Chapter 20: Twentieth Day as a Salted Fish
Qin Jiaojiao’s heart took a long time to settle down. She truly hadn’t expected that a random remark she tossed out would be taken to heart by Zhou Shaoli and handled so directly.
Theirs was a contract marriage. Although they were legally husband and wife, living together felt no different from ordinary roommates. Yet, Zhou Shaoli’s habit of responding to every single request of hers genuinely shocked her.
She had never been in a relationship in her past life, nor did she know how to interact with men. But being around Zhou Shaoli never made her feel uncomfortable; he always carried an air of calm composure.
She really liked this style of getting along. She didn’t constantly have to worry about what he was thinking or walk on eggshells around his mood. He made her feel that… no matter what she did or how she did it, she would be accommodated.
Just like at the beach, he didn’t develop any inexplicable possessiveness or forbid her from dressing skimpy just because she wore a sexy swimsuit. Instead, he told her she could wear it and show off her beauty with confidence and pride.
When she wanted to surf, he patiently and meticulously taught her until she built up the courage to stand on the surfboard. Even if she fell off, it was no big deal—with him by her side, she wouldn’t come to harm, so she didn’t need to fear falling.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before. Before she had even fully adapted to this world, she had first adapted to getting along with Zhou Shaoli. In all fairness, he was the most outstanding man she had ever met in her entire life.
If it weren’t for the damned original plot and all the chaotic nonsense, she might actually have chosen to date Zhou Shaoli. If things felt right, they could drop the divorce idea and spend the rest of their days living together in peaceful tranquility.
However, her rationality reminded her: No, you can’t. She couldn’t decide to stick with him just because he was exceptionally outstanding and a great person in his own right.
Behind him stood the massive Zhou family clan, along with a strict father-in-law and mother-in-law. A family with true prestige and legacy held extremely high standards for a daughter-in-law.
Setting aside whether she could even win over Zhou Shaoli’s heart, did she even have the courage and ability to face all of that?
Compared to those complicated headaches, the ten-billion-yuan breakup fee was obviously far more ideal.
Therefore, no matter how amazing Zhou Shaoli was, she couldn’t harbor any thoughts about him beyond being friends. On the outside, they would act as a loving couple, and on the inside, they would be good business partners.
Realizing her thoughts had drifted a bit too far, Qin Jiaojiao met Zhou Shaoli’s faint yet gently warm gaze and blinked.
Zhou Shaoli looked at Qin Jiaojiao as she snapped back to reality.
Without realizing it, the two had been living under the same roof for over half a month. A single subtle expression or casual phrase from her was enough to draw his attention.
Only the two of them were in the bedroom. Neither spoke as they looked into each other’s eyes, the atmosphere subtly shifting in a distinct direction.
It was an atmosphere unique to a man and a woman holding each other’s gaze… It only needed a spark.
Qin Jiaojiao instinctively realized something was off. She shifted her eyes away, a delicate, soft smile playing on her face. “If you take me with you, won’t it delay your work?”
Zhou Shaoli withdrew his gaze, his voice gentle: “It won’t. It’s just that for the first two days, I won’t have time to accompany you.”
“That doesn’t matter at all,” Qin Jiaojiao quickly assured. “I’ll find things to keep myself busy.”
Zhou Shaoli’s handsome face remained expressionless, but his faint gaze carried a terrifying pressure—the unmistakable aura of someone in absolute power.
The original owner should have had an international passport, so she would need to dig it out. As for whether she needed anything else, she asked Zhou Shaoli: “What do I need to prepare for going abroad?”
“Just bring your passport,” Zhou Shaoli said in a flat tone. “We’re taking a private jet.”
Qin Jiaojiao froze for a moment. Traveling abroad on a private jet would truly be a first for her.
“Mm,” Qin Jiaojiao put on a calm front. “I’ll dig out my passport tomorrow and put it in my bag.”
Zhou Shaoli added, “My father-in-law and mother-in-law asked us to head back home for a visit tomorrow.”
