Only after seeing the screen flooded with flying commentaries did I realize I was merely a foil, a cannon fodder female supporting character. I immediately turned my car around, completely throwing away my “good girl” persona.
Once again, I pinned the favored son of heaven, Shen Hanxing, down on the bed, causing the chat channel to explode instantly.
– Is this female supporting character blind? Can’t she see the male lead’s veins bulging from restraint? Let him go this instant!
– She’s just abusing the fact that they were childhood sweethearts to run wild!
– I’m so furious, my poor male lead, boohoo!
– Calm down, everyone. Her days of arrogance are coming to an end!
– The female lead is already on a flight back home. The leads are about to cross paths, and after that, the male lead will utterly loathe her and keep his distance.
– In the end, her family will go bankrupt, she’ll be drowning in debt, and she will freeze to death on the streets.
Looking at those commentaries, I let out a soft laugh. Standing up, I bluntly broke up with Shen Hanxing.
His eyes darkened instantly, and he asked in a hoarse voice, “Why?”
Because I want a new boyfriend, obviously!
As if he was the only childhood sweetheart I had.
Without answering Shen Hanxing, I leisurely walked into the bathroom and admired myself in the mirror. Fair-skinned, tall, and flawless. Yet, the chat channel was already hurling insults relentlessly.
– I’ve never seen a cannon fodder as toxic as her. Back then, the male lead didn’t even care for her, but she insisted on badgering him until she got him!
– Once she finally won him over, she tortured him to the bone. Even when the male lead had a high fever and meetings to attend, she still demanded porridge in the dead of night and forced him to go on road trips at dawn.
– Exactly, the last shred of neighborly affection has been completely drained by her.
– It’s fine, let her enjoy her final act. The more she acts out, the faster she self-destructs. Can’t you see how much Shen Hanxing is enduring right now?
– The heir who emerged from the fiery trials of the Shen family is no saint!
Shen Hanxing picked up the slippers placed before the bathroom door. His gaze was dark and gloomy, yet his thin lips still uttered, “The floor is cold, put on your slippers. Also, I need a reason for the breakup.”
I smiled, tying my hair into a high ponytail. “Because you’re boring, always flashing that stone-cold, emotionless face. As for which specific area you are boring in, you can figure that out yourself.” I elongated my tone, dripping with heavy innuendo.
Shen Hanxing’s face darkened instantly, his thin lips pressing into a tight line.
The chat channel flipped out even more than the male lead himself:
– The female supporting character is stepping on the gas toward her own destruction! She probably doesn’t know that just yesterday, her father shamelessly begged the male lead for help, right?
– Even though she isn’t favored at home, she only holds the title of an elite socialite because of the Gu family name. Without that backing, she’s absolutely nothing.
– So toxic! Every single time she demands a breakup, her excuses are so forced.
– Just looking at the length of the censored R-18 scenes, you know the male lead is a beast in disguise. She is clearly making false accusations.
– Breaking up early saves heartache. Let our boy go cherish our soft, cute female lead instead.
Shen Hanxing stared at me intently, taking a deep breath. “Fine!”
Immediately afterward, the screen was filled with celebratory fireworks, continuously updating the landing status of the female lead, Tong Yan’s flight, counting down to her fateful encounter with Shen Hanxing tomorrow.
Less than an hour after Shen Hanxing agreed to the breakup, his assistant arrived to pack his things. His belongings at my place were pitifully few, fitting into just one small suitcase.
The moment the assistant walked out the door with the suitcase, I immediately changed my fingerprint lock code. The assistant was all too used to our constant cycle of breakups and makeups, so he didn’t linger at all.
Shen Hanxing and I had known each other for thirteen years and had been together for two. He was the golden-spoon heir of the Shen Corporation. As for me, I was the eldest daughter of the Gu family who came up from the countryside, a motherless orphan.
When I was a child, I always had to live by reading other people’s expressions—pleasing my father, my stepmother, my younger brother, the butler, and even Shen Hanxing. I weakly obeyed whatever anyone said. I endured being beaten and held my tongue when scolded, only wanting a scrap of food to survive day by day.
My father said that as long as Shen Hanxing was willing to be friends with me, he would grant me a tiny allowance. But Shen Hanxing didn’t like me at all. No matter how much I flattered and submitted to him, he remained entirely indifferent, maintaining a haughty yet socially polite facade while a subtle loathing flickered in his eyes.
At fifteen, after washing three large basins of laundry, I sat by the dog kennel in the yard to catch a breeze. I was dreaming of the day I could save enough money to leave Haizhou City and become independent, when suddenly, I saw the flying commentaries flash across my vision.
They said I was just a cannon fodder, a foil character. My existence was merely that of Shen Hanxing’s boring, invisible ex-girlfriend. One day in the future, the Gu family would go bankrupt, and Shen Hanxing would coldly stand by and dump me. After that, he would meet his fated female lead, Tong Yan. Meanwhile, because my family collapsed, I would be hounded by debt collectors, driven away, and would eventually die of illness, utterly alone on the freezing streets of Haizhou.
Simply because I bore the title of a female supporting character, a piece of cannon fodder.
That night, looking at the bleeding, cracked skin on my hands, I suddenly burst into laughter. The label of a good, gentle, sensible, and obedient girl? This lady is not going to play that part anymore!
The very next day, I left a whole basin of dirty clothes unwashed, which was met with the roaring fury of the old butler. Looking at his arrogant posture, I reached out and slapped him right across the face. He was my stepmother’s cousin and had been throwing his weight around the Gu household for a long time. Just as he lost his temper, grabbing my hair and intending to push me down the stairs, Shen Hanxing and my father happened to walk through the door.
I turned my head to look at the old butler, curling my lips into a smirk that struck terror into him. Normally, my father wouldn’t be home at this hour, but I had eavesdropped on their schedule the night before. My father was the type who cared desperately about his reputation in front of outsiders, especially in front of Shen Hanxing.
Shen Hanxing, who was only seventeen at the time, had just kicked out his own cousin to set foot into the Shen Corporation, beginning to establish his voice. My father instantly unleashed a torrent of curses at my stepmother and kicked the old butler out on the spot. Even my useless younger brother was kicked twice in a row by him.
