Haishi, Lanting Yashe.
Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside this top-tier tea house, it was as warm as spring. The air was filled with the fragrance of Longjing tea.
Chu Anhe sat on a huanghuali wood chair, nervously twisting the washed-out hem of her down jacket. She never imagined that the match her grandmother described as “gentle, honest, and too old to find a wife” would actually be him.
Xie Jingran.
The youngest visiting professor at Haishi University, heir to the Xie Group, and her instructor for Legal Economics, a course with a failure rate of thirty percent.
At this moment, the man sat across from her.
He wore a meticulously tailored dark gray suit, gold-rimmed glasses resting on his high nose bridge, radiating an aura of restrained coldness.
“Drink tea.”
Xie Jingran pushed a cup toward her, his long fingers elegant and sculpted like a work of art.
“Th-thank you, Teacher Xie.” Chu Anhe stammered, feeling like she was awaiting the announcement of a failed final exam. “I was tricked here by my grandmother. I didn’t know it was you. Even if I had ten times my courage, I wouldn’t have come.”
Xie Jingran sipped the tea calmly. “I do not eat people.”
Chu Anhe smiled bitterly in her heart. He does not eat people, but he fails them.
“Since it is a misunderstanding, I will leave now.” Chu Anhe was restless and only wanted to escape this battlefield.
“Sit down.”
Xie Jingran’s voice was quiet but carried irresistible pressure.
Chu Anhe’s lifted bottom immediately dropped back onto the chair, and she straightened her back out of habit. “Yes.”
Xie Jingran set down the tea cup and looked at Chu Anhe, his gaze briefly pausing on her slightly worn sleeve before pulling out a document and pushing it toward her.
“Since you are here, let us discuss business.”
“B-business?” Chu Anhe was dumbfounded. Was he going to lecture her at a matchmaking meeting?
“Look at the terms.” Xie Jingran tapped the table. His tone was formal, like discussing a multi-billion acquisition. “If there are no issues, sign it. We can go to the civil affairs bureau immediately.”
Chu Anhe choked on her water and coughed until her face turned red.
She widened her eyes, staring incredulously at this man, who seemed cold and untouchable in the eyes of Haishi University girls. “M-marriage? Teacher Xie, are you out of your mind?”
Earlier, she had burned her tongue on tea and had meant to say “you have a fever,” but somehow ended up saying this.
This was a disaster. Even if she didn’t fail the class, she would be humiliated.
“I am completely clear-headed.” Xie Jingran’s expression was emotionless. “You need money. I need a wife to satisfy my family’s pressure to marry. I know your family has many debts. I can pay them off. In exchange, you will marry me, become my wife, for two years.”
His tone was almost cold. “Chu, this is a win-win agreement.”
Chu Anhe looked at the prenuptial agreement on the table. Every word screamed arrogance and wealth.
She felt like a piece of meat on a chopping board, being casually selected and arranged.
Chu Anhe took a deep breath, stood, and gently pushed the agreement back.
“Teacher Xie.”
Her voice still trembled, but the panic in her eyes gradually faded. “I am poor, but not so poor that I would sell myself. I do not want to fall in love early and I do not want to play this kind of rich family contract game. The tea is too expensive for me. Goodbye.”
She grabbed her nine-yuan canvas bag and rushed out of the room without looking back.
Bang, The carved wooden door closed.
The private room returned to dead silence.
Three seconds later.
Xie Jingran, who had been expressionless, suddenly let out a deep breath as if his spine had been pulled out. His straight posture collapsed instantly.
He yanked off his tightly tied tie, removed his glasses, and rubbed his forehead in frustration. Then, a cold mechanical voice exploded in his mind, audible only to him.
Warning Warning.
Target Chu Anhe’s affection decreased by five points. Current affection -10 Fear/Disgust.
Mission First intimate contact proposal failed.
Penalty judgment in progress Host heart sudden stop countdown 23 hours 59 minutes.
Xie Jingran glared at the red countdown on his retina and cursed silently. “System, I am her teacher. You made me propose immediately? Who proposes ‘sign a marriage agreement’ on a first matchmaking meeting? She hasn’t called the police yet, and that is already lucky in a lawful society.”
The system replied coldly Detection shows the host has Billionaire CEO and Cold Professor dual tags. Data analysis indicates the fastest way to woo is using money. Please reflect on your charm value.
“Shut up!” Xie Jingran wanted to throw his cup in anger but reached mid-air and elegantly brought it back to maintain his persona.
A month ago, Xie Jingran discovered he had inexplicably been bound to a system called Life-Saving True Love.
The system informed him that he was destined to die young. The only way to survive was to pursue a girl named Chu Anhe, marry her, and exchange her affection points for life.
The worst part was the additional rule, The host must maintain the Cold and Abstinent persona. If this collapses, the system will erase him
It was like holding a knife to his neck and forcing him to walk a tightrope.
He had to make her love him while remaining indifferent.
Was this even a task a carbon-based life form could complete?
Xie Jingran looked at the life countdown of less than twenty-four hours. His eyes behind the lenses grew deep.
He picked up the business card Chu Anhe had ignored, slipped it into his coat pocket, and then took out his phone to dial a number.
“Hello, Director Zhou? This is Xie Jingran.”
“I heard your third hospital recently admitted a patient named Lin Suyun? Yes, please keep an eye on her and notify me immediately if she encounters any difficulties.”
Xie Jingran paused, looking at the snow falling outside the window.
“No matter what happens, please inform me promptly.”
After hanging up, Xie Jingran straightened his collar, put on his glasses, and strode out of the room.
Since soft methods would not work, he would wait until she had no way out and came to him.
Chu Anhe, you will marry me even if you refuse.
After all, your life is still in my hands.