The Heiress's Game

Wang Manyun and Ruotang sat facing each other at a window seat during afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel.

"The Gu family is having another happy occasion soon," Ruotang said, putting down her silver spoon.

"You, as the matriarch of the household, must be so busy you barely have time to breathe!"

Wang Manyun smiled slightly, put down her teacup, and spoke in a gentle and mild tone as usual:

"It's alright, it's all just a matter of procedure. I handled both Mingcheng's and Mingyue's weddings myself. No matter how high the engagement banquet is, it can't be as grand as those two. But who knows about the wedding banquet."

The venue is the newly opened resort hotel in Shallow Bay. The guest list was finalized last week, and the invitations have been sent out.

She shifted her gaze from Ruotang's face to the shimmering sea outside the window. "There's just one person I'm not entirely at ease with."

"Who?"

"Bright Moon".

Ruotang raised her eyebrows slightly.

She had known Gu Mingyue for quite some time. The eldest daughter of the Gu family was a dignified and noble socialite in public, but what she was really like behind closed doors was something that the elders all knew very well.

Wang Manyun sighed, her tone helpless.

"Think about it, Mingyue has been Zhenxing's most beloved daughter since she was a child, and she has enjoyed the glory of being the number one socialite in Dahai City for many years."

And now? In terms of looks, she's not necessarily worse than Yun Jin.

But in terms of intelligence, methods, and achievements in the business world, she is no match for Yun Jin.

That's fine, but the marriage is also falling short of expectations.

Who among us doesn't know what kind of person Zhao Zongheng is?

Who is Bai Junze? The eldest grandson of the Bai family of Yunjing, the heir personally trained by Bai Lingfeng. Mingyue may not say it, but can she swallow this insult?

She picked up her teacup, took a sip to moisten her throat, and said, "I'm just afraid that she might have a moment of madness and do something irreversible before or after the engagement party."

Ruotang hesitated for a moment, then said, "You're worried—"

"Anything is possible," Wang Manyun interrupted her, her gaze deep.

"Drug them, bring a man in, Photoshop a few photos and release them, or arrange for an 'ex-lover' to expose them on the spot—you've seen these methods before."

There are far more despicable methods used in the feuds of our generation than this.

You might say Mingyue is stupid, but she's not.

But while you might say she's smart, she lacks the meticulousness to calculate every detail perfectly.

These kinds of people are most likely to do stupid things when they're emotionally charged.

She didn't know what "cutting losses" meant; all she knew was that she had never lost a game in her life, but now she was being completely crushed—this feeling was worse than death for her.

Ruotang nodded, her expression becoming more serious: "What do you plan to do?"

"I've already arranged for someone to keep an eye on her."

Wang Manyun leaned back in her chair. "I've already taken care of the people around her who she can rely on."

I receive reports on her whereabouts over the past few days—where she went, who she met, and what phone calls she made.

It wasn't just me watching her; her older brother was keeping an even closer eye on her.

Mingcheng was more clear-headed than anyone else when it came to his sister.

With a real estate downturn looming, the marriage alliance between the Gu and Bai families is a strategic priority, and he will absolutely not allow anyone to sabotage it—not even his own sister.

Ruotang gasped softly upon hearing this.

Gu Mingcheng is the undisputed heir of the Gu family, and his style of doing things is very similar to that of Gu Zhenxing in his youth: calm, decisive, and ruthless.

If he is determined to suppress Gu Mingyue, then Gu Mingyue will not be able to cause any trouble.

"I've arranged three layers of security for the engagement banquet. The outer perimeter will be guarded by the hotel's own security personnel, responsible for keeping out the media and other unauthorized personnel;"

The people inside were people I transferred from Gu's security department, responsible for checking the identity of everyone entering the venue;

"I've placed several key positions in the core area with veterans who have been with the Gu family for over ten years. No one else can be placed there without my and Zhenxing's personal approval."

Wang Manyun counted them one by one on her fingers, her tone clear and organized.

"Makeup artists, photographers, waiters—all are from a team we've worked with for over five years. Each position has a backup, and I've reviewed everyone's background information."

The photographer was also my long-time partner who had been taking my portraits for over a decade.

"I know what Mingyue is thinking—she must be comparing. Comparing her husband, comparing her dowry, comparing her in-laws' social standing."

The more she compares, the more unbalanced she feels, but I will make her see clearly that comparisons are meaningless.

If she dares to cause trouble behind my back again—then don't blame me for being ruthless.

Ruotang nodded, "I hope Gu Mingyue can see things clearly and not act recklessly."

The official announcements from both Baishi Group and Gushi Group were released simultaneously at 10:00 AM on Wednesday. The official accounts of Baishi Group and Gushi Group each published a brief but formal statement on mainstream platforms.

The wording was extremely restrained, stating only that "Mr. Bai Junze, grandson of Bai Lingfeng, chairman of the Bai Group, and Ms. Gu Yunjin, daughter of Gu Zhenxing, chairman of the Gu Group, will hold their engagement ceremony soon."

The date was not even revealed, and the end of the ceremony specifically stated, "This engagement is a private family ceremony, and there will be no media interviews. Thank you for your concern."

However, in the internet age, any news item that includes both the titles "Bai Family" and "Gu Family" cannot be described as "low-key".

The news immediately went viral, trending on social media.

It didn't climb up slowly; it suddenly appeared at the top of the list, followed by a deep red "Explosive" sign.

The financial circle, the entertainment gossip circle, and the rich and powerful gossip circle all flooded into the topic square at the same time, causing the server to lag for nearly three minutes.

"The Bai family of Yunjing and the Gu family of Dahaicheng—I'm not seeing things, am I? This is a marriage alliance, right? The announcement said 'two families are getting married,' right? My goodness, these two families could probably have their own special section on the rich list!"

"The marriage between these two families is not just an ordinary marriage between two wealthy families; it is a strategic-level integration of resources."

A wedding that prompts both families to issue announcements simultaneously is obviously of great significance.

To be fair, Bai Junze is truly amazing; his looks and abilities are both top-notch.

But what's particularly strange about him is that he rarely gives personal interviews and doesn't even have a Weibo account.

A financial magazine once photographed his profile, and he was so handsome I instantly became a fan. A billionaire CEO, living like an invisible man.

But who is this Gu Yunjin? I've been digging into the socialite circles of Dahai City for so many years, how come I've never heard of her? What does she look like?

"Here it comes! I finally found Gu Yunjin's photo after searching for half an hour! I found it in the album of a socialite's secret account in Dahai City!"

[Image] Just look at this face—I'm absolutely blown away.

Is this some kind of runaway Disney princess? And do you even know who her mother is? Su Wanning! The former Best Actress Su Wanning!

They have the same eyes, but completely different personalities; each has their own charm, but I think my daughter is more stunning.

Su Wanning's longtime fans rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, and the comment section was instantly flooded with meticulously edited stills from various angles and the latest candid shots of Gu Yunjin.

The comparison photos of the two generations of beauties were made into a nine-grid image, and the number of reposts increased at a visible speed.

"Su Wanning was the goddess of my mother's generation. When she passed away, my mother cried all night."

I never imagined her daughter would grow up so big and be so beautiful, even prettier than her mother.

This marriage is perfect; I hope Miss Gu will be very happy.