22 Beloved

Chapter 22

A while ago, there was a contractual marriage; now, it was time to register the marriage officially.

No matter how many times, Xuan Congnan found it hard to accept quickly.

“Are you in trouble again?” he asked with difficulty.

“Yeah,” Gu Shi said, “only you can help me.”

Registering a marriage and a contractual marriage were different. One was real; the other was fake.

When the contractual marriage ended, Xuan Congnan took the money and left, without any major issues.

But a marriage certificate had legal effect. If divorced, Xuan Congnan would be remarried, not a first marriage anymore.

Since childhood, Xuan Congnan had been a rather conservative person; remarriage was not comparable to the first marriage.

Although after breaking up with Shen Qian, he had thought he would never date again, a lifelong commitment like registering a marriage could not be agreed upon lightly.

He refused to continue the topic and rejected it with silence.

Gu Shi left, leaving behind the last piece of cake. The living room lost the presence of another person, and Xuan Congnan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn’t agreed to help, so Gu Shi surely wasn’t happy. But being unhappy didn’t help; the marriage certificate couldn’t be registered.

Xuan Congnan poked the cake, feeling frustrated.

Gu Shi came back.

“These are all my bank cards, property certificates, several cars,” Gu Shi laid out many papers and documents neatly on the table and explained to Xuan Congnan, “I know I’m abrupt and impolite, but since we’ve already signed a contract marriage, not a single document should be missing. My mother is very smart. She knows I’ve been in the entertainment industry for so many years and would fake a marriage to appease family and others. Many in the entertainment circle do this. The only way to convince her is for me to register the marriage officially—this cannot be faked. Setting family aside, I’ve earned some money from filming and work over the years. Although not much, I do have a hundred million. If we register the marriage and it’s legally binding, after one year, if you want, we can divorce. Then half of all my assets will belong to you.”

He spoke nonstop in one breath.

“Fifty million?” Xuan Congnan quietly gasped.

“More than that,” Gu Shi said, “I also have properties and cars. If you don’t want those, I can convert them into cash for you. My parents definitely won’t treat you unfairly. Even if we separate, they won’t speak ill of you. They are very good people, really. If we truly separate, you’d get at least a hundred million.”

Xuan Congnan sucked in a cold breath, and the last piece of cake he hadn’t yet eaten slipped from his mouth in shock.

A hundred million, remarriage…

Is the first marriage really that important?

It seemed not so crucial.

From early on, Xuan Congnan had been saving twenty million. Before meeting Gu Shi, he knew that relying on painting alone, earning twenty million in a lifetime was almost impossible, but he persisted. Maybe someday, like his mother, he would become a great painter.

But that hope was as slim as earning twenty million.

The documents lying on the table suddenly seemed alive, waving their hands, urging Xuan Congnan to agree.

His parents had told him never to compromise on things he didn’t want to do because of external pressure.

“I—I’ll think it over!” Xuan Congnan hurriedly looked away from Gu Shi’s bank cards, not wanting to watch them dance.

“Okay,” Gu Shi said softly, “when can you give me an answer?”

Xuan Congnan tried to say, “Within three days.”

“Good,” Gu Shi replied.

That night, Xuan Congnan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Divorced meant remarried; remarriage was frowned upon, people would be judgmental. But after breaking up with Shen Qian, he had sworn off love, let alone marriage or remarriage.

Remarriage was just remarriage...

He had never made such a big decision and had no adult to consult; he felt anxious.

“Congnan.”

Xuan Congnan immediately froze, forgetting there was someone beside him.

“Hmm?”

Gu Shi lay flat and said, “I can’t sleep.”

“…Me neither.”

The next day, with classes to teach, Xuan Congnan forced himself to close his eyes, silently chanting, “Sleep, sleep, sleep, a hundred million won’t run away.”

—

“What time did you fall asleep yesterday?” Gu Shi made two hearty sandwiches for breakfast and looked into Xuan Congnan’s eyes.

Xuan Congnan: “Don’t know. You didn’t sleep well either.”

“Mm,” Gu Shi touched beneath his eyelid with a fingertip, “I was worried you wouldn’t agree to marry me, so I didn’t sleep all night.”

Xuan Congnan took a big bite of sandwich and said, “If I don’t agree, you can find someone else.”

He wasn’t the only option.

The thought of a hundred million going to someone else unsettled him.

“No, only you can,” Gu Shi said.

He handed Xuan Congnan a cup of warm milk. “Don’t just eat, drink some milk too.”

Xuan Congnan took it half a beat late.

Their fingertips accidentally brushed, and he instinctively pulled away.

Gu Shi put the milk on the table beside Xuan Congnan’s hand and quietly withdrew.

“Why didn’t you sleep well?” he asked.

Xuan Congnan spoke honestly, “…I’m afraid the hundred million won’t be mine.”

Gu Shi smiled softly and said, “Then marry me.”

Xuan Congnan whispered, “I said I’d think about it.”

“Okay,” Gu Shi said.

With his backpack packed for the day, Xuan Congnan changed shoes and said, “I have classes in the morning and afternoon, won’t be back at noon. Don’t wait for me to eat.”

“Okay,” Gu Shi urged, “Congnan, please think it over carefully.”

The morning class was for a boy. Xuan Congnan remembered the last time he said the boy could have his own style, but to go for the art college entrance exam, a solid foundation was needed, so the boy studied seriously.

“Brother, is this drawing correct?” The boy pointed to a bunch of lines that looked like they were drawn with a ruler.