Yet, I didn’t escape unscathed either. That evening, enduring the pain from the caning, I went out to throw away the trash and ran into Shen Hanxing, who was returning. This was the first time he stopped to look at me closely. He froze slightly, handed me a handkerchief, and said in a flat tone, “Your hand is bleeding.”
I was no longer fake like before. Instead of accepting it gratefully, I merely looked at him coldly and sneered, “Shen Hanxing, don’t you find yourself incredibly hypocritical? Your brand of hypocrisy looks exactly like my father’s.”
He had witnessed my wretched circumstances before, and back then, his face remained completely blank, devoid of any concern. It was only when I humbled myself to flatter him that the disgust in his eyes grew heavier.
To hell with that! I threw the handkerchief straight into the trash can right in front of him. Since I was just a piece of cannon fodder anyway, I might as well live in a way that satisfies my own soul!
I thought Shen Hanxing would tell on me, but he didn’t. For the entire following year, he didn’t set foot near the Gu household. Sometime later, I picked a fight with my half-brother so my stepmother would throw me out of the house. It played out exactly as I had hoped.
Once I moved out, the chat channel constantly blasted me for being insane, claiming that staying at the Gu house at least gave me a roof over my head, and that going rogue like this would leave me begging for scraps. Eventually, they grew bored of watching me and demanded to fast-forward through my storyline.
That was even better!
Later, I entered university. After paying my tuition, the Gu family would occasionally throw some pocket change my way, calling it living expenses.
While working a part-time job, I ran into Shen Hanxing. It was a classic, highly melodramatic encounter, perfectly fitting the script of me being the invisible ex-girlfriend. One night at a karaoke lounge, a wealthy young lady confessed her love to Shen Hanxing. His indifferent eyes swept over and caught sight of me, and he immediately used me as a shield to reject her. Then, he handed me one hundred thousand yuan, telling me to pretend to be his girlfriend.
I refused outright. At that moment, the chat channel claimed I was playing hard to get.
And they were right. After refusing him, I turned around and pursued Shen Hanxing for half a year. I had seen a Shen Hanxing who would get completely wasted, vomiting wretchedly in a small alleyway upon touching alcohol; I had also seen a magnificent Shen Hanxing standing at the absolute peak of the Shen Corporation. Among countless other moments, I was always by his side, taking care of him and coaxing him. I told him, “Shen Hanxing, the condition for me to be with you is absolutely not some empty title. What I want is your entire being.”
Even now, I can still clearly remember Shen Hanxing’s dazed, completely frozen expression when he woke up after our first night together.
Afterward, I didn’t bother to care much anymore. I demanded whatever I wanted, and whenever the mood struck, I demanded a breakup. Usually, a breakup between Shen Hanxing and me usually lasted 72 hours. He arrived late for a meeting: break up; he cooked a dish I disliked: break up; there was even a time he went a bit too far and lasted too long: break up as well.
Initially, Shen Hanxing showed his dissatisfaction. Especially that time I complained he lasted too long in the second round, he frowned and asked me, “Gu Qian, have I spoiled you rotten?”
“You have the right not to spoil me, Young Master Shen.” The result was him being kicked out of the house by me along with his suitcase.
We cut off all contact for a full 72 hours. Finally, his assistant accidentally caught sight of me being admitted to the hospital due to an illness, and Shen Hanxing immediately flew back that very night. Seeing me lying on the hospital bed, he took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Ultimately, he didn’t utter a single word of blame, taking meticulous care of me until I was discharged before tossing out a sentence: “Next time, I will restrain myself.” Just like that, we naturally made up.
I was twenty that year. After that endless cycle of breaking up and making up like a daily routine, Shen Hanxing’s emotions had gradually grown numb.
The chat channel threw a massive fit, bashing me to pieces while bitterly waiting for Tong Yan to return to the country. This time, more than 72 hours had passed, yet there was still no sign of Shen Hanxing. The commentary section rejoiced as if celebrating a grand festival:
– Self-destruction successful, female supporting character!
– Who would have thought? The male and female leads were supposed to meet the day after tomorrow, but because the female supporting character demanded a breakup, the male lead planned an urgent business trip, causing him to bump right into the female lead at the airport.
– Oh wow, the storyline is finally back on the right track.
– Boohoo, so the male lead isn’t a virgin anymore?
– The female lead used to have an ex too, they are all adults here, it’s a fair game, what’s there to worry about!
– Alright, let’s grab our popcorn and watch the female supporting character prepare to receive her bitter end. Pity her for one minute.
– Huh? Why is the female supporting character heading out?
I completely ignored the swarm of commentaries and drove straight to the airport.
Jiang Ke—my childhood neighbor from back in the village—was returning to the country today. When he called last week, I wasn’t sure if I could make it to pick him up. This time, I texted him in advance, and he immediately asked:
– Why are you suddenly free today? Did your boyfriend stand you up?
– We broke up!
Jiang Ke paused for a beat before replying with a laugh:
– Is that so? Then dinner is on me later.
– Deal.
Jiang Ke was three years older than me. He was the type of person who was utterly ruthless to himself, pulling himself up by his own bootstraps from a destitute town. He had once worked and studied so fiercely that he became emaciated and had to be hospitalized. In the end, he got into his dream university and established his own company. In terms of both capability and looks, he was top-tier material. The only thing was that he didn’t care about romance; his mind was entirely consumed by work.
Upon reaching the airport, the sky suddenly unleashed a torrential downpour. Just as the chat channel had leaked before, I caught sight of Shen Hanxing and Tong Yan crossing paths. For some unknown reason, Shen Hanxing had abruptly canceled his schedule to return to the company, while Tong Yan was standing there waiting for a friend.
Shen Hanxing’s assistant was anxiously asking Tong Yan if she was injured after the collision. Tong Yan was exceptionally beautiful, her tone soft and gentle: “I’m fine, it’s just a little swollen. It’ll heal once I apply some medicine at home.”
The chat channel melted at the sight:
– The female lead is so incredibly gentle, oh my goodness!
– The assistant’s heart must be skipping a beat by now.
– What is the male lead doing looking down at his phone? You just bumped into your future wife, hurry up and go comfort her!
– Wait, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Why did the female supporting character show up at the airport too?
