Chapter 197 - Acceptance

Mai Qi was silent for a long time.

I did not disturb her.

Finally, she spoke. "My mother just told me that my father had arranged a marriage for me. He hopes that I would agree to it."

I sat up straight in shock. "Mai Qi, di-did you agree to it?"

Mai Qi shook her head. "I haven't but Nanxing, do you know the consequence if I don't?"

"You'd be chased out from the family?" I said carefully.

Mai Qi smiled sadly, "I've already taken my mother's surname, what family is there for me to be chased out from?"

"Then..." I couldn't think of anything else.

"Nanxing, if I am only Mai Qi and not Young Miss Mai in the future, will you take me in?" Mai Qi looked at me seriously.

"Of course." I hugged her. "You saw how lonely this place is. Other than myself, there is only my unreliable uncle. I am more than happy to take you as my sister. Of course, you are also welcome to be my little aunt and give me a few more little cousins to play with!" 

"Oh, Nanxing!" The blushing Mai Qi pinched me. I attacked back until we tumbled around laughing. After we settled down, I asked, "Mai Qi, what happened? Did you get into an argument with your family?"

Mai Qi shook her head. "No, my mother came to find me and told me about this. I didn't agree and begged her to let me be. I told her to just pretend that I don't exist, after all, I have never existed under the sun.

"My mother said she had used her whole life to fight for this opportunity for me. This is the best chance for me. But Nanxing, what is the best? My mother doesn't get it. She wants to replicate her own life on me. I want to be the real Mai Qi, my own Mai Qi." Mai Qi's tears fell silently. 

I hugged her and patted her back gently. "Don't cry. If you don't mind my background, join Sky City and work for me. I will give you a salary and bonus. If you work hard, having a good life is not a problem but you have to cut down on the luxuries. For example, if you work overtime, you can't use expensive face masks anymore."

I rambled until Mai Qi burst out laughing.

"Everything is going to be fine," I told her.

Mai Qi calmed down and she said worriedly, "Nanxing, another thing my mother told me is that many people have come to M City from the capital. Since you have joined Nan Corporation, you need to be careful. These people are targeting you, your uncle, and Jing Tian. They are all somehow related to the Shi Family."

I nodded. I already noticed that. Jing Tian and my little uncle's speculation was right. But then, so what?

I needed to pick up the speed by which I devoured Nan Corporation. I wasn't one to nibble. I had purchased plenty of company shares in private from the other shareholders. Only a few Nan Feng's loyalists remained. But I wasn't in a hurry. Such was the rule of doing business, the first to show hands was the first to lose.

...

Some people say that your sisters are your best friends from your previous life. That couldn't be more false with me and Nanyang.

However, at this crucial moment, Nanyang had provided me with instrumental aid.

A student from her university reported Nanyang for tricking her classmates into the sex-trading ring for the sake of her boyfriend. The girls were used as prostitutes to entertain rich officials to help Nanyang's boyfriend earn favors with the officials. This news fell like a bomb.

The student who reported Nanyang was called Yu Ying.