Luring Her to Take the Bait - Chapter 5

Fu Su did not mention the substance of this marriage.

What is a marriage like between two people who do not love each other?

A contract marriage? Is there a time limit? How would it be resolved if one party fell for someone else during the marriage? If they divorced, would there be financial conflicts?

She seemed entirely indifferent, speaking in that casually cold and nonchalant tone as she leafed through Pei Wenjin’s personal information. It was as if as long as there was a person there, no matter what they did after the wedding, it didn’t matter to her. She had achieved her goal—she needed a companion.

Fu Su indeed did not care.

Because she had never thought about actually being with Pei Wenjin, and she was prepared for the eventual possibility of their separation.

As for Pei Wenjin, she was climbing up the vine, following the trail to get what she wanted while deliberately ignoring the risks.

Because in the dictionary of her life, the word “divorce” did not exist.

Pei Wenjin flipped through Fu Su’s personal information, line by line, as serious and formal as if she were submitting a resume to a state-owned enterprise.

The golden afternoon sunlight danced and scattered in a brilliant sheet. She sat there bathed in the bright sun, the roots of her eyelashes fluttering with a gilded shimmer. Sensing something, her starry eyes suddenly widened. She looked up and said in surprise, “Sister Su, you’re a lawyer?”

Fu Su: “Mm.”

Pei Wenjin’s gaze circled Fu Su’s dark eyes before she lowered her head again to look at those few lines of text. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became, her eyes overflowing with a smile. Even though Fu Su deliberately avoided looking at her, she could sense the joy radiating from her, like flowers blooming.

A graduate of the Capital University of Political Science and Law with a master’s and a doctorate, specializing in litigation. She currently worked at the domestic Sansheng Law Firm as one of the partners. She had been practicing for eight years with a win rate of eighty-seven percent.

Sansheng Law Firm…

Pei Wenjin remembered now. Her company’s legal team often talked about it, saying the three partners of that firm were each more formidable than the last, and when they argued a case, their tongues were sharper than knives.

She lifted her eyelids to steal a glance at Fu Su. The moment Fu Su looked over, she immediately pulled her gaze back, feigning composure. She flipped to the next page and hummed softly, “I thought you were just a bartender.”

This resume was truly beautiful.

At this moment, Pei Wenjin could only describe Fu Su’s basic information as a “resume,” which was many times more impressive than the resumes of the interns her company recruited.

So excellent! So amazing! I love it!

Amidst her uncontrollable, excited heartbeat, Fu Su said, “Being a bartender is a side job. I go when I’m under a lot of pressure.”

“Wow, Sister Su is so amazing!”

The corners of Fu Su’s lips twitched slightly. She leaned back in a casual posture with her legs crossed.

But in truth, she almost treated the side job as her main occupation. As long as she could find the time, she went almost every night, even when she wasn’t on the schedule.

She turned her head to look at the pedestrians passing by on the street. Occasionally, the honk of a car horn sounded, but more common were the crisp bells of bicycles and electric scooters.

On the pedestrian street in the afternoon, most people were elderly folk who had finished lunch and were strolling under the sun while trying to stay in the shadows. The alleys extending from both sides of the street were thick with the atmosphere of residential life.

Or there were middle schoolers finishing school, meeting up at snack stalls or browsing through cultural and creative shops, emerging with white plastic bags in their hands.

Fu Su twitched her nose, catching the sweet scent of summer orange blossoms on the girl.

Pei Wenjin flipped through the pages several times until there was finally nothing left to see, and only then did she close it.

Then, her eyes curved into crescents. Resting her chin on her hands, she looked at Fu Su’s cold, snow-covered face and said with a smile, “I don’t have any more questions either.”

“Sister Su, let’s get married.”

Fu Su’s gaze shifted back from the figures of an elderly couple supporting each other and landed on Pei Wenjin. Meeting those clear, clean eyes, she gave a slight nod and replied, “Okay.”

—

“Are you in a rush to get married?”

“Huh?” Pei Wenjin blinked blankly and looked at Ye Zhen. “Why do you ask?”

Ye Zhen pondered for a moment. Her plain features finally showed a hint of emotion as she said, “Marrying someone on the day you first meet—isn’t that a rush?”

Pei Wenjin’s eyes widened. “It’s not the first time we’ve met. I’ve known Sister Su for ten years!”

Ye Zhen said expressionlessly, “Your reaction was like someone seeing that face for the first time.”

It was a statement of fact.