– Could she be regretting her dramatic behavior and came here to cling to the male lead?
– Too bad for her, haha, the leads have already locked eyes!
Under the anticipation of the chat channel, Shen Hanxing turned his head to glance at Tong Yan, but right in the next second, he spun around and caught sight of my figure.
– Hey male lead, pretend to be blind and deaf, please!
– Exactly, just today the female lead’s father shamelessly begged for help and the male lead refused flat out, why on earth would he spare a glance for her now?
Under the intense scrutiny of countless eyes from the chat channel, Shen Hanxing strode toward me. He immediately noticed my damp hair and sleeves. As if no separation had ever occurred, he said softly, “The weather is turning cold, you’ll get sick if you don’t change. I have your clothes ready in my car, go change first.”
The chat channel went absolutely ballistic with rage:
– What on earth! This is a golden opportunity for the leads to be alone, yet this female supporting character sticks around like a leech!
– Our darling female lead is looking over, and the assistant is desperately trying to save the situation, explaining that the female supporting character is just a “friend.”
– The male lead looks so cold but his heart is way too soft.
– He probably just feels pity because she lost her mother at a young age just like him! That’s enough, male lead, turn your car around right now!
I had known for a long time that the year Shen Hanxing gave me that handkerchief, it was merely because he saw the pitiful shadow of his own past self.
Seeing me standing there unmoving, Shen Hanxing reached out, intending to lead me away. The moment he touched my ice-cold hand, his brows furrowed even deeper: “Be good, listen to me.”
In the very next second, I decisively yanked my hand back. “CEO Shen, there’s no need to be so thoroughly attentive to an ex-girlfriend.”
Shen Hanxing was dazed for a few seconds, assuming I was still throwing a tantrum. He softened his posture and lowered his voice, “Whatever you want is fine, but go change your clothes first, alright?”
– Ahhh, I can’t take this anymore, the toxic female supporting character is playing hard to get again!
– So dramatic, it’s disgusting! If she didn’t come here for the male lead, I’ll walk on my hands!
My expression turned entirely serious. “Shen Hanxing, I think you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t come here to find you.”
– If you didn’t come for the male lead, who else could you possibly be looking for?
– As a piece of cannon fodder, haven’t you had enough being by the male lead’s side for so long?
Shen Hanxing clearly didn’t expect me to be so cold. He knew perfectly well that I had never had any friends. Pulling back his hand that was left frozen in mid-air, his voice carried a hint of sternness: “Then what did you come here for? Gu Qian, besides me, I can’t think of any other reason for you to show up at the airport. Stop throwing a fit, alright…”
A deep, warm male voice suddenly cut off Shen Hanxing’s words: “Qian Qian.”
The voice was warm yet filled with an undeniable presence. Accompanying it was a tall, sturdy silhouette. Jiang Ke gave me a polite embrace before letting go, smiling gently: “Should we head back to your place to drop off the luggage first, or go grab something to eat right away?”
Everything happened too fast, so fast that Shen Hanxing’s words choked up in his throat. He barely had time to process it before his face turned entirely rigid, his breathing growing heavy.
Without giving him so much as a glance, I smiled and replied to Jiang Ke, “Let’s go back to my place first!”
Jiang Ke cooperated seamlessly, treating Shen Hanxing like thin air. This crown prince of the Shen family in Haizhou—of course, he knew exactly who he was.
Standing to the side, Shen Hanxing clenched his fists tightly, his gaze cold enough to pierce bone. He watched with wide eyes as Jiang Ke naturally stepped into my car, and the vehicle sped away.
Through the rearview mirror, I saw the assistant tiptoeing forward to ask something, but Shen Hanxing merely gritted his teeth fiercely and brushed him off.
I understood Shen Hanxing’s temperament all too well. He possessed the sky-high pride of a wealthy young master. In any case, we had truly parted ways, even if it had only been a few days.
The chat channel fell utterly silent for a solid five seconds:
– Uh, what? Did the female supporting character just rush-hire a male god from somewhere?
– Where do you find someone of this caliber and majestic aura, I want to order one too!
– Holy cow! He is breathtakingly handsome, the female supporting character is truly scheming!
– What male god? That’s Jiang Ke, you fools, the male supporting character of this story, a certified workaholic CEO! In the later stages in Haizhou, his power expands to match the Shen family evenly!
– Wait, why did this big boss return to the country early? According to the script, shouldn’t he only remember the female supporting character three years from now? By then, she’d have been dead for ages!
– Where on earth is the current plot line running off to?!
It was precisely thanks to the flying commentaries that I knew of Jiang Ke’s illustrious future in advance, which allowed me to quietly find a way to contact him. Over the past few years, we had occasionally met up and maintained a relationship. As for why someone like him would tolerate my pestering, it was because I had once saved his life! Literally.
Since childhood, we had lived in a desperately poor mountain village. The entire village had only two kids who bore the reputation of being orphans—him and me. We had both lost our mothers, and our fathers were entirely missing from our lives. I was raised by my grandmother, while he lived with his paternal grandmother. Though young, the two of us were far more mature than our peers.
When I was nine, my father’s people found me. Right before the day I was set to go up to Haizhou, Jiang Ke’s grandmother passed away, leaving him a complete orphan with absolutely no support. That day, he climbed the highest mountain in the village, intending to jump off and commit suicide, when I caught him red-handed. I used every ounce of my strength to grip him tightly, refusing to let him jump. A normally calm, mature Jiang Ke suddenly lost his mind and screamed at me, asking why I was stopping him. Panicked, I could only burst into tears and make up a random reason to beg him.
“I beg of you, please don’t jump! There are only the two of us here. If you jump down, what if they falsely accuse me? I worked so hard just to go see my father, please, I beg of you.”
Jiang Ke suddenly fell silent. He stared at me blankly, murmuring, “You have a father now? That’s wonderful, Gu Qian!”
After that, we went our separate ways. He always believed I was living a luxurious life in the city, so he buried himself entirely in his work, gradually losing contact. Therefore, in the perception of the viewers watching through the chat screen, in their original world, right up until the day I froze to death on the street, Jiang Ke and I had never reconnected.
