Volume One, Chapter 37: The reason he invited her to go skiing had nothing to do with any so-called apology.

Early the next morning, Liang Muzi arrived as promised to pick up Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi was escorted to the car by Xu Heping; she had no chance to refuse.

Once the car left the neighborhood and merged into the flow of traffic, the atmosphere between the two was eerily quiet. Liang Muzi was the first to break the silence. “Your luggage is still in the trunk. When we return, I’ll drop it off at your house.”

Xu Zhi sat in the back seat, turning her face to gaze out the window, utterly disinclined to speak.

Liang Muzi glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “How long are you going to keep this up with me? Give me a deadline.”

Xu Zhi felt irritated. “What would you consider me not ‘keeping this up’?”

“Can’t you just be like you used to?” Liang Muzi asked.

Xu Zhi paused for a few seconds. “Muzi, the world doesn’t revolve around you, nor do I. I have my own life. Maybe you can disregard Chen Jing’s feelings, bring me along without a care, but I’m not like that. Once I have a boyfriend, his feelings will come first. I won’t keep interacting with you the way I used to.”

Liang Muzi snorted coldly at her words. “So petty. Chen Jing isn’t as narrow-minded as you make her out to be. She’s never objected to us spending time together. You, on the other hand, have been against her from the start, dragging me into your grievances.”

Xu Zhi fell silent again.

Liang Muzi’s anger flared. “What’s the name of the guy you like? What does he do? I think you’re letting him influence you—you're not even yourself anymore.”

Xu Zhi closed her eyes, wishing she could simply open the door and leap out.

Liang Muzi, caught up in his emotions, launched into a tirade. “I’ve always told you you’re too naive, easy to deceive. Your family has some assets, and coupled with your looks and figure—”

He paused. “Men see you as an opportunity; it’s no wonder they flock to you. Don’t think they genuinely like you.”

Xu Zhi’s body gradually stiffened. She felt as if her heart had been pierced, blood streaming from the wound.

After a moment, she let out a bleak laugh. “So, in your eyes, I’m not even worthy of being liked.”

She thought, he doesn’t have to like her, but must he go so far?

Liang Muzi was momentarily stunned. He realized he’d gone too far, but words, once spoken, cannot be taken back. He didn’t know how to make amends.

Xu Zhi’s face was pale but calm. “And, you might not know, my family’s company recently hit serious trouble. A key project failed, and now we’re short on funds. My father’s trying to secure loans or financing, but the outcome is uncertain. That’s why he wants me to get engaged to you—it would make it easier for him to obtain funding. So…”

She lowered her eyes. “The reason we let go of the servants recently was because we couldn’t afford them anymore. My family’s finances aren’t worth coveting.”

Liang Muzi’s brow furrowed. “Is it that serious? I had no idea.”

He hadn’t even paid much attention to his own family’s business. The Liang family’s wealth was so vast, he could hardly squander it all.

“I’m not like my father. I don’t dream of marrying you,” Xu Zhi said, a self-deprecating smile tugging at her lips. “I told him as much, but he refuses to give up. So I think you’d better talk to him yourself, make it clear so he stops hoping.”

Liang Muzi’s thoughts wandered. Did Xu Zhi really think marrying him was a dream come true?

After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, “Zhi… do you actually want to marry me?”

Xu Zhi’s hands clenched tightly on her knees. She’d spoken too quickly.

She paused before replying, “I already like someone else. Why would I want to marry you?”

Liang Muzi’s lips pressed into a thin line. Logically, this answer should have reassured him, but it didn’t. All he felt was his heart sinking heavily.

After a while, he said, “That’s settled then. Neither of us wants this, so I’ll find a chance to explain things to Uncle Xu. As for your family’s situation, I’ll look into it later. If there’s anything I can do to help, I will.”

Xu Zhi didn’t respond. Internally, she wondered if there was any way Liang Muzi could help her family’s company without the two families being joined by marriage.

