Chapter 02 – The Contract

He Rong’s new assistant had just started yesterday, and this morning, for some reason—whether it was excitement or something else—he was late.

Frustrated, Yuan, who had just finished handing over her duties and was planning to go on a honeymoon in Bali with her husband, had to return to work. Fortunately, the president understood her condition and excused her from overtime and business trips, even extending her annual leave.

As soon as Yuan entered the office, she saw President He sitting at his desk, radiating a cold aura. She skillfully laid out a few documents, waiting for He Rong to sign them. Glancing at the computer, she noticed a small notebook the size of a palm and couldn’t help but take a closer look.

He Rong finished signing and looked up, following her gaze. “Check him out,” he said, leaving Yuan puzzled.

He Rong reached over and flipped the cover of the notebook. “Xiang Ning.”

Yuan nodded and left.

Passing by the cubicles, a young assistant excitedly poked her head out. “Sister Yuan!”

Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.

“Why are you back, Sister Yuan?”

“The new assistant was late and got fired.”

“No way!” the young assistant exclaimed. “He seemed so well-behaved.”

“Who knows,” Yuan smiled. “I’m off now.”

—

He Rong glanced at his watch.

The woman across from him had a flushed face, sipping her mocha while occasionally looking up, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

He Rong’s fingers tapped the table lightly. He glanced at his watch again and then looked up. “Miss Yuan, if there’s nothing else, we can wrap up for today.”

Miss Yuan quickly responded, “No, no, there is.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Well… you know why Auntie asked us to meet, right?” Miss Yuan adjusted her hair. “I… I have no objections, and if you… well… I think we can give it a try.”

There was a long silence.

Miss Yuan looked up at him anxiously.

He Rong’s face darkened. “I’m sorry.”

Miss Yuan bit her lip, feeling a bit desperate. “We can start by getting to know each other…”

“I’m sorry.” He Rong’s impatience was evident. “I have no interest in this right now.”

He paid the bill and left.

Miss Yuan clenched her cup, tempted to throw it but managed to keep her composure. She placed the cup down heavily and left with a dark expression.

He Rong pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling increasingly agitated.

Xu Hui had called him yesterday, saying she had something important to discuss. He usually didn’t care about Father He’s personal life, but he couldn’t figure out why she would reach out, so he decided to see what it was about.

To his surprise, Xu Hui wanted to meddle in his marriage.

“Let’s go to Jiahe.”

He Rong didn’t even change his shoes when he entered, coincidentally bumping into Xu Hui coming out of the kitchen.

Xu Hui, feeling a bit guilty, smiled nervously. “You’re back.”

“Did Auntie make soup?”

“Ah, yes, yes.” Xu Hui wasn’t sure how to interpret his tone. Perhaps it was a good sign, given that Miss Yuan was attractive and He Rong might like her.

“It seems Auntie has plenty of free time.” He Rong smiled, his dark eyes piercing. “I didn’t know Auntie had a hobby as a matchmaker.”

Xu Hui, despite being a stepmother, instinctively feared him. She swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze. “I just wanted you two to meet. Young people should get to know each other…” Her voice trailed off.

“Hmm.” He Rong said. “But I’m not very good at making friends. If I get annoyed one day…”

Xu Hui shivered, feeling uneasy.

“But I’m sure Auntie wouldn’t introduce me to anyone unsuitable, right?”

Xu Hui was speechless.

“You insolent son! How dare you speak to your Auntie like that after coming home!” Father He descended the stairs, witnessing the scene and immediately shouted.

He Rong finally shifted his gaze from Xu Hui, looking down without a word.

Father He’s hands trembled. “Parents never harm their children. How can you be so heartless and plot against your family?”

Xu Hui hurried to support him.

“I’ve seen Miss Yuan. She’s very attractive and has a pleasant personality, more than suitable for you. If you don’t appreciate it, you shouldn’t come back and blame Auntie. Your mother would be so disappointed if she knew.”

“We just don’t want you to be lonely and want someone to keep you company. Ungrateful, ungrateful! What’s the point of having a son like you? Just to make us suffer!”

He Rong looked up at Father He. “Is Father worried about the family estate being lonely?”

