Unmatched Chapter 6
byChapter 6 The Engagement Ceremony
Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. For the next half month, Zhao Shuyi remained in the strange state of waiting for the engagement ceremony to begin, feeling like he was awaiting execution.
Aside from waiting, there was nothing he needed to do personally. Everything required for the ceremony had been arranged by the Old Master, including his custom-made suit, which was delivered to his door when he inquired about it.
The auspicious date was August 13th, a Sunday.
The location was Fengjing City’s only seven-star hotel, which belonged to the Ringzhou Group—the Xie Family’s enterprise.
Compared to Chaoyang Group, Ringzhou was considered a rising star, but status in the business world wasn’t judged by seniority; money was the sole criterion. Ringzhou paid no less tax to the government annually than Chaoyang.
As a highly capitalized company, its operating model was also more mature, summarized in four words: purely profit-driven.
Media often compared Chaoyang Group and Ringzhou Group side-by-side. Some said Xie Jianhe’s capitalist style lacked Zhao Fengli’s conscience, while others claimed Zhao Fengli was old-fashioned and inflexible, leading to difficulties in transformation.
Regardless of external commentary, it was undeniable that while the two families had vastly different styles, their Marriage Alliance was indeed a perfect match, a powerful union. The moment the engagement invitations were sent out, they caused quite a stir.
Zhao Shuyi vaguely sensed that things were becoming increasingly wrong.
He hadn’t seen the invitations, nor had anyone told him the specifics. He himself had moved to temporarily stay near Zhao Fengli, and his phone had been confiscated. Every day was spent either accompanying the Old Master for tea or playing chess, completely unaware of the outside world.
It was like moving from one place of soft confinement to another.
During this time, Qin Zhi visited once, and Zhao Huaicheng also came. Their expressions when looking at him were equally complex, but no one dared to speak an extra word in front of the Old Master.
Zhao Shuyi spent his days staring at the black and white chessboard, accompanying his grandfather from morning till night, bored enough to grow mushrooms. Although he had countless questions, there was nowhere to seek answers.
Finally, the morning of August 13th arrived, and Zhao Shuyi was “released from prison.”
The Old Butler, a stylist, a secretary, a driver, and four bodyguards surrounded him. He was washed, styled, dressed in his suit, and escorted into the motorcade—like an armed transport, as if they feared he might run away from the wedding.
Zhao Shuyi was utterly speechless. He already had a bad feeling, but the truth was shrouded in mist and wouldn’t be revealed until the very last moment.
Breaking his semi-reclusive routine, Zhao Fengli left his residence and personally accompanied Zhao Shuyi to the engagement.
The motorcade carrying the grandfather and grandson drove from the suburbs into the city. Along the way, lanterns were hung and decorations displayed; the character for “Double Happiness” (囍) was plastered across half the city like an advertisement.
Zhao Shuyi got goosebumps: “Is this necessary? It’s just an engagement.”
The Old Master hadn’t been this high-profile in years.
Zhao Fengli gave him a stern look and said, “After you marry, the two of you must live a good life together.”
Zhao Shuyi hadn’t expected the Old Master to suddenly say something like that. He replied perfunctorily, “I’ll try my best.”
Zhao Fengli said, “Affection can be cultivated. Young couples become companions in old age. Partners bound by interest are still partners. He is the person who will accompany you until death.”
“I know,” Zhao Shuyi sighed. “I will treat her well.”
For the past decade, from the age of sixteen until now, Zhao Shuyi’s mind, overshadowed by the Chaoyang White Tower, had been filled with rationality. He had never fantasized about love, and marriage felt so distant that it seemed impossible to ever concern him in this lifetime.
If he were to choose a partner himself, he thought he would prefer someone docile. Beautiful looks would be a bonus, but not a necessity.
What else? He couldn’t think of anything. Lacking emotional needs in this area meant he couldn’t propose more requirements, which was a good thing. At least he could approach the Marriage Alliance more calmly; no matter the partner’s conditions, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to accept.
But the facts proved that even if Zhao Shuyi opened his acceptance level as wide as the Milky Way, it couldn’t accommodate the person he was about to meet—
The roads leading to the hotel’s front and back entrances had been blocked early. Besides invited guests, unauthorized personnel and the large number of reporters who had rushed over were stopped outside the gates.
Zhao Shuyi’s car slowly pulled up in front of the main entrance.
Although photography was prohibited nearby, cameras in the distance, which couldn’t be stopped, were aimed in his direction, attempting to capture a blurry, faceless figure for today’s headline news.
A bodyguard opened the car door. Zhao Shuyi stepped out first. The well-tailored suit outlined his nearly perfect physique. His long legs ascended the steps, and the diamond brooch on his lapel shone with tiny, brilliant light in the sun.
Two rows of reception staff bowed respectfully. Zhao Shuyi turned back to help Zhao Fengli out of the car. Suddenly, a hearty laugh came from inside the hotel entrance. Xie Jianhe, Chairman of the Ringzhou Group, strode out, personally taking Zhao Fengli’s other arm, and said warmly, “Uncle, you’ve finally arrived!”
“…” Sure enough, it was the Xie Family.
Zhao Shuyi greeted him politely. Just as his heart settled halfway, it suddenly leaped up again. He heard Chairman Xie say, “Little Qi arrived long ago. He’s inside preparing.”
A strange feeling welled up in his heart: Xie Qi was here, but where was Xie Yuran? Why wasn’t she showing up? Was she getting ready?
Too many guests were arriving in succession, and Zhao Shuyi didn’t have time to ask more questions. Qin Zhi, Zhao Huaicheng, and a host of Xie Family relatives had also arrived. The group chatted and laughed as they walked into the lobby.
