After five years of a cold marriage, I can no longer hide the child I secretly gave birth to.

Xu Jiaojiao smiled shyly and nodded. Her aunts and uncles immediately teased her, "An engagement is great! It's a double celebration during the New Year."

The family dinner immediately became lively and bustling again because of this incident, except for Zhou Nianting and Zhou Yingying, whose faces were as black as the bottom of a pot.

.....

After a while of noise, Zhou Yanci and Zhou Yanqing came in.

Zhou Yingying's cheeks were puffed up with anger. She stroked her little teddy bear's head, wanting to say something, but Zhou Yanci was already very dissatisfied with her talkativeness, so she didn't dare to go looking for trouble.

"Yan Ci, Jiao Jiao is a good girl. You two are a perfect match. If you can get married, it will be a great blessing for the Zhou family."

Zhou Yanci's eldest uncle flattered him, and the other uncles and elders echoed his sentiments.

Seeing that Zhou Yanci wasn't very interested in the conversation, Xu Jiaojiao smiled and answered for him one by one.

After a while, her face was almost stiff from smiling, and her mouth was a little dry, so she looked at Zhou Yanci.

"Aci, I'm a little thirsty."

Zhou Yanci reached out and took the orange juice, unscrewed the cap, and poured it for her.

Xu Jiaojiao sipped her drink, the sweetness of the juice reaching deep into her heart.

...

The photographer next to them was recording everything. Zhou Yanci saw it but didn't say anything.

He simply put the peeled crabs back onto Xu Jiaojiao's plate.

Xu Jiaojiao ate slowly with a small spoon.

...

After the family banquet ended, the photographer immediately wrote an entertainment news article based on the Zhou Group's family banquet and sold it to a reporter for a high price.

Of course, all of this was done at someone's behest; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to write about wealthy families so carelessly.

...

In less than two hours, the news of Zhou Yanci and Xu Jiaojiao's engagement swept the headlines of major platforms, and related terms dominated the top ten of the trending topics list.

The news headlines all leaned towards the theme of "golden couple".

[#The Zhou family, a powerful and influential family, is getting engaged to Miss Xu on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year]

[#The pinnacle of high-society marriages! Zhou Yanci and Xu Jiaojiao pledge their love for the New Year]

[#Young Master Zhou Finds True Love, Seemingly Cold but Actually a Casanova; Divorce Agreement to be Revealed Soon...]

A variety of keywords flooded the screen, and paparazzi dug up ambiguous scenes of the two celebrating Laba Festival in a hotel, as well as pictures of them walking arm in arm at various banquets.

Suddenly, marketing accounts hailed them as a match made in heaven.

.....

Zhou's Group.

Zhou Nianting looked at the rumors flying everywhere, his face turning as cold as iron with anger.

He strode to Zhou Yanci's office, kicked the door open, and saw the man sitting in the main seat, his gaze still calmly fixed on the computer, clearly ignoring the rumors.

Those unfounded rumors and gossip have already turned the Zhou family upside down, yet he still manages to sit still!

It seems that it's true that he's getting engaged to Xu Jiaojiao on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

His face darkened further. "Zhou Yanci, who leaked the topic of today's family dinner? Do you know how badly the group's stock price has plummeted because of your mess?!"

Zhou Yanci was not surprised by his father's arrival to interrogate him. When he saw him, he didn't give him a friendly look either, his eyes fixed on the computer, and he uttered some indifferent words.

"How can a romantic affair be considered a bad thing?"

"Women can be replaced at will."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze slightly to Zhou Nianting, revealing a meaningful smile.

Zhou Nianting sensed the intense provocation in his eyes. He clenched his fists in anger, gritted his teeth, and said, "You've really made something of yourself, trying to follow in your father's footsteps?"

"Zhou Yanci, there are some things your father can do, but you have no right to do! You have half an hour to clarify the false rumors, shut the media up, and minimize the group's losses. If you want to marry a new wife, you have to do it openly and honestly. The rumors of you taking a second wife while still married have made the Zhou family lose face, and the group is losing real money!"

Seeing the man's face filled with murderous intent as he spoke, Zhou Yanci calmly stood up, took long strides, and walked step by step to Zhou Nianting, his eyes showing no concern whatsoever.

"It's rare to see a father get angry like that..."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud slap landed hard on his face.

Zhou Yanci's lips immediately swelled up, and bright red blood seeped out. His fair and handsome face had darkened like an abyss.

"Dad, let's talk this out, don't hit me."

Zhou Yanqing then stepped forward and separated the two who were about to draw their swords.

Then he turned to Zhou Yanci and said, "Aci, talk to your father properly. He's only thinking about the company. You should hold a press conference immediately to clarify the rumors and try to minimize the company's losses. Is it worth risking the foundation you've built over the years for a moment of anger?"

"No need! I was able to let a rebellious son like him become CEO back then, and I can get rid of him now. Zhou Yanci, you and your mother are both petty monsters, utterly despicable. I truly regret not strangling you when you were born!!!"

After saying this angrily, Zhou Nianting grabbed Zhou Yanqing's hand.

"Ah Qing, he's not my only son. That kind of wretch doesn't deserve to inherit anything from me. You're coming with me!"

After the two left, the office fell into complete silence.

Fang Qing overheard everything clearly from the doorway and didn't know what to do...

Just as he was feeling uneasy, Zhou Yanci came out.

"Clean up inside."

His expression was calm, as if he were giving instructions on a trivial matter. After speaking, he turned and left.

*

Xu Jiaojiao was incredibly excited as she watched the rumors circulating online about her and Zhou Yanci getting engaged on Saturday.

I thought Zhou Yanci wouldn't act so quickly, but seeing that public opinion hadn't subsided for most of the day, he clearly acknowledged the fact.

He's finally going to marry me.

All her efforts over the years have not been in vain.

However, she still wanted to ask Zhou Yanci in person if all of this was true.

After carefully dressing up, she immediately took a taxi to the Zhou Group after leaving the Xu family.

Just as I entered the lobby, I happened to see a handsome man coming out of the elevator.

"Aci, I have something to tell you."

Her solemn face showed barely suppressed joy.

Zhou Yanci had already cleaned the bloodstains from his mouth and looked at her, replying, "Okay."

The two went to the coffee shop downstairs from the company.