Chapter 4: I Want to Marry Fu Ciyu

She lifted her gaze.

A man in a sharp, dark gray suit walked toward her with a calm and steady demeanor. His features were sharply defined, tinged with a hint of cold detachment, and his eyes carried a distant indifference.

Qu Wanwan’s eyes instantly turned red with emotion.

She sprang to her feet and rushed into his arms, muffling her voice as she called out, “Gege—”

Qu Muqing’s body stiffened slightly, a flicker of surprise flashing through his eyes.

The person in his arms was trembling with soft sobs, prompting Qu Muqing to unconsciously reach out and gently pat her back.

He comforted her softly, “There, there. It’s all right now.”

“Wuwu—”

“Gege—”

Each call of “Gege” softened the look in Qu Muqing’s eyes.

Thinking of her Big Brother’s fate in her previous life, Qu Wanwan grew increasingly sorrowful, the urge to cry surging even stronger.

For her, Qu Muqing gave up the Qu Corporation and willingly became a low-level wage earner.

Lu Yu targeted him in every way, and in the end, he was left battered and broken.

Qu Muqing sighed helplessly. “I just said one thing to you and you’re already upset? Then what about all the harsh things you said to Ciyu? You think he wasn’t hurt?”

Qu Wanwan’s mind replayed the words she had hurled at Fu Ciyu—accusing him of forcing her, calling him a bastard, saying that even if he got her body through manipulation, he would never have her heart.

Sniffling, Qu Wanwan lifted her tear-streaked face to look at Qu Muqing.

“Gege, I’m not running anymore. I won’t run again. I want to marry Fu Ciyu.”

Qu Muqing was stunned. “Marry him?”

“Mhm. Oh right, Gege, can you find someone to pick an auspicious date? We want to hold a wedding.”

Shen Man’s expression changed instantly. She spoke softly, interrupting them, “Wanwan, didn’t you say you didn’t like Fu Ciyu? That you hated him and didn’t want to marry him?”

Qu Wanwan narrowed her eyes and countered, “Manman, you always say I don’t like Fu Ciyu, but I never said that. Can you stop making people misunderstand?”

 Shen Man’s expression shifted slightly, and she hurried to explain, “I… I just thought you really didn’t like him.”

Qu Wanwan’s brows furrowed tightly. “And what part of me gave you that impression?”

Qu Muqing cast a sharp, cold glance at Shen Man and said in a low voice, “Don’t try your little tricks on my sister.”

Shen Man clearly hadn’t expected Qu Muqing to speak so bluntly.

The atmosphere in the living room turned instantly awkward.

Qu Wanwan stared at her brother’s profile—so it turned out he knew everything, while she had been kept completely in the dark.

“Muqing!” Jiang Jingzhi snapped.

Jiang Jingzhi seemed especially protective of Shen Man, but when it came to Qu Wanwan, she was never the same.

In her previous life, Qu Wanwan and Shen Man were practically inseparable. And whenever something went wrong—regardless of whether it was her fault or not—Jiang Jingzhi always blamed her.

Even up until her death, she never understood why.

Unless—

Qu Wanwan said half-jokingly, “Mom, you’re so protective of Shen Man—anyone who didn’t know better would think she’s your daughter.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Jingzhi’s expression shifted dramatically, a flicker of panic flashing through her eyes.

Feigning anger, she snapped, “Qu Wanwan! Stop talking nonsense. Manman is your good friend—what’s wrong with me treating her a little better?”

Wrong! Completely wrong!

Qu Wanwan raised an eyebrow as she looked into her eyes. “Mom, is that really all it is?”

“I don’t have time for this,” Jiang Jingzhi muttered, standing up and heading upstairs.

Qu Muqing’s gaze darkened. He gave Qu Wanwan a light pat on the shoulder, signaling her to let it go.

Some things, it seemed, needed to be investigated—there was something off in Madam Jiang’s eyes.

“What’s going on here?”

At that moment, Qu Cheng’an returned from the office. Noticing the strange tension in the living room, his brow furrowed tightly.

As Qu Wanwan turned toward him, her eyes welled up with tears, falling one by one onto the floor.

That pitiful sight stirred a wave of ache in Qu Cheng’an’s heart.

