Rain splashed against the glass windows of the Han family's small apartment as Jiayan sat silently at the dining table, scrolling through his phone and trying to avoid the glares from across the room.
"Do you think this is a joke?" Han Yue, his second sister, slammed the newspaper onto the table.
On the front page: Heiress Weds Mystery Husband—Who Is the Man Beneath the Queen?
A photo of Jiayan holding hands with Li Xinyue, looking like a dazed puppy next to an empress in red, was plastered under the headline.
Han Meilin, the eldest sister, crossed her arms and paced. "So you married the Chairwoman of Li Group? Li Xinyue? Without telling anyone? What is this—some kind of prank show?"
Jiayan opened his mouth. "It's not like that—"
Yue cut in, eyes flashing. "Then what is it, Ah-Yan? We find out from gossip media that you've married into the Li family like some hidden prince?! Are you insane?!"
He looked at both his sisters. Their anger wasn't misplaced. He had come home late last night, still dizzy from the aftermath of the banquet. He hadn't even told his parents yet. But Yue and Meilin? They had sniffed out the secret like bloodhounds with Weibo alerts.
"It's a... contract marriage," he admitted, his voice soft.
Meilin froze mid-step. "What did you say?"
Jiayan sighed and rubbed his face. "It's not real. It's a deal. She needed someone, and I—"
"You sold yourself?" Yue's voice cracked. "You married a rich woman for money?!"
"No!" Jiayan stood abruptly. "I didn't sell myself! I was forced into a corner—my tuition, dad's medical bills, everything was closing in. She offered a solution, and I— I just took it."
💭 I had no choice. But how do I explain that to them without sounding weak?
The silence that followed was loud.
Meilin sat down slowly, her eyes suddenly softer. "Ah-Yan... we've always struggled, but we never asked you to throw your dignity away."
"It's not about dignity!" Jiayan snapped, then lowered his voice. "She's not... she's not cruel. Controlling, yes. Demanding, definitely. But she's not a monster."
"Yet." Yue muttered.
Jiayan's phone buzzed again. A message.
📲💬 [Li Xinyue]: We have a meeting this afternoon with the PR team. Be ready. And wear the suit I had delivered. I don't want my 'husband' looking like he came off a university brochure. 💬
He sighed and tucked his phone away.
"I have to go," he said. "I'll explain more tonight."
"Ah-Yan." Meilin reached out and grabbed his hand. "Just… don't fall in love. That kind of woman—she's a different world. You'll only get hurt."
He didn't reply. 💭 Too late.
---
Jiayan arrived at the Li Group headquarters in the borrowed black Audi. The moment he stepped inside, all eyes fell on him like knives coated in curiosity.
He didn't belong here—and everyone knew it.
Xinyue met him at the elevator, her red coat fluttering like the wings of a predator. "You're late."
Jiayan bowed slightly. "Apologies."
Her eyes roamed over him. "At least the suit fits. Better."
Inside the conference room, members of the PR and legal team sat with serious faces. Xinyue sat at the head, Jiayan beside her. Everyone glanced at him like he was a ticking scandal bomb.
"This is Han Jiayan," Xinyue announced, calm and firm. "He is my husband. This marriage is real. There will be no corrections or denials from this office. If any information leaks or if I hear a whisper of disrespect—your jobs will be the least of your concerns."
Jiayan swallowed as the room nodded quickly.
The meeting continued, filled with discussions about public reception, damage control, and how to spin the narrative. Words like "charitable marriage", "unpredictable love", and "Cinderella flip" were thrown around.
After it ended, Xinyue turned to him. "You did well. Just sit there and look handsome."
"I'm not a doll," he muttered.
She smiled slyly. "No, but you're my doll now."
He frowned. "Why are you even doing this? Was marrying me really better than that other guy?"
Xinyue's expression darkened. "I control this narrative, Jiayan. Not my family. Not the public. And definitely not an heir with ego problems. You—" she paused, voice softer now, "—you were... convenient. And oddly genuine."
💭 Convenient? That stings more than it should.
His chest tightened for some reason. But he forced a smirk. "So I'm just convenient?"
"Don't act like you weren't desperate."
He looked away, jaw clenched. "Right."
---
As they walked out of the building side by side, flashbulbs exploded from the parking lot. Paparazzi had gathered like vultures. Xinyue leaned close and whispered:
"Hold my hand."
Jiayan hesitated.
"Hold it, Jiayan. Or I'll fire every one of your friends from the jobs I haven't given them yet."
He gritted his teeth—and took her hand.
Her grip was strong, warm, dominant.
💭 And my heart? Unfortunately... it wasn't quite behaving as contractually obligated.
---