It was understandable that they didn’t know I had reconnected with Jiang Ke. Because after they saw my personality change into someone arrogant and haughty, they had straight up fast-forwarded through my life, not bothering to care anymore. In their eyes, there was only the shadow of Shen Hanxing.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Ke wore a single Bluetooth earphone to conduct a meeting, his tone decisive without a shred of hesitation. His company overseas was thriving. He was the male supporting character of this novel, an eligible bachelor with no official partner. Meanwhile, in the eyes of the chat channel, I was merely a pawn used to drive the plot forward.
Initially, I pursued Shen Hanxing simply because I was annoyed by his superior attitude as well as that of the chat channel. But later on, I changed my mind. Playing with Shen Hanxing alone was incredibly boring. My target was Jiang Ke. The things he possessed, why couldn’t I have them too? Clearly, in my own world, I was the absolute main character.
Taking off his earphone, Jiang Ke leaned back against the seat, glanced at me, and said slowly, “Gu Qian, it seems you’ve changed a lot.”
While focusing on driving, I asked without turning my head, “Changed in what way?”
“I’m not sure, but you’re completely different from when you were a kid.”
“Aren’t you the same?” I offered a soft smile.
Jiang Ke curled his lips. “True.”
Throughout the journey, Jiang Ke inquired about my situation over the past few years. I disclosed everything truthfully, with the sole exception of my ability to see the flying commentaries. I also asked him quite a few questions, such as the project he intended to deploy upon returning to Haizhou this time.
Jiang Ke’s intuition was exceptionally sharp: “Are you interested?”
I gave an “um,” making no attempt to hide it.
The moment we arrived at my doorstep, we ran into Shen Hanxing once again, his gaze dark and freezing cold. His tall frame stood silently beside the door, wrapped in a heavy, somber aura that seemed to drop the surrounding atmospheric pressure below zero. Hearing our footsteps, he raised his eyes to stare intently at Jiang Ke.
Jiang Ke let out a low chuckle, very tactfully typing in the password to walk straight into the house. I had already changed the door code to my birthday.
With great difficulty, the corner of Shen Hanxing’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly, yet his tone remained forced into a calm state: “Gu Qian, I’m sorry, this time it was my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to escape by planning to go abroad instead of coming to find you. The issues you mentioned, I have thought through them carefully. Can we have a serious talk… Wherever you are dissatisfied, I will change everything.”
This was the first time Shen Hanxing had ever reflected on himself during our entire relationship. Previously, every single time we made up, he acted as though nothing had ever happened, never once deigning to lower himself to admit a mistake. One must remember, in the business world, he was always the decisive, formidable CEO. Even the elders who refused to submit to him at the Shen Corporation were eventually swept away cleanly by him. For a Shen Hanxing, who was arrogant to his very bones, to actually back down and apologize was truly an unprecedented miracle.
I still remembered when I had pursued Shen Hanxing for half a year, and he remained as unmoving as a stone. So, I decided to let go—no more delivering meals, no more bothering to text him. A week later, Shen Hanxing actively sent me a single question mark. That very night, he blocked my path beneath the dormitory, his eyes shot with crimson veins, asking with forced restraint, “Gu Qian, did you pursue me because you truly like me, or are you just playing games?”
I was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, leaning forward to plant a kiss on his lips before whispering, “Can’t it be that because I like you, I want to tease you?”
From that night onward, I pushed my boundaries further and further. Disregarding the chat channel’s desperate warnings and Shen Hanxing’s endurance, the two of us fell helplessly into the web of love.
I lowered my head to glance at my watch, then looked up at Shen Hanxing before me. Truthfully, I was thoroughly sick of this, so I sluggishly tossed out a sentence: “No need, CEO Shen. A breakup is a breakup. I don’t have the habit of grazing on old grass, I can’t swallow it!”
Just as I turned around to press the door lock, his breathing suddenly grew rapid and frantic, and he hurriedly snatched my wrist. My entire body was pinned firmly against the large door by him. His face was tense, his breath entirely in disarray: “Then what exactly was the past two years between us?”
I sneered, “Just consider it a dream then!”
Shen Hanxing’s expression instantly turned stone-cold, and he stared directly into my eyes, demanding an answer word by word.
I pulled back my smile, rarely adopting a serious tone to say, “Can you please stop showing up? A qualified ex should act as though they have logged out of the earth.” Having said that, I forcefully pushed Shen Hanxing away, turned around, and walked into the house.
The flying commentaries bounced frantically before my eyes once more:
– I’m losing my mind, the male lead abandoned the female lead at the airport just to rush over here and beg her to stay?
– Save me! I have to admit this female supporting character’s psychological manipulation is top-tier, but what man could endure seeing his ex bring another guy home right after a breakup!
– Let me put a word in, they already broke up, so whoever she loves is her own freedom, right?
– I think so too, please don’t hate on her, she didn’t steal anyone’s man.
– What do you mean she didn’t steal? Is the male lead hers?
– But when they were together, clearly the male lead enjoyed it thoroughly too…
– I’m so mad, if the male lead is going to be this pathetic over love, our darling female lead should go find someone else to love to keep it fair!
– Stop arguing, after this, the male lead will surely open his eyes and prepare to return to the female lead to get back on track.
Without Shen Hanxing present, the commentaries flashed for a brief moment before dying out.
I stepped inside; Jiang Ke was taking a shower. I assigned him to the guest bedroom. This old apartment, spanning 80 square meters, was an asset I had saved up for and bought using my part-time job earnings and allowance over the past few years, perfectly featuring two bedrooms. As for the luxury items Shen Hanxing had previously gifted me, I had long since liquidated them into cash.
Jiang Ke finished his shower and walked out, mentioning he was too lazy to go out tonight, so he would head down to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for me. He also shared the project he was nurturing to launch in Haizhou.
I also honestly disclosed my current available capital. Jiang Ke’s expression turned slightly more solemn, and he cast a glance at me: “This matter is no joke.”
I nodded. “I know, that’s why I’m serious.”
In this society, no one goes out of their way to be good to someone unconditionally, not even Jiang Ke. The condition he proposed was highly transactional: he and I would enter a marriage with a fixed term of two years. He stated that a stable marriage would serve as a massive plus for his upcoming project.
