Refusing Divorce After a Contract Marriage - Chapter 11.2

Chapter 11.2

Outside, Meng Zhu and Lin Xingmo had already gone downstairs. After Su Yuan left, Lin Xingmo asked Meng Zhu: “So eager to watch the show?”

“Of course. Who wouldn’t want to watch Shen Qingye? Just wait; she’ll definitely protect Jiang Chumian tonight,” Meng Zhu said with a smile. It was obvious Shen Qingye looked after Jiang Chumian, though she didn’t seem to realize it.

Su Jun added from the side: “Jiang Chumian doesn’t necessarily need protection. It’s just that she couldn’t be bothered with Jiang Xiaofan before.”

“In Jiang Wenyan’s eyes, Jiang Xiaofan is just a tool for marriage. Jiang Chumian probably feels a bit of pity for her,” Su Jun said with a smile.

“Oh? Why do I feel like Sister Jun knows Jiang Chumian quite well?” Meng Zhu sensed something unusual.

Su Jun shook her head: “Not well. I just happen to know a few things.”

Not long after the three went down, Shen Qingye and Jiang Chumian followed. Jiang Xiaofan was at a table. Her gaze first fell on Shen Qingye, and she called out “Sister Shen” sweetly. Then she looked uncontrollably at Jiang Chumian. Her mouth moved, but she didn’t greet her.

However, there were always people in the crowd who loved to cause trouble. A man in colorful clothing said lazily: “Eldest Miss Jiang, isn’t the sister-in-law your sister?”

Shen Qingye’s gaze lingered on him for a bit, then she chuckled: “You’re quite well-informed.”

“Sister Qing praises me too much,” the man said, still maintaining a flippant attitude.

Shen Qingye’s lips curled into a smile as she led Jiang Chumian to sit down. Meng Zhu had someone refill her glass. “What are we playing? If it’s boring, I’m leaving,” Meng Zhu said lazily.

Su Yuan took over and began explaining the rules. Shen Qingye remained lazy throughout. It was just a game of dice where the losers drank. Shen Qingye casually shook the dice cup in front of her.

“What’s the point of just drinking? Why don’t we make it more interesting and put the biggest chips we have on the table?” Shen Qingye’s gaze swept coldly over the crowd.

“I have an AI development project on hand. I believe many of your siblings or parents are quite interested in it, aren’t they?” Shen Qingye’s lips curled up: “If you can win against me today, collaboration will be easy. So, want to play?” Her playful look carried an inexplicable sense of pressure.

“Sure, why not?” the silver-haired boy said first. “I’m not as generous as Sister Qing. I only have one hotel. Since Sister Qing has spoken, I’ll put it on the table.”

Shen Qingye was about to speak, but Jiang Chumian pressed her hand.

“I don’t want the hotel. I’ll have a separate bet with Young Master Zhou. How about one percent of your shares?”

The silver-haired boy, Young Master Zhou, paused. That bet was indeed a bit high for him.

“Similarly, one percent of my shares in the Jiang Group. If you win, you can take them,” Jiang Chumian said with a rare trace of ruthlessness in her eyes.

“Fine.” Since she had put it that way, hesitating would make him look cowardly.

Jiang Chumian’s eyes flickered: “Then please, everyone, be our witness.”

It was the first time Shen Qingye had seen Jiang Chumian be this sharp in private. But in her eyes, it was quite cute. Like a kitten bristling its fur, or a cat about to play with its prey.

The match was simple a game of dice. Jiang Chumian sat next to Shen Qingye, remaining composed throughout, while Young Master Zhou became nervous after losing the first round. It was a best-of-three. Jiang Chumian lost the second round. But in the third round, she won.

Young Master Zhou’s face turned pale.

“Young Master Zhou, you lost,” Jiang Chumian said with a smile.

He met her smiling gaze: “What are you so arrogant about? Back then, you rejected me so ‘purely,’ yet here you are, having climbed into Shen Qingye’s bed.”

