Kexin Lin was annoyed at her own lack of vigilance and wanted to scream for help when a hurried voice sounded in her ear.
“It’s me.”
The voice was very cold, carrying a slight trace of apology in her words: “I am Jiang Qing.”
Kexin Lin opened her eyes wide to look at her, her heart pounding heavily.
Her breath gently sprayed against Kexin Lin’s ear, the air warm, causing an inexplicable tickling sensation.
Kexin Lin did not let down her guard because of what Jiang Qing said.
She didn’t know what Jiang Qing was trying to pull with this stunt!
Jiang Qing also knew her actions right then were too rash, chuckling as she slowly loosened her palm that was covering her mouth.
The next second, Kexin Lin smoothly and nimbly broke away from Jiang Qing’s encirclement, and only after opening up some distance did she tentatively raise her eyes to look at her.
Just one glance made Kexin Lin’s scalp tingle.
Jiang Qing’s appearance was extremely aggressive, her gaze like a hook firmly locking onto her, as if a beast had locked onto its prey and was about to pounce and bite her.
It made Kexin Lin’s internal vigilance deepen: “What, what are you doing? I didn’t provoke you…”
Jiang Qing slowly moved closer to her, her voice low: “You know, my sister ran away from her wedding.”
“…Oh.”
Kexin Lin had known about this news for a long time, the gloating joy in her eyes almost unable to be hidden, while she pretended to be calm on the surface: “There’s such a thing? Then, shouldn’t you go find your sister?”
A burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
Thinking that she still had to escape, Kexin Lin wore a solemn expression, wanting even more to say she had things to attend to, not expecting her trailing wedding gown to be very cumbersome.
She tripped over herself.
Seeing that she was about to fall, Jiang Qing reached out and grabbed her, pulling her right into her arms.
Kexin Lin only felt the world spinning, her body tumbling out of control toward somewhere.
Unsteady on their feet, the two of them tumbled together right into the soft sofa beside them.
Jiang Qing instinctively supported her head, taking the opportunity to pin her onto the sofa while propping up her own body and looking down at her.
Their eyes met.
Kexin Lin’s breathing stagnated, her nerves stretched to the extreme limit.
The air fell silent for several seconds.
Jiang Qing stared at her, her voice calm: “Just now, the elders proposed that the two families swap marriage partners, and that your marriage partner be changed to me. I agreed.”
Kexin Lin’s pupils froze, instantly doubting her life.
Swap marriage partners?!
So her sister ran away from the wedding, and Jiang Qing as the older sister was replacing her sister to marry her?
What a joke!
An abnormal, warm tactile sensation came from her shoulder, and Kexin Lin only then realized that her body and Jiang Qing’s were pressed very close together.
The posture was ambiguous as hell.
Unaccountably, even the air seemed to become abnormally hot and dry.
Shame and annoyance spread across Kexin Lin’s entire face, the tips of her ears turning slightly warm, and she struggled to get up with a full rejection: “I don’t agree, you’re my fiancee’s sister, if word gets out wouldn’t it make people… Get up quickly.”
As if guessing that Kexin Lin would refuse, Jiang Qing smiled and consciously stepped back a step,
giving Kexin Lin a chance to struggle and stand up.
Kexin Lin didn’t have time to tidy up her disheveled wedding dress, nor did she want to know what Jiang Qing was plotting; she wanted to go find someone to confirm whether the matter was true or false.
“I’m not joking.”
Sensing that Kexin Lin was about to leave, Jiang Qing stepped in front of her first, handing her a check: “We’ll have a contract marriage for three years, interfering with each other not after marriage. If the money isn’t enough, we can add more.”
Kexin Lin’s gaze paused.
The amount on the check was fifty million.
Before Kexin Lin could agree, while the iron was hot, Jiang Qing also handed her a pre-prepared marriage agreement contract, the terms of which were quite tempting.
The two had a contract for a three-year period. After marriage, she only needed to play the role of a qualified wife in front of the elders of both families. Privately, the two would not interfere with each other and could not forcibly fulfill wifely obligations.
If either party encountered a favored partner during the marriage, they must not conceal it from the other and needed to notify the other in advance to discuss whether to dissolve the marriage.
Every month she could have fifty million in pocket money and a community property consumption card, as well as a gift contract for five percent of the Jiang Group’s shares that she should have obtained after the marriage alliance.
