As Xie Jingran’s figure disappeared into the elevator, Liu Cuifen’s previously sharp face instantly transformed into a mask of obsequious flattery.
Her eyes rolled, realizing Chu Anhe had unknowingly grabbed onto a golden thigh.
She stared at the black-and-gold card in Chu Anhe’s hand and said with feigned warmth, “Oh, Anhe! I knew it. Our Anhe is so beautiful, no wonder you have luck on your side!”
She reached out and grabbed Chu Anhe’s arm, her tone friendly as if she hadn’t just been demanding money.
Chu Anhe coldly looked at her and forcefully shook off her hand.
“Aunt, didn’t you just say not to drag you down, that we would no longer be relatives?”
Liu Cuifen’s expression stiffened, but she shamelessly smiled. “I was flustered! You take everything seriously. By the way, your mother’s surgery doesn’t even need this much. The remaining money on the card…”
“The remaining money has nothing to do with you,” Chu Anhe stepped back, her eyes for the first time filled with decisive coldness.
“When my father had the construction accident and the compensation arrived, how did you and my aunt speak? You said you’d manage finances for us orphans. And the result? The money ‘managed’ disappeared, and you got a new house and car. After my father passed, our family owed so much debt, which my mother and I paid off bit by bit with our work!”
Liu Cuifen was struck at her sore spot, anger and shame rising. “You brat, digging up the past! Without our support, you think you’d survive until now?”
“Support?” Chu Anhe scoffed, her eyes red but stubbornly holding back tears. “Do you mean lending us six hundred yuan during the New Year and taking my mother’s only gold earring as collateral?”
Other patients’ family members began whispering. Liu Cuifen felt her face burn with embarrassment.
“Fine! Chu Anhe, you’ve climbed to a high branch, grown arrogant, huh? Still dare to shout at me!”
She reached out to hit Chu Anhe, but two black-clad bodyguards appeared and stopped her.
“Ma’am,” one bodyguard said expressionlessly, “Mr. Xie instructed that to ensure peace during Ms. Lin’s surgery, bystanders must leave immediately. If you refuse, we won’t mind helping you ‘cooperate’.”
Faced with the tall, imposing bodyguards, Liu Cuifen’s legs went weak. She glared at Chu Anhe. “Fine! I’ll see how long your hard-earned money lasts! Just wait!” She slunk away.
Finally, peace returned.
Chu Anhe leaned against the wall and exhaled. She looked at the cold bank card in her hand, emotions tangled.
Is this the power of authority?
It can make villains bow and create a way out of desperate situations.
Three hours later,
The surgical lights above the operating room finally turned from red to green.
The chief surgeon emerged, mask removed, revealing a tired but relieved smile. “The surgery was successful. Now, recovery is just a matter of time.”
Chu Anhe’s legs went weak, nearly collapsing, tears of joy streaming down.
Before she could react, a gentle-faced middle-aged woman approached.
“Hello, Miss Chu. I’m the senior nurse arranged by Mr. Xie. You can call me Aunt Sun.”
Aunt Sun held a thick stack of documents. “This is Ms. Lin’s post-operative care plan, including deluxe ward, nutritional meals, and 24-hour care. Mr. Xie has paid two years in full. From now on, you can entrust your mother to me.”
Chu Anhe froze.
She had thought Xie Jingran only provided money, never imagining he arranged every detail flawlessly.
“Did he… say anything else?” she asked softly.
Aunt Sun smiled politely. “Mr. Xie said you should rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning at nine, he will be waiting at the civil affairs bureau. Please do not be late.”
Chu Anhe lowered her eyes. Indeed, this was a transaction. He gave her everything she needed. Now, it was her turn to fulfill the agreement.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I will be on time.”
The next morning,
Outside the Haishi City Civil Affairs Bureau.
The heavy snow from last night had stopped. The rising sun reflected off the snow, painfully bright.
Chu Anhe wore her faded white down jacket, stamping her feet in the cold, glancing at the entrance.
At nine o’clock sharp,
A black Maybach stopped at the curb.
The window rolled down, revealing Xie Jingran’s cold, handsome profile.
“Get in.”
No greetings, no “good morning,” only a command.
Chu Anhe took a deep breath and opened the door, sliding in.
The car was warm, faintly scented with cedar, his natural scent.
“Did you bring the household registration book?” Xie Jingran asked, eyes on the road, long fingers tapping the steering wheel.
“I did.”
“Mm.”
Conversation over.
The silence was so awkward it could build a castle.
Entering the registration hall, their stunning appearances instantly drew every eye.
Especially Xie Jingran, in his tailored coat, projecting the aura of someone taking over the civil affairs bureau rather than getting married.
Filling forms, signing, fingerprinting.
The process was as brisk as signing a contract.
Until the photographer called, “Newlyweds, come closer! Don’t sit so stiffly! This is marriage, not negotiation!”
In front of the red backdrop.
Chu Anhe sat stiffly, hands neatly on her knees. Xie Jingran sat beside her, space between them just enough to fit another person.
“Sir, put your arm around the lady! Smile!” the photographer urged.
Xie Jingran frowned.
System: Warning! The host detected passive behavior! Immediately perform ‘intimate contact’ instruction or lose two hours of life!
Xie Jingran: …
He took a deep breath, stiffly moved closer to Chu Anhe, and gently draped his right arm over her shoulder.
Chu Anhe tensed. Even through the down jacket, she felt the warmth of his palm, her cheeks unconsciously blushing.
Click.
The shutter captured the moment. The girl shyly looked down, cheeks flushed; the man’s face was cold, brows slightly furrowed, but his hold was unexpectedly firm.
Ten minutes later,
Two red booklets were handed to them.
Chu Anhe looked at their photo on the marriage certificate, an unreal feeling washing over her.
She was married, but the marriage had a two-year expiration date.
“Let’s go.”
Xie Jingran pocketed the certificate without a glance and walked out.
Chu Anhe hurried to catch up.
At the entrance, Xie Jingran suddenly stopped.
“Teacher Xie, I’ll return to campus first,” Chu Anhe said cautiously.
Xie Jingran turned, his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses inscrutable.
“Return to school?”
He glanced at his watch, tone indifferent.
“Legally, we are now husband and wife, required to live together. I’ve had someone pack your dorm luggage.”
“Now, come home with me.”
He turned and walked toward the car.
Ding! Congratulations, host completed first main mission, Marriage Contract.
Reward: Life +30 days.
Unlocked new feature: Physical contact recharge (holding hands 1 minute = 1 hour life)
From an unseen angle, the high-cold professor exhaled long and leaned back, lips curling in a restrained, ecstatic smile.
Looking at his hand, Xie Jingran thought, this wife isn’t a wife, she’s a walking human power bank.