While driving, Fang Yanmeng cautiously said to me, "Brother Zhao Qian, you aren't angry, are you? I truly didn't know my father would pull something like this today. He's clearly trying to make things difficult for you; he’s gone too far."

I quietly slipped my hand onto Fang Yanmeng's slender leg. "You are my treasure, my dear. How could I be angry at your father? When the time is right, I’ll explain everything to him. As that Mr. Bao analyzed just now, we absolutely cannot let our true identities be exposed. Not only would it invite danger, but whether we can even continue our leisurely life is questionable."

"Mmm," Fang Yanmeng, unusually slow and steady with the Ferrari today, replied. "Chu Chu and I both know this, so we’ve kept it quite secret at home. That Bao fellow—I despise him the moment I see him. My father thinks I don't know his intentions; he wants me married into the Bao family so our cooperation with the government will be smoother. But I swear, I will only ever marry you!"

I was deeply touched. I always assumed my long-term nurturing project would eventually fail, that these girls would drift away when some "legitimate" suitor appeared. Now it seemed Fang Yanmeng wouldn't, Yi Xiaorou wouldn't, Little Raindrop wouldn't, nor would Zhao Fen or Zhao Fang. Xiao Chuchu and Zhang Xiaoya still required further effort.

Fang Yanmeng called Xiao Chuchu while driving. "Sister Chu Chu, I failed. Brother Zhao Qian publicly proposed to my father, but he remained noncommittal until the very end. And that annoying Old Bao showed up again. Where are you? We'll come find you so we can all discuss what to do next."

Xiao Chuchu replied, "I'm taking a nap at home. Bring Zhao Qian over quickly, but keep your voices down. Don't let the sisters upstairs hear, or neither of us will get a look-in!"

"Heh heh, we’re on our way. Don't you worry."

For some unknown reason, today both Xiao Chuchu and Fang Yanmeng allowed me to hold them, one on each side. The three of us lay on the large bed, dreaming of a beautiful tomorrow. Xiao Chuchu said she wanted to buy Hawaii someday; she loved the beaches and sunshine there. Fang Yanmeng said she wanted to go to the North Pole; she loved its whiteness and purity.

"Husband, what do you most want to do?" they both asked me in unison. That title was no longer a secret, so they spoke without reservation.

"Me? Right now, what I most want is to strip you two naked and have a wild time right here."

They simultaneously pinched my ears. "Are we wearing too much clothing? If you keep having those wild thoughts, we’ll kick you right out of bed."

It was the early afternoon rest period. After tiring ourselves out, the three of us fell asleep sweetly embraced. I don't know when, but I awoke from a dream upon hearing the two women whispering secretly.

"Sister, I'm afraid my chances aren't great. Although Father didn't explicitly agree or disagree, I know he is very concerned about Husband's background. But Husband forbids us from revealing his true identity. It’s so worrying."

Xiao Chuchu comforted her. "Sister, don't worry. We still have one chance. Let me try again. As long as I can marry into his Zhao family, isn't that the same as you marrying him?"

Fang Yanmeng agreed. "That's true. We promised each other long ago: we share fortune and endure hardship together. I absolutely cannot live without Brother Zhao Qian now; I don't even know what the point of living would be without him."

Xiao Chuchu sighed. "Me neither. You don't know how wanton I’ve become for him. I barely dare to think about it myself—I’m practically a shameless, wanton girl. It’s mortifying."

"Heh heh, but Brother Zhao Qian loves you just like that. Oh, by the way, Sister, can you help me get a limited-edition Omni-Global network phone this afternoon?"

"Who is it for? Husband said these full-function models aren't allowed to be sold publicly. I can't afford to take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

Fang Yanmeng pleaded, "My dearest Sister, just one, please. Besides, I’m not asking you to connect it to our internal network, just a public one will do. I promised someone; she worked tirelessly to get me dozens of autographs. It would be terrible if I broke my word."

"Who is worth you getting their autograph?"

"Liu Xue."

"Her? The superstar Liu Xue? How do you know her?"

Fang Yanmeng explained, "I met her at lunch today. From what happened this afternoon, I vaguely guessed some inside story. The backer behind Feng Hua Xue Yue Entertainment Company is the Hong Kong oil magnate, Gu Tiancheng. My father has recently been seeking various partnerships; he's trying to push Chaoyang Energy onto the international stage to compete against Da Di Energy."

Xiao Chuchu exclaimed in shock, "But you are his daughter! How could Husband oppose him?"

