https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-680-A-Marriage-Proposal-by-the-Sea/12580603/
Chapter 679: Refusal
Chapter 679: Refusal
Yu Metong, who was sensitive to smells, opted to eat out for lunch with her colleagues, while the lady of the house, given her unique circumstances, stayed behind and took an extended leave of absence. Typically, employees were not allowed such lengthy vacations, but given that Yu Metong was the boss's close friend and that designers only needed to submit their work on time, the design director approved the leave.
After lunch, Nie Zhan and Lu Jiahui parted ways and returned to their respective companies. Before he even reached his office, Nie Zhan received a call from Tao Yong.
As soon as the call connected, Tao Yong's hearty laughter echoed through the line, "Ah Zhan, how are you going to thank me this time?"
Nie Zhan was perplexed, "Thank you for what?"
Tao Yong was in high spirits, "I had to cajole my wife for a long time before she agreed to sound out Miss Lu and find out why she has been dating you for so long without getting married."
Given her pregnancy, his wife was usually very accommodating, and even more so since Miss Lu was her close friend. Sending her to subtly inquire about Miss Lu's thoughts would not be offensive. What they didn't expect was that the problem lay with Nie Zhan himself.
Nie Zhan's heart skipped a beat as he asked, "What did Jiahui say?"
Tao Yong replied, "Miss Lu said that you haven't proposed, so how can they get married? Ah Zhan, you've been dating for over five years, and you've never popped the question?"
Nie Zhan's mouth was quicker than his brain, "No."
Tao Yong was half exasperated, half amused, "You really are... We all want you to bring Miss Lu home as soon as possible, but you haven't even bothered to propose."
Previously, they thought that Miss Lu had a short temper and wasn't deeply attached to Nie Zhan, which was why they had dragged things out for so long without getting married. Now, they realized their mistake. For someone as romantically clueless as Nie Zhan to have maintained a relationship for five years, it had to be true love. If it had been Meitong in her place, she would have broken up with him long ago.
Before Tao Yong could continue, he realized that the call had been hung up. He didn't take offense and chuckled, "Looks like he's embarrassed and angry."
At this moment, Nie Zhan was deep in introspection. Previously, when Jiahui had mentioned not getting married before the age of twenty-five, he had taken her words to heart and never considered proposing. Around the middle of last year, she had still maintained that stance. But when did her attitude start to change? Hmm, it seemed like it was towards the end of last year that she began to soften her position.
Just then, Hu Zhifeng called as well.
Hearing his laughter, Nie Zhan resignedly said, "Brother Feng, stop laughing. Tao Yong just called and filled me in on everything."
Hu Zhifeng laughed, "You're so sharp when it comes to business, but why are you so slow when it comes to matters of the heart? I proposed to your sister-in-law right after she graduated from university. She turned me down twice before accepting on the third try."
When a woman says she doesn't want to get married, she definitely has her concerns. If you give them sufficient assurance and address those concerns, they'll agree. Lu Jiahui is ambitious and focused on her career; she might not have agreed right after graduation, but now that her company is well-established, marriage won't hinder her anymore.
"I know," Nie Zhan said.
Since Jiahui had already revealed the reason, he would be a fool not to act on it. Now, he just needed to plan the perfect proposal, one that would leave an everlasting impression on Jiahui. Hu Zhifeng had proposed three times, but he intended to do it right the first time.
Hu Zhifeng acknowledged with an "Mm" before continuing, "We have Tao Yong to thank for this. You should really express your gratitude to him."
After hanging up, Hu Zhifeng shared his confusion with Zong Shimeng, "Last time in Da O, I wanted to ask them why they weren't getting married yet, but you stopped me. If I had asked then, they might have set a wedding date by now."
Zong Shimeng rolled her eyes at him, "You and Nie Zhan have been friends for over two decades, so it's fine for you to ask. But Jiahui isn't that close to you, and if you had asked out of the blue like that, do you think she would have been happy?"
Hu Zhifeng was about to argue that they had known each other for five years, so it wasn't as if they were strangers. But the words died on his lips as he suddenly realized that he had never had a private conversation with Lu Jiahui.
Zong Shimeng hinted, "Jiahui feels that loyalty is essential in a marriage. A disloyal partnership is a waste of time and life."
As she had never considered divorce, her words were left open to interpretation, giving Hu Zhifeng a way out.
Hu Zhifeng's expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Nie Zhan treasures her like a precious gem and scorns other women."
Zong Shimeng scoffed, "If Nie Zhan dares to be unfaithful, Jiahui will definitely kick him to the curb. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are a dime a dozen. With Jiahui's looks and background, finding a young, wealthy, and handsome man would be a breeze."
Hu Zhifeng felt that continuing this topic was too dangerous, so he quickly changed the subject. "Several Hermes and Chanel stores have launched new products. Would you like to go and take a look?"
"I can't afford it. I've invested all my money in the beauty salon."
"Go ahead and take a look. When we get back to the company, I'll ask my secretary to transfer the money to you," Hu Zhifeng said.
Seizing the opportunity, Zong Shimeng said, "Jiahui gave me a set of jade jewelry, very beautiful. I need to return the favor with a gift."
The raw materials for this set of jade jewelry were among the gifts from Su Heyuan. She kept the ten finest pieces of jade for herself and chose another five pieces of superior quality to be made into five sets of jewelry at Wufu Jewelry. The rest were sold to Wufu Jewelry.
"Three million should be enough, right?"
Zong Shimeng was quite satisfied with this amount. Knowing Hu Zhifeng's character, if she didn't bring it up, he would have only transferred one million. In the past, she didn't mind sharing finances as a couple, but now she was determined to get as much as she could.
Zong Shimeng visited over a dozen luxury stores in Central and spent over a million dollars. The most expensive item she bought was a Vacheron Constantin watch for Jiahui, knowing her love for luxury watches and her hobby of collecting them. Usually, their go-to choice for gifts was a premium watch.
After purchasing the gifts, Zong Shimeng asked her driver to deliver them to the Lu residence. Having informed Jiahui in advance, she gladly accepted the presents.
Two days later, Nie Zhan suddenly suggested to Jiahui that they take a vacation in the Maldives. "It's been a while since we last went on a trip. With things quiet at the company right now, let's spend a few days there."
Jiahui smiled and said, "I'm just afraid that something might come up and prevent us from going when the time comes."
Nie Zhan immediately replied, "That won't happen. We spent a peaceful week away last time, and it'll be the same this time."
He was determined to propose to Jiahui during this trip to the Maldives. Nothing, not even the sky falling, would deter him from his plan.
"When do you want to go?" Jiahui asked.
Nie Zhan wanted to surprise her, so he carefully concealed his intentions. "The day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, you can make the necessary arrangements at the company."
"Alright," Jiahui agreed.
However, on their way home from work the next day, Nie Zhan received a phone call from his grandfather. "Your mother just called me, saying that she wants a divorce. If she doesn't get it, she says she'll die. Ah Zhan, go and handle this matter."
Nie Zhan's irritation grew as he heard about Nie Manlin. "If she wants a divorce, she can find a lawyer. If she's afraid that the other party will harm her, she can come back to Hong Kong City. I'm busy and don't have time for her nonsense."
Hearing his impatient tone, Nie Zhan's grandfather said, "Ah Zhan, she's your mother."
Nie Zhan didn't want to hear any of it. "Those who only give birth but don't raise their children don't deserve to be called mothers. Grandpa, please don't tell me about her again. I won't get involved anymore." With that, he hung up the phone. In the past, he would have endured it for his grandfather's sake, no matter how unwilling he was.
(End of Chapter)
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