Refusing Divorce After a Contract Marriage - Chapter 10.1

Chapter 10.1: She Has Developed a Dependency

Shen Qingye leaned against Jiang Chumian, groggy and dazed, until they reached home. It wasn’t until Jiang Chumian called her name softly that she opened her eyes.

“We’re here.” Jiang Chumian’s voice was lower than usual, but remained gentle.

“Mhm, thank you.” Shen Qingye sat up and let out a lazy yawn.

After getting out of the car, Shen Qingye was still not quite clear-headed; Jiang Chumian sighed and went over to support her. Once inside, Jiang Chumian went to the shoe cabinet to get her slippers. She told Shen Qingye to stand still and leaned down to unlace her shoes for her. She was afraid that if Shen Qingye bent over in her current state, the dizziness would worsen.

Shen Qingye stood obediently, her slender white fingers gripping the shoe cabinet for balance. She wasn’t fully conscious, yet not completely drunk. When the other woman’s fingertips brushed against her ankle, there was a faint, tingling itch, feeling almost like a feather brushing against her heart.

Jiang Chumian helped her change shoes and then reached out to steady her: “Shen Qingye, can you still shower by yourself?”

The girl’s warm voice fell by her ear, sounding a bit ethereal. Shen Qingye, being supported back to her room, gave a low hum of affirmation.

Jiang Chumian paused at the doorway, not stepping a single inch inside: “Then be careful. If you can’t manage, it’s okay to wait until you wake up.”

“Mhm, okay.” Her head was spinning, and her brow furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Jiang Chumian stopped disturbing her and closed the door.

Shen Qingye truly had no strength left to shower. She returned to her room and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Exhausted, Jiang Chumian felt a wave of sleepiness hit her after her own shower, but she forced herself to go and pour a cup of honey water for Shen Qingye. She knocked lightly on the door, but no one answered. Holding the cup, Jiang Chumian thought for a moment and then turned the door handle.

Inside, she found Shen Qingye had long since fallen asleep without even removing her makeup. Just two days ago Shen Qingye had been lecturing her, yet today she had drunk even more than Jiang Chumian had that day.

Jiang Chumian went into Shen Qingye’s ensuite bathroom to find her makeup remover. She then came out, removed Shen Qingye’s makeup, and wiped her face clean. As for the rest, she could only manage to help her take off her outer coat.

She sensed that Shen Qingye’s mood was particularly terrible today, and Jiang Chumian vaguely felt it had something to do with Zhao Kaiguo. Her bad mood had shown signs of emerging ever since the day she saw him.

Jiang Chumian tucked her in, adjusted the air conditioner temperature, and left.

The next day, Shen Qingye woke up smelling of alcohol and with a splitting headache. She rarely got drunk; last night was an exception. Perhaps the atmosphere of the bar got to her, or she really was in a bad mood, or perhaps it was because she had someone she could trust by her side. Knowing that no matter how drunk she got, Jiang Chumian would bring her home, she felt a sense of security that allowed her to let go.

Sure enough, she woke up to find her makeup removed and the blankets tucked around her. She certainly hadn’t adjusted the air conditioner herself, so it could only have been Jiang Chumian. Shen Qingye smiled; the way the two of them looked after each other back and forth was actually a way of evening the score.

After showering, changing, and tidying herself up, she found Jiang Chumian already downstairs. Auntie Zhang was making porridge, and the scent of plain porridge wafting through the air was very fragrant.

Jiang Chumian looked up at her and gave a gentle smile: “You’re awake.”

“Mhm.” Shen Qingye nodded slightly.

“Good morning, Qingye. Chumian said you drank too much last night, so she specifically asked me to cook some porridge.” Auntie Zhang had been there for a few months and had become familiar with them. She was always enthusiastic and would occasionally engage in small talk.

“Thank you for your hard work, Auntie Zhang,” Shen Qingye replied politely.

“Oh, it’s my job. You two eat first, I’ll be going now.”

“Alright.”

Shen Qingye sat down opposite Jiang Chumian, who was slowly eating her porridge spoonful by spoonful. Seeing Shen Qingye sit down, she asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine, thanks for last night,” Shen Qingye said softly.

Jiang Chumian shook her head: “It was nothing.”

After eating, Jiang Chumian prepared to go to work. Shen Qingye felt a bit lazy today and didn’t want to go to the office, so she simply gave herself a day off. Hearing that she wasn’t going to the company, Jiang Chumian gave her a look that was part envious and part resentful—they both stayed up late drinking, so why did she still have to go work for Shen Qingye?