“You! Insolent son!!… Insolent son…” Father He trembled with anger. Xu Hui, terrified, quickly retrieved his medication and helped him calm down.

He Rong remained motionless, watching them cool down before speaking. “If Father is worried about my loneliness, I can get married.”

Father He was speechless, staring at him.

“Excuse me.” He Rong turned to leave, glancing at Xu Hui, who nervously avoided his gaze, too afraid to look at him.

Only after He Rong left did Xu Hui relax, breaking out in a cold sweat. She half-heartedly listened to Father He’s repeated scolding, occasionally nodding in agreement.

—

Yuan knocked on the door and heard He Rong’s voice. “Come in.”

“This is the proposal from the Yuan family and the contract from Qinghai… I’ve also organized the schedule for you to review.”

He Rong made a few marks on the documents and handed them back. “Is there anything else?”

Yuan hesitated for a moment before pulling out another file from the bottom. “This is Xiang Ning’s information.”

“Hmm. Leave it there.” He Rong didn’t immediately open it, dismissing her.

After a while, He Rong made a phone call. Beside him, the open file showed Xiang Ning with his head slightly lowered, the sunlight casting a beautiful glow around him.

—

When Xiang Ning was brought to the president’s office, he was still in a daze.

His contract only required him to produce work, not to clock in at the office. After visiting twice, he had been busy looking for a place to live. Today, Director Lin had called him urgently, and he hadn’t expected it to be the president.

It couldn’t be about the previous incident…

It shouldn’t be that serious.

He couldn’t fire himself, after all.

Xiang Ning’s thoughts were jumbled as he entered the office, only to see He Rong standing up, looking at him in surprise.

Xiang Ning blinked, unsure of what was happening.

He Rong gestured for him to sit on the sofa and apologized. “My assistant must have misunderstood when she scheduled this meeting.”

Xiang Ning waved it off, indicating it was no problem.

He Rong asked about his tea preferences and had the secretary bring in two cups. He then handed Xiang Ning a notebook. “This is the one from last time.”

Xiang Ning took it, wrote “Thank you,” and handed it back.

He Rong found it amusing and added “You’re welcome” with a fountain pen. Xiang Ning smiled awkwardly.

He Rong’s expression turned serious. “I called you here to discuss something.”

Xiang Ning focused on him, nodding.

“Due to certain reasons, I need a marriage partner. I apologize for looking into your information without your consent.”

He glanced at Xiang Ning’s expression and continued, “The marriage will be a temporary contractual relationship. I won’t do anything against your will. Additionally, I will provide a sum of money as compensation.”

Xiang Ning lowered his head, deep in thought.

He Rong wasn’t in a hurry, sipping his tea and looking out the window.

After a while, Xiang Ning handed him a notebook. “Why me?”

“I reviewed your information,” He Rong said. “You frequently visit the nursing home where my grandmother lives. The marriage is partly to comfort her.”

Xiang Ning was surprised.

He Rong continued, “If you have any concerns, feel free to raise them.” He smiled. “For example, I will need you to live with me after the marriage.”

Xiang Ning thought for a moment and shook his head.

He had nothing to lose; the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

He just felt a bit awkward.

“If there are no issues, we can sign a contract.”

“Do you need more time to consider?”

Xiang Ning fidgeted with his fingers and wrote, “We can sign.”

He thought for a moment and asked, “How long?”

“Up to three years,” He Rong said. “During this period, I expect both of us to maintain a relatively transparent relationship. At least enough to maintain the appearance of a married couple.”

Xiang Ning had no objections. He hadn’t been in a relationship for over twenty years; three more years wouldn’t make a difference.

He Rong nodded and asked, “When are you available? We can set a date to get married.”

Xiang Ning thought for a moment and wrote, “Anytime.”

“I currently live in an apartment in Lin Bay. If you don’t want to stay there, we can find another place.”

Xiang Ning shook his head.

“Alright, let me know when you’re ready to move in, and I’ll have it prepared.”

—

Within two days, Xiang Ning had packed his belongings and moved in. He had few possessions and declined He Rong’s offer to send someone to pick him up, opting to take a taxi instead. However, he was stopped by the security guard at the entrance.

