Chapter 2: The Breathtaking Catch

Downstairs, the pub boasted a chic and grand layout spanning well over a thousand square meters, with the dance floor alone taking up more than half the venue.

Dozens of side screens framed the perimeter, displaying shimmering starry motifs that pulsed to the beat of the music, accentuating a colossal digital planet rendered on the main stage backdrop.

The lighting and electronic beats created an electric atmosphere, with an endless crowd bursting into wave upon wave of ecstatic cheers.

Daisy walked along the edge of the venue, when a loud boom suddenly erupted from above.

The next second, tens of thousands of gallons of white foam sprayed down from the ceiling. The partying crowd below was instantaneously buried under a blanket of cascading foam.

Daisy was naturally not spared either. Drenched in foam from head to toe, her rage spiked straight to its peak—

Leo, that idiot, why on earth is he throwing a foam party in the dead of winter?!

Click-clacking her seven-centimeter heels, she stomped toward the exit in frustration. Before she could even step out with full dramatic indignation, her bad luck struck again—she tripped over a raised metal door threshold.

Just as she was about to make intimate contact with the hard floor, a firm, strong hand wrapped around her waist.

With a gentle pull, Daisy was swept into a solid chest. Her cheek brushed against a crisp white dress shirt, feeling the faint, solid warmth of his body beneath the fabric.

A clean, icy scent swept over her.

It smelled like a quiet, pristine snowfield—crisp air laced with subtle notes of rich cedarwood.

It all happened in a split second.

Once she regained her footing, the man released his grip and stepped back to a respectful social distance, acting every bit the chivalrous gentleman.

Still shaken, Daisy raised her eyes and froze on the spot.

It was the man she had just spotted up on the second floor.

—

Outside, snowflakes drifted down lazily from the night sky. As Daisy waited for her driver, the foam on her outfit gradually melted away.

The winter wind bit cold against her skin, so she wrapped her coat tightly around herself. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the man had not left yet either.

He seemed to be waiting for someone, casually leaning against the wall with one hand tucked into the pocket of his impeccably tailored trousers. He exuded the unmistakable aura of an elite decision-maker.

Daisy couldn't resist sneaking another look.

Up close, she could clearly appreciate his icy, abstinent features. His almond-shaped eyes tilted up slightly at the corners—aloof, arrogant, yet undeniably captivating.

Wait a second...

Her mind exploded like a sudden thunderclap.

Ignoring the falling snow, Daisy hurried down the steps to escape.

Yet before she could take more than a single stride, her wrist was tightly seized from behind, pulling her back.

Cursing under her breath, she barely managed to keep her balance. Then, a familiar voice called out from behind her—it was Leo: "Brother Ethan, it's freezing out here. What brought you outside?"

"Daisy," the man murmured her name in a slow, unhurried cadence.

A chill crept up her spine, instantly reminding her of the very first time he had caught her skipping her school uniform back in high school.

The traumatic shadow ran deep.

Unable to wrench her wrist free, Daisy had no choice but to turn back, forcing a look of stunned surprise into her gorgeous eyes: "Sir, you must have mistaken me for someone else."

Ethan did not reply, his deep, penetrating gaze resting heavily upon her.

The two were locked in a silent standoff. Seeing this, Leo stepped in to smooth things over: "Brother Ethan, you know Daisy too? She had a family dinner tonight so she couldn't make it."

Turning to Daisy, Leo put on an amazingly convincing act of astonishment: "Whoa, now that I look closer, you two really do look alike!"

Having hung out together for years, Daisy and Leo shared an effortless tacit understanding.

It was a terrible script and atrocious acting, but surviving the moment was all that mattered.

Finally, Ethan released her wrist. Exhaling a breath of relief, Daisy didn't linger for a second longer—she made a swift exit.

Inside the car, she closed her eyes, completely speechless at her luck: Running into her long-lost, cheap fiancé after nine years at a pub—what kind of cursed luck was this?

