The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 67

At Qiao Tan Yuan’s office.

Qiao Tan Yuan was disappointed Zhang Chan couldn’t help her either. She threw a pen on the desk, and looked out the window at the autumn landscape. Shen Cheng was her last option before Gu Jiao Wu. She sighed, she couldn’t use Shen Cheng again. She turned her chair around, and was surprised to see Quan Zheng Hao standing in her office.

‘Who let you in?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked. ‘Your manners are atrocious.’

Qiao Tan Yuan couldn’t see Miss Chen behind Quan Zheng Hao.

‘I knocked and called you but you didn’t hear me,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

‘Why are you here?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Quan Zheng Hao sat opposite Qiao Tan Yuan. He thought she looked sophisticated in her business suit, and her light makeup enhanced her beauty.

‘You look beautiful today,’ Quan Zheng Hao praised.

‘Did you come here to praise me?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘No, I came to discuss rumors Qiao’s company is having a small funding problem…’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

‘Qiao’s company doesn’t have a funding problem,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Don’t worry, Qiao’s company will fulfil their contract obligations.’

Quan Zheng Hao nodded his head and smiled.

‘The truth is I didn’t come here because I’m worried Qiao’s company can’t meet the agreed payment terms,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘I’m here because I’m worried about you. It’s true what people say, an unhappy woman ages quicker.’

Qiao Tan Yuan wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

‘Mr Quan, I have work to do,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘You should put your free time to good use, and help your company finalise the new products for marketing.’

‘Shooing me away already?’ Quan Zheng Hao asked. ‘You wound me.’

Suddenly Qiao Tan Yuan received an unexpected call from Zhang Chan. She was happy to hear Zhang Chan managed to pull strings, and Zhang Chan’s bank approved the loan.

‘You look happy,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

Qiao Tan Yuan was too happy that she forgot the annoying Quan Zheng Hao was in her office.

‘Yes, I’m happy,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Mr Quan, my happiness has nothing to do with you. I hate seeing your face. Leave my office now.’

‘But I really like you and I want to pursue you,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

‘A pity, I hate you and I don’t want you to pursue me,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She ignored Quan Zheng Hao, and called Miss Chen. ‘Miss Chen, call all the managers and arrange a meeting time for them to report to me.’

Qiao Tan Yuan was annoyed Quan Zheng Hao was disturbing her during work.

‘I’ll leave if you promise to have lunch with me,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

‘I’ll be at home taking care of my daughter at lunch,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Then what about dinner?’ Quan Zheng Hao asked.

‘Mr Quan, I don’t have time to eat a meal with you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘I’ll consider eating a meal with you after I see your company making profits for Qiao’s company.’

‘Wow, you live for money,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘If you won’t eat a meal with me until I make money for you, does that mean you won’t marry unless my net worth is more than Qiao’s company?’

‘Um, I’m money hungry and materialistic,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘If my bad traits scare you then you should keep your distance.’

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t bother reasoning with the intolerable Quan Zheng Hao. She walked out of her office to find Qiao Jie.

Quan Zheng Hao watched Qiao Tan Yuan leave. He liked how she didn’t act like a weak clueless heiress like many of the women he met.

In the afternoon, Qiao Tan Yuan was happy to finish work early. She was looking forward to spending time with Xiao Bao at home. In her car, she turned on the ignition and was startled someone opened the pa.s.senger door.

‘Mr Quan, what are you doing sitting in my car?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘My car engine’s dead,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘Can you give me a lift?’

‘Get out of my car,’ Quan Tan Yuan said. ‘You can hail a taxi.’

‘It’s hard to get a taxi at this time,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

‘That’s your problem,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Not my problem. Get out of my car.’

‘Why are you cold blooded to someone who is collaborating with your company?’ Quan Zheng Hao asked.

‘Um, I’m cold blooded,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She took out two bank notes from her purse, and gave it to Quan Zheng Hao. ‘Take the money. It’s enough for you to take two trips to the airport by taxi. Get out of my car.’

Quan Zheng Hao saw the bank notes and laughed.

‘Qiao Tan Yuan, I realised I like you more by the day,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

Qiao Tan Yuan thought Quan Zheng Hao was mentally challenged. She was in a good mood enough to be charitable.

‘Where do you want to go?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Your home,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘I want to ask your parents’ permission to marry you.’

