manynovel Chapter 39 The Business License of Marriage
Chapter 39 The Business License of Marriage
They talk about vision, education, and future prospects, but they are all dishonest; the ordinary people talk about houses, daily life, and sincerity, but they are the ones who are least respectable.
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The following evening, Zeng Jia's idea was shattered.
Zhang Zhishan went to Hong Kong without his team or Zeng Jia this time. He only asked her to pick up her things at his home and then take her to the airport.
Zeng Jia had just gotten out of the Didi car when she saw Yu Li get out of a bright red sports car. Her steps were unsteady, clearly she had been drinking, and a strong arm was wrapped around her waist. The two were locked in a passionate kiss, like something out of an idol drama.
Zeng Jia squinted and saw that this was Wang Xiaoye, a top celebrity who had come specifically to support Yu Li at the piano competition.
Yu Li looked up and saw Zeng Jia. Her face showed no panic whatsoever; she was as calm as brushing a fallen leaf off her shoulder. She shoved Wang Xiaoye aside and waved her finger at him, telling him to get lost. Wang Xiaoye wasn't angry either. He glanced at Zeng Jia, leisurely got into his car, and sped away.
Zeng Jia stood there, so embarrassed that you could dig a courtyard house out of your toes; even a blind person could see that the relationship wasn't platonic.
She didn't dare to make a scene, and could only mutter to herself, "Why did I walk so fast? There's no cash left to pick up on the ground, so I have to keep my head up from now on..." The worst part was, who would have thought she'd brought her lover home?!
Yu Li opened the villa door, and Zeng Jia followed her in with a stiff upper lip. "President Yu, President Zhang has to go on a business trip and asked me to come back to get some clothes to change into." Actually, Zhang Zhishan wanted to get a set of jewelry that was kept at the bottom of his safe, which was why he didn't ask Lao Liu to come back.
Yu Li didn't even lift her eyelids, casually waving her hand, and Zeng Jia rushed upstairs as if she had received a pardon. She quickly found the jewelry set, then hastily tore off a few pieces of clothing, wrapped them into a bundle, and put it in a large bag, afraid of giving herself away.
She tiptoed away, trying to slip away quickly, but just as she reached the door, Yu Li's chilling voice came from the sofa: "What's the rush? Sit down for a while before you leave."
A glass of deep red wine had already been poured on the coffee table, clearly prepared for her. Zeng Jia tensed instantly. Refuse at this crucial moment? Her job would be in jeopardy!
She moved to the sofa like a primary school student being interrogated, only daring to inch along the edge.
Yu Li looked her up and down. A Maxmara coat, a small COACH bag, and a pair of dusty high heels. Brand name? More like cheap street vendor stuff. She didn't look like someone who wore such things every day.
"I still remember how you were when you first came to Tianyi." She took a sip of her drink, her voice flat. "A fresh graduate, so bright and lovely, sensible and reliable, eager to learn and work hard. Tianyi changes staff several times a year, and you managed to stay, that's quite an achievement." Her tone abruptly shifted, her sharp gaze like a razor blade. "But what about now? You're completely different!"
Zeng Jia forced a smile, her nails digging into her palms. "Mr. Yu is right. People have to grow up eventually." Pretending to be stupid was her only shield.
"As people get older, it's hard to say whether they've matured or not." Yu Li put down her wine glass, leaned forward slightly, and a sense of pressure pressed down on Zeng Jia's face. "Women need to be clear-headed. Even if you're always scheming among men, you need to figure out what you want. Otherwise, you won't get any benefits and will just end up with a vulgar air."
Zeng Jia bit her lip; how could she not sense the sarcasm? She was ready to go all out: "When President Yu said she was 'clear-headed,' did she mean living with a rift between herself and her husband, or did she mean raising her children to be identical, high-class individuals?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she was shocked. Yu Li, however, gave a cold smile. "You can't even open your heart to yourself, how can you expect others to open theirs to you? As for the children..." She spoke as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, "Someone like you, who goes to such lengths to please the boss, is inherently insecure and self-deprecating. What right do you have to talk to me about education?"