Jiang Chumian’s expression turned dark again. Shen Qingye was about to move, but Jiang Chumian suddenly grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table and smashed it over the man’s head.

“Worry about yourself,” she said, slowly wiping her hands. She looked at the man with a smile that carried a hint of danger. “Today, I’ll only take that one percent. I hope you can keep the rest in the coming days.” She sat back down calmly and even called a waiter to clear the broken glass.

Jiang Xiaofan looked at Jiang Chumian from across the table. For the first time, she felt that Jiang Chumian simply hadn’t wanted to argue with her before.

“Let’s continue. I hope I didn’t spoil the mood.”

The people who had wanted to watch her as entertainment were momentarily stunned.

“Oh, and Young Master Zhou, don’t forget the hotel. I’ll have my secretary handle the transfer tomorrow,” Shen Qingye said lazily, looking at the man with a light laugh.

“You…! Don’t be so arrogant. Shen Qingye, don’t you regret this!” He clutched his bleeding head, but his words remained stubborn.

Su Yuan felt a headache coming on and quickly had someone take him to the hospital. Once he was gone, Meng Zhu chuckled: “How does the Zhou family still have such a brainless waste?”

The Zhou family used to be prominent, but that was ancient history. Old capital had strength, but in this era, newcomers were constant, and the world changed rapidly. No one could truly “rule” anymore. Besides, the Zhou heirs were getting worse with each generation; they were nowhere near what they once were. Did he think he was some kind of “Crown Prince” from a novel? Reality had no such things.

“Still playing?” Shen Qingye asked the others.

“Sister Qing, Chumian is so amazing; how could we dare play against you?” a girl said with a forced laugh. She wasn’t close to Jiang Chumian but had seen her at the Jiang house. Though they were second-generation idlers, they weren’t so stupid as to not see the situation. Jiang Chumian clearly had the upper hand over Jiang Xiaofan. They could continue their “plastic sisterhood” with Jiang Xiaofan, but they weren’t going to make an enemy of Jiang Chumian for her sake.

Meng Zhu clicked her tongue: “So boring. Fine, fine.” She stood up and went back upstairs.

Shen Qingye scoffed. She hadn’t intended to go this far, but Jiang Chumian’s bottle-smashing had stunned everyone into silence.

Jiang Chumian followed her upstairs. The second floor was much quieter. The group returned to the terrace to continue drinking.

“Chumian, I didn’t see that coming. You’re quite ruthless. Why did everyone say you were a ‘soft persimmon’ who could be pushed around?” Meng Zhu asked curiously after a few drinks.

Jiang Chumian wasn’t drinking; Shen Qingye had gotten her some warm milk. Everyone else was drinking iced alcohol, while Jiang Chumian held the warm milk Shen Qingye had given her.

“The rumors weren’t wrong.” She indeed used to let people say or do whatever they wanted without reacting. She had no standing. When Xiao Jinyu fought Jiang Xiaofan for her, the one who was beaten at home was always her. From then on, she knew she had no support or shield in this world.

She had no capital to resist. Submissiveness was the best way to protect herself when she was powerless. Then she joked: “But now I have President Shen as my shield, so of course I don’t have to listen to them anymore.”

Shen Qingye looked at her, feeling like she was being used as a shield. Lin Xingmo and Su Jun just laughed; it seemed no one believed her. Jiang Chumian’s actions today showed her true nature, regardless of any support.

The group chatted as other people from the second floor came over to offer a toast, make friends, or discuss collaborations. Time passed quickly, and it was soon past midnight. Downstairs was still noisy, but the four of them had drunk quite a bit.

Su Jun was the first to call it a night, and Lin Xingmo followed. Meng Zhu mocked Lin Xingmo’s low tolerance, but Lin Xingmo didn’t explain and simply followed Su Jun out. Once they were gone, Meng Zhu whispered to Shen Qingye: “Think Xingmo will succeed?”

“With that cowardly attitude?” Shen Qingye said dismissively.

“Not necessarily. If even an ‘old bachelor’ like you can blossom, maybe she can too?” Meng Zhu enjoyed gossip.

