Bowing to Arranged Marriage [Rebirth] - Chapter 1

The sound of high heels clicking down the hallway was sharp and crisp.

Zheng Xiyun strode confidently toward the conference room, a self-assured smile on her face.

If she succeeded in securing this project today, she would bring immense profits to the company, further solidifying her advantage in the battle for succession.

Upon entering the conference room, she greeted the clients with effortless grace. She then reached out to take the documents from her assistant. But the moment she opened the folder, her smile froze. Zheng Xiyun turned to look at her assistant, only to find him smirking back at her. In that instant, she understood everything.

“Ms. Zheng, is there an issue with the documents?” one of the lead clients suddenly spoke up.

Zheng Xiyun gave them an apologetic look. “My sincerest apologies. The wrong documents were brought. Would you mind waiting a few more minutes while I retrieve the correct ones?”

The man who had just spoken glanced at his watch. “Ms. Zheng, as a manager yourself, you must understand how valuable our time is. Surely you don’t expect us to waste it because of your mistake?”

Seeing the impatience on the clients’ faces, Zheng Xiyun knew there was no salvaging the meeting today. She could only bow deeply in apology as she escorted them out.

By the time she finished handling the fallout, her assistant had vanished without a trace. She knew she had been sabotaged but beyond her assistant, who else was behind this? Who was truly pulling the strings? She had no idea.

Clenching her jaw in frustration, Zheng Xiyun stormed back to her office.

But what she didn’t expect was a call from her most trusted confidante, Yu Xiaxi, informing her that during the year-end financial review, irregularities had been discovered in nearly every project she had overseen across the company’s subsidiaries. Every piece of evidence pointed to Zheng Xiyun embezzling funds and misusing company money.

Did she even need to ask whether she had embezzled anything? Zheng Xiyun let out a cold laugh.

Sitting frozen in her office, her expression darkening, she knew there was only one person who would go to such lengths to ruin her—her half-sister, Zheng Yoaquin, the child her father had with his mistress, Zhang Meiyan.

No, wait. Her stepmother could also be behind this. After all, she was nothing but a thorn in their side.

Ever since her mother passed away, her father had legitimized that woman, and her so-called sister had been “rightfully” added to the family registry.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Zheng Xiyun racked her brain for a way to uncover evidence of the embezzlement, evidence that would prove her innocence.

Then came another call, a reminder that there were still people who saw her as a threat.

“Xiyun, how could there be so many financial issues in the company? How is your father supposed to explain this to the shareholders?” Zhang Meiyan’s voice was laced with feigned concern.

Zheng Xiyun massaged her temples, suppressing her frustration as she replied, “I didn’t take that money.”

Then, with deliberate implication, she tested the waters: “I’ve found signs that someone is setting me up. Once I uncover who’s behind this, I’ll make sure they return every cent they stole.”

Zhang Meiyan fell silent for two seconds before sighing. “The shareholders don’t care who did it. Right now, all the evidence points to you. They’ve already called your father. Since the problems stem from your projects, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

Zheng Xiyun said, “I never said I wouldn’t take responsibility. I just need time.”

“Time?” Zhang Meiyan laughed. “Xiyun, do you really think that given enough time, you can achieve a good result before the year-end shareholders’ meeting? I advise you to think carefully. The only solution now is the Mu family. You should know that three years ago, the Mu family proposed you marry their daughter, Mu Qing. You’ve been dragging your feet until now, refusing to agree. Do you think, given their way of doing things, they’ll let you casually decide not to marry? Do you really believe you can find out who stabbed you in the back?”

If it were any other matter, Zheng Xiyun could have maintained a calm demeanor while speaking to her stepmother. But whenever the topic of the arranged marriage came up, she couldn’t help but feel furious.

Marrying her daughter off to another woman just because their birth charts supposedly matched was utterly ridiculous. Zheng Xiyun would never agree. Not only would she refuse, but she was also determined to defeat those who coveted the family business and wealth her mother had left behind.

Once again rejecting her stepmother’s suggestion, Zheng Xiyun said, “Don’t worry about my marriage. Focus on your own daughter and find her a good match.”

With that, Zheng Xiyun hung up the phone, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes, overwhelmed by a deep sense of sorrow.

She resented her father. Although he had always seemed kind to her, he had also agreed to that absurd marriage arrangement.

Zheng Xiyun couldn’t fathom what kind of person would tell their daughter to marry another woman just because it would supposedly prolong that woman’s life and provide a stronger backing.

The bitter irony in her heart grew. The real reason, of course, was the immense benefits and profits it would bring to the company and the Zheng family. That was the true motive behind forcing her into this marriage.

The so-called father-daughter bond in the Zheng family was nothing more than this.

Zheng Xiyun picked up her bag and contacted her close friend Zhang Yi, planning to meet at a private club to discuss how to overcome this crisis.

Just then, her boyfriend called. A gentle smile touched her lips as she heard him ask, “Are you coming home for dinner tonight?”