I had once gathered from the chat channel that in their original novel, after my death, Jiang Ke never married anyone in his entire life, instead throwing himself insanely into his career and engaging in a life-or-death struggle against the Shen Corporation. Beyond that, the chat channel ceased to mention him.
I set down my chopsticks, looking at him with half-skeptical eyes: “Jiang Ke, you don’t happen to like me, do you?”
Jiang Ke stared intently at me, pondering for a moment before replying, “Not to the point of liking, but I don’t dislike you. The Gu family is currently plagued with scandals, their projects are collapsing continuously. If I’m not mistaken, you’ll soon be sent off for a commercial arranged marriage. In this predicament, you don’t exactly have many choices.”
Jiang Ke’s words hit the nail on the head. Back then, not long after my mother gave birth to me, she fell gravely ill and passed away. I was dumped carelessly at my grandmother’s house, and my biological father abandoned me for nine whole years. He abruptly brought me back merely because he accidentally saw a photo of me, discovering that I inherited the radiant beauty identical to my late mother. The fact that he repeatedly brought Shen Hanxing to the house when I was a teenager clearly served a purpose.
Over the past few years, although I had moved out, he still paid my tuition while dragging me along to various large and small wine banquets. It wasn’t until I officially began dating Shen Hanxing that he became immensely arrogant, his courage expanding without limit as he invested recklessly in projects, while repeatedly reminding me to tightly bind myself to the Shen family. Shen Hanxing had given him a hand a few times out of courtesy, but his vision was way too short-sighted. Recently, the Gu family suffered a crisis, and Shen Hanxing turned a cold shoulder, refusing to see him, resulting in my phone nearly exploding from his constant calls.
Finishing his meal, Jiang Ke stood up and said, “Qian Qian, give it some thought.”
I understood Jiang Ke’s character. Reality doesn’t hold that many romance novel CEO tropes; women were by no means his top priority. He differed from Shen Hanxing; he was the type who had to endure hardships, swallow all kinds of humiliation, and risk his life to crawl up to his current position. He would never accept an arranged marriage that gave others a chance to throw a wrench into his career, and naturally, he wouldn’t waste his breath saving the ruined Gu family just for the title of a good son-in-law.
His proposal of marriage was simply a mutually beneficial arrangement for our future work, while incidentally pulling me out of the swamp. He had no predetermined marriage partner, so marrying anyone was the same to him. At least I was someone whose roots he understood thoroughly, and it could be seen as returning a favor from the past.
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Early the next morning, I made my way back to the Gu household. My stepmother and her precious son had already fled with the money to escape their debts long ago. Gu Chang was sitting in a daze inside the study, having just learned that Shen Hanxing and I were completely finished. The moment he saw me, his face turned livid, exceedingly hideous.
Right before his slap could land squarely on my face, I timely produced a contract. His eyes swept over it, and he immediately pointed straight at my face, cursing: “Gu Qian, if it weren’t for me rescuing you from that backwater countryside, you would have starved to death long ago! You dare to trap and threaten me?”
I let out an indifferent, reckless scoff, placing the documents onto his desk, abandoning the word “father” entirely: “CEO Gu, this is the sole lifebuoy for the Gu Corporation right now. Think carefully before you raise a hand.”
The contents of the contract were very simple: he had to completely withdraw from the company, relinquishing all operational rights to me, in exchange for which I would provide him with a retirement fund. The Gu Corporation under his hands was currently nothing more than a dying entity taking its last breaths; no venture capitalist would be insane enough to pour funds into this bottomless pit anymore. Shen Hanxing had stepped in to save him twice, but he never learned his lesson, having just been swindled out of an enormous sum.
I slowly enunciated my words: “Whether you want to watch wide-eyed as the Gu family goes bankrupt and you end up living on the streets, or maintain a shred of dignity to survive in Haizhou, the decision rests in your hands!”
Although Gu Chang was furious beyond measure, in his heart, he understood better than anyone. He gritted his teeth fiercely: “You absolute viper, you want to swallow my company whole? What about your younger brother…”
I raised a finger to my lips, making a shushing motion, correcting him: “That is your son, not my brother.” What kind of brother throws punches the moment his biological sister steps into the house, arrogantly screaming at me to get out, and then sides with the old butler to perpetuate domestic abuse, bullying me for years?
“The contract states everything clearly in black and white. I provide the funds, the company belongs to me. If you don’t sign, you know the consequences well. From money to the company, you will be left penniless without a single cent. Hand it over to me, and at least the Gu Corporation name is preserved, and you still have money lined in your pockets!”
Until the moment I walked out the door, Gu Chang still hadn’t backed down, his face turning bright red with rage as he gasped heavily for air. Spending two years by Shen Hanxing’s side, although I didn’t work, I frequently visited his company, and through constant exposure, I had picked up a fair share of tactics. I held the absolute upper hand regarding the Gu Corporation’s situation; he was bound to compromise.
Five days later, Gu Chang’s precious son was beaten until his leg broke by debt collectors from the underworld in a neighboring city. That very afternoon, he sent me the contract bearing his fresh signature.
On the day I nodded in agreement to marry Jiang Ke, I accidentally scrolled past a photo online of Shen Hanxing entering and leaving a luxurious banquet alongside his female counterpart, who was none other than Tong Yan. The upper echelons of society began to whisper rumors that the two families were about to announce their engagement.
The chat channel, which had been absent for a long time, suddenly emerged:
– It’s finally here! The moment the leads stand next to each other, the male lead falls completely under her spell.
– Hey upstairs, how is the plot running? Just yesterday, our darling female lead went to see a movie with her neighbor, didn’t she?
– Even if she went to a movie, she is still the female lead. Furthermore, her childhood friend is pursuing her fiercely; it’s normal for a girl to have suitors around her, she hasn’t agreed yet.
– Right, right, in the end, it still has to be the male lead. The moment the assistant called to schedule an appointment, she locked it down in a heartbeat.
– This is truly the power of true love!
– But what on earth happened to the female supporting character? She took over the Gu family directly? And why has the male supporting character moved into her place and refused to leave?
– I am entirely speechless!
– I’m completely frozen, why did she agree to marry the male supporting character? They are getting married straight away?
