Previous | Table of Contents | Next
Lu Yunshu wasn’t allowed to stay the night.
After dinner, she hung out for a while. Then it was time for her to go.
Jin Hanshuang grabbed a coat. “I’ll walk you out.”
After closing the door, the two of them were alone again.
In the empty hallway, the bright overhead lights illuminated their reluctant expressions and their linked fingers.
Lu Yunshu shuffled closer.
She rested her forehead against Jin Hanshuang’s. “I’m going home.”
She knew she had to, but she didn’t want to. Her feet stayed rooted to the ground.
Facing her clingy puppy, Jin Hanshuang smiled gently.
She pressed a kiss to Lu Yunshu’s cheek.
Then she said in a soft, soothing voice, “Okay~ Be careful on the road. Message me when you get home.”
Lu Yunshu wrapped her arms around Jin Hanshuang’s waist. “Hanshuang, come home with me.”
Jin Hanshuang replied, “Sure. Open your bag. I’ll jump right in.”
Lu Yunshu smiled and unzipped her handbag.
Jin Hanshuang placed both hands inside.
Lu Yunshu drew the bag strap over her shoulder. “Let’s go home.”
They took a few childish steps together, then stopped.
Jin Hanshuang withdrew her hands and looped her arms around Lu Yunshu’s neck.
They embraced again, sticky and sweet.
Lu Yunshu lowered her eyes. She couldn’t help but kiss the tip of Jin Hanshuang’s ear. “I’m so happy.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t have to be afraid of Shen Wenxin showing up out of nowhere anymore.”
At this, Jin Hanshuang’s beautiful eyes curved into a smile. “Mm, nothing to worry about anymore.”
Lu Yunshu held Jin Hanshuang tighter.
Jin Hanshuang could hear the sound of Lu Yunshu’s relieved breathing. She reached up to stroke the younger woman’s hair.
Lu Yunshu said, “Hanshuang, I’ll be a little busy with work the next few days.”
“Okay. Don’t forget to eat, and don’t starve yourself.”
“I might forget when I’m busy. You’ll have to remind me, okay? Message me.”
“Okay, okay, okay—I’ll message you three times a day, one for every meal~”
“Thanks, Hanshuang. You’re so good to me.”
Lu Yunshu kissed Jin Hanshuang again.
She kissed her ears first, then her forehead, cheeks, and lips.
They were both chaste, restraining their desires.
They looked into each other’s eyes, burning with love.
With one hand, Lu Yunshu gathered Jin Hanshuang’s long hair in her fingers. With the other, she softly stroked the older woman’s cheeks.
Jin Hanshuang affectionately leaned into Lu Yunshu’s palm.
No words were exchanged between them. There was nothing to say. Just gazing at each other like this was enough.
Just then, the door opened.
Shen Wenxin came out with a bag of garbage.
When she looked up, she saw two pairs of eyes.
“…”
Shen Wenxin asked, “Why are you still here?”
Then she saw Jin Hanshuang and Lu Yunshu clinging to each other like forlorn lovers, reluctant to leave, and did a double-take.
She was speechless.
What was this, the downstairs of a college dorm?
“You two, that’s enough.”
Lu Yunshu arrived home.
The very first thing she did after entering the house was to video call Jin Hanshuang.
“I’m home.”
Looking at Lu Yunshu through the screen, Jin Hanshuang felt like her girlfriend had never really left her side. “Good to hear. It’s cold out. Go take a hot shower and warm yourself out.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
Jin Hanshuang laughed softly. “See you soon.”
After hanging up with her girlfriend, Lu Yunshu finally had some time to open up her friends group chat and drop some good news:
[Shen Wenxin agreed to let Hanshuang and I stay together.]
Immediately, her phone screen was flooded with cake emojis.
[Le You]: Congratulations!!!
[Fan Jia]: Yayayayay!
[Le You]: Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Happy Birthday!!!
[Lu Yunshu]: ? Whose birthday is it?
[Le You]: No one’s. I just like it when the screen rains confetti if you say ‘Happy Birthday.’
Lu Yunshu: “…”
She learned something new.
[Xiao Fanfan]: [Celebrate] [Celebrate] [Celebrate]
[Xiao Fanfan]: Congratulations to our President Lu, who finally turned her years-long crush into a happy relationship!
[Xiao Fanfan]: And congratulations to Shen Wenxin, who now has to call her mortal enemy ‘mom!’
Fan Jia and Le You sent laughing messages and celebration emojis.
A sudden drop in seniority and being forced to acknowledge her archnemesis as your mother, it was too hilarious to imagine.
Lu Yunshu smiled helplessly and shook her head.
[She won’t say it.]
[That’s it for now. I’m going to shower. I’ll treat you all to dinner next time.]
Meanwhile, Jin Hanshuang was texting Du Mengying.
[The meeting went well. Wenxin accepted it.]
[Du Mengying]: I’m glad.
