The contract lay between them on the bar table, untouched yet alive—like a loaded weapon waiting for one of them to pull the trigger.
Jiang Yue's fingers traced the edge of the paper, her expression unreadable.
"This isn't exactly the usual dinner conversation," she muttered, eyes flicking toward the legal clause titled: Duration: Six Months, with Optional Renewal.
Lu Zeyan didn't blink. "Then again, I'm not exactly a usual blind date."
She chuckled, more amused than offended. "So, let me get this straight. We get married. Secretly. No emotional obligation. You handle the paperwork. I get protection and perks. You get... what? A placeholder wife to impress your parents?"
Zeyan leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"I get peace. And a useful partnership. You'll understand soon."
Jiang Yue raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're hiding from someone."
"I am," he said simply. "The whole world.
She watched him. Really watched him.
Something about his tone—cool but not cold. Serious, but not dramatic. It made her curious, if nothing else.
"Alright," she said at last, tapping the paper. "But I'm not calling you 'husband' in public. Not even once."
"Good," he replied. "Neither am I."
Two days later.
The civil registry office was nearly empty, save for a bored clerk flipping through his phone and a sleepy couple signing child custody papers.
Zeyan handed over the marriage application. The clerk glanced up, eyes dull.
"You both want it to remain unannounced?"
Jiang Yue nodded. "Yes. Secret marriage. No public disclosure."
The man shrugged. "Not my business."
Ten minutes later, they walked out of the building, husband and wife in the eyes of the law—but no one else.
Jiang Yue held the small red booklet between her fingers like it was a strange souvenir.
"So ... that's it?" she asked.
"That's it."
She squinted at him. "No honeymoon?"
"I'll buy you coffee," he offered dryly.
[System Notice: New Milestone Achieved – "Hidden Contract Marriage"] Popularity Points: +0.000003428
Business Points: +0.00
Emotional Bond Tier: 1 (Neutral-Aware)
System Commentary: "Host has completed an unconventional but potentially high-yield partnership. Monitoring chemistry curve."
Zeyan snorted. "Now you're a relationship coach?"
Response: "System does not engage in emotional speculation. Merely outcome projections."
Later that night, Jiang Yue stood in her worn-out studio apartment, staring at the marriage certificate again. She turned it over, again and again, like it might suddenly change its meaning.
She'd accepted for practical reasons: escaping her creepy landlord, cutting off her manipulative aunt, and maybe—just maybe—creating a stable bubble around herself.
She never expected the man on the other side to be calm. Controlled. Unbothered.
She didn't know his secrets.
But something told her... he wasn't ordinary.
Meanwhile, across the city, Lu Zeyan sat in a rented co-working space with nothing but a beat-up laptop, a spreadsheet, and the weight of his second life pressing against his spine.
He had no time to waste.
[New Mission: "First Profit Pulse"] Objective: Generate 1,000 RMB in profit from original production content (legal and traceable) Time Limit: 15 Days
Reward: 5 Business Points
[Script Vault – Holiday Notice: Valentine's Week Approaching. Romance IP Discount Estimated: 10.78%]
System Tip: Recommend launching a short romantic animation teaser to capitalize on mobile viewer traffic. Budget range: 800–1500 RMB.
Risk Level: Moderate. Reward Curve: Steep with strong character design.
He clicked on the Vault tab.
Hundreds of icons appeared, glowing with genre labels and market predictions.
But he had no points—yet.
Until then, he needed to create content manually.
Zeyan opened a blank animation storyboard software and began sketching character outlines.
He wasn't an artist—but he'd learned enough to mock up ideas before hiring freelancers.
His first short would be simple.
A girl who thinks love is stupid—until she meets a boy who speaks in flowers.
Just 90 seconds.
But enough to go viral, if done right.
The next morning, Jiang Yue found herself staring at a deposit of 2,000 RMB in her account.
A message followed:
[From: Husband-But-Not-Really]
"Relocation stipend. Your landlord's not worth dealing with. Found a decent rental—two blocks from a stunt coordinator I'm planning to work with. Check the address."
She nearly dropped her phone.
"...This man," she muttered. "He's either a control freak or a guardian angel."
Then she grinned.
Maybe both.
[System Notice: Passive Emotional Bond Strengthened]
Popularity Points: +0.000113420
Updated Projection: Jiang Yue Star Potential now 89.301274020%