– ? Then in the end, is there going to be a bankruptcy? Is she still going to freeze to death? What kind of script system is running right now?
During the first week after I agreed to the marriage, Jiang Ke immediately disbursed the funds, injecting capital into the Gu Corporation, while meticulously teaching me step-by-step how to clean up the company’s mess. Concurrently, he brought me along to his luxury penthouse apartment located in the city center.
Late at night, Jiang Ke wore a set of black silk satin pajamas, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window while taking a sip of red wine. His gaze extended out toward the distant horizon: “Gu Qian, from many years ago, I told myself that one day, I must cast deep roots and stand firmly upon this land of Haizhou.” His tone was unwavering, yet tinged with a hint of independent ruthlessness.
In reality, Jiang Ke’s appearance didn’t carry a shred of ferocity; on the contrary, he possessed a very boyish face, looking rather innocent, and when silent, he appeared scholarly and exceptionally handsome. However, the moment he spoke, his warm, deep timbre formed a sharp contrast; once he turned serious, his voice alone sufficed to manifest a heavy pressure over the person facing him.
When we were young, Jiang Ke was once brutally beaten half to death by the village bully over a petty dispute. His scalp was torn and bleeding, yet he could only curl up in front of the bully’s house, weeping silently. He waited until nightfall, then rushed toward the backyard of that man’s house and threw rocks, completely shattering the windows. That night, when he turned his head and caught sight of me standing there, he gasped, freezing in sheer shock. I would never forget his expression at that moment. It was a face pale with terror, looking utterly innocent, yet deep within his eyes, a trace of cruel malice flashed, one he hadn’t managed to hide in time.
Before the people inside the house could rush out and scream curses, I grabbed Jiang Ke’s hand and we fled for our lives.
I raised my wine glass and gently clinked it against his. “Congratulations!”
Jiang Ke glanced over, leaned in close, and pressed a soft kiss onto my lips. “Gu Qian, this is a shared joy for both of us,” he murmured.
News of our marriage officially leaked out half a month later. Around the same time, he rightfully became a strategic investor in the Gu Corporation. I was completely buried in work, learning the ropes from Jiang Ke and spinning like a top by his side all day long. He even specially dispatched experienced professionals to guide me patiently from A to Z.
A week later, after working overtime until ten at night, I finally headed downstairs. The moment I walked out the front door, I ran straight into a completely wasted Shen Hanxing. Without a second thought, he brutally dragged me into his car and pinned me in a tight embrace despite my struggles. His thin lips spat out words full of resentment: “Gu Qian, how dare you do this? We were together for two whole years, and every time you opened your mouth, you said you had no plans for marriage. How on earth did that man just step foot back in the country, and the two of you are already engaged? What do you take me for?”
“Whatever he can give you, I can give you too. Why couldn’t it be me?”
I looked at his interrogation with total composure. Seeing me remain as unresponsive as a log, his face completely crumbled. The hand tightly gripping mine began to tremble violently, and ultimately, he couldn’t utter another word.
After a while, the air inside the car grew suffocatingly thick with the smell of alcohol mixed with Shen Hanxing’s familiar cologne. Finally, sounding faint as if desperately grasping at a shred of hope, he reached his hand out toward me. “Gu Qian, this is your favorite cologne. I sprayed a lot of it.”
I frowned, leaning back against the seat, and mercilessly threw cold water on him. “Shen Hanxing, I never expected to see the day you’d look this pathetic. What, we dated for just two years and now you expect me to stay fiercely loyal and tie the knot with you for life?”
Hearing my words seemed to snap Shen Hanxing out of his stupor a bit. He roared anxiously, “I can accept us breaking up! But I absolutely cannot stand the sight of you marrying another man.”
I let out a mocking laugh and shot back, “And then what? Just because we dated once, am I supposed to set up a shrine and preserve my chastity for Director Shen for the rest of my life?”
Shen Hanxing’s words choked in his throat. He stammered, “I… I didn’t mean it like that. If it’s for the Gu Corporation, I’m more than capable of carrying that burden for you. Why on earth do you have to marry some guy from abroad with a shady background?” Having said that, he stared at me intently. “Gu Qian, I am not open-minded enough to just watch the woman I love marry someone else.”
I flashed my wedding ring right in front of his face. “So what, Director Shen? Do you want to muscle your way in and play the homewrecker? I am married. Do I need to overnight a copy of my marriage certificate for your official review?”
Shen Hanxing’s eyes instantly turned dead and dark. He fiercely tightened his grip on my arm. A moment later, he took a deep breath, his eyes rimmed with red, and forced each trembling word out from the depths of his throat, laced with suppressed agony: “On what basis, Gu Qian? What does that guy even have… where exactly did I lose to him?”
I decided to lay all my cards on the table once and for all. “Shen Hanxing, you are way too full of yourself, always acting so cold and arrogant. In bed, you’re as stiff as a board—clearly starving for it like crazy, yet you stubbornly hold back just to maintain your proud image, never communicating. And the moment you get a drop of alcohol in you, you completely lose your mind and run wild, utterly reckless of whether anyone can handle it. The main point is, being around you is as bland as plain water; prying your mouth open won’t even yield a few sentences. To be completely honest, I wanted to dump you ages ago. You were just a piece of leverage I used to slap old Gu Chang in the face!”
Shen Hanxing’s face shattered completely, and the hand holding me captive went limp and fell away.
I enunciated my next words with deliberate coldness: “Don’t ever show your face around me again. My Jiang Ke won’t like it.” With that, I decisively threw open the car door and stepped out.
The live chat overlay was going absolutely ballistic:
– Ah! I can’t take it! The second female lead is literally walking the male lead like a dog!
– The male lead is crying so hard, he looks so choked up and pathetic! Save him!
– What build is this female lead even running? She actually married the second male lead for real.
– They signed the marriage certificate, but apparently, it’s just a two-year marriage contract.
– The male lead is seriously asking for it. He could’ve been having a nice meal with the female lead, but he just had to rush over here to get hit by a barrage of bricks?
– Forget the male and female leads at this point, the plot is completely ruined. Just let Shen Hanxing die alone, and Tong Yan can go find a better harbor.
– Is the person above serious? Are you guys the authors or what, judging like you know everything?
