Jiang Zao didn’t dare guess.
Given Xie Lisheng’s temperament, he just might pull open his bathrobe to reveal that he was completely naked underneath.
She sprang up from the sofa in a flash, terrified that even a second’s delay would expose her to something she shouldn’t see. “I’m not guessing. I still have work to finish.”
“If you can’t change, just sleep naked.”
With that, she bolted for the study without a backward glance, her slippers clacking frantically against the floor.
The medical kit and her bathrobe-clad new husband were left abandoned in the living room. “…”
Bang.
Jiang Zao slammed the study door shut, blocking every last distracting element from her mind. She eyed the work laid out on the desk and sighed, then walked over to the computer and sat down again.
The books and materials she’d brought were packed into a cardboard box, which the movers had kindly placed in the study. Staring at the half-finished PPT on the screen made her stomach churn—procrastination had struck. She turned instead to sorting her belongings.
Anything but work, and she was full of energy.
Atop the box sat two kraft paper envelopes. One held the documents tied to Pan Yu’s forged debt from back then—enough to haul her into court anytime. The other contained the premarital agreement she’d signed with Xie Lisheng just the day before yesterday, along with both of their premarital health checkups.
She hadn’t quite understood at first why they needed checkups for a marriage of convenience. He’d insisted they came free with an insurance policy—more thorough than the bureau’s complimentary ones, so why not? She hadn’t argued.
Each had their own copy of the results. Jiang Zao hadn’t had a checkup this year, so she flipped through hers. Mild anemia aside, everything checked out normal.
She turned to his next, skimming Xie Lisheng’s report—no statutory infectious diseases, no hereditary conditions, and even his blood work, liver, kidney, heart, and lung functions were ridiculously healthy.
The man was constantly wining and dining, jetting off on business trips, grinding through nine-to-midnight days. How was he still brimming with vitality?
So damn unfair.
She flipped another page to the reproductive system results. Jiang Zao hesitated, curiosity edging out her embarrassment as she leaned in closer—
Her eyes scanned the data: semen volume, sperm motility, viability, concentration, total count, one after another—
She realized she hadn’t the foggiest idea what any of it meant.
Only that every metric blew past the normal reference minimums.
Still…
Jiang Zao studied his report, brow furrowed. Normal, yes—but weren’t these numbers a tad excessive?
Was too much a good thing or a bad one?
Lost in thought, she suddenly snapped back to reality and smacked her forehead.
What did it matter to her if he was up to spec?
Talk about sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.
Her face burning, Jiang Zao flung the checkup report aside and pulled out their premarital agreement.
She knew the terms inside out by now. Xie Lisheng’s private lawyer had walked her through every clause crystal clear. Beyond the two-year fixed marriage term, everything else was pure upside for her, no downside.
The only sticking point she’d raised right there was the overly lavish compensation he’d drafted.
For any regular working stiff, that payout would mean instant financial freedom: quit the job, snag a house and car, launch a business, invest the rest. Even in a top-tier city, they’d never sweat the basics.
But her infuriating moral compass had won out. She didn’t deserve it.
Xie Lisheng had already given her exactly what she needed most. Anything else, unearned by her own sweat, would just leave her wracked with guilt.
Jiang Zao’s gaze drifted into the middle distance as she recalled that afternoon on the coffee shop’s second-floor terrace—
“Change it.” She slid the draft back across the table, dead serious. “I don’t need these. No false modesty—I really don’t want them.”
She pressed her lips together, then added, “I don’t want something I agreed to willingly to sour like that.”
Xie Lisheng fixed on the pencil-circled lines—cold, hard cash spelled out in black and white. He didn’t agree right away. Instead, he gazed out toward Wutong Pedestrian Street. “I just wanted you to feel more secure.”
“I get it. Money’s the ultimate safety net.” Jiang Zao lifted her hot latte. “But for me, it’s the cash I earn through honest work that feels secure.”
He turned back, his gaze deep and inscrutable.
Xie Lisheng ran his fingers along the wooden chair’s armrest, eyeing the couples strolling past below. “Ever think marriage is like a gamble? Win big, and it’s happily ever after. Lose, and it’s misery all around.”
“You think those lovebirds tying the knot aren’t rolling the dice too? Same game.”
“All of them are betting on how long they can stay at the table and how much they can win.”