It took Qin Jiaojiao two full seconds to process that “his father-in-law and mother-in-law” meant the original owner’s parents.
Wait, she had forgotten a major issue!
In the original plot, Father Qin suffered from late-stage terminal cancer. After his death, the Qin family quickly collapsed; the shareholders of the Qin Enterprise bullied her for not understanding business, teaming up to seize her authority. In the end, the mother and daughter were kicked out of their villa. Unable to accept her husband’s death, her mother fell into severe depression, fell ill, and passed away—a truly miserable end.
The Qin family didn’t keep a dedicated family doctor, and since healthy people rarely fell ill, they hardly ever went to the hospital for checkups. Taking advantage of tomorrow’s visit home, she needed to bring it up to her parents and push them to get a thorough checkup at the hospital.
“Are we going for lunch or dinner?” Qin Jiaojiao asked.
Zhou Shaoli was well aware of her waking routine. By the time she finished breakfast, it would already be past ten, making it too late to rush over to the Qin house for lunch.
“I told my father-in-law that we’ll head over for dinner tomorrow evening.”
“Awesome!” A smile broke across Qin Jiaojiao’s face. “No need to wake up early.”
She genuinely detested getting up early. Sleeping until she woke up naturally was her ultimate dream. In the past, she always had to wake up early for work. Now that she had nothing to do all day except eat, drink, and play, she was going to lie flat as much as possible to put that dream into practice.
The corners of Zhou Shaoli’s lips hooked up slightly as he asked, “I’ll have someone prepare some nutritional supplements for the two elders tomorrow. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
Qin Jiaojiao thought for a moment and said, “My dad seems to have some lower back discomfort; it hurts if he sits for too long. Is there anything that could help treat it?”
It was a common issue among middle-aged and elderly people; as age crept up, discomfort would pop up here and there.
Zhou Shaoli understood: “I’ll have my assistant look into it.”
Qin Jiaojiao looked at Zhou Shaoli. Setting aside their contract marriage, didn’t he count as a perfect husband?
“Thanks a bunch,” she said.
Zhou Shaoli replied, “It’s what I should do.”
He had a calm personality, but pride ran deep in his bones. As long as he set his sight on something, there was nothing he couldn’t obtain; once he made up his mind, he would take action.
The next day.
In a rare turn of events, Qin Jiaojiao startled awake from her sleep and sat up at nine-thirty in the morning. She lay lazily in bed; Zhou Shaoli had gone to the company for the morning, but he would return in the afternoon to pick her up so they could go to the Qin residence together.
The original book described her as arrogant, willful, unable to tolerate a single flaw, and spoiled rotten by her parents. When meeting up with her genuine best friend, she hadn’t deliberately faked her personality, and neither Auntie Zhang nor Zhou Shaoli had suspected anything was wrong with her.
However, biological parents were a different story. As the saying goes, the moment a child wiggles their tail, the parents know what kind of trouble they’re brewing.
Would she be exposed when she returned home? And if the original owner’s parents exposed her, what was she supposed to do?
Harboring anxious thoughts, she hadn’t slept well all night, feeling a bit worried.
She couldn’t skip visiting the Qin family. She still needed to personally tell Father Qin to get a medical checkup. Besides, if she kept avoiding them, she would still have to meet her parents eventually.
Qin Jiaojiao could only tell herself not to panic. If her best friend hadn’t noticed anything off, her parents wouldn’t necessarily notice either.
She didn’t understand how she had transmigrated into a book or turned into the original owner, nor did she know where the original owner’s body had gone, so she could only let nature take its course and press on.
In the afternoon, Qin Jiaojiao put on light makeup, used a curling iron to style her hair into loose waves, tied the strands from both sides behind her head, put on golden earrings, and dressed in a black skirt suit paired with small black heels featuring red soles.
Dressed up meticulously, her noble, socialite aura stood out even more, radiating an innate pride from the inside out.