– Incredible. Am I the only one lurking here waiting to see if the female lead and second male lead actually sleep together after getting married?
– Holy crap! Now you’ve got me curious too!
Jiang Ke and I signed a marriage contract with a two-year term. He would evaluate my capability at the company, while I would see whether I could truly open my heart to accept him.
Jiang Ke had once said, “Gu Qian, I don’t want to be accused of taking advantage of your misfortune, so let’s lock it in for two years first and see how it goes.” I nodded in agreement.
Half a year later, by successfully building the public persona of the nation’s ideal doting husband and a blissfully happy family, he smoothly locked down several highly lucrative contracts. The Gu Corporation also gradually stabilized, falling entirely under my control. Seeing this, Gu Chang and my stepmother tried to come over and stir up trouble twice. The first time, Jiang Ke very politely treated them to a meal to see them off. By the second time, Jiang Ke merely frowned slightly, and they were promptly “escorted” away and never dared show up again. Word through the high-society grapevine was that they had fled the country. I pressed Jiang Ke about it, but he shook his head and said no; they were just paying a heavy price for their past sins in some dark corner of Haizhou City.
That evening, Jiang Ke’s company hosted a major celebration party, and he drank quite a bit. After taking a shower, he quietly walked up and wrapped his arms around me from behind while I was standing in the living room drinking water. His thin lips brushed against my ear, whispering, “Gu Qian, thank you.”
I set my glass down. “No need for thanks at this point, it’s just a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
“Thank you for taking care of and decorating this home. Thank you for visiting my grandmother’s grave. And thank you for taking the initiative to contact me.”
Decorating the house had long been a habit of mine. Perhaps because I had lived in solitude since childhood, I always liked to personally tend to my living space to make it cozy. Jiang Ke’s grandmother and my maternal grandmother had been bitter rivals in their youth, but in their old age, seeing that everyone had their own hardships, they gradually turned to comfort and support each other. Over the years, every time I went back to the countryside to visit my grandmother, I never forgot to stop by and burn a stick of incense for his grandmother.
I turned around to look straight into Jiang Ke’s eyes. “You probably won’t believe me if I say this. Jiang Ke, I knew early on that you would definitely make it big. My initial approach to you was solely for my own gain, so you don’t need to thank me.”
Jiang Ke didn’t press further. He gave a soft “mm,” his gaze suddenly turning deep and turbulent like rolling waves. His long, slender fingers brushed lightly past my bangs, the bridge of my nose, and finally rested on my lips. He slowly lowered his head, and the lingering kiss shifted from gentle to fierce and passionate.
I couldn’t even remember when the two of us dragged each other into the bedroom. All I knew was that we dove into a wild, passionate battle that lasted half the night.
When I woke up the next morning, Jiang Ke had already left for work, leaving a note saying he had an urgent meeting. We were both consenting adults, and I didn’t care to overthink it and tire myself out.
However, Jiang Ke had been acting a bit strange lately. Since that fateful night, he had punctually crawled back home right on time for three consecutive days. On the fourth day, he suddenly informed me that he had to go on an overseas business trip for an entire year.
I stood up to go take a shower, responding flatly, “Okay.”
He sat on the bed smoothly putting on his clothes, looking at me with a heavily loaded gaze. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.
When Jiang Ke said one year, it was exactly one year down to the very day. He was so buried in work that the two of us barely had time to chat about daily life; every phone call was purely professional, reviewing reports and the company’s progress.
Yesterday, after wrapping up all the handovers, Jiang Ke suddenly dropped a line: “Gu Qian, wait for me to come back.”
After hanging up, I treated myself to a few days of relaxation. Next up was gearing up to receive a top executive from an international conglomerate. I had been relentlessly pursuing this project for half a year, but this executive’s movements were incredibly mysterious; he never killed my hope, yet he refused to sign the contract. It was with great difficulty that I finally caught wind of his return to the country.
I sat in the VIP room of the restaurant, waiting for a solid half hour. Finally, I saw the corporate manager from the partner company bowing and scraping as he respectfully escorted a high-profile figure through the door.
I froze for a few seconds. The man was none other than Shen Hanxing.
He didn’t waste a single breath upon seeing me, maintaining a face as cold as ice as he naturally slumped into the seat right next to mine. Ever since he found out about my marriage, he had vanished abroad without a trace. Having just returned to the country a month ago, the Shen Corporation immediately threw the business world into chaos, aggressively executing acquisitions and expanding its territory, all while deliberately clashing head-on with Jiang Ke’s company. The two sides were constantly at each other’s throats; if things kept going this way, it would lead to mutual destruction, leaving neither side with anything. From the perspective of a seasoned businessman, this move of his was truly ruthless and irrational.
It was just that I never expected even this anonymous conglomerate to be under Shen Hanxing’s ownership. I forced myself to maintain a calm, polite expression and proactively reached out my hand for a social greeting. “Hello, Director Shen.”
Manager Yang from the partner side looked incredibly surprised upon seeing this, laughing jovially, “Oh wow! Director Gu, so you and our Director Shen actually know each other? Talk about a fated encounter across a thousand miles!”
Shen Hanxing completely ignored him and didn’t offer a reply, so I took the hint and pulled my hand back. He leisurely took a sip of tea and calmly dropped a fatal line: “Recognize the face, but we’re strangers.”
I went along with it. “Yes, completely unfamiliar.”
Manager Yang let out a strained laugh to diffuse the atmosphere that was reeking of gunpowder, hurriedly suggesting that we serve the food first and talk business later.
The moment the dishes were laid out on the table, Shen Hanxing stealthily reached under the table and tightly grabbed my hand, while his face above remained completely unbothered, as if nothing was happening. I frowned to show my displeasure, but Shen Hanxing merely shot me a provocative glance and tightened his grip even further.
Seeing me sitting there frozen without picking up my chopsticks, Manager Yang warmly urged me, “Director Gu, please don’t be polite, have some food. Make yourself at home.”
I swallowed my anger and smiled with a nod. “Thank you.” Then I glared directly at Shen Hanxing, commanding him with my eyes to let go of my hand—he was pinning down my dominant hand, the one I used for chopsticks. Yet, he remained entirely unmoved. A moment later, Manager Yang received a phone call and had to excuse himself to step outside.
