Chapter 2: Taking Me for a Duck?

Jian Yao had just taken a sip of sobering tea when she heard Gu Zhiyan’s outrageous words and quickly swallowed it down.

How could she, an unmarried girl, be a second wife?

And…

What made her worthy of Gu Zhiyan being her second husband?

Gu Zhiyan said that he and Lu Chengze didn’t get along, which was actually a very euphemistic way of putting it.

To be precise, it was Lu Chengze who was unilaterally dissatisfied with Gu Zhiyan.

It was undeniable that Lu Chengze was excellent. Except for not being recognized by the Lu family as a child, he had been smooth sailing all the way.

Until he met Gu Zhiyan.

Grades, competitions, playing basketball, esports, wherever Gu Zhiyan participated, second place was the ceiling for everyone else.

His name was always listed above Lu Chengze’s.

Lu Chengze was even nicknamed the “Eternal Second Place.

In high school, she had unintentionally helped Gu Zhiyan once. When Lu Chengze found out, although he didn’t say anything at the time, he didn’t speak to her for a week.

For a long time, the name Gu Zhiyan was taboo for Lu Chengze.

Jian Yao bit her lip, her dark pupils slightly widened.

Just for this, even if she bled profusely today, she had to strike a deal with Gu Zhiyan!

Gu Zhiyan had somehow already sat on the sofa opposite her, leaning back with his long legs crossed, elegant and noble.

Jian Yao put down the cup in her hand, sat up straight, hesitated several times, and then cleared her throat before speaking slowly, “Mr. Gu, let’s talk about a collaboration.”

After much thought, she couldn’t bring herself to directly say that she would pay someone to get engaged to her, it didn’t sound like a proper person, so she finally squeezed out the word “collaboration.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.” Gu Zhiyan raised his eyes with a leisurely air, his scorching gaze falling on Jian Yao.

Jian Yao felt like a needle was stuck in her seat under his gaze, unconsciously tightening the blanket around her body. She cleared her throat, trying to appear less nervous.

“There’s been a little problem with my engagement to Lu Chengze, but the engagement is imminent. I want to ask Mr. Gu to temporarily help me out, to play the role of my fiancé, just to get through the formalities.”

Her own reputation didn’t matter, but she couldn’t disregard the reputation of the Jian family.

The news of the engagement had already spread, even if she changed the person at the last minute, she had to get engaged.

Jian Yao was afraid that she would speak too slowly and Gu Zhiyan would misunderstand, so she immediately added,

“I won’t take up too much of your time. In a month or two, we can dissolve the engagement. I’ll take the blame, and you can ask for whatever amount you want.”

“Taking me for a duck?”

Gu Zhiyan clicked his tongue.

Jian Yao: …

While the words were blunt, they were true, but they were too blunt.

Jian Yao’s lips twitched, nervously tapping her fingers.

It wasn’t surprising that Gu Zhiyan wasn’t interested.

Honestly, her meager assets were simply nothing compared to Gu Zhiyan’s.

Born into a century-old family in the capital city, the Gu Group encompassed almost every aspect of life, from clothing and food to housing and transportation.

As the most favored young master of the Gu family, Gu Zhiyan had never known what it meant to be short of money.

Besides, he had earned millions a year as a professional esports player in high school, and in college, he had co-founded the Yao Guang Game Company with his roommates, which became a nationwide sensation. He was already a billionaire at a young age.

Talking about collaboration with Gu Zhiyan using money was a bit insulting.

Jian Yao rubbed her forehead, thinking that she must have been drunk and out of her mind when she pulled Gu Zhiyan aside.

She racked her brains but couldn’t think of any conditions that would appeal to Gu Zhiyan. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Forget it then.”

Although it would be difficult to find someone with a comparable character and family background who was unmarried within three days to deal with the immediate engagement, she couldn’t force Gu Zhiyan if he wasn’t willing.

With Gu Zhiyan’s family background, if it weren’t for the fact that they were old classmates, it was already a climb for her to even sit in the same room as him.

It was indeed unrealistic to expect him to help her through this difficult time.

Jian Yao stood up, put down the blanket, and carefully took out her business card from her bag and handed it to him.

“I was rude tonight, consider it a debt I owe you. If you ever need help, feel free to contact me.”

Even though Jian Yao sincerely believed that Gu Zhiyan would probably never need her help in his lifetime, she apologized sincerely.

The girl’s hand was white and delicate, even whiter than the ivory-colored, gold-embossed card at her fingertips.

Gu Zhiyan’s gaze lingered on her pale pink knuckles for a moment, then he leaned forward and took the card, playing with it between his fingers. “That easy, you’re giving up?”

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Jian Yao’s flushed and slightly swollen eyes, his eyes deep. “Actually, if you want my help, it’s not impossible.”

His deep gaze rested on Jian Yao’s flushed and slightly swollen eyes, his eyes deep. “You help me with something, and we’ll call it even.”

Jian Yao suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at Gu Zhiyan.

“What kind of help?”