Jiang Zao met his gaze and heard him say,
“You understand everything, yet you still stepped into my game. The least I can do is give you more chips to hold onto.
“Even if you decide later that you don’t want to keep playing, you can still walk away from the table with a smile.”
~~~
Now, whenever Jiang Zao thought back to the strange look Xie Lisheng had given her at that moment, her heart would still suddenly race.
In the end, he had amended the originally planned two-year divorce settlement, though not by deleting it entirely as she had wanted—just reducing it by a portion.
The two of them had each stuck to their guns but compromised a little, reaching a result born of mutual understanding and respect.
Jiang Zao tidied up her things and stowed them in the storage spot in his study. With nothing else to distract her, she returned to the desk and soldiered on with her godawful PowerPoint presentation.
She had claimed that if she worked too late, she would sleep in the guest bedroom as an excuse to dodge certain… complications. But she hadn’t expected the procrastination to drag on until she was truly pulling an all-nighter, burning the midnight oil until one in the morning.
Rubbing her sore backside, she emerged from the study to find that he had turned off every light in the living room, leaving not even a sliver of harsh fluorescent glow for her.
The sprawling luxury apartment was steeped in utter silence. Jiang Zao scarcely dared to breathe, feeling a twinge of unease.
Every brick in Xie Lisheng’s place screamed obscene wealth, and it was so sleekly high-end that she had no clue where even the light switches were.
Her eyelids drooping with exhaustion, she endured her discomfort, fumbled through a quick wash-up in the dark, and collapsed straight into the guest bedroom for a peaceful night’s sleep.
~~~
The next morning, at six o’clock.
A gentle breeze slipped through the window, fluttering the curtains. In the master bedroom, the man sprawled alone across a two-meter-wide, luxuriously soft bed.
Xie Lisheng lay flat on one side, the gray silk duvet draped just below his chest. His features were relaxed, his breathing steady and even—he slept with an almost artistic grace.
“Dah-dah-dah—” Footsteps approached.
“Click.” “Thud.” A door opened, then slammed shut.
Still asleep, he frowned.
Even through the door, the noises from outside kept coming.
The patter of the shower could be ignored for the moment, but after twenty minutes…
“Bzzz—” The hairdryer roared to life.
Xie Lisheng let out an irritated sigh, snatched the pillow beside him, and clamped it over his entire head: “…”
“Crash!!” It sounded like the mouthwash cup had tumbled to the floor.
His temple throbbed. He was wide awake now.
~~~
Jiang Zao emerged from the bathroom, gathering her freshly blow-dried hair, only to come face-to-face with Xie Lisheng slouched against the bedroom doorframe, staring at her with a dark intensity.
She jumped in surprise, stammering, “You’re up already?”
Xie Lisheng’s gaze dropped, taking in the trail of dark hair strands she had shed along her path. His eyelids hooded: “…”
His expression was unmistakably off—like he was furious, perhaps even plotting to toss her into the washing machine for a thirty-minute spin cycle.
Jiang Zao sheepishly set down her comb and asked cautiously, “Did… did I wake you up?”
Xie Lisheng watched as she casually dropped the still-damp comb from the bathroom onto the sofa. He fell even more silent: “…”
Fresh from her shower, Jiang Zao’s jet-black hair cascaded over her chest. Her skin gleamed like polished porcelain, her pale arms and collarbones flushed with a faint rosy warmth. Steam clung to her like a halo, and she carried the scent of his usual men’s shower gel—woody notes that sparked an intriguing chemistry with her delicate features, blending cool aloofness with pure innocence.
Her post-shower eyes sparkled brighter than usual, the clear black-and-white of her round eyes radiating unadulterated beauty. Blissfully unaware of any wrongdoing, she gazed at him with wide-eyed innocence, seeking an answer.
From the first errant noise outside his door to this moment, Xie Lisheng’s temper had flared and subsided, subsided and flared again. Finally, confronted with her in this state, he braced one arm against the doorframe and sighed down at her.
“It’s my own fault for sleeping so lightly.”
His response confirmed her suspicions, filling her with remorse. She shifted awkwardly and said, “I’m sorry… I’m used to showering early in the morning. I didn’t realize it would wake you.”