—

The snowfall grew heavier as the white Ferrari's taillights vanished into the distance. Seeing Ethan standing motionless by the entrance, Leo called out tentatively, "Brother Ethan?"

Ethan offered no reply. He merely cast his gaze downward to the faint lipstick smudge left on his white shirt. As he raised his eyes again, his thumb brushed softly over the stain, while the snowflakes on his dark hair melted into tiny drops of water.

Before returning to the main family estate, Daisy instructed her driver to take a detour to her apartment, where she took a quick hot shower.

She stripped off her bodycon strap dress and sparkly statement earrings, changing into an elegant fishtail skirt, a pristine white wool coat, dainty pearl studs on her ears, and a delicate jade bangle on her wrist.

In the mirror, the woman now wore soft, demure makeup with bright eyes and clear teeth—transforming in an instant from a sultry high-society flower into a delicate, innocent white lotus.

Satisfied, Daisy picked up a pure white chain bag from her walk-in closet and rode the private elevator downstairs.

Girls born into wealthy dynasties—especially someone like Daisy, who had been betrothed to an elite family since childhood—were essentially raised according to the gold standard of a high-society matriarch.

No matter how wildly they partied in private, they always had to put on an obedient, gentle facade in front of the family.

Daisy's social media privacy groups alone exceeded thirty different tiers. Her daily posts for family members consisted strictly of tea rooms, floral art workshops, and literary reading salons.

Back at the family mansion, she naturally set aside her phone to converse politely with her elders, never letting her demure persona crack.

Except today...

Thinking back to her encounter at the pub entrance, Daisy couldn't help but feel an ominous foreboding.

Out of everyone she could have run into, it just had to be Ethan... He wouldn't turn around and sell her out to her family, would he?

—

Despite the lingering anxiety in her chest, Daisy maintained a flawless composure. The moment she crossed the threshold of the main residence, she automatically switched into her gentle and elegant persona.

Handing her coat and bag to the waiting servant, she sat beside her mother, Eleanor, on the sofa: "I was just watching the ballet with Chloe when I got your call, so I came straight over."

"Which show was it?" Eleanor asked casually.

Daisy offered a sweet smile: "Sleeping Beauty. Lilia is my absolute favorite principal dancer, and since her tour came to North City, I couldn't miss it."

Eleanor nodded in satisfaction.

With a subtle wave of her hand, she dismissed the servant massaging her shoulders before speaking: "I heard Ethan is back in the country. Has he contacted you yet?"

Daisy's heart skipped a beat, but she answered truthfully: "Not yet."

"It's fine. You'll get reacquainted soon enough," Eleanor patted the back of Daisy's hand gently. "The wedding date is set for June. If Ethan isn't too busy during this period, go on a few more dates with him to cultivate your feelings."

Daisy gave an instinctive "Oh," but then her mind caught up: "So soon?!"

Although she knew Ethan's sudden return meant business, setting a wedding date right away was far beyond her expectations. She thought they would at least wait a year or two.

"You think that's fast?" Eleanor glanced at her. "Ethan is exceptionally capable, and he's the sole heir to the Fenghang Empire. If you don't take this seriously, watch out before someone else snatches him away."

Realizing she had reacted a bit too strongly, Daisy cleared her throat softly: "Mmh... I understand."

—

Truth be told, Eleanor couldn't be blamed for valuing this marriage alliance so heavily.

While there was no shortage of ultra-wealthy dynasties in North City, Fenghang Group stood in a legendary class of its own.

Starting in real estate, Fenghang had swept through financial services, technology, luxury hospitality, and tourism with astronomical capital. Now prosperous across three generations, its commercial empire spanned globally.

Old Patriarch Vance, who built this legendary empire, had relocated overseas fifteen years ago. The local Vance family maintained a quiet, low-profile existence—to outsiders, they were a deeply mysterious supreme power.

With such a formidable background, paired with Ethan's striking good looks and dual degrees in Law and Economics from Harvard, he was indisputably the number one most coveted bachelor on North City's marriage market.