Yu Li gestured with her chin towards the corner of the living room, as if giving alms, "I didn't like that bag after I bought it, so I'll give it to you." After saying that, she walked upstairs in her high heels, clicking away.
Zeng Jia subconsciously looked at the corner of the living room, and her eyes suddenly narrowed. What was there was the GUCCI Dionysus that she had been dreaming of, but which Yu Li had casually thrown into the trash can.
She sneered, a surge of pride welling up inside her. She wanted to stand with her hands on her hips and shout, "I don't want this secondhand stuff!" and then smash the bag back at Yu Li's face. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, another voice inside her started arguing: Why shouldn't she want it? She could sell it for several thousand yuan even if it were just hanging on a salted fish.
Can backbone feed you? Can it save enough money to buy a house? Gritting her teeth, she angrily ripped the COACH bag off her shoulder and put on the heavy "Halal" bag. It has to be said, this bag can really hold a lot; it can hold her unconcealable embarrassment, and it can hold her cowardice that she refuses to admit but cannot avoid.
Zeng Jia practically fled the villa, heading straight for the airport.
On the way, she calmed down. Yu Li was actually right; she was indeed insecure. She hated being called an outsider, hated being called a small-town exam-taker, but what right did Yu Li have to insult her? Her self-deprecating insults were merely a cover for her own promiscuity. Ultimately, they were both equally cunning; who was truly superior?
Wang Haowen's head was buzzing at this moment, as if he had been hit on the head with a stick, and he was dizzy and disoriented.
He pulled strings through several connections, owing two people favors, and finally managed to arrange a meeting with "Nuonuo," the popular young actress Yu Li had specifically requested. And since her time was precious, she only gave him fifteen minutes to discuss the collaboration. But to his surprise, as soon as he stood at the apartment door, one glance nearly made him spit out his lunch. Zhang Zhishan was embracing Nuonuo's slender waist, clinging to her like conjoined twins.
Wang Haowen knew perfectly well that Zhang Zhishan was definitely having affairs, but who could have predicted that he would be caught red-handed at this crucial moment?!
When Zhang Zhishan saw Wang Haowen, the smile on his face froze instantly, and his expression was as colorful as a rainbow.
After a long pause, his face darkened, and his voice was muffled as if filled with lead, "You want to sign the will of heaven? Why don't you just come to me directly?" This question was directed at Nuonuo, not at Wang Haowen.
Nuonuo immediately pretended to be a frightened Pekingese dog, snuggling into Zhang Zhishan's arms in a coquettish voice, her tone sweet as honey: "My agent mentioned it briefly, but I didn't ask for details. Who knew it was fate?"
Zhang Zhishan patted her back perfunctorily, the gesture even more casual than brushing dust off his clothes, and said, "Get in the car and wait for me."
Nuonuo didn't dare to say anything and quickly climbed into the Maybach.
Zhang Zhishan strolled slowly with his hands behind his back to Wang Haowen. The sunlight shone down, and the shadow he cast completely covered Wang Haowen from head to toe. The oppressive feeling was like the red walls of the Forbidden City pressing down on the paint-chipped three-wheeled vehicle at the entrance of the alley.
"Find someone else, she won't get anywhere here." Zhang Zhishan snorted through his nose. "The boss of Big Media is my best friend. You can pick any artist you want there. I'll put in a good word for you, it'll work."
Wang Haowen choked abruptly, forcing a fake smile. His words sounded like a sweet treat, but they actually concealed a knife. The subtext was: if you dare say another word, you'd better pack your bags and get out of here.
"Alright, thanks for your consideration, Mr. Zhang. I'll discuss this with operations later. And please rest assured, Mr. Zhang, I'm as tight-lipped as if I had a seal on, but... Mr. Yu isn't stupid either, you know what I mean."
Zhang Zhishan scoffed, his eyes practically overflowing with disdain. He opened the heavy door of the Maybach, and before leaving, he added a sarcastic remark: "A grown man like you, spending all your time among women studying perfumes and lipsticks, how pathetic! Being a kept man isn't so easy, have some self-respect!"
