The Contract Bride Of The Cold CEO

Frigid torrential rain lashed furiously against the city streets. The night was thick and impenetrable, even the halos of streetlamps blurred and dimmed by the downpour. In the corridor of Nancheng Hospital, pale fluorescent light drained all color from Su Wan’s face. Her slender figure stood utterly solitary in the empty hallway. She clutched a medical bill tightly, her fingertips turning white from the sheer force of her grip. The number printed on it stabbed at her heart like a sharp blade: three million yuan. Her father’s critical surgery fee had to be raised within three days. Her father lay in the intensive care unit, his vital signs fading weakly. The doctor’s words echoed ceaselessly in her mind: “Miss Su, your father’s condition is extremely critical. If the surgery fee is not gathered within three days, we can do nothing but keep him alive with palliative care.” Three days. Three million yuan. As a young woman who had only recently graduated with an ordinary family background, where could she possibly scrape together such an astronomical sum? Relatives avoided her without exception, others spoke to her with cold disdain, and even her former friends made endless excuses to stay away. The family had long been drained dry by this sudden misfortune, every last bit of savings exhausted on prior medical treatments. Despair surged over her like frigid tides, engulfing her little by little. Tears spilled uncontrollably, mingling with rainwater on her cheeks until she could no longer tell them apart. She slid down the cold wall to the floor, trembling all over, as if she would crumble beneath the weight of her hopeless predicament at any moment. Just then, a shadowy figure appeared at the far end of the corridor, shattering the dead silence. The man stood tall and upright, clad in an exquisitely tailored black suit that accentuated his towering frame. An icy, unapproachable aura radiated from him. His strikingly handsome, chiseled features were sharp and stern, his deep black eyes void of all warmth, as if nothing in the world could capture his attention. He carried an innate air of noble aloofness. He was Lu Shiyan—the supreme figure standing atop the pyramid of power in Nancheng. As the CEO of the Lu Group, he wielded immense power and boundless wealth. He was known for his cold temperament, ruthless methods, and no one dared cross him lightly. Chen Mo, his assistant, stepped forward swiftly and held a printed contract out to Su Wan. His tone was respectful yet distant, leaving no room for argument.“Miss Su, Mr. Lu will cover all your medical expenses, including all subsequent rehabilitation costs. There is only one condition.” Su Wan lifted her red-rimmed eyes toward the utterly unfamiliar man, her voice trembling with a faint glimmer of hope.“What is it? Anything within my power, I will do.” Lu Shiyan leaned slightly forward, his gaze sweeping over her with cold scrutiny. There was no affection, no tenderness—only a cold, transactional agreement. His deep, low voice held not a trace of emotion.“Marry me.” Su Wan froze completely, certain she had misheard.“You… what did you say?” “A one-year contractual marriage,” Lu Shiyan straightened, his tone unchanged. “In public, you will act as my wife, attending to all family arrangements and accompanying me to every formal occasion. In private, our personal lives remain entirely separate. You will reside quietly in the Lu residence, and you will not meddle in any of my affairs. I shall not interfere with yours either.” He paused, adding coldly:“When the year ends, the contract expires, and we owe each other nothing. I will grant you an additional sum of compensation, enough to sustain you and your father for the rest of your lives. I will not pursue you, nor will you be obligated to stay in the Lu household. Above all, you must never breathe a word of this contractual marriage to anyone.” Her heart hammered wildly in her chest. To marry a stranger, a cold and distant man, trading one year of her marriage for her father’s life. It was a reckless gamble—and her only possible way out. “Can I refuse?” her voice was faint, one last desperate spark of hope lingering. She loathed the idea of bartering her marriage, yet reality left her no alternative. Chen Mo spoke softly as a reminder:“Miss Su, no one else can come up with three million yuan in three days. No one else can save your father’s life except Mr. Lu.” Inside the intensive care unit, medical monitors beeped steadily. Those faint beeps marked her father’s dwindling life force, the final weight that broke Su Wan’s resolve. Staring into Lu Shiyan’s icy eyes, she understood she had no choice. Rain howled relentlessly outside the windows, and bitter wind drifted through the corridor, biting to the bone. Su Wan’s fingers were ice-cold. Slowly, she reached out and took the frigid contract. The moment her skin touched the paper, it felt as though she had brushed against an unyielding, cold fate. “I accept.” Three simple words, woven with despair yet tinged with quiet resignation. She could not afford to gamble, and she could not afford to lose. Watching her sign her name, Lu Shiyan’s expression remained utterly impassive. He merely instructed Chen Mo calmly:“Nine o’clock tomorrow morning, at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Also, settle all medical bills at once. Arrange the finest available physicians and ensure her father’s life is preserved at all costs.” “Yes, Mr. Lu.” With that, Lu Shiyan turned and vanished down the corridor, his black silhouette fading into the shadows. Su Wan was left alone, clutching the contract on the cold floor, tears streaming down her face once more.