As for why Daisy had stood out among countless socialites to be chosen early on by Patriarch Vance as his future granddaughter-in-law, a key reason was that her own grandfather had once done him a life-saving favor.

Daisy suddenly remembered something: "By the way, who actually decided on the June wedding date?"

"Who else? Patriarch Vance called your grandfather personally. Ethan has already solidified his position on the board of directors, and at twenty-seven, it's time he settled down."

Since it was decided by the Vance family, Daisy had no room to resist. This was an arrangement she had accepted since her high school days.

Besides, she and Ethan weren't strangers.

Ethan's parents had passed away early, so he was raised by his uncle, the former CEO of Fenghang Capital. Thus, he grew up in North City and even attended the same high school as Daisy.

—

The next day, Daisy's grandfather hosted a family banquet—primarily, of course, to welcome Ethan back.

Daisy had intended to keep things politely distant and strictly superficial, but she hadn't expected Ethan to be so deeply invested in his role.

Sitting right beside her, he acted like the absolute model fiancé—pouring her wine, passing her napkins, and attending to her every need with refined perfection.

The more Eleanor watched, the happier she grew, smiling warmly: "Ethan has become so attentive and caring. Our Daisy is truly fortunate."

Ethan smiled faintly: "Not at all. Being able to marry Daisy is my true good fortune."

Daisy's chopsticks trembled mid-air as she held a scallop.

Did this guy major in acting while he was abroad? How is he this good at faking it?!

Then again, he was already an expert pretender back in high school. No matter how much he disliked her in private, he had always been flawlessly polite and dutiful in front of the elders.

Nine years later, he hadn't changed one bit.

Chapter 3: An Invitation for a Date

Daisy had no intention of engaging in mutual corporate flattery with Ethan, only offering a faint smile.

Mrs. Lee stepped in to smooth things over: "Daisy is good in every way; she's just a bit too shy. She's usually gentle and quiet by nature, and since she hasn't seen you in so long, she might just be feeling a little distant."

Whether Mrs. Lee genuinely believed this or was blatantly twisting the facts, Daisy felt a wave of embarrassment.

She silently lowered her head, biting her lip as if she really were somewhat timid and shy.

"It doesn't matter, it's because I've been away for too long," Ethan looked at her warmly. "We'll have plenty of time ahead to get to know each other slowly."

Daisy: "..."

Was Ethan a rising corporate tycoon or a dark horse in the film industry? How was he able to create such a deeply affectionate atmosphere even without her cooperation?

---

The Fu family and Fenghang Empire currently shared a joint tourism development project, so after dinner, business matters inevitably came up.

After listening for a while, Daisy found an excuse to step outside for fresh air.

The weather had been poor over the last two days; the courtyard was pitch-black, with a light drizzle fine as mist floating through the air.

She stood beneath the corridor eaves for a while, her thoughts gradually drifting away.

Unlike her current mindset, back in high school when she first learned about their betrothal, she had actually felt a small flutter of excitement in her heart.

Who was Ethan Vance? He was the president of the student council, the exemplary student who was always giving speeches under the national flag—the literal embodiment of a "favored son of heaven."

Not to mention, he had held the title of school heartthrob for three consecutive years at the affiliated high school. Girls had even gotten into private physical fights over him—the kind involving hair-pulling and scratching.

Forget getting married—even just dating him would make any young girl's vanity explode.

Daisy, of course, was no exception.

Back then, Ethan had been like an iceberg: concise with words, indifference written across his expression. Girls loved him, yet feared him.

Only she, leveraging her identity as his fiancée, constantly poked and provoked him.

For instance, she would deliberately skip wearing her school uniform or intentionally break school rules just to wait for him to come search for her with a cold face. However, once she did it too many times, the trick lost its charm.

Daisy had grown up showered in praise and indulgence; it was her very first time being ignored like this by anyone.

The more indifferent and aloof he acted, the more she wanted to see what kind of person lay beneath his cold, dignified facade.