Qin Jiaojiao was extremely satisfied with today’s outfit. Looking at the young and beautiful girl in the mirror, her mind felt a bit dazed. She always felt this face was almost identical to her previous appearance, with hardly any difference.
In the afternoon, Zhou Shaoli returned to pick her up. The driver behind the wheel was Xiao Chen—that tall, 1.9-meter-tall man who stood straight as a pine and walked like a special forces soldier on a mission.
Xiao Chen pulled open the rear car door for her: “Madam, please get in.”
“Thank you.” Qin Jiaojiao stepped into the vehicle.
The interior of the low-key black luxury car was lavishly decorated. Zhou Shaoli was dressed in formal attire, gold-rimmed glasses resting on his handsome face. Just like when they first met, his expression was calm, emanating an unfathomable, oppressive aura.
She caught that faint scent of ebony agarwood radiating from him again—fresh like cedar, yet possessing a captivating fragrance akin to temple sandalwood that enticed one’s rationality.
Zhou Shaoli had his head lowered, looking at his phone. His well-defined fingers swiped across the screen, the cuff links on his suit sleeve refined and luxurious, though not quite as lavish as the famous watch on his slender wrist.
Qin Jiaojiao swallowed her saliva uselessly. Although Zhou Shaoli looked handsome no matter what he wore, she liked him best in formal suits. That rigorous, ascetic, and composed look carried an amazing vibe.
It made a person want to shatter the serenity on his face.
Qin Jiaojiao hurriedly withdrew her gaze. Zhou Shaoli truly hit every single one of her aesthetic preferences—a face-con, hand-con, suit-con… the more she looked, the handsomer he became.
Today, he was wearing a black suit with a light gray dress shirt underneath, paired with a dark tie embroidered with subtle gold patterns, which complemented her outfit exceptionally well.
Perhaps sensing her observation, Zhou Shaoli turned his head to glance at her. When he saw her dressed up so exquisitely, his eyes flickered slightly.
Over these past days, Qin Jiaojiao’s outfits had been very casual. Aside from wearing a custom haute couture gown the night she accompanied him to the banquet, her usual clothes at home focused on comfort, simple and relaxed. Dressed like this today was vastly different from usual, exuding a proud and noble aura.
It suited her very well and looked gorgeous.
Qin Jiaojiao pretended not to notice Zhou Shaoli’s appreciative gaze, picking up her phone to play a game. Driving from the courtyard villa to the Qin Manor would take over an hour, giving her enough time to play a few matches.
Lately, she had taken a liking to competitive mobile games. She mainly played the marksman role, acting as the main carry. She was invincible in the Gold rank, but got beaten up anywhere above Gold rank.
She had met a few friends in the game, and whenever they had free time, they would team up to play together.
Seeing her focused on her game with no intention of paying attention to him, Zhou Shaoli withdrew his gaze and resumed reading the webpage he hadn’t finished.
Recently, Romantic Lovers Season 2 released its pilot preview and confirmed the premiere date. The internet had been buzzing with discussions over the past few days. In his spare time, he logged into Weibo and surprisingly found his account had gained over ten thousand followers.
Among them, most were CP fans of him and Qin Jiaojiao. They had even come up with a ship name for them: the “Yue” from Qin Jiaojiao and the homophone “Li” from Zhou Shaoli, combining into Yueli. It invoked the image of a large, sweet pear that ripened late, carrying the symbolic meaning of “love after marriage” that would yield a large, sweet pear.
Zhou Shaoli casually followed the CP Super Topic, then instinctively clicked into the profile of the other protagonist, Qin Jiaojiao, to check out her fan Super Topic.
—Little Moons.
Qin Jiaojiao’s Super Topic fans were all her “Little Moons”.
Zhou Shaoli’s heart moved slightly. He opened WeChat, selected Qin Jiaojiao pinned at the top, and edited her remark name.