With a loud bang, the car door slammed shut, completely separating the two worlds. The Maybach's exhaust pipes immediately spewed out a plume of fumes reeking of money, disappearing into the distance.
Wang Haowen stood there, choking back a sharp pain in his lungs. Only after the car had disappeared from sight did he curse, "Cheating and they think they're right? Damn it!"
Wang Haowen glanced at his watch. Yu Li had already told him not to bother her today if he had something to do. Even though he was seething with anger, he had nowhere to vent it, so he could only take this pent-up frustration home and let it fester.
When Zeng Jia pushed open the door and entered the room, the hour hand of the wall clock was almost pointing to eleven. Wang Haowen, like a shrimp whose tendons had been pulled out, was hunched over and deeply slumped in the sofa.
On the small coffee table, peanuts were scattered like a minefield, and two cans of Yanjing beer were empty. He was holding the third can to his mouth, gushing it down his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, with a sense of self-abandonment.
"What's wrong, Young Master Wang?" Zeng Jia kicked off her high heels. "Your face looks so droopy, you could just throw it into a pot and roll it into noodles." She was so tired that she was seeing stars and her head was buzzing, as if a high-speed blender was churning inside her.
Wang Haowen didn't even have the strength to lift his eyelids, but his gaze was glued to the GUCCI Dionysus that Zeng Jiaxin had brought back.
"You... just saw Zhang Zhishan off?" His voice was muffled, tinged with probing.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Zeng Jia plopped herself down on the other end of the sofa. "Just spit it out! I'm exhausted today!"
Wang Haowen sidled closer, his butt barely touching the edge of the sofa. "He walked by himself? Why didn't he take you? Haven't you thought about it carefully? Think about it! Think about it carefully!"
Zeng Jia glanced at him sideways, remained silent for a while, then suddenly reached out and shoved the Gucci Dionysus bag right under his nose. "Aren't you going to ask about this bag?"
"Isn't this the GUCCI you've been eyeing for so long?"
"Aren't you going to ask where they came from?"
"I thought you gritted your teeth and bought it yourself..." Before he could finish, he suddenly remembered something, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, "Wait! This is hush money Zhang Zhishan gave you?!"
Zeng Jia blinked and sat up straight. "So, after making me guess for so long, you saw something fishy about Zhang Zhishan?"
"Not Zhang Zhishan? Whose hush money can be this expensive... Holy crap, you went to the villa?!" Wang Haowen's eyes widened in shock. "But President Yu today, she..." He choked on the last sentence.
The two of them just stared at each other, neither saying a word, while the neighbor clearly heard the older brother scolding his son for not getting 100 on the test.
Wang Haowen remained silent until his older brother finished his first tirade, then curled his lip and said, "So these two birds of a feather haven't even parted ways yet, and they've already each gone off to build new nests. That's damn efficient!"
Zeng Jia suddenly had a flash of inspiration and finally connected the dots regarding the whereabouts of the jewelry set. But there was no surprise or unexpectedness on her face. She picked up the half-empty can of beer that Wang Haowen had finished drinking and gulped it down.
The icy liquor washed over her throat, bringing a spicy, burning sensation. "Morality?" She wiped the foam from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "That stuff is only upheld by those who uphold it. To them, it's probably all worthless."
She suddenly looked at Wang Haowen with a slightly complicated expression. "You think these two are both shrewd people? Would they not know if the other's belt was loose or not?" Did they really not know, or were they pretending not to know?
Wang Haowen's gossip-loving nature was instantly ignited: "If it were you, would you pretend to be blind?"
"Me?!" Zeng Jia raised her eyebrows. "Gou out his eyeballs, mix them into a cold dish, and feed it to him so he can taste what karma is!" After saying that, she was stunned for a moment, and Yu Li's lighthearted words "you know what you're doing" suddenly popped into her mind.
Being clear-headed means wearing a green hat like a crown? There's really a difference in how things are done.