By the end, the whole school knew that Ethan Vance had a drop-dead gorgeous and outrageously arrogant fiancée.

Then came a day when Ethan actually became willing to speak to her. Though in Daisy's eyes, he might as well have kept quiet.

For example, one day he was reading a book in the classroom when Daisy pushed open the door and entered.

She sat opposite him, resting her chin on one hand, a smile curling on her lips as she gazed at him without uttering a word.

Ethan paid her no mind, completely absorbed in his reading.

Unable to endure it for more than a few seconds, she pouted indignantly to assert her presence: "Why do you always act like you're being harassed?"

He slowly raised his eyelids and calmly countered: "Aren't I?"

"So what if you are?" Daisy declared, completely brazen and righteous. "You're my fiancé—what's wrong with getting a little harassed? Besides, I'm so pretty, it's not like you're taking a loss."

Ethan glanced at her, rendered unusually speechless.

...

Of course, in the end, nothing ever developed between them.

The year Daisy was about to start her second year of high school, Ethan graduated his senior year and went straight abroad.

---

Whether those hazy, teasing interactions during adolescence had been genuine affection was no longer clear.

The only thing clear was that over the past nine years, she had felt profound, deep regret, convinced that she must have been out of her mind back then to ever try getting close to him.

Originally, as all those years passed, those memories had faded considerably.

Yet the culprit, Ethan, had suddenly returned home, causing those embarrassing histories that were supposed to be safely buried underground to jump back up one after another, making her wish she could suffer instant amnesia.

Then again, after all these years, Daisy had assumed Ethan had long since indulged himself abroad and forgotten his roots. Who would have thought he'd actually return all alone to fulfill a marriage agreement... Could it be that his popularity on the dating market was just that terrible?

As her mind wandered aimlessly, Daisy suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head, she saw the last person she wanted to see tonight.

Over his crisp white shirt, the man wore a sharp black suit jacket with every button impeccably fastened, making him look all the more noble and sophisticated.

Their eyes met; saying nothing at all would feel awkwardly out of place.

Daisy offered him a polite smile, tossing out a conventional greeting: "Brother Ethan, long time no see."

Ethan ranked fourth among the younger generation of the Vance family, so many men and women called him "Brother Ethan"—even people who weren't close to him used it to act familiar.

Back in her school days, to display her own uniqueness, Daisy had always called him directly by his full name.

Now, she too had switched to calling him "Brother Ethan."

Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly, his voice deep and magnetic with the alluring charm of a mature man: "Didn't we just meet at the pub?"

He was blatantly calling her out.

Back in school, Daisy hadn't quite liked his "don't try to put on a show in front of me" attitude. It was only later, knowing she was his fiancée, that those grievances had been filtered away by a rose-tinted lens.

Now that the lens was completely shattered into pieces, Daisy found herself disliking it all over again.

—She didn't want Ethan thinking for a single second that she hadn't changed at all.

Though her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, Daisy put on a look of genuine confusion, as if she truly didn't understand: "What?"

A few seconds of quiet passed.

Ethan shifted his gaze away from her, looking out toward the distant lake surface, and said calmly: "Nothing. I must have misremembered."

Daisy let out a subtle sigh of relief.

It seemed he had only been testing her.

Then again, her makeup at the pub that day had been a retro partying look, whereas today she wore a delicate bare-face look. It was only natural for someone not to recognize her after nine whole years apart.

Just as she was thinking this, Ethan's unhurried voice sounded once more, sounding like nothing more than casual small talk: "However, you never used to act reserved in front of me. Isn't it a bit too late to start acting now?"

* Excuse me?*

*Do you even know how to hold a conversation?!*

*What do you mean 'acting'? What do you mean 'never reserved'?! Was she really that unreserved back then?!*

The moment her indignation rose, memories flashed through her mind. Daisy felt guilty for a split second before hurriedly snuffing out the little train traveling down memory lane.

Following his lead, the smile on her face never faltered: "People's personalities naturally change over time. As you said, that was in the past... It's been nine years, hasn't it?"

