Ou Lan woke up feeling as though lightning had struck her.

What? She was engaged to The Empire's Richest Man since they were toddlers?

This must be some kind of sick joke.

She was just a poor girl who grew up eating chaff and vegetables in the slums; she was worlds apart from the Tycoon Master, with no way to bridge that distance—they might as well be on different planes of existence. Yet, out of the blue, an absurd marriage engagement appeared.

Haha, the heavens must be roaring with thunder indeed.

Sitting in her tiny, dimly lit living room, she watched the young man in a black, refined suit looking competent and elegant. Ou Lan chuckled awkwardly, "This... Assistant Li, are you sure you've got the right place?"

Li Dan was incredibly polite, his face breaking into a gentle smile, "Miss Ou, I'm certain. It was Master Xiao's grandfather—the late great Zhan Juncheng himself—who personally arranged this marriage contract with your grandfather."

Hehe, hehe. Ou Lan couldn't even muster the energy to laugh.

A renowned figure of great importance in The Empire, joining hands with an old man from the slums to prearrange a marriage between their grandchildren—what were they thinking? Such a deep-seated class camaraderie!

Ahem, my apologies, Grandfather. I don't mean to disrespect your immortal integrity, but how could you have done something so shockingly absurd while you were alive?

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Ou Chenghai rushed in, worry etched on his face and a floral apron still tied around his waist, carrying the scent of common folk's chicken soup and rice noodles, "Sir, has my Lanlan caused you some trouble?"

Li Dan was speechlessly taken aback. It seems like Miss Ou did indeed have a reputation for causing trouble, just as the information suggested, judging by how terrified her father looked.

Ou Lan rolled her eyes. She admitted she was rebellious and often stirred up trouble with her fights, but was it necessary for her dear father to act like the sky was falling at every turn?

The honest and straightforward Ou Chenghai cautiously eyed Li Dan, "Sir, what brings you to my home?"

Li Dan respectfully presented half of a Jade Pendant, "I am the special assistant to Mr. Zhan Moxiao, the Empire's richest man. Today, I've come to formally request your daughter's hand in marriage."

"To... to propose?" Ou Chenghai's mouth hung open in surprise, inspecting Li Dan from top to bottom, struggling to squeeze out a few words, "Have you... have you come to the wrong door?"

Ou Chenghai's reaction was exactly the same as Ou Lan's.

His was the poorest household in the slums. Next to the Tycoon Master, it was like comparing the earth to the sky—proposing marriage?

Hehe, are you sure you're not here to perform a comedy act?!

Yet Li Dan maintained his composure, "There's no mistake, Mr. Ou. I am here on Master Xiao's orders to propose marriage. Your father once saved the life of my family's elder, and to express gratitude, this union was decided upon once Miss Ou was born."

With that, Li Dan offered the half of the Jade Pendant, "This is the token of engagement. Does your family happen to have the other half?"

Seemingly recalling something, Ou Chenghai hurried back to his room, rummaging through boxes and drawers, and found the other half of the Jade Pendant—an object he never took seriously, which Ou Lan often played with as a child.

Never would he have imagined that this was actually the token of marriage to the Empire's richest man.

The two halves of the Jade Pendant fit together perfectly, leaving Ou Chenghai and Ou Lan with no choice but to believe it. They never, even in their dreams, imagined such a twisted fate.

Having finally persuaded the father and daughter, Li Dan breathed a sigh of relief, "Now that there are no more doubts, I invite both of you to come to Ailan Castle to discuss the wedding arrangements with Master Xiao."

"I'm not marrying!" Ou Lan blurted out.

Yes, she won't marry!

So what if he's the richest man? So what if he's incredibly powerful?

She was only nineteen, never even been in love—why should she marry a twenty-eight-year-old man and become a stepmother to his five-year-old son?

She liked handsome men, fresh young meat!

…

Opening note: The male lead is absolutely single in mind and body, and his son is not his biological child; there is no blood relation. They were a fake marriage, with no wedding ceremony, no marriage certificate, no conjugal relations. The specific reasons will be revealed in later chapters. The female lead is spicy and cute at first but high-energy later on. Wishing all the Little Cuties diving into this story a joyful reading experience!