The Beauty Trap

Jiang Xiao felt a bit guilty under Liang Cheng’s scrutinizing gaze. “Pretending what?”

Seeing her stubborn denial, Liang Cheng rolled her eyes dramatically and bluntly exposed her act, “With your terrible acting skills, you might fool outsiders, but you think you can fool me? You’re a grown woman still pulling a soap opera stunt, calling someone your husband out of the blue? Have you lost your mind…mmph.”

“Keep your voice down! Are you trying to let everyone know I’m pretending?” Jiang Xiao quickly stood up and covered Liang Cheng’s mouth, wrapping her arms around her and pleading with her eyes for silence.

Liang Cheng struggled a bit but soon gave in, leaning back onto the bed with an exasperated look. “But why are you pretending? What’s your goal here?”

“I’m just…” Jiang Xiao hesitated.

“What is it?”

Jiang Xiao couldn’t find the words and huffed, “None of your business! Anyway, I’m not trying to scam money or anything.”

“I might believe the money part, but the other, ha!” Liang Cheng sneered.

If anyone knew Jiang Xiao well, it was Liang Cheng. She knew Jiang Xiao was a sucker for good looks and would go to any lengths to get what she wanted. Now she even does such an outrageous thing as pretending to have amnesia.

Facing her cousin’s sharp gaze, Jiang Xiao weakly retorted, “I admit he’s quite good-looking, but I really have no ulterior motives.”

“Just quite good-looking?”

Jiang Xiao felt a bit guilty saying that Zhou Qishen, with his incredibly handsome face, was only “quite good-looking.” If Zhou Qishen wasn’t so low-key, the title of the most handsome man would have been his instead of his nephew Zhou Wentian.

“Alright, enough about that. You have to help me keep this a secret. I’ll only pretend for a few days until…”

“Until what?”

Jiang Xiao fell silent again. She couldn’t possibly tell her cousin that staying with Zhou Qishen was the only way to stay alive.

The system says that the villain has appeared, the female supporting character has unlocked a new hidden line, and the destruction mode has been delayed.

Doesn’t this mean that she must continue the hidden plot in order to continue living?

She is also closely related to the villain. Now Zhou Qishen is equivalent to her life support. Only by staying by his side can the hidden line continue.

She tried calling the system in her mind to clarify, but there was no response. The mechanical voice she heard earlier was silent.

She wasn’t sure if her guess was correct, so she resorted to this desperate measure to stay by Zhou Qishen’s side and stay alive until the system reappeared and she could make other plans.

“Do you realize who Zhou Qishen is? Your lie is bound to be exposed sooner or later, and you’ll face the consequences.” Liang Cheng tried to reason with her, attempting to pull Jiang Xiao back from her foolish path.

Jiang Xiao understood the logic, but she hadn’t been caught yet.

Listening to Liang Cheng’s constant nagging, Jiang Xiao gritted her teeth and held up three fingers. “If you help me keep this secret, you can choose three designer bags.”

Liang Cheng’s interest piqued instantly, and she eyed Jiang Xiao, “Really?”

Jiang Xiao nodded vigorously.

Liang Cheng’s mind raced. After a moment, she upped the price, “Six bags.”

Jiang Xiao gritted her teeth and tried to bargain, “Four bags.”

“Deal.”

Jiang Xiao sighed, feeling she had been swindled.

Liang Cheng, pleased with the prospect of getting four designer bags, stopped dissuading her from pretending to have amnesia and even praised her, “I have to say, you’re doing a great job pretending. It’s probably your best acting performance ever.”

Jiang Xiao was surprised at her own acting skills, managing to fool the doctors and Zhou Qishen. If only her haters were here, they’d have to stop criticizing her acting.

Before long, Liang Cheng seemed to remember something and leaned in close to Jiang Xiao, whispering, “What’s going on with you and Zhou Wentian? I heard you even got physical with him.”

She had just heard about this on her way here and now finally had the chance to ask.