Pausing briefly, she added with light casualness: "It was so long ago that I barely remember anything from back then."

Between the lines, she was subtly reminding him: *I'm not acting—I've truly forgotten every single thing.*

*What? 'Pursued' you?*

*So sorry, can't remember that at all. :)*

Ethan let out a soft chuckle, perfectly catching the underlying message beneath her words.

He didn't harbor any particular thoughts about it, only feeling that after nine years, she seemed even more amusing than before.

Just as Daisy was calculating what excuse to use to take her leave, she heard Ethan ask: "Are you free tomorrow?"

Daisy: "For what?"

"A date." He stated the words as if they were the most natural thing in the world, casting a calm glance over at her.

Daisy silently drew a massive question mark in her heart.

*Why was he already scheduling dates?!*

*Weren't they in a forced marriage of convenience? To put it bluntly, since when did a business arrangement require cultivating romantic feelings?!*

*Wait... why did she just compare herself to livestock?* Daisy promptly extinguished that dangerous thought and offered an apologetic tone: "I have a few things to attend to tomorrow."

"Then the day after tomorrow," he compromised easily after glancing at her.

Daisy: "..."

It seemed that whether it was early or late, a date was inevitable.

"The day after tomorrow... I'm not free either," she made one final valiant struggle.

"Daisy," Ethan seemed to catch on, "Are you unwilling?"

Daisy was almost laughed out of frustration by his question.

Listen to him—was he some kind of peerless, irreplaceable man that every woman alive had to be eager to date him?

Suppressing her inner complaints, she gathered her thoughts before speaking softly and sweetly: "No, it's just that I know you're very busy... with so many corporate matters to attend to, I was afraid of wasting your time."

"It's not a waste," Ethan said.

As if casually, he took a step toward her.

The man possessed a tall, imposing stature, and even though that single step didn't close the distance by much, it still brought an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Daisy instinctively took a step back, but he was one step ahead, extending a hand to clasp her wrist with his long, slender fingers.

He bent down slowly, his shadow completely enveloping her.

*Was he going to... kiss her?!*

*What was this man thinking? He couldn't just take advantage of her simply because they had a marriage agreement!*

Daisy couldn't care about anything else now. She turned around to run, only to be pulled back by him in an instant, nearly crashing right into his chest.

In that fleeting moment, he had already leaned close to her ear, his voice laced with a faint, amused smile:

"Besides, you're so pretty—it's not like I'm taking a loss."

Chapter 4: Playing the Sweet Couple

A jerk is always a jerk. Nine years ago, he treated her with icy indifference, and nine years later, he actually had the audacity to tease her using her own old words, acting like it was no big deal.

Did he honestly think she was still holding a flame for him?

How ridiculously arrogant could one man get!

Even as she lay in bed, Daisy still hadn't recovered from her frustration, kicking her feet violently against the mattress in sheer annoyance.

Leaving aside the fact that back then she had only been teasing him for fun and there was no such thing as "old feelings" to begin with,

Just judging by his nine years of cold silence, any ordinary girl would have kicked him straight into the Mariana Trench by now!

Inside a private teahouse, Daisy had reserved a small room, inviting only Leo and Kou.

"I'm getting married," was her opening line.

Kou's eyes widened round as saucers as if she had just heard something completely unbelievable. A moment later, she reacted: "You're pulling my leg, aren't you!"

Daisy said helplessly, "I wish it were fake, too."

Leo was sitting nonchalantly on the edge of the table, spinning his sports car keys on his finger: "No wonder you're dressed like a virtuous, traditional young lady today. Out with it—which family's young master is this fiancé of yours?"

Daisy cleared her throat softly: "It's that guy at the pub entrance from the other night."

Leo processed the information for a few seconds before springing up from the table as if he had been scalded: "Holy crap?! Brother Ethan?!"

"Who?" Kou looked back and forth between them. "Which Brother Ethan?"