I lowered my voice and hissed sharply, “Shen Hanxing, let go!”
Shen Hanxing let out a mocking smirk. “Gu Qian, you better know your place. You came here with your hands out begging for cooperation!”
My team had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into this project for half a year. As long as there was a shred of hope for a signature, I would absolutely not give up easily.
I leaned back slightly against the chair, smiling coldly as I shot back, “So what you’re saying, Director Shen, is that as long as I sit here obediently and take it, you’ll instantly sign this contract?”
Shen Hanxing looked straight into my eyes, cutting straight to the chase without beating around the bush: “Get a divorce, and I’ll sign right now!”
“Whether I get a divorce or not is absolutely none of your business!”
Shen Hanxing’s thin lips pressed into a hard line. “Gu Qian, I have no interest in playing the homewrecker and breaking up families. Go get a divorce!”
I was struck completely speechless for a few seconds. “You lunatic!”
The live chat popped up out of nowhere again to comment:
– This is insane. In the end, who is actually supposed to be with whom?
– Over on Tong Yan’s side, she’s surrounded by two top-tier guys, it’s making my head hurt just choosing for her!
– Gu Qian’s side is even more hardcore. She’s married but still dealing with Shen Hanxing’s possessive, forced-love trope…
– Because of the trauma caused by his father, Shen Hanxing utterly despises homewreckers who ruin families. He endured being abroad for a whole year just to wait for this perfect moment.
– Wait? Could Jiang Ke being sent abroad on business have his handwriting all over it?
– Spot on. Shen Hanxing secretly threw a wrench in the gears and laid a trap behind his back, who else…
I stared wide-eyed at the floating comments, utterly stunned. No wonder there were a few times before when Jiang Ke excitedly reported he was about to return, only for an unexpected crisis to suddenly crop up, preventing him from coming back.
When the dinner concluded, Manager Yang, wanting to create private space for me to seal the deal, thoughtfully suggested that I drive Shen Hanxing home. He even leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Director Gu, I had to pull out all the stops just to book a meeting with our CEO. You must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is as far as I can help you.”
Having interacted with Manager Yang for so long, I knew he was quite reasonable and accommodating. It was just that his CEO, Shen Hanxing, was an absolute nightmare.
The man looked up at me nonchalantly. “Where is the car parked? Weren’t you supposed to take me back?”
I started the engine and drove him straight to a suburban villa, a place I had visited a few times back when we were still passionately together. At the time, I had casually praised the scenery around there as being quite chill. Returning this time, the entire architecture of the house had been completely renovated. The large front door was wide open, and catching a glimpse inside, the entire interior seemed to be furnished exactly to my tastes. Right on the doorstep sat a welcoming fortune cat waving its paw.
I stared as Shen Hanxing prepared to step out of the car, speaking in a cold tone: “Shen Hanxing, stop dreaming. Even if I do go to court and divorce Jiang Ke, I will absolutely never crawl back into the same old dump with you.”
Shen Hanxing stood silently outside the car door, his silhouette stretching long under the streetlight. The domineering, sharp, and cold aura he usually carried suddenly vanished without a trace, and he replied hoarsely, “I’m not demanding the status of a legal husband anyway. Just take care of the divorce procedures first.”
At the point when the marriage contract between Jiang Ke and me had only a single month left, he officially completed his work and returned to the country. That night, the two of us went through a wild, passionate storm that lasted the entire night.
I walked out of the bathroom, and seeing Jiang Ke still diligently typing away at his desk, I spoke up candidly: “Jiang Ke, let’s go to court and get a divorce.”
Jiang Ke froze upon hearing this, pausing for a few seconds before raising his hand to signal me to wait a moment. Once he finished dealing with the pile of documents, he climbed onto the bed and lay beside me, letting out a soft, “Okay.”
On the day the two of us stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau holding our divorce certificates, Jiang Ke decisively declined a work call that was ringing non-stop. He took a deep breath, turned to look at me, and asked, “Gu Qian, did you ever feel even a little bit of a spark for me?”
I asked back softly, “What about you?”
He lowered his head to look at the divorce papers, letting out a helpless, bitter smile. “Probably, yes. But I suppose my destiny is just to be a workaholic beast of burden. I can’t dedicate time to be by your side and take care of you. Letting go and setting you free might just be the best choice for both of us!”
I nodded slightly with a smile. “Jiang Ke, I wish you a soaring career and that everything goes smoothly for you.”
The moment I slammed the bright red divorce certificate down in front of Shen Hanxing, he immediately put pen to paper and signed the business contract with my company. That evening, Shen Hanxing used the excuse of wanting to discuss the implementation clauses of the project in detail to ask me out for a meeting, and I nodded in agreement.
However, I handed the entire schedule over to the company’s executive representative to go in my stead, while I grabbed my suitcase and headed straight for the airport.
Money was no longer a burden for me, and the company was being managed from A to Z by professionally recruited personnel. I didn’t want to spend my entire life spinning around in this drama-filled corner of Haizhou, so I had quietly arranged for my grandmother to fly abroad and settle down ahead of time.
When I was nine years old, the night before I was forced to go up to Haizhou to change my life, my grandmother hid in the corner of the room sobbing her eyes out all night long. Back then, I had tightly held her hand and promised: “Grandma, I will definitely come back to get you. Once I make lots and lots of money, I’ll take you backpacking all around the world.” She looked at me, crying and laughing all at once. Her entire life had been filled with nothing but bitterness and hardship—losing her only daughter, tightening her belt to raise me all by herself, only to watch that pathetic excuse for a son-in-law, Gu Chang, steal me away. She couldn’t bear it, she didn’t want to, but she understood all too well that only by going to the big city would her granddaughter’s future have a fighting chance.
Therefore, the moment I witnessed my own suffocatingly bitter end through those floating comments in the past, I simply didn’t dare to imagine the scenario if the old lady back home heard news of her poor granddaughter freezing to death, curled up on a city street. How utterly devastated she would be.
Right at that exact moment, I had resolved to flip the script at all costs.
In this life, I will absolutely never submit to following that absurd path of life and death. I had to grind and make tons and tons of money, to personally lead my grandmother to explore vast, brand-new horizons.