The sun was still strong, making it hard for Xiang Ning to keep his eyes open. He texted He Rong, but there was no response after ten minutes.

He pouted and put his phone away.

The security guard poked his head out of the booth. “Young man, come in and sit for a bit.”

Xiang Ning hesitated for a moment and then nodded, entering the booth.

The air conditioning was strong, and Xiang Ning shivered slightly, sitting on a stool and staring out the window. He only nodded or shook his head to the security guard’s questions, not feeling like talking and without a pen.

After another half-hour, Xiang Ning’s phone vibrated. He answered, and He Rong’s voice came through. “Sorry, I was in a meeting with my phone on silent. Give your phone to the security guard.”

Xiang Ning handed his phone to the guard.

The guard responded and wrote something down. “No problem. Just come back later to complete the formalities.”

He returned the phone to Xiang Ning.

“Xiang Ning, I’m currently abroad and will be back in about a week. I apologize for the inconvenience today.”

Xiang Ning couldn’t speak, so he tapped his phone.

He Rong understood and continued, “I’ll have Yuan send you the details. For now, go inside and make yourself comfortable. Choose any bedroom you like.”

The large, empty apartment felt lifeless, everything neatly arranged like a model home, the floor gleaming.

Xiang Ning took off his shoes and entered, struggling to drag his luggage inside. He was exhausted, and the dusty bags looked out of place in the pristine room.

He sighed, found the bathroom, and washed his hands. Looking in the mirror, he saw his pale skin, damp bangs hanging over his eyes, and a slightly pink mouth, giving him a sickly appearance.

He lowered his eyes, dried his hands, and left.

Xiang Ning briefly explored the house, choosing a room on the second floor. He rarely went out and preferred to stay in his bedroom. This way, he wouldn’t disturb anyone.

The room was spacious but only contained a bed and a wardrobe, no desk. Xiang Ning put his belongings away, sat on the bed, and felt hungry, thinking about going out to eat.

It was already past noon, and as he descended the stairs, he saw a woman standing at the door, looking at him.

He paused, unsure of the situation, and smiled slightly.

The woman came to her senses and asked, “Are you a friend of Mr. He? He told me to start cooking for you today.”

Xiang Ning nodded.

The woman quickly changed her shoes and noticed the prominent scratches on the floor. “Oh no, what happened? They weren’t there when I cleaned yesterday!”

Xiang Ning saw the scratches and blushed, fumbling for his phone.

“Maybe I scratched the floor when I dragged my luggage in.”

“Oh, I see,” the woman rubbed her hands, glancing at Xiang Ning. “This floor is expensive. Mr. He might blame me…”

Xiang Ning pursed his lips. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Oh, that’s good, that’s good… What would you like to eat? I can cook for you.”

“No, thank you. I’m not very hungry.”

He had just damaged someone’s property and had no appetite. Xiang Ning frowned, feeling guilty.

“I’ll make a couple of dishes. You can heat them up when you’re hungry.”

Xiang Ning returned to his room, hesitated for a moment, and then texted Mr. He:

“Sorry… I scratched the floor…”

He Rong’s phone vibrated. He read the message, thought for a moment, and replied. The business partner next to him glanced curiously but didn’t ask.

Although He Rong said it was fine, Xiang Ning still felt uneasy. Arriving and damaging the floor on the first day was not a good start.

The woman cooked and left after a brief greeting. Xiang Ning crouched down, touching the scratches on the floor, and searched online:

“How to fix floor scratches”

None of the solutions seemed reliable. Xiang Ning pouted, deciding to wait for He Rong to return and ask about the cost.

The woman didn’t return after two days.

She mentioned an emergency at home and subtly asked about her pay. Xiang Ning wasn’t sure how to handle it and vaguely responded. The next day, the woman didn’t come at all. Xiang Ning had stayed up late the previous night, working on a score, and only fell asleep at three in the morning. When he woke up at two in the afternoon, he found the kitchen empty and had to go to a convenience store for food. By evening, his stomach started to hurt.

Xiang Ning, holding his stomach, curled up on the bed, feeling the pain and slowly drifting off to sleep.