Refuse to Marry Mr.CEO

Suddenly, Ruan Xiangchen wanted to invite them to dinner. This made Xia Liyou feel uneasy. She looked at Ai Wei, "I'm sorry, Ai Wei, but something has come up at home, and I must go back today. You and Mr. Ruan should go to dinner without me."

Ai Wei didn't know much about Xia Liyou's family matters as she rarely mentioned them.

What she did know was that Xia Liyou's mother was always sick and needed care, and she had a younger brother who was still in primary school. Their father had passed away.

So whenever Xia Liyou said she needed to attend to family matters, Ai Wei naturally assumed it was her mother who required care.

Normally, Ai Wei would never force her to do anything, even covering up for her in front of her father.

But this was a golden opportunity. Perhaps, Xia Liyou could become famous through the advertisement with Ruan Xiangchen.

Although Ruan Xiangchen seemed interested in Xia Liyou, who could guarantee how long his interest would last?

Ruan Xiangchen was extremely popular in the entertainment industry, with many younger stars eager to hitch their fame to him, even creating juicy gossip to raise their own visibility.

Naturally, Ruan Xiangchen was used to this, hence his numerous rumored girlfriends in the industry.

If Liyou kept acting indifferent towards him, they could lose the opportunity to make the advertisement.

After careful consideration, Ai Wei whispered to Xia Liyou, "Liyou, this is a rare opportunity we must seize. Why don't we go for the meal now? It'll probably finish around eight. Then, I can drive you home."

Since Ai Wei, who usually sided with her and never forced her into anything, was saying this, she must consider this matter very serious.

Xia Liyou hesitated for a moment before nodding her agreement.

Satisfied, Ai Wei turned to Ruan Xiangchen to ask, "Mr. Ruan, where shall we be going?"

"Anywhere you want," Ruan Xiangchen replied confidently.

There's an excellent floating restaurant on Lu Lake. How about we go there? The environment is great, and the food is delicious," Ai Wei recommended.

Xia Liyou could see what Ai Wei was doing – trying to lessen her travel time. Lu Lake was near her house, only a five-minute drive. This would certainly make her ride home more convenient.

Xia Liyou smiled, her eyes revealing her joy.

Ruan Xiangchen's gaze fell upon her face, and he was momentarily dazzled.

After a beat, he recovered and agreed in his usual poised manner, "Alright, we'll do as Miss Ai suggests."

Ruan Xiangchen's Porsche convertible was undoubtedly impressive.

With him driving, the car's charm magnified, much like himself.

However, Xia Liyou didn't enjoy attracting so much attention and becoming the center of curious looks.

Thankfully, she wouldn't have many opportunities to ride in his car. She tried to relax, pulled out her phone intending to send a text message to Ou Chengtian.

Staring at her phone, Xia Liyou's gaze was distant. It took a while for her to type the words: I won't be home for dinner tonight.

But her finger hesitated over the send button, and she didn't send the message. She hit the back button, deleted the text, thought for a moment, and typed anew: I'll be home a bit late, have dinner without me.

She stared at the screen for five seconds, felt it was inappropriate, and deleted it again.

Rather presumptuous to tell him to eat first when Chengtian never mentioned he would be waiting for her dinner.

Xia Liyou gnawed on her lip, her eyebrows knitted in thought. She finally wrote: I have something to do and will be home late. Remember to eat.

After staring at the words for a while, Xia Liyou sent the message.

Seeing Xia Liyou typing on her phone for so long, Ai Wei asked, "What are you messaging at home? You've been typing for such a long time."

Xia Liyou pocketed her phone, smiled nonchalantly, and answered, "Just an ordinary message, reminding him to eat."

Through the rearview mirror, Ruan Xiangchen eyed Xia Liyou. She had been absorbed with her phone screen from the moment she got in the car. What kind of message could take her a full five minutes to compose?

"Ms. Xia seems to be very dedicated to her family. May I ask who she lives with at home?"

Xia Liyou's look hardened; she didn't appreciate someone probing into her family matters.

Seeing Xia Liyou was unhappy, Ai Wei quickly changed the subject, "Mr. Ruan, where is your new shop located?"

A smirk appeared on Ruan Xiangchen's lips, Ai Wei's reason for asking was clear. Indeed, this Xia Liyou was precisely as the investigation had shown.

The 22-year-old had attended the Music Academy in New York. But before graduation, her foster father's company went bankrupt and she was forced to return home to handle the resulting crisis. Her family consisted of a stepmother and a younger brother.

Technically, her younger brother, who was her foster parents' biological child, should have inherited their father's debt. But Xia Liyou, their foster daughter, had shielded her brother and assumed responsibility for the entire debt. This was probably why she entered the entertainment industry.

She tended to keep her past secret, so few knew she once was an heiress.

Since she was not inclined to talk about her past, Ruan Xiangchen saw no reason to push her.

He always had a soft spot for women, especially those like Xia Liyou, who was like a piece of jade that deserved careful handling.

The meeting had started early in the morning and lasted until the afternoon. Everyone was exhausted, except for Ou Chengtian, who had maintained his cheerful smile throughout the day.

"Mr. Ou, which company do you prefer to cooperate with on this project?" The company executives awaited Ou Chengtian's decision.