Chapter 11: Marriage by Agreement

Qu Wan clasped her hands together, tilting her head to look at him with a faint smile. “Who could possibly hurt me? Don’t worry, I have nerves of steel.”

By the time the two of them got off the plane, it was already late at night. Once they arrived home, exhausted from the day, they washed up and went straight to bed.

The fact that Qu Wan and Jiang Zeyu were appearing on a variety show together was now common knowledge. Early the next morning, Qu Wan received a call from her elder brother, inviting both of them home for a meal.

Qu Wan dragged her feet, reluctant to go back. Jiang Zeyu asked, “What’s wrong?”

“If I go back, they’ll start lecturing me again. When I first entered the entertainment industry, my brother told me not to rely on the family for anything. Whether I survive or not out there, they wouldn’t care—unless I promised to come home quietly, they wouldn’t give me a cent.”

Jiang Zeyu glanced at the designer brands she wore and the luxury handbag on her wrist. True, her family didn’t give her money, but every season they sent her the latest clothes, shoes, and bags.

Since the two of them started living together, Jiang Zeyu’s walk-in closet had been stuffed to the brim; there were so many clothes that they simply didn’t fit.

Jiang Zeyu headed upstairs and soon came down with a few bank cards, pressing them into Qu Wan’s hand.

“Hm?” Qu Wan looked at the cards in confusion.

“We’re married now. My personal assets are now considered shared marital property. You can use my money.”

Hearing his earnest explanation, Qu Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “All of these? What if I spend them all?”

“Then I’ll work harder to earn more. I still have company shares, several properties in my name, and savings in the bank. I’ll have my lawyer prepare a detailed list for you.”

“No need, really, I earn my own money too.” Qu Wan looked at the cards in her hand, picked one out, and handed the rest back to Jiang Zeyu. “This one is enough. When I run out of money, I’ll use yours.”

“All right. If you need more, just let me know,” Jiang Zeyu replied generously.

“That’s why having a good husband makes all the difference. Still, holding your card makes me feel a little uneasy.”

Qu Wan then logged into her social media, idly posting about how nice the weather was. Within seconds, the comment section was flooded—with nothing but insults.

Her haters were even more diligent than her real fans, showing up in a flash.

Qu Wan glanced at her private messages; they were filled with the same vitriol.

She took a deep breath. “Well, now I can have peace of mind.”

Jiang Zeyu: “…”

Thinking of her brother made Qu Wan bristle. After all, her marriage to Jiang Zeyu had been orchestrated entirely by her brother. Who knew what the two of them had discussed in private—they’d even signed an agreement, apparently.

The details were unknown to Qu Wan, so it wasn’t wrong to say her marriage to Jiang Zeyu was based on a contract.

She still remembered the day they registered their marriage—she had repeatedly confirmed with Jiang Zeyu whether he was truly willing, telling him it wasn’t too late to back out.

But every time, Jiang Zeyu gave her a firm answer: he married her of his own volition.

And over the past year, Jiang Zeyu and her brother had stayed in touch. Sometimes Qu Wan wondered if Jiang Zeyu was actually after her brother, and had settled for her as a compromise.

But considering how enthusiastically Jiang Zeyu tormented her in bed, she dismissed that notion.

When they arrived at the Qu family home, as soon as they got out of the car, Jiang Zeyu was pulled away by Mother Qu.

Qu Wan marched upstairs to the study, brimming with righteous indignation.

“Qu Jin!” She flung open the door and shouted.

Qu Jin, sitting at his computer, looked up and gave her a once-over.

The next second, Qu Wan, all bravado gone, hurriedly closed the study door and ran over to throw her arms around Qu Jin’s arm.

“My dearest brother, your little darling is back.”

“Get lost.”

“Okay.” Qu Wan got up, ready to leave.

Qu Jin rubbed his temples. “Get back here.”

Qu Wan spun around, leaning on the desk, grinning at him. “Hehe.”

“Where’s Jiang Zeyu?”

