Chapter 4: Chapter Two

Jiang Jie drove to a riverside park near Shilin, then firmly asked Bai Ziling to get out with him; the two walked along the riverbank. Though Bai Ziling looked displeased, since she had already gotten out, she could do nothing but endure—her evening gown made her feel out of place, drawing many curious glances from around them.

“Shouldn’t you change out of that evening gown first?” Jiang Jie, ever observant, noticed too.

“You just need to take me home… No! Let me go home!” Bai Ziling said sharply.

“Last time, you had a good impression of me…”

“I thought you felt the same about me, but…”

“I’m a businessman—I’m always swamped.”

“Is that an excuse?” She rejected it.

“And as for women…”

“Women always come to you, throw themselves at you, so you never call!” Bai Ziling cut in ahead of him. “Jiang Jie, maybe you really are some golden bachelor, but I, Bai Ziling, have some dignity—I don’t chase men!”

Jiang Jie stared at Bai Ziling, noticing for the first time that beyond her stunning beauty, she had backbone and character—unlike the women who usually came at his beck and call.

“So you’re really mad because I didn’t contact you!” Jiang Jie smiled faintly. “Should I apologize?”

“Save it. That’s your freedom.”

“Bai Ziling, can we start over?” Jiang Jie suddenly asked—he was genuinely interested in her now.

“Start over?”

“Pretend we just met today.”

“What would that change?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Then you couldn’t be angry with me anymore.”

Bai Ziling sensed his sincerity; if she remained petty, she’d only make a fool of herself.

“Jiang Jie, I’m not angry at all. If I am angry, it’s at myself!” She let down her guard.

“Angry at yourself?” He didn’t understand—he truly didn’t understand women.

“Xia Zhen is my closest friend. She’s now the wife of a bank president.”

“Are you jealous?”

“I have two other close friends—one is Han Ze’s wife. You know Han Ze, the hotel tycoon—you were at the groundbreaking ceremony for his Suzhou tech park…” She tried to jog his memory.

“I remember.”

“And another good friend—her husband runs a receivables company. He’s got power and influence too.”

“So you’re pitying yourself?” Jiang Jie began to understand. Bai Ziling’s close friends had all married well—only she remained searching. She was angry at herself, yet pitied herself too. “Bai Ziling, everyone has their own fate.”

“Yes! They’re lucky—what about me?” Bai Ziling pointed to herself. “I have to wear secondhand designer gowns, drown in credit card debt I’ll never pay off, and without a college diploma, I can’t even land a decent job!”

“You didn’t graduate college?” He was surprised.

“Neither did they!”

“All four of you lack college degrees?”

“Is that a crime? Am I inferior?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jiang Jie clarified coolly. “I know Lei Hanyu and Han Ze. I’m not close to them, but I assumed they matched your social standing…”

“Jiang Jie, class prejudice still exists, but some men stay true to themselves—they marry the women they love and want to spend their lives with!” Bai Ziling defended her friends’ husbands.

Jiang Jie smiled silently, as if struck by something.

“What about you? Do you have strict standards?” Bai Ziling asked bluntly.

“What standards?”

“Your wife’s qualifications!”

“I don’t want to get married!” He said it plainly.

“You won’t marry?!” She felt deeply disappointed.

“I don’t understand women, and I don’t need them much. Sure, women have their uses and advantages, but I’m truly uninterested in marriage!” He knew this would infuriate Bai Ziling, but he had no patience for sweet-talking women.

Bai Ziling narrowed her eyes, trying to understand him. “So… you sleep with women, but you won’t—and don’t want to—marry?”

“Everyone’s willing. It’s not ‘playing’!”

“So even if we…” Bai Ziling gave an example. “Even if we became boyfriend and girlfriend, I still shouldn’t dream of becoming Mrs. Jiang?”

“I don’t know what you want, but…”

“You won’t offer marriage.” She finished for him.

“Marriage suffocates.”

“Thank you for being honest,” Bai Ziling said, smiling at him—not angry, but appreciative. “At least you’re an upright man. You don’t feed women unrealistic fantasies.”

“Exactly! You get it!”

“Can I go now?” Bai Ziling couldn’t stand walking around like a movie star in this place. To others, she and Jiang Jie might look like Jin Tongyunu—but now she knew the golden boy refused marriage.

“We could get coffee,” he suggested.

“No.”

“Bai Ziling, even if I won’t offer marriage, I can still offer ‘other things’!” His tone carried hidden meaning.

