On our wedding night, we laid down the ground rules before the sheets even got warm:

“Don’t touch me.”

“We live separate lives.”

“We get a divorce in a few years, this is just a legal formality.”

“Keep your distance.”

“And… you sleep in the guest room.”

Bo Jiang stood tall and straight before me, fresh out of the shower with damp hair, wearing a casual pair of pajamas. Hearing my list, he just let out a dry, mocking smirk.

“Finished? My turn.”

“No infidelity during this marriage.”

“In public, you save my face and act like a loving wife.”

“And… you’re only allowed to slap me when we’re at home.”

The faint red imprint of my palm was still visible on his cheek. Feeling a slight pang of guilt, I looked away, but refused to back down out loud.

“I thought we agreed to mind our own business? Are you expecting me to stay celibate? Besides… don’t you have natural physical needs?”

He stepped closer, his gaze turning icy. “Chu Li, I don’t tolerate being cuckolded. If I can keep my hands to myself, so can you. As for physical needs… if you’re up for it…”

“Snap out of it!” I cut him off instantly.

He nodded, as if he had anticipated my reaction all along. “Then don’t worry about how I handle mine. Just mind your own business.”

Even though we were married, every conversation felt like a declaration of war. I pouted. I must have run over a puppy in a past life to end up with him.

He suddenly paused. “Marrying me makes you feel that wronged?”

I threw a pillow right at his chest. “Not at all. I’m thrilled. So thrilled I could burst into tears.”

In the high-society circles of Beijing, everyone knew we couldn’t stand the sight of each other. I had fought tooth and nail against this arranged marriage, but my family’s company was falling apart, and the Bo family was our best lifeline. That bastard Bo Jiang might have had a tongue laced with poison, but he was competent and didn’t mess around with other women.

The one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around was why he actually agreed to marry me. Was this some twisted new form of revenge?

I asked him straight out. He froze for a second, then let out a soft laugh. “Bingo. Tying you to my side so I can come home and bicker with you whenever I’m bored… sounds pretty entertaining.”

Me: “…Get out.”

He grabbed his pillow and obediently “got out” to the adjacent room.

I refused a honeymoon, while Bo Jiang threw himself into work. Yet, like clockwork, he always made it home in time for dinner every night. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that his wardrobe was getting ridiculously over-the-top. He used to stick to sharp, tailored suits; now, every outfit looked like he was heading straight to a magazine cover shoot.

One evening, I was getting ready to head out. Spotting me coming downstairs, he quietly put out his cigarette, knowing I couldn’t stand the smell of smoke. But his attitude remained as obnoxious as ever.

“It’s late. Where are you going?”

“Out for drinks with friends.”

“It’s chilly tonight. Put on a coat.”

I glanced down at my gorgeous dress and dug my heels in. “I’m fine.”

Naturally, the moment I stepped outside, a sharp gust of wind hit me like a slap. Wanting to save face, I tried to cover up. “Just a bit windy.”

The next second, a jacket draped over my shoulders, carrying the faint, warm scent of amber and oud. Did he start wearing cologne?

Before any warm feelings could settle in, his next words set off my temper:

“Keep the drinking to a minimum. Be back before ten.”

“Since when do you boss me around?”

“Since now. Also, are there men coming?”

I let out a cold laugh. “Do you actually consider yourself my husband?”

He reached out, casually tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his voice infuriatingly smooth. “Legally? Absolutely. Signed and sealed.”

“If you’re so free, why don’t you come pick me up later?” I provoked him on purpose.

“Fine by me.”

That smug look on his face was practically begging for a punch, like hitting a pile of cotton, utterly useless. I pushed him aside, hopped into my car, and sped off before he could get another word in.

Driven by sheer annoyance, I didn’t hold back at the lounge.

My girlfriends called over a few male models to liven up the room, and not to be outdone, I casually ordered two for myself. They poured my drinks, fed me fruit, and dripped sweet nothings into my ear. Pleased, I patted their heads like cute little puppies, my mood instantly lifting.

