Chapter 17: Marriage Can Only Be Due to Love

Jian Jianan was stunned. “What!?” Jian Jianan’s expression infuriated Gu Mocheng further, fuelling the flames of anger in him. “Since you don’t love me, why did you pursue me in the first place? For the Jian Family? Or to fulfill the wishes of your deceased mother?” “I…..” At that moment, a few leaves cascaded from the tree, temporarily obstructing Jian Jianan’s view, so she could not see Gu Mocheng’s expressions as he asked her these questions. When she was able to see his face clearly, his handsome visage was only full of disgust. “Jian Jianan, you listen here. I, Gu Mocheng, will only get married for love and not for any other reasons!” Watching his tall figure walk away, Jian Jianan’s heart inexplicably ached for a moment. Gu Mocheng’s question confused her! Did she love Gu Mocheng? She has only seen him a few times. How could she fall for him so easily? She was just having a positive reaction towards him. Since her experience with betrayal and death, how could she ever believe in love again? She came here to get closer to Gu Mocheng, but their relationship seemed to have gotten worse. Jian Jianan fretted as she tugged at her hair. Damned Gu Mocheng! Why was he being so difficult! Marriage only for love. Hehe… Who still married for love these days?! When Jian Jianan returned to the hall again, Lian Jiang was alone. “Sister Jiang, weren’t there more soldiers all queued up? Is the examination over already?” “Thanks to you, the army will examine their urogenital system themselves, and they will send the examination reports to the army hospital for inspection after that! We don’t have to work, so we can leave now.” Jian Jianan pursed her lips, feeling a little dejected, “How is that fair? I haven’t even seen ‘Little Mocheng’ yet!” Lian Jiang, sensing Jian Jianan was not feeling herself, walked over to Jian Jianan and squeezed her shoulders. “What’s wrong? Did you fight with Gu Mocheng when you went out just now?” Jian Jianan shrugged her shoulders. “He and I have never been happy together before!” Lian Jiang frowned. 'Never happy together? Really?' 'Just now, Gu Mocheng’s face was full of jealousy and was fully aware of Jian Jianan’s presence. He did not want her to look at the lower areas of other men. She thought Jian Jianan and Gu Mocheng would be together. How did it come to this?' she wondered. “What do you plan to do, then?” Jian Jianan was briefly silent, then smiled. “What can I still do? As long as I’m not afraid of pain, not afraid of death, and I stay stubborn, no one can’t be won over.” For a time after the incident at the army hospital, Jian Jianan no longer contacted Gu Mocheng. Sometimes, if she was too insistent with her pursuits, she would repulse the object of her affections instead. These past few days, Jian Jianan kept her father and Jian Huaibei company at home, watching Jian Ansheng’s constant frowning. Jian Jianan knew it was likely because of the North-South Pharmaceutical company. By now, Qi Xiuli had returned from a business trip. Jian Jianan remembered Qi Xiuli had joined North-South Pharmaceutical when she was 16. Originally Jian Ansheng had wanted Qi Xiuli to go into the administration department since the work there was relatively relaxed and not as tiring. However, Qi Xiuli insisted on working in the sales department, and she was willing to start as a low-level employee. Jian Ansheng did not want to undermine their relationship as husband and wife, and at the same time, did not want the other employees to suspect any favouritism, so he accepted Qi Xiuli’s suggestion. Qi Xiuli was willing to work hard and managed to become a sales manager within a year - with occasional assistance from Jian Ansheng, of course. Just when Jian Jianan thought Qi Xiuli as her father’s best right-hand man - helping her father expand and grow North-South Pharmaceutical to greater heights, Qi Xiuli, Qi Xiaorou, and Xiao Yihan claimed both her and her father’s lives. When Jian Jianan saw Qi Xiuli, intense hatred flashed through her eyes… When Qi Xiuli saw Jian Jianan, she hurried to her and took her hands in hers, face full of remorse. “Nannan, how have you been? I heard what happened from your father. I would’ve rushed home, but the business deal was too important for North-South Pharmaceutical. You don’t blame aunty for not staying at your bedside on such short notice, do you? Qi Xiuli placed great importance on healthy living and because of that, coupled with her meticulous skincare routine, she looked like she was at the ripe age of thirty, even though she had lived for nearly half a century. For her age, she was beautiful, young, elegant, and mature. If not for having already seen Qi Xiuli’s true colors, she would have been deceived by her ‘affable’ exterior. After Qi Xiuli married Jian Ansheng, she treated Jian Jianan and Jian Huaibei very well, as if they were her own children. With Qi Xiulu in the family, Jian Jianan felt, once again, the long-missing maternal love, and the whole family overflowed with