“Jiang Jie, when we first met, I made it perfectly clear—I don’t sell myself!” Bai Ziling reiterated. “Use your brain. Look at my friends’ situations. I’d rather starve than sell my soul or body.”

“Very noble,” Jiang Jie said coolly.

“If all you want is a woman’s body, any woman will do—you don’t need to waste time and energy on me!” She stated it plainly.

“I’ll take you home,” he suddenly said.

“Thank you,” she replied sincerely.

“I really dislike wasting time.”

“Me too.”

“If I’d met you a few years earlier…” Jiang Jie shrugged. “Things might’ve been different.”

“Maybe,” Bai Ziling said, a touch regretful—but not pained. Long ago, she’d made a pact with herself: never be a man’s plaything. Even a man like Jiang Jie couldn’t make her lower her standards. She wanted a man who truly cherished her… though money would be better.

And Jiang Jie—they seemed destined to miss each other.

Sima Xingchen returned from Italy with many delicate gifts for her three closest friends. Beyond exchanging presents, the real purpose of their gathering—Sima Xingchen, Xia Zhen, and Chang Weiwei—was to interrogate Bai Ziling. Thanks to Xia Zhen’s gossip, Sima Xingchen now knew about Jiang Jie, and they all watched the aftermath with intense interest.

But Bai Ziling acted unlike herself—not ecstatic or smug about landing a Jin Guixu, but quiet and reserved, her thoughts and attention entirely fixed on the music box Sima Xingchen had given her.

“Bai Ziling, stop pretending!” Xia Zhen struck first. Her baby son slept peacefully in her arms, like a little angel; she gently stroked his hair as she spoke.

“Pretending what?”

“Stop acting so calm—did you get him?” Chang Weiwei patted her swollen belly; the ultrasound had revealed a girl, and Han Ze was overjoyed.

“Get who?”

“The CEO of Jiang Corporation!”

Bai Ziling wore an unreadable expression, playing with the music box, listening to its beautiful melody over and over.

“Bai Ziling, stop being mysterious!” Sima Xingchen joined the gossip circle. “You’re the only one still single, and you’re the most powerful and ambitious among us four—it’s all up to you now!”

“No chance,” Bai Ziling finally said.

“No chance?!” The three married women exclaimed in unison.

“Jiang Jie said he has no interest in marriage.”

“Really?” Xia Zhen frowned, then remembered her husband’s words. “Han Yu mentioned he has many female ‘friends’—he keeps friendly relations with all of them—but he never said Jiang Jie won’t marry!”

“Even so, that was before. Now he’s met our Ziling,” Chang Weiwei had full confidence in Bai Ziling. “Ziling will awaken his desire to settle down. A successful man always craves freedom, hates being tied down—but once his true love appears…”

“He said it outright!” Bai Ziling told them plainly.

“What exactly?”

“He might be a little interested in me, but he has no intention of marrying. He can offer other things—but not marriage!” She repeated his words exactly.

“What a jerk!”

“So irresponsible!”

“What a terrible man!”

Bai Ziling looked at her three friends and shrugged. “Actually, you shouldn’t blame him. He’s an honest man—he didn’t feed me false hopes or make grand promises. I admire that.”

“Could it be…” Xia Zhen suddenly worried. “Jiang Jie is gay…”

“I believe he’s not,” Bai Ziling smiled.

“Then maybe he was hurt by a woman before,” Chang Weiwei added.

“I don’t know.”

“So it’s QameOver?” Sima Xingchen looked disappointed. “Xia Zhen said he’s incredibly cool and sexy!”

“Xingchen, your Lan Baiwei is cool and charismatic too,” Bai Ziling’s voice carried an unspoken sadness. “Men like this break women’s hearts—but thank goodness he told me before I fell too deep. My heart’s still intact.”

“True. There are plenty of other chances,” Xia Zhen encouraged her. “With your looks—and that perfect silver strapless gown—Ziling, you’re more beautiful than Nicole Kidman!”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Bai Ziling said confidently. “Besides Jiang Jie, there are surely many other qualified bachelors—or princes—I’ll meet!”

“Exactly! When Weiwei gives birth, Han Ze will throw a full-moon party for his precious daughter—there’ll be a sea of wealthy merchants and tycoons…” Sima Xingchen teased. “Ziling, you’ll have another chance to shine then.”

“How depressing,” Bai Ziling self-mocked.

“That’s opportunity!”

“You’ll find a Jin Guixu for sure.”

“Your charm is irresistible.”

