After a Contract Marriage with a Cold and Older Person - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Strategy

【Song Tingyun: Alright, since you’re in a hurry, we can meet earlier ^^】

【Ji Wenxu: The sooner the better. If you have a way to cancel our engagement, don’t drag it out. It might be too late if something unexpected happens later】

【Ji Wenxu: [Anxious puppy.jpg]】

Song Tingyun stared at the emoticon Ji Wenxu sent for a few seconds, then typed a reply: 【Then wait for my message】

Ji Wenxu didn’t reply because a phone call suddenly came in.

It was from his cousin, Pei Zhixian.

“Wenxu, what’s going on? Are you getting married?” As soon as the call connected, Pei Zhixian’s voice immediately came through the phone.

Ji Wenxu was incredibly annoyed, frowning: “How do you know too?”

“It would be strange if I didn’t know, wouldn’t it?” Pei Zhixian chuckled. “My mom told me about it this morning. I thought it was a joke.”

“…” Ji Wenxu was so upset he felt like jumping out of the car.

It started raining in the city, and the view outside the window was blurred and unclear.

Ji Wenxu remained silent on this end. Pei Zhixian continued to ask, “So it’s true?”

Ji Wenxu said sadly, “Could it be fake? I just met my fiancé twenty minutes ago.”

“I’ve also heard about the other party. Song Tingyun is quite an impressive figure.” Pei Zhixian rarely praised anyone. Hearing him say that, Ji Wenxu became a bit curious.

He pressed, “What about him?”

Pei Zhixian was six years older than Ji Wenxu and started managing company affairs before graduating from university, so he naturally knew more people than Ji Wenxu.

“His parents died in a car accident when he was eighteen. The company they left behind was on the verge of bankruptcy. The shareholders ran off, scattered, and the company owed a lot of external debt. I heard the creditors even came to his parents’ memorial hall to demand payment back then.”

“And then? How did he resolve it?”

“I’m not sure about that. I wasn’t in the country at the time, was I? Wait a minute…” Pei Zhixian wondered, “I remember you went to his parents’ funeral, too, didn’t you? Aren’t you clear?”

“I went? Impossible. If I had gone, I couldn’t possibly have no impression of that face.” Although Ji Wenxu wasn’t a stickler for looks, it’s human nature to be drawn to beautiful things. If he had seen Song Tingyun back then, there was no reason he wouldn’t remember that face.

Pei Zhixian thought that was true, and continued to add, “In short, Song Tingyun revitalized the company in just two years, cleared all the external debts, and now his reputation is well-known in the circle. So, Xiaoxu…” Pei Zhixian teased with a laugh, “You’ve really hit the jackpot.”

“Stop making fun of me.” Ji Wenxu felt distressed, and his tone wasn’t pleasant. “So, you called just to mock me?”

Pei Zhixian chuckled. “That would be too boring of me, wouldn’t it? I called to ask about your leg injury. Mother said your leg is still in a cast after being discharged from the hospital, and you look really pitiful, so she told me, as your cousin, to be more concerned about you.”

“I’m not that pitiful, am I? The cast will be off in half a month.” Ji Wenxu’s attitude was excellent. Moreover, this leg wasn’t crippled. If it weren’t for this sudden arranged marriage, it would be even better for him.

“True. After all, it would be too outrageous to be a groom with a limp, wouldn’t it?” Pei Zhixian teased again with a laugh.

“Bro, can you stop talking?”

…

After Ji Wenxu’s injury, the friends who went racing with him on the island were also criticized by their parents to varying degrees. Now that Ji Wenxu’s leg injury hadn’t healed, even if they had the audacity of a bear, they wouldn’t dare to look for him at this juncture.

So, Ji Wenxu spent the next two days alone in the villa.

When he had time, he would play games with them, and then bother Song Tingyun, asking him when he was free to discuss the perfect plan.

Unfortunately, Song Tingyun always said he was busy, causing Ji Wenxu to think about him constantly over the two or three days.

It wasn’t until the morning of the fourth day.

Ji Wenxu finally couldn’t sit still any longer.

A marriage is a serious matter, and every day of delay was a risk. Song Tingyun kept him hanging, and maybe it was Song Tingyun and his grandpa’s tactic to stall for time.

Once he figured this out, Ji Wenxu unceremoniously called Song Tingyun on WeChat.

The call was answered after half a minute.

“Hello.” The single word was wrapped in a heavy, lingering sleepiness, a very low sound, lazy, clearly from just waking up.

Ji Wenxu’s routine was very regular and healthy. If he hadn’t injured his leg, he would have woken up even earlier to go for a morning run. But 7:00 AM might still be too early for Song Tingyun.

All the questions Ji Wenxu had prepared were swallowed back into his throat. He lowered his voice almost instinctively: “Song Tingyun, it’s me.”

“Mm, I saw the name tag. What’s up?” The magnetic, husky voice came through the phone, with a static-like texture that made Ji Wenxu’s chest tingle.

He rubbed his heart and said, “About our engagement, didn’t you say you wanted to discuss a perfect plan with me? But you haven’t met me these past few days. If you keep being busy, let’s discuss it on the phone now.”

Song Tingyun turned over, took the glasses from the bedside table and put them on, and took a sip of water before saying, “Ah, that matter.”

“You didn’t forget, did you!” Ji Wenxu yelped, immediately raising his voice to question him.

Song Tingyun held the phone slightly away, his tone helpless: “I remember.”

“I’ve been too busy with work these two days.” He rubbed his brow with one hand. “Are you free this afternoon?”

“I’m free anytime,” Ji Wenxu said.

Song Tingyun: “Alright then, wait for me to send you the address this afternoon.”

“Deal.” Ji Wenxu’s mood instantly brightened.

