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."

Chapter 5: Unnecessary Gossip

Her words carried a subtle, heavy layer of hidden meaning.

Daisy was genuinely curious: "For instance?"

Ethan cast a glance at her, speaking in an unhurried tone: "For instance... pressing my hand against your school uniform skirt to feel it."

Daisy: "..."

The whole skirt-touching incident clearly had a perfectly valid reason behind it, so why did it sound like a scene straight out of a campus 18+ movie when it came out of his mouth?!

This man's mouth was far too wicked!

They weren't the only two people in the car. The driver was obviously well-trained, keeping the car driving straight forward without the slightest sway or wobble.

However, the shoulders of the assistant named Shawn sitting in the front passenger seat vibrated noticeably, as if he had been caught completely off-guard by the shock.

Daisy took out her frustration on him, thinking to herself: *What kind of professional standards does this assistant have? He's far too unaccustomed to the ways of the world.*

Still, the main culprit was the dog of a man sitting right beside her, who appeared so refined and gentle on the surface.

To think she had actually felt a brief moment of gratitude earlier, thinking he was helping her vent her anger and silently granting him a bonus point... Now she was deducting it straight into the negative numbers!

"Brother Ethan must be joking. Did such a thing actually happen? I don't seem to remember at all," Daisy maintained her demure elegance. "In short, that's all in the past. Why don't we turn the page?"

Though her words sounded soft and appropriate, Daisy was thinking in her heart: *Ethan, if you know what's good for you, you'll shut your mouth right now. If we don't turn the page, I'm really going to flip out.* : )

Fortunately, Ethan didn't continue pushing his luck. He let out a quiet "Mm," resting his fingers on the armrest box between them and giving it a gentle, rhythmic tap.

A faint, fleeting smile seemed to brush past the corners of his lips.

Daisy didn't pay much attention to it.

Outside the window, the scenery retreated at lightning speed. She turned her head to look outside, remaining completely silent.

Of course, her inner thoughts were nowhere near as serene and peaceful as her peaceful outward appearance; she was wildly venting in her mind about Ethan's tactlessness and sheer arrogance.

And she swore once more: she had to stay completely sharp and not give Ethan a single opening to reminisce about the past.

Reasoning through it like this, Daisy calmed down slightly.

Then, for some reason, the image of Chloe's stunned, unwilling expression from earlier suddenly replayed in her mind—

Alright, fine. Although Ethan was a total jerk, Daisy had to admit that at the exact moment she announced their wedding in front of her arch-nemesis and "romantic rival," her vanity had been thoroughly satisfied.

---

By late March, the unpredictable weather in North City finally began to reveal the subtle warmth of spring.

Over the weekend, Daisy didn't step foot outside, staying curled up in her study to draw the bonus easter egg illustrations for her upcoming personal artbook collection.

She had studied painting for many years and had opened a Weibo account back in her university days to upload works featuring her distinct personal style.

Her circle of friends had always been incredibly supportive, taking turns sharing and cheering for her posts.

Among them were plenty of famous influencers and rich young heirs; as a result, her path to fame had been far smoother than anyone else's.

During her junior year of university, her Weibo follower count had officially passed one million. Gradually, her reputation grew to the point where anime and gaming companies began knocking on her door for collaborations.

However, she didn't bother managing her account with much business ambition. Since she didn't rely on it to earn a living anyway, publishing a few personal artbooks occasionally as keepsakes was purely a personal hobby.

At ten o'clock, Daisy stretched her arms, grabbed her phone from the side, and began admiring her daily dose of sweet, complimentary fan comments, not forgetting to take screenshots to save them.

Then, she posted a cool, aloof notice: **【Leaving for personal matters. Return date to be determined.】**

Within seconds, the comment section exploded into a wall of wailing fans.

---

The "personal matters" Daisy referred to were, of course, her wedding.

Ethan had returned to the country abruptly, and with the wedding date fast approaching, Daisy had been preparing for the ceremony since late last month.

Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about the heavy logistics. Aside from meeting the parents, all she needed to do was tirelessly browse jewelry, wedding dresses, luxury bags, and bridal shoes every single day—shuttling back and forth between major luxury boutiques and high-fashion haute couture ateliers.

These were things Daisy genuinely enjoyed.

Even if her partner in marriage was a mere compromise, the wedding dress—which, barring any accidents, she would only wear once in her lifetime—could absolutely never be compromised on.

The haute couture jewelry and bridal ateliers were located in Paris, and Daisy traveled between the two cities with a Gulfstream private jet standing by for her transportation.

Back in early March was the very first time they went to view wedding dresses.

Ethan had managed to carve out time to accompany her on that trip, putting on a full performance of a "model fiancé" in front of Mrs. Lee. His behavior had made Daisy suspect he was possessed by some bizarre entity, leaving her feeling uncomfortable all over.

Luckily, however, that was the only single time he joined.

For the subsequent formal gowns, fine jewelry, and bridal shoes, they were either delivered directly to her by atelier staff for selection, or Daisy flew over to settle them herself.

Without Ethan accompanying her, she thoroughly enjoyed her freedom and ease.

---

Over the past few days, there had been quite a few messages on WeChat.

