Chapter 4 : Plastic Couple

Seeing the indifferent face behind the car window, Yu Zhi’s heart skipped a beat.

Jiang Qianchen never used to pick her up when they went shopping before. Why does he have the leisure to wait for her in the car today? Could it be that the Jiang family went bankrupt, leaving this workaholic with nothing to do?

Right on time, at the worst possible moment. Yu Zhi gritted her teeth in her heart, she quickly composed herself with a smile like a bird returning to its nest. She joyfully latched onto the man’s arm. Her voice, sweet and tender, asked, “Jiang Gege, how come you have time to pick me up today?”

Standing still, Zhou Jingyao was dumbfounded.

She stared blankly as the big shot lowered his head. Yu Zhi’s dark and silky straight hair rested on his custom-made suit, the cold elite aura softened by the girl’s charm. His gaze behind the golden-rimmed glasses carried a hint of possessiveness and restrained desire.

It sparked endless imagination.

Closing the car window, the low-key luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom sped away.

When Xu Wenhan arrived in his Audi, Zhou Jingyao finally snapped out of it.

“Damn! So, Yu Zhi’s lovey-dovey act is actually real!”

…

…

At this very moment, the supposedly “loving” couple remained silent, and the atmosphere inside the car was so awkward it felt suffocating.

Driver just started the engine, Jiang Qianchen mercilessly withdrew his arm, continuing to look at his company documents.

They each occupied one end of the back seat, left and right, leaving enough space in the middle for another person to play a game of Landlord.

Yu Zhi knew his cleanliness obsession had flared up again. According to the author’s setting in the book, Jiang Qianchen dislikes physical contact with others and requires all employees of the group to stand one meter away from him. Intruding into his personal space would lead to dire consequences.

Including her, who occasionally had close contact with Jiang Qianchen.

But she was playing the role of a suicidal supporting character. Yu Zhi twirled her finger around the ends of her hair scattered on her shoulders, innocently staring at the man’s profile and said, “Jiang Gege, why are you ignoring me? Did I make you angry?”

Jiang Qianchen remained unmoved like a mountain, flipping through the documents.

“Is it because of what Zhou Jingyao said just now? She was just talking nonsense! Slandering me!”

“Xu Wenhan and I are completely innocent, we have no relationship at all.”

Yu Zhi began to brew emotions, tears swirling in her eyes. “Or is it that in your eyes, I’m just such an unbearable person?”

She felt so wronged, struggling to hold back the tears. Her delicate swan-like neck trembled slightly, revealing the owner’s facade of faux strength and fragile vulnerability.

There was a hint of wanting to jump out of the car window to prove her innocence.

In reality, Yu Zhi knew that Jiang Qianchen didn’t care much about this matter. Firstly, she had limited contact with Xu Wenhan, and they had almost no overlap. Besides, she spent most of her days as a full-time housewife, with cars picking her up and dropping her off whenever she went out. If there was any wind of someone trying to interfere with him, it would be reported to Jiang Qianchen immediately. Cheating under his nose would result in immediate consequences.

Knowing this, she felt even more compelled to play the part. In the presence of loved ones, this was a playful banter, a heater to warm up the relationship. But in Jiang Qianchen’s eyes, it was being oblivious, noisy, and attempting to speak true emotions to him.

This happened to be the type Jiang Qianchen detested the most.

Maybe he was fed up and considering an early divorce?

Yu Zhi secretly hoped for it.

Upon hearing her sobbing, the man finally paused what he was doing, turned his head, and gazed at her face for a few seconds.

“Humm.”

He made an ambiguous nasal sound.

Is that it? Just that?

Following the usual script, Jiang Qianchen shouldn’t have casually sneered, “We’re only in a business marriage, your affairs are not my concern, please behave,” or growled like a domineering CEO, “Huh, you shameless woman, after marrying me, you dare to seduce other men.” What’s the meaning behind this indifferent response?

Yu Zhi felt she hadn’t stirred enough drama. She approached Jiang Qianchen, blatantly disturbing him, “Wuwuwu, you actually don’t believe me!”

A tempting sweet fragrance spread in the back seat of the car.

With just a slight tilt of his head, that sweet and sticky scent eagerly invaded his nostrils, lungs, and finally ventured into his heart, tentatively extending a feather-light touch.

The owner of the fragrance seemed oblivious, swaying right in front of him.

Jiang Qianchen looked at the teary Yu Zhi, her almond-shaped eyes filled with autumn water, displaying his face and undisguised grievances.

Today, she seemed to have changed her perfume. He remembered his wife liking the scent of lilies—subtle, yet deep like an orchid valley, neither loud nor noisy.

Jiang Qianchen never liked being disturbed during work. Normally, he would coldly reprimand her and list all the terms in the agreement about not interfering with each other’s lives.

But the young girl sat there obediently, all pink and tender, with lips as rosy as peach petals, opening and closing.

Like a little cat boldly entering his territory, lifting its small paws to express loyalty.

