Refusing Divorce After a Contract Marriage - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Has President Shen Never Been in a Relationship?

The wedding concluded, and the two returned to a villa Shen Qingye had prepared. It had been decorated as a bridal suite, appearing quite festive.

However, Shen Qingye disliked excessive commotion, so those who had hoped to engage in rowdy wedding pranks lost their nerve. Meanwhile, Jiang Chumian had essentially no friends in the country; her only close friend was currently traveling abroad and had yet to return.

Jiang Chumian followed Shen Qingye into the villa, unable to resist scanning the interior as she entered. Shen Qingye’s residence was decorated in a style much like her personality: concise and clear, appearing somewhat cold. Jiang Chumian didn’t particularly like this style; she felt it was desolate and lacked a sense of human warmth.

Yet, reflecting on her own home abroad, it had been arranged much the same way. She preferred warmth, but without a warm person by her side, such decor would only have made her feel more lonely.

Upon arriving home, Shen Qingye put down her bag. It was getting late. She led Jiang Chumian upstairs and pointed to the guest room next to the master bedroom: “The housekeeper has already tidied it up. You can stay here.”

Jiang Chumian nodded slightly: “Thank you for the trouble.”

There wasn’t much for the two to talk about. Furthermore, the entire wedding process had been exhausting, so after a brief exchange, they went to their respective rooms to bathe and spoke no further.

Once inside, Jiang Chumian surveyed the room. Although it wasn’t the master bedroom, it had been simply decorated, maintaining a bit of a honeymoon atmosphere.

She set her things down and, feeling weary, unzipped her formal gown and removed her makeup. Just then, the bathtub finished filling.

Soaking in the tub, Jiang Chumian felt a sense of trance. She had actually gotten married the moment she returned to the country, and her wife was Shen Qingye—someone she had never met before, the true power behind the Shen Group.

It all felt like a dream, so surreal that it seemed fabricated.

But remembering her contract with Shen Qingye, she felt that within five years, she should be able to get what she desired.

After her bath, she sat on the bed and scrolled through her phone. There were several messages of congratulations, which she replied to politely one by one.

Only Yu Xuan asked a single question: “Chumian, you’re married?”

Jiang Chumian held her phone, her slender, pale fingertips hovering over the keyboard for a long time. She read those few words over and over, as if trying to decipher the sender’s state of mind.

Ultimately, she replied formally with a single word: “Yes.”

The other party did not reply immediately. Jiang Chumian pursed her lovely lips, put down her phone, dried her hair, and went to sleep.

Even if it was a contract marriage, the wedding had been grand. It had even been reported by several local media outlets, and because of its scale, it had caused a stir online. Exhausted from the day, Jiang Chumian fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next day, Shen Qingye woke up early as usual to prepare for work. Just as she finished getting ready and stepped out of her room, she smelled a fragrance wafting through the empty house.

Jiang Chumian happened to be placing two portions of breakfast on the table, her apron still on.

“Good morning, President Shen.” She looked up at Shen Qingye and nodded slightly, polite but not fawning.

“You can cook?” Shen Qingye asked casually, looking at the homemade pancakes and glass of soy milk.

“A little. I had no choice; there wasn’t much good food abroad. If I didn’t want to starve, I had to learn to cook,” Jiang Chumian said as she set the table. “I saw you weren’t up yet, so I made two portions. I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”

Shen Qingye walked downstairs to the dining table. “It looks good. I’m not a picky eater.”

Jiang Chumian’s smile was somewhat sweet. “That’s good.”

The two ate breakfast facing each other in silence. Shen Qingye finished first while Jiang Chumian was only halfway through. Shen Qingye touched up her lipstick and then said to Jiang Chumian, “Eat slowly. I’m heading to the office. I’ll arrange your entry into the company over the next couple of days.”

Jiang Chumian responded, “Thank you for the trouble.”

To this, Shen Qingye simply gave a short laugh: “It’s what we agreed upon. It’s only right.”

Shen Qingye took her car keys and left without asking about Jiang Chumian’s plans. They didn’t need to account for their movements to one another.

On the third day, Shen Qingye finally told Jiang Chumian to come to the office with her.