At exactly nine-thirty, the VIP room door swung open.

Bo Jiang stepped inside.

His expression wasn’t just “bad”, it was downright thunderous. My hand froze mid-air, right on top of a model’s head. Without saying a single word, he scooped me straight up into his arms.

Knowing I wouldn’t tell him the truth, he turned his lethal gaze onto the two models, his voice dripping ice. “You two… planning to keep quiet forever?”

The entire room went dead silent. Overwhelmed by his suffocating aura, the two models trembled and spilled everything from start to finish. Once he confirmed that, aside from head pats, I hadn’t crossed any lines, Bo Jiang carried me out without another word.

On the drive back, he maintained a heavy, suffocating silence, the kind that signals a storm brewing. Sure enough, the moment we stepped inside the house, he snapped.

“Chu Li, you’ve got some nerve. Ordering male models is bad enough, but you hired two, have you never seen a man before?”

The alcohol was hitting hard now, making my head spin and turning my vision double. His lecturing was driving me insane.

“Why are you yelling at me!”

“I say two sentences and suddenly I’m yelling?”

“You’re too loud… stop talking…”

He immediately moved to steady me, his tone dropping instantly. “Alright, I’ll stop.”

He set me down gently on the sofa, then brought out a bowl of hangover soup, so bitter it could kill a person. He unwrapped a piece of candy, coaxing me like a toddler. “I know it tastes awful, but it works. Have a candy after. Drink it up and get some sleep, or you’ll have a killer headache tomorrow.”

Scowling, I forced it down. The alcohol made me unusually submissive; I reached out, wrapped my arms around his waist, and nuzzled into his chest. “I want a shower… carry me.”

His body noticeably stiffened for a second.

The entire time I was in the bathroom, he stood guard outside the door like a personal bodyguard. When I stepped out, he plugged in the hairdryer and stood behind me, gently drying my hair. I sat there motionless, letting him do whatever he wanted… until I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, the only thing I remembered was getting chewed out by him.

“‘Have you never seen a man before?'” I quoted him.

Then I fired back immediately: “That’s right. I’ve never seen a man who listens so well. Not like some people, scary as hell.”

It took Bo Jiang a few seconds to process that before he let out a low chuckle. “So you only remember the part where I scolded you? I wonder who wrapped their arms around me last night, whimpering to be carried.”

I froze. “No way! There’s a camera in the living room, turn it on and check.”

A subtle flicker of awkwardness crossed his face. “…Forgot to tell you, the camera’s broken.”

I knew he was lying!

He stood up, his tone shifting back to business. “I’ll let last night slide, but no more hiring male models. If you’re bored, I can go with you.”

He handed me an no-limit black card. The PIN was my birthday.

“Money is just a number. Giving someone a reason to spend it actually gives me motivation to earn more.”

“Talking like that is a great way to get beaten up.”

“Then go ahead and beat me.”

Having accepted his generosity, I had to play nice. That evening at the Bo family estate, I proactively looped my arm through his, smiling as sweetly as a kitten. But the conversation quickly steered into uncomfortable territory, babies.

Mother Bo took an elegant sip of her tea, her voice smooth and refined. “I know young people don’t like being pressured, but the Bo family needs an heir. You two have been married for a while now. When are you planning on having children? Ideally, a few of them. Chu Li, what do you think?”

I froze on the spot. We had barely been married a month, and I was already being asked to pop out a whole brood?

Instinctively, I looked over at Bo Jiang. He squeezed my hand, stroking it gently to reassure me, before answering calmly:

“Mom, I’ve told you before, I have no intention of having kids anytime soon. Besides, we just got married, don’t scare her off. If I end up scaring my wife away, pressuring us won’t do you any good.”

Mother Bo sighed, looking at her son with complete resignation. “There’s really no controlling you two. Fine then, take some time off and go organize that delayed honeymoon right away.”