Chapter 61: Sixty-First Day as a Salted Fish
Zhou Shaoli handed the contract back to her and said warmly, “There’s no problem with the contract.”
Qin Jiaojiao cradled the document like a prized treasure. “You scared me! You had such a serious look on your face, I thought something was wrong with it.”
Zhou Shaoli was used to signing commercial contracts virtually every day, so his expression naturally gravitated toward stern solemnity whenever he reviewed legal documents. “No, it’s just my usual habit.”
Qin Jiaojiao clung to his arm and asked, “I went to inspect the storefront today, and some areas need remodeling. Could you ask Han Xiao to help me contact a renovation company to carry out the alterations?”
Zhou Shaoli looked down at her. “Of course. You are my wife; if you ever need anything, you can go straight to Han Xiao.”
Meaning I don’t have to ask for his permission every single time, huh.
“Got it!” Qin Jiaojiao headed upstairs with the contract in hand. “The production crew sent over the filming location for Episode 5 of the romantic variety show. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning, so I’m going up to pack my things. Are you busy right now? Do you want me to help pack yours too while I’m at it?”
“Eat dinner first, then pack later,” Zhou Shaoli called out to stop her.
Qin Jiaojiao turned back and flashed him an OK gesture. “I’ll go put the contract away first!”
Her small safe was located in the bedroom where she used to sleep. Carrying the document, she entered the room and unlocked the safe, which contained various ownership certificates for assets under her name. Sitting right on top was their premarital agreement.
Qin Jiaojiao pulled out the agreement and flipped through a few pages. Given her current relationship with Zhou Shaoli, this contract was practically ready to be voided.
A premarital contract carried legal weight, meaning both parties needed lawyers to notarize its dissolution. Once dissolved—without a prenuptial agreement in place—Zhou Shaoli’s assets would effectively become joint marital property.
Zhou Shaoli had mentioned transferring the tens of billions pledged in the agreement into her name as her personal property. That meant she, Eldest Miss Qin, was about to hit the absolute jackpot!
After chuckling happily over the contract for a moment, Qin Jiaojiao locked the safe, hid the key, and went downstairs to eat dinner.
To enjoy breakfast with her, Zhou Shaoli had brought his work home. After the two took a quick stroll outside, Zhou Shaoli headed to the study to handle his business matters, while she returned to the bedroom to pack her luggage for the show.
Xiaoli helped her sort out the outfits she would need for the three- to four-day trip and asked, “Madam, do we still need to pack self-heating meals this time?”
Qin Jiaojiao, who was in the middle of selecting her skincare products, answered without even looking up, “No need. Zhou Shaoli knows how to cook.”
Xiaoli looked up in surprise. “President Zhou knows how to cook?”
Qin Jiaojiao turned around with a smile. “Yup. Last time in Nancheng when I got mushroom poisoning, there was no food delivery in the village, so we had to make our own meals. Zhou Shaoli learned how to cook off the internet.”
Though his cooking couldn’t rival the high-end private chefs at home and was limited to basic home-cooked dishes, it was still pretty impressive.
Xiaoli thought to herself: President Zhou is a man of prominent status who is surrounded by a massive entourage wherever he goes, so he has no need to step foot in a kitchen. Yet he actually learned how to cook just to take care of Madam! President Zhou spoils Madam so much—he really is the ultimate dream husband.
The production team planned to film Episode 5 in the desert, allowing the guests to experience the majestic desert scenery. Since temperatures there fluctuated wildly between day and night—scorching hot during the day and freezing cold at night—they had to pack clothes for two different seasons.
Romantic Lovers was a casual lifestyle variety show where guest couples enjoyed their honeymoon, traveling around to take in the scenery. Xiaoli packed two full suitcases of gorgeous outfits for Qin Jiaojiao, hoping she would have fun and take plenty of pretty photos during the trip.
As for President Zhou, his wardrobe consisted of straightforward styles, so picking a few sets that coordinated with Madam’s outfits was more than enough. Working nimbly by herself, Xiaoli quickly packed all their clothes.
“Madam, everything is packed. Take a look and see if there’s anything else you’d like to add?”
Qin Jiaojiao glanced at the neat and organized suitcases. “Nope, everything’s great. Xiaoli, you’re amazing—you finished packing so fast! Thanks a bunch. I’ll bring you back some souvenirs from the desert.”
Xiaoli gave a bashful smile. “Thank you, Madam.”
She liked Madam more and more every day. Last time Madam returned from Nancheng, she even made a point to bring back fresh honey peaches for the villa staff.
Xiaoli stored the luggage in the walk-in closet, stepped out of the bedroom, and gently closed the door behind her.
Having nothing else to do, Qin Jiaojiao asked the servants to prepare a bath infused with flower petals. She sank into the bathtub, poured herself a glass of red wine from the tray beside her, and took a delightful sip alongside some delicious desserts.
Since I’m heading off to suffer in the desert soon, I might as well enjoy every bit of luxury I can while I’m still home.
Suddenly, the lingering sense of awkwardness between Yang Yutong and Xiao Rui from earlier that afternoon flashed through her mind. She picked up her phone and dialed Yang Yutong on Video Call.
Yang Yutong answered almost immediately. “Jiaojiao, what’s up?”
Qin Jiaojiao cut straight to the chase. “What’s going on between you and Xiao Rui?”
Yang Yutong maintained an unflustered expression. “Jiaojiao, what are you talking about? I have no idea.”
As best friends, a single micro-expression was all it took to read each other’s minds, so there was no way Qin Jiaojiao was going to let her brush it off.
“Drop the act and spill.”
Yang Yutong stood her ground. “There really is nothing going on between us. We aren’t even close—we’ve only met twice.”
