Forced into a Contract Flash Marriage with the Ice-Cold Beauty - Chapter 4

The old city renovation area wasn’t far from the bustling downtown of Xuancheng.

The houses in this neighborhood were all old, dilapidated, and poorly maintained, slated for future demolition and redevelopment by the government.

Ji Nanchan’s house was one of the rare standalone homes with its own yard in the residential area.

The two-story building had a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout on the first floor, while the second floor served as her secret base, no one knew what was hidden up there.

As for the yard, it was livelier than a bustling marketplace.

“Come on, I’ll take you for a tour of the yard,” Ji Nanchan invited, after the little maid had finished cleaning the kitchen.

Leng Bingqin clung to the hem of her shirt, afraid of falling behind, a gesture of coquettish dependence only a young woman would make.

Pushing open the door and stepping into the yard, Leng Bingqin was amazed.

A stone-paved path ran straight through the middle to the iron gate, dividing the yard into two sections. Under Ji Nanchan’s planning, it was organized into three distinct areas:

On the left, enclosed by a fence, was her beloved chicken coop.

The right side was split into two parts: the front was a small vegetable garden, while the section closer to the house was Fugui’s living area.

Hearing the commotion, the big wolf dog, Fugui, shot out of his kennel.

Leng Bingqin wrapped her arms around Ji Nanchan’s waist and hid behind her, resting her forehead against Ji Nanchan’s sturdy back, marveling at the sense of security her girlfriend provided.

Instinctively, Ji Nanchan shielded her with one hand while using the other to pet Fugui, explaining, “Don’t be afraid. Fugui is a retired military dog, he won’t bite. You can pet him.”

With that, she took the little maid’s hand and gently placed it on Fugui’s head, guiding her to stroke him.

Fugui was large and imposing, with a dark face that made him seem intimidating and unapproachable.

Leng Bingqin felt both hesitant and excited as she timidly crouched in front of him. “Hello, big doggy,” she murmured. The fluffy fur felt so pleasant to the touch that she couldn’t resist petting him over and over, reluctant to stop.

Fugui nuzzled her palm, then rolled over to expose his belly, begging for more pets. Leng Bingqin gasped with delight. “He’s so well-behaved!”

The interaction between the girl and the dog was heartwarming and soothing.

Leaning against a pillar, Ji Nanchen watched them for a long while before getting back to business. “From now on, you’ll need to take Fugui for walks in the alley every morning and afternoon. He’ll even carry empty plastic bottles for recycling himself.”

“Recycling?” Leng Bingqin turned to Ji Nanchan in disbelief. “Are we so poor that we have to rely on picking up trash to survive, and even the dog isn’t spared?”

“It’s not that bad. We don’t dig through garbage bins, we just collect bottles, cans, or cardboard to sell. The money we make can be used for treats or little gifts. It’s all about being frugal and eco-friendly.”

With Ji Nanchan’s spin on it, collecting recyclables didn’t seem so embarrassing after all. Leng Bingqin even looked eager. “Can you take me with you next time?”

“Of course!” Ji Nanchan promised confidently, secretly thrilled: I’d love nothing more than for you to help me collect bottles every day. Hehe.

Leading the little maid to the fence, she pushed open the wooden gate.

Five hens were leisurely strolling around. Unfazed by the visitors, they seemed to say, “Go ahead and collect the eggs, don’t leave until you’ve had your fill.”

Pointing at the five nests lined up in a row, Ji Nanchan proudly declared, “These are the Five Golden Flowers, the nutritional backbone of our household. The Golden Flowers lay eggs every day, so first thing in the morning, you’ll need to collect them.”

Making such a delicate, refined beauty collect chicken eggs honestly, Ji Nanchan really had a way with things!

“No, no, I don’t dare. They’ll definitely chase and peck at me.” Leng Bingqin shrank her neck, her expression full of fear. The hens wandering around her feet had already made her flustered reaching for eggs would be downright terrifying.

“Afraid of being pecked?” Ji Nanchan walked over to the nest, casually reached in, and retrieved an egg effortlessly. “It’s simple. You try it.”

