The private room was quiet and bright, with only a beautiful, commanding young woman sitting in the center of the sofa. She was presumably the one.
Zhan Jingchen curved his lips into a smile, a business card held between his fingers, and walked over.
"Miss Pei, is it? There's a delivery for you."
This boy wasn't just good-looking; his voice was pleasant too.
Pei Kexin made up her mind instantly.
Since fate sent you here, you're not getting away.
Like a queen, she nodded slightly, her beautiful lips parting. "Bring it here."
One standing, one sitting, each holding half of the business card.
Pei Kexin's eyes were fixed on Zhan Jingchen's face, while Zhan Jingchen's gaze was on her hands.
Pei Kexin was very satisfied.
This delivery guy, with his excellent physique and looks, perfectly matched her aesthetic. He should be more than enough to fool those idiots in the Pei family.
Zhan Jingchen also admired her.
This woman's fingers were slender and fair, yet she wore no flashy nail polish, a rarity among his social circle.
In a brief two-second encounter, both harbored their own intentions.
Finally, Pei Kexin took the business card.
Zhan Jingchen straightened up, took a step back, and smiled politely.
"The package has been delivered. If you have nothing else, Miss Pei, I'll be going. Please remember to give a five-star rating. Thank you."
In an instant, Pei Kexin saw a confidence on his young face that didn't belong to this profession.
Seeing him about to leave, she spoke quickly.
"There is something else. Don't rush off, go close the door."
Could there be more to deliver?
Although they were generous enough, this young master truly didn't lack these trivial things!
Zhan Jingchen grew impatient, his brow furrowing slightly. "Miss Pei, I'm off duty. This is your last order."
Pei Kexin looked at him. "I know."
"It's so late, you should rest. Go, close the door."
He couldn't figure out what she was up to, but it seemed unusual.
Zhan Jingchen enjoyed a challenge, so he decided to play along.
He went to close the door, and upon returning, he feigned innocence.
"Company policy prohibits accompanying guests for drinks. Miss Pei won't make things difficult, will you?"
Pei Kexin smiled faintly and took a sip from the wine glass in front of her.
"That's a reasonable request... How long have you been working?"
Zhan Jingchen sat down on the small round stool opposite her and lied, "A year or two."
Pei Kexin's gaze was very direct as she looked at him. "Have you been doing this since you finished school?"
"Mm."
"It must be hard work?"
"Indeed."
"How old are you this year?"
"...Miss Pei is so concerned about us delivery drivers?"
Pei Kexin swirled the red wine in her hand aimlessly.
"Not everyone is as lucky as you. Tell me, how old are you this year?"
Zhan Jingchen had no choice but to continue his fabrication. "22."
Oh, a bit young, but luckily old enough to get married.
"Are you from around here?"
"No."
"Where's your hometown?"
"Miss Pei..."
Pei Kexin smiled, revealing two sharp canine teeth, looking somewhat playful and cute, a stark contrast to her demeanor when not smiling.
"No malice, just idle chat. It's fine if you don't want to say."
Then Zhan Jingchen wouldn't say. No need to keep fabricating.
Unsure of her intentions, Zhan Jingchen fell silent.
Pei Kexin took another sip of red wine. "Are you married?"
Zhan Jingchen was completely bewildered.
This crazy woman, can't she just say what she wants directly? What exactly is she trying to do?
"Being this poor, who would want me?"
Pei Kexin's eyelids lifted again, her eyes shining as she looked at him. "You don't even have a girlfriend?"
Zhan Jingchen felt like leaving. "No. I have nothing."
"How much is your monthly income?"
He suppressed his irritation internally. "Miss Pei, are you trying to set me up with someone?"
Pei Kexin revealed her playful little canine teeth and smiled again. "If I say yes, would you be willing?"
Willing?
This woman, whom he had known for less than five minutes, was trying to set him up? Was this a joke?
Which unlucky woman had she hated so much that she wanted to introduce her to a delivery driver whose real name she didn't even know?
Zhan Jingchen's curiosity was piqued again. "Tell me about it."
Pei Kexin put down her wine glass.
With her fair fingers, she pushed the business card he had just delivered back towards him.
"I'm introducing myself to you. Consider it."
Zhan Jingchen: "??"
"I don't want your car, I don't want your house, I don't want your bride price, and I don't want you delivering food every day. I just want you to agree to marry me tomorrow."
"Besides living and eating for free at my expense, I'll give you twenty thousand a month for living expenses."
"??"
"You must feel this is sudden and strange, perhaps you think I'm trying to trick you? It's alright, I can give you time to consider."
"To be perfectly honest, this is just a transaction. I don't need you to be my actual husband. You just need to be a live-in son-in-law at my house for one month. We'll sign a contract. After the month is up, I'll give you a bonus of another hundred thousand."
Zhan Jingchen was now 23 years old, the youngest son of Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nan Fang. He had been doted upon since childhood.
He knew about the power struggles within wealthy families, where many marriages were transactions to secure more assets.
But he had only heard about it before; he never imagined he would encounter such a situation himself.
Moreover, for one month, to gain a second-marriage status, he would only earn three hundred thousand!
This wasn't a particularly wealthy family, yet they were already resorting to such schemes?
Seeing the airs she put on, he thought they were discussing some major business deal, but it turned out to be this?
If she weren't somewhat attractive, this young master would have left long ago!
Seeing his prolonged silence, Pei Kexin probed.
"What? Do you think it's too abrupt, too much to handle?"
Zhan Jingchen looked at her face, adorned with impeccable makeup, trying to see through the facade to her true self.
However, despite her young age, her composure was profound. Her expressions and gaze were as steady as a rock, and he couldn't find any flaws.
"If I recall correctly, today isn't April Fool's Day. Miss Pei joking with someone like me, who's just trying to make a living, is a bit much."
"We've only known each other for a few minutes, and you want to marry me? Anyone would hesitate to agree."
Pei Kexin looked at him calmly.
"I know what you're worried about, and I can assure you, there's no need."
"This marriage is not a real marriage. You don't need to have any emotional interaction with me, let alone marital relations."
"You are simply a worker I'm hiring with money, and the job title for this worker is 'husband'."
"It holds no meaning, just like the cleaner I hired. I pay, you do the work, we don't interfere with each other, and we part ways when the term is up. It's that simple."
She seemed quite open-minded about it.
Zhan Jingchen raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me, but I don't understand why Miss Pei would do this."
Pei Kexin: "Don't ask what you shouldn't. You just need to consider whether you want to earn this three hundred thousand."
"If yes, we'll sign the contract immediately and strictly adhere to its terms. If no... consider everything I've said as a joke."
"..."
"Of course, if you feel the price is too low, we can negotiate. Although it's only for a month, you do gain the status of being remarried. If you feel it's unfair, I can increase it to five hundred thousand."