Hardly had the words died away when footsteps echoed from outside the tearoom.
Xu Shengsheng sat back down at the table, complaining, and waited for the person outside to walk in, tossing out a teasing remark, "What a pity. If you had arrived half an hour later, I could have demanded another twenty thousand yuan."
With that, she looked up at the newcomer. Shang Fuyan stepped through the entrance clad in a high-end luxury suit, exuding a chilling, aristocratic aura of wealth. Even his brows and eyes held a sharp, icy aloofness that instinctively made anyone wishing to approach him recoil.
He truly looked like a wealthy president from a novel; that solemn, ruthless gaze could scare people out of their wits.
According to the original text, after he fell in love with the female protagonist, he grew even more indifferent toward his legally wedded wife. Although the original owner had signed a contract with him on the surface, she had fallen for him at first sight.
Consequently, the original owner grew intensely jealous of the female protagonist and hired several illegal individuals in an attempt to sexually assault her. Caught by the police, she was struck and killed by a car while fleeing. The later chapters never specified whether the driver's act was intentional or accidental, but she was convinced it had everything to do with the male lead.
Thinking about it this way, taking his money felt entirely justified!
She had better hurry up, take the money, and run! Since the female protagonist hadn't appeared yet, she could fleece him for a hefty sum!
Except—Xu Shengsheng's gaze shifted behind him.
Stepping out behind him was a beauty carrying a laptop bag. Her wavy, long hair was tied back with a hair tie, and her face was as flawless as jade. Her eyes were clear and bright, radiating a gentle elegance without losing any pure charm, and she wore a well-fitted, professional suit skirt that highlighted her refined temperament.
Strange, she didn't remember the original text mentioning any beautiful female subordinates by the male lead's side. Could this be the female protagonist?!
That couldn't be right, though. The female protagonist was a grass-roots, naive college student who was still holed up in some urban village.
Still, she had to be on her guard!
The long table in the tearoom was three meters long and two meters wide. Shang Fuyan motioned for Secretary Fu to sit down beside him with her laptop, while Assistant Li stepped forward to present the documents for Xu Shengsheng to examine.
"This is my secretary, surnamed Fu," he introduced when he saw Xu Shengsheng staring intently at her.
"Oh, oh." So it was Secretary Fu. How strange, though—was Secretary Fu really this pretty?
Xu Shengsheng felt much more at ease.
Being scrutinized so strangely by the chairman's contractual wife, Fu You'an perfunctorily curved her lips in a polite, returning smile, then opened her laptop to prepare for taking meeting notes.
Shang Fuyan cut straight to the point. "Today we are here to discuss the property settlement for the divorce. Look over the materials first."
Xu Shengsheng knew these rich people were stingier than anyone, and extracting even half of his fortune would be harder than scaling the heavens.
As she carefully read through the documents he had sent over, she was shocked to find detailed records of the exact number of times Xu Shengsheng had frequented various nightlife spots—complete with pictures!
She slammed the file shut with a smack. "This is too despicable! You actually had people tail me!"
Shang Fuyan remained unhurried. "These are surveillance recordings retrieved from the bars, not tailing. You surely understand who broke the contract first. For this, I can invoke the terms of our contract and demand compensation totaling your monthly living allowance."
"What!" That contract was a dense maze of clauses; when on earth had she had the patience to read every single one?
However, Xu Shengsheng quickly collected herself. "I acknowledge what you're saying, but according to the law, divorcing parties are entitled to split half of their marital property. You can't deny that."
Shang Fuyan tapped a finger against the tabletop and pushed his teacup aside. "Ms. Xu, have you ever consulted a lawyer?"
"Huh?"
"The marriage law has been amended. Neither the real estate nor the special movable property you're claiming can be successfully split. Worse comes to worst, we signed a property division agreement before our marriage, which explicitly defines private property versus marital property."