Jiang Xiao pursed her lips. Even if Liang Cheng hadn’t asked, she would have eventually explained.

Slapping Zhou Wentian and Lin Qianyu in public was impulsive for a public figure, but she didn’t regret it. She did what she felt like doing.

She couldn’t guarantee there were no photos or videos taken, and if they leaked, it would need the PR team’s handling. The sooner they responded, the better to avoid unnecessary trouble and public backlash.

Jiang Xiao took a deep breath and recounted everything that happened at the banquet.

“Zhou Wentian dared to cheat on you?!” Liang Cheng exclaimed in shock.

“Shh.” Jiang Xiao quickly tugged at the almost-jumping Liang Cheng.

Liang Cheng, who had a strong sense of justice and a short temper, couldn’t stand such behavior. In college, she was on the debate team, with various skills stacked up. If she wanted to scold someone, she could do it without repeating a word for an hour straight.

Liang Cheng also realized this wasn’t the right place, so she deliberately lowered her voice. Still, her anger was evident, “They should be grateful I wasn’t there. Two slaps wouldn’t have sufficed.”

“Why, Sister Liang also wants to go to the police station to have some tea?” Jiang Xiao joked with a smile.

Liang Cheng regretted not being at the scene to support Jiang Xiao, letting her face the bullying alone. She knew how much Jiang Xiao was infatuated with Zhou Wentian, and this breakup must have hit her hard.

Seeing Jiang Xiao still in the mood to joke, she thought she was just putting on a brave face and sighed, “If you need to cry, go ahead. I won’t laugh at you this time.”

“Why would I cry? Breaking up with me is his loss, not mine,” Jiang Xiao declared confidently. She always approached love boldly and had no lingering attachments once a relationship ended. She moved on quickly.

Even though she spoke so nonchalantly, Liang Cheng found it hard to believe and gave her a skeptical look, “Are you really over it?”

Jiang Xiao waved her hand dismissively, “What’s there to get over? Getting rid of trash should make me happy.”

“Exactly, there are plenty of men out there. Why waste time on a piece of crap?” Liang Cheng agreed wholeheartedly.

“…”

They continued to badmouth Zhou Wentian and Lin Qianyu for a while and then discussed plans to deceive Zhou Qishen.

After a while, someone knocked on the door, and they immediately stopped talking.

Liang Cheng casually opened the door. It was the doctor coming to discuss treatment options with the family.

Seeing no sign of Zhou Qishen, Liang Cheng asked, “Where’s Mr. Zhou?”

The doctor pointed to the end of the corridor, “I think he’s making a phone call.”

Liang Cheng peeked out and saw a black-clad figure standing with his back to her not far away.

“Doctor, you can talk to me,” Liang Cheng suggested, signaling the doctor to step aside for a private conversation.

Understanding her hint, the doctor followed her to a quieter area.

“I just spoke with Xiaoxiao’s family on the phone. Considering the side effects of the medication, we decided to go for a conservative treatment without drugs or injections. As for Mr. Zhou not being Xiaoxiao’s husband, let’s keep that from her until she remembers on her own.”

Since Jiang Xiao’s brain was fine, she couldn’t take any medication or injections. But to keep up the pretense of amnesia, they had to deceive everyone for now.

The doctor hesitated, then cautiously expressed Zhou Qishen’s concerns, “The husband part is a bit sensitive. Mr. Zhou… might not be comfortable with it.”

Liang Cheng sighed, “I understand your position, doctor. I’ll handle Mr. Zhou myself. No need to trouble you.”

Relieved by her understanding, the doctor let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. But when he inadvertently glanced up, he was startled, “Miss Jiang, why are you out here?”

Not only was she out, but she was also linked arm in arm with Mr. Zhou!

“Oh, looks like Mr. Zhou is more cooperative than expected. Let’s go handle the discharge paperwork. I’m a bit lost,” Liang Cheng said, suppressing a laugh and pulling the stunned doctor along.

Men can’t resist a persistent woman, they thought, and they believed Zhou Qishen would eventually yield to their charm.