Even without seeing his face, Song Tingyun could tell from just that one word.

Simply…

Like a puppy, unable to hide any thoughts.

He curved his lips slightly and continued, “Then I’ll hang up if there’s nothing else?”

“Yeah, see you this afternoon.” Ji Wenxu hung up the phone.

It had been raining heavily in Beijing for the past two days.

It only cleared up yesterday.

The weather was exceptionally good today.

The sky was clear, the autumn breeze was gentle, and pedestrians hurried along the streets.

The heavy glass door of the coffee shop was pushed open. A cool breeze swept in, and the indoor wind chimes tinkled with the wind.

A muscular man in a black suit, a bodyguard, walked in, then stepped aside to usher in the person who followed.

Ji Wenxu walked in afterward.

He was wearing a black windbreaker jacket, leaning on a crutch, and didn’t walk fast.

Song Tingyun took a sip of coffee, lifted his gaze, and looked at him.

“Good afternoon.” After Ji Wenxu sat down on the sofa opposite, Song Tingyun used a handkerchief to wipe away the coffee stain from the corner of his lips and initiated a greeting.

Ji Wenxu looked Song Tingyun over. He was still wearing a neat suit, a dark tie, and gold-rimmed glasses. The two of them clearly did not look like they would have any common interests.

“Mm, good afternoon,” Ji Wenxu replied.

For some reason, sitting face-to-face with Song Tingyun again made him feel a little self-conscious.

Song Tingyun raised his hand and called the waiter. “Hello, please bring him an iced Americano.”

“Certainly, sir.” The waiter left the coffee table.

Ji Wenxu leaned forward, rested his face in his hand, and scrutinized Song Tingyun for several seconds, asking curiously, “How do you know I like iced Americano?”

Song Tingyun lowered his eyelashes and said flatly, “Just a random order.”

Ji Wenxu didn’t doubt him. “Oh.”

“Right, about our engagement, you said you had a plan. What exactly…”

“You really don’t want to get married?” Song Tingyun suddenly interrupted him.

“Of course not. Do you want to marry me?” Ji Wenxu blurted out without thinking.

Song Tingyun curved his lips into a smile. “I went to see your grandpa.”

“Oh? What did you tell him?” Ji Wenxu raised an eyebrow.

Song Tingyun didn’t answer him directly, instead asking, “Why do you think you are marrying me?”

Ji Wenxu crossed his arms, leaning back slightly, with an expression of understanding: “Isn’t it because I got into a car accident, and they want to find a ‘wife’ to discipline me and make me settle down?”

Song Tingyun slowly shook his head: “It’s more than that. I learned that your grandpa wants me to marry you because he hopes the Ji family business won’t fall into the hands of others. You are the only male heir of the Ji family, and you’re not invested in the family business. If you’ve heard anything about me, you should know why it is me that you are marrying.”

Ji Wenxu slowly sat up straight, looking at him with an expression of disbelief.

He still remembered what Pei Zhixian told him that day—Song Tingyun was a rare business genius.

He had been uninterested in business since birth. He knew that the family’s assets would eventually fall to him. He even thought about staying abroad after graduation and never coming back.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes, and he was now at this point.

In other words.

Song Tingyun was truly a “tool” the family was paving the way with. Years later, even if he wasn’t capable of inheriting and managing the company, Song Tingyun would be an excellent asset. He would take care of the Ji family business out of gratitude.

“You… don’t you hate me?” Ji Wenxu asked cautiously after realizing this.

Song Tingyun’s lips held an indiscernible smile. Meeting Ji Wenxu’s sincere gaze, he slowly shook his head again: “I don’t hate anyone who has helped me.”

Ji Wenxu only took the person Song Tingyun referred to as having helped him to be his grandfather.

He asked, “So, we can only get married?”

“Mm, canceling the engagement is probably impossible, but we can divorce later.”

“Grandpa won’t agree easily.”

If Song Tingyun was telling the truth, then Ji Wenxu was even more confused. He didn’t think his grandpa was the type to rush him into marriage just for the sake of the Ji family.

But he also couldn’t think of a reason why Song Tingyun would lie to him.

Ji Wenxu could only temporarily set aside his doubts.

Song Tingyun slightly raised his chin: “Then we’ll just have to make him agree to our divorce.”

“How can you do that?”

“In the end, the Old Man is only worried about the future of the Ji family. If you can show some capability, the problem might be solved effortlessly,” Song Tingyun said slowly.

Ji Wenxu immediately understood the underlying meaning of his words and said with distress, “But I really don’t have the mind for business. Won’t it take ten or eight years for me to truly learn?”

Song Tingyun smiled again, “I can’t wait ten or eight years. If you are willing to learn seriously, I can help you.”

Ji Wenxu asked in surprise, “You are willing to teach me?”

Song Tingyun took a sip of coffee and said indifferently, “It’s not difficult.”

“Then… are you teaching for free?” Ji Wenxu asked.

Song Tingyun adopted a generous attitude: “I’m just fighting for myself, too.”

Ji Wenxu was moved by his words, looking up at him.

Song Tingyun had a handsome and refined appearance. Beneath the glasses were clearly “peach blossom eyes,” yet they were neither captivating nor flirtatious. His gaze was full of coolness, and even when he smiled, he didn’t feel approachable.

Looking at his pupils, they were deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to truly read his inner thoughts.

Business people are indeed like this, all cunning foxes that are hard to figure out.

Ji Wenxu took a large gulp of coffee and hesitated, “Then our wedding date…”

“The timing makes no difference. If we want an auspicious time, early October is quite good.” Song Tingyun lowered his eyes, glanced at his leg, and continued, “Your leg injury should be almost healed by then.”