After being reborn, the aloof female CEO became a paranoid.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu's lips twitched, and he gave a bitter laugh.

Sure enough, just like in her previous life, whether he wanted it or not, she could always come up with a set of twisted logic that he couldn't refute.

However, he really couldn't understand why she kept intruding into his world when he was determined to get rid of this fateful entanglement.

Every move she made reminded him that their past had never truly faded away.

When Xu Xinran saw Zhou Yu's expression, she immediately stopped smiling. A sense of panic welled up inside her, fearing that the atmosphere that had just eased up would be ruined again.

"Zhou Yu, I was just kidding... If you don't like it, I promise I'll change it, really! You have to believe me!"

Believe her? Zhou Yu sneered inwardly; that was harder than climbing to heaven.

Too lazy to waste any more words, he simply made up an excuse that he was tired and turned to leave.

After changing his clothes, Zhou Yu didn't see Zhou Ze and the other two. After asking the staff, he learned that the three of them had left long ago, leaving him alone in this godforsaken place.

What's even more frustrating is that he hasn't driven here yet, and it's difficult to even hail a taxi.

Just as he was frowning in distress, a white sedan stopped in front of Zhou Yu, and the rear window slowly rolled down, revealing Xu Xinran's delicate face.

"Get in the car and I'll see you off."

A few simple words, spoken in a commanding tone.

Zhou Yu initially wanted to show some backbone, but then he thought that there was no need for him to force himself at this time, so he gritted his teeth and went to open the passenger door.

But the car door wouldn't budge. He had to try pulling the back door instead, and this time, the door opened.

As soon as he settled in, the driver tactfully raised the partition inside the car, creating a "private space" for the two people in the back seat.

Zhou Yu frowned, then looked at Xu Xinran, whose body was slowly leaning towards him. He instantly felt as if he had been kidnapped, and in a voluntary way at that.

……

On the other side, the atmosphere in Zhou Ze's car was heavy.

Zhou Ze's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Shen Tianling tried to persuade him a couple of times, but when it didn't work, he silently shut up and became invisible.

As soon as the car exited the tunnel, Zhou Ze finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Zhou Yu is really lucky. We planned everything so meticulously, but Xu Xinran's arrival ruined it all... Aunt, what should we do next?"

"Didn't your dad say their engagement wouldn't be for another year? A year isn't a long time, but it's not short either. You have plenty of opportunities to make him admit defeat and obediently back out," Zhou Yuzhen said calmly.

“But I feel like he’s sensed something. Today at the horse farm, he was acting strange when he was choosing horses, like he knew what we were going to do.” Zhou Ze felt more and more uneasy.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuzhen's lips curled into a smile, and she raised an eyebrow, saying, "Xiao Ze, you don't trust Ren and your cousin, do you?"

"How could I not believe you!" Zhou Ze quickly smiled apologetically. "I remember all the kindness you've shown me, Aunt. How could I not believe you?"

"It's good that you understand." Zhou Yuzhen nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, you need to be more careful and cautious in your work. You need to control your emotions, don't be too hasty, take it slow."

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, Auntie."

Zhou Ze got out of the car at the Zhou family's gate, appearing humble and receptive to instruction, and watched Zhou Yuzhen and her son leave, while secretly plotting his next move.

……

As the car slowly drove away, until Zhou Ze's figure completely disappeared from the rearview mirror, Shen Tianling finally couldn't contain his doubts and softly asked his mother:

"Mom, judging from Xu Xinran's attitude towards Zhou Yu today, it doesn't seem fake... It won't be easy for Zhou Ze to marry her."

"Hmph!" Zhou Yuzhen sneered, her tone playful. "Who said they were going to help him marry Xu Xinran?"

Shen Tianling was taken aback. Why couldn't she understand the meaning behind those words?

Zhou Yuzhen turned her head, her gaze falling tenderly on her son, and smiled, "My silly son, you are no less than either Zhou Yu or Zhou Ze."

Shen Tianling's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Mom, what do you mean?"

Zhou Yuzhen smiled slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes: "To be the son-in-law of the Xu family, one doesn't necessarily have to be a son of the Zhou family. My son is equally qualified!"

Shen Tianling suddenly realized that his mother's long-term plan was far more profound than he had imagined.

This is clearly using Zhou Ze as a pawn, making the two Zhou brothers kill each other, and then reaping the benefits.

Thinking of this, Shen Tianling couldn't help but smile knowingly. He had to admit that his mother had played this move brilliantly.

At this moment, however, the atmosphere between Zhou Yu and Xu Xinran was quite different.

The car was quiet, with only the occasional roar of the engine breaking the silence.

Zhou Yu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, his eyes fixed on the front, afraid that he might accidentally make eye contact with Xu Xinran.

Xu Xinran also sensed the awkwardness and took the initiative to break the silence.

"Zhou Yu, I'll arrange the engagement as soon as possible. But if you have any thoughts, you can let me know. After all, this is a matter between the two of us."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu's lips curled into a bitter smile, a smile that concealed too much helplessness and mockery.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze meeting Xu Xinran's, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"My thoughts?" he repeated softly, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

"Mr. Xu, if I said that I didn't want to get engaged at all, would you agree?"