“Who are you calling an old bachelor?” Shen Qingye scoffed. She pulled Jiang Chumian closer by her waist, looking provocatively at Meng Zhu.

Meng Zhu: How childish.

Jiang Chumian was a bit embarrassed but could only smile. She actually found this version of Shen Qingye quite cute.

“Mianmian, take her home. None of them can drink; so boring.”

Hearing Meng Zhu’s words, Jiang Chumian looked at the alcohol she had consumed and felt a shiver. It wasn’t that the others couldn’t drink, but that Meng Zhu was too good at it.

Jiang Chumian supported Shen Qingye: “Qingye, let’s go.”

Shen Qingye leaned her weight on her, acting clingy. Jiang Chumian led her away with some effort. Once they were gone, Meng Zhu laughed: “She’s quite an actor.” Shen Qingye had drunk a lot, but given her tolerance, she was definitely not this drunk.

Jiang Chumian helped Shen Qingye into the car where the driver was waiting. “Uncle, drive slowly and steadily. Qingye drank too much and might get motion sickness.”

Hearing her words, Shen Qingye leaned directly into her. Jiang Chumian could only let her, and once the car was moving, Shen Qingye lay across her lap, wrapping her arms around her waist. The posture made Jiang Chumian embarrassed, and she didn’t even dare look at Shen Qingye’s face.

Once she felt Shen Qingye was asleep, she finally looked down. When drunk, Shen Qingye’s sharpness seemed to vanish, replaced by a much softer aura. Thinking of her actions earlier, Jiang Chumian felt a warmth in her heart. She leaned down and whispered: “Thank you.”

Shen Qingye was truly asleep and didn’t wake up until they reached home. Seeing her drowsy look, Jiang Chumian got out first and offered a hand: “We’re home.”

“Mhm” Shen Qingye said lazily, taking her hand.

Back inside, Jiang Chumian didn’t head straight for a shower as she had before. Instead, she made some honey water for Shen Qingye, helped her remove her makeup, and prepared a warm bath. Shen Qingye was truly drunk and nearly started undressing right in front of her. Jiang Chumian turned red and hurried out.

Seeing her frantic exit, Shen Qingye chuckled to herself. While soaking in the tub, she felt a sudden surge of anger again, thinking about what that Zhou brat had said. Even though Jiang Chumian was the one insulted, Shen Qingye felt angrier than she did. She didn’t understand why, but she was furious. Thinking about Jiang Chumian being pursued by someone like that made her feel like the girl attracted far too many “rotten peach blossoms.”

The next morning when Shen Qingye woke up, Jiang Chumian had already gone to work. She checked the time and decided not to go in, as half the morning was gone anyway. Just as she was about to tell Secretary Lin to reschedule everything, she learned Jiang Chumian had already done it.

“How were you so sure I wouldn’t go to the office today?” Shen Qingye asked Jiang Chumian out of curiosity.

Jiang Chumian’s reply came quickly: “I was up and you weren’t. You drank so much last night; I figured you wouldn’t wake up early. Given your personality, it’s normal for you not to go.”

Shen Qingye laughed: “President Jiang knows me quite well.” They chatted for a bit before Jiang Chumian went back to her work.

That evening, Jiang Chumian didn’t work overtime and returned quite early. Upon entering, she smelled a rich aroma of cake. Auntie Zhang came out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh cake.

“Chumian, you’re back! Perfect timing. Come try some.”

“Okay.” Jiang Chumian changed her clothes, washed her hands, and took a bite.

“Good, isn’t it?” Shen Qingye was sitting cross-legged on the sofa. “Auntie Zhang’s skills are just the tip of the iceberg.” Shen Qingye had kept her all these years mainly for her cooking.

Jiang Chumian nodded: “Delicious.”

“Eat more. Why do you look even thinner lately?” Auntie Zhang viewed them both like her own family and hated seeing them lose weight. Jiang Chumian smiled shyly.

