Chapter 14: So Beautiful

“Please come to the Monster Management Bureau for registration.” The bureau’s staff reiterated, unsure whether Tong Yue was a metaphysical master or a cultivator.

The staff felt this possibility was small. Those metaphysical masters and cultivators wouldn’t easily make a move on spirits, as that would cause tension between humans and spirits.

Although some powerful beings might act recklessly, they had long retreated to the mountains for seclusion. Why would they bother with a mere fox?

With all these considerations, the staff, influenced by Hu Jiu, concluded that Tong Yue was indeed a spirit.

“Registration?” Tong Yue glanced at Meng Yuqi, relieved that he hadn’t gotten too close while she was on the phone.

Meng Yuqi was actually very interested in listening, curious about who his beloved was talking to. Hopefully, it wasn’t some young heartthrob.

Tong Yue (thinking): What Monster Management Bureau? Is it for monsters? How could they control a god? Ugh, I don’t want to deal with monsters.

Meng Yuqi didn’t catch who Tong Yue was talking to, nor the details, but he heard her thoughts.

Monster Management Bureau? Monsters?

Was Tong Yue about to star in a modern fantasy drama? But hadn’t she said she was going to do a period drama with beautiful costumes?

Meng Yuqi was puzzled but continued to listen. Even if he couldn’t hear the person on the other end, it was still nice to listen to his beloved’s voice.

“Yes, please come to the bureau for registration,” the Monster Management Bureau staff insisted. “You need to clarify your identity, which will also impact your future travels. For instance, you’ll need to process exit permits with us when going abroad.”

“That’s not happening,” Tong Yue replied cheekily. “You haven’t even paid your respects to me yet.”

Tong Yue (thinking): They haven’t even honored the gods, and now they want to restrict me? Not a chance!

Meng Yuqi could only wonder if they were rehearsing lines or if this was some new type of scam call.

Before he could listen further, Tong Yue hung up, dismissing the whole Monster Management Bureau issue. She had already decided she wouldn’t let them control her; she’d make her own rules.

Tong Yue (thinking): Should I have them pay tribute to me? Or maybe become my fanatics? Hmm, better yet, they can be my free social media warriors.

After all, many celebrities hired internet trolls to defend them. If she did, she could just have the spirits back her up, ensuring no one could speak ill of her, and they’d lead every charge.

Tong Yue (thinking): Hah, those little spirits!

Meng Yuqi noticed how cheerful her internal monologue was, a faint smile tugging at his lips. How could his beloved be so adorable? She appeared so alluring and seductive on the surface, but deep down, she was just an eccentric girl at heart.

The staff at the Monster Management Bureau frowned when they realized Tong Yue had hung up on them. It seemed they would have to seek her out in person.

However, they couldn’t afford to make a big scene, as they didn’t want ordinary people finding out that Tong Yue was a spirit.

They also had to avoid provoking Tong Yue into making any suggestive remarks on social media, as that could stir unnecessary drama.

The bureau had never liked spirits becoming celebrities or influencers for precisely this reason. Even though they had spirits working inside social media companies, they couldn’t constantly monitor every spirit’s posts, which meant some could slip through the cracks.

“We should check her schedule,” one of the staff muttered.

If Tong Yue continued to be uncooperative, they’d resort to faking her death and bringing her back to the bureau.

This was a form of law enforcement. If spirits didn’t cooperate with official institutions, they’d have to face the consequences. If they didn’t make an example of her, other spirits might follow suit.

A spirit like Tong Yue, who had hidden her identity while becoming a famous entertainer and frequently traveling abroad, had already violated the Monster Management Bureau’s regulations. They had every right to enforce strict penalties on her, though they aimed to minimize public backlash.

Meanwhile, Tong Yue lay sprawled on the bed, wrapped in her blanket. The embarrassment from earlier that morning left her reluctant to get up.

“Not getting up?” Meng Yuqi chuckled as he looked at Tong Yue bundled up in the blanket. “Should I lower the air conditioning a bit?”

Isn’t she hot all wrapped up like that?

Meng Yuqi had long known that his beloved was rather innocent and shy. No matter how good her acting was or how natural she appeared on screen, in real life, she couldn’t hide her true nature.

“No, no need,” Tong Yue refused. A god doesn’t feel the heat.

“If you don’t get up soon, Mother will start asking me to restrain myself a bit,” Meng Yuqi laughed softly. He wouldn’t mind restraining himself, but he hadn’t had the chance.

“…,” Tong Yue froze at his words. That wouldn’t do, so she quickly got out of bed.

She leaped up like a rabbit, rushing to grab her clothes from the closet before running to the bathroom. She needed to change, wash up, and head downstairs.

Even in a contractual marriage, certain protocols had to be followed. She could be late to come down, but not too late.

Meng Yuqi watched as Tong Yue dashed around like a bunny, a gentle smile on his face.

His beloved was still so lively. Sometimes he wondered, did she really see him as a man?

If she did, how could she be so casual around him? Maybe it was because the Meng and Tong families had always been close.

As for the idea of a sibling-like relationship… Meng Yuqi didn’t want that at all. Tong Feng, his assistant, had a sibling bond with Tong Yue—they were real siblings.

Tong Feng, meanwhile, was feeling a bit worn out. He figured it was time to deliver the accumulated documents to the boss.

