Married, but Still Strangers - Chapter 1

Inside a very ordinary cafe, a man and a woman sat facing each other.

The woman’s face was well-maintained, and her clothes and accessories were all exorbitantly expensive. Her entire presence screamed two words: Wealthy.

The man, meanwhile, still looked like a student. He wore a designer T-shirt and metal chains hanging from his jeans that clinked and clattered as he walked. On his feet were black canvas sneakers, and his face was strikingly bold and beautiful.

“There is 3.2 million in this card. I’ve investigated your situation in advance; you’re currently short exactly this 3.2 million, aren’t you?” Inside the cafe, the elegant and dignified lady pushed a card in front of Zhuang Yan.

If one looked only at their attire and ages, they might mistake this for a wealthy woman looking to keep a college student as a “boy toy.”

“Ms. Gao, what is the meaning of this?” Zhuang Yan had no intention of taking the card yet. He leaned back against his chair.

He knew exactly what she meant, of course, but he wanted her to speak first.

“Wang Mengmeng. Real name: Wang Shi. Male. Occupation: Actor. Five years ago, he jumped into a river and committed suicide due to excessive work pressure. He was twenty-nine years old at the time. Am I correct?”

Hearing the woman’s words, Zhuang Yan smiled slightly. He relaxed his clenched fists and intentionally played dumb. “Why are you telling me this, Ms. Gao?”

“Wang Mengmeng was your biological brother. You two took different surnames, one from your father and one from your mother. You were still in university when he committed suicide. You didn’t believe it was suicide, so you’ve been investigating the cause of Wang Mengmeng’s death all these years.”

Gao Ying laid out the facts she had uncovered piece by piece. She knew that the Omega in front of her could not refuse her.

“Oh? Does Ms. Gao happen to know the cause of my brother’s death?” Zhuang Yan showed an obvious interest in the matter.

“I don’t know, but with the power of the Yue family, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out.”

Gao Ying was the wife of the current head of the Yue Group and a major shareholder herself. The Yue family was a name that carried weight both domestically and internationally.

“Just say it then, Ms. Gao. What are your conditions?” Seeing that the timing was right, Zhuang Yan gestured for her to lay out her terms. After all, the most important part of a negotiation is mutual satisfaction.

Gao Ying produced another agreement. “Marry my son.”

“Marriage?” Zhuang Yan raised an eyebrow. “Ms. Gao, did I hear that right? Surely the young master of the great Yue family doesn’t struggle to find a suitable marriage partner?”

What Gao Ying had produced was a marriage agreement. From the page currently open, Zhuang Yan was quite satisfied with the conditions, though he didn’t know if the rest of the content would please him.

Gao Ying gave a soft laugh. “I’m not afraid of you laughing at us, but wealthy families always have their dirty laundry. For instance, my husband’s illegitimate son not only has he grown up safely and graduated from a prestigious university, but he even has children of his own now. My son, however, has severe Pheromone Blockage Disorder. Unless it’s an Omega with a 100% pheromone match, he isn’t affected by anyone at all, let alone being able to conceive.”

“So, I am that Omega with the 100% pheromone match?” Zhuang Yan smirked.

“Exactly. Whether it’s pheromone compatibility or other aspects, you are the most suitable candidate.” Gao Ying reminded him at the right moment, “After all, you don’t want your parents to keep working so hard to pay off debts, and you don’t want your brother to have died in vain, do you?”

“I accept your conditions, Ms. Gao.” After a quick glance through the document, Zhuang Yan signed his name with a flourish. “When can I register the marriage with Young Master Yue?”

This sort of thing was better done sooner than later. It had been dragged out for too long; Wang Mengmeng couldn’t wait any longer.

“That depends on your own ability.” Gao Ying satisfiedly put away the agreement and the bank card on the table. “The wedding is in three days. At that time, three million will be deposited into your account as a dowry.”

“And the rest?” Zhuang Yan asked.

