"Nangong Ran." Gu Qibao stood in front of her, obviously looking displeased.

"Xiaoqi?" Nangong Ran frowned, "Why are you here?"

"Can’t I come?" Gu Qibao countered.

Nangong Ran was taken aback, "It’s not that, it’s just so far from here. Did you come to find me for something?"

"If I didn’t come, I guess Second Brother would almost be gone." Gu Qibao rolled her eyes in frustration, squeezed herself next to Nangong Ran, and drove those guys away.

"So, what’s going on, tell me." Gu Qibao plopped down opposite her, staring at her intently.

"What do you mean what’s going on?" Nangong Ran looked puzzled.

Gu Qibao looked at her seriously, "Did you know, Second Brother called me, he’s very worried about you. He’s waiting for you to come back and get married, but he said you’re so busy you don’t even have time for him."

"The signal is bad in the mountains." Nangong Ran averted her eyes, unable to meet Gu Qibao’s gaze.

Gu Qibao continued to stare at her, trying to glean some emotion from her face, and said word by word, "Do you know, since you left, Second Brother hasn’t been able to sleep night after night. He’s waiting for you to come back and get married. What are you up to? If something’s wrong, just say it! Why are you treating Second Brother like this? It’s utterly baffling!"

Nangong Ran lowered her eyelids, "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just here to complete my studies."

"Cut the act in front of me!" Gu Qibao suddenly flared up, "If there’s nothing on your mind, I’ll take your last name!"

Nangong Ran said nothing, but Gu Qibao already knew in her heart.

She continued, "Since something’s wrong, why not speak up? Nangong Ran, tell me, is it really true that your health check showed a problem? Or did you fall for someone else? Or are you really so afraid of marriage?"

"Perhaps." Nangong Ran looked at her, "Maybe I am really terrified of marriage. Gu Xiaoqi, I’ll tell you something honestly, I really regret it. I don’t want to marry Second Brother anymore."

"What?" Gu Qibao stared wide-eyed, completely incredulous, and then got angry once she registered it, "Nangong Ran, do you know what you’re saying? Have you lost your mind?"

"I’m not crazy." Nangong Ran shook her head, trying hard to hold back her overwhelming emotions, seriously saying, "Gu Qibao, you understand me."

As she spoke, she looked at Gu Qibao, "I am carefree and love freedom! Perhaps before, it was because Second Brother didn’t like me, so I got enthusiastic. You know how people are—they always want what they can’t have!"

"So now that you’ve got him, you feel like Second Brother isn’t that great, he’s cheap, just so-so, right?" Gu Qibao glared at her angrily.

"I don’t know." Nangong Ran shook her head, "But I really don’t want to get married now; it’s too soon."

"I think ’it’s too soon’ is just an excuse. You just don’t want to marry Second Brother!" Gu Qibao laughed, her laughter tinged with sarcasm, "Nangong Ran, I never knew you treated feelings like child’s play. Back then, you liked Second Brother, said you wanted to seduce him, and we, your sisters, helped you without a word to get Second Brother in bed! Do you think Second Brother is so easy to seduce? Normally, women have a hard time even getting close to him, let alone seduce him!

You did seduce him, and Second Brother opened up his heart. Isn’t that sweetness and happiness enough for you? You must be acting up, right? You really think Second Brother is so cheap, indispensable to you? I’m telling you, if you don’t marry him, there’s a line of women in the capital waiting to marry him!"

Nangong Ran said nothing, her eyes lowered.

Gu Qibao took a deep breath and continued to scold, "I really don’t know what you’re thinking. If you treat love like a game, then I’ve wasted over twenty years knowing you! Do you know how much effort Second Brother put into marrying you? Di Mingjue said once your Nangong family’s shady background is exposed and confirmed, even your eldest brother can’t protect Second Brother!"