Xie Lisheng straightened up, deciding sleep was a lost cause. As he headed for the bathroom, he tossed over his shoulder, “Didn’t I tell you there’s no need to apologize here?
“I’m used to living alone—no pets—so even the slightest sound wakes me up.”
He paused at the bathroom door, then detoured to the sofa instead. He picked up the comb she had tossed aside, activated the robot vacuum to get to work, and only then entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to freshen up—
Jiang Zao stood frozen, watching him complete the entire routine. She blinked.
“…Oh.
“Then I’ll be quieter next time.”
~~~
After finishing up in the bathroom, Xie Lisheng headed out for his morning run. Jiang Zao rummaged through the fridge, pondering a simple breakfast.
“I’ll shower first…”
The two of them carried on with their usual routines, not acting like a married couple at all, but more like new roommates who had just moved in together.
She fiddled around in the kitchen for ten minutes before finally giving up and pulling out her phone to order takeout.
Feeling guilty for waking him up, she ordered enough for both of them, picking out things she figured he’d like.
Not long after the food arrived, Xie Lisheng stepped through the front door.
Jiang Zao had packed her work bag and emerged from the study, only to run straight into the man returning from his morning run.
He wore athletic shorts for his jogs. She had always noticed his long legs, but she hadn’t realized just how solidly muscled they were.
His gray-and-black functional quick-dry T-shirt clung tightly to his waistline, the sweat-soaked fabric molding to the contours of his chest and back muscles, radiating a sharp, masculine aura with every breath.
Xie Lisheng grabbed a bottle of water and downed half of it, then spotted the takeout breakfast on the table.
Jiang Zao tiptoed over quietly, about to ask if he wanted to eat something together, when the man—his back to her—suddenly reached back, grabbed the collar of his shirt, bent over, and peeled it off.
His pale, lean torso burst into her view, and Jiang Zao yelped, throwing up a hand to shield her eyes. “Hey, you…!”
Xie Lisheng, freshly shirtless, turned around and only then realized there was someone else home.
He hadn’t broken his habit of stripping off his clothes the moment he got back from his morning workout.
Jiang Zao had her hand over the top half of her face, but her exposed ears were already beet red. He glanced at the sweat-drenched T-shirt in his hand and had no desire to put it back on. “…”
Xie Lisheng wiped the sweat from his brow and stayed as he was. “Habit.”
That made them even.
Jiang Zao slowly lowered her hand, her gaze darting everywhere but at him, struggling to settle anywhere on his body. She stumbled over her words. “Okay, no problem. You eating?”
“I’ll shower first.” Xie Lisheng glanced at the takeout she’d ordered. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll make breakfast.”
She blinked in surprise. “Huh? You can cook?”
His eyes flicked up at the corners with a hint of smugness as he turned toward the bathroom—
Jiang Zao caught sight of his back and froze for a beat before hurrying after him. “Wait.”
Xie Lisheng stopped and looked back.
She stepped closer and pointed at a large, dark purple bruise right in the middle of his upper back, between the lats. “What happened to this…?”
Halfway through, Jiang Zao trailed off, dazed. “Did that guy hit you there with the shovel that day?”
She’d been so focused on his injured right hand and arm that she’d forgotten about the hit he’d taken on his back while holding her.
Xie Lisheng reached back calmly and touched the spot.
Jiang Zao grabbed his hand to stop him, sucking in a breath through her teeth and frowning. “Hey, don’t press on it so hard…”
He asked about his own injury, but his eyes stayed fixed on her face. “Still pretty dark?”
“A little. It’s been three or four days, so it looks better, but the whole area’s still bruised.” Jiang Zao didn’t even want to imagine what it would look like if that blow had landed on her own back. She looked up at him. “Want to put some ointment on it?”
Xie Lisheng dropped his gaze, lips curving as he asked, “You gonna apply it for me?”
She blinked, then awkwardly turned her hand behind her back, her face twisting in reluctance. “If you really need it…”
Her ears were red as a steam train’s smokestack—practically steaming at the touch. Xie Lisheng took pity on her. “Never mind. It’ll heal fine on its own. I’m going to shower.”
With that, he headed into the bathroom.
Jiang Zao stood there stunned for a few seconds, then turned away to unpack the takeout bags. A moment later, she pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh.
Nothing all that major had even happened, but why did it feel so utterly chaotic?