“Naturally, that will have to wait until you have a child.”

After Gao Ying picked up her bag and left, Zhuang Yan continued to take small sips of his drink.

A moment later, another man came and sat across from him. “Have you really thought this through? Marrying into the Yue family and using their power to avenge Xiao Shi.”

Zhuang Yan curled his lips. “Brother Xiaocheng, I’ve had this decided since the day my brother died. As long as I can get justice for him, I am willing to pay any price.”

Chi Xiaocheng sighed. “I still don’t want you to take the risk. I could keep trying to get information out of those people…”

“Brother Xiaocheng, you don’t want me to take risks, but do you think I want anything to happen to you?” Zhuang Yan interrupted him. “This is already the safest way. As long as I can help Yue Lu take full control of the company, I’ll be free. But if you stay around those people and the truth gets out, have you thought about the consequences?”

“Sorry for making you worry,” Chi Xiaocheng gave a forced smile.

“Brother Xiaocheng, my brother is already gone. I don’t want you to… to leave us too.” Zhuang Yan’s eyes grew red.

Chi Xiaocheng was the boyfriend of Zhuang Yan’s brother, Wang Shi. The two had even reached the stage of discussing marriage. Not only did Zhuang Yan treat him like a biological brother, but Zhuang Yan’s parents also viewed him as their own son. As an orphan, Chi Xiaocheng naturally considered Wang Shi’s family his own. But just as he finally had a home, it was destroyed.

“Nothing will happen, don’t worry. I’ll protect myself. Look at you, why are you crying?” Chi Xiaocheng reached out to wipe the tears from Zhuang Yan’s face. “I’ve already handled the matter of the Yue family’s illegitimate son. No one will find out that the illegitimate son’s wife and children are all people we hired.”

“The Yue family is powerful; we still can’t let our guard down,” Zhuang Yan reminded him. “After all, we’ve seen the methods these people use before.”

Zhuang Yan’s brother, Wang Shi, had dropped out of high school to become an actor. He started as an extra and eventually worked his way up to being a third- or fourth-tier actor. But in the second month of Zhuang Yan’s university life, Wang Shi died.

People said Wang Shi was under too much pressure after losing out on several roles in a row. However, Zhuang Yan’s family didn’t even get to see the body. By the time they arrived, a grown man had been reduced to a handful of ashes. If it was suicide, why would they be in such a hurry to destroy the evidence?

Unfortunately, at that time, Zhuang Yan was just an ordinary student. His parents were working-class, and Chi Xiaocheng was still a struggling actor. They had no way to investigate the cause of death.

It was then that Zhuang Yan noticed a senior at his university: the only legitimate son of the Yue family, Yue Lu.

Yue Lu had Pheromone Blockage Disorder and could only accept a partner with high pheromone compatibility. As luck would have it, Zhuang Yan’s compatibility with him was 100%.

However, before Zhuang Yan had a chance to get close to Yue Lu, Yue Lu went abroad to study and vanished without a word. He was forced to turn his focus toward the Yue family’s illegitimate sons.

Yue Shengtian acted like a refined gentleman on the surface, but in private, he was a profligate mess with countless illegitimate children. Zhuang Yan specifically chose the most outstanding one, whose mother was a favorite of Yue Shengtian. After three months of observation to master his preferences, Zhuang Yan “tailor-made” an Omega for him.

Of course, Zhuang Yan wouldn’t debase himself by being with such an illegitimate son. In wealthy families, as long as there is a legitimate heir, illegitimate children are rarely brought into the spotlight.

Zhuang Yan understood this perfectly. He only wanted to use the image of the illegitimate son having a complete family with children to pressure the Yue family into finalizing Yue Lu’s marriage as soon as possible.

And Zhuang Yan himself was the perfect Omega “customized” to meet the expectations of Yue Lu’s mother, Gao Ying.

