Chapter 2: Getting the Marriage Certifiate, Eight Ground Rules

“Hello, Shen Qingci.”

As Shen Qingci sat down, she said hi softly, then took out the forms and started filling it out. Her long wavy hair flowed down along her arms. She was wearing a simple white shirt, the most basic kind. But with her slender waist, it somehow looked especially attractive on her.

Halfway through filling the form, Shen Qingci suddenly noticed the man beside her still hadn’t said a word, so she turned to look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

Xi Xingye rested his chin on his hand and gave her a side-eye. A pen was tucked behind his ear, swaying lightly as he studied her. His smile was both mischievous and cold.

This time, she understood. The Young Master was about to act up.

She put the pen down and looked at him for two seconds. Then she calmly pulled out her phone and made a call.

Xi Xingye’s eyes narrowed as he heard her ask the person on the other end…

“Old Master, why didn’t you tell me before the registration that your grandson is mute?”

The phone was snatched away from her hand. Xi Xingye was just about to snap when he noticed the screen was dark. The call hadn’t been dialed at all. He looked back at her, only to see that cold, beautiful face with a half-smile.

He scoffed and tossed the phone aside. “Speaking of the old man, I’m actually curious. How did you manage to fool him?

“Oh?” Shen Qingci remained calm. “What makes you say that?”

“Go on, keep acting.” Xi Xingye leaned close, murmuring each word closely into her ear. “Or would you rather call your lawyer to have them come here to split up the assets?”

Lawyer? Assets?

Shen Qingci understood right away. He was also at the bar last night.

She didn’t look the slightest bit guilty being exposed. Crossing her arms, she smiled. “Good thing you heard it. Saves me from having to repeat myself. And while we’re at it, there’s one more thing you missed. I need a copy of your medical report from the past three months and proof that you don’t have a criminal record.”

Xi Xingye mocked, “Do you want my credit report too?”

“If you can, that would be great.”

“Oh, want me to write you a résumé as well?”

She handed him the pen. “Here, dont’ write too much, I’m in a hurry.”

“Shen Qingci!”

“Yes?”

Shen Qingci raised her dark eyes, icy and cold, like a frozen lake on a winter night. The tension between them was razor-sharp, ready to explode at any moment. She suddenly put down her pen and stood up. Her cold eyes fell onto Xi Xingye.

“Young Master Xi, this marriage was your grandfather’s idea. I do indeed have my own reasons but they’re none of your business. I, Shen Qingci, have always believed in doing things willingly. Since you’re neither willing nor sincere, then let this marriage arrangement end here. As for your grandfather, you can explain to him yourself.”

She gathered the documents and turned away without hesitation.

When she reached the door, Young Master Xi’s impatient voice suddenly came from behind her. “Wait.”

Half an hour later, Xi Xingye and Shen Qingci walked out of the Ministry of Civil Affairs with their marriage certificate in hand.

At the same time, Shen Qingci also held an addition agreement.

She looked at Xi Xingye. His words from earlier echoring in her ears:

“I’ll get the marriage certificate but on one condition: we need to agree on eight rules.”

“First, after we’re married, no physical contact. No holding hands, no linking arms.”

“Second, stay out of my personal life.”

“Third, do not criticize my lifestyle.”

“Fourth, we sleep in separate rooms. And unless you have permission, stay out of the other person’s space.”

“Fifth, our finances stay separate. I won’t spend a single dime on you.”

“Sixth, don’t call me unless you have to. If something happens, handle it yourself.”

“Seventh, don’t run to Grandpa and complain.”

“Eigth, after a year, you’ll be the one to tell Grandpa that our relationship has fallen apart and that we’re getting divorced. You’ll leave with nothing.”

“If any of this is unacceptable to you, then go tell Grandpa now that you don’t want this marriage. I’ll give you money to keep your mouth shut. Then we’ll go our separate ways.”

He’d clearly come prepared. Not only was it all printed out, he even brought a stamp to seal the agreement.

Shen Qingci signed the agreement. Pulling herself out of her own thoughts, she cassually threw the marriage certificate into a toolbox next to the motorcycle. Inside the box was things like wrenches, motor oil, screwdrivers and all sorts of other tools.

Xi Xingye happened to drive up right at that moment. He laughed in anger. “Wow. Dumped the second I’m not useful anymore? You’re certainly got no shame, Shen Qingci.”

Shen Qingci ignored him. His car pulled closer behind her.

Xi Xingye poked his head out, openly provoking her. “What? Wasn’t it you who insisted on marrying me? If you hate it that much, go talk to Grandpa and call it off. I’ve seen plenty of women like you. Just because you’ve got a pretty face, you think you can sell yourself for good pric… what are you doing?!”

Bang.

The car door opened and closed in one smooth motion. Shen Qingci was already seated in the passenger seat.

“Wasn’t it you who said I should look a little more willing, so I could sell for a better price?” As soon as she finished speaking, she started unbuttoning her shirt.

Xi Xingye’s face darkened. “Get out.”

Shen Qingci stripped off her shirt and threw it to the side.

Xi Xingye was just about to lose it, but the moment his gaze fell on what was in front of him, he froze.

As the sun’srays flooded the car, falling on her porcelain-pale skin. It  made Shen Qingci’s complexion seem even more delivate, with a faint rosy glow. The black camisole hugged her body tightly, tracing her striking curves, making her figure look impossible to be ignored.

He quickly turned away, his ears turned red. “Shen Qingci, don’t forget, the first rule of the agreement: no physical contact!”