—

The sun was just rising, and it was already May.

The hospital was surrounded by vibrant greenery, and the faint light from indoors barely illuminated the paths, creating a serene and silent atmosphere.

Zhou Qishen listened to the nagging voice on the phone, his fingers gently tapping on the windowsill, occasionally responding with a bland “mm” or “okay” to indicate he was still listening.

Suddenly, a slender arm wrapped around him from behind, followed by a sweet voice, “Let’s go, husband. We should head directly to…”

“Husband? Who’s calling you husband?”

Before she could finish saying “the police station,” Jiang Xiao heard a woman’s voice on the phone, sounding quite surprised.

Jiang Xiao frowned and glanced at Zhou Qishen’s face. Did he already have someone?

The book barely mentioned Zhou Qishen’s love life, only stating he was self-disciplined and aloof, making him popular among female fans.

But a successful, devilishly handsome man in his thirties without a woman? Even without a girlfriend, he would have admirers. Surely, other women wouldn’t be blind.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiao, in order to solidify her amnesiac persona, took on the guise of a rightful wife catching her husband in the act, and loudly demanded, “Who are you talking to on the phone with in the middle of the night?”

“Who?” 

For a moment, Zhou Qishen was attacked from both sides and had to hang up the phone first and turn his attention to Jiang Xiao.

She had changed into a round-neck short top and loose trousers, dressed casually and looking more approachably cute. However, her beautiful face, now drooping, didn’t seem very cute at all. Her intense eyebrows and eyes looked fierce, and her red lips spoke irrationally, “Husband, tell me, who’s that wild woman?”

Her breath was as fragrant as an orchid and she was very close.

Zhou Qishen bluntly pulled his hand away, but in the next moment, the grip on his arm doubled, and even intensified. Two soft and intimate clumps pressed against him, delicate and snow-white skin revealing a noticeable cleavage that could not be ignored.

Zhou Qishen averted his gaze, suppressed his emotions, and tried again to pull away. However, the woman wouldn’t give him a chance to escape.

After a moment, the softness pressing against him got closer, making him unsure whether to move or not.

He tried reasoning, “Let go.”

The other party was stubborn, “No.”

After a brief stalemate, Zhou Qishen’s thin lips curled slightly, hinting at a mocking tone, “You say you’re my wife, but you can’t even recognize your mother-in-law’s voice?”

Turns out it was his mom.

While Jiang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, she also sensed his teasing, stirring up a mix of embarrassment and guilt in her heart.

Although it was to save her life, the thought of deceiving him by pretending to have amnesia, and the possibility of involving more people and the constant risk of being exposed at any moment, made Jiang Xiao feel uneasy about continuing the act.

But she had no choice—she had to continue pretending. Compared to social death, she wanted to stay alive more.

“Oh, so it’s Mom,” Jiang Xiao said with a calm demeanor, putting on an expression of understanding. She playfully punched Zhou Qishen lightly and coquettishly said, “Husband, why didn’t you say so earlier? You almost made me misunderstand.”

However, her words didn’t elicit a response from Zhou Qishen.

Silence. Just silence.

Feeling increasingly guilty, Jiang Xiao pretended not to understand the silent accusation, suspicion, and probing in his eyes, bravely maintaining eye contact.

Dealing with this old fox, sometimes acting clueless was the most effective strategy.

After a moment, Zhou Qishen narrowed his eyes slightly. There was a hint of obscure emotions swirling within them as he said in a low voice, “Do you really want to recognize me as your husband?”

It must be said that the pressure from the book’s main villain was quite intimidating. Jiang Xiao was stunned for a moment, swallowed nervously, and then stuttered in response, “What do you mean ‘recognize’? You are my husband.”

“Heh.” He chuckled softly, his eyes briefly flashing with a hint of menace.

“Let’s go to the police station.”

After Zhou Qishen finished speaking, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Jiang Xiao was still pondering the meaning behind his laughter and didn’t react immediately. When she saw him leaving, she hurried to catch up.