Chapter 18：It’s Been a Long Time, My Dear Fiancée

Mei Lin stood frozen and rooted to the ground. The color on her face alternated between red and white as she whined indignantly, "Auntie said that she wants me to become her daughter-in-law."

"It's no wonder that I know nothing about this at all. In that case, wait for her to give birth to another son and then wait 25 years for him to come of age. It'll be fast," said Gu Haoting coldly.

"Commander Gu, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to say that our beloved Mei Lin is not good enough for you?" Madam Mei asked in agitation.

Gu Haoting glanced at Madam Mei and curled the corners of his lips. He replied in an icy tone, "It's just an act. If your daughter really ends up marrying me, what kind of future do you think she'll have? I'm sure that you don't want her to suffer at all, right?"

Madam Mei was so tongue-tied after Gu Haoting's statements that she couldn't think of any response.

General Mei slammed his hands on the table and yelled, "Gu Haoting, you've been too arrogant for the past few years. Ningchuan is not your territory. Do you think you get a say in whether you want my daughter or not?"

"In that case, General Mei, it sounds like you are asking me to marry her?" Gu Haoting gazed at General Mei calmly and continue. "I can marry her, but before I do, I need to tell you clearly that I'm not attracted to her."

"If I marry her, the most I'll do is keep her at home as a decoration. I'll only go home for a few days throughout the year and, as for something like sex, I'm very particular about what I do it with. Like I said, I'm not interested in her."

"Daddy..." Mei Lin stomped her foot sadly, pleading for help.

General Mei was so furious that he glared at Gu Haoting. "You're too arrogant, Gu Haoting. You're playing with Mei Lin's feelings!"

"I have no interest in playing with her feelings, much less time to waste on her. Perhaps you guys were not sure about what kind of person I am before this, but you should know now. Don't mess with me—You can't afford it," Gu Haoting said before he walked out the door.

"This man is insufferable! Hubby, you're a general and your cousin is the wife of the president. How can he treat our beloved Linlin like this? There is nothing that Linlin lacks. I'll go and complain to your cousin tomorrow," said Madam Mei. Her anger had driven her to tears.

"The president hates tattlers, and moreover he likes Gu Haoting. One should learn from one's mistakes—Let's not mess with him in the future," said General Mei in vexation.

"Daddy, I like him, and I want to marry him. I've told my friends that I'm going to marry him! How do you expect me to tell them that I won't now?" asked Mei Lin while crying.

"What's the use of your liking him? You need him to like you, as well," replied General Mei as he resentfully glared at his spineless daughter. He then turned around and left.

...

A week later, Huo Weiwu successfully made it to the neighboring city. She had used her friend's identity to take the train and book a hotel room and was finally basking in sunshine and freedom.

The steak at the restaurant was good. She ordered one portion of the Philly steak and sliced the meat into small pieces while listening to the melodious music.

Suddenly, synchronized footsteps from outside reached her ears. They sounded like drums resonating in her heart.

Huo Weiwu suddenly had a bad hunch and lifted her head.

Two lines of soldiers carrying guns jogged into the restaurant and surrounded her, blocking any possible path of escape.

Following closely behind them, a lieutenant with two bars and two stars on his shoulders entered. He scanned the venue with a stern gaze and instructed firmly, "I want all irrelevant people to leave this place right now. And if word about this gets out, I ensure you that prison will become your new home forever."

Huo Weiwu wanted to leave, as well, and stood up.

The 20 soldiers who had initially surrounded her suddenly ran to the door. They arranged themselves in two neat rows again, leaving a path between them.

Gu Haoting strolled inside looking tall and mighty in a black trench coat. His customized pants identically matched his black leather shoes, which made his slow steps even more intimidating.

As he approached her, the temperature in the restaurant suddenly dipped.