Zhao Shuyi remained silent. He genuinely couldn’t smile, but under the gaze of the elders, he had to force a decent smile.
The engagement banquet was held in the hotel’s twentieth-floor ballroom. The auspicious time was approaching, and almost all the guests had arrived.
The Zhao and Xie families jointly hosted the celebration, inviting only social celebrities. Zhao Fengli and Xie Jianhe walked arm-in-arm into the ballroom, surrounded by admirers. Zhao Shuyi followed alongside, thinking: anyone who didn’t know better would think those two were getting engaged.
However, that wasn’t entirely wrong. Today wasn’t just Zhao Shuyi’s happy occasion; it was the union of the Chaoyang Group and the Ringzhou Group.
The former was represented by Zhao Shuyi, and the latter—
Zhao Shuyi froze. He saw the crowd part, and Xie Qi, dressed in a black suit similar in style to his own, walked toward him.
Perhaps he hadn’t seen the person clearly at first, as Xie Qi’s expression was casual and cold. But the moment he saw Zhao Shuyi clearly, Xie Qi’s pupils contracted, and he stopped abruptly in shock.
Zhao Shuyi didn’t react immediately: “Grandfather? He—”
“He is your fiancé,” Zhao Fengli introduced.
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
This was no less than the sky collapsing and the earth splitting.
Zhao Shuyi’s vision went black. All the previous doubts were answered at this moment. There had been clues all along, but he hadn’t considered Xie Qi.
It turned out the most impossible answer was the real answer.
Today’s astonishing display, the unusual high profile, and the countless expectant eyes in the ballroom were all meant to cut off their retreat, forbidding them from canceling the Marriage Arrangement.
With no way out, Zhao Shuyi braced himself and took a step forward.
“Can’t you smile?” Zhao Fengli was displeased.
“I can’t,” Zhao Shuyi said expressionlessly. “If you had told me it was him earlier, I might as well have slit my own throat.”
Zhao Fengli: “…”
While the grandfather and grandson stood there stiffly, Xie Qi was forcibly brought over by Xie Jianhe.
Their eyes met.
One’s face was like ice, the other’s was as dark as iron. The matching suits did little to foster harmony. Zhao Shuyi and Xie Qi stared intently at each other, like two rigid statues.
How could the ceremony proceed with such a standoff? Zhao Fengli and Xie Jianhe exchanged glances and decided to let them go out and talk privately for a few minutes to adjust their mindset, lest they stand there being gawked at and embarrass themselves.
Zhao Shuyi had never experienced such an absurd moment in his life.
He and Xie Qi were led by staff into a lounge, the door forcibly closed, forcing them into solitude.
“I didn’t expect…”
Xie Qi stood rigidly by the door, seemingly unwilling to take another step into the room, but he couldn’t finish his sentence for a long time.
“It was you,” Zhao Shuyi finished coolly.
Although he was utterly disgusted, there was a sense of shared adversity, almost comedic.
Zhao Shuyi, being a year older, calmed down first and glanced at Xie Qi.
He had looked closely at Xie Qi’s appearance before, but never from the perspective of choosing a spouse:
Xie Qi was about the same height as him, perhaps slightly taller, though it was hard to tell with the naked eye, and Zhao Shuyi didn’t want to get closer to compare. His features were impeccable; Xie Young Master frequently made entertainment headlines, and even popular male stars were slightly inferior to him. Furthermore, he had a good physique and superior demeanor. If he walked toward you, even without seeing his face, his aura would win three points first.
Zhao Shuyi frowned—everything was good, except he was not the type Zhao Shuyi liked.
Mainly, he disliked Xie Qi the person, regardless of appearance.
While Zhao Shuyi was rating his fiancé, Xie Qi was silent as death, refusing to look at him.
It was understandable. After all, he was a straight man with no interest in men. That fighting-style kiss last time was his limit.
Zhao Shuyi withdrew his gaze, completely composed.
“It’s just a Marriage Alliance,” he loosened his tight tie. “Let’s just muddle through it. Afterward, we’ll live our lives as we please.”
Xie Qi glanced at him: “You think too simply.”
“What else?”
Xie Qi didn’t say anything. Zhao Shuyi didn’t know what he was thinking in those few seconds, but his face was even uglier than before. He suddenly said, “I don’t want to be with you.”
Zhao Shuyi sneered: “Do you think I want to be with you?”
Since they had fallen out, they couldn’t be bothered to smile at each other anymore. If he didn’t need to pretend to be polite, Zhao Shuyi was more ruthless than anyone. His naturally ice-sculpted face was perfect for saying hurtful, cutting remarks.
Of course, they wouldn’t hurt Xie Qi; there was no affection between them.
Zhao Shuyi was direct: “I don’t know what your father is planning, but since you agreed, it means marrying me is profitable—the same goes for me.”
“…”
“If that’s the case, let’s put aside our grievances for now.” Zhao Shuyi magnanimously extended his hand to Xie Qi. “I hope we can cooperate happily, fiancé.”
Given the situation, if Xie Qi were a normal adult, he would shake hands and make peace.
But Young Master Xie didn’t take the conventional route. After hearing this, his face suddenly darkened. He kicked the door open, turned, and walked away.
“…” A surge of anger shot up to Zhao Shuyi’s head, but he restrained himself out of consideration for his terminally ill grandfather.
Forget it. He hadn’t just met Xie Qi’s character today.
Wasn’t this result quite good?
If he had married Xie Yuran, Zhao Shuyi would have had to consider his innocent wife’s feelings, and he would only have her by his side, unable to seek others.
But marrying Xie Qi, they could each pursue their own interests. This both served the greater good and ensured their mutual freedom—a win-win situation.
Zhao Shuyi walked to the mirror, retied his necktie, and returned to the ballroom expressionlessly.