‘What a sad joke,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘If you don’t give the address where you want to go, I’ll call the cops to drag you out of my car.’

‘OK, you win,’ Quan Zheng Hao said and gave Qiao Tan Yuan an address.

Qiao Tan Yuan was surprised Quan Zheng Hao gave her an address of luxury display homes advertised everywhere on TV, online, newspapers and radio.

Qiao Tan Yuan stopped her car outside a luxury building complex.

‘Executive Qiao, a client asked me to look at the display homes here,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘It’ll be a big help if I have another set of eyes.’

‘I’m busy,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘I heard the homes here are a good investments,’ Quan Zheng Hao said. ‘Why don’t you take a look with me? Who knows, you may find a home you like. It’s close to your company too.’

The Qiao Mansion had three floors so Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t think about moving out before. But she wanted to spend more time with Xiao Bao. It would be easier for her to commute between work and home, and to spend more time with Xiao Bao if she bought a home near her office.

A while later, a female real estate agent saw an attractive young couple walk into her office. She thought Quan Zheng Hao was a handsome man, and a.s.sumed Qiao Tan Yuan was his wife.

‘Sir, what style of home are you and your wife looking for?’ the agent asked.

‘I’m not his…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘My wife and I are looking for an apartment with three bedrooms,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

Qiao Tan Yuan rolled her eyes. If Quan Zheng Hao wanted to act crazy, she would let him act crazy on his own while she looked for a suitable home for her and Xiao Bao.

‘Can you show me luxury apartments with high ceilings and a good city view?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked the agent.

‘Big sister, all the apartments in this area are luxury apartments,’ the agent said. ‘The apartments are close to parks, schools, transport, hospitals and shopping malls. I can take big sister and your husband for a tour of some of the luxury apartments on sale.’

‘Um,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and followed the agent.

The agent showed Qiao Tan Yuan and Quan Zheng Hao the most expensive apartments.

At an apartment with three bedrooms, Qiao Tan Yuan inspected the building structure and fixtures.

‘When is the earliest settlement date?’ Quan Zheng Hao asked the home owner.

‘My family and I are building a house,’ the home owner said. ‘Our house is scheduled to be built by May next year. But for the right price, we can move out to a rental home.’

Qiao Tan Yuan looked at the city view, the agent wasn’t joking. The apartment was close to facilities, and there was an amus.e.m.e.nt park close by where she could take Xiao Bao when Xiao Bao was a little older.

Quan Zheng Hao watched Qiao Tan Yuan examine the apartment seriously, and he smiled. He thought she treated everything too seriously.

Outside the apartment complex, Gu Jiao Wu had a scheduled inspection. But he stopped his car when he saw Qiao Tan Yuan’s red car that her parents gave her for her birthday parked in front of one of the apartment complexes Gu’s company invested in. Did she want to buy a home?

Gu Jiao Wu got out of a car, and a male real estate agent recognised him.

‘Executive Gu, if there’s anything you need you can ask me,’ the agent said.

‘Um, is the owner of that red car here to see the display apartments?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘That’s right,’ the agent said. ‘She and her husband are here to look at apartments on sale.’

Husband? Gu Jiao Wu frowned, he didn’t hear news about Qiao Tan Yuan eloping with another man.

‘Executive Gu, follow me, I’ll show you around,’ the agent said.

‘Um,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu followed the agent to inspect the quality of the new display apartments.

Upstairs, Qiao Tan Yuan was annoyed to be referred to as Mrs Quan. But Quan Zheng Hao would interrupt her if she tried to correct the agent’s and home owners’ a.s.sumptions. Luckily the beautiful apartments the agent showed her counteracted Quan Zheng Hao’s crazy act.

Qiao Tan Yuan put the apartment brochures in her bag, and thanked the agent.

‘I’ll think about buying one of the apartments you showed me,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Next time I’ll bring my family here to have another look.’

The agent gave Qiao Tan Yuan a business card.

‘Mrs Quan, we only have a couple of apartments left on sale in this area,’ the agent said. ‘I hope you won’t take too long to decide.’

Quan Zheng Hao wrapped an arm around Qiao Tan Yuan’s shoulder, and smiled at the agent.

‘Don’t worry, my wife and I will make a decision soon,’ Quan Zheng Hao said.

End of Chapter Sixty-Seven