[Du Mengying]: The two of you dating felt like a whole undercover mission. Finally, you can be out in the open.
Jin Hanshuang looked at her friend’s message, her eyes beaming with joy.
Yes, she and her little puppy could finally be out in the open.
[Du Mengying]: Now you can bring your President Lu to scare Xiaoliu to death.
Seeing this message, Jin Hanshuang thought of how excited Qin Xiaoliu had been at the prospect of meeting her secret lover before and couldn’t help but laugh even more.
[That would probably be really scary.]
After her shower, Lu Yunshu called Jin Hanshuang again.
She especially cherished these moments of peace before a busy storm.
Moments like these were meant to be shared with the person she loved.
The video connected, showing the ceiling at first.
Then Jin Hanshuang ducked into the frame, her hands busy behind her head.
“Hang on, I’m pinning up my hair.”
After Jin Hanshuang clipped her hair, she grabbed a pillow and lay down on her stomach.
Her smile was full of tenderness. “Finished showering?”
“Mm.” Lu Yunshu grabbed a pillow and lay on her stomach to match Jin Hanshuang. “I always call my girlfriend right away.”
The two of them lay on their beds, facing each other through the screen.
Jin Hanshuang laughed. “Childish.”
Lu Yunshu asked, “What else?”
“What else…?” Jin Hanshuang propped her chin in her hand, giving Lu Yunshu a slow, sweeping glance. Then her eyes crinkled into a smile. “Cute.”
The light in Jin Hanshuang’s room wasn’t very bright. Instead, it cast soft, ambiguous shadows over her features. Under the orange glow, Jin Hanshuang’s gentle smile looked even more enchanting. She had clipped her hair back, but a few loose strands still framed her temples.
A wisp of hair casually fell over Jin Hanshuang’s cheek.
Lu Yunshu stared, completely mesmerized. “Hanshuang.”
“Mm?”
“You’re so beautiful.”
The little puppy expressed her love with the same direct sincerity as always.
Jin Hanshuang slowly leaned closer to the camera, her smile blooming like a flower.
“If you enjoy watching so much, then I’ll move closer so you can see better.”
Lu Yunshu answered sincerely, “The view is even better now.”
Jin Hanshuang laughed, clearly delighted.
“Hanshuang,” Lu Yunshu said again.
“Mm?” Jin Hanshuang replied.
“I’ve been curious about something for a long time.”
Jin Hanshuang lowered her hands and rested on her arms. “Tell me.”
Lu Yunshu asked, “Why did you marry Shen Minghai?”
Jin Hanshuang raised her eyebrows.
It wasn’t the first time Lu Yunshu had asked this question, but Jin Hanshuang had never answered it. Back then, she’d told Lu Yunshu she was crossing a line.
But it was different now.
As long as Lu Yunshu asked, Jin Hanshuang would tell her everything about herself.
Jin Hanshuang opened her lips.
When she spoke, her tone was calm, “Because I wanted a good life, and Shen Minghai offered me one. Yunshu, you probably know I started out with nothing, right?”
No family. No money. After leaving the orphanage, she had to rely on herself for everything. She dreamed of living an easy life and having lots of money.
So starting with college, she worked harder than anyone. She studied and worked at the same time, enduring all kinds of hardship to support herself and save up for a home.
And she never once complained about any of it.
Some things in life are just decided from the start. She was never meant to have parents or feel their love. These things couldn’t be forced.
She’d once heard that luck was reserved.
Maybe she could be lucky in other areas of life?
For example, winning the lottery or becoming rich overnight?
She used to joke like that to herself, just to feel better and continue moving forward.
Still, in some ways, fate was very generous to her.
For example, giving her a beautiful face.
After she graduated university, she relied on her beautiful face to get minor roles on many film sets. Even if she was just an extra, she was getting paid.
She would also take on odd jobs around the set. She did anything that could earn money.
Then, Shen Minghai appeared.
At first, she didn’t know who he was, only that he was a friend of the director.
Later, she found out that he was the founder of Minghai Jewelry, and he had invested in this production. He came on set to see how it was going.
Fine, let him visit. It had nothing to do with her.
There was a clear divide between them. They would never cross paths again.
One day, she was called in to get her makeup done. She was filling in last-minute for the role of a beautiful character. She really liked this role because the makeup artist always made her look stunning.
She loved seeing her beautiful self. Whenever she saw this version of herself, she no longer felt like the heavens had been cruel to her.
She saw a different fate for herself, and so did Shen Minghai. That day, his eyes lingered on her for far longer than usual.
She was happy that he noticed her. Maybe she would finally get a decent role. At least something that paid a little better.
But she was also scared.
She was scared of being watched by a man old enough to be her father. A man with great financial power. What if he wanted to take advantage of her?
And then, Shen Minghai came to see her.
They sat in a quiet teahouse upstairs and had a decent conversation.
He asked if acting was hard.
