Chapter 1: Contract Marriage
Inside the private room of the tea house, sunlight filtered through the brown bamboo blinds, spilling onto a man with a cold, aloof countenance.
Sitting on the wooden table was a cup of coffee, entirely out of place in a traditional tea house.
Xie Shibai lowered his gaze and wiped the handle of the coffee cup. He polished the light-colored handle repeatedly until it gleamed slightly. Only then did his slender fingers lift the cup. The roasted aroma unique to coffee filled his mouth, and the intake of caffeine alleviated his physical discomfort by a few degrees.
In the center of the table lay a paper contract titled “Marriage Agreement,” with a resume placed beside it.
The resume was comprehensive. The name circled in red was the guest Xie Shibai was about to meet.
The tea house was private and soundproof, maintaining a leisurely silence until a knock on the door broke the room’s tranquility.
A second later, the door slid open. A tall figure walked straight in. The silhouette was tall, sturdy, and dark, looming like a mountain as he looked down at Xie Shibai sitting in the chair.
Xie Shibai raised his eyes, pausing for a few seconds when his gaze landed on the stranger.
The person opposite him was wrapped up tight, wearing a black baseball cap and a black mask. Only a pair of sharp, deep black eyes were visible. His broad shoulders carried an oppressive and dangerous aura.
Xie Shibai frowned. He recalled the height and photo on the resume; they didn’t match this stranger at all.
He didn’t remember knowing the person across from him, nor had he made such an enemy. His cold, beautiful face filled with guard, and his tone turned hard. “Can I help you?”
The strange man didn’t speak. He pulled out a chair, his gaze landing on the resume on the table. Acting as if he owned the place, he picked up the resume, flipped through a few pages, and then tossed it into the trash can with evident disgust. With fluid movements, he pulled out another resume, the cover of which looked even more garish than the one he had just thrown away.
Xie Shibai’s frown deepened. The sudden intrusion into his solitude was rapidly draining his patience. Out of politeness, he gave one final reminder: “You have the wrong room.”
“No mistake,” the stranger replied. He looked up slightly, his sharp black eyes glinting beneath the bangs under his cap. His tone was certain. “You are looking for someone to marry.”
Xie Shibai’s expression frosted over. His voice remained even. “Who are you?”
A stranger, completely covered up, had suddenly appeared and voiced the secret that he was looking for a contract marriage partner. Xie Shibai thought for a few seconds, preparing to press the service bell to have the staff remove him.
The man saw his intent. He didn’t beat around the bush; he simply blocked the service bell with his resume. “This is my resume.”
Xie Shibai narrowed his eyes slightly. He had a vague feeling that the person’s voice was familiar, but he couldn’t recall who it was at that moment. Leaning back against the chair, he didn’t touch the resume the man had handled. His indifferent gaze swept the man up and down. “I’m not hiring here.”
“And even if I were recruiting, I wouldn’t hire someone who doesn’t even dare to show their face.”
The deep eyes under the black cap seemed to curve into a smile. The man’s tone was blunt. “Anyone who sees my face must marry me.”
Xie Shibai raised his brow, a guess forming in his heart. The voice was lower than the person he knew—likely due to the mask—but he had no interest in playing guessing games. “If you won’t take it off, then forget it. Please leave.”
The man opposite seemed a bit disappointed. He stopped joking, reached up, and took off his mask. He pushed the resume forward, staring straight at him. “Teacher Xie, won’t you consider me?”
Looking at the familiar face before him, Xie Shibai’s expression sank abruptly. The temperature around him seemed to drop several degrees, his face cold as a blade. He mocked mercilessly, “Anyone who sees your face must marry you? Plenty of people have seen your face. Lu Ciheng, did you get tired of being a top star and decide you want to become a criminal instead?”
This face had been scorching hot in the media over the last few days; any random person could shout his name. If, as he said, seeing his face meant marriage, a bigamy charge wouldn’t even begin to cover it.
Lu Ciheng hooked the corner of his mouth. “How could that be? Naturally, it only applies to this specific moment.”
Xie Shibai didn’t understand what game Lu Ciheng was playing.
Privately, they had only met once, yet on the trending search lists, they were unusually “close.”
They had debuted around the same time, and initially, their acting styles were similar. This led to them being the two candidates directors constantly agonized over and compared for almost every movie role. The most frequent topic on the trending lists was marketing accounts stirring up rumors: Movie casts Xie Shibai, followed immediately by an official announcement for Lu Ciheng, or vice versa.
They had been “internet neighbors” for a long time, but they were bona fide arch-rivals. Every trending topic involving them was a bloodbath of fan wars. It was an open secret in the entertainment industry that the two didn’t get along.
