Volume One Chapter Two The Hiring

After Song Qingyu made a note, she transferred twenty thousand over. Pei Jingmo’s dark eyes rested on her. “That’s too much. I don’t need all of it.”

“The rest is a token of thanks for saving me,” she replied.

Her body was covered in contusions and soft tissue injuries, so a hospital stay was necessary. Song Qingyu told no one. She used the days in the hospital to process the betrayal by Chu Xingzhi.

As night fell, she gazed out at the glittering city lights. Her heart felt as if a thousand ants gnawed at it, riddling it with wounds.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She received a video.

“Master Chu, Song Qingyu really went too far this time. You only made the same mistake every man makes, yet she beat you up like this.”

In a dimly lit private room, Chu Xingzhi, with a bandage on his forehead, lounged lazily on the sofa, swirling a glass of wine as people chattered around him. Two scantily clad women cozied up to comfort him. He held one in each arm, looking entirely at ease.

“I never would have guessed—Song Qingyu always seemed so frail, but she really packs a punch!”

“If not for Master Chu, the Song family would’ve collapsed long ago. You’re not even married yet, and she already tries to control everything. Once you are, you’ll have no freedom at all.”

“Master Chu, are you two still getting married?”

Chu Xingzhi drained his glass in one go, a careless smile on his lips. “I spoiled her too much before, that’s why she’s gotten out of hand. This time, I’ll make sure she understands I’m her whole world. If she wants to marry me, she’ll have to apologize and please me. If I’m satisfied, the wedding goes on. If not—”

He didn’t finish, but his meaning was clear.

While she was suffering, he was out partying with his crowd, demanding she come crawling to apologize.

Watching Chu Xingzhi in the video, Song Qingyu suddenly found him a stranger, as if she’d never truly known him.

Her phone rang again—it was her father, Song Yanfeng.

“I’ve already heard about you and Xingzhi. He’s said it himself: as long as you apologize, he’ll forgive you and the wedding will proceed as planned.”

Song Qingyu clenched her fists, trying to steady her breath, suppressing all her hurt and grievances. “He’s the one who cheated. Why should I be the one to give in and apologize?”

“Because you hit him! Besides, Xingzhi said it was only that once.”

“And what difference is there between once and countless times?”

When you see a single cockroach in the sunlight, it means the shadows are already teeming with them.

Chu Xingzhi always presented himself as perfect and gentle before her—she’d only caught him cheating once. Who knew how many women he’d slept with behind her back?

The thought alone made her nauseous.

“Isn’t it normal for a man to have a few women outside? As long as he loves you, that’s enough! You must apologize. If you ruin the marriage between the Song and Chu families, you’ll have me to answer to!”

Was this really something a father would say?

Not only did he offer no comfort or support for his daughter’s suffering, he even threatened her.

Song Qingyu, both furious and heartbroken, demanded, “So you’d sacrifice your own daughter’s happiness for your own interests?”

“What’s wrong with marrying Xingzhi? You’d be the young madam of the Chu family, enjoying wealth and status. Isn’t that good enough?”

“Is it? I’d have to endure Chu Xingzhi cheating day after day, never allowed to complain or protest, forced to play the dutiful wife and shield his reputation?”

“Whether you want to or not, you’ll marry him!”

“My marriage is my own decision. I’d sooner marry a pig than Chu Xingzhi.”

She hung up furiously, then saw a man standing at the door.

Pei Jingmo.

Hadn’t he left? Why was he back?

Sensing tears about to fall, she quickly wiped them away. Her pride wouldn’t allow anyone to see her cry.

Pei Jingmo pretended not to notice, setting a lunchbox on her bedside table. “Eat a little something.”

Inside were her favorites: braised beef with potatoes, pumpkin porridge, and a small piece of cake. Song Qingyu’s nose stung with emotion.

She never imagined that, in her darkest hour, the only one by her side would be a stranger she’d just met.

Her phone vibrated again—a WeChat message from Song Yanfeng.

“The wedding dress has arrived at home. When you’re done making a fuss, come back and get married. Xingzhi is willing to give you another chance—you should count yourself lucky!”

Song Qingyu hurled the phone away in anger.

When Pei Jingmo handed her a spoon, a sudden thought struck her, and she grabbed his hand.

Two hands—one dark, one fair, one large, one small—contrasting starkly.

“Are you married?”

“No.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.”

Song Qingyu pulled a card from her bag and pressed it into his hand. “I need a husband. There’s two hundred thousand on this card. I’ll hire you for a year. After that, we’ll dissolve the marriage.”

Pei Jingmo’s dark eyes fixed on the girl before him.

She was naturally beautiful, her features delicate and cool, with a hint of ethereal grace. Now, her brows were knit with pain, her fragile beauty like shattered jade—desolate and vulnerable.

Clearly, she’d never done anything like this before. Nervous as she was, she tried her best to appear composed and mature.

Her heart was pounding, but her face remained calm as ever.

“Why me?” he asked.

“Because you saved me. And you don’t look like a bad person.”

Ever since she’d caught Chu Xingzhi cheating, everyone had sided with him, urging her to be magnanimous and let it go.

They were all intent on forcing her to marry Chu Xingzhi.

Not one person considered how she felt.

No matter. She would live for herself.

Pei Jingmo bit down lightly on his back teeth, suppressing the surge of joy and excitement. “Don’t you know appearances can be deceiving? What if you’re wrong? What if I am a bad person?”

Appearances could indeed deceive.

Chu Xingzhi had a handsome face and eyes that always seemed gentle and affectionate. Every time he looked at her, she’d believed she was his whole world.

In the end, she was deceived and betrayed.

She took a deep breath, meeting his gaze head-on. “If you were a bad person, you wouldn’t have refused when I offered you that money, nor would you have come back to bring me food.”

Her eyes were dark and bright, pure and untainted by the world—just as they’d been all those years ago.

Looking into those earnest, sincere eyes, Pei Jingmo felt a strange itch at the tip of his heart.

“You don’t need to answer me right away. I have a few conditions—hear them out before you decide.”

“First: absolute loyalty during the marriage. Betrayal means immediate termination of our agreement.”

“Second: All arrangements revolve around my needs. You must be on call at all times. If you have concerns, we can discuss them.”

“Third: Because of my health, you must be home by eleven every night at the latest. Otherwise, you’ll sleep elsewhere.”

She laid her cards on the table at the very start—so honest and straightforward.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. But I have a flaw—I’m not sure you can accept it.”

Song Qingyu blinked, surprised. “What is it?”

“I’m a sleepwalker. It happens occasionally.”

She frowned. “Is there no cure?”

“No, but I won’t hurt anyone.”

She thought for a moment. “That’s not a problem.”

“Then let’s register our marriage this afternoon.”

Holding the little red marriage certificate in her hand, Song Qingyu felt a twinge of emotion, but no regret.

As they left the registry office, her legs gave way and she nearly collapsed.

A strong arm caught her slender waist, pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Qingqing—”

She frowned in discomfort. “It’s my low blood sugar… There’s candy in my bag…”

Pei Jingmo opened her purse, took out a White Rabbit milk candy, unwrapped it, and held it to her lips. “Open up.”

She opened her mouth for the candy. Her soft lips brushed his fingertips, sending a jolt of electricity through Pei Jingmo.

His dark eyes lingered on her delicate lips; his Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze grew ever deeper—