Shen Qingye sat lazily on the sofa, watching her put on her shoes—strappy high heels with thin laces wrapping around her slender, fair ankles. It looked exceptionally beautiful. After Jiang Chumian left, Shen Qingye realized in hindsight that she was paying more and more attention to her. She couldn’t figure out why, but she felt that this wasn’t such a bad thing.

In the afternoon, Jiang Chumian returned exactly on time after work. After dinner and a short rest, she was dragged to the gym by Shen Qingye. Jiang Chumian was somewhat reluctant, but once they arrived, Shen Qingye had even arranged a coach for her, leaving her no choice.

“Your body is too weak; you need to exercise. Be good.” Shen Qingye rubbed her hair and spoke with a beaming smile. Having rested all day, Shen Qingye was indeed bursting with energy.

Coming out of the gym, Jiang Chumian felt like her whole self was not quite right. The coach was too strict, and the workout was too exhausting. But her protests were useless. Furthermore, Shen Qingye wasn’t busy now, and Jiang Chumian’s work at Shiguang was gradually getting on the right track, meaning she didn’t even need to work overtime much.

For the next month, Shen Qingye dragged Jiang Chumian to exercise almost every day. She went from being reluctant at first to gradually adapting. Shen Qingye felt exceptionally gratified seeing that Jiang Chumian’s appetite had increased when they ate together. It was better for the girl to put on a bit of meat; previously, she had been so thin and frail it seemed a gust of wind could blow her away. Seeing that Jiang Chumian’s features were no longer so gaunt, she was very satisfied.

Even when the two visited the grandparents a few times, both elders felt that Jiang Chumian looked better now that she had gained a bit of weight. Jiang Chumian visited the elders with Shen Qingye quite frequently. On the second visit, she wore the bracelet the grandmother had given her previously, and the grandmother decided she was suited for cheongsams. On the third visit, three custom-made cheongsams were ready for her. The grandmother treated her like a dress-up doll, making her try them on one by one. She didn’t just give them to Jiang Chumian; she gave some to Shen Qingye too, and their cheongsams were coordinated.

Hearing the grandmother praise them as a perfect match, Jiang Chumian was merely embarrassed, but Shen Qingye felt a strange sensation in her heart. However, it had to be said that Jiang Chumian looked truly beautiful in a cheongsam; occasionally wearing one to the office earned her many compliments.

Peaceful days seemed to pass by quickly. They had married in the spring, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye. With autumn approaching, Jiang Chumian began getting busy with the autumn fashion show. The proposal, the venue, the models, the promotion, and the livestreaming all required communication. Shiguang had no prior reputation in the industry and was considered mediocre by the public. The previous team had been lazy, and the newly formed team had many inexperienced members. This autumn show was to be a practice run, so the number of tasks Jiang Chumian had to handle increased again.

This busy period lasted until the end of October, and the time spent going to the gym with Shen Qingye decreased significantly. Forget fitness—sometimes Jiang Chumian was already heading out by the time Shen Qingye got up, and Jiang Chumian hadn’t returned by the time she was ready for bed. Several times, Shen Qingye couldn’t stay up and went to sleep early.

Previously, Shen Qingye thought she was enough of a workaholic, but she hadn’t expected Jiang Chumian to be even more extreme. When she got busy, she might truly forget to eat. But the body, after all, cannot endure such neglect.

That day, as usual, Jiang Chumian had just finished a meeting and returned to her office to continue handling affairs. Because of the high pressure, she had barely eaten a few bites of food. The afternoon was a non-stop rotation of tasks, and she forgot to eat dinner as well. By the time she finally finished work, it was after eleven o’clock. While driving on the road, she started to feel a pain in her stomach. Fortunately, the drive wasn’t far, and she endured the pain until she reached home.

Shen Qingye was surprisingly still awake. She was about to ask something when she saw Jiang Chumian’s pale, sallow face. She immediately realized something was wrong.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Qingye went over to support her and sit her down on the sofa.

Jiang Chumian managed a weak smile: “It’s nothing. Could you help me pour a glass of hot water? My stomach is just feeling a bit uncomfortable.”

Shen Qingye frowned and went to pour her the hot water first. After drinking it, Jiang Chumian still felt unwell; she took out her phone to look at delivery options.

Shen Qingye suddenly realized: “You haven’t eaten dinner yet, have you?”

