Refusing Divorce After a Contract Marriage - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Agreement Takes Effect

The September air carried a hint of chill as night fell. At 10:00 PM, a red sports car sped toward the Cloud Water Villa district along a street that was gradually growing quiet. The woman behind the wheel wore a light gray suit; her features were slightly more defined than average, her thin lips were pressed together, and her phoenix-shaped eyes carried a natural coldness when she wasn’t smiling.

The car stopped at a red light. A call came in, and Shen Qingye pressed answer.

“Hello,” Shen Qingye’s voice was slightly lower and colder than most women’s.

“President Shen, the information you requested regarding Jiang Chumian has been sent to your email,” Assistant Lin’s emotionless voice came through.

“Good. Thank you.” Shen Qingye hung up and continued her drive back to the villa.

Shen Qingye had a habit: she had to shower the moment she got home. The interior wasn’t particularly cold, so after her shower, she emerged wrapped only in a bathrobe. She opened her laptop and pulled up the file Assistant Lin had sent.

“Jiang Chumian, Female, 22 years old. Graduate of the School of International Trade, Finance University. Spent one year abroad as an exchange student…”

Shen Qingye’s gaze landed on a graduation photo. The girl looked different from her; she appeared quite obedient, with two small dimples when she smiled and bright, clear eyes.

She had been an excellent student her whole life and had even made a significant amount of money through her own investments during university. However, such a person was burdened with a mother who was as shrewish as she was vain, and a father who came from a wealthy family but lacked any sense of responsibility.

Jiang Chumian was an illegitimate daughter the Jiang family originally refused to acknowledge. It was only after her mother caused a massive scene at the Jiang residence that she was brought back at the age of fifteen—though she was clearly unloved.

Shen Qingye thought about the arranged marriage her grandfather had mentioned. Apparently, the betrothal had been made between her grandfather and an old comrade-in-arms—it was the comrade’s dying wish. To be honest, Shen Qingye couldn’t understand why the older generation loved these arranged matches so much.

However, for the sake of cooperation between the two families, it was a decent choice. She simply detested the arrogant eldest daughter of the Jiang family. Shen Qingye pursed her lips. Perhaps I can talk to this girl instead.

In a riverside cafe, a girl in a brown dress sat by the window. Her auburn curls made her skin look exceptionally fair. She was staring out at the river, seemingly lost in thought.

When Shen Qingye arrived, this was the scene she encountered. she observed this “Second Miss Jiang” whom she had never met before—a very quiet girl. She didn’t look much like her father; her beauty likely came from her troublesome mother. Fortunately, her personality didn’t seem to have inherited anything from her two biological parents.

Seeing Shen Qingye, Jiang Chumian stood up to greet her. “President Shen, over here.”

Hearing the girl’s voice, Shen Qingye—who wasn’t usually one to be moved by voices—felt for the first time that someone’s voice was truly pleasant, as clear as a mountain spring. An old song played in the cafe; it was a perfect place for a date, though they were here to discuss a business partnership.

Jiang Chumian called the waiter over. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I didn’t order yet. Please, President Shen, see what you’d like.”

“No problem.” Shen Qingye smiled and ordered her usual Americano.

To her surprise, Jiang Chumian ordered an Americano as well. Shen Qingye chuckled, “It seems our tastes are quite similar.”

Jiang Chumian curled her lips into a light smile. “Mm. Or perhaps I’m just trying to please you?”

“That works too. I don’t mind.” Given that the girl’s first impression was so pleasant, Shen Qingye didn’t see an issue even if she was being handled.

Shen Qingye lazily set her handbag down and raised an eyebrow. “Miss Jiang, what do you think of my proposal?”

“I accept,” Jiang Chumian said calmly. “But I have one requirement.”

She turned serious. As the waiter served the coffee, she whispered a thank you and began stirring her drink. Shen Qingye wasn’t in a hurry and waited for her to continue.

“A five-year contract is no problem. But I want to enter the Shen Group,” Jiang Chumian said softly.

“Why? The Jiang Group can give you a position. Developing your career there would give you a stronger foothold in your own family,” Shen Qingye asked with interest.

Jiang Chumian took a sip of coffee, the bitter taste spreading through her mouth. “I have no experience. Consider it my desire to learn from you, President Shen.”

“If you’re at the Shen Group, we’ll have to ‘act’ much more often,” Shen Qingye mused. Being together day and night could be a hassle, and she didn’t want to invite unnecessary trouble.

“Just send me to a branch office. I don’t need to be at the headquarters.” Jiang Chumian looked up, her eyes meeting Shen Qingye’s. This seemingly fragile girl showed no sign of stage fright in front of her.

“Deal.” Shen Qingye thought for a moment and agreed. “I’ll bring the contract tomorrow.” Her cold aura softened slightly.

Jiang Chumian gave her a bright smile. “Thank you for your hard work.”

After coffee, Shen Qingye invited her for a walk and then lunch. Since they had decided to put on a show, they needed to understand each other; they couldn’t look like total strangers. Jiang Chumian had no reason to refuse.

They even went shopping for clothes together—this was Jiang Chumian’s suggestion. She felt that if they were going to act, they should do it thoroughly. According to their script, they had known each other for a while, so it would be unnatural if they didn’t have a single thing bought by the other on their person. Shen Qingye, having never been in a relationship, hadn’t thought of such details.

