Beneath the Marriage Pact

On the top floor of the Ling Group headquarters building, the glass curtain wall of the conference room frames the entire city's splendor as a backdrop, but this dazzling view does not dampen the low air pressure inside at all. Shen Zhixia, clutching the corner of her shirt, stood by the long table. The cuffs of her cheap cotton T-shirt were worn to the fringes, out of place among the spotless Italian leather sofas and the seven-figure abstract paintings on the wall. She had just returned from a ten-hour train ride in a small southern town, and her suitcase was left at the front desk downstairs when she was pulled straight here. "Miss Shen, please have a seat." Uncle Zhao, Ling Xu 'an's assistant, pushed over a chair in a polite but cold voice. Shen Zhixia did not move, her gaze fixed on the gilded cover of the long table - the four bold words "Marriage Agreement" pierced her eyes like a red-hot iron. The man in the main seat finally lifted his eyelids. Ling Xu 'an was dressed in a deep grey haute couture suit, with the collar of his shirt tightly fastened, and the minimalist electronic watch on his left wrist was ticking silently. He didn't look at her. His fingertips slid rapidly across the touchscreen, on which the stock market curve was like an unruly snake, with red and green numbers flashing alternately. "Mr. Ling called me here for this?" Shen Zhixia spoke first, her voice a little hoarse, from the dryness of the long train ride. Ling Xu 'an stopped his movements and shifted his gaze from the screen to her face, those eyes like chilled glass beads: "Miss Shen has just returned to the Shen family and probably doesn't know the situation." He reached out and pushed the agreement. The document slid out half a foot on the smooth table and stopped in front of Shen Zhixia. "Sign it and you'll be Mrs. Ling." Shen Zhixia bent down to pick up the agreement, and as soon as her fingertip touched the paper, it shrank - the paper was too thick and stiff, and the edge cut her finger pad painfully. She turned the pages, her gaze sweeping over the terms "neither party interferes in private life after marriage", "The marriage lasts for one year", "the marriage is automatically dissolved upon expiration and there are no property disputes", and finally stopped in the signature section at the end. "Amicable divorce after one year..." She murmured, suddenly laughing and looking up at Ling Xu 'an, "Mr. Ling has laid all the way out." "Both of us." Ling Xu 'an's gaze fell back to the stock market screen, the index had just dropped 0.3 points, and he frowned slightly, "Mr. Shen didn't tell you? The Shen family now has a broken capital chain and is in urgent need of Ling's capital injection. And you are the only bargaining chip they can offer." Shen Zhixia's fingers, clutching the agreement, tightened sharply. She said how could her father suddenly have a change of heart and take her back to the Shen family? It turned out he was waiting here. Her mother died in a strange way. She came back to the Shen family to find out the truth, but she had no resources and no backing. She couldn't even touch her mother's old belongings. The agreement seemed like a shortcut by a crooked way. "What good do I get?" She asked straightforwardly, as if bargaining. "Mrs. Ling's status will give you a firm footing in the Shen family." Ling Xu 'an finally looked straight at her, the corners of his mouth curved into a very faint curve, but there was not a hint of a smile. "What you want to investigate requires authority; And authority requires status." Shen Zhixia's heart gave a sudden jolt. Did he know she was going to look into her mother? She had only been back to the Shen family for less than twenty-four hours, and this man was too well-informed. "Also," Ling Xu 'an added, his voice as cold as the air from an air conditioner, "the Ling database has opened basic access to Mrs. Ling, and your mother worked with the Ling family before her death. There might be something you want in it." This statement hit Shen Zhixia's weak spot completely. She took a deep breath and picked up the pen from the table. The metal body of the pen was icy cold. With the nib hanging above the signature bar, she paused and looked at Ling Xu 'an: "Aren't you afraid that I'll play tricks?" "Can you do it?" Ling Xu 'an sneaked and turned to another interface. On the screen were Shen Zhixia's rental