Fang Yanmeng clarified, "You know, and I know, but my father doesn't. Although Da Di Energy has never conflicted with Chaoyang, my father is a man who believes in preparing for a rainy day. He knows Da Di Energy is bound to become overwhelmingly powerful in the future, so he's looking for alternative development paths for the company."

Xiao Chuchu sighed. "Ah, find a way to have Da Di Energy send a cooperation proposal to your father. Stop him from messing around anymore. Husband will be starting university after summer break; don't cause him any unhappiness. If he's unhappy, our whole family is unhappy."

The phone rang—it was Xiao Chuchu’s. "Dad? I'm resting. Who? No, I’m alone." Xiao Chuchu gently put her hand on Fang Yanmeng’s leg to silence her. "What is it that you insist I come back for? ... Didn't that media exhibition already pass? Fine, I’ll be there shortly."

Fang Yanmeng teased, "Is your dad checking up on you?"

Xiao Chuchu rose softly. "It’s nothing. That media exhibition was my project. My father said some media friends from the Americas are coming to view it, and he wants me to go greet them."

I immediately wrapped my arms around Xiao Chuchu. "It’s so hot out! Let them look around by themselves. Why must my wife go through the trouble?"

Xiao Chuchu smoothed her disheveled hair. "You’re awake? Cuddle Mengmeng for a while longer; I’ll be back tonight."

"I’ll go with you, wife. We visited Mengmeng’s house this morning, so it’s normal for me to accompany you this afternoon. Mengmeng won't be jealous."

Fang Yanmeng chimed in, "Let’s all go together. I need to get online to handle company affairs, and it will be easier if you two aren’t disturbing me."

"Hello, Mr. Smith," Xiao Chuchu said, lightly shaking the hand of a tall, blond, blue-eyed foreigner.

"Finally, I have the pleasure of meeting Miss Xiao. In your language, it is a pleasure, a pleasure indeed." The foreigner seemed quite taken with Xiao Chuchu's delicate hand, holding it for quite a while before letting go. Xiao Chuchu shot me an apologetic glance.

"This is my friend, Mr. Zhao Qian. He also greatly admires Pan-American Media, so I brought him along to meet Mr. Smith."

"Hello." The two men shook hands. I’m not short, but standing next to this tall foreigner, I actually had to look up at him. Looks like I need to take more calcium supplements later.

"Is Mr. Zhao Miss Xiao's boyfriend?"

I was about to deny it, but Xiao Chuchu cut in, "Yes, we plan to marry this year."

Smith looked incredulous. "Impossible. Your father told me you didn't have a boyfriend."

Xiao Chuchu replied calmly, "I am grown up now. Even if my father says something, it doesn't count for everything."

Smith smirked at me. "Mr. Zhao, you need to be careful. Your girlfriend is so beautiful; I will definitely try to take her away."

I replied generously, "Fine, you're welcome to try, as long as you have the ability."

Smith noted, "It seems Mr. Zhao is very confident in himself. What do you do now, Mr. Zhao?"

I detest it when people question status. I replied coldly, "Nothing much. I'm unemployed at home. I'll be starting school after the summer."

Xiao Chuchu interrupted their slightly hostile exchange. "Let's go. I'll show you all around the exhibition."

Xiao Chuchu’s English was excellent. She fluently described the development history of Da Long Country's media to the Pan-American Media delegation.

The foreigners discussed among themselves in English, assuming I couldn't understand. Thankfully, I had studied English diligently for my university entrance exams.

"The history of media development in Da Long Country is a history of state apparatus monopoly. This environment is fundamentally unsuitable for our Pan-American Media users' tastes. I often see their news; there is far too much inaccurate reporting, and fabrication or exaggeration occurs frequently."

"I will report back to the board with my findings from this inspection. Their restrictions on violence, gore, and sex in Da Long Country’s media are too severe. I am very concerned about our investment here. I suggest we drop further discussion about cooperation for now."

After touring for over an hour, the group of foreigners had thoroughly condemned the media industry of Da Long Country. Xiao Chuchu's expression was grim. When everyone returned to the lounge, a short, stout middle-aged man approached with a smile.

"Well, have you all gained a general understanding of our Da Long Country's media environment? Shall we now proceed to discuss the specifics of grid integration and cooperation?"

Director Xiao’s smile stiffened. "Mr. Smith, my associates on the board are not optimistic about the media situation in Da Long Country. The matter of grid integration cooperation needs further negotiation."

Director Xiao’s smile froze. "Didn't you conduct a thorough inspection before you came? We agreed to open up a portion of channels for testing, so why the change of heart?"

For more novels, visit storyread.net.