Chapter 58 Forced Compromise

Shang Qi felt a sharp ache in her heart when she saw her father looking so distressed. Her parents were already well past fifty, yet they still had to bear so much pressure on her account. As their daughter, how could she blatantly cause them such deep worry? If her mother were to pass away because of this, Shang Qi would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.

Clenching her teeth, she said, "Dad, in order to make Mom better, I will marry Luo Yichen! Everyone already knows about what happened between him and me. Even if I win the lawsuit, people will still point fingers at me behind my back for the rest of my life, and you and Mom will never have a moment of peace. It would be better to just marry him instead, so that at least your lives can return to the way they used to be."

Shang Wende grew anxious and said, "I only agreed to them as a temporary expedient. Qiqi, you cannot actually do this! If your mother wakes up, she will never agree to it either."

Shang Qi muttered to herself, "I have no other choice now."

After Xi Jingpeng returned with the medicine, he overheard their conversation. He intervened, saying, "Qiqi, you cannot marry Luo Yichen. Uncle, please don't worry about the lawsuit! I will handle it as soon as possible."

Shang Qi said helplessly, "This lawsuit involves the interests of the entire Luo Group. They will never let the matter rest. With my mother fallen ill to this extent, I simply cannot hold on any longer. It is better for you to stay out of it to avoid drawing fire upon yourself."

"Rest assured, I will go find Luo Yichen."

A fierce fire flared in Xi Jingpeng's eyes. This time, he was determined to protect Shang Qi with all his might.

After returning home, Luo Shixun gathered the entire family in the living room and announced, "I have an announcement to make to everyone: from now on, Shang Qi is the eldest grandson's wife of our Luo family. Chen'er, you will go with her to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow to obtain our marriage license."

This news struck Luo Yichen like a bolt from the blue. He sprang to his feet and said, "Dad, I haven't agreed to marry her yet!"

Elder Luo, sitting nearby, flew into a rage. He snapped, "Sit down! Is that any way to speak to your father? Raising your voice in front of your elders, what kind of behavior is that? Shang Qi's father has already agreed to let you two obtain your marriage certificate tomorrow. This matter is not up to you!"

Luo Yichen stubbornly dug in his heels and retorted, "It's not her father who is marrying me! What use is his agreement?"

Ignoring him, Elder Luo turned to Luo Shixun and said, "You and Minzhi should pay close attention to Chen'er's wedding. Preparations must begin immediately. Although it is hasty, it must not be sloppy. It must be a grand and prestigious affair to silence all gossip."

With that, Elder Luo produced a gold card and handed it to Luo Shixun, saying, "This is what I have saved up for the children. Now that the company's funds are tight, use this money for the wedding!"

Luo Yichen attempted to argue further, but Mu Lichen pulled him back and whispered, "Don't anger Grandfather any more! His health has only just improved."

Left with no choice, Luo Yichen sat back down, utterly disgruntled. After finishing his arrangements for the wedding, Elder Luo told Luo Yichen, "You brought this trouble upon yourself, so you must bear the consequences alone! Prepare obediently for the marriage and cause no more trouble."

Once everyone had left the living room, only Luo Yichen remained, sitting in a daze on the sofa. Yao Minzhi sat down beside her son and said, "Chen'er, marriage is a joyous occasion. Try to look on the bright side! I have met Shang Qi, and the girl has a kind face. After you are married, you will get along well."

Feeling a profound sense of helplessness, Luo Yichen replied, "She hates me. How could she possibly get along with me?"

"Shang Qi is a good-natured child. Although her family is not wealthy, they come from a decent background. I know there has been a lot of entanglement between you two, but once a woman like this gets married and has children, she resigns herself to her fate," Yao Minzhi said earnestly.

Filled with sorrow, Luo Yichen said, "She is marrying me under such grievances. How can I bear to do this to her?"

It was only then that Yao Minzhi realized Luo Yichen was still deeply infatuated with Shang Qi. It was not that he did not want to marry her; rather, he was afraid of hurting her.

Yao Minzhi smiled and said, "You aren't even married yet, and you're already doting on her this much? Alright, stop tormenting yourself. There is a strategy known as retreating to advance. Grandfather is pressing so hard that even you find it difficult to accept, let alone Shang Qi. Go talk to her! You might just get an unexpected result."

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Luo Yichen, and he said, "Mom, thank you! I know what to do now."

Yao Minzhi nodded with satisfaction. She thought to herself: Shang Qi has completely bewitched Chen'er. Once she enters our family, I will certainly have to put in some effort. Still, Chen'er is not foolish enough to disregard the Luo family entirely on her account, so there is no need to worry too much.

When Luo Yichen arrived at the hospital to find Shang Qi, he ran into Xi Jingpeng, who was just about to look for him. The moment Xi Jingpeng saw Luo Yichen, he said hostilely, "What are you doing here? I want a word with you."

Luo Yichen was equally unaccommodating and replied indifferently, "I don't have time to talk to you." With that, he prepared to leave.

Xi Jingpeng blocked his path once again and said, "Shang Qi doesn't want to see you!"

"This is a matter between her and me." He tried to step past Xi Jingpeng, only to be blocked again.