contract in the small town, her pay slip for odd jobs, and even her adoptive mother's hospital bill before her death. "Miss Shen is not qualified to negotiate terms with me in her current situation." Shen Zhixia's nails dug deep into her palm, causing her eyes to heat up in pain. She knew she was like a piece of fish on the chopping board, but still felt embarrassed to be exposed so blatantly. "Sign." " Ling Xu 'an's voice was undulating. "For us, this is the best solution." The pen fell on the paper, and she wrote the word "Shen Zhixia" quickly and forcefully, with the last stroke breaking the page. She put down the pen and pushed the agreement back, her fingertips pale from the force: "I hope Mr. Ling keeps his word." Ling Xu 'an picked up the agreement, glanced at the signature, and pulled out his pen from the pen holder. He signed with a very steady pen tip, and the three characters "Ling Xu 'an" were sharp and aggressive, just like his man. After signing, he handed the agreement to Uncle Zhao: "Take it for notarization." "Wait." Shen Zhixia suddenly spoke, "I have one more condition." Ling Xu 'an raised his eyebrows as if he were looking at a shameless buffoker: "You say." "I'm going to be part of the Ling family and the Shen family's collaboration project." She met his gaze, not flinching at all. "Just granting permission is not enough. I want to see with my own eyes what's behind those data." Ling Xu 'an stared at her for a full five seconds, and the room was so quiet that the sound of the air conditioning could be heard. Just as Shen Zhixia thought he would refuse, he suddenly laughed: "Yes. But if you mess it up, you have to bear the consequences yourself." He paused and his tone turned cold again, "and remember your identity. Don't think about anything that doesn't belong to you, especially feelings." "Rest assured, Mr. Ling." Shen Zhixia stood up and dusted off the corner of her clothes. "I'm more interested in the firewall in Ling's server than in your heart." She turned and walked towards the door. When she reached the glass door, she stopped and turned back. "Right, Mr. Ling, that pen just now is nice. Can you give it to me?" Ling Xu 'an was stunned for a moment, not understanding what she meant. Shen Zhixia pointed to the pen he had just used: "After all, it's a pen from a marriage contract. Keep it as a memento. In case I forget how I got what I needed today, I can check the ink on the pen." Ling Xu 'an's face darkened and he didn't speak. Uncle Zhao, quick-witted, quickly picked up the pen and handed it to Shen Zhixia. Shen Zhixia took the pen, stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans, waved at Ling Xu 'an, and smiled with a hint of cunning as if the prank had succeeded: "I'll keep Mrs. Ling's spot for you for the time being." The moment the glass door closed, Ling Xu 'an withdrew his gaze and looked back at the stock market screen. At some point, the Shanghai Composite Index had risen by 0.5 points, but he had no mind to look. His fingertips tapped the table unconsciously, and in his mind repeated the eyes hidden under the long bangs when Shen Zhixia signed - astonishingly bright, like stars quenched with fire. "Boss," Uncle Zhao couldn't help speaking, "this Miss Shen seems a bit different from the rumors." It is said that this true daughter of the Shen family is cowardly and rustic, but the confrontation just now was clearly a fox with thorns. Ling Xu 'an did not respond. He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. The bitterness of the black coffee spread on his tongue. He suddenly recalled that when Shen Zhixia first came in, she carried a faint scent of gardenia, which was out of place in the room filled with the smell of caffeine. "Have someone keep an eye on her." He whispered, "Don't let her get too close to the Shen family." Uncle Zhao responded with a "yes", but in his heart he was constantly puzzled. Did the boss mean that Miss Shen would be bullied or that she would be led astray? Shen Zhixia had already walked out of Ling's building, with a pen in her pocket pressing against her thigh. She looked up at the building that reached into the clouds, and the sunlight made her squint. "A year." She whispered into the air, "Mum, wait for me." Having said that, she turned towards the subway station, her cheap canvas shoes crunching on the marble floor, as if striking the first beat for this mutually