It was a calculation. The thought left her feeling desolate. Unwittingly, she and Liang Muzi had come to this point.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Liang Muzi thought to himself: inviting her out was meant to cheer her up, so why was it only making things worse?

The ski resort was far from the city, more than five hours by car. In the latter half of the journey, Xu Zhi dozed off in the back seat.

By the time they arrived, it was already afternoon.

Liang Muzi had privileges; his car drove straight into the six-star hotel within the resort.

He passed the front desk without checking in, taking Xu Zhi directly up in the elevator with his card.

Xu Zhi asked, “Did you book the room already?”

Liang Muzi winked mysteriously. “You’ll see in a moment.”

He tried to gloss things over, and Xu Zhi went along, accompanying him to the top floor. When the elevator doors opened, they found themselves in a presidential suite.

The elevator opened right into the suite—a whole floor, with six bedrooms, two enormous bathrooms, a vast open-plan living and dining area, a games room, and a screening room.

“What do you think?” Liang Muzi showed her around. “I booked this place before. Next time, we can invite a few more friends, plenty of room for everyone.”

Xu Zhi found it extravagant, but it was typical of Liang Muzi’s style.

She was about to ask which bedroom was hers when she saw someone come out of the master suite.

Chen Jing smiled and walked over, greeting her. “Zhi, I’ve been waiting for you both for ages.”

Xu Zhi was stunned for a moment.

She hadn’t expected Liang Muzi to bring Chen Jing along, but it quickly dawned on her how natural it was. How could she not have guessed? As his girlfriend, would Chen Jing really allow her boyfriend to go away alone with a childhood friend of the opposite sex?

Liang Muzi, watching Xu Zhi’s expression, said, “Chen Jing heard about that dinner at my house… She wants to apologize, since you were dragged into trouble because of us. This trip is our way of making it up to you.”

There’s an old saying: it’s hard to reject someone with a smile. Liang Muzi had brought things to this point, thinking he’d made his case unassailable—Xu Zhi shouldn’t make things difficult for Chen Jing now.

Xu Zhi didn’t react much. She smiled faintly and said, “It’s unnecessary. If I’d known I’d be scolded, I wouldn’t have helped cover for you.”

Chen Jing’s expression turned a little awkward. “I’m sorry, it was our fault. We invited you here to make amends. I hope you enjoy yourself.”

Unlike Liang Muzi, Xu Zhi didn’t really care for these kinds of leisure activities. Seeing Chen Jing now, a vague thought crossed her mind: perhaps Liang Muzi had ulterior motives in bringing her here.

But she didn’t ask. Since she was already here, she simply said, “Which room will I stay in?”

Liang Muzi led her to a large bedroom beside the master suite.

Once inside, he lowered his voice. “Zhi, don’t blame me for acting first and informing you later. I really hope you can give Chen Jing another chance. She’s actually a good person. Besides, she’s my girlfriend, and you’re my best friend. You two will see each other often in the future. If you can’t get along, I’ll be the one suffering the most.”

Xu Zhi set her backpack on the table, glanced back at him. “You’re the one dating her, not me.”

Liang Muzi was a little displeased. “That’s too distant. I want the people closest to me to accept her.”

“My acceptance doesn’t affect her entering the Liang family. You should be more concerned about your parents and grandfather’s opinions.”

Mentioning that made Liang Muzi’s head ache. “Those problems can’t be solved right away. We’ll deal with them later. Pack your things—we’ll go downstairs and eat.”

“I’m not going. The drive tired me out. You and Chen Jing go ahead.”

Liang Muzi was about to leave, then hesitated. “What about you? Should I bring something up for you?”

Xu Zhi didn’t refuse. Once Liang Muzi left, she collapsed onto the bed, her face falling.

She thought, Liang Muzi really does take her for a fool. Did he think she couldn’t see through his intentions?

He invited her to go skiing—not for some nonsense apology.