“No, no, no.” Leng Bingqin covered her head, so frightened that all she could say was “no.”

Seeing her persistent resistance, Ji Nanchan feigned a sigh of sorrow. “The eggs we eat every day are all laid by the Five Golden Flowers. If we don’t collect them, we won’t have any to eat. Without eggs, we won’t get proper nutrition. Without nutrition, I won’t be able to earn money. And if I can’t earn money, all eight of us in this family will go hungry.”

The more she spoke, the more exaggerated and far-fetched it became, yet the little white rabbit took it all to heart.

Hearing that even the chickens and dogs in the household would go hungry, Leng Bingqin actually felt a pang of guilt. After an internal struggle, she steeled herself and declared, “Alright, I’ll do it!”

Mustering her courage, she approached the nest, afraid of getting dirty and being pecked. Trembling, she stretched out her hand, swiftly grabbed an egg, and then sprang into Ji Nanchan’s arms like a coiled spring.

Startled by the sudden embrace, Ji Nanchan stiffened, not daring to move, but she didn’t forget to praise and encourage her. “See? It’s not so hard, right? Next time, scatter some feed before collecting the eggs. They’ll be too busy eating to bother with you.”

Leng Bingqin was thrilled, holding the egg up to the sunlight to admire it. “This is the first egg I’ve ever collected. I need to preserve it properly.”

Her delicate profile was bathed in a faint golden glow, and the small dimples that appeared with her smile carried a sweet charm that caught Ji Nanchan’s eye, evoking a doting grin. “Later, I’ll get a marker pen. You can write something on it, and we’ll keep it in the fridge as a memento.”

“Really? You better not sneakily eat it.” Suspicious, Leng Bingqin hugged her beloved egg and grinned foolishly.

Walking into the barren vegetable garden, she looked at Ji Nanchan in confusion. “Why is it so empty with nothing growing?”

“I’ve been too busy with work and haven’t had time to buy seeds. When we’re free, we’ll go pick some out. What vegetables do you want to eat?”

Without hesitation, Leng Bingqin replied, “I want to plant something that’s easy to grow.”

“Then let’s plant potatoes. We can make french fries.”

“Long live french fries!” No matter what Ji Nanchan said, Leng Bingqin would always chime in agreement, like her one and only devoted fan.

For a fleeting moment, Ji Nanchan had the illusion that this woman really was her girlfriend.

What nonsense am I thinking? Shaking her head, she led the little nanny back into the house.

True to her word, Ji Nanchan didn’t deceive Leng Bingqin. She actually found a marker pen. “Here, write something.”

Leng Bingqin took the pen and turned her back, as if she didn’t want Ji Nanchan to see the little secret she was writing. Still feeling uneasy, she gleefully dashed off to the kitchen.

Hiding away to write on it and then putting it in the fridge wouldn’t it still be visible? How adorably silly.

A sweet smile unconsciously curled at the corners of Ji Nanchan’s lips. She thought to herself, if she could be blessed with such cuteness every day, she could die content.

Arriving at the kitchen door, she saw Leng Bingqin carefully placing her egg in the fridge. Noticing Ji Nanchan peeking in, she wrinkled her nose and warned, “No peeking!”

Amused by her pettiness, Ji Nanchan’s eyes softened with ease. “I won’t peek. Are you done?”

“All set!”

“I’ll take you to the small bedroom and also.” Before Ji Nanchan could finish her sentence, the little nanny skipped over and linked arms with her.

To be precise, she was clinging to her arm.

Leng Bingqin had a slender and delicate frame, standing at an estimated height of 168 cm, which gave her a distinctly petite and dependent aura next to Ji Nanchan.

Ji Nanchan rarely found herself in such close proximity to strangers, and before she knew it, she had stiffened into an awkward statue once again.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing the question, Ji Nanchan shook her head. “Nothing. Let me take you to tidy up the small bedroom. You’ll be staying there from now on.”

Leng Bingqin blinked innocently, tilting her head in confusion. “But aren’t we a couple? Why would we sleep in separate beds?”