After finishing breakfast, Jiang Chumian nodded obediently. She had changed into professional attire—a cream-colored suit. With her chestnut curls down, her quiet aura shifted, gaining a touch of sharp authority.

Shen Qingye appraised the young woman before her, a flash of appreciation in her eyes. This version of Jiang Chumian indeed matched the description in the files: “Let’s go.”

Since Jiang Chumian had just returned to the country and didn’t have a car yet, Shen Qingye naturally drove her.

Shen Qingye stood at 172cm, while Jiang Chumian was only 165cm, a head shorter than Shen Qingye.

When the two walked into the Shen Group lobby together, it was the peak of the morning rush. Everyone turned to stare.

Shen Qingye was dressed as usual in a pure white professional suit. Walking with Jiang Chumian, they looked exceptionally well-matched. One had a cold elegance, the other a gentle grace, yet they complemented each other perfectly.

“Come to the meeting with me in a moment,” Shen Qingye whispered to Jiang Chumian.

Jiang Chumian agreed with a shallow smile. When she smiled, two small dimples appeared, making her seem much more approachable than Shen Qingye.

Once they entered the elevator, the lobby buzzed with excitement again.

“So that’s the second Miss Jiang. She’s quite beautiful.”

“What ‘Second Miss Jiang’? She’s Mrs. Shen now.”

“I heard the Jiang family originally wanted the eldest daughter to marry President Shen?”

“Well, our President Shen has to actually like her. The eldest Miss Jiang doesn’t have the best reputation.”

“But isn’t this second Miss Jiang just an illegitimate daughter?”

“So what if she’s illegitimate? As long as she’s capable and looks good, it doesn’t matter.”

Inside the elevator, the two women were isolated from the commotion outside. Both stood straight, and neither spoke.

When the elevator opened, Shen Qingye went straight to her office, and Jiang Chumian followed silently.

Assistant Lin had already prepared the materials for the meeting. Shen Qingye sat down to review them first, as was her habit.

Jiang Chumian sat on the sofa, looking through a document the assistant had handed her. The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“Finished reading?” About twenty minutes later, Shen Qingye asked.

Jiang Chumian closed the file and nodded: “Yes.”

“I’m appointing you as the Marketing Director of ‘Shiguang.’ Any issues with that?” Shen Qingye asked softly. Though she believed in Jiang Chumian’s ability, she still needed to confirm.

Jiang Chumian nodded: “No, that’s fine.”

Shen Qingye’s tone did not soften: “Even with our prior agreement, if you lack the competence for the role, I still won’t use you. I’m only giving you six months.”

Jiang Chumian met her gaze without a hint of cowardice: “Understood.”

She was always calm and unhurried.

This steadiness was exactly what Shen Qingye admired. She allowed a rare smile: “Let’s go to the meeting.”

Jiang Chumian followed her with the documents in hand. When Assistant Lin saw her, he said politely, “Miss Jiang.”

This form of address was satisfactory to both Jiang Chumian and Shen Qingye.

“Assistant Lin, I look forward to your guidance in the future,” Jiang Chumian responded with humility and politeness.

“Miss Jiang is too kind,” Assistant Lin bowed slightly. Regardless of the circumstances, Jiang Chumian was now Shen Qingye’s wife; he was just an assistant.

When Shen Qingye and Jiang Chumian reached the conference room, the others had already arrived. Given Jiang Chumian’s status, she sat in the first seat to Shen Qingye’s left.

The meeting wasn’t just about Jiang Chumian; it mainly covered other company matters. Only at the very end did they discuss personnel changes, mentioning Jiang Chumian’s appointment as the Marketing Director of Shiguang.

Shiguang was a clothing company under the Shen Group, primarily targeting the high-end market. However, it was a subsidiary opened only last year and was still in development. It had great market potential, but the previous Marketing Director hadn’t done a good job and had been caught harassing clients privately, leading to a recent dismissal.

Jiang Chumian knew that Shen Qingye wouldn’t give her special treatment just because of their partnership. To put it bluntly, if her abilities weren’t up to par, Shen Qingye wouldn’t respect her, and this contract wouldn’t have even started.