The car drove into the affluent district’s Qin Manor. Over a decade ago, Father Qin seized an opportunity, growing a small business into a large company and squeezing into the ranks of the wealthy. Over the past few years, he continuously rode various market trends, earning a fortune and pushing his assets into Beijing’s top one hundred—far surpassing some fallen aristocratic families.
Of course, this bit of assets was hardly worth mentioning compared to the Zhou family clan.
When the Zhou family hosted the banquet to select a granddaughter-in-law, all eligible high-society young ladies across Beijing were invited. It just so happened that Qin Jiaojiao caught the eye of the Old Master and Old Madam, while he simply followed family arrangements to marry for the sake of the Old Master’s wishes.
The Zhou family tradition was strict. Once married, unless feelings completely broke down, divorce wasn’t an option. Therefore, he had privately sought out Qin Jiaojiao to sign a separate contract marriage, planning to give her a massive asset payout and divorce once the agreement ended.
Only a few people knew about this matter. Father and Mother Qin were completely unaware; if they knew, they would definitely beat him up.
Zhou Shaoli raised his hand, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling that he had made a mistake back then.
The driver parked the car near the Qin Manor fountain, pulled open the door, and invited his employers out.
Stepping out of the car, Qin Jiaojiao looked at the grand Qin Manor and felt slightly surprised. Compared to the Qin Manor, the Zhou family’s ancestral residence was far more low-key.
Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli entered the manor together, while the driver handed the gifts over to the servants.
The moment they walked inside, Qin Jiaojiao saw a wealthy, slender woman sitting on the sofa, chatting with a plump, middle-aged man.
Uh…
Seeing them, the original owner’s parents greeted them with smiles: “Jiaojiao, Shaoli, you’re here.”
Mother Qin waved her hand: “Come, sit over here quickly.”
Qin Jiaojiao walked over: “Dad, Mom.”
Mother Qin pulled her down to sit, sizing her up: “Baby, haven’t you been eating well lately? You’ve gotten thinner.”
Zhou Shaoli sat on a single-seater sofa, looking at Father and Mother Qin: “It’s because I haven’t taken good care of Jiaojiao.”
Qin Jiaojiao quickly explained: “I’m going to be on camera for a show, so I deliberately lost weight for it.”
Father Qin asked, “What show? Did you go off to act again?”
Father Qin didn’t support Qin Jiaojiao entering the entertainment industry to act. He believed a girl should find a proper job. He had once wanted to spend money to get her an easy job, but she refused, insisting on going to the entertainment industry with that Yang family girl to act.
Qin Jiaojiao explained, “It’s a variety show. They invited Shaoli and me to participate together, and it airs next week.”
Hearing that Zhou Shaoli was participating too, Father Qin swallowed back the lecture that was on the tip of his tongue.
“Alright, alright, our daughter rarely comes home for a visit,” Mother Qin patted her husband gently and said, “Who are you showing that sour face to?”
She turned back to Qin Jiaojiao: “Your dad is just like this. He missed you terribly, even telling the housekeeper to buy all your favorite dishes this morning, yet he can’t speak properly the moment he sees you.”
Qin Jiaojiao smiled: “Mom, I know Dad is good to me, and I missed you guys too.”
Feeling embarrassed, Father Qin let out a small hmph. He had a stubborn, stiff temper. Doing business outside since he was young, he hadn’t managed children much; he only knew to give his daughter whatever she wanted, but didn’t know how to communicate, which made him look very stern.
Zhou Shaoli quietly watched this family of three, a subtle smile resting in the depths of his eyes.
Since childhood, he had been handed over to the Old Master to raise. His father and mother both had their own enterprises to manage and hardly looked after him. Once he grew older and touched the company’s business, his father would occasionally look at him with a wary gaze, afraid he would challenge his authority, repeatedly suppressing him in the company.
Years later, as his father grew old and made worse decisions than him, the old veterans in the group followed the wind. Gradually, his father’s attitude toward him became much warmer, and his mother treated him even more gently.
He knew clearly in his heart that this wasn’t parental love; it was simply because the power in his hands had grown, and they had to rely on him to gain greater benefits.
