Not marrying?
Li Dan stared, tongue-tied. Was the girl out of her mind? If it were any other girl, they would have fainted from happiness at the thought of an engagement with the Empire's richest man. But Miss Ou just said she wouldn't marry.
What did it mean to be the Empire's richest man?
Naturally, he was the wealthiest man in the Zhelan Empire, holding the economic lifeline of the Empire, with a financial web that spread across the globe, amassing wealth like mountains. When he lightly stamped his foot, the entire Empire would tremble thrice over.
"Miss Ou, are you sure?"
"Sure, sure, a hundred times sure!"
Ou Lan's reaction was miles away from what he had anticipated. Li Dan struggled to keep his composure, "Miss Ou, may I ask the reason?"
A woman didn't need a reason to want to marry Zhan Moxiao because who wouldn't want to marry a man blessed by God with a panoramic skylight? But to refuse him truly needed a reason—only a fool would say no.
Ou Lan let out a cold laugh, "The Zhan Family are simply unreliable. If Old Master Zhan wished to thank my grandfather for saving his life, giving a huge sum of money would suffice. Instead, he's trying to set his nine-year-old grandson up with a just-born bride. Clearly, his thinking circuit is short and getting shorter."
Li Dan was speechless. The boss had spent his life commanding respect and contributing to the security of the Empire. What would he do if he heard Miss Ou's comment? Would he be angry enough to shoot her on the spot?
However, Ou Lan kept spewing words like a running river, "If the Zhan Family were trustworthy, then how come Moxiao still has an ex-wife and a five-year-old son? They obviously only turned to me after the death of his former wife when he couldn't find a replacement. Our family might be poor, but we have our pride; wealth cannot compromise our honor nor entice us into submission!"
Ou Chenghai nodded vigorously, "That's right, we don't sell our daughters."
Li Dan couldn't help but feel torn between laughter and tears at the thought processes of this father and daughter, "Haha…"
To think they suspected Master Xiao couldn't find someone else to marry him. Had they seen that women willing to marry Master Xiao could line up from the southern end to the northern end of Capital City?
But obviously, Ou Lan thought differently, her pretty face radiating a defiant charm, "Assistant Li, please go back. Tell your Master Xiao to forget about this matter."
Li Dan returned without achieving his objective, and reported the entire process back at Ailan Castle, a symbol of the Zhelan Empire's greatest wealth, where Zhan Moxiao resided.
The handsome man sat in the spacious office chair, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the desk, his expression one of amusement, "Heh, interesting."
Then he elegantly rose, "Li Dan, prepare the car."
Li Dan looked out at the sunset over the mountains, perplexed, but did not dare to ask questions, and quickly ordered the car to be prepared.
...
The curtain of night began to descend, the city lights flickered to life, but the Ou Family's small rice noodle shop was still bustling.
It was Sunday, a day off from school, and Ou Lan spent the whole day helping her father with the shop, already forgetting about Li Dan's visit.
It was all like a dream; why should she remember?
Yet the moment she turned around, she was surprised to see Li Dan reappearing within her field of view, dressed sharply in a black suit that seemed starkly out of place in the humble civilian shop.
Ou Lan glanced around and quickly approached him, lowering her voice to ask, "Why are you here again? Could it be that Zhan Moxiao is so shameless as to persist and harass?"
Li Dan forcefully tugged at the corner of his eye, trying to imagine his master's fury if he heard these words, "Miss Ou, my Master Xiao is in the car and wishes to speak with you for a moment."
Ou Lan felt that a simple assistant like Li Dan couldn't make decisions, so she decided it would be best to clarify things directly with Zhan Moxiao. She didn't hesitate to follow Li Dan out of the rice noodle shop and approached a globally limited-edition top-of-the-line luxury car.
She hadn't yet seen Zhan Moxiao but could already feel a thick aura of authority radiating from the car.
...