“…” Pei Wenjin guiltily wrinkled her nose and turned her head away, propping her chin on the palm of her hand. “Is… is it that obvious?”

“So, what are you hiding?”

“Nothing.” Pei Wenjin spoke rapidly, shifting her weight and fidgeting uncomfortably in her office chair.

In fact, she hadn’t even told Fu Su; she had just used the excuse of wanting to get married to gloss over it. The timing wasn’t right yet.

“I just want to get married. It’s not like you don’t know; I’ve been talking about it for years. Those two couples at home are constantly showing off their affection in front of me. I want to show off back at them—”

“You two…” Can you even produce anything worth showing off?

Ye Zhen pressed her lips together and wisely shut up. She turned to pick up the glass pot, poured her a cup of red date and apple water, and placed it back on the electric ceramic heater. “As long as you’re happy.”

Although Ye Zhen was a “plain” person, it didn’t mean she handled things “plainly.”

On the contrary, she handled everything meticulously, timely, efficiently, and perfectly. If Ye Zhen were to describe her job, it was like “being a mother” to the CEO, with endless things to worry about.

“It’s summer, I want to drink something cold.” Pei Wenjin curled her lip, disdainfully pushing away the steaming glass cup.

Ye Zhen pushed it back to her hand. “Your period is coming soon. You should drink less cold stuff lately.”

Pei Wenjin pushed it away again, emphasizing, “My stomach doesn’t hurt during my period.”

Without another word, she ran to the lounge and opened the small freezer. Her pink-and-white fingertips pulled out a can of Coke. The walls of the can were misted with cold air, and her hand was covered in water droplets. It was chillingly refreshing to the core.

“Psst—”

Pei Wenjin took a big gulp, squinted her eyes in comfort, and let out a heroic sigh. “This is what summer is all about!”

“Ye-bao, you have a can too.”

Ye Zhen declined. She simply picked up the reheated glass pot, pulled out a paper cup, and filled it with red date and apple water. Then she sat on the nearby leather sofa, her posture ramrod straight, and took small sips.

“When are we going to the US?”

Pei Wenjin followed her with the Coke and squeezed in beside her, chattering, “Let’s take the private jet. Didn’t we just buy a Bombardier Global 7500? I want to experience it.”

Having just finished a project, the weight was off her shoulders, so she had time to chat.

While thinking about what to eat for dinner, Ye Zhen replied, “In 24 hours at the earliest. Do we need expedited flight paths and customs approval?”

Pei Wenjin looked at her and nodded heavily. “Expedited.”

Ye Zhen understood. She finished the rest of the red date water, stood up, straightened the hem of her suit jacket, and looked down at Pei Wenjin’s pink-and-white face. She arranged things methodically: “Pack your luggage tonight, bring about a week’s worth of clothes. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Your documents are in the drawer; I’ll take them tomorrow to prevent you from losing them.”

Pei Wenjin stared at Ye Zhen with wide eyes: …Was she really that unreliable?

The paper cup was tossed into the trash. Pei Wenjin was still sitting on the sofa drinking Coke and scrolling through her phone when Ye Zhen had already taken the trash bag to the bin outside the office, replaced it with a new one, and gone to the restroom to wash her hands. Drying her hands as she walked out, she said, “President Pei, I’m heading off then.”

“I’ll give you a ride.”

Pei Wenjin quickly pocketed her phone, hurried to the lounge to grab a jacket, and jingled her car keys. “Let’s go. Is Miaomiao hospitalized again?”

“Mm, it’s time for the regular intervention.” Ye Zhen paused before saying, “I’ll take the subway.”

“The subway is so slow. Miaomiao won’t see her sister for several days. Shouldn’t you arrive a bit earlier today and spend more time with her? The little girl will be mad at you again!”

“Doesn’t Miaomiao like the cheesecake from Nanjia? I want some too. Let’s go buy two pieces; I don’t know if they’ll have any at this hour.”

Ye Zhen’s brow twitched. Just as she was about to say something, her wrist was grabbed. A warm palm pressed against the skin of her wrist, feeling warm and cozy like that cup of red date water.

Pei Wenjin pulled her toward the elevator, looking back at her with a mock-reproachful look. “Oh, you’re usually so sharp, why are you so dull today? Let’s go quickly, Miaomiao will be anxious. When she sees me, she’ll say I’m hogging you all day. And I keep telling you, I’m not a child. I could clearly have other assistants accompany me abroad every time, but you insist on coming along. Miaomiao won’t see you for several days; being all alone is so sad.”

“This isn’t for a project this time; how about you don’t go with me.”