He set down his briefcase and walked over to Qu Wanwan, asking with deep concern, “Who upset my precious daughter? I’ll go break his legs.”

Qu Wanwan threw herself into his arms and burst into loud sobs—crying even harder than when she had seen Qu Muqing earlier.

Qu Cheng’an shot a glare at Qu Muqing.

Qu Muqing raised his hands innocently, silently mouthing that he hadn’t done anything.

Qu Cheng’an gently consoled her, “If you don’t want to get married, then don’t. Your brother and I can more than afford to take care of you.”

To be able to see Qu Cheng’an again—Qu Wanwan felt incredibly lucky.

In her previous life, Qu Cheng’an had been slowly poisoned by Lu Yu and Shen Man, and in the end, he left her forever.

She lifted her head, eyes red-rimmed, lips pale.

Tears slid down her cheeks, one by one, falling with each uneven sob.

Her long lashes trembled like butterflies fluttering against the light, casting soft shadows across her face.

“Father—”

“If my little darling Wanwan doesn’t want to marry Ciyu, I’ll go talk to him—”

“No—!”

“Hm?” Qu Cheng’an paused, startled. “What was that?”

“Daddy, I want to marry Fu Ciyu. I want to be his wife.”

Qu Cheng’an looked completely confused. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want this engagement? Why the sudden change of heart?”

Choking back a sob, Qu Wanwan said, “I’ve thought it through. Because in all of Jingdu, only Fu Ciyu has ever truly protected me.”

Qu Mubai looked at her in disbelief. “That’s not what you used to say!”

“I was just young and foolish before—”

Qu Cheng’an beamed with satisfaction. “It’s good that you’ve figured it out. I’ve always thought Ciyu was the best choice. You grew up following him and your brother around. You all understand each other well.”

“Dad, are you sure it’s mutual understanding?” More like mutual destruction…

Qu Cheng’an promptly gave him a swift kick. “Shut it!”

“Daddy, could you talk to Uncle Fu for me? I’ll go apologize tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“That’s no problem. When the time comes, I’ll go with you. If it’s still awkward, we’ll bring your brother too.”

Seeing she couldn’t get a word in, Shen Man quietly prepared to leave.

“Uncle, Muqing-ge, Wanwan, I’ve got something to take care of—I’ll head off first.”

Qu Wanwan didn’t even look at her, just waved dismissively. “Oh. Take care, I won’t be seeing you out.”

The moment Jiang Jingzhi heard Shen Man was leaving, she came down from upstairs to personally escort her out.

Qu Wanwan glanced at them and leaned in to whisper beside Qu Cheng’an’s ear, “Dad, don’t you think Mom is a little too kind to Shen Man? She treats her even better than she treats me.”

Qu Cheng’an gave a cold snort. “And you have the nerve to complain? Isn’t it because of your own behavior?”

Night had fallen, and the city lights gradually flickered on.

Neon signs, streetlamps, and the glow from countless homes wove together, painting a dazzling urban tapestry.

At that moment, Yuyuan was eerily quiet—except for Gu Yichen’s incessant chatter echoing through the air.

“You brought this on yourself. I told you to let her go, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look what happened—she ran again, and even injured you in the process. What’s wrong with you? Do you have some sort of masochistic streak?”

Fu Ciyu’s eyes dimmed, a flicker of self-mockery surfacing in his gaze. “I thought… if I just kept her close, she would stay mine—

But it seems… I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Gu Yichen’s loosely tousled hair hung over his brow, casting a light shadow on his sharp, defined features. His high-bridged nose and deep, ink-dark eyes gave him the air of a man carved from mystery.

“She’s the one who asked me to come,” he said. “She also said she won’t do this anymore… that from now on, she’ll love you properly.”

Despite everything, Gu Yichen spoke the truth.

Fu Ciyu’s eyes lifted slightly, a faint trace of surprise flickering in their depths.

“She… asked you to come?”

“Yeah.”

“Master—”

Qingye walked in slowly, blinking in surprise when he saw Gu Yichen. “Young Master Gu? You got here pretty fast.”

The moment Gu Yichen saw him, he bristled. “Traitor! You teamed up with that woman Qu Wanwan to mess with me!”