"So, even if we take this to court, I can force you to spit back every cent you've taken so far, plus pay liquidated damages. In a single second, I can bankrupt you and land you on the list of discredited debtors."
"..."
How could Xu Shengsheng have imagined that getting a divorce would be this difficult? She usually read novels at lightning speed, and she had been secretly planning to take the money to invest, foster a few upcoming celebrities in the entertainment circle, and rake in a fortune.
Yet how could the money of a wealthy man be so easily swindled? The man was a ruthless businessman who would skin you alive!
"Grandpa will back me up on this."
Shang Fuyan's expression remained completely unruffled; he was terrifyingly calm from start to finish. "Grandpa? I already fulfilled his wish by getting married. What reason does he have left to interfere with my divorce?"
"He had no idea our marriage was contractual, and the only purpose of you taking that money was to keep him happy. Not only do I not require you to provide any services whatsoever, but I also gave you a private residence equipped with dedicated staff. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"
Xu Shengsheng was on the verge of fury. Never did she expect that upon transmigrating into the story, the male lead would be the one in the right.
"Aren't you worried I'll tell Grandpa?"
"If you do tell him, I won't be the one he dies of anger over. Why should I worry?"
Shang Fuyan emphasized, "Who took the money to deceive him? Who pretended the marriage was blissful? Who is tearing down the illusion?" Mid-sentence, he suddenly realized Secretary Fu was still standing beside him.
Was he sounding too harsh?
"In any case, think it over carefully: do you want to take the compensation and process the paperwork, or would you prefer a courtroom divorce litigation? I flatter myself that I've never done anything to cross my conscience, so naturally, I have nothing to fear from ghosts knocking at my door."
The more Xu Shengsheng listened, the more alarmed she became. The original owner truly had taken the money to pull off those stunts; she couldn't deny that.
If she really told the male lead's grandfather, and the old man ended up falling seriously ill from the shock...
"Give me time to think—"
"I'll give you half an hour, or else I'll have people compile the files for a litigation divorce." He had no desire to drag things out and gave Xu Shengsheng a half-hour window to decide her fate, then stood up and left with his secretary.
The dazed secretary hadn't even begun taking notes when things reached a conclusion, leaving her no choice but to pack up her laptop and follow the chairman.
The chairman casually snatched up her laptop bag and strode forward, moving so quickly that Fu You'an and Assistant Li had to hurry to keep up. Upon reaching another tearoom, noticing the unusual expression on the master's face, Assistant Li signaled her to keep quiet.
The master had never been so absent-minded; he must have been troubled by family matters. As subordinates, it was best not to get tangled up in it.
"Assistant Li."
"Yes?" She popped up as her name was called.
"Go to the back seat of the car and fetch my personal seal."
"Right away." The master had actually forgotten something so crucial; Assistant Li was puzzled for a few seconds before immediately heading out and down the stairs to retrieve it.
At that moment, only the two of them were left in the room. He stood by the window and sighed deeply—the only time Fu You'an had ever heard this workaholic sigh with such dejection, completely out of tune with his usual aura of total control over everything.
She could only silently stand beside him and wait.
"Am I being too harsh, paying no regard to Grandpa at all?"
Seeing the previous indifference drain from the chairman's face, replaced by guilt and restlessness, Fu You'an glanced around to make sure she was the only one with him. It seemed he was seeking validation.
After careful deliberation, she offered genuine comfort, "Chairman, you've already done all that humanly possible."
Just now, she had learned quite a bit from their conversation. The chairman had married solely to make his grandfather happy, but as time accumulated, he realized this marriage was wrong and ultimately proposed a divorce while offering compensation.
To be willing to marry someone he had no feelings for just for his grandfather's sake, while providing a massive living allowance during that time—he had already done enough. He didn't need to wrong himself any further.
"Is that so?" He turned his profile. His resolute features suddenly carried a fragile vulnerability.
An itch stirred deep within her heart, and without hesitation, she murmured an affirmative response.