Shang Rongyuan looked up, his gaze lingering for a moment on the hands the two had clasped together. His expression turned gloomy in an instant; he knitted his brows, a surge of uncontrollable fury flashing in his eyes.
"I brought a family member along, you don't mind, do you?" Bian Xunzhou asked nonchalantly, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
However, his eyes were full of provocation—the kind designed to infuriate others to no end.
Shang Rongyuan tapped his fingers on the table, the rhythm quickening as he suppressed his inner rage. "Do you know what kind of occasion this is today?"
Bian Xunzhou shrugged, still smiling. "I know. A blind date, right? But honestly, is it really appropriate for you to call me here for something like this? You’re already thinking about your third marriage; wouldn't my presence just be an eyesore for you?"
Shang Rongyuan nearly choked on his own breath. His gaze, sharp as a blade, pierced directly into his son. His voice rose suddenly, filled with unquestionable authority.
"This is madness! Where did you get this 'family member'? I know nothing about her! Every day you just think of ways to anger me, and now you bring some irrelevant person here to stir up trouble!"
"She is not an irrelevant person. She is my wife." As Bian Xunzhou said this, he pulled two red booklets from his pocket and tossed them onto the table.
Wen Xuyu felt her brow twitch as an incredibly aggressive gaze shot toward her, as if trying to bore a hole through her.
Following that gaze, she realized it came from an elegant woman of distinguished temperament.
Was this the woman Bian Xunzhou was supposed to be on a blind date with today?
The words "Marriage Certificate" stung the eyes of everyone present.
"Xiaozhou, this isn't a joke to be made," Chen Lirong said, stunned for a moment before hurriedly trying to smooth things over.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Bian Xunzhou glanced at her indifferently, not even willing to give her a proper look.
Bai Pingling’s face had already turned deathly pale. She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.
A family member? This unknown woman had actually beaten her to the punch?
Bian Xunzhou paid no mind to Shang Rongyuan's fury, his tone light and breezy. "Feelings cannot be forced. I brought her here to tell you that I have already made my own choice."
Shang Rongyuan's face turned ashen, the veins on his forehead bulging. His voice was squeezed out through his teeth.
"You are challenging my bottom line! Who do you think you are? Regardless of everything else, I am your father!"
"Are you worthy?" Bian Xunzhou’s expression darkened in an instant, the atmosphere thick with tension.
Wen Xuyu sat on the side, her chest feeling tight and uncomfortable. She could sense Bian Xunzhou's rage at that moment; it was like an erupting volcano, wanting to destroy everything in its path.
What was wrong with him? Was he just like her, all exterior and no substance?
Her fingers were gripped tightly; Wen Xuyu felt as if the man might break her hand. She hurriedly covered his hand with her other one, coaxing him to calm down as if soothing a kitten.
The cool touch was gentle and rhythmic. As Bian Xunzhou met the woman's eyes, the fire in his heart inexplicably died down by more than half.
Wen Xuyu breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"I hate it when people force me to do things," Bian Xunzhou said, surveying everyone in the room with a firm, resounding voice. "Don't even dream of arranging my life for me."
"You—" Having his face slapped by his son in public, Shang Rongyuan could no longer control his temper. He strode over and raised his hand high for a slap.
Because of their positioning, Bian Xunzhou had his back turned to him. Even if the man had sensed it, it would have been difficult to dodge.
Wen Xuyu was quick-witted and pulled the man behind her. She barely avoided the strike, but her chin was still grazed.
Even Shang Rongyuan's expression shifted. The woman’s reaction just now had been completely subconscious. Exactly what kind of relationship did she have with his son?
When Bian Xunzhou felt the sting on his chin, his eyes sharpened. He immediately turned Wen Xuyu’s face toward him and brushed his warm thumb over the spot, his brows furrowed deeply.
It was just a scrape, no skin broken.
But was this woman an idiot?
Wen Xuyu felt strange being looked at like that by him.
She pulled away from his grasp, hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to hold his hand. She turned to the others and said, "This is our first time meeting, and I didn't expect it to happen under these circumstances. Since you are preparing for your third marriage, we won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye!"
Bian Xunzhou looked at her calm, unflappable expression and followed her lead as she pulled him out of the private room.
*
The room was deathly silent.
Bai Zhiren’s face was dark with anger, Sun Man frowned deeply, and Bai Pingling kept her head bowed, her long nails scratching her own skin.
"Pingling, let’s go!" Sun Man, with a stiff face, grabbed her daughter and prepared to leave.
Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Chen Lirong hurried to appease them. "Mr. Bai, Mrs. Bai, let's talk this through. Please, sit back down. There must be some misunderstanding here."
"President Shang," Bai Zhiren said, deeply dissatisfied. "Our Bai family is, at the very least, a family of some standing. What happened today is undoubtedly trampling our dignity underfoot. What exactly do you take our daughter for?"
"Mr. Bai, please calm your anger. We are the ones who have failed you today," Shang Rongyuan said, steadying his breath and lowering his posture. "How about this? We will find another time to meet. I will give you an explanation for what happened today."
"Hmph!" Bai Zhiren left with his wife and daughter, his face cold.
...
In the Maybach.
Wen Xuyu stared at the two marriage certificates in her hands, lost in thought. How did she end up registering a marriage with Bian Xunzhou?
An hour earlier, the car had pulled to a steady stop in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"To the Civil Affairs Bureau. What do you think?" Bian Xunzhou gave her a cold look, his disdain obvious.
Wen Xuyu felt a chill; she had no desire to spend the rest of her life with a person like this and immediately shook her head in refusal.
"Let's go. Inside," Bian Xunzhou’s voice was low and firm, carrying an unquestionable command.
"Why?" Wen Xuyu looked up, her expression baffled. "Is it absolutely necessary to get married?"
Bian Xunzhou frowned slightly, his gaze chilling and his tone tinged with impatience.
"Of course. I don't want any inexplicable experiences or sudden situations."
He had thought it over and over, and this was the only solution.
"Here," the man said, pulling a document from somewhere that had "Contract Marriage Agreement" written in large characters on the cover.
"Read it carefully. If you're dissatisfied with anything, bring it up."
Wen Xuyu hesitantly flipped it open. It read:
Party A: Bian Xunzhou
Party B: Wen Xuyu
First, this marriage is a contractual arrangement; both parties are only spouses in name and do not involve genuine romantic feelings.
Second, both parties must maintain the image of a married couple to the outside world and must not disclose the contents of this agreement.
Third, Party A provides the Xuanshui Bay Villa District as the matrimonial home, and Party B must reside with Party A.
Fourth, both parties will live in separate rooms and will not interfere with each other's private lives.
Fifth, both parties must attend family and business events with Party A, playing the role of a loving couple.
Sixth, neither party may develop intimate relationships with other people of the opposite sex during the term of the agreement.
Seventh, after the divorce, Party A will provide Party B with appropriate compensation.
*
After reading it, Wen Xuyu asked only one question: "What about the duration? When will it end?"
"When our synesthesia disappears, the agreement will end," Bian Xunzhou said calmly.
So, it was an indefinite term?
Wen Xuyu’s eyes darted around, and the fingertips clutching the agreement tightened involuntarily.
"Anything you're dissatisfied with? Speak up?" Bian Xunzhou’s brows lifted slightly, the gemstone cufflinks on his sleeves refracting a dazzling light.