, his Achilles tendon was straight and prominent.

Except for his face, neck, and hands, he was reluctant to reveal any more skin.

Meticulously rigorous, subtly seductive.

Shang Yanci’s lips curled up slightly, the little girl probably didn’t know how to address him properly yet, she intentionally ignored the address, he didn’t mind for now.

Picking up the Freud roses and placing them by the window, Shang Yanci took the roses’ place, sat next to Pei Yuning, took out two marriage agreements and a fountain pen, and placed them on the table in front of her, “The agreement is drafted.”

Pei Yuning opened the agreement and carefully reviewed every detail of the clauses, not questioning Shang Yanci’s character, it was just her subconscious reaction to reading contracts.

Finally, she turned to the page where she needed to sign, Shang Yanci’s name was already signed.

Before Pei Yuning put pen to paper, she thought: What was Shang Yanci thinking when he signed his name?

The marriage agreement, one copy for each person.

Shang Yanci took his copy and opened it, his gaze fell on Pei Yuning’s name, his eyelashes drooped, he didn’t know what he was thinking.