She asked, and it took Hu Jiasheng several seconds to open his eyes.
He stroked her hair, looking at her with eyes as tender as flowing water.
"You had a betrothal since childhood, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Chen Jiaojiao's hand paused as she stared at him intently.
"What? Are you bothered?"
"No."
Chen Jiaojiao pouted in annoyance.
"It was over twenty years ago. They decided it privately before I was even born. What does it have to do with me?"
"I never took it seriously growing up! What era is this? Taking a joke seriously? Lu Mingzhe isn't going to be unable to find a wife, it's just silly!"
"In any case, I won't leave you! It's useless even if my dad says so! You're not allowed to give up on me!"
Hu Jiasheng maintained his expression.
"You shouldn't have turned off your phone, let alone traveled all this way. It's best to resolve issues face-to-face."
"You challenged your father's authority, so he naturally had to go against you out of spite?"
"Hmph!"
Mentioning her father made Chen Jiaojiao angry, and she buried her face in his neck.
"So you think I'm wrong now too, and want to discipline me on behalf of my dad?"
Hu Jiasheng rubbed her head with his chin.
"You know that's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt, and I don't want anyone to get hurt in this matter."
"Is it because you know Lu Mingzhe's father has some influence, and you're afraid of offending him?"
Hu Jiasheng chuckled, not answering.
She lifted her head.
"Asheng, why don't I strike first and force them to submit to me?"
"Let's go get our marriage certificate. Tomorrow. I don't believe Lu Mingzhe can forcibly take me if I'm already yours."
He hadn't expected her to go to such lengths for him.
To be honest, at his age, she was the first person to love him so openly, without reservation, without ulterior motives, and with her whole heart.
Hu Jiasheng, touched, lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
"Silly girl, I told you long ago I have foreign nationality. It's not that I don't want to get married, it's just too rushed, we can't do it tomorrow."
Chen Jiaojiao was flustered.
After thinking it over.
"Then come back with me to see my dad, express your feelings to him, and we'll resist together."
"Did you mention me to him before?"
"...Even if I didn't mention it before, it doesn't matter if we go tomorrow!"
She thought very simply.
But as a man, a man who valued face above all else, he couldn't think so simply.
"Jiaojiao, listen to me. Although I have half the blood of the Zhan family, I'm ultimately not recognized by the outside world."
"On one hand, I'm not sure if your father will mind this. On the other hand... it happened so suddenly, I haven't told my family yet."
"Even if I go, I can't give Lu Mingzhe the same respect."
"I'm afraid it would be unfair to you if I asked elders to personally accompany me to propose."
Chen Jiaojiao didn't care.
"I know all that you've said, and I don't care. As long as you have me in your heart, I don't care about anything else."
But Hu Jiasheng still had more to say.
"I'm just a nominal CEO at Zhan's now, with no shares at all. I'm like a regular employee..."
"I'm not after your money! I know all that you've said!"
"Aren't you afraid that one day I might be incompetent at work, and Zhan Beijue might not like me and dismiss me..."
Chen Jiaojiao was getting impatient.
"After all this talk, do you want to marry me or not? I already said I'm not afraid of anything! As long as you love me, I don't care about anything else!"
"Silly girl..."
Hu Jiasheng stroked her face with affection.
"Alright, since you insist, we'll go tomorrow."
The two embraced each other tightly. Chen Jiaojiao, fearing her father would call that night to play the victim, turned off her phone again.
After a night of passion.
The next day, they woke up early, preparing to drive to Jincheng.
However, as soon as they finished washing up, Chen Jiaojiao received a call from a designer at the company.
"Oh my, President Chen, your phone is finally on! I was looking for you all day yesterday! Where were you?"
"Did something happen at the company?"
As they were changing clothes together, Hu Jiasheng also cast his gaze over upon hearing the voice.
Chen Jiaojiao put down her phone and switched to speakerphone.
"What happened? Why are you so flustered this early in the morning?"
"Yesterday was the acceptance and completion inspection for the first phase of the project. It was a big day, did you forget?"
Chen Jiaojiao, consumed by her own distress, had indeed forgotten.
Upon hearing his words, her nerves instantly jolted.
"Did the inspection have problems?"
"Yes! Didn't expect it, did you? We were so confident, attracting attention for half a year, vowing to make the first phase of the landmark project in Jincheng. Several data points didn't meet the standards!"
"Our design team stayed up all night yesterday, carefully comparing the design drawings with various parameters."
"Indeed, there isn't a big discrepancy with the drawings, but..."
"But what?"
This was the first project Chen Jiaojiao had taken over managing.
It was the first gift Hu Jiasheng had given her using his personal connections.
A major project that all aspects of Jincheng were watching, one that might affect the entire city's appearance in the future.
And it had problems?
Chen Jiaojiao could hardly imagine the consequences.
"At a time like this, you're still beating around the bush? Speak plainly!"
"Our preliminary estimate is that the subsequent data deviations were caused by problems with the raw materials. But which specific one, or if it's every one, is still under analysis..."
Chen Jiaojiao immediately denied it.
"Impossible! It's precisely because I knew raw materials were prone to issues that I used our own materials, how could it be..."
As she spoke, she suddenly felt uneasy herself.
Her father, a self-made man from a rural background with limited education, how did he manage to build his business to its current state?
Coal mines, building materials, real estate.
Could it be...
She cast a fearful glance at Hu Jiasheng.
Hu Jiasheng frowned slightly, knowing the seriousness of the situation like her, but calmer than her.
"I'm hanging up. Let's leave now. We'll discuss everything on-site."
Zhan Beijue also learned of this news after waking up.
As soon as Ah Zhong began investigating Hu Jiasheng, he caught such a handle.
He immediately informed Jiang Nan Fang that he was going to Jincheng.
"I might not be back for a few days. Take care of yourself and the child. Contact me if anything comes up."
"Okay. Don't rush or get agitated. Wait until you have concrete evidence."
"No matter what, Hu Jiasheng currently represents Zhan's. Publicly embarrassing him is like embarrassing yourself."
"Understood." Zhan Beijue quickly pecked her lips. "I'm leaving!"
On the way, he called Lu Mingzhe again.
"How are the wedding preparations going? I'm going to Jincheng now and will be dealing with Chen Jiaojiao. I want to take advantage of the situation, so hurry and come over."
Thus, Zhan Beijue with Ah Zhong, Hu Jiasheng with Chen Jiaojiao, and Lu Mingzhe driving himself,
Three groups of people set off for Jincheng one after another.
After exiting the highway, Chen Jiaojiao asked Hu Jiasheng to drive to her home first.
"No need to bother testing the data. You'll know what the problem is when you go home and ask my dad."