Zhuang Yan didn’t just want to borrow the Yue family’s power to avenge his brother; he wanted to use Yue Lu to achieve a leap in social class. Since a shortcut was placed right in front of him, how could he not be tempted?

Over the years, Zhuang Yan had worked tirelessly to excel in academics, capability, appearance, and physique. Finally, today, Gao Ying had come looking for him.

“Brother Xiaocheng, I want you to slowly withdraw,” Zhuang Yan said, looking down. “Those people aren’t easy to control. Now that we’ve latched onto the Yue family, there’s no need to keep taking risks.”

“I know,” Chi Xiaocheng nodded. “And on your side once you get the money, pay off the debts as soon as possible. I’ll come up with the remaining 200,000.”

Those people hadn’t just killed Wang Shi; they had also forged a mountain of debt in his name. Over the years, Zhuang Yan’s parents had done everything possible to raise the money, and Chi Xiaocheng had even thrown in all his savings, yet they were still short 3.2 million.

“It’s okay, Brother Xiaocheng. I’ll be able to win over Yue Lu quickly. If Yue Shengtian is a piece of trash, can his son be much better?” Zhuang Yan was confident. He knew he was handsome; since he was a child, he had benefited quite a bit from his looks.

“Then I’ll wait for your good news.” Chi Xiaocheng didn’t look happy as he said this.

“Why the long face? The people who hurt my brother will soon pay the price. Aren’t you happy?” Zhuang Yan pushed a dessert toward Chi Xiaocheng. “Try this.”

“You’re Xiao Shi’s younger brother. I should be the one taking care of you for him, yet I’m letting you go into danger.” Chi Xiaocheng took a bite and immediately frowned. “What is this?”

“Something flashy but unsubstantial.” Zhuang Yan poked at the cake on his own plate with a fork. “I really don’t understand why people like such tasteless things.”

Chi Xiaocheng really didn’t want a second bite of the thing. He silently pushed it away. “Maybe because it looks good.”

“Do you think I look good?”

“Very beautiful.”

Zhuang Yan, like Wang Shi, had a very beautiful face. The difference was that Wang Shi had used that face to enter the entertainment industry, while Zhuang Yan didn’t like interacting with people.

“That’s good. Yue Lu will like it.” Or rather, the Yue family simply liked beautiful Omegas. The affairs of Yue Shengtian and Gao Ying, as well as the partners their illegitimate children found, all possessed beautiful faces.

“Are you really not going to reconsider?” Chi Xiaocheng still didn’t want Zhuang Yan to go to the Yue family.

“I’ve already signed the marriage agreement. I can’t exactly go back on it now, can I?” Zhuang Yan stood up. The flowers in the green belt outside were in full bloom, making one want to pluck one, but in the end, he only leaned in to sniff them without picking any. “I’m leaving. Call me if anything happens. Also, don’t go looking for that boss again. It’s dangerous.”

Chi Xiaocheng stood there in silence, watching Zhuang Yan walk away.

Soon, the day of the wedding mentioned by Gao Ying arrived. However, when it was time for the couple to enter, Yue Lu didn’t show up.

Zhuang Yan hadn’t seen this young master in the days leading up to the wedding. Gao Ying had said she would handle it, but it seemed she hadn’t been able to persuade him.

It appeared Young Master Yue Lu was exactly as Gao Ying had initially described: someone who strongly resisted arranged marriages and was very dissatisfied with this 100% compatible partner.

But it didn’t matter. They had plenty of time.

Zhuang Yan didn’t show even a hint of stage fright. With a smile, he walked onto the stage and took the microphone from the host. “I apologize to all the guests. It seems our other groom is a bit shy today. But that’s alright; we’ve already registered our marriage. I assume everyone is familiar with Young Master Yue Lu, but not many of you know me, Zhuang Yan. I’ll be going around to each table shortly to toast and apologize, and to thank everyone for coming.”

