June in City A was already scorching. Even though it was barely six in the morning, the sky was bright, and the sun was already hard at work.
But inside the hospital room, Zhang Ling felt a chill in her heart. Her father’s words echoed in her mind:
"If you want me to lend you money for your mother’s treatment, fine. Go to the Civil Affairs Bureau at 9:30 this morning. Take your sister’s place and go on a blind date with the eldest son of the Mu Family, who grew up in the countryside. No matter what requests he makes, you must satisfy him."
"As long as you can satisfy him, I won’t just lend you money—I’ll give you a sum directly. You’ll have enough to pay for your mother’s treatment and secure a kidney donor for her surgery as soon as possible."
Looking at her frail mother lying on the hospital bed, she felt heartbroken and even more resentful toward her cold-blooded, unfaithful father. Her biological father, Zhang Mutian, was the president of the Zhang Group. He might not have been worth tens of billions, but he certainly had hundreds of millions to his name.
When Zhang Mutian first started his business, it was her mother who had endured the hardships with him. But once the company took off, Zhang Mutian fell into the trap so many men do—money corrupted him. He abandoned his wife and daughter, married a young woman, and started a new family.
Back then, Zhang Ling was only four years old. Her half-sister, born to the woman her father had impregnated while still married to her mother, was three years younger. When they divorced, her father lied to her mother, claiming the company was struggling and drowning in debt. He even showed her fabricated financial records. Her mother, lacking much formal education, walked away from their ten-year marriage with only a 300,000-yuan settlement.
Zhang Ling’s older brother had gone to live with their father, but because she was a daughter, her father didn't want her custody, so she stayed with her mother. Twenty-two years had passed since the divorce.
The father’s business had grown into a massive conglomerate, earning a solid position in City A's commercial landscape. Her mother, meanwhile, had spent a long time in a state of despair after the divorce before pulling herself together for her daughter’s sake.
Zhang Ling had been well-raised. After graduating, she started her own shoe shop. When business was good, she made tens of thousands a month. Just when she thought she could finally provide a comfortable life for her mother, her mother was diagnosed with uremia.
Now, she relied on dialysis to survive. A long-term illness can turn a middle-class family into paupers overnight. After a few years, their savings were nearly depleted. Even with her successful shop, the pressure was immense.
She had already placed her mother on a transplant waiting list. The hospital said two people were ahead of her; if they were lucky, a donor might be available this year, provided they had the funds ready. With her income, covering the monthly dialysis and occasional hospitalizations made saving hundreds of thousands for surgery nearly impossible. Furthermore, there would be significant post-operative medical costs.
She had never considered asking her father for help. Since she could remember, he had never paid child support or visited, acting as if she didn't exist. Even though her mother had raised her to be well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—even teaching her self-defense—she was far more accomplished than her half-sister. Yet, her father never spared her a glance. When a man is heartless, he is truly heartless.
The only reason she considered asking for his help now was that two weeks ago, her shop had been hit by arson. Although no one was hurt, the losses were devastating. The culprit was a minor and an orphan; catching him was pointless, as he wasn't criminally liable, and there was no one to hold accountable for the damages. Zhang Ling had suffered a massive loss in silence. The shop was under renovation and closed, and with her mother’s worsening condition, she had to borrow money from friends just to cover hospital bills.
Her brother was no longer in City A—her father had sent him abroad in high school and didn't even allow him to return for the holidays. Her mother didn't want him to worry, so she forbade Zhang Ling from telling him. Zhang Ling doubted he had any money anyway, as his stepmother controlled his finances.
Out of desperation for her mother’s sake, she had reached out to her father, only to receive the demand to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau at 9:30 AM to take her half-sister’s place for a blind date with the Mu Family’s son.
A blind date at the Civil Affairs Bureau? And to do whatever he asked to keep him satisfied? Zhang Ling sensed something was wrong, but she had no choice. It was a shortcut to saving her mother, even if it meant sacrificing something herself.
"Mom, are you hungry?" Zhang Ling asked softly. "I’ll go pack some breakfast for you."
Her mother, exhausted and in low spirits, gave a slight nod. Zhang Ling gave her a few instructions, asked a neighbor in the ward to look after her, and left to get food.
Thirty minutes later, she returned. She helped her mother eat, take her medicine, and walk a few laps by the ward door. Being bedridden all day was enough to drive anyone mad. By 9:00 AM, her mother was back in bed.
"Mom, I have some business to attend to. I’ll be out for an hour."
For her mother's sake, Zhang Ling decided to follow her father’s instructions. She didn't know what kind of family the Mus were, only that the eldest son had grown up in the countryside. Her half-sister had looked down on him and refused to meet him, forcing Zhang Ling to take her place. It was clear the Zhang family either couldn't afford to offend the Mus or currently needed something from them.
Whatever the case, as long as it could save her mother, she would do it. It was just a blind date, not an immediate marriage registration.
"Go ahead, and be careful," her mother urged.
Zhang Ling asked the neighbor to watch her mother again, grabbed her bag, and rushed out. She hailed a ride and headed straight for the City A Civil Affairs Bureau.
She arrived at 9:30 sharp. Standing there, she felt lost, unsure where to find her date. Just as she was about to call her father, a stranger pulled up on an electric scooter and parked in front of the bureau. He looked around as he parked.
As he scanned the area, Zhang Ling caught a glimpse of his face. She couldn't find the words to describe it, but he was undeniably handsome. *Zhang Qing really turned her nose up at a man this handsome?* she thought. *Rich girls really do have their eyes glued to the ceiling.*
The stranger walked straight toward her. As he closed the distance, Zhang Ling realized that while he was handsome, he possessed an intimidating presence. Despite being alone, his tall frame and sharp, deep gaze exerted a powerful pressure on her.
"Are you Zhang Mutian’s daughter?" his low voice cut through the air.
"I am."
After receiving her answer, he looked her up and down, knitting his brows as if he weren't entirely satisfied. He didn't voice any complaints, though, and simply asked, "Did you bring your household registration booklet? I won’t be in the city for long—I have to get back to the countryside. Let’s make this quick. We’ll go inside, finish the marriage paperwork, and be done with it."
*What?*
He meant they weren't just going on a blind date—they were going for a flash marriage?