With a fast heartbeat, Kexin Lin stared at the checkbook, a hint of playfulness appearing in the look she gave Jiang Qing: “Are you sure it’s only three years?”
“Yes, just three years.”
Jiang Qing insisted on an answer: “So you agree to marry me?”
Kexin Lin pulled the checkbook from her hand, her expression involuntarily softening, not hiding her good mood at all: “Mhm, mhm, I agree. Jiang Qing, please take care of me over the next three years.”
The corners of Jiang Qing’s lips curved into an arc: “I don’t like that form of address, change to something more intimate.”
Kexin Lin understood in a second, changing her words with a radiant smile and briskness: “Alright, wife.”
Kexin Lin signed the contract very briskly; hesitating for another second would mean a bloody loss for her.
She needed an opportunity to escape her family’s cage.
Jiang Qing, who had delivered herself to her doorstep, was just right.
Her sister ran away from the wedding, and the older sister had a responsibility to make up for it.
Offering herself in marriage.
Repaying the debt day and night.
Later, the engagement banquet went surprisingly smoothly. The Jiang family bodyguards replaced the entire engagement venue with super professionalism.
As for the engagement photos, marriage certificates, and roll-up banners related to “Jiang Fei”…
They were all replaced with Jiang Qing.
Although the guests in attendance were surprised that the Jiang family had temporarily changed from Jiang Fei to Jiang Qing, none of them said it out loud on the spot, and everyone smiled to congratulate the Lin and Jiang families on their strong alliance and joyous union.
There weren’t any public opinions like “Lin’s second young miss is not worthy of Jiang’s eldest miss” reaching her ears.
Even the elders from both sides were very satisfied with her and Jiang Qing’s engagement.
Especially Jiang Qing’s mother, who pulled her hand and said she felt very guilty, that the family had spoiled Jiang Fei rotten, and when Jiang Fei came back later, she would definitely make her come apologize to her.
Kexin Lin listened obediently, saying whatever the elders said was good.
What made Kexin Lin feel bizarre was that Jiang Qing later changed into a satin wedding gown with a style similar to hers, calmly leading her to make toasts, and many people even praised that they looked very well matched.
Even the engagement rings were replaced with a brand-new pair.
The style was simple yet magnificent.
It was as if it had been prepared for a long time in advance.
Anyone who didn’t know would have thought the original target of the marriage alliance was Jiang Qing from the very beginning…
The engagement banquet ended, and in the car on the way back, a soothing light music played, making Kexin Lin feel drowsy.
Kexin Lin had planned her elopement late into the night yesterday, causing her to yawn continuously now.
Perhaps due to sitting close to Jiang Qing, she could actually smell a very faint, pleasant, and not overly sweet citrus perfume scent coming from the other person.
Kexin Lin subconsciously took a deep breath, and her tired expression eased quite a bit.
It actually smelled pretty good.
What brand was the perfume?
Kexin Lin wondered in her heart as she rubbed the diamond ring she wasn’t used to wearing on her finger, turning her head to secretly size up Jiang Qing beside her.
Jiang Qing had her eyes closed, as if she were asleep.
Jiang Qing was wearing a white neutral blazer, with a satin V-neck halter maxi dress layered underneath. Her slender neck and collarbone were fully exposed, and she still wore exquisite bridal makeup on her face. Her impeccable bone structure was extremely superior, and just a glance made it impossible to ignore, exuding a natural noble and cold aura.
A woman with such outstanding family background, appearance, and figure…
Turned out to be her, Kexin Lin’s, marriage alliance partner!
Kexin Lin didn’t stare at Jiang Qing for too long, simply pulling out her phone to play with it.
There were many messages on WeChat.
The private jet Da Piaoliang had arranged for her had been canceled, and she was still bombarding her with messages asking if her elopement had failed?
Did Wang Yuan go to snatch the bride?
How come she heard her family’s marriage alliance target was changed to Jiang Qing?
Kexin Lin didn’t reply to them one by one right away.
A certain strange message popped up, with the content consisting of just one sentence:
[I’m back in the country]
The four characters were simple and plain, not even carrying a punctuation mark.
Kexin Lin’s motion holding the phone paused for a moment, subtle emotions flashing across her eyes.
Although there was no remark name, she knew who the person was.