“Oh? But we’re already married…”

In one smooth motion, she lunged forward and pinned him beneath her. “If I don’t follow the agreement, what can you do?”

“Are you crazy?!”

Xi Xingye grabbed her wrist, the veins on his arm bulging.

Their eyes met. Shen Qingci smirked. “Young Master Xi, you have sharp eyes.”

Before he could react, she suddenly moved, shkkk, and ripped his coat apart.

“Damn it!”

Xi Xingye was stunned. Was this woman actually crazier than him?

Her hand moved lower and her long hair brushed against his arms. Her warm breath teased his neck as she leaned in.

In that split second of distraction, Xi Xingye nearly lost his pants too.

His veins popped out even clearer. He grabbed his waistband, then bundled her up and threw her out of the car. Her shirt went flying out right behind her.

“Knock, knock.”

Shen Qingci tapped on the window, staring directly at Xi Xingye’s furious face. His hands were currently working frantically to yank up his zipper.

She smirked.

“Mr. Xi, since you ARE my future husband, I think it’s only fair to let you get to know me a little.”

Shen Qingci took her time putting her shirt back on. “I’m Shen Qingci. I have a short temper. I don’t play by the rules. I like peace and quiet, and I can’t stand loud, nagging people. As for my expectations of a husband, it’s not much. I don’t have eight rules for you, just three.”

“First, do not stay out all night.”

“Second, do not smoke anywhere near me.”

“Third, do not mess around with other women.”

“As long as you satisfy these three, I won’t bother you. Otherwise…”

Xi Xingye let out a scoff. “Otherwise what?”

Shen Qingci looked at his crotch, ful of implication.

Xi Xingye: !

“For fuck’s sake, go get your head checked already!”

He spat out the words, then slammed on the gas and sped off.

Shen Qingci stood there for awhile, watching the car disappear into the distance. Her phone rang. A WeChat message from Su Yingying, checking on her ETA at the Italian restaurant.

She put on her helmet and sped away.

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At the Italian restaurant.

“What? You’re married?!” Su Yingying shouted, attracting everyone’s attention.

Shen Qingci took a sip of her tea camly and nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

She casually handed over a wrinkled marriage certificate.

Su Yingying took one look at it and shrieked again.

“Who?! Xi Xingye?! As in, the legendary disaster Xi Xingye?! The one who’s so infamous that people literally use him as boogeyman to frighten kids?! That Xi Xingye?!”

“Mm-hmm.”

Su Yingying gasped, constantly checking her own pulse and clutching her chest in shock.  She then snapped back to reality and stared at Sen Qingci intensely. “Is this because of Song Qi?”

Shen Qingci’s grip on her cup tightened.

“Look, I get it. Song Qi’s wedding has you spiraling. But you can’t just marry a total degenrate like that just to get back at him. I mean, you’d better off marrying a stray dog. At least it could guard the house. Does that idiot Xi Xingye even know the whole alphabet?!”

“It’s not because of him.”

Shen Qingci looked down, no emotion coud be read from her face. “Whatever there was between us ended a long time ago.”

“You nearly threw your life away for him back then, and now you expect me to believe that?” Su Yingying sounded like she was scolding her, but the pain in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Her friendship with Shen Qingci had actually begun three years ago, because of that famous bank robbery and kidnapping case.

Back then, she was still a news reporter. When news came that everyone inside Guoyin Bank in the city center had been taken hostage, she rushed to the scene. Song Qi was one of the hostages and when she arrived, she happened to witness Shen Qingci asking to exchange places with him. Eventually, Shen Qingci successfully traded herself for Song Qi. Then she shot the kidnappers and saved everyone.

“It’s because of my mother’s company,” Shen Qingci said.

 “The company has been merged into and is currently under the Xi family’s control,” Shen Qingci explained. “Old Man Xi promised me that if I marry his grandson, he will return the company to me. As for whether my mother lost her life because of this company, I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

Shen Qingci glanced at her watch. “I have to go to the hospital to pick up the company seal. See you.”

Meanwhile, on the other side…

The air in the luxury racing club was reeked with the smell of motor oil. Xi Xingye did eighteen laps, wrecked a car, and only then got out, still pissed off. His friends were huddled in the lounge area, keeping their mouths shut.

Finally, Xu Zijie worked up the nerve to hand him a lighter and asked, “Did you really get married?”

Through the haze of smoke, Xi Xingye narrowed his eyes, looking pissed. “The old man at home pulled every trick in the book – crying, making a scene, threatening to die. If I didn’t get the certificate today, he’d probably have his burial plot picked out by tomorrow.”

“So it’s really that girl from the bar? Isn’t the old man worried she’d dry the Xi family out? I mean, she even consulted a lawyer in advance.

Speaking of which, Xi Xingye felt even more annoyed. “I made her sign an prenup. Seriously, what is this woman even after? Is she out of her mind?”

Xu Zijie stared at the state of Xi Xingye’s clothes. “Did she do that?”

“Yea. She literally tore the clothes off my back.”

He left it at that. It was too damn embarrassing. He swore that one day, sooner or later, he’d settle the score and get his revenge!

“That’s it!” Xu Zijie suddenly clapped his hands.

He yelped as Xi Xingye kicked his butt, sending him stumbling forward.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it! Stop jumping around like a damn corpse coming back to life!”

Xu Zijie winced, rubbing his butt. “I was just too excited! I know exactly why she’s marrying you!”

“Why?” Xi Xingye asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“She loves you man.”

Pfft…!

The alcohol came spraying right back out.

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Chapter 1