Five minutes later, Jin Yu stepped out of the prayer hall.
Once outside, she spoke to the tall, imposing man. “Your grandmother wants you to go in.”
Hearing this, Meng Jinyan glanced at her indifferently.
“What for?”
Jin Yu’s mind was in turmoil. She lowered her head and replied absentmindedly, “She has something to say to you.”
Meng Jinyan: “…”
Was he some kind of monster? Why was she keeping her head down?
Only after he turned and went inside did Jin Yu dare to let the tear she had been holding back fall.
I’m sorry, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Xiao Qi—I’m going to let you down.
But this was the only solution she could think of.
She could no longer rely on her uncle’s family.
So, she had to depend on herself.
Even if relying on herself meant gambling on a marriage and bringing a new life into this world.
About a quarter of an hour later, Meng Jinyan emerged with a cold expression, his words icy and cutting. “Don’t you have any self-respect?”
Jin Yu pressed her lips together, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her skirt. The moment she lowered her gaze, a flicker of embarrassment flashed in her eyes.
Her pride, her self-respect—they had vanished the year her parents passed away unexpectedly. Without her parents’ love and protection, she realized that self-respect couldn’t put food on the table.
Because, after all, people have to survive.
She had already lost her parents; she couldn’t lose her grandmother and brother too.
Now that an opportunity was right in front of her, how could she afford to be sentimental and not seize it?
Seeing her remain silent, Meng Jinyan’s expression grew even darker. It felt like punching cotton—utterly futile.
He tugged at his tie irritably, his voice cold. “Fine, come with me to the study to sign the marriage agreement.”
Jin Yu: “…”
The entire process of signing the agreement was quiet.
After finishing the stack of papers, before she could even put down the pen, the man’s cool voice sounded again. “I hope you understand your position clearly. Don’t even think about having any inappropriate ideas.”
This time, Jin Yu looked up and met his gaze directly, her eyes clear and resolute, her voice firm and strong. “Mr. Meng, don’t worry. Our relationship is purely cooperative. I won’t overstep.”
Under the scrutiny of her clear, almond-shaped eyes, Meng Jinyan felt slightly uneasy, especially since her reply gave off the vibe of “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely keep my distance,” which left him feeling oddly unsettled.
Thinking of this, his expression turned displeased. “As long as you understand.”
After signing the agreement, the two went downstairs.
Old Madam was already waiting in the living room. Seeing them descend, she stood up with a smile.
“Now all you two need is the marriage certificate. Xiao Yu, tomorrow, go home and bring your household register, ID card, and other documents. Grandma will hurry and arrange the wedding for you both.”
Hearing this, Meng Jinyan casually sat down on the sofa and scoffed. “You should spend more time reciting sutras, Old Madam. Don’t meddle in wedding arrangements.”
Then, he glanced lightly at the quiet Jin Yu.
His words were sharp and biting. “Besides, if you arrange a wedding for me now, and we end up divorcing, and I remarry later, the whole of Jing City will know I’m a divorcee.”
His words were extremely unpleasant. Old Madam felt dizzy, clutching her chest as she glared at him fiercely.
“You brat, shut your mouth!”
After scolding him, she gently took Jin Yu’s hand to comfort her. “Xiao Yu, don’t mind him. He just has a foul mouth.”
Meng Jinyan: “…”
To be honest, Jin Yu didn’t take this matter to heart.
She even felt that what he said wasn’t wrong.
Not long after, as Old Madam sat down, she heard another explosive piece of news.
“Xiao Yu, from now on, you two should live well together and stay together to cultivate your relationship.”
Hearing this, Jin Yu was a beat slow to react, “Huh?”
Compared to her soft-spoken response, Meng Jinyan’s reaction was clearly much stronger. “What do you mean by staying together?”
Without waiting for Old Madam’s reply, he began listing strong objections. “I’m not used to having someone next to me when I sleep. If someone is there, I’ll have insomnia. No one is allowed to touch my personal belongings. Agreeing to marry her was already the biggest concession I made. Now you want us to live together? I don’t agree!”
Jin Yu also chimed in softly, “I don’t want to live together either.”