Jiang Chumian gave a soft hum: “I forgot.”

“Nonsense.” Shen Qingye couldn’t help but frown again, her eyes even carrying a hint of reproach.

“It’s fine. I’ll be okay after eating something. I originally wanted to cook noodles myself when I got back, but I don’t think I can move right now. I’ll just order delivery.” She was quite calm, as if she were long accustomed to this.

When she had first returned, she actually had stomach pains from time to time, but usually, they went away after taking medicine. Later, with the extremely regular lifestyle Shen Qingye led her into, she had gradually improved. Perhaps because the temperature had dropped recently and she had a slight cold, combined with the irregular meals lately, this episode was much more severe.

While Jiang Chumian was ordering delivery, Shen Qingye saw that she was in genuine pain, so she went to rummage through the house. She warmed a glass of milk and toasted a slice of bread for her.

“Eat this first.” Shen Qingye’s face was still cold when she brought the plate over. Jiang Chumian didn’t argue and obediently ate it.

But it didn’t ease the pain much. After eating, she tried to get up to find some medicine, but she felt weak all over and had no strength. Shen Qingye pressed her down: “Just sit. I’ll find it for you.”

Taking out the medicine box and opening it, Shen Qingye realized there were many more gastrointestinal medications inside, as well as painkillers for menstrual cramps. At that moment, Shen Qingye realized in hindsight that Jiang Chumian’s health was much worse than she had imagined.

After Jiang Chumian took the medicine, she leaned weakly against the sofa, hugging a cushion. Shen Qingye had questions she wanted to ask, but felt it wasn’t appropriate at this moment. The Jiang Chumian who had been nursed back to health a bit recently had now become pale-lipped again. Watching her, an inexplicable trace of pain rose in Shen Qingye’s heart.

She wondered, just how much hardship did Jiang Chumian endure as a child? She had investigated Jiang Chumian’s mother—she was an extremely unreliable person. Such a person likely wouldn’t have taken good care of her.

When the delivery arrived, Jiang Chumian forced herself to drink half the porridge before she couldn’t take any more. Since she had at least eaten something, Shen Qingye didn’t force her to finish. Seeing her weak and listless state, Shen Qingye bent down and picked her up.

Jiang Chumian looked at her in shock, seemingly forgetting the pain for a moment. “It’s fine, I…”

She didn’t finish before Shen Qingye interrupted: “That’s enough, stop trying to be brave.”

Jiang Chumian grew quiet and didn’t dare speak further. Shen Qingye carried her into her own room, placed her on the bed, and asked: “Do you really not need to go to the hospital? Or I can call a doctor over.”

Jiang Chumian shook her head: “No need, it’s alright. I’ll be fine after a while.”

Even at this point, she was still so stubborn, but Shen Qingye truly didn’t know the extent of her condition.

“Is there any way to ease the pain a bit?” Shen Qingye asked again.

“Um, is there anything in the house that can hold hot water? Or a hot water bottle?”

Shen Qingye’s house truly didn’t have such things. However, Jiang Chumian suddenly remembered: “There’s a bag of heat pads in the cabinet next to the medicine box. Could you bring two up for me?”

“Alright.”

Shen Qingye was quick, though she looked at the items with a sense of novelty. After Jiang Chumian took them, she lifted her clothes slightly and stuck the heat pads onto her inner layer of clothing.

“It’s really fine, don’t worry. Go to sleep early; I’ll be okay on my own after a bit.” Jiang Chumian gave her a submissive smile.

But the more she acted this way, the more obvious the heartache in Shen Qingye’s chest became. “Why is your digestion so bad?” Shen Qingye eventually asked.

“As a child, I had one meal and then went hungry for the next; there was nothing to be done,” Jiang Chumian said softly. Then, as if afraid Shen Qingye would continue asking, she cast a pleading look at her: “Qingye, please don’t ask, okay?”

She truly didn’t want to recall those memories at all. It wasn’t that she wanted it to be that way, but after her grandmother passed away, her mother almost stopped caring for her entirely. At the most extreme times, she even fainted from hunger. Those memories filled with dampness, cold, and filth had been buried deep in her mind, and Jiang Chumian truly did not want to dig them up again.

This was the first time Shen Qingye had seen her with such a look—like a little stray kitten abandoned on the side of the road, pathetic and helpless.

“Alright, I won’t ask. Get some rest.” Shen Qingye sat by the bed and stayed with her quietly.