Daisy had possessed a wide social circle since childhood. Knowing that she was getting married, her friends flocked over one after another to inquire about the situation. Some who had caught wind of the news earlier sent direct congratulations, while others teased her for keeping it secret for so long before quietly marrying herself off.

In truth, it wasn't as if no one knew about the marriage arrangement normally. But for one, Daisy rarely brought it up, and whenever she did, it was treated as a fleeting joke; secondly, even if it were real, Ethan had been gone for nine whole years, looking in every way like he had no intention of fulfilling the commitment.

It wasn't until Daisy suddenly announced her impending marriage out of nowhere that everyone remembered she actually carried such a betrothal—and that her partner was none other than Ethan Vance.

Some with good memories recalled that back in high school, there seemed to have been a subtle spark between the two of them. Could it be that they had never broken off contact all these years?

Someone even made a bold hypothesis: *Ethan returned to the country in February and is getting married in June... Could she be pregnant?!*

By the time Daisy opened her phone, the unread messages had already accumulated to 99+.

*This crowd of people...*

In the short time it took her to get a hand spa treatment, how on earth had they managed to chatter about so much nonsense?

Daisy scrolled down through the messages line by line. When she saw the "pregnant" comment, she let out a cold sneer, tagged that friend directly, and dumped a barrage of fiercely aggressive meme stickers into the chat.

With that move, the previous messages were washed away thousands of miles out of sight, leaving a clean chat history.

Once the chat page was thoroughly cleared out, she typed out word by word: **【Commercial marriage. No feelings. No pregnancy. Anyone who spread rumors, hurry up and send me RED PACKETS!】**

The sisters who had been actively bubbling up in the chat instantly vanished without a trace.

After a moment, a red packet labeled "Daisy, please calm your wrath" popped up. Then a second, a third, a fourth... popped out in succession.

Daisy: **【...Seriously, this group chat can just be disbanded.】**

*All they do all day long is spread rumors and cause trouble.*

---

A few days later, Daisy went to attend a small party together with Kou. The host was none other than the group chat leader, 音 (Yin), who was also the person who had spread the "pregnant" rumor last time.

Yin and Daisy had been university classmates, and their relationship had been exceptionally good ever since.

The party was held at a private villa owned by the Xie family located in Dongshan, surrounded by water on all four sides with exquisite scenery. Daisy went over early to help her review the indoor and outdoor decorations.

There wasn't really a specific theme for today. If one had to be named, it was that Yin insisted on proving that their little group chat was capable of doing actual real things besides gossiping.

For example, cementing their sisterhood through dining and entertainment—a purpose so grand and far-reaching that the group could absolutely not be disbanded.

Daisy warned her sternly: "If you gossip about me and Ethan ever again, I'm leaving the group!"

"Alright, alright, my lady, I was wrong. Wasn't I just following along with what others were saying?" Yin held up her hands in surrender. "Help me take a look at what should be placed here. Flowers or wine? Or photo albums of my husbands?"

Yin had recently been obsessed with a South Korean boy group, flying overseas every few days and attending every single concert without fail, far more diligently than local young Korean girls.

She had also desperately tried to pitch the group to Daisy, though unfortunately, Daisy didn't care for that particular style of looks.

"Now I finally know why you don't like my idols," Yin sighed, caressing the photo album. "With President Vance setting such a brilliant standard before you, it's completely understandable that your standards are high."

Daisy wanted to refute her, but for some reason, her words got stuck in her throat.

During that chance encounter at the pub last time, she had indeed taken a few extra glances at Ethan.

*Could it be that after nine years had passed, she hadn't made a single bit of progress at all?*

Thinking about it like this made her feel inexplicably annoyed.

---

Everyone who came today was a close friend she usually hung out with. Knowing that Daisy and Ethan didn't have a deep romantic foundation, no one brought up the topic during the party.

Yin had hired a private chef from one of her family's hotels to manage the food, and had coaxed a mixologist from Leo's place.

Everyone ate, drank, and played games together; the atmosphere was lively and harmonious.

During the post-dinner break, Yin subtly squeezed in her personal interests by playing several music videos of the boy group.

On the massive living room screen, handsome men with eye-catching physiques executed synchronized, rhythmic dance moves. Paired with the villa's surround sound system, the energy was quickly elevated.

Having had a bit of alcohol, Daisy walked straight over and took center stage in front of the sofa. She made a loose gesture of tugging an imaginary necktie, her hand gliding fluidly downward to strike her shoulder, waist, and leg in sync with the heavy beats of the music.

With her dark, cascading curls and eyes gleaming with shifting radiance between every smile, her captivating, glamorous aura unfolded entirely.

"Thank goodness there are no men here today, otherwise blood would probably be flowing like a river." Kou instinctively covered her nose.

The latter half of the song ended on a heavy bass note. Daisy held her pose for a few seconds, tilted her head slightly, and flashed a smile as she hooked her fingers toward them in a playful beckoning gesture.

As a result, Yin—who had originally planned to have everyone sit together, admire her idols' handsome faces, and scream—could only watch helplessly as her sisters, as if under a spell, tumbled off the sofa and started dancing together in a tangled crowd.

By the end, everyone was so hyped up that the private villa had transformed completely into a lively dance club.

As the saying goes: *Women are far better at charming other women.*

And those words certainly held true.