Xu Wenhan was someone he didn’t care about at all, but his young wife, busy distancing herself from the other, displayed a charming demeanor in front of him, which piqued his interest.

“I believe you.”

Jiang Qianchen, feeling mischievous, said:

“However, your makeup is smudged.”

Yu Zhi: …………?

Yu Zhi: Ah, Jiang Qianchen, I’m going to kill you!!!

The following itinerary left Yu Zhi completely uninspired. Even when Jiang Qianchen took her to the elusive Shuiyue Restaurant and specifically ordered her favorite dish, it couldn’t soothe her weathered heart.

She felt like a top-tier actress forced to work by a wealthy sponsor, as if she had lost someone dear.

What infuriated her even more was that she was halfway through helping Jiang Qianchen with his food when he received a call and hurriedly left.

“…What does Jiang Qianchen mean? Did he believe me or not?”

Yu Zhi recounted the whole story to Lin Ruixuan. That night, she was so angry that she couldn’t sleep and successfully gained faint dark circles the next day. It took a combination of expensive eye cream and facial masks to hide the traces of her failed performance.

Fortunately, Jiang Qianchen didn’t return to the Lan Tingyuan villa for the next few days due to his busy work schedule. Yu Zhi felt like a happy little bird, carrying her newly acquired Birkin bag to show off at the high society afternoon tea, then strolling around and preparing for an impromptu trip.

Lin Ruixuan finally managed to squeeze out some precious leisure time, and immediately collapsed in the SPA center, getting massaged to the point of feeling revived, and finally soaking her feet while chatting with a face mask on.

Lin Ruixuan chuckled, almost unable to sit up straight. She rubbed her sore workaholic waist before continuing, “Actually, I think President Jiang cares about you.”

“I sensed it last time when he answered the phone. He considerately let you sleep a bit longer.”

…But that’s just the surface of their plastic marriage. Yu Zhi listened as Lin Ruixuan continued to analyze, “You see, regardless of what Xu Wenhan’s intentions are towards you, President Jiang’s actions are quite intriguing. Firstly, he went out of his way to pick you up from the Mall, then took you out to dinner during such a busy time upon returning to the country, not to mention that remark that upset you.”

“With President Jiang’s personality, how could he pay attention to someone’s makeup and bluntly comment on it? I’m sure, darling Zhi Zhi—”

Lin Ruixuan smirked, “He must have been seduced by your beauty.”

Yu Zhi: I’m speechless.

“Actually, if you want to know President Jiang’s thoughts, just give it a try, and you’ll find out,” Lin Ruixuan casually remarked. “Have you seen the recent online topic about the phone challenge?”

“They say hardly anyone can survive going through their boyfriend’s phone.” Lin Ruixuan shook her head in amazement. “I really don’t know how these time management gurus manage to maintain such energy. As a workaholic, I’m busy from dawn till dusk. Forget about exercise with multiple partners; just finding one person exhausts me.”

“Ah! My only love is money! I pledge eternal love with the man printed on the red banknotes, till death do us part!”

Lin Ruixuan began her daily ode to money once again.

The two of them were lying in a private compartment at the spa. The massage and beauty technicians had long finished their work, leaving them in private for their conversation. To provide a broader view from the compartment, the windows were equipped with vertically sliding curtains, and the transparent glass allowed a clear view of people passing by outside.

Like Zhou Jingyao. Yu Zhi saw her waving happily and eagerly making her way over from outside, knocking on the compartment’s door.

“Hi! What a coincidence,” she exclaimed.

Lin Ruixuan knew her well, the only daughter of the Mengzhou Entertainment chairman, not only a silly rich girl but also a very good business partner. “So, you two know each other too.”

Zhou Jingyao nodded reservedly, about to say something boastful when she suddenly remembered Yu Zhi was also present.

She cleared her throat and somewhat sheepishly addressed Yu Zhi, “Um, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“How do you manage to firmly hold President Jiang’s heart? Men with such status face too many temptations,” Zhou Jingyao sat down very familiarly, “If, uh, I mean, if. If you were to find out that President Jiang seems to have different feelings for someone else, what would you do?”

Their gazes instantly focused on her face, and Zhou Jingyao awkwardly denied, “I didn’t mean Xu Wenhan!”

It was a total giveaway.

After blurting that out, she continued in a deflated tone, “Last time, I suspected there was something between you and Wenhan, but I believe you’re innocent.” Zhou Jingyao apologized first, “Then I gradually noticed he was always indifferent when we went out, so after a while, I took a peek at his phone when he wasn’t around.”

Zhou Jingyao paused, “And I saw him chatting with another girl.”

She handed over the phone, and the blurry photo displayed a WeChat conversation:

“Hi handsome, sorry for getting your car dirty last time, my bad.”

Xu Wenhan replied, “It’s okay, money’s not a big deal, you can pay me back when you find a job, it’s not too late.”

The display name was Lu Zhenzhen.

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The author has something to say:

Being cute and seeking attention every day, hoping for support and collection~

This article shouldn’t be very long, so please don’t let it go unnoticed, wuwuwu.