Jiang Chumian lay down a bit and then unconsciously leaned toward Shen Qingye’s side. Shen Qingye reached out and stroked her hair: “Sleep if you can. I’m here.”

Jiang Chumian grasped her hand, feeling the warmth from her palm; she actually felt a bit reluctant to let go. Then, she slowly drifted into sleep.

Shen Qingye looked down and caught a faint glimpse of tear tracks on Jiang Chumian’s face. She didn’t know if the girl had thought of something before sleeping or dreamed of something afterward, but she had actually cried.

“Yu Xuan, don’t go…”

But hearing that name murmured from her lips, Shen Qingye’s face uncontrollably darkened again. That name again. Shen Qingye hadn’t researched the name before, but now she was a bit curious.

“Since she abandoned you, why keep her in your heart?” Shen Qingye said with distinct annoyance.

Naturally, Jiang Chumian could not answer her. Shen Qingye stayed with her a while longer until she was sure she was sleeping soundly before leaving the room.

Before sleeping, she sent a message to Jiang Chumian’s assistant, telling her that Jiang Chumian wouldn’t be going to work tomorrow. The assistant first gave a cry of surprise, as there were many things at the company waiting for Jiang Chumian to decide. Shen Qingye was surprised that the assistant wasn’t asleep yet either.

“Her stomach condition flared up. If there’s anything urgent tomorrow, contact her remotely,” Shen Qingye decisively made the choice for Jiang Chumian.

“Alright, President Shen, understood.”

“Look after her for me from now on. If she doesn’t eat properly, remember to tell me.” After saying that, Shen Qingye sent her a large “Red Envelope” (digital money gift): “I know this isn’t your job, so this is for the extra trouble.”

The assistant, looking at the large red envelope from Shen Qingye in the middle of the night, suddenly felt completely wide awake. “Understood, President Shen. Rest assured, I’ll definitely get it done.”

This was what a worker staying up late deserved!

When Jiang Chumian woke up the next day, it was already late. Taking her phone and seeing the message from her assistant, her face was full of confusion. However, looking at the assistant’s report, things were basically proceeding smoothly, and Jiang Chumian breathed a sigh of relief.

“When did I say I wasn’t coming in today?” Jiang Chumian asked curiously.

“President Shen said so last night.” After saying that, the assistant became excited: “President Jiang, your relationship with President Shen is so good; it’s truly enviable. I’m starting to believe in love again.”

This assistant was someone Jiang Chumian had hired only after becoming the president of Shiguang. She was a newcomer who had graduated just a year ago; she was capable, but her personality was exceptionally lively and bouncy.

“Alright, I think I might still need to come to the office today. You guys get busy first.”

After a night’s sleep, she felt mostly recovered. There was still a slight discomfort, but it was fine, not very noticeable. Since she hadn’t showered the night before, she simply took a shower and changed her clothes first.

As she was preparing to go downstairs, she saw Shen Qingye, who had just made coffee and was about to go upstairs. Shen Qingye scrutinized the clothes she was wearing: “Are you still planning to go to work?”

“I still need to go; there’s a lot to do these two days,” Jiang Chumian answered her gently.

Seeing Shen Qingye’s face change slightly, Jiang Chumian didn’t know what to say for a moment. She could only say softly and with a bit of guilt, “Thank you for last night.”

Shen Qingye gave a light huff and then replied coldly, “There is stomach-soothing porridge in the kitchen warmer. Auntie Zhang specifically made it for you. Shiguang was so terrible before and it didn’t collapse. If you fall ill due to overwork, it won’t be good for my reputation or the Group’s reputation when the word gets out.”

After saying that, she went straight upstairs. Shen Qingye truly didn’t know how to coax people; her words were stiff and blunt.

Jiang Chumian watched her go upstairs, then eventually went to the kitchen obediently to find food. She then went submissively to the study, not daring to go to the office anymore.

Even though Shen Qingye seemed very angry, seeing her get angry because of her made Jiang Chumian feel a bit warm. She brought a cup of hot water into the study. Shen Qingye glanced at her but said nothing. Jiang Chumian sat down obediently; although she wasn’t at the office, she was still quite busy. The phone rang constantly throughout the morning.

At noon, Auntie Zhang came to cook. With Shen Qingye supervising, Jiang Chumian didn’t dare act out. She ate her meal honestly, took a short nap, and then got back to work. After staying home obediently for a day, Jiang Chumian even reported her departure to Shen Qingye before heading out on the third day.

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