Compared to his older brother, who was taken care of by their parents and could freely choose his dreams and hobbies, his own life was like being trapped in a net—unable to break free, forced to shoulder the responsibility of the entire family.
He liked this feeling of absolute control, though sometimes it felt suffocating, making him want to throw off the burden and rest for a while.
Father Qin asked a few questions about Zhou Shaoli’s work. Unable to understand it, Qin Jiaojiao sat to the side chatting occasionally with Mother Qin. Afterward, the family sat in the dining room for dinner.
The huge table was filled with dishes suited to Qin Jiaojiao’s taste. Zhou Shaoli preferred lighter flavors, taking only a few bites of everything.
There were crayfish on the table that Qin Jiaojiao loved. This was the peak season for crayfish, and two large platters sat on the table—one stir-fried spicy and the other steamed—emitting a mouthwatering aroma.
Qin Jiaojiao loved eating crayfish, but she didn’t like peeling them. Even wearing gloves would leave her hands greasy, and since she liked drinking beverages while eating, greasy hands made holding a glass inconvenient.
With four people at the table, Father and Mother Qin certainly wouldn’t peel crayfish for her, and as for Zhou Shaoli… she felt embarrassed to ask him for help.
Putting on gloves, Qin Jiaojiao picked up a crayfish and clumsily peeled off the shell, pulling out the tender meat and popping it into her mouth, her eyes crinkling in satisfaction.
“So delicious.”
Mother Qin laughed: “This child still loves crayfish as much as ever.”
Qin Jiaojiao said, “Crayfish is way too delicious, it’s just too hard to peel. Otherwise, I could devour a whole platter by myself.”
Beside her, Zhou Shaoli heard this, put down his chopsticks, put on gloves, and picked up a massive crayfish from the platter. With unfamiliar yet precise movements, he peeled out the meat and placed it into her bowl.
Qin Jiaojiao turned her head to glance at him: “You don’t need to peel them for me, you eat.”
“I’m full, I’ll peel a few for you.” Zhou Shaoli’s hands didn’t stop, growing more and more adept.
Father and Mother Qin exchanged a glance, surprise surging in their eyes. The marriage was a commercial alliance; Zhou Shaoli had acted like he was completing a mission at the wedding, and the young couple rarely visited the Qin house afterward.
Zhou Shaoli might have been dissatisfied with his arranged wife, but the Qin family’s capital chain required the Zhou family’s help. In high society, most marriages were business alliances, and looking across Beijing, hardly any young man could compare to a prodigy like Zhou Shaoli.
Father and Mother Qin hoped that living together for a long time would spark feelings between them. Seeing Zhou Shaoli being so attentive and doting toward Qin Jiaojiao now, aside from being surprised, the two elders were delighted in their hearts.
After dinner, the family sat in the living room resting and eating fruit.
Father Qin called Zhou Shaoli upstairs to discuss some private matters, leaving only Mother Qin and Qin Jiaojiao in the living room.
Mother Qin pulled Qin Jiaojiao’s hand, asking in a low voice: “Baby, tell Mom the truth, have you and Shaoli consummated your marriage?”
“We sleep in the same bedroom.” Qin Jiaojiao answered instinctively.
Seeing her clear, innocent eyes, Mother Qin realized she hadn’t caught her drift and said, “Mom is asking, have you and Shaoli considered having a child?”
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes widened, feeling momentarily at a loss. Sure enough, once you got married, you’d be pressured to have kids no matter where you went.
How could she possibly tell her mother directly that she and Zhou Shaoli simply slept in the same bed without even holding hands, so how on earth could a baby pop out?
“Well…” Qin Jiaojiao racked her brain to come up with an excuse, saying, “Shaoli and I are still young and want to enjoy a few more years. Having kids… haha, no rush yet…”
Mother Qin asked with concern, “Wanting to enjoy a few more years—is that your idea, or his?”