Zhuang Yan pulled a small red booklet from his pocket inside was a photo of him and Yue Lu. This marriage certificate was actually a fake Gao Ying had made to trick Yue Lu into coming to the wedding. It clearly hadn’t worked, as Yue Lu had run away anyway, so Zhuang Yan used the forgery to bluff the guests.

As Zhuang Yan toasted every table, he made a mental note against Yue Lu: Yue Lu, you’d better not actually develop any real feelings for me. Because even if you give me three parts of sincerity out of ten, I won’t let you off that easily.

At the same time, in a certain club, Yue Lu was boredly playing with the wine glass in his hand. The noisy music around him was irritating, but compared to the headaches at home, it was relatively peaceful.

“Master Yue, you finally agreed to come out with me, so why are you sitting here drinking alone?” A yellow-haired man, who clearly looked like a delinquent, walked over holding a flashy Omega in his arms.

“Stay away from me.” Yue Lu’s tone was full of disdain. He didn’t actually have many friends; this person was someone he’d only met a few times, looking to latch onto the Yue family’s influence.

“Whoa, Master Yue is acting all high and mighty now?” The yellow-haired man wanted to keep talking trash but was glared back by Yue Lu.

“Go play on your own first; I have something to talk to Brother Yue about.” The man let go of the Omega and leaned in closer.

“Brother Yue, isn’t today your wedding day? Why aren’t you there?” The man smirked at Yue Lu.

“Hmph,” Yue Lu sneered. “What wedding? Since he wants to marry into the family so badly, he can figure it out himself.”

“Tsk tsk, Brother Yue, how can you be so heartless? Letting a little Omega handle all those old fogies by himself?” The man swung his glass around nonchalantly.

“Heartless? What does he have that deserves my pity? Wait, does he even deserve the word  pitying the fragrance and the jade?”

“What did this little Omega do to make you hate him so much?” The man gossiped.

“I don’t know how he instigated my mother, but she used her connections to get a marriage certificate issued for the two of us.”

“No way? You can get a marriage certificate without being there in person?” The man was shocked.

“Who knows what methods my mother used.” Yue Lu slammed his glass onto the table with a thud. Who knew what some people would do for money and power.

“Then you should definitely take that little Omega down a peg!” The yellow-haired man followed Yue Lu’s lead. “By the way, that junior you liked before… now that you’re back in the country, are you going to pursue him?”

“You really don’t know why I came back?” Yue Lu had returned this time specifically for the junior he had been pining for.

“Then just use that junior as an excuse for your family. That way your mom won’t go around looking for Omegas for you to marry, right?” The man asked curiously.

“She doesn’t just want me to marry; she wants me to produce a child.” The thought of it made Yue Lu’s head ache even more. It was no secret that it was difficult for him to have children. Did she really think bringing this Omega over would change that?

“That’s a bit tough…” The man hesitated. “Could it be that your mom actually found that Omega with the 100% compatibility?”

“Who knows if it’s true or fake.” Yue Lu downed a large gulp of wine. “He’d better not let me catch him slipping.”

“Brother Yue, so what’s your plan? Keep the red flag at home while the colored flags fly outside?” the man asked, referring to having a wife and a mistress.

“My mother said if I’m still not interested in him after three months, she’ll have the marriage status annulled.”

“So you plan to endure for three months?”

Yue Lu tilted his head and finished the wine in his glass in one gulp. “Yeah. For now, I’ll be staying elsewhere.”

However, he also knew that his “dear mother” generally didn’t keep her promises. Therefore, the best way to resolve this matter was to seize power.

“That’s too much of a grievance for you. I think you should just kick that sensible little Omega out,” the man said, acting indignant on Yue Lu’s behalf.

Yue Lu suddenly had a strange thought. “Say, if someone like me went to be someone’s ‘kept man,’ would anyone be willing to support me?”

“Huh?” The yellow-haired man was so shocked he couldn’t speak.

Yue Lu took another swig of wine. “Never mind. I was just joking. Don’t go spreading that around.”

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