Bai Ziling stared at the music box in her hand, unable to help thinking of Jiang Jie. Among all the unmarried men she knew, he was one of the few worthy enough to catch her eye and spark her imagination—too bad… he had no interest in marriage. What a pity.

The assistant walked into Jiang Jie’s office with a file.

“President, the U.S. warship construction contract requires a one-billion-yuan bid deposit,” he said, troubled.

“And now?”

Four or five hundred million short.

Can’t the accounting department come up with it?

We’ve issued many letters of credit for European shipments—it’s just temporary…

“I see!” Jiang Jie pondered. Was this fate? Or was his grandfather just too good at calculating?

He pulled out the napkin from his drawer, on which Bai Ziling had written a mobile phone number in lipstick, then dialed those digits.

She had no idea why Jiang Jie had asked her out, but since they’d already been clear with each other, she hadn’t bothered to dress up—just tight jeans, a black V-neck T-shirt, and high-heeled sandals. She looked fresh, elegant, and impossible to look away from.

A beauty is always a beauty—every gesture radiates charm. Jiang Jie, waiting in the chain café, saw Bai Ziling push open the door and walk in, and felt a sense of pleasant delight.

Bai Ziling waved at him first, then walked straight to the counter and ordered the café’s signature coffee. She came here often, knew the place well, so when Jiang Jie asked on the phone where to meet, she named this café.

Carrying her coffee, Bai Ziling approached the table where Jiang Jie sat—by the window, in the corner, with a good view and no disturbances. When the café wasn’t crowded, she always chose this spot.

“You paying for your own coffee…” Jiang Jie, used to paying for women, felt uneasy.

“It’s just coffee,” Bai Ziling settled in, calm and at ease. She didn’t want to owe him a coffee.

“I’ll treat you to dinner later…”

“President Jiang!” She deliberately kept distance, refusing to call him by name. “What exactly do you want with me?”

“I have a proposal,” Jiang Jie said bluntly.

“A proposal?” She sipped her coffee—no sugar, no cream.

“You drink your coffee black?” Jiang Jie noticed.

“I don’t like things too sweet.”

“But coffee is bitter…”

“I think it’s perfect.”

Few women drank black coffee. Most girls preferred sweets—otherwise, afternoon tea wouldn’t be so popular with women. Many had already eaten their fill, yet when dessert arrived, it was as if they had two stomachs and could eat more no matter what.

“My proposal…” Jiang Jie returned to the point. “Marriage.”

“Marriage?” Bai Ziling thought she’d misheard. She focused intently. “Who and who?”

“You and me.”

“Us?!”

“Who else?”

Bai Ziling didn’t jump for joy. Her face darkened, showing clear displeasure. “April Fools’ Day is over.”

“What does that have to do with April Fools’?” he asked seriously.

“You don’t want to get married,” she reminded him.

“Circumstances have changed.”

“We only met two weeks ago. Could it be that in these two weeks…”

“I need five hundred million,” he said calmly.

“If you marry me, you’ll…”

“Yes! If I marry, I’ll get five hundred million.”

“Jiang Jie, is this a joke?” Bai Ziling’s face turned icy. “I have no sense of humor. You’d better explain clearly and in detail.”

Jiang Jie spent a few minutes explaining the whole situation.

“So… this is a fake marriage?!” Bai Ziling understood immediately.

“But you have to act like it’s real!” Jiang Jie emphasized.

“And… fake pregnancy?!” She found it unbelievable.

“I can get a doctor’s certificate.”

“Then what?”

“I get the five-hundred-million inheritance.”

“Then we…”

“Divorce, and you ‘miscarry’—then it’s all done!”

Bai Ziling had no idea Jiang Jie, besides being an excellent CEO, was also a genius screenwriter—he could plan such an absurd scheme with such calm, logical precision: five hundred million, marriage, divorce, pregnancy, miscarriage—as if everything would go smoothly. Would it really?

“What do you say?” Jiang Jie asked casually.

“Why me?”

“Why not you?”

“You must have many female friends who’d be willing…”

“But I think you’d cause the least trouble.”

“You think that?”

“Bai Ziling, all women in the world are the same—they want roughly the same things. But you have a bit more backbone and dignity. I believe you won’t hassle me afterward. You’re the type who does exactly what you’re paid for. Am I wrong?” Jiang Jie’s expression was cold and arrogant.

“So you’re going to pay me?” Bai Ziling narrowed her eyes. She never imagined a TV drama scenario would happen to her.

“Three million,” he said without hesitation.