“I was just about to call you,” Zheng Xiyun replied. “I won’t be back. I’m going to see Zhang Yi.”

There was a pause before he asked, “Where are you meeting her?”

“Lanming Club,” she answered, getting into her car. After saying goodbye, she hung up.

As she drove, thoughts of Zhang Yi filled her mind, and her eyes brightened with determination. That so-called sister of hers had underestimated her. With Zhang Yi’s help, how could she possibly lose?

But then her vision flashed. A car was speeding toward her. In an instant, Zheng Xiyun reacted, swerving the wheel but the impact still came.

The pain tore through her body, and then everything went black.

She was dead. Just like that.

Rage burned in her heart. She hadn’t yet reclaimed her mother’s assets from those people. She hadn’t even married her boyfriend. And now, she was dead.

No—wait!

Zheng Xiyun suddenly opened her eyes. The searing pain still seemed to linger on her skin. She sat up straight, staring blankly at the seatback in front of her.

Where was this?

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and when she opened them again after a dozen seconds, all she saw was still the back of the seat. Yet this time, her thoughts were much clearer. Zheng Xiyun took out her phone and immediately checked the time on the lock screen.

How could it be a year ago? Zheng Xiyun’s heart pounded violently in her chest. She looked around again and suddenly remembered where she was.

A year ago, she had taken the high-speed train because she couldn’t get a plane ticket to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday in another city.

But now, she had absolutely no mood to celebrate his birthday. Because the death she had experienced before waking up was no illusion—of that, Zheng Xiyun was certain. It wasn’t an illusion, nor was that entire year an illusion. She had truly been deceived, had been engaged to another woman due to their supposedly compatible birth charts, and had died…

Looking at her phone again, Zheng Xiyun’s mind was in chaos.

Was her death an accident?

The noise around her grew louder. Zheng Xiyun stood up, stepped out in her high heels, and walked to the junction between the train cars. She needed to calm down.

At the door, a woman was leaning against the wall, a cigarette pinched between her fingers.

Zheng Xiyun chose the other door, staring absentmindedly at the cigarette in the woman’s hand. Suddenly, she wanted to ask for one, to numb and steady her tumultuous emotions with the smoke.

Her eyes fixed on the cigarette, but her mind wandered. That car had come too deliberately. When she swerved, it hadn’t avoided her but instead accelerated toward her.

So, who wanted her dead?

“Hey!”

The sudden appearance of someone in front of her startled Zheng Xiyun. She looked up to see the woman with the cigarette standing before her, holding it out.

Zheng Xiyun frowned slightly as she studied the woman.

She had short, messy hair that, paired with her delicate features and makeup, made her look anything but wholesome.

“You’re blocking them.” The woman pointed to the side. Zheng Xiyun followed her gaze and realized a crowd had gathered.

So, they had arrived at a station. She hadn’t even noticed. Zheng Xiyun frowned again, just as the doors slid open automatically.

The woman in front grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the platform.

Passengers began streaming out of the train.

Zheng Xiyun caught the scent of tobacco.

The woman stood beside her, her full, red lips wrapped around the cigarette as she took a deep drag, then exhaled a cloud of white smoke.

Only then did Zheng Xiyun notice she was wearing a black shirt. One so sheer that the black bra beneath and the curves of her body were clearly visible.

Definitely not a good woman. Yet Zheng Xiyun also knew women like this held a fatal allure for men.

Suddenly, the woman turned and blew smoke directly into her face. Zheng Xiyun inhaled the scent; unlike the harshness of men’s cigarettes, this was softer, more mellow.

As the smoke dissipated, the woman fixed her amber eyes on Zheng Xiyun, then lifted her chin with a single finger. The smirk on her lips was downright wicked, and her words matched it perfectly: “Enchanted by me?”

Zheng Xiyun’s eyes widened in shock. She slapped the woman’s hand away, glared at her fiercely, then brushed past her shoulder and strode back onto the train.

Then she was pulled by the hand by the woman. As she turned around, the high-speed train door closed behind the woman. Zheng Xiyun’s brows furrowed deeply as she glared at the excessively beautiful woman before her with displeasure.

The woman’s thumb gently stroked Zheng Xiyun’s smooth forearm. Seeing Zheng Xiyun’s widened eyes, she curled her lips again and handed over a box of Marlboros. “Actually, you weren’t mesmerized by me you just wanted this, right?”

Zheng Xiyun indeed did, but the woman’s attitude now was something she found hard to accept. Because Zheng Xiyun sensed a faint trace of teasing in her tone.

Yes, teasing a woman actually made Zheng Xiyun feel like she was being teased.

Zheng Xiyun raised her hand and pushed hard, shoving the woman against the door. In a cold voice, she said, “I did want it, and since you seem so eager to give it to me.” With that, she snatched the cigarettes from the woman’s hand and added, “Thanks a lot.”

Then Zheng Xiyun turned and walked away. Her tone had been icy and furious, no one would mistake it for genuine gratitude. Yet, behind her, the woman burst into laughter.