After all, the boss had a banquet to attend today, and his sister would be busy getting her makeup done and choosing a dress. The boss didn’t need to keep an eye on her the whole time.

Tong Feng knew about the contractual marriage between his boss and sister. The boss had said it was to make his parents happy, while his sister had said it was for more resources. He couldn’t stop them.

“Brother!” As Tong Yue came downstairs, she saw Tong Feng and rushed toward him like a butterfly, almost flying into his arms.

Tong Yue (thinking): Brother’s here just in time—he can keep the boss company.

Meng Yuqi followed her downstairs, but seeing Tong Feng soured his mood a little. His beloved was about to toss him aside again. How tragic.

“Hm.” Tong Feng reached out and patted his sister’s head. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Not yet. Want to eat together?” Tong Yue linked her arm with his. “We need energy to get through the day.”

Meng Yuqi watched as she clung to Tong Feng. They were siblings—real siblings—so it was fine for them to be close.

Ah, but he still wanted to go over and separate them. Meng Yuqi cleared his throat. “If the reporters catch this, you two could make headlines: ‘Mysterious Male Companion, Suspected Infidelity.'”

“Brother Yuqi, you sure know a lot about marketing,” Tong Yue smiled. Was the boss teasing her?

“As a businessman providing for a family, I have to know a thing or two about marketing,” Meng Yuqi nodded, walking over to join them. “I still need to earn money for the wedding and, later, for the baby’s milk. Right, Tong Feng?”

“Exactly!” Tong Feng said, feeling it was time to pry his sister off him. “You’re too old to be hanging on to your brother like this. I still need to find you a sister-in-law.”

“…,” Tong Yue blinked.

“Sis, your future sister-in-law will feel insecure standing next to your beautiful face,” Tong Feng said seriously. “To avoid being overshadowed by your beauty, she might not even dare to get close to me.”

Tong Yue’s eyes widened, and then she stomped hard on her brother’s foot.

She wasn’t wearing high heels, just flats, so the force wasn’t too strong. However, her brother grimaced in pain. “Oh no, if I’m disable, your future sister-in-law…”

“Shut up!” Tong Yue shot him a glare and jogged away.

Hmph! She wasn’t going to have breakfast with him!

Tong Yue figured she’d let her brother deal with the big boss himself. She had heard that Boss Meng was very strict about work and had criticized plenty of people before.

Tong Feng, seeing his sister dash off, spread his hands in resignation. He then turned to Meng Yuqi. “President Meng, would you like to have breakfast first?”

“Of course!” Meng Yuqi nodded. “You go ahead and sit.”

He had documents to review, but he couldn’t do it on an empty stomach. Ruining his health wouldn’t be worth it—how else could he stay by his beloved’s side in the future?

Meng Yuqi had always been careful with his health. Work was important, so was money, but his health was paramount.

Tong Feng didn’t follow them. Instead, he sat down on the couch in the living room.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the big boss had ulterior motives when it came to his sister. Sure, his sister was agreeable and knew how to navigate situations, and the contractual marriage with the big boss was convenient for both.

But still, Tong Feng felt the big boss was overly attentive. Whenever his sister encountered a problem, Boss Meng was always there to help.

He even justified it by saying no man should let his wife be bullied. He claimed that if his woman were mistreated, it would make him look weak. To maintain the reputation of the Meng Corporation and stabilize stock prices, he had to support Tong Yue.

Tong Feng thought to himself that his sister wasn’t really that influential. After all, she wasn’t the heir to the Meng Corporation.

In the world of wealthy families, marriages and divorces were common, and the paparazzi were long used to it.

The boss wasn’t bad either, Tong Feng mused. If the fake marriage with his sister became real, it wouldn’t be a problem. Hardly anyone knew about their contractual marriage. From their public interactions, they looked just like a loving couple.

After finishing breakfast, Tong Yue wiped her mouth and planned to spend some time with Madam Meng. Later in the afternoon, she’d get her hair and makeup done, then accompany Meng Yuqi to the evening banquet.

“I’m going to check on Mom,” Tong Yue reminded herself, knowing she had to call Mrs. Meng “Mom” to keep up appearances.

When they were alone, it was fine, but when they were around others, she had to be extra careful not to slip up.

“Go ahead,” Meng Yuqi smiled. “Your mother-in-law has probably already forgotten about me, her son. She dotes on you more now.”

Meng Yuqi thought that perhaps his mother had long seen through his deep feelings for Tong Yue. His family’s open-mindedness, allowing him to be with her, was a blessing. If his parents hadn’t approved, Tong Yue probably wouldn’t visit so often, let alone agree to the contractual marriage.

This contract should have been torn up a long time ago—he had always been serious.

“Because I’m beautiful!” Tong Yue joked.

Tong Yue (thinking): Ah, I’m so beautiful. Of course, they like me. Haha, I’m so beautiful, destined to be forever alone. I’ll end up divorced sooner or later.

Meng Yuqi was laughing along with her, but when he suddenly heard her inner thoughts, he almost couldn’t keep laughing. His smile froze on his face.

Tong Yue noticed his stiff smile and grew annoyed: Hmph, do you think I’m not beautiful? The boss has terrible taste. Divorce—it has to be divorce!