“Downstairs. Mom and Dad are grilling him.”

Qu Jin caught sight of the ambiguous marks on his sister’s neck and frowned slightly. “You two slept together?”

“It’s embarrassing to talk about this in broad daylight, don’t you think?” Qu Wan covered her face, stifling a laugh.

“Be serious.”

“Oh, come on. With a beauty in my arms, how could I possibly resist? I’ve always wanted him, and now that my wish has come true, of course I had to strip him, caress those abs and then…”

Qu Jin let out a pained sigh, scolding her under his breath.

Qu Wan sobered instantly. “Brother, when did you and Jiang Zeyu get so close? The moment I walk in, you ask about him. Weren’t you the one who used to tell me not to associate with him, said he was too dull?”

“Times have changed.” Qu Jin closed his laptop and stood up.

“So, you two went on a variety show together?”

“You watched it? How did I do?”

“Not bad, but you talk too much. It’s annoying,” Qu Jin replied blandly.

“Hmph.”

“Jiang Zeyu is taking a break lately. The two of you should spend more time together.”

“Of course! He’s my husband. Who else would I spend time with, you?”

“Why do you always have to be so cheeky?”

“Mom and Dad are calling me. I’m going down.” Qu Wan spun on her heel and dashed off.

She found Jiang Zeyu seated beside her mother, so she promptly sat down next to him, looping her arm through his.

“Mom, if you treat my husband this well, I’m going to get jealous!” she announced, picking a fight out of thin air.

Jiang Zeyu chuckled indulgently.

Yu Mei ignored her, continuing her conversation with Jiang Zeyu. “Is your mother busy these days? I keep wanting to take her shopping, but I’m worried about disturbing her.”

“She’s not busy lately. She hardly paints anymore and usually stays at home to rest. I called her the other day, and she said she’d love to go out with you. Just give her a call whenever you’d like to go.”

Yu Mei smiled. “That’s good. How did your mother end up with such a charming son?”

“Mom, you’re amazing too. You gave birth to such a beloved daughter as well,” Qu Wan jumped in promptly.

“Go on, I still have some dignity left, unlike you.”

Unwilling to be dragged down alone, Qu Wan brought her brother into it. “And my brother! Isn’t he your pride too?”

“Hah, your brother? These days, I’m lucky if he sits down long enough to say ten words to me. He’s busy with work all day—where does he find time for his mother?”

Just then, Qu Jin, coming downstairs, felt his head pound at her words.

The siblings had grown used to this routine—whenever Jiang Zeyu visited, their mother would inevitably praise one and disparage the other two.

The ones disparaged were her “good-for-nothing” son and daughter; the one praised, her capable, sensible, and handsome son-in-law.

“You used to compliment Gu Siyuan like that too,” Qu Wan blurted out.

The atmosphere in the living room chilled instantly.

Yu Mei’s expression darkened, and even Jiang Zeyu’s lips, which had been curled in a gentle smile, pressed into a tight, grim line.

“Why bring him up now?” Qu Shangchong, sitting nearby, looked displeased.

Qu Wan hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. “It’s all in the past. Gu Siyuan and I actually get along pretty well now. We were recording a show together just yesterday.”

Yu Mei huffed, “Don’t mention that boy to me. I treated him like half a son when he was little, and once he grew up, he broke off the engagement without a second thought. If the Gu family hadn’t latched onto our Jiang family, would they be where they are now?”

Qu Wan hurried to placate her. “Alright, Mom, let’s not talk about it. Back then, Uncle and Aunt Gu nearly beat him to death, and my brother went and gave him a thrashing too. Besides, Uncle and Aunt Gu have always treated me well. Let’s just leave it in the past.”

“I ran into that scoundrel in our neighborhood the other day—he had the nerve to come over and greet me with a smile. I almost couldn’t stop myself from smacking him.”

Qu Wan laughed. “No worries. Next time you see him, don’t hold back. Hit him as hard as you want.”