After Shen Qingye made the announcement, the room fell silent for a few seconds until Assistant Lin took the lead in clapping, followed by a round of applause.

Jiang Chumian stood up calmly, gave a self-introduction and a few polite remarks, and that was that.

On her first day of appointment, Jiang Chumian didn’t go to the subsidiary immediately. Shen Qingye had Assistant Lin prepare a set of materials about Shiguang for her to study.

In Shen Qingye’s office, while Shen handled other affairs, Jiang Chumian sat quietly reading the files. Occasionally, Shen Qingye’s gaze would fall on her.

Jiang Chumian felt like a contradiction to Shen Qingye; she possessed a sense of detachment as if she were isolated from the world, yet she would inadvertently reveal glimpses of her ambition.

After finishing the materials, Jiang Chumian had a decent grasp of Shiguang’s situation.

As it approached noon, Shen Qingye checked the time and turned back to the girl on the sofa. Behind the sofa was a floor-to-ceiling window; the weather was lovely, and the sunlight fell perfectly on the girl’s serious expression.

Shen Qingye curled her lips, feeling a strange sense of anticipation. She was truly curious about how this seemingly harmless person, who hid her sharp edge so well, would perform.

“Want to go grab lunch together?” Shen Qingye closed her laptop and asked warmly.

Although the outside world evaluated Shen Qingye as vigorous, resolute, and cold-blooded, through these past few days of interaction, Jiang Chumian felt that she was actually quite gentle.

“Sure.” Jiang Chumian closed the files and nodded.

When facing Shen Qingye, she always wore that obedient, sweet smile. Whether the smile was genuine or not, Shen Qingye couldn’t tell if it was particularly fake, which was enough for her.

The two stood up together. Jiang Chumian walked to Shen Qingye’s side and reached out to link her arm through Shen’s.

Shen Qingye froze for a moment, seemingly unaccustomed to the contact.

Jiang Chumian looked up and met her puzzled eyes: “President Shen, have you never been in a relationship?”

“And you have?” Shen Qingye asked teasingly. She recalled the files stating that Jiang Chumian hadn’t either.

Jiang Chumian shook her head: “No, but I’ve seen others in love. People who just started dating are usually very intimate. Since we just got married, we shouldn’t act too distant in front of others, should we?”

Her eyes curved slightly, making her look quite adorable.

Shen Qingye laughed: “Fair point.”

She allowed Jiang Chumian to hold her arm, and they walked out looking exceptionally close.

As expected, as soon as they walked out, they drew the side-long glances of many employees. They could hear hushed discussions; the specifics were unclear, but both Shen Qingye and Jiang Chumian were satisfied with the effect.

“What do you want to eat?” While waiting for the elevator, Shen Qingye turned to ask.

Jiang Chumian was startled for a second, then smiled: “I’m not picky. Anything is fine.”

“Then the restaurant next door. The taste is okay, and we won’t have to travel far at noon,” Shen Qingye suggested.

Jiang Chumian nodded: “Okay.”

The two ate in silence.

After they finished, Shen Qingye asked Jiang Chumian if she wanted to go home or return to the office with her.

“I think I’ll go home. I’ll study the materials properly. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I’ll ask the people at Shiguang.” Jiang Chumian felt it was inconvenient to keep following Shen Qingye to her office.

“Fair enough. Do you have a driver’s license?” Shen Qingye asked.

“I do.”

“Then drive my car back. Later, pick a car for yourself from the garage; it’ll be more convenient for commuting.” Shen Qingye handed the keys to Jiang Chumian.

Jiang Chumian paused before taking them: “Thank you.”

“What’s there to thank? Since we’re putting on a show, I can’t have people saying the wife of the Shen Group CEO can’t even afford a car. Wouldn’t that make me look stingy?” Shen Qingye joked.

Jiang Chumian met her smiling eyes and laughed softly: “True.”

Before they parted, Shen Qingye leaned in and kissed Jiang Chumian’s forehead, a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

“Drive safely.”

Seeing the shock in Jiang Chumian’s eyes before she left, Shen Qingye felt a strange sense of amusement.

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