The next day was Wednesday. Shen Qingye showed Jiang Chumian several options for gala dresses on her tablet, asking which one she liked. Jiang Chumian liked them all but knew some would look better on her than others. After dinner, they picked out a few options to try on for the final effect.

Wednesday afternoon, not long after her nap, Shen Qingye called Jiang Chumian to have her go to the styling studio. The charity gala was a formal event and needed to be treated seriously. Doing full styling took quite a bit of time. After giving Secretary Han instructions, Jiang Chumian took Zhu Tao and drove over.

Zhu Tao was excited; it was her first time at such an event. Even though she’d only be in the background, she was thrilled to see it up close. Since it wasn’t rush hour, they arrived quickly.

“I’m here,” Jiang Chumian messaged Shen Qingye.

“Mhm. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

Shen Qingye’s stylist already knew Jiang Chumian and greeted her warmly. “Madam, you’ve arrived.”

“Mhm. Qingye will be here in about ten minutes,” Jiang Chumian said politely.

“Alright. Should we start then?” the stylist asked.

“Okay.”

The stylist immediately began preparing. Jiang Chumian had delicate features and a small face; she was already beautiful. The stylist quickly settled on a plan, picked out several dresses, and asked which one she wanted. Jiang Chumian chose a light blue one. Zhu Tao followed her, praising every single outfit she tried on.

When Shen Qingye arrived, Jiang Chumian was already seated, having her hair done. “President Shen,” the studio staff greeted her respectfully.

“Mhm.” Shen Qingye stood beside Jiang Chumian, who looked up and smiled at her. Shen Qingye watched for a moment before heading to the dressing room to change.

When she emerged, Jiang Chumian saw her in the mirror Shen Qingye in a long red gown. Her snowy shoulders and delicate collarbones were striking. The dress highlighted her slender waist, and her wavy hair fell over her left shoulder. With her sharp features and phoenix eyes, a casual glance was enough to make one look away. It was undeniable that Shen Qingye was enviable in every way a business genius and breathtakingly beautiful.

“How is it?” Shen Qingye asked, meeting Jiang Chumian’s gaze in the mirror.

“Very beautiful,” Jiang Chumian said sincerely.

Hearing the praise, Shen Qingye’s lips curled into a smile. If Meng Zhu were here, she would surely mock her for acting like a peacock showing off its feathers.

Once Jiang Chumian’s styling was complete, Shen Qingye was equally impressed. Wearing the light blue dress with her auburn hair curled and a few strands framing her face, Jiang Chumian’s eyes already looked vulnerable, and with the “mermaid” makeup, she looked truly moving. Yet her calm gaze made her seem untouchable.

Back at the wedding, they had been unfamiliar with each other, treating it like a task and too busy to appreciate each other’s beauty. This moment of mutual admiration had come several months late.

Before Shen Qingye could speak, another voice chimed in.

“Sister, you look too good! If you go out like this, you’ll definitely enchant everyone!” “I think you look better than those celebrities. Being a CEO is wasting your potential as a star!”

Zhu Tao’s praise came in a steady stream. Shen Qingye found it amusing at first, but then began to wonder where she got all those lines. But Jiang Chumian just smiled and said she was exaggerating. Zhu Tao insisted she wasn’t.

“Sister, I’m telling you, a lot of the young stars nowadays can’t even compare to you and President Shen. They’re just the children of capital, and some aren’t even that good-looking.”

“Alright, if you keep going, I’ll start to suspect you’re a talent scout undercover,” Shen Qingye said.

“Hehe, no way! Being a star would be a waste of my sister’s talent.”

“That’s enough,” Jiang Chumian said, unable to handle any more praise.

But Zhu Tao couldn’t stay quiet and started praising Shen Qingye instead. Shen Qingye’s makeup was more glamorous than Jiang Chumian’s. The stylist had given her simple curls, left loose with half draped over her shoulder. Combined with her red lips, her beauty was sharp.

By the time they were done, the timing was perfect. Jiang Chumian had Zhu Tao buy some snacks beforehand. Sitting in the back seat, Jiang Chumian opened them and asked if Shen Qingye wanted any.