The main reason Xie Shibai found him annoying wasn’t the clash in resources, but rather that every time Lu Ciheng trended, Xie Shibai would inexplicably be linked to him, causing his studio to work overtime to handle the ensuing trouble.
Especially after last night’s Movie Gala. Lu Ciheng, in high spirits, had won the title of the youngest Best Actor. Aside from the trending topic about his win, the remaining top searches more or less tagged Xie Shibai’s name. Even now, the work group chat hadn’t quieted down, busy dealing with those few trending topics that might cause negative fallout.
Xie Shibai swept a light glance over the resume.
Exaggerated colorful patterns buried the key points at a glance. While it might stand out in a pile of minimalist resumes, showing too much “personality” in the workplace was a taboo.
Truly a failed resume.
Seeing that Xie Shibai had no intention of opening the resume, Lu Ciheng placed a comprehensive supplementary document in front of him, thoughtfully flipping to the key points. He seemed to have prepared more seriously than for a job interview.
“I, like you, also need a contract marriage partner.”
Their fan bases had fought World War III on the internet countless times, yet here was the idol discussing a contract marriage with his rival.
Xie Shibai never felt their relationship was good enough for this. In the entertainment circle, the fact that they hadn’t openly feuded despite their resource conflicts was the height of civility.
He asked, attempting one last time to be calm, “Lu Ciheng, are you sick?”
“No.” A smile rose on Lu Ciheng’s face, as if he had expected this. He pulled up his medical report on his phone. The black eyes under the cap were sincere and serious. “This is the medical report that just came out. I am very healthy. I am a perfect marriage partner.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
His gaze fell on the phone screen. It was actually done according to pre-marital checkup standards, with the project name even listed at the top. The first few items he saw were indeed as healthy as Lu Ciheng claimed. It was very comprehensive—except for the fact that there was no checkup for the brain.
“What you should check is your brain.”
Xie Shibai stood up to leave.
Just as he was about to depart, in the next second, with the rustle of fabric and a rush of wind, his wrist was suddenly grabbed through his clothes.
The large palm felt like red-hot iron; he could feel the eroding heat even through the fabric.
Xie Shibai’s body instantly went rigid, breaking out in a layer of cold sweat. The sensation on his wrist made it feel as though he couldn’t breathe; the oxygen turned into a thin, tight shackle, and every hair on his body screamed in protest.
“I’m serious.” Lu Ciheng held onto Xie Shibai, his black eyes looking directly into the other’s.
Xie Shibai was beautiful. His skin was cold white, his brow and eyes superior. His aura was forever cold and undisturbed. If one looked closely, his beautiful features carried a sharp edge; his slightly upturned eyes swept over people with impatience. He was like a frozen rose under the winter sun—beautiful and arrogant, but forever possessing cold, sharp thorns. If forced open, one would be pierced, leaving behind bright red blood.
Lu Ciheng had no doubt that in the next second, Xie Shibai would throw off his hand, just like at the Movie Gala banquet.
Speaking seriously, he might even slap him.
Lu Ciheng’s large palm couldn’t help but tighten, his staring black eyes dyed with excitement.
Smack.
Xie Shibai forcefully threw off Lu Ciheng’s hand. A layer of displeasure surfaced in his pale eyes. His cold, indifferent face took on a hint of aggression, breaking the initially detached atmosphere and adding a sense of vitality.
“Don’t touch me.”
Pity, this was a public place.
Lu Ciheng’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed together, as if he could still feel the lingering body heat of the person before him. In his nasal cavity, he could smell the cold fragrance that had swept over with the wind when Xie Shibai waved his hand—like ice crystals hitting his face, slightly cool.
Dark light swirled in his eyes. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, his gaze lingering on Xie Shibai’s wrist for a few seconds. “I won’t take up much of your time, Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai turned a deaf ear. The residual sensation on his wrist was incredibly strong, as if countless ants were biting and spreading. The contact and phantom pain exploded in his mind. The intense desire to wash his hands made control difficult, and his patience was running out.
As his fingers touched the door, the voice behind him didn’t stop.
“Rather than signing a contract with a random stranger and risking exposure, isn’t it safer to cooperate directly with someone who has the same needs? Surely Teacher Xie understands this logic better than I do?”
Xie Shibai clenched his fingers, his expression pausing for a few seconds.
Lu Ciheng stared at Xie Shibai’s back and continued, “A contract can only legally bind a person’s actions; it cannot bind their character. Precisely because there is compensation money involved, those who agree to a contract marriage might make different choices when tempted by even more money.”
“But I am different. Our goals are the same; neither of us will sell the other out. Furthermore, I don’t need compensation. In summary, compared to that ragtag bunch of rejects you were just looking at, I am simply the most perfect candidate for cooperation.”