Originally, when Meng Jinyan was listing his various objections, his emotions were still quite agitated. But now, hearing Jin Yu also say she disagreed, his narrow, phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, filled with scrutiny.
Was she looking down on him?
Old Madam knew exactly what her grandson was like.
Without further ado, she made the decision on the spot. “It’s settled. No objections will be accepted.”
Ten minutes later, Meng Jinyan sat coldly on the sofa in the bedroom.
He glared at Jin Yu across from him, interrogating her as if she were a prisoner.
“Do you sleepwalk at night?”
Jin Yu shook her head. “No.”
“Do you snore?”
Jin Yu looked at him timidly and shook her head again.
Actually, she wanted to ask if he snored too, but seeing him cross his arms so fiercely, she swallowed her words.
Seeing her staring at him blankly, Meng Jinyan continued coldly, laying down the rules. “From now on, I’ll sleep on the bed, and you’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“You are not allowed to touch anything that belongs to me.”
“You are not allowed to make any noise within my sight.”
“When sleeping at night, unless it’s an emergency, you are not allowed to get up to use the bathroom. All of this affects my sleep quality.”
“Do you understand?”
Jin Yu could understand the first three rules.
But the last one seemed too harsh.
However, she only dared to complain in her heart, remaining quiet on the surface.
“I understand.”
From start to finish, she remained extremely calm.
Meng Jinyan sneered, his gaze tinged with mockery.
Before leaving, he only left one sentence: “You’re so boring.”
What 24-year-old woman isn’t full of longing for love, speaking lively and freely? Unlike her, who couldn’t stir up even a ripple.
As for the last sentence he left her with, Jin Yu only felt dazed for a second. Soon after, she opened her phone and started taking orders.
She hadn’t married him for love or romance anyway. If he found her boring, so be it—making money was more important.
After graduating, she joined a private design studio. Working tirelessly all year round, she could only earn about 300,000 yuan.
So, aside from the daily tasks assigned by the studio, she also took on freelance work—designing posters, drawing interior blueprints, avatars, covers, and the like.
As long as there was work, she took it.
After discussing some details with a client, she habitually reached beside her, only to suddenly realize this wasn’t her rented apartment, and her tablet wasn’t here.
With her hands free from work, she finally had time to look around the bedroom. The entire room was in an extremely minimalist style.
It suited Meng Jinyan’s personality perfectly.
She had just gotten up and taken no more than two steps forward when a knock sounded at the door. “Young Madam, Old Madam asked us to bring you dinner and daily necessities. Could you please open the door?”
When the door opened, she saw three maids with gentle smiles on their faces. Jin Yu nodded politely. “Thank you for your trouble.”
She ate dinner under the watchful eyes of the three maids. After finishing the meal, she followed the rules set by Meng Jinyan and sat quietly on the sofa, not daring to touch any of his belongings.
Even though she grew a bit sleepy after waiting past ten o’clock, she still didn’t move.
Meng Jinyan didn’t return until after eleven.
The moment he walked in and loosened his tie, his pupils suddenly widened when he saw her—clearly, he had already forgotten about her existence.
Jin Yu stood up and asked softly, “It’s very late. May I go take a bath?”
Hearing this, Meng Jinyan paused briefly before continuing forward, his tone tinged with impatience. “If you want to bathe, then bathe. Why ask for my permission?”
Sensing his bad mood, Jin Yu held her breath and replied softly, “Oh.”
Just before entering the bathroom with the pajamas prepared by Old Madam, she suddenly remembered something important. Summoning her courage, she turned around and said, “Um, I don’t know where the extra blankets are. Could you help me find one? I… I’ll need a blanket to sleep on the sofa tonight.”
Already seated on the sofa, Meng Jinyan felt as if the cushions had suddenly grown hot. Frowning, he replied irritably, “Got it.”
Receiving his confirmation, Jin Yu inexplicably felt a wave of relief. “Thank you.”
With that, she quickly slipped into the bathroom.
Watching the tightly closed bathroom door, Meng Jinyan’s expression darkened.
“Women are so troublesome.”