Chapter 7.1
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Fan Changyu quickly clarified, “It would only be a temporary arrangement.”
She then laid out her plan in detail: “After we go through the marriage rites, you’d be known as my husband who married into my family, which would secure the property my parents left behind. My family still has some savings, so once the house and land are officially under my name, I’d be able to cover all expenses. I’ll hire the best doctor in town to treat your injuries, using the finest medicines. Once you’ve recovered, whether you stay or leave is up to you.”
Xie Zheng lifted his gaze, his slightly upturned eyes intensifying the cool, distant aura he exuded. “Aren’t you worried that once I leave, your uncle will come after the property again?”
Fan Changyu replied, “Once the house and land are transferred, I won’t be afraid of his troublemaking, no matter what he tries. Besides, if you leave, I’ll just tell everyone you had business far away. No one would know the truth either way.”
Xie Zheng’s expression was inscrutable as he commented, “You certainly have thought this through.”
Changyu couldn’t tell if his tone was approving or critical, and, feeling a bit awkward, she asked, “So… what do you think?”
“Let me think it over,” he replied, his gaze lowering as he seemed to genuinely consider her proposal.
Fan Changyu couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. She replayed her earlier words in her mind. Though she had said that he could leave or stay after recovering, she hadn’t clarified what she would offer him if he chose to go, nor what she could promise if he decided to stay.
Thinking it over quickly, she added, “If you decide to leave once you’re healed, I’ll make sure you have enough funds for the journey. But if you have nowhere else to go…” She glanced at his pale face and the wounds covering him. His undergarments had been bloodstained again yesterday, so Carpenter Zhao, unable to find anything better, had dressed him in an old, tattered coarse hemp garment he had lying around.
His hands, aside from being scraped and bruised, were also covered in calluses and cracked skin, evidence that he hadn’t lived an easy life. At this moment, he was both ill and impoverished. With a surge of boldness, Fan Changyu made a grand promise: “Don’t worry, I’ll slaughter pigs to support you!”
Xie Zheng: “…”
The expression on his face was truly priceless in that moment.
If anyone who truly knew him were present, just hearing such words would be enough for them to start considering their preferred method of demise. To dare boast about supporting him—under heaven, probably only this woman in front of him would be so audacious.
But if she knew his real identity, she’d likely never say such a thing. In fact, she might have let him die out there in the snow without a second thought. Reflecting on this, a faint trace of mockery appeared in Xie Zheng’s eyes.
He asked, “Why?”
Fan Changyu looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
He was unusually patient at this moment, genuinely curious about the reasoning behind her bold promise. “We have no familial connection, and if my injuries don’t fully heal, I’ll likely become a cripple. Why would you support me? What’s in it for you?”
Changyu replied with utmost sincerity, “You’re handsome.”
Xie Zheng was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a shallow reason. After a long pause, he frowned and asked, “That’s it?”
Fan Changyu blinked innocently, as if to say, What else could it be?
Xie Zheng knew his appearance wasn’t lacking, but it was the first time someone had so directly complimented him on his looks. “There are plenty of people with outstanding appearances in this world,” he replied.
Changyu shrugged. “But the one I carried back from the snow just so happened to be you.”
She had meant it as a simple response to his statement about others being good-looking. But after she said it, she noticed that his gaze on her grew even more peculiar.
Only then did she realize how her words might be misinterpreted and quickly added, “I mean… maybe it was just fate.”
Being someone who valued appearances, she’d just happened to rescue a man who was exceptionally good-looking. So, if he ended up with nowhere to go and they got along, she thought it wouldn’t be too bad to make do together.
If he had no interest, she certainly wouldn’t force it. After all, as the saying goes, forced fruits aren’t sweet. But before she could fully explain, he cut her off, frowning. “Once I’ve recovered, I’ll leave on my own and won’t impose further on you, Miss.”
The coolness in his eyes and expression made it clear he believed she harbored ulterior motives.
Left without words, Fan Changyu replied, “…Very well.”
It seemed he wanted nothing to do with her beyond necessity and was determined to repay his debt without leaving any strings attached. His tone was cold as he continued, “If there’s a request, name it. I will repay this life-saving kindness someday.”
Feeling deflated, Changyu waved her hand dismissively. “If you agree to a temporary marriage and help me secure my family’s property, that’s already a great help.”
She decided not to speak so freely anymore—it only seemed to lead to misunderstandings.
To her surprise, he replied, “Consider the temporary marriage as merely repayment for your hospitality.”
Fan Changyu looked up in astonishment at his strikingly handsome face, uncertain. “You mean… you agree to the temporary marriage?”
Xie Zheng nodded slightly.
Changyu almost burst into happy tears. “Then we can draft a contract as proof, setting a specific period for the marriage. When it ends, I’ll immediately write up a divorce agreement for you, no strings attached. If you wish to leave early, I’ll provide travel money and the divorce papers, with absolutely no interference.”
This way, he wouldn’t worry that she harbored any hidden intentions and would try to keep him around.
Xie Zheng sighed faintly. “That won’t be necessary.”
He lowered his gaze, then asked again, “What would your wish be, then?”
After a moment of thought, Changyu replied, “I’d like to rebuild the pigsty my father left and, eventually, raise a hundred pigs.”
“…”
It was indeed an unadorned wish, and, unsurprisingly, it was about pigs again.
After a pause, Xie Zheng said, “You can think bigger, Miss Fan.”
She thought to herself, A hundred pigs would be worth over a hundred