“There will be a lot of procedures at the gala, and it’s a live broadcast, so it won’t be easy to eat much. Want to have a bit now?” Jiang Chumian asked while eating.

Shen Qingye chuckled: “There are many female stars there, and they all go with empty stomachs. Why are you eating beforehand?”

Jiang Chumian took a bite of a pastry: “I’m not a star. They’re there to be liked by fans, but for President Shen, isn’t this just a business event? The main point is to donate money, not to compete in a beauty contest.”

Shen Qingye took a piece: “Fair point.” This kind of gala was about spending money to buy public goodwill. If they truly wanted to do charity, there were better ways to help people.

They arrived right on time. Many people were already there. Celebrities and business elites were separated into different areas, and staff led the two to their seats. When they sat down, the seats next to them were empty. Most people were still busy networking, as many hard-to-reach people attended such events.

While waiting for the opening, Shen Qingye handled a few work messages and looked over at Jiang Chumian. The girl was also on her phone, and sensing Shen Qingye’s gaze, she looked up.

“Want to go down?” Shen Qingye asked.

“Okay,” Jiang Chumian nodded and put away her phone. Shen Qingye stood up, and Jiang Chumian took her arm.

Before the live broadcast began, Shen Qingye introduced Jiang Chumian to several business titans people Jiang Chumian usually wouldn’t be able to meet. Without someone in Shen Qingye’s position, even getting a drink with these people wouldn’t be easy.

Jiang Wenyan and his wife were also there. Jiang Chumian gave them a polite, but cool, greeting. As expected, Jiang Xiaofan wasn’t there. After meeting a few more people and exchanging pleasantries, the gala officially began.

The two of them sat together, less animated than the others. Both sat with straight backs, and even when talking, they moved very little, only sharing a smile when they discussed something interesting.

Midway through, Shen Qingye was called away, so Jiang Chumian sat alone, her head resting on her hand as she started to daydream. From a distance, Shen Qingye caught a glimpse of her. When the girl was lost in thought, she seemed to detach her soul from the world. Her indifference made others hesitate to approach, for fear of disturbing her.

But it seemed only Shen Qingye felt that way. Shortly after, someone sat next to Jiang Chumian the spokesperson for Xiguang, Mi Yinyao. Since Jiang Chumian had personally negotiated the deal, they were considered friends.

“Where’s your President Shen?” Mi Yinyao asked immediately.

Jiang Chumian gestured toward Shen Qingye: “Over there, talking business.”

“Is that what business elites do?” Mi Yinyao teased.

“I suppose so,” Jiang Chumian laughed.

“What brings you over?” Jiang Chumian asked as Mi Yinyao handed her a handful of melon seeds. Without any pretension, Jiang Chumian started cracking them.

“Boring,” Mi Yinyao said, her face clearly showing she wasn’t interested.

Jiang Chumian laughed: “With so many stars here, surely you have friends? How can it be boring?”

“Of course it can. My close friends can’t gossip with me here, and talking to acquaintances is awkward. If a business tycoon comes to have a drink with me, they definitely want something.” Mi Yinyao leaned close to Jiang Chumian and whispered: “Mostly, they want my looks.”

Shen Qingye, watching from a distance, saw the two of them whispering. She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes it seemed her little wife had quite the social circle. She even had a beauty to chat with at an event like this.

Hearing Mi Yinyao’s words, Jiang Chumian laughed.

“Don’t laugh! It’s true. If those people were as beautiful as your Shen Qingye, I might consider it. But I just can’t bring myself to do it. Enough of that.” Mi Yinyao sighed, not daring to say more in a public setting. More importantly, she felt Shen Qingye looking over several times, and the gaze felt scrutinizing.

Jiang Chumian had known Mi Yinyao because of her previous spy drama, which had earned her a Best Actress award. She was sitting with a film queen. Because Mi Yinyao had come over to chat, many cameras turned their way, and Jiang Chumian was captured in many photos.

By the time Shen Qingye returned, Mi Yinyao had already left.

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