Chapter One: Marry Me
“Marry me.”
“Are you crazy, mute?”
The man exhaled a cloud of breath, calmly watching the woman’s trembling hand.
“I’m pregnant.”
He remained unmoved upon reading the words.
Her fingers stiffened slightly. After a moment, she lifted her heavy hand again. “It’s yours.”
With a sharp click, a cigarette butt was forcefully thrown to the ground.
“Ah…”
Her neck was gripped tightly; she gasped, the suffocating pressure allowing her only a few faint, barely audible sounds.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
The medical report gently slipped to the floor.
At the brink of death, the man finally released his grip. Without looking at her heavy breaths, he crouched down to examine the report.
“How can you prove it’s mine?”
“Ms. Jiang took me to get checked.”
At that sentence, the rage in his eyes seemed ready to kill the little life inside her womb.
That tiny life was barely a month old.
“So eager to marry me?”
“What? You fell in love with me after just one night?”
The man looked down at the woman gasping for breath before him.
His sarcasm left her with no face to hide behind, even though they were alone.
“Who doesn’t know your reputation, Mr. Bo? I just want a piece of the pie; isn’t that fair?”
Knowing his contempt, she shot back defiantly.
“Dare you conspire against me with Jiang Shiwei?”
His eyes brimmed with unstoppable disgust for her.
“Think whatever you want. My goal is already achieved.”
Before her body could fully leave the cramped space, her slender arm was grasped fiercely by the man. Her entire body was pulled back, overshadowed by the tall figure before her, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“Goal? Deluding yourself into marrying me so I can fill the holes left by your worthless family?”
“Ha, right, I forgot—you’re in cahoots with Jiang Shiwei.”
“Mute—”
“You insisted on marrying in, so now bear the consequences of scheming against me.”
His actions were merciless, his brows and eyes full of fury.
Helpless, the woman closed her eyes.
———
“Wake up, Miss, wake up!”
Wen Zhi lifted her head, eyes heavy with sleep. She had dozed off in the quiet, spacious dressing room while waiting.
“Miss Wen, please pick one.”
Before her lay two dresses of completely different styles.
One was a simple-colored qipao, with an ancient aesthetic that accentuated the figure; the other was a silver Western-style evening gown, strapless with a floor-length skirt.
After a moment’s thought, she pointed to the qipao.
“Alright.”
The tailored qipao hugged her curves tightly, her waist visibly slender, her figure voluptuous and unmistakable.
Her unadorned face was pale and pristine.
Such a delicate, pure face paired with an incongruous figure.
“Miss Wen, you’re truly beautiful.”
She was stunned seeing herself in the mirror. This was her first time wearing such an expensive dress, she thought bitterly.
A high-end custom piece, priceless.
The attendant’s eyes sparkled with admiration, unable to look away.
“Too bad Mr. Bo isn’t here to see you first.”
At the mention of “Mr. Bo,” her spine stiffened slightly.
They hadn’t met since that day.
———
Today was their engagement banquet, yet whether the man would attend remained uncertain.
For Wen Zhi, the engagement felt both distant and near.
Distant because she was only twenty.
Near because a few years ago, someone had once promised to marry her…
Meaningless, she thought.
A person’s life is just a blink of an eye—does it matter who the protagonist is?
“Miss Wen, please don’t cry.”
Hearing the makeup artist’s reminder, she snapped back to reality.
Had she been crying? It was not as carefree as she imagined, nor did she truly care.
She wiped away the tears and steadied her breath.
As for the proof of tears—
Only the faint redness on her eyes remained.
———
“Bang—”
“Bang—”
Boxing gloves struck firmly on solid muscles, the massive arms swinging swiftly through the air.
“President Bo, Miss Wen keeps calling you!”
“President Bo!”
The man on the boxing ring ignored the calls, continuing his strikes.
One blow after another, alternating between attack and dodge.
10, 9, 8, 7…
In the final ten seconds, he launched a full assault.
The last strike—
“Stop!”
Bo Ye’s hand froze inches from his opponent’s eyes.
“What’s your tantrum about?”
He turned around.
“If you can’t win, just admit it. No cheating.”
He frowned.
“Tch, who told you to sleep around…”
Qi He muttered quietly.
Bo Ye glanced at Qi He with fiery eyes.
“President Bo, Miss Wen’s call?”
Lai Wu whispered from below.
“Tell her to get lost!”
Sharp and decisive.
Qi He smiled, indifferent.
“Clap—”
The boxing gloves he just removed were thrown into his arms again.
“One more round—”
Qi He: …
———
An hour had passed since Jiang Shiwei reminded her to call Bo Ye.
The store had closed. She crouched alone in the dark open space outside, waiting for the rain to stop.
The engagement banquet was held atop the mountain, with difficult roads leading there—it seemed that place was her future “home.”
Wen Zhi gazed at the unanswered texts and calls, feeling lost.
The Bo family—she only knew Jiang Shiwei and Bo Ye. The former’s number was unreachable; the latter hated her.
Her parents were probably celebrating her sister’s birthday now. She couldn’t trouble anyone. Her phone screen went dark as her arm dropped.
The rain finally eased a little. Looking at the winding mountain path, her heart sank.
One step, two steps—the villa at the summit, seemingly within reach, grew increasingly distant.
After a while, the sky suddenly poured again. She instinctively tried to shield her dress, but it was too late.
Her swollen, aching feet worsened. She wanted to sit, but the violent wind seemed ready to toss her away.
Cold and pain enveloped her.
Her consciousness blurred.
She had to hold on—falling from here meant an endless abyss…
———
“I can’t fight anymore.”
Qi He tossed down his gear and ran downstairs.
Bo Ye: …
“President Bo, are you going to the banquet tonight?”
Lai Wu asked.
“Yes.”
“What about that woman?”
“Probably still walking up the mountain.”
Lai Wu clicked his tongue. “Dare scheme against you—there are few who’d survive in this world.”
“What did you say?”
Bo Ye frowned, staring at the torrential rain outside.
“Many big shots from the political world are attending. Jiang Shiwei, you better flatter them well. Forget about her. We’re not picking her up either. Grandma Zhao’s villa—only good drivers dare go.”
Bo Ye set down his water bottle.
“Going to Grandma’s?”
“Yeah.”
So far away.
“Slap!”
Lai Wu’s chest was struck painfully.
“Are you an idiot? Go drive!”
“Didn’t you tell her to get lost?”
Lai Wu answered loyally.
“Do you want me to send you to college for a few years before you come back to me?”
“Boss, I’ll go drive.”
Lai Wu ran off at the mention of school.
“Hey, if you go today, you’ll really be on standby for marriage.”
Qi He teased.
“Enough nonsense, transfer the money quickly.”
Best of three, 1.5 million.
Qi He: …
———
The rain lightened.
A luxurious car sped along the winding mountain road.
“President Bo, how’s my driving?”
Afraid Bo Ye would really send him off to school, Lai Wu asked earnestly.
The man didn’t answer. The rear window was half-open; a cigarette ember glowed, the smoky white eyes lost in the droplets outside, extinguished by the wind.
Until—
The headlights illuminated a white figure.
Lai Wu, seeing the white clothes, thought it was a ghost and slammed on the brakes. “Holy crap, a ghost!”
“Stop!”
The man’s slightly commanding voice dispelled the last bit of fear in Lai Wu’s heart.
The car halted instantly. Bo Ye stepped out, holding an umbrella.
He approached the figure, trying to discern her face.
“Smack—”
An unexpected slap came out of nowhere.