Xuan Congnan: “Yes. Very good.”

The afternoon class was for a girl. She barely spoke to Xuan Congnan and after finishing her drawings, would just glance at him without a word.

Xuan Congnan also loved quiet and enjoyed this atmosphere, feeling time flow gently, content and at ease.

The drawing paper was covered with various blended color patches, chaotic but fiercely aggressive in color use. Xuan Congnan knew this girl had a rich world living in her eyes and heart.

“You have a world inside you,” Xuan Congnan said, “A world that belongs to you. It’s very beautiful.”

The girl looked at him; her mature gaze made her seem unlike an eleven-year-old.

Because the child was special, her parents always stayed nearby.

At that moment, the girl said, “Hmm.”

Her mother was stunned, glanced at Xuan Congnan in confusion, then looked happily at her daughter.

Her eyes were wet.

Xuan Congnan felt nothing special; he just thought it should be that way and said, “Let’s continue.”

—

“What’s the use of you drawing more? Can you compare to Xuan Congnan? He’s already earning money with his paintings. Why are you still wasting money?!” Xuan Ye turned the house upside down looking for money. Finding none, he saw Xuan Zhuoyao holed up in his room drawing a bunch of messy, ugly scribbles. Reeking of alcohol, he shouted, “You said you had a hundred thousand yuan? Give it to me!”

“What are you doing?! What do you want?! Didn’t Yaoyao’s hundred thousand get wasted on your good-for-nothing brother?! Get away, don’t touch him!!” Zhuo Yajun rushed in and pushed Xuan Ye away, baring her teeth like a lioness protecting Xuan Zhuoyao, yelling, “Get out of here!!!”

When sober, Xuan Ye never hit anyone and would even kneel to apologize to Zhuo Yajun, saying he didn’t want to be like this, leading to a constant power struggle between them. But now, drunk Xuan Ye demanded money and resorted to violence.

Xuan Zhuoyao paled and hid behind Zhuo Yajun.

Years ago, Xuan Ye came home drunk, staggered to Xuan Zhuoyao’s room, and asked, “If I divorced your mother, who would you choose to live with?”

Xuan Zhuoyao knew it was a trap and lowered his head, refusing to answer.

Xuan Ye gently pushed his head, saying kindly, “Say it, I won’t hit you.”

“I…”

“What?”

Under persistent questioning, Xuan Zhuoyao couldn’t avoid answering a second time in a faint voice, “Mom.”

“Smack!”

A harsh slap landed on his head, his ears and eyes ringing. Before he could react, Xuan Ye grabbed his collar and threw him onto the floor repeatedly.

“Give me the money! As long as I get one more hand, I’m sure I can win!” Xuan Ye was frantic.

Zhuo Yajun cried and shouted, “Where am I supposed to get money for you! When I married you, I wanted a good life, but look at your brother…”

“Smack!!!” Xuan Ye slapped her furiously. “Everyone compares me to Xuan Yunting, even you! You really have guts, shut up, you bitch!! I just can’t beat him, so what? Can your son beat my brother’s son? He’s a complete waste! No money? Yet you rent all those designer clothes to show off, hanging around those rich ladies’ circles. How much money have they given you?!”

“Ah—what did you say? How dare you mock me?” Zhuo Yajun screamed and clawed at Xuan Ye’s face recklessly, “You’re useless yourself but won’t let me climb up? Your good nephew can give you money, why don’t you tie him up and throw him on Mr. Zhang’s bed!”

“Yeah… yeah, that’s right,” Xuan Ye said. “He doesn’t want to marry, but what can he do? He has to marry.”

He staggered out, his steps quickening considerably.

After refusing Hu Yue’s new job offer over the phone, Gu Shi waited for Xuan Congnan to finish work at home.

Bored with nothing to do, he didn’t dare message Xuan Congnan for fear of disturbing him.

Time passed steadily, and Gu Shi often went to the balcony window to look out. Like a stone statue waiting for her husband, he kept watching downstairs just to be the first to see Xuan Congnan’s figure return.

Around six in the evening, Xuan Congnan still hadn’t come back. A drunken middle-aged man appeared at the community gate.

He first tried to bypass the security guard and rush into the community but was sternly stopped. Seeing the guard take out a baton as a warning, the man stepped back a few paces and spoke politely.

“My nephew lives here. He told me to come over.”

“Even if your old man lives here, it’s useless,” the guard said. “I’ve told you many times—people who don’t live here can’t get in. If your family sent you, call them to come pick you up.”

Unyielding, Xuan Ye sulked and retreated to the roadside, crouching on the curb, glaring hatefully at the community gate, thinking about chewing Xuan Congnan up and swallowing him whole.

His uncle couldn’t eat or dress well at home, yet he had moved into such a nice place.

Having a fox-like face, wasn’t he sold?

That was a million…

“Gu Shi?” Hu Yue answered the phone mockingly, “Just refused a job and now you’re calling? What’s up?”

Gu Shi: “I can’t go out. Someone is bullying my lover; come help.”

“Already lovers?!” Hu Yue got excited and asked, “Where? Where?!”

Before guiding Gu Shi into the entertainment circle, Hu Yue was notorious for his temper. Over ten years ago, he was a sanda champion, and few artists wanted to follow him, fearing he couldn’t control himself and would beat them up.

Gu Shi gave him an address. Hu Yue laughed out loud: “Hahaha, now I know where you live! Bullying you means bullying me. He won’t leave today. Just wait, I’ll beat him up.”