Generally speaking, men prefer young women.
The younger, the better.
Ideally, around seventeen or eighteen, maybe twenty.
Full of youth and energy.
But there are some men who don’t like these inexperienced girls. Instead, they prefer women with life experience, especially those in their prime.
Take Zachary Qu, for example.
Zachary Qu is thirty-three this year. Even though he’s the Quinn Family’s illegitimate son, the family’s influence in the area means he’s still surrounded by endless resources.
Is there any kind of beauty he couldn’t find?
But from the moment Zachary Qu became aware of the world, his tastes were different from everyone else’s.
He has no interest in inexperienced girls—only in mature women around thirty.
Unfortunately, the women he meets can only excite him for a while. He quickly gets bored.
That’s why Zachary Qu is still single.
He’s not obsessed with romance, but he’s not desperate either.
He thought he’d never get married or fall in love in this lifetime.
Until he met Cecilia Gu.
In R City, Zachary Qu happened to look up and saw a woman in the distance—every gesture exuded endless elegance. She wasn’t the kind of breathtaking beauty that could topple nations, but her presence was simply wonderful.
She was like moonlight—mysterious, gentle, graceful, calm, serene. The moment he saw her, a phrase popped into his mind: 'May time remain gentle—would you hold my hand?'
Zachary Qu’s eyes were glued to her; he couldn’t look away.
She seemed to be talking to someone else, and when she smiled, his heart couldn’t help but race.
Maybe it was because she’d been a mother—she radiated a gentle, maternal glow.
That glow was like poison, fatally attracting him.
Zachary Qu instinctively wanted to go over and meet the woman who, for the first time, made him think about marriage.
But before he could, Miss Mo ran over, smiling and greeting her with delight.
It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
Anyone who knows Miss Mo probably isn’t an ordinary person.
If she’s not ordinary, then he can’t make a move.
He couldn’t help himself. He immediately asked someone to find out more about her.
When the news came, he was completely stunned!
How was that possible?!
She was actually the wife of the CEO of Yin Enterprises—the very person he’d always wanted to get close to!
Why her?
Why did it have to be her?
Zachary Qu felt cold from head to toe.
After thirty-three years, the first time he fell for someone, it turned into an obsession that could never come true.
He’d never met Charles Yin or Mrs. Charles Yin, but he’d heard so many stories about them.
So, he’d probably never be able to speak of this secret for the rest of his life.
He couldn’t let anyone notice his feelings.
He had more important things to do.
Love and marriage meant nothing compared to his career.
But he still couldn’t help himself—he went up to greet Cecilia Gu, watching as she mischievously introduced herself as Miss Cecilia Grant, the second daughter of the Yun Family.
His heart skipped a beat, and he even dared to hope—if only she were still unmarried, wouldn’t that be great? Maybe, just maybe, he’d have a chance.
But dreams are just dreams. He could only face reality and focus on what he needed to do.
He couldn’t let down the people who depended on him—he couldn’t fail them.
"Ninth Son? What are you looking at?" Quentin Qin asked, confused, seeing Zachary Qu staring out the window.
Zachary Qu reluctantly let go of the curtain and answered casually, "It’s nothing. Go on."
"I think Mr. Ford is worth reaching out to," Quentin Qin said. "He’s got some influence in Newport City. Even though he’s in fashion, he knows a lot of people—maybe he could be useful."
"Mm." Zachary Qu’s mind was still on Cecilia Gu’s beautiful profile, distracted, so he just said, "You handle it."
"Alright." Quentin Qin didn’t notice anything strange and said, "I’ll go talk to Mr. Ford!"
After Quentin Qin left, Zachary Qu opened the curtain again to look, but the balcony was empty.
A wave of regret washed over Zachary Qu.
But it was fine.
He’d see her at the banquet later anyway.
By evening, all the guests had changed into formal attire for the outdoor party.
The courtyard was lit up as bright as day, with plenty of tables and chairs for people to relax and chat. Food was everywhere, constantly replenished by the staff.
Anyone at the party could sit down and talk, or just enjoy their meal—basically, they could do whatever they liked.
The Qu Family Patriarch made an appearance at the beginning, greeted everyone, and soon went back to rest.
That confirmed the rumors about his poor health.
A lot of people understood what was going on.
This birthday banquet was less about celebrating the Qu Family Patriarch and more about witnessing the birth of the next family head.
The day the new head was chosen would be the day everyone reconnected with the Qu Family.