"Ethan Vance!" Leo slapped the table frantically.

Kou flinched in shock, and Daisy hurriedly covered her ears.

"My lady, you're going to be the death of me!" Leo clutched his head and wailed. "If I had known, why on earth would I have helped you lie to him? When Brother Ethan finds out, he's going to tear me apart!"

Unable to continue, Leo looked like he was on the verge of tears.

That night, he had helped Daisy cover up her lies. Looking back, he had felt something was slightly off, but that tiny doubt had quickly been tossed aside by a brain filled with nothing but partying and having fun.

Finding out the truth now was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

Brother Ethan! That was Brother Ethan!

A man born with a silver spoon who had kept a low profile for years, only to suddenly strike with ruthless tactics, wresting control as the heir to the massive Fenghang Empire.

In recent years, he had been expanding his footprint abroad. Even before graduating, he had personally spearheaded the acquisition of Canada's Ruilin Hotel Group—an M&A case still cited as a textbook example in business circles.

After becoming the successor to the Fenghang Empire, he secured his footing on the board of directors in just three short years. His name appeared frequently in financial magazines, so even idle rich heirs like Leo were intimately familiar with him.

Leo had originally wondered why a man of his stature would grace his humble pub with a visit. Now, everything was crystal clear—the man had come specifically for his wife!

He genuinely felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

Daisy rolled her eyes, pulling a few napkins out of the paper dispenser and tossing them at him: "What are you being so spineless for?"

Seeing Leo completely crestfallen, she added: "Rest assured, he was completely fooled by us. In front of him, I will forever be gentle, quiet, virtuous, and ladylike—thank you very much."

With that, she uncrossed her legs, gracefully tossed her long hair back, and offered them a soft, sweet wink.

Both Kou and Leo simultaneously broke out in goosebumps, feeling as though they were witnessing a live, full-scale split-personality performance.

Leo sized her up from head to toe, his face brimming with suspicion: "You plan to... stay like this forever?"

"Mm-hmm."

Daisy's makeup today was full of subtle tricks.

At first glance, it looked like a bare face, but in reality, she had applied a thin layer of delicate foundation. The corners of her eyes, usually flicked upward in a sultry cat-eye, were drawn slightly downward, and her lipstick was chosen in the softest, lightest rose hue.

A gentle, elegant aura instantly emanated from her.

"What's the point of all this? It's the 21st century! Going to a pub to party isn't against the law. I don't think Brother Ethan is an old-fashioned antique either," Leo couldn't quite understand.

Kou also pouted: "What's the point of marrying into a wealthy empire if you have to wrong yourself so much?"

Daisy corrected her: "This has nothing to do with wealthy empires—it has to do with my dignity." She glanced down at the time. "Let's chat more next time. I have to run."

Kou: "You just got here! Where are you going?"

Daisy picked up her bag, offering a faint, delicate smile: "A date."

Kou: "..."

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but when Daisy uttered the word "date," though she was smiling, there wasn't a trace of tender affection in her tone—it felt more like a speechlessly sarcastic "haha."

In truth, Daisy was feeling extremely "haha" right now.

It was as if Ethan had gotten addicted to dating. Every few days, he insisted on meeting up, acting as though he truly intended to cultivate romantic feelings between them.

The more he acted like this, the more vigilant Daisy became.

At this moment, as soon as she caught sight of the Rolls-Royce and the tall man standing beside it, Daisy dutifully put on a serene, gentle smile.

However, before that smile could fully bloom, she spotted a woman walking toward them from a short distance away.

With long, permed curls, a striking red coat, and a Birkin bag in hand, she exuded a trail of heavy perfume with every step.

Speak of the devil—it was none other than Chloe, her biggest nemesis from her school days.

There were countless reasons for girls to hold grudges against each other, and Daisy could no longer remember the exact incident that had started it all.

The only vivid memory she had was that whenever she ran into a wall with Ethan back then, Chloe—who also carried a crush on him—never missed a chance to gloat, frequently showering her with cold sneers and biting sarcasm.