joy and happiness. She never expected for everything to just exist on the surface. The fact was that Qi Xiuli was a woman of great ambition. Other than just becoming the wife of Jian Ansheng, just like Xiao Yihan, she also aimed to seize the Jian Family’s possession! Jian Jianan was overwhelmed with animosity, but still smiled on the surface. “What are you talking about, Aunty? You worked so hard for our family, how could I blame you?” Qi Xiuli feigned sentiment, and even managed to squeeze a few crocodile tears. Jian Ansheng gripped Qi Xiuli’s shoulders, and tenderly rested his hand on her back, “Xiuli, thank you for your hard work!” Wiping tears, Qi Xiuli said, guilt in her tone, “Ansheng, I deeply apologize, I was unable to secure the collaboration deal with Mr. Victor. We lost a huge opportunity. It was going so smoothly in the beginning, but when it came to signing the contract, Mr. Victor heard the news of Nannan‘s suicide and thus…” Jian Jianan and Jian Ansheng’s expressions changed upon hearing Qi Xiuli. The Jian Family was in the Chinese medicine business for generations. Jian Jianan’s established North-South Pharmaceutical from scratch. The company was now more than 50 years old. Jian Ansheng took over the business and planned to expand the company’s international presence, so the deal with Mr. Victor was particularly important. “All right, even if North-South Pharmaceutical does not partner with Mr. Victor, there will be other business partners. You just came back, you should just rest. I’ll get someone else to take over the work!” Jian Ansheng knew the severity Jian Jianan’s suicide had on the company. However, if he had to choose between his daughter and the company, naturally, he would choose his daughter. He did not want her daughter to suffer at all. Seeing him taking the side of his daughter, Qi Xiuli felt bitter resentment. As she expected, she was still beneath Jian Jianan’s place in Jian Ansheng’s heart. “This lost opportunity with Mr. Victor was because of my dereliction of my duty. How can I rest easy knowing that!” Qi Xiuli seemed to have taken all responsibility on herself, but was trying to drive a rift between Jian Ansheng and Jian Jianan. Her look of guil revolted Jian Jianan. “Oh, yes, Ansheng, do you know the Li Yao Company?” After some though, Jian Ansheng nodded, “I have heard of it before. It is a newly incorporated company, but it has expanded rapidly!” A calculated moment of cunning flashed through Qi Xiuli’s eyes. “Even though I have failed to obtain the collaboration deal with Mr. Victor, I managed to contact the person in charge of the Li Yao Company. He is willing to partner with us! North-South Pharmaceutical has been subject to a lot of negative news lately. If we are able to partner with the Li Yao Company, we could overcome our current popularity crisis. Our company would be able to return to its former glory. Jian Ansheng thought deeply. He did not look down on the Li Yao Company. He just wanted to be cautious with any partnership. He was not familiar with this company, or the person in charge. When Jian Jianan heard those words from Qi Xiuli, her beautiful brows furrowed further. She remembered in her previous life, the events were also similar. Even though her father had kept it a secret from her, she had overheard the conversation between him and Qi Xiuli, saying that Mr. Victor rejected the collaboration with North-South Pharmaceutical due to her suicide. At this time also, Qi Xiuli recommended the Li Yao Company, and acted as a go-between for the two companies. In the end, both companies became business partners. The Li Yao Company then clambered up in the industry by parasitizing off the North-South Pharmaceutical, and had nearly overtaken the position of North-South Pharmaceutical with its record of fifty years in only five years. Qi Xiuli was promoted from manager to general manager of sales due to the partnership between Li Yao Group and North-South Pharmaceutical, becoming the right- and left-hand man of her father, and she kept directly in touch with all the secrets of the company. The last moments of her death appeared in Jian Jianan’s mind: Qi Xiuli with her cruel, sinister face, grabbing her hand, forcing her to sign a contract, and watching Xiao Yihan harshly gouge out her eyes. Without warning, her eyes screamed with pain. Jian Jianan knew that was just a psychological effect, but now, she did not believe Qi Xiuli at all, much less the Li Yao Company she was recommending. She would not allow Qi Xiuli to become the general sales manager of North-South Pharmaceutical. Determined, Jian Jianan smiled at her father and Qi Xiuli. “Dad, Aunty Qi, since Mr. Victor rejected the collaboration because of me, I’m the one responsible to settle this matter. Don’t worry, North-South Pharmaceutical will be Mr. Victor’s sole partner in this country!” The Jian Jianan here was unlike the 18-year-old girl who knew nothing of worldly affairs. Her confidence was so captivating, like whatever she said could truly manifest.