Just as Ye Zhen opened her mouth, Pei Wenjin suddenly glared at her and said indignantly, “You’ll definitely go anyway; you just won’t listen to me.”

“Also, how many times have I said it? Wiping tables and taking out the trash isn’t your job. The cleaning lady always tells me you’re stealing her work.”

“She feels uneasy receiving her salary. You can’t keep doing this, or the cleaning lady will keep coming to me, and that’s so tedious.”

The evening sun shone on her profile, looking fuzzy and soft. Her eyelashes cast a gentle and cute shadow under her eyes, and her expression was vivid and lively.

Pei Wenjin was still nagging, accusing her of needing to spend more time with her sister.

Ye Zhen stared at the orange-tinted floor and the two grey shadows, one in front of the other. Her usually straight mouth slowly curved into an arc.

The two first went to the cake shop and bought the last two pieces of cheesecake, then headed together to the VIP ward of Capital First Hospital.

Ye Miao suffered from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare hereditary neuromuscular disease. It manifested when she was over a year old. When they came to the capital for an examination, the diagnosis was a heavy blow to their parents, who were farmers.

The treatment costs were exorbitant. The specialized medication alone cost over two million a year, which they simply couldn’t afford.

Their parents didn’t want to treat her and irresponsibly returned to their hometown. In the end, this burden fell on the shoulders of Ye Zhen, who had just graduated from college. They never came to visit again.

When the two entered, Miaomiao was a tiny, thin figure leaning against the headboard, looking like a pitiable little kitten. She was looking at a tablet. When the caregiver saw them, she greeted them warmly, “Xiao Pei, Xiao Ye, you two are here so early today.”

Ye Miao snapped her eyes up and called out happily to Ye Zhen, “Sister, you’re off work!”

However, the next second, she saw Pei Wenjin. Her beautiful, pale, palm-sized face immediately fell, and she pouted. “Pei Wenjin, why are you here too?”

Her ear was given a little pinch, and Ye Zhen said flatly, “No manners.”

“Humph.” Ye Miao crossed her arms and turned her head with a cold snort. Pei Wenjin smiled and reached out to rub her head, not caring about the girl’s cold shoulder.

“I managed to buy the last two pieces of cheesecake today! Super lucky! If I had been any later, they would have been bought by the customer behind me. I even heard her say she’d come earlier tomorrow, hahahaha. Am I lucky or what? It must be thanks to Miaomiao, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to eat cheesecake.”

The little girl dodged her hand. Her ears turned red—it was unclear if it was from the pinch or something else—but she was clearly coaxed into a better mood, and her expression was quite arrogant.

“You’re going to eat two pieces tonight? Won’t you gain two pounds tomorrow!”

Pei Wenjin pulled up the small bed table of her own accord, placed a box of cheesecake on it, opened it, and handed her a small silver fork. “No, I bought one piece for you.”

She tilted her chin toward Ye Zhen, wiggled her eyebrows, and smiled quirkily. “I made a bet with Ye-bao today, and I lost, so I’m treating you to cake.”

“But you can’t eat too much. Save half for Ye-bao.”

Ye Zhen glanced at Pei Wenjin. Little Ye Miao slowly turned back, her small mouth curving up. “I hope Sister wins more often.”

“Hey!” Pei Wenjin pinched her cheek. “Eat quickly; it won’t taste good once it gets dry.”

Pei Wenjin stayed until Ye Zhen had coaxed Miaomiao to sleep. The caregiver was resting in the next room.

When it was time to leave, Ye Zhen saw her out.

“The elevator is fine. Don’t follow me down. Miaomiao might wake up if you’re not there.”

Pei Wenjin said in a low voice. Ye Zhen nodded and waited for the elevator with her.

The smell of hospital disinfectant felt like it was soaking into her skin. She rubbed her nose, her eyes feeling sore; she had grown a bit sleepy while waiting.

The elevator arrived at the floor. Pei Wenjin waved at her, flashed a smile, and said in a whisper, “I’m off.”

Ye Zhen nodded. As she watched the elevator doors close, she suddenly remembered something.

“Didn’t you say you were going to call Fu Su tonight?”

The sleepy soul was startled awake by these words. Pei Wenjin’s eyes snapped wide open, though she didn’t forget to keep her voice down as she let out a low-decibel scream.

“I forgot!”

She had forgotten more than just that one thing. She had even completely forgotten that she was getting married tomorrow and was about to have a wife. All she had been thinking about was going home and falling straight to sleep…