After lunch, it was time to head home. Shen Qingye saw Jiang Chumian preparing to hail a cab and drove up beside her. “Need a lift?”

“No, it’s too much trouble,” Jiang Chumian declined politely.

“It’s fine. I’ll be doing it in the future anyway, might as well get into character early. Besides, we need your father to know we’re ‘dating,’ don’t we?” Shen Qingye’s logic was sound, so Jiang Chumian agreed.

As she sat in the passenger seat, a sudden silence fell between them. It was rush hour, and the traffic was heavy. Shen Qingye changed the song. Jiang Chumian was surprised; she actually liked this band.

“You like this band too?” Jiang Chumian asked casually.

“Yeah, I like them quite a bit.” Starting from that song, the awkward atmosphere broke.

The red sports car pulled up in front of the Jiang villa. A boy on the second floor excitedly tugged at the woman beside him. “Sis, isn’t that Sister Shen’s car? She’s here!”

Jiang Xiaofan hurried to the window. Seeing the car, she rushed downstairs. In her mind, the Shen and Jiang families were set for a match, and since Shen Qingye hadn’t objected, it meant Shen Qingye had feelings for her. They grew up together and were a perfect social match.

However, as she reached the door, she saw Jiang Chumian getting out of the car. Her brow furrowed. How do they even know each other?

“See you tomorrow. Give my regards to your father,” Shen Qingye said to Jiang Chumian.

“See you tomorrow.” Jiang Chumian remained gentle and polite. When she smiled, her eyes seemed to hold stars.

Shen Qingye caught sight of Jiang Xiaofan out of the corner of her eye. She leaned in and dropped a kiss on Jiang Chumian’s forehead.

Jiang Chumian looked at her, confused. Shen Qingye just laughed softly. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Be good.” Without acknowledging the stunned Jiang Xiaofan, she got back in her car and drove off.

“How do you know Sister Shen?” Jiang Xiaofan intercepted her the moment the car left.

“Sister,” Jiang Chumian called out obediently, then explained with a good-tempered air, “Qingye and I have known each other for a long time. We met while I was abroad.” This was the cover story they had agreed upon.

“Did you seduce her on purpose?” Jiang Xiaofan hissed.

Jiang Chumian chuckled lightly, then looked at her calmly. “Excuse me, I’m quite tired.” Whether it was an act or not, she had no obligation to explain anything to Jiang Xiaofan.

Seeing her walk past and into the house, Jiang Xiaofan grew hysterical. “Just like her mother—a vixen through and through. All she knows is how to seduce people!”

But no matter how angry she was, it didn’t stop Shen Qingye from arriving the next day with gifts to publicly announce that Jiang Chumian was her girlfriend. Even Father Jiang was stunned.

But Shen Qingye held Jiang Chumian’s hand and said tenderly, “Uncle, Chumian and I have been dating for over a year. we didn’t tell our elders because we hadn’t settled down yet. We met abroad and have been together since, but since Chumian was away, I wanted to wait until she graduated. I didn’t expect you to have the same idea about a marriage alliance; it’s a perfect match.”

Shen Qingye smiled warmly at Father Jiang, then turned to put some food on Jiang Chumian’s plate. “Are you feeling unwell? You seem to have a poor appetite.”

Jiang Chumian lowered her head to eat, then looked at her obediently. “Maybe it’s just the jet lag.”

Shen Qingye’s eyes filled with feigned heartache. “It’s my fault for not being more considerate.”

The rest of the family—the stepmother and Jiang Xiaofan—watched this with dark expressions. To Father Jiang, as long as the alliance with the Shen family happened, it didn’t matter if it was Jiang Xiaofan or Jiang Chumian.

After dinner, Shen Qingye left. She knew Jiang Chumian would face a storm, but if she couldn’t handle this, her ambitions were just a pipe dream.

Sure enough, a confrontation followed. Facing Jiang Xiaofan’s insults, Jiang Chumian sat calmly on the sofa and looked at her father. “Father, since the wedding is approaching, it wouldn’t be appropriate for people to see a daughter of the Jiang family getting married with a bruised face, would it?”

Father Jiang glared at Jiang Xiaofan. “Sit down! Stop acting like a lunatic!”

Jiang Xiaofan sat down reluctantly, still glaring venomously. Jiang Chumian then calmly explained the “history” of her relationship with Shen Qingye to her father and offered a “sincere” apology to her sister. With the situation as it was, Father Jiang had no reason to scold her.

Half a month later, when news of the Shen-Jiang alliance spread, everyone assumed it would be Shen Qingye and Jiang Xiaofan. No one expected it to be the CEO of the Shen Group and the illegitimate daughter of the Jiang family. Countless people tuned in to watch the “scandal.”

Despite the gossip, the wedding was grand and held on schedule. During the exchange of rings, Shen Qingye wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist, instantly feeling her body tense up.

She laughed softly, whispering in her ear, “Be natural.”

“Mm.”

A gentle kiss fell. While the guests cheered, neither of the two main characters felt a single flutter of the heart. From this day forward, their five-year contract was officially in effect.

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