"I was just about to go to your office but I ended up overhearing the last bit of your conversation but I must say he is not wrong if I had met him before you perhaps I would have fallen in love with him instead, after all, there is nothing you have that her doesn't and he is even better," she nonchalantly stated with her arms folded on her chest.

He chuckled lightly thinking she is really forcing herself.

​​

"You don't need to say words that you don't mean, it is really obvious you are forcing it,"

"I won't do what you want, you want me to deny it then you keep repeating it and in the end, it will seem like I am really desperate, this same old game," she scoffed, she rarely sees him except for when both families have dinners and socialite gatherings and go on and on about their wedding plans which she never gets involved in though they all found it strange.

"Xiaomeng-"

She raised her hand to shut him up.

"I only came here to tell you something then I will leave cos I am busy unlike you, this weekend, let's have dinner together without families, I am breaking off the wedding," she declared resolutely.

He almost couldn't believe his ears.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard right, I am breaking the wedding off, you see I just realised how stupid I was to destroy my friendships and many other relationships because of you, I even abandoned my dreams just to be on the same path as you but now I have woken up, I might not be able to gain back the friendship but I will walk my own path,"

He angrily gripped her arm tightly with his eyes bulged out.

First, it was Yu Yan and now someone who has always worshipped him and was obsessed with getting married to him wants to dump him, if this isn't going to drive him crazy then he doesn't know what else can.

"You will do no such thing, our wedding is in a month and the invitations have already been given out, you know this will not only affect Chen Corporation but also your parent's company," he indirectly threatened.

"Don't think you can make me change my decision, once we break off the marriage, I am going to make my Dad sell his shares in Chen Corporation to Han Corporation, what do you think is going to happen then, not only will our company survive but your company will be in serious danger and your dad...I can't even imagine what he will do to you," she smiled with her lips turned up, she definitely looks like she has been cooking the whole thing up for quite some time and she just waited for the perfect time to destroy him but he doesn't believe she can do what she says, at least not to him.

He was about to say something but two nurses just passed them so he dragged her off to a quieter hallway then pinned her against the wall with his hands on her shoulder.

"You waited until everyone knows about the wedding and the stock prices of both companies went up so you can call off the wedding at the peak of success, you had this all well planned out," if he says he isn't surprised then it would be a lie.

"You must think I am easy and I will forever tag behind you no matter how bad you treat me but let me tell you, I am the heir to a conglomerate, someone who got a double degree in medicine and business administration, all this is just to punish you for how badly you treated me ever since we got together, now you know I am not easy to kick around," she confidently proclaimed.

He really can't hold in his anger anymore, her obsession and Yu Yan's love were things he used to boost his pride and self-esteem but now even she is slipping out of his grip.

Hitting her to the ground wouldn't be enough to appease his anger especially since they are in the hospital, he tightened his grip on her shoulder while she winced in pain and struggled to free herself.

"Let her go," Li Chen yelled as he pushed him away then stood in front of her.

"Li Chen," she pronounced.

He quickly regained his balance.

"As far as I know, you are for Yu Yan and against Xiaomeng so why are you suddenly standing up for her?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Li Chen who is standing like a wall to protect a city.

"We were friends before we even met Yu Yan so we will always be friends, shunning her was only because of her wrong choices but if you try to hurt her then I won't stand still," he responded firmly.

She glanced at the side of his face with her eyes widened, his words really touched her heart but she didn't think he still cares about her, after all, he used to be protective of all the girls in their friend group.

She was already tearing up cos in a long while, no one has ever shown her the slightest bit of kindness.

He really couldn't be bothered to argue with Li Chen so he glared at Xiaomeng before taking his leave, Li Chen sighed then turned to face her.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head and gulped to control her surging emotions.

"I was just on my way to get coffee, we can go together if you are not busy," he offered, he has been watching her for a while and he is sure she really doesn't want to be used anymore even if she still has lingering feelings for him.

Per his soft-hearted nature, he pities her but he knows better than to say that to her.

She hummed in agreement.

Rather than talk about what happened in the hallway, he made their conversation about their work, symposiums and many other work-related things to distract her, at least the discussion led to him teasing her with her look when she went clubbing, he even threatened her with a picture he took.

The staff in the café were taken aback because she is smiling, not the usual pretentious or forced one but she is smiling wholeheartedly and with Li Chen, many savoured the historic moment and took pictures to prove to others that history has been made.

* * *

After getting off work, both Jia Yu and Ji Chen went to his house where they sat on the balcony with delivered spicy chicken feet and beer between them.

"Are they really serious, a wedding in one month!" Ji Chen exclaimed after she told him what happened in the office, he was mad at her for a while after they found out that Han Chen is actually the CEO of Han Corporation, not another cousin.

He also found it suspicious but she once cleared his doubt by using a very distant cousin who is also in the military to cover up.

"I also reacted the same way but my dear brother has been controlled by love, I pity his staffs," she chugged down a glass of beer then poured herself more, after all, she doesn't have to go to work until late in the night tomorrow.

"I am really glad to hear that though, you always wanted to get married on the same day as Yu Yan so does that mean our wedding is also in one month,"

The beer in her mouth seeped out of her mouth.

"That's right! I almost forgot about this, Ji Chen, our wedding is also in one month!" she screamed.

"Are you serious, now that it has come to this you still want to have a wedding on the same day," he was taken aback.

"Of course, no matter what, I must get married on the same day as Seo Yeon, if Han Chen can do it then you can also do it so I am going to call Yu Yan right now, we must make the plans together," she sprung up from her seat then ran inside.

He opened his mouth wide agape.

"Woah!" he shook his head in disbelief, if he had known she would still go with the plan then he wouldn't have said anything, they would have gotten married long ago if she wasn't so bent on getting married on the same day as Yu Yan because of a promise they made in high school but if she can hold off their marriage for so long then nothing is going to stop her from doing what she wants this time.

"How am I supposed to tell my parents, that she wants to get married in one month, does this even make any sense," he turned around only to see her gesturing aggressively on the phone with Yu Yan, he raked his hands into his hair then buried his face in his palm, resigning to fate.

{Your brother is not the only one controlled by love,}