Mu Ci, the girl she once had a secret crush on.
Mu Ci and her cousin were classmates, and the two attended a noble school together, so her cousin frequently invited Mu Ci over as a guest since they were kids.
That was how she came to know Mu Ci.
A few days before Mu Ci went abroad, Kexin Lin had even made up her mind to express her feelings, but accidentally overheard Mu Ci talking on the phone with someone…
“You mean Lin Kexin?”
“She’s not favored in the Lin family, and her mind is very innocent. It’s still pretty easy to trick her into hand with just some casual small gifts…”
The carefully hidden romantic feelings from her youth were nothing more than her own wishful thinking in the eyes of others.
Just like her romance with Wang Yuan.
On her romantic path, she would never have a good ending.
Kexin Lin sighed inwardly, quickly collecting her chaotic thoughts and blocking the message sent by Mu Ci.
Just a passerby in the journey of life.
She would move forward.
“We’ve arrived at the destination.”
Jiang Qing’s low and gentle voice rang beside her ear, instantly pulling Kexin Lin back to reality.
Kexin Lin turned her head to look; the car had stopped in front of a luxurious single-family villa with its own courtyard.
“Okay.”
Kexin Lin nodded in response.
When she prepared to get out of the car, it was Jiang Qing who opened the car door for her.
“Let’s go.”
A trace of a smile flashed across Jiang Qing’s eyes.
Kexin Lin nodded, symbolically tidying up the skirt of her dress and following her into the villa.
The entire villa had also been carefully decorated, with many “Double Happiness” (囍) characters posted everywhere, looking full of festivity no matter how one looked at it.
Kexin Lin visually estimated that the villa’s footprint definitely exceeded 800 square meters, standing at a traditional three stories high. Entering the door was a huge garden area, with a lavish and uninhibited swimming pool beside it.
The villa’s style was a collision and fusion of European architecture and traditional elements, majestic yet grand, and the cobblestone path entering the foyer was also paved with an expensive red carpet.
Noticing the upward curve of Kexin Lin’s mouth, Jiang Qing asked with her smile undiminished: “How is it? Do you like this bridal home?”
Kexin Lin turned her head to look at her, her voice sweet: “It’s pretty good.”
More than just liking it.
The villa was about to be transferred under her name, and she was as satisfied as could be right now.
“As long as you like it.”
The corners of Jiang Qing’s lips hooked upwards, facing the housekeeper auntie who was walking over, and she instructed her: “If there’s anything you’re unsatisfied with in the house, just tell the housekeeper. Don’t wrong yourself in your own home.”
Hearing the words “your own home,” Kexin Lin’s eyes flicked.
After exchanging greetings with Kexin Lin and reporting to Jiang Qing that the bridal suite on the second floor had been tidied up, the housekeeper left.
Kexin Lin followed Jiang Qing up to the second floor, belatedly realizing an important question she had overlooked.
Since she planned to have a contract marriage with Jiang Qing, would they be living together for the next three years?
Playing along with Jiang Qing every day to act out a loving couple routine?
Kexin Lin stopped in front of the bedroom, tugged at Jiang Qing’s sleeve, and asked with a soft voice: “Um, which room am I sleeping in tonight?”
Jiang Qing turned her head to look at her, the corners of her mouth hooking up: “Of course we’re sleeping together.”
Kexin Lin’s expression froze: “…”
The air stagnated for a split second.
Sleeping in the same room?
The same bed?
Kexin Lin subconsciously flashed through many adult-only restricted orange scenes in her mind, her useless ear tips turning slightly red, and the look she cast at Jiang Qing carried shyness and panic…
Jiang Qing caught her evasive gaze, her eyes resting on her delicate little face, the dark undertone deep in her eyes thick and unable to be melted away.
“You don’t want to sleep… with me?”
When saying this, Jiang Qing’s gaze lingered on her lips, her tone revealing a rare request and grievance.
Kexin Lin was speechless, words failing her.
Before Kexin Lin could respond, raising her eyes, she saw Jiang Qing’s impeccable, pretty face close at hand, followed closely by that familiar citrus perfume scent wrapping tightly around her…
She tightly clutched the hem of her skirt, with nowhere left to run right now.
Kexin Lin’s breathing unconsciously slowed by half a beat, and she asked with a stiff tone: “We… are just sleeping… purely, right?”