She said making money was never easy.
They exchanged polite words.
Just small talk. No strange remarks or behavior.
Shen Minghai’s gaze was calm, completely devoid of greed or desire.
The only thing that couldn’t be ignored was his attitude.
He had the air of someone who was used to being in control.
Just like that, they parted ways.
A few days later, Shen Minghai came back.
This time, he asked, “Do you want an easy way to make money?”
She instinctively took a step back, like she was facing great danger. “Chairman Shen, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
She was scared.
Of course she was.
In front of Shen Minghai, she felt as small as an ant. And to be frank, she might as well be. She was someone he could crush at any moment.
But she really didn’t understand. She might never understand why he chose her.
Because Shen Minghai didn’t try to approach. He just chuckled softly and said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m not trying to take advantage of you, and I’m not interested in you like that.
“I just wanted to ask you—do you want to become the wife of the Minghai Jewelry Chairman?”
“So direct?” Lu Yunshu was puzzled. “What was his plan?”
Jin Hanshuang shifted into a seated position. She was tired from lying down so long. “He wanted me to be his mask.”
“His mask?”
“That’s right. A beautiful and elegant mask.”
Back then, Shen Minghai’s words had completely baffled her.
She felt like someone had suddenly hung a fat, juicy carrot in front of her face. Tempting, but also very suspicious.
She asked, “Why me?”
Shen Minghai replied, “Because you’re beautiful enough.”
She said, “There are many rich girls out there who are beautiful and belong in your social circle.”
Shen Minghai didn’t hide anything. “You are easier to control than them.”
She was speechless.
It was true. Those rich girls had families. She had nothing.
Shen Minghai was arrogant, absurd, and terrifying.
She said, “Chairman Shen, I like women.”
Shen Minghai said, “That’s great.”
She was confused. “?”
Shen Minghai spoke with an air of complete confidence. “I don’t want to marry a woman who can love me.”
She was completely bewildered.
This person was too weird.
Were all rich people this weird?
She thought about it, then said honestly, “Chairman Shen, I have a medical condition and won’t be able to have children.”
Shen Minghai said, “Even better.”
She was even more lost.
Didn’t rich people all want to have heirs?
Shen Minghai looked at her and said, “I’m marrying you to be my mask. It’s just like acting. I want you to show everyone that I have a beautiful wife who loves me.
“I don’t care what happens in private, as long as it doesn’t affect Minghai Jewelry’s reputation or me. Besides that, your lifestyle will be no different from any other rich person’s wife.
“Jin Hanshuang, don’t you like this job offer?”
Back in the present, Jin Hanshuang smiled at her girlfriend through her phone screen. “To be honest, I was very tempted by these terms.”
Being the wife of the Minghai Jewelry Group Chairman?
That was no different from winning the lottery.
Lu Yunshu asked, “Weren’t you afraid he’d turn out to be a perverted man?”
Jin Hanshuang said, “Of course I was. That’s why we set clear agreements before doing something, and one of them was that he wasn’t allowed to mistreat me.
“I told him a lot of things that I couldn’t do, all of which were based on the horrible gossip I heard on set. After listening to me, he told me that I sounded more like the pervert.”
Lu Yunshu said seriously, “You’re not. You were just protecting yourself. Hanshuang did a very good job.”
Jin Hanshuang laughed helplessly, “You…why are you still praising me at a time like this…?”
Then she added, “But after hearing about what happened between him and Lu Cheng, I finally understand why he was so obsessed with having a public wife.”
He cared about saving face.
He couldn’t face his own sexual orientation and didn’t want others to talk about it either.
So he needed a wife.
Not for love, but for appearances.
Someone to make him look good, like an assistant or a trophy.
Maybe this was the one moment her good luck finally came through.
She seized the opportunity.
She gambled on it.
Fortunately, she won.
Her whole life changed.
Shen Minghai truly had no interest in her.
From then on, she diligently played the role of Shen Minghai’s wife, attending banquets and pretending to be one-half of a loving couple. She even successfully ingratiated herself with the wealthy wives around her, building strong relationships that helped Shen Minghai’s future business ventures.
She also took care of Shen Wenxin.
You could say that every penny Shen Minghai had spent on her was well earned.
She no longer needed to run around doing odd jobs. She no longer needed to envy people who had families. She had everything.
And when she looked at Lu Yunshu, the joy in her eyes grew even brighter.
She had her too.
Lu Yunshu met her gaze.
“Thank you,” Lu Yunshu said.
“What for?”
“Thank you for letting me meet you.”
Jin Hanshuang let out a soft laugh.
There was really someone out there in the world who felt lucky just to have met her.
Then Lu Yunshu said, “This time, I didn’t seem to have crossed the line.”
Jin Hanshuang nodded. “No, you didn’t. You are already in my world.”
Everything was as fate had arranged it.
The author (热到昏厥) has something to say:
This chapter feels like a final chapter.