“Three million!” Bai Ziling’s mouth opened slightly, her lips trembling.

“Three million for three months.”

“So… if I play your wife for three months, then miscarry and divorce, I get three million?” She repeated his proposal to ensure no misunderstanding.

“Exactly,” he nodded.

“I don’t have to sleep with you?”

“Unless you initiate…”

“Do I have to live under the same roof as you?” Ignoring his teasing, she asked practical questions.

Jiang Jie nodded. “You have to act like it’s real!” he said. “Five hundred million isn’t easy to get—but luckily, I know a doctor.”

“What if it gets exposed?”

“This five hundred million is for an emergency. Once my crisis is over, I’ll repay every cent!” Jiang Jie wasn’t worried at all.

“And I can earn three million so easily…” she murmured.

“Just three months.”

If there ever was a “gift from heaven,” this was it—it was practically handing her money. She couldn’t believe such a lucky thing existed.

“Bai Ziling, do you dare earn this three million?” Jiang Jie’s expression was sharp, mocking—as if testing her courage, wondering just how bold she was.

“Jiang Jie, what if… after three months, you don’t let me go?” Bai Ziling asked with equal sarcasm.

“You’re afraid I’ll… chase after you?!” He looked astonished, never expecting her to say that.

“Anything’s possible.”

“Bai Ziling, you’re worrying too much,” Jiang Jie laughed loudly. “Don’t worry! When the time comes, I’ll divorce you immediately. I’ll give you your freedom right away.”

“But what if I fall in love with you?” she watched him steadily.

“Bai Ziling, you’re overestimating yourself,” he sneered.

“Impossible?”

“Impossible!”

“Why?” She wanted to know.

“I’m not gay, I’m not a pervert. I like sleeping with women—I like their warmth, their moans, their panting, the way they look at climax. I’m completely normal. But to love a woman…” Jiang Jie showed contempt. “I’m not that foolish, not that insane. Women… none of them are worth a man’s true love!”

“Jiang Jie!” Bai Ziling was furious. “What kind of twisted logic is that? Why aren’t women worth loving? Why are women just tools for your sexual release?”

“That’s how I feel. That’s all the evaluation I have for women!” Jiang Jie glared at her with a domineering look.

Bai Ziling was furious. If she had to pick the ultimate patriarchal male archetype, she’d guarantee Jiang Jie would win. He thought having money gave him the right to trample women.

“You can refuse my proposal,” he said, looking at her as if she weren’t essential. “I just thought of you first.”

“I won’t turn down money,” Bai Ziling said coldly.

“You… agree?”

“Of course I agree.”

“For three million?”

“What else?” She matched his coldness.

“Aren’t you worried… you’ll fall for me?” Now it was Jiang Jie’s turn to ask. “Bai Ziling, I’m not overestimating my charm. To women, I offer not just money, fine clothes, and jewels—I offer them the whole world.”

“There’s one thing you can’t give,” she smiled sweetly at him. “You have no heart—so you have no true feeling.”

“That’s nonsense!”

“Jiang Jie, didn’t a woman once hurt you badly, stab you in the back? Otherwise, why such a cold-blooded mindset and behavior?” Bai Ziling asked fearlessly. “Do you even have blood in your veins—or just ice and black sludge?”

Jiang Jie didn’t answer.

“Did I hit the mark?”

“Bai Ziling, say whatever you want, think whatever you want. All I need is three months. I pay, you give your time. We’re three months of pretend spouses. I won’t fall for you, and you won’t be foolish enough to fall for me. There’s no love between us.” Jiang Jie spoke clearly, making sure she understood every word.

“I understand,” Bai Ziling replied.

“The wedding will be soon.”

“The simpler, the better!” she blurted out.

“Don’t worry—I’m even more afraid of formalities than you are. I don’t want anyone to know, except close family. I only want that five hundred million!”

“My three million…” Since this was a transaction, she’d treat it like one.

“Half after the wedding, half on the divorce day. Is that acceptable?” Jiang Jie asked for her opinion.

“Fine,” Bai Ziling didn’t argue.

"You’ll have your own room and privacy; when we need to appear together, we’ll play the role of immortal lovers. If anyone asks why we got married so suddenly, say… we fell in love at first sight and couldn’t wait a moment, because you’re already pregnant—so…" Jiang Jie had already thought it all through.

"You’ve got it all planned out…" Bai Ziling snorted. "We’re like dry tinder meeting flame."

"We’re not, but let everyone think we are!" he laughed.