"If you let Shang Qi go, I can help you save the Luo family. The only bank with enough funds right now to bail out the Luo family is the Xi family's bank."

These words finally made Luo Yichen stop in his tracks. He calculated inwardly: What Xi Jingpeng says is not unreasonable. However, even with an injection of capital, victory is not guaranteed. If the root cause is not resolved, the Luo family will still struggle to recover once the scandal continues to ferment. Yet since he has offered such a tempting condition, why shouldn't I make use of it?

Luo Yichen said, "If you had stepped in sooner instead of sitting on the sidelines to watch the tigers fight, I might have accepted your conditions. But things have reached this point, and Shang Qi has no choice but to marry me. Do you really want to watch her be driven to her death?"

Xi Jingpeng raged, "Haven't you harmed her enough yet?"

Luo Yichen's emotions rose as he shouted, "Shang Qi is the woman I love most, and I never intended to harm her. If the Luo family collapses, she will be the very first person sacrificed. Therefore, for the sake of the woman you love, you must help me."

"I will personally watch the Luo family crumble into dust," Xi Jingpeng said, radiating a sinister chill.

Some things only needed a passing hint; saying too much would only arouse suspicion. Ignoring him further, Luo Yichen snapped, "Step aside!"

Xi Jingpeng refused to budge, leaving Luo Yichen with no choice but to strike. Neither man was willing to yield, and they began exchanging blows. Hearing the commotion, Shang Wende rushed out and shouted, "Stop fighting! Cut it out. This is a hospital!"

As the two men separated, Luo Yichen said, "I didn't come here to fight; I just want to speak with Shang Qi alone."

At that moment, Shang Qi walked out and said, "I want to talk to you too! Dad, please go inside."

Shang Wende protested, "What is there for you to talk about with him? Get inside right now."

"Uncle, didn't you agree with my dad that Shang Qi and I would go get our marriage license tomorrow? I'm just here to discuss that very matter with her!"

Shang Wende brushed all that aside and declared, "That was just me stalling! You brat want to marry my daughter? In your dreams!"

"You came to find me, so come outside with me!" Shang Qi ignored her father's objections.

Seeing her attitude and recalling Luo Yichen's earlier words, Xi Jingpeng thought to himself: Shang Qi has been driven to a dead end, which is why she is compromising. If I throw every ounce of strength into this, I can surely crush the Luo family. But amidst this bloody storm, even if she manages to endure, she will be covered in scars. How could I bear to watch her suffer like this?

Luo Yichen and Shang Qi walked quickly into the corridor outside the inpatient ward. He pulled out a medical examination report and handed it to her, saying, "Take a look at this. Your mother's heart disease is severe and requires long-term treatment and bed rest."

Hearing this, Shang Qi felt her heart skip a beat. Although she knew her mother was gravely ill, hearing the official diagnosis firsthand made her heart sink even deeper.

Luo Yichen continued, "She should be undergoing surgery as soon as possible, rather than exhausting herself worrying about you like this! You should know very well that with the Luo family's power, this lawsuit will not end quickly. If it drags on like this, it will only miss the optimal window for your mother's treatment. Once the lawsuit is lost, both you and your father will face utter desperation—who will take care of your mother then?"

Shang Qi's hands trembled as she held the medical report. In that single moment, she made a heart-wrenching decision. Biting her lip, she said, "I will marry you."

Hearing her answer brought Luo Yichen no joy whatsoever. Instead, he said, "I didn't come here to force you into marrying me. Grandfather has already issued a strict order that I must go with you to obtain our marriage license tomorrow. Go to the United States immediately; I have already prepared the paperwork for you. Once your mother's health improves slightly, I will find a way to send her over to join you. The medical conditions there are excellent and will aid in her recovery."

Unsure what game Luo Yichen was playing, Shang Qi simply looked at him in silence.

Luo Yichen pulled a plane ticket from his pocket and said, "Take this ticket. Whether you go or not is your own decision." With that, he turned and left the hospital.

As Luo Yichen left the hospital, his heart was in turmoil. This time, he was gambling. His greatest trump card in his hand was Shang Qi's kindness. If Shang Qi could not bear to leave her mother behind, she would have no choice but to agree to marry him. Moreover, she would no longer feel such intense resentment toward this marriage, because it was her own choice, not something she was forced into.

Upon returning to her hospital room, Shang Qi heard Shang Wende saying, "Jingpeng, do as you suggest. The moment Qiqi comes back, you take her away immediately. Once you're abroad, don't forget to report your safe arrival!"

"Dad, I never said I was just going to run away."

"Qiqi, just listen to me for once! I will handle the lawsuit."

Xi Jingpeng also urged, "Since we cannot go toe-to-toe with the Luo family right now, it's better to avoid their sharp edge and return when the time is ripe."

Shang Qi insisted, "Dad, if I leave, who will take care of Mom? You're already busy with the lawsuit and can't be in two places at once! I'm not leaving. Tomorrow, I am going to get my marriage license with Luo Yichen."

"You dare!" Shang Wende flew into a towering rage, completely forgetting that Xi Xiufen needed quiet. He shouted, "Even if your mother and I have to risk our lives, we will never agree to you marrying Luo Yichen!"