And this was only the first official day of their marriage.
~~~
Around seven fifteen, the two of them finally sat down to their first breakfast as newlyweds.
Xie Lisheng didn’t say whether he liked it or not, just ate slowly and methodically. Jiang Zao guessed he wasn’t picky about food—the type who was content as long as he was full.
She bit into a perfectly crispy youtiao, inwardly pitying someone who couldn’t appreciate the simple joy of deep-fried dough sticks and tofu pudding.
“You’ve probably heard about the big company initiatives. Things will be busy for these next two quarters,” Xie Lisheng said, setting down his chopsticks. “We can talk wedding in half a year. Sound good?”
“Take vacation time then and combine it with the honeymoon.”
Jiang Zao paused mid-chew, one cheek still puffed out. “…We’re still doing a wedding?”
Honeymoon too?
He raised a brow. “You don’t want to?”
The previously harmonious breakfast atmosphere cooled a few degrees.
She went silent for a few seconds, then resumed chewing and nodded decisively. “If possible, let’s just skip it.”
Jiang Zao looked up at him, probing. “Do you really want a wedding that badly?”
“What does it matter what I think?” Xie Lisheng gathered up his bowl and chopsticks with a light scoff. “If the bride doesn’t show, why would I bother setting up the stage just to stand there alone? To do stand-up?”
She clamped her mouth shut, feeling disgruntled.
What was his deal? Gunpowder in the porridge or something? Why so snappy?
Her appetite vanished too. She finished her last bite of fried dough stick, stood up, and helped him clear the breakfast trash. It was takeout, so no dishes to wash—easy and convenient.
When it was time to leave, Jiang Zao slung her laptop bag over her shoulder and slipped toward the door, right as he was changing into his shoes.
As Jiang Zao bent down to grab hers, the man beside her suddenly pulled two items from a nearby bag and set them on her shoe cabinet.
She looked up and blinked. It was a brand-new Apple phone and Apple Watch bundle.
The phone Pan Yu’s boyfriend had smashed before was totally kaput, and she’d been scraping by with her seven-year-old relic these past few days.
“For me?” she asked. “Out of nowhere like this?”
Xie Lisheng swiped across the screen on the Apple Watch strapped to his left wrist, eyes fixed downward, and tossed out, “Wanted ours to match. That a problem?”
His tone was ice-cold and flat, giving no sign he actually wanted to “match” hers.
That familiar unease crept over Jiang Zao again—the kind where accepting his gifts left her feeling all twisted up inside. “…”
“No need for it. I’ll just grab a different brand later.”
Xie Lisheng finished fiddling with his watch, shot her a glance, snatched up his car keys, and said offhandedly, “Whatever. What can I even say?”
Then he tacked on immediately, “Finally tying the knot, but you won’t wear the ring, won’t do the wedding, and now you won’t even match phones.”
Jiang Zao: ?
Leaning against the shoe cabinet, he fixed her with a straight face and said piously, “If you’d said upfront that marrying you meant putting up with all these grievances, I might’ve thought twice.”
Jiang Zao: ??
They stared at each other, wide-eyed, until suddenly she let out a snort of laughter.
Xie Lisheng’s brow twitched. He dropped his voice to a low drawl, warning her, “No laughing.”
Bracing herself against the shoe cabinet, Jiang Zao laughed even harder, the little tuft of black hair sticking up on her head bobbing wildly.
She clutched her aching sides, cheeks burning red, and straightened up. “Can’t—I really have to head out, or I’ll miss clocking in.”
Xie Lisheng glowered as she ducked under his arm like a cat.
Jiang Zao paused, turned back, scooped up the two boxes, and tucked them into her bag. She patted it and nodded at him. “I’ll take ’em for now. Pay you back in installments later.”
Xie Lisheng let out a soft huff. “Another twenty-four months? Make it thirty-six. Or forty-eight if that’s not enough.”
Jiang Zao’s expression flipped in an instant. The thanks on the tip of her tongue evaporated, her laughter gone. She shot him a glare and stormed out the door.
He watched her slam it behind her, the corners of his eyes crinkling upward.
Xie Lisheng twirled his keychain, pulled the door open, and followed her out to the elevator.
One headed for the garage, the other for the subway.
It wasn’t early anymore. Time to get to work.
~~~