Qin Jiaojiao narrowed her eyes, studying Yang Yutong’s expression. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. But Tongtong, everyone in our circle says Xiao Rui is a total player and a playboy. Don’t let yourself get played by him.”
Yang Yutong placed her phone on the table, leaned back against the sofa in a lazy posture, and smirked. “Between him and me, who plays whom is still up in the air.”
Qin Jiaojiao: “…”
So there really IS something going on between Yang Yutong and Xiao Rui.
“Fine, I’ll just tell you.” Yang Yutong was actually feeling a bit annoyed by Xiao Rui.
That night, Xiao Rui had stepped in to pull her out of a bad situation, helping her avoid a setup. However, she was already under the influence of the drug and lost control, proactively pouncing on him. It wasn’t as if the guy was an inexperienced virgin, yet he kept chasing her afterward, insisting on “taking responsibility.”
Honestly, she hadn’t been completely out of her mind. When she slapped him the next morning, it was mostly because her pride was wounded—he could have played the honorable gentleman like Liu Xiahui1 sitting steadfast without temptation, but instead, he just went right along with her.
Yang Yutong gave a brief summary of what happened that night.
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes widened slightly. “You slept with him?!”
Yang Yutong acted entirely nonchalant. “So what if I slept with him? What era are we living in? It’s completely normal for a young man and woman who find each other attractive to spend a night together. He looks decent enough, and we were pretty compatible in bed.”
Qin Jiaojiao deeply admired Yang Yutong’s carefree attitude. “And then he started clinging to you?”
Yang Yutong’s tone was full of disdain. “Who knows what’s wrong with him? He has nothing better to do all day. All I did was throw a hundred yuan at him before leaving to hurt his pride a little—was it really necessary for him to harass me every single day about ‘taking responsibility’?”
“Ahem!” Qin Jiaojiao choked on her drink. “You gave him money?!”
Yang Yutong nodded. “Yeah. Since I was the one who slept with him, naturally I gave him cash to make a clean break.”
Qin Jiaojiao burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears nearly welling up in her eyes. To think Xiao Rui would see a day like this! He’s probably never been so thoroughly humiliated by a woman in his entire life.
“So what do you plan to do now?”
Yang Yutong replied casually, “I can’t be bothered with him. I only have one goal right now: taking over the Yang Group as quickly as possible.”
Romance was merely a side dish in life, while power and wealth were the main course. Just because she didn’t care for romance didn’t mean she couldn’t have men around; she could play around whenever she got bored, but for now, her career was top priority.
Qin Jiaojiao agreed with Yang Yutong’s mindset. After all, Xiao Rui gave off the vibe of being unreliable on the surface—a playboy rarely changed his spots.
The two chatted a bit longer before ending the call.
When Zhou Shaoli returned to the room, Qin Jiaojiao had just stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair. Glancing at the damp strand resting against her cheek, he offered, “Shall I dry your hair for you?”
Qin Jiaojiao was just reaching for the hair dryer. Hearing this, she smiled. “Sure.”
She sat down at the vanity mirror and watched through the reflection as Zhou Shaoli retrieved the blow dryer from the bathroom, his long legs bringing him right behind her.
Plugging in the dryer, Zhou Shaoli removed the hair-drying cap. His long, slender fingers gently traced through her soft tresses as a warm breeze washed over her hair.
Because the air conditioning in the bedroom was turned up high, she didn’t feel hot at all. His movements were somewhat unpracticed, yet remarkably gentle.
Qin Jiaojiao squinted her eyes in pure contentment, looking at the man in the mirror through lowered lashes. He wasn’t wearing his suit jacket, clad only in a dark dress shirt, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting on his high nose bridge, giving him a cool, refined aura.
Who could have guessed that beneath those tailored clothes lay such terrifyingly explosive physical power? Qin Jiaojiao pondered silently: Before going to sleep tonight, I definitely need to set ground rules with him.
Once her hair was completely dry, the man’s soft voice sounded above her head. “All done.”
Qin Jiaojiao picked up a comb to smooth her hair. The moment she stood up, Zhou Shaoli gathered her into his arms.
His kiss fell upon her lips with a mix of gentleness and intensity, gently parting her teeth to tangle with her tongue.
Leaning against his chest, Qin Jiaojiao gave him a light push, but he locked his arms firmly around her waist, drawing her thin nightgown close against his body so she could feel how scalding hot he was beneath his clothes.
Unlike before, this kiss carried a touch of domineering passion amidst its lingering tenderness, instantly turning her limbs to jelly.
After kissing her for a short while, she pushed him away, panting softly. “No… we can’t.”
Zhou Shaoli looked down at her, the dark undercurrents beneath his gold-rimmed glasses clear as day to her. His voice sounded cold yet distinctly raspy. “I’ll go take a shower.”
That’s not what I meant!
Qin Jiaojiao thought for a second, then whined, “Yesterday was way too intense, my waist is still sore.”
Zhou Shaoli paused, his grip around her waist tightening slightly as he asked in a low voice, “Is it really that uncomfortable?”
Entering a whole new world for the first time, he had been consumed by an intense desire to explore, wanting to pull her along into the bliss, which caused him to lose control somewhat.
Qin Jiaojiao feigned extreme exhaustion. “I was busy outside all day today. I’m really tired.”
Zhou Shaoli forcefully suppressed the restless heat inside his body. “Go rest in bed first. I’ll take a shower and come give you a massage in a bit.”
“…”
Qin Jiaojiao watched him head into the walk-in closet to grab his sleepwear before walking into the bathroom. Suddenly, it dawned on her—last night, it was precisely while he was massaging her that she had unintentionally seduced him, causing him to lose his restraint in the first place!
Translator’s note
- A famous figure from Chinese history renowned for his moral purity ↩︎
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