If that wasn't enough to forge a bitter feud, nothing was.

Daisy stood her ground with displeasure, expressionlessly watching Chloe walk past Ethan.

Seeing Chloe take a few steps before suddenly pausing as if hit by a burst of theatrical inspiration, rotating her body forty-five degrees to reveal a startlingly realistic look of surprise: "Senior Ethan? Is that really you, Senior Ethan?"

Ethan had one hand in his trouser pocket, casually raising his eyelids.

Nine years later, he hadn't aged badly at all; on the contrary, compared to the elegant, aloof youth of his student days, he now possessed an even more refined, dangerously attractive allure.

No wonder Chloe threw modesty to the wind to take the initiative and strike up a conversation.

Chloe smiled with eager yet refined enthusiasm: "My brother mentioned you had returned to the country, and I was just regretting that I hadn't found a chance to see you yet. It seems stepping out today was the right decision."

Ethan didn't seem to have any intention of engaging in small talk, his attitude neither warm nor cold.

After exchanging a few brief words, Chloe's tone lowered slightly: "It seems you're busy with something, Senior."

"Yes," Ethan said calmly. "I'm waiting for my girlfriend."

"G-Girlfriend?"

He couldn't possibly be talking about her, right?

Just as Daisy was about to slip behind another car to hide, the man beat her to it, his voice laced with a gentle smile: "Daisy."

Daisy froze in her tracks, suspecting in the next second that something had gone wrong with her ears.

During this period, the two of them had indeed been going on dates under the banner of cultivating romantic feelings, and in the eyes of outsiders, the image of a loving couple was already taking shape.

However, this was nothing more than forced professional performance.

In private, Ethan had never called her by her name in such a gentle tone—it sounded offhand, yet carried a deep, tender affection.

Isn't he taking his job a little too seriously?!

Daisy's acting skills faltered, and she instinctively let out an awkward, "Huh?"

Are you out of your mind?

Ethan, on the other hand, walked over with complete natural ease, stopping right by her side before turning his body slightly. He spoke in a warm tone as if offering an explanation: "While waiting for you, I ran into your former classmate."

Pretending not to see her was no longer an option.

Daisy stabbed Ethan a thousand times in her mind, while her face put on a perfectly measured look of pleasant surprise: "Ah, you must be Chloe."

This man is utterly incapable of reading the room!

Doesn't he know she's the person I hate most? Making us greet each other like this—what on earth are his intentions?!

Chloe froze for a few seconds, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them before forcing out a smile: "Dai... Daisy, you two..."

Seeing Chloe look so thoroughly shaken, Daisy finally realized that something felt slightly off.

She glanced up at the man beside her, thinking to herself: Could he have done this on purpose?

Ethan's expression remained calm and composed, revealing nothing.

Thus, Daisy turned her gaze back, flashing Chloe a dazzling smile: "Yes, we're getting married in June. You must come to the wedding when the time comes!"

This time, her smile was spot-on, her gaze perfectly timed, and her soft voice radiated the victorious joy of a winner—Chloe would definitely get the message.

Sure enough, Chloe's facial expression completely collapsed. She hastily took her leave, without even uttering a polite word of congratulations.

"I didn't expect you to actually remember that she and I didn't get along," Daisy said, her mood somewhat complex as she got into the car.

Back in high school, she had carried herself as Ethan's fiancée, but her relationship with him had hardly been sweet or intimate.

Consequently, gossip and rumors had inevitably spread among the girls.

The girls who held secret crushes on Ethan but lacked the courage to speak up had formed their own little clique, with Chloe at the center.

That group had spread plenty of rumors about Daisy, constantly criticizing her and claiming Ethan would never actually marry her.

Even though Daisy's fighting strength had been fierce back in high school, never losing an argument,

Having such a persistent, annoying pest causing drama had still genuinely disgusted her for quite a while.

Ethan didn't deny it, only speaking in a low, quiet voice: "I remember far more than just that."