desired deal. As soon as Shen Zhixia reached the entrance of the subway station, her phone vibrated. It was an unfamiliar number and the place of origin showed local. She swiped to answer, and a shrill female voice came through the receiver, with undisguised mockery: "Shen Zhixia? I'm Shen Yuwei. Dad told you to hurry back to the old house and not to make a fool of yourself outside." Shen Zhixia tightened her grip on the phone. Shen Yuwei, the daughter born to Shen's father after his second marriage, is her nominal sister. In just a few hours since she was brought back to the Shen family, the name had been chewed countless times by the servants - spoiled, mean, and treating Shen Zhixia as a thorn in their side. "Got it." Shen Zhixia responded indifferently, not intending to argue with her. "Come back as soon as you know!" Shen Yuwei's voice rose sharply. "Also, don't dress like a junk collector. The threshold of the old house is not something you can step on casually." With a snap, she hung up the phone, leaving only a busy signal on the receiver. Shen Zhixia looked at the dimming screen and suddenly laughed. Picking up junk? She looked down at her washed-out jeans and old T-shirt, which indeed had nothing to do with the Shen family's glamorous appearance. Compared to the calculations wrapped in fine clothes, her "tattered" outfit was at least clean. She didn't go to the subway station and turned to the bus stop by the roadside. There was no rush to get back to the Shen family. She had to go somewhere first. The bus wobbled through most of the city and stopped at the entrance of an old alley. Shen Zhixia got off the bus, turned into the alley, and stopped in front of a small shop with a sign that read "Watch Repair and Key Replacement". "Uncle Li." She pushed open the door and the wind chimes jingled. The shop was filled with the smell of engine oil and metal, and an old man with grizzled hair was repairing a watch with a magnifying glass. Hearing the sound, the old man raised his head, froze for a moment when he saw Shen Zhixia, then put down his tools and stood up: "Xia girl? Why did you come back?" Uncle Li is an old friend of his foster mother's. When she was studying in the small town, she often came here to help her foster mother get her repaired old watch. "Uncle Li, I'm back to check something." Shen Zhixia walked up to the counter and pulled out something wrapped in layers of plastic bags from her pocket. "This is my mother... Shen Qingyao left her watch. Last time you said the movement was broken, could it be repaired again? It was a ladies' quartz watch, with a piece of paint chipped off the edge of the dial and the strap worn shiny. It looked quite old. It was given to her by her foster mother on her deathbed, saying, "It is the only thought your biological mother left behind." Uncle Li took the watch and sighed: "Your mother's matter... Alas." He didn't ask any more questions and put on a magnifying glass to examine carefully. "The movement is very rusty and needs to be taken apart and dealt with slowly. Are you in a hurry for it?" "Don't worry. Take your time to fix it." Shen Zhixia shook her head and glanced over the shelves behind the counter. "By the way, Uncle Li, my mother... Did you ever mention the Ling family?" Uncle Li paused his watch repair hand and looked up at her: "The Ling family? Which Ling family?" "That's the tech Ling Group." "It seems... It was mentioned once." Uncle Li frowned and recalled, "It was about half a year before your mother passed away. She came to pick up the watch and kept saying to me, 'The waters of the Ling family are too deep to touch.' I didn't say much about it. She looked very pale at the time, as if she had been frightened." Shen Zhixia's heart sank. Can't touch? But now not only is she involved, but she has also signed a marriage certificate and become a member of the Ling family. "Thank you, Uncle Li. You can call me when the watch is fixed." She fished out a few crumpled coins from her pocket and placed them on the counter. "Money for repairing watches." "Hey, you child..." Uncle Li was about to push the money back when Shen Zhixia turned and opened the door. "I'm leaving, Uncle Li. I'll come to see you next time." As I walked out of the old alley, the sun was much stronger than before. Shen Zhixia stood by the roadside, looking at the busy street, and suddenly felt that the marriage agreement was like