Lu Ciheng smiled. “Not choosing such a perfect partner is a waste of natural resources, Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai’s face was cold. He cast a glance backward, mocking mercilessly, “You really rate yourself highly.”
Lu Ciheng grinned brilliantly, looking as if he were being genuinely humble. “Just an average rating.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
Speechless as he was, Xie Shibai understood the meaning behind Lu Ciheng’s words.
His cold white fingers gripped tightly. He forced himself to divert his attention to recall and analyze Lu Ciheng’s words.
Entering a contract marriage with a stranger was equivalent to creating blackmail material and handing it directly to that stranger.
Lu Ciheng was right; a contract couldn’t constrain a person’s character. Moreover, once he entered a contract marriage, those people would target his partner. Temptation would only come in the form of offering more money than he did.
No matter how carefully he investigated, it was useless. A person’s heart is separated by the belly; one can never guess if a person will turn into a ghost under temptation.
Xie Shibai had considered these factors in advance; this was a necessary risk on this path. However, Lu Ciheng’s proposal offered a new path that appeared risk-free.
At this critical juncture, Xie Shibai was more inclined toward the path that wouldn’t affect the trust fund.
Lu Ciheng’s black eyes under the cap stared at Xie Shibai. Noticing that the other party’s emotions didn’t show excessive resistance, he continued, “How about it, Teacher Xie? Shall we continue talking?”
Xie Shibai turned around to look straight at Lu Ciheng, questioning, “Lu Ciheng, since when has our relationship been good enough for this level? What is your goal?”
Lu Ciheng chuckled lightly. “What goal could I have? It’s nothing more than the fact that the internet thinks we have a bad relationship. Even if we get photographed, no one will believe we’re married. It reduces career issues. You have a need, and I happen to have one too.”
“Besides, we are old acquaintances. Just helping each other out.”
Xie Shibai lowered his long eyelashes, thinking for a few seconds.
“The most important point,” Lu Ciheng continued. “I’m handsome, I have good character, I’m not clingy, I have the spirit of a contract, and I can act. Even living together after marriage to keep up appearances won’t disturb you. Out of three hundred and sixty-five days a year, I am on set for three hundred and sixty-six. Even if we live together, it will be just like you living by yourself.”
“Except for the necessary acting segments, I absolutely will not disturb your life. Marrying me is a sure win with no loss.”
Xie Shibai’s emotions wavered slightly. The point he struggled with most was the cohabitation life after the contract marriage. Space would inevitably contain another person’s shadow; even if living areas were divided, it would still affect him.
It was just that Lu Ciheng’s way of expressing it was annoying to hear.
Xie Shibai mocked without mercy, “Narcissist.”
“Just telling the truth. I am a very honest person.”
Lu Ciheng took out a prepared pen, deftly flipped open Xie Shibai’s agreement, and signed his name without even looking.
Xie Shibai paused for a few seconds observing the action, a look of inquiry flashing across the bottom of his eyes.
After writing, Lu Ciheng pushed the agreement forward, his gaze fixed as if trying to stare a hole through the person opposite him. “Give me a chance, Teacher Xie.”
Xie Shibai stared at the agreement for a few seconds. He couldn’t deny that Lu Ciheng was right; such an agreement was indeed the optimal solution. Furthermore, since their relationship was bad, there wouldn’t be additional complications when the agreement ended. The worst outcome would be conflict, and they were already in a state of maximum discord.
Perhaps the gnawing sensation on his wrist intensified, causing him to ignore the gaze resting on him. The sightline projected from across the table was scorching, as if it could pierce through the paper.
Simultaneously, anxiety overpowered Xie Shibai’s inherent suspicion.
He didn’t touch the pen the other man had used. He took out his own fountain pen and signed his name on the contract.
As the ink finished the final stroke, Xie Shibai stopped writing. He looked up and collided with a pair of eyes that were dark and bright. Within that scorching brightness, there seemed to be a thicker, denser emotion hidden, like a dog seeing a bone—vaguely concealing some indecipherable danger.
Xie Shibai subconsciously felt a desire to regret his decision.
He thought to himself that he really was just like Lu Ciheng—he must be sick in the head to agree to this.
As if he could read his mind, Lu Ciheng immediately took back his copy of the contract, guarding it tightly. “You signed it; no take-backs.”
Xie Shibai pursed his lips and retorted, “Who wants to take it back?”
Lu Ciheng held the contract belonging to him. The eyes under the baseball cap were bright, and his tone was dyed with a hint of laughter.
“Let’s go. We’ll get the certificate today. Fiancé.”
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