“Mine, of course!” Qin Jiaojiao held Mother Qin’s hand and rambled off a load of nonsense: “Mom, I’m still young. Having children requires long-term planning. Shaoli is very busy with work, and I want to build a career of my own instead of being a housewife…”
What career? Her goal was the ten-billion breakup fee, then lying flat, lying flat!
Mother Qin looked at her helplessly, “Fine, as long as you have a plan in mind. It’s just that the Zhou family side…”
Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli had been married for quite a while without any movement in her belly. The Zhou family would definitely be anxious for an heir.
“Zhou Shaoli will handle it,” Qin Jiaojiao said cheerfully. “Mom, don’t worry.”
She shifted the topic, bringing up how a certain friend’s parents were getting older and developed health issues, only finding out it was cancer after getting a checkup. Luckily it was caught early and treated in time. In today’s society, living standards had improved, but more people were falling ill, so getting regular physical examinations was essential.
Unsure of what Father Qin and Zhou Shaoli talked about, the two came downstairs around nine o’clock. Preparing to head back to the courtyard villa, Qin Jiaojiao repeatedly urged Mother Qin before leaving, telling her to find time to get a hospital checkup with Father Qin.
Father Qin himself had diabetes; his middle-aged weight gain was partly due to it. He occasionally got minor checkups at the hospital, but never a comprehensive one. After Qin Jiaojiao’s persistent nagging, the two elders finally agreed to visit the hospital in a couple of days.
On the way back, Qin Jiaojiao asked Zhou Shaoli curiously, “What did you and my dad talk about upstairs?”
“I played two games of chess with father-in-law.” Zhou Shaoli didn’t go into detail. While playing chess, Father Qin had first discussed business trends with him, then asked about his married life with Qin Jiaojiao.
In the study, Father Qin had expressed with a solemn face: “She is my only precious daughter. You must treat her well. If she suffers any grievance, I will bring her right back to the Qin family.”
Zhou Shaoli had naturally promised with a humble and polite attitude: “Dad, rest assured, I definitely won’t let Jiaojiao suffer any grievance.”
Having had a few extra drinks with Father Qin at the Qin house tonight, Zhou Shaoli was slightly tipsy. However, his self-control was exceptionally strong. On the surface, he remained calm and serene, making it impossible for outsiders to tell whether he was drunk or not.
He leaned his head against one hand, his gaze somewhat hazy as he stared at the back of the driver’s seat.
To him, a promise weighed a thousand gold; once spoken, it had to be fulfilled. He would definitely make Qin Jiaojiao happy.
After all, she was his wife.
Qin Jiaojiao glanced sideways, noticing the man’s posture was unusually lazy, different from usual. A faint aroma of alcohol mixed with ebony agarwood wafted from him.
She leaned closer, “Zhou Shaoli.”
“Mm?” He turned his head with an unhurried movement, his magnetic voice low and deep.
Qin Jiaojiao sized him up, asking with surprise: “Are you drunk?”
She remembered Zhou Shaoli having a good alcohol tolerance; looks like the Qin family’s liquor tonight was quite potent.
“Not drunk,” Zhou Shaoli said, restraining himself in a flat tone. “I have very good alcohol manners.”
Qin Jiaojiao let out a soft laugh: “Right, right, right.”
Now she was certain he was truly drunk. His light brown eyes were blurred, and his handsome face carried a barely perceptible flush. Had she not observed closely, she really might have been fooled by him.
The car pulled into the courtyard villa. After Qin Jiaojiao stepped out, she looked back at Zhou Shaoli, who opened the door himself and walked over with steady steps, feeling somewhat doubtful.
Was he actually drunk or not?
The two entered the villa one after the other and went upstairs to the bedroom.
Qin Jiaojiao went to take a shower first. When she came out, she saw Zhou Shaoli lying on the sofa with his tie loosened and several shirt buttons undone, revealing his muscular chest. One hand rested casually by the sofa, while the other lay across his forehead. On the coffee table, the gold-rimmed glasses he had taken off glinted softly under the dim indoor light.
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