a net. She thought she had taken the initiative to get in to catch fish, but now she realized that perhaps she had been in the net since the moment her mother had a connection with the Ling family. The phone rang again, and this time it was Shen's driver, saying he was waiting for her at the alley entrance. Shen Zhixia took a deep breath and walked towards the black Mercedes-Benz. No matter how dense the pipe network was, she had to take a chance. On the top floor of Ling's building, Uncle Zhao placed the notarized agreement in front of Ling Xu 'an. "Boss, it's all done. The Civil affairs Office has an appointment for next Wednesday. You and Miss Shen need to go there in person." Ling Xu 'an made a "mm-hmm" and did not take his eyes off the computer screen. It was more detailed information about Shen Zhixia than it was retrieved in the morning - she grew up in a small southern town and her adoptive mother was a retired teacher who died of illness three years ago; Shen Zhixia herself was a good student and was admitted to a local key university, but because she couldn't afford the tuition fees, she dropped out of school after only one year to work. She worked as a waitress in a restaurant, a cashier in a supermarket, and even set up a stall selling trinkets at a night market. A resume as clean as a blank sheet of paper, yet resilient. "Where did she just go?" Ling Xu 'an suddenly asked. Uncle Zhao was stunned for a moment, quickly retrieved the location record: "Went to the old alley in the south of the city, found a watch repairman, and then was picked up by the Shen family's car." He added, "The Shen family called and said there was a family dinner in the evening and asked Miss Shen to go back and prepare. Ling Xu 'an tapped on the line "Night market stall" with his finger: "Can she handle the Shen family's dinner?" "Hard to say." " "The second daughter of the Shen family, Shen Yuwei, is said to be not very fond of her. And Mr. Shen doesn't seem to have much affection for this daughter either." Ling Xu 'an said nothing and closed the information page. The stock market curve popped up again on the screen, glaring green. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Chen Mo, do me a favor." He said to the other end of the line, "Get Shen Zhixia a visitor account with the highest privileges and access to Ling's public cooperation data for the past five years, with core database encryption." Chen Mo on the other end of the line, a college classmate of Ling Xu 'an and now the technical director of Ling, was stunned for a long time: "Boss, you don't have a fever, do you? Granting permission to someone you just met? Or the Shen family?" Who doesn't know the Ling and Shen families are sworn enemies? "Do as I say." Ling Xu 'an's tone was unquestionable. "The note is' Mrs. Ling '." After hanging up the phone, Uncle Zhao looked at his boss, his eyes filled with "You're not right." Ling Xu 'an was uncomfortable looking at him and frowned: "Something?" "Boss, you are... Are you really going to have Miss Shen check the data?" Uncle Zhao asked cautiously, "What if she's an undercover agent sent by the Shen family..." "She isn't." Ling Xu 'an interrupted him, in a definite tone, "she's looking into her mother's matter, nothing to do with the sordid Shen family." He had just seen in the materials that Shen Zhixia's mother, Shen Qingyao, died in an "accident" ten years ago, and Shen's father remarried less than half a year after her death. There must be something wrong with it. Uncle Zhao was still not at ease: "One must be on guard against people." Ling Xu 'an picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. The bitterness woke him up a lot: "The permission I gave was only to see the public data. She really wants to cause trouble, but she doesn't have that ability." After a pause, he added, "Send someone to watch over the Shen family dinner party and don't let her be bullied too badly." Uncle Zhao sighed in his heart. His boss was a typical "tough on the outside but soft on the inside". He replied, "Yes," and turned to make arrangements, but was stopped by Ling Xu 'an at the door. "Wait a moment." Ling Xu 'an looked out of the window. "Send her a dress over there. Just say... The Ling family's rule is to wear formal attire to dinner parties." Uncle Zhao could hardly hold back his laughter. The boss could come up with such an excuse to show off to Miss Shen.