“Ahem, well because…” Ji Nanchan stammered, unable to come up with a plausible excuse on the spot.

The question struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her mind blank. How could she have forgotten the flaw in their “couple” arrangement?

“I get it! You must be disgusted with me because I lost my memory!” Leng Bingqin stood on her tiptoes, pressing closer as she interrogated her, nudging Ji Nanchan’s shoulder with the tip of her nose.

Ji Nanchan raised a hand to gently tap Leng Bingqin’s forehead, leaning back slightly as she resumed her role as a deceitful charmer. “You’re my girlfriend, how could I dislike you?” I was just thinking that since you’re injured, you need peace and quiet to recover. Besides, even couples need their own space sometimes, right?”

Why did that explanation sound so sleazy?

Leng Bingqin tightened her grip on Ji Nanchan’s arm, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “So you’re really that worried about me?”

“Uh, heh heh.Your brain’s all scrambled, who else would worry about you if not me?” Ji Nanchan forced a dry laugh and tried to pull her arm free, only to find herself held even tighter.

Dragging the clingy koala attached to her, Ji Nanchan led the way into the small bedroom.

The room was windowless and pitch-black. Leng Bingqin pressed fearfully against Ji Nanchan, pouting in protest. “I don’t want to stay in this room. Once the lights are off, I won’t be able to see anything. I’ll be scared at night.”

“Then you take the master bedroom, and I’ll sleep in this one,” Ji Nanchan offered, putting on a show of concern for her girlfriend. As long as they could sleep in separate rooms, anything was negotiable.

“No way! You work hard all day. If you come home and have to sleep in this dark little room at night, I’d feel too guilty.”

Oh, thank you so much! Ji Nanchan broke into a cold sweat, her lips twitching. “It’s fine. As long as you’re comfortable, I don’t mind putting up with a little hardship.”

“Really? Will you always be this good to me?”

Reaching out to tuck a stray strand of Leng Bingqin’s hair behind her ear, Ji Nanchan made a promise against her better judgment: “Of course. I’ll always be this good to you.”

Good heavens, I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of lies today! Ji Nanchan leaned against the wall, clutching her chest, already regretting the tangled web of deceit she had woven for herself.

The Su family residence was nestled on the mountainside of Jiangnanshan in Xuancheng.

At that very moment, the entire estate was in an uproar.

“Still no news of the young lady? What are we going to do?”

Uncle Qian, the elderly butler of the Su household, had been pacing anxiously in the courtyard all night, growing more frantic by the hour with no sign of the eldest daughter’s return.

Even more anxious than Uncle Qian was Xiao Leyao, Su Yuxi’s secretary.

With her boss suddenly missing, the company was left leaderless, unable to convene even crucial meetings. Xiao Leyao was as restless as an ant on a hot pan.

“We should report this to the police,” Uncle Qian suggested gravely as he approached Xiao Leyao.

At the mention of involving the police, Xiao Leyao recoiled in alarm. “No, no! We absolutely cannot go to the police.”

Uncle Qian didn’t understand and pressed on, “Why not? If we don’t report it now, it might be too late if we wait any longer!”

“If news of President Su’s disappearance gets out and is reported by the media, the impact on the company would be enormous, it could cause the stock price to plummet.”

Xiao Leyao naturally considered the bigger picture, thinking that if President Su returned safe and sound after such a major false alarm, she would undoubtedly be the first to be held accountable.

“What does it matter about the company at a time like this? How am I supposed to explain to the master and madam that the young lady is missing?”

Each had their own concerns and voiced their opinions, but after discussing it, they reached no conclusion.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Leyao suddenly had an idea. “How about this: I’ll hire someone to look for President Su. It might help. If there’s still no news after three days, we’ll report it to the police.”

“Three days? What if something happens to the young lady.” Butler Qian raised his voice, growing more fearful the more he thought about it, yet he had no other options. “Is hiring someone reliable?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. We have to at least try,” Xiao Leyao replied calmly.

Butler Qian could only wave his hand and urge her on. “Then hurry and find someone. Don’t waste any time. Go quickly, Secretary Xiao.”