"You've been drinking all over the place, are you thinking of telling Zhang Zhishan on you?" she suddenly asked Wang Haowen.
"You've already taken the hush money, and you're still complaining? I must be crazy." Wang Haowen said sourly, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp. "They're enjoying their freedom, while we're stuck at home worrying about nothing. We should think about ourselves. Have your parents booked their tickets for Chinese New Year? You won't get them if you don't book early. My old man's been asking about it."
Zeng Jia was distracted. "The Spring Festival is late this year, on February 17th. Let's talk about it after we finish the annual meeting."
Four days later, Zeng Jia went to the airport to pick up Zhang Zhishan to return to Beijing. She specially brought her brand-new GUCCI Dionysus. The Maybach was filled with the smell of cigars and tobacco. Zhang Zhishan seemed very happy these past few days, riding high on his success.
Zeng Jia meticulously finished reporting the backlog of work, pondered for a long time, and then made up her mind. Seemingly unintentionally, she said, "President Zhang, when I went to the villa last time to pick up something for you, I bumped into President Yu..." She paused deliberately, "...Wang Xiaoye, who was supporting President Yu, was also there. President Yu immediately tried to give me this bag, and I was afraid that refusing it would offend him and make me seem inconsiderate. But I should report this to you."
She adopted an extremely humble posture, her words conveying unwavering loyalty. Her intention wasn't entirely to warn Zhang Zhishan; who knew if Yu Li might be setting a trap, and being manipulated into a feud wouldn't be appropriate.
Zhang Zhishan flicked off his cigarette ash, his movements still steady. "If you like it, carry it. It's just a bag, how could it steal my people?" He chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery in his voice. "She's too naive."
Zeng Jia wore a perfectly respectful expression, wondering if he really hadn't noticed the hidden meaning in her words. She had made it very clear; anyone could understand it, right?
Zhang Zhishan abruptly changed the subject, bringing up the annual meeting and his mother's 80th birthday celebration in her hometown in Zhejiang. Zeng Jia quickly scrolled through her notes, not daring to mention the "cuckold incident" again.
These past few days, Wang Haowen has been like an ant roasting on a fire, scratching his head and fidgeting restlessly. Every time he sees Yu Li, the words he has to say churn within him, and several times he almost blurts them out.
But seeing how calmly Yu Li handled her work, he forced himself to swallow his words, feeling rather superfluous.
It wasn't until Yu Li came out of her best friend's house—who had just won her divorce but had also lost tens of millions to her cheating husband—that Wang Haowen cleared his throat and said with a deliberately affected sigh, "You know, even though President Liang was so strict and controlled everything, she still couldn't stop her husband from cheating on her and losing so much money..." He carefully observed Yu Li's reaction in the rearview mirror. "President Yu, you're different. You've completely let go, as if you don't care at all. That kind of magnanimity is something not everyone can have."
This statement is both flattering and insightful.
Yu Li slowly opened her eyes, her sharp gaze meeting his in the rearview mirror. Her red lips parted slightly, her tone leisurely, "You're a man too, tell me, does managing this word even work?"
"It's no use!" he answered decisively. "But there has to be a limit... You can't just let yourself run wild, right?" Wang Haowen gritted his teeth and went all out. "By the way, when I went to talk to Nuonuo, the girl you like, I happened to run into President Zhang. The reason we were able to sign the second-generation star so quickly was because President Zhang put in a good word for us with Big Media."
He pronounced the words "passed on the message" very clearly, but the subtext was that your partner was quite the busybody outside, running around quite a bit!
Yu Li's faint smile deepened. She raised her hand and casually smoothed a strand of hair at her temple. "It's all for fate, after all. He's still clear-headed about this practical benefit."
A few words, light and airy, as if discussing tomorrow's weather.
Wang Haowen's remaining "words of wisdom" were all stuck in his throat, choking him so much that he almost passed out.
Well, all that effort for nothing!
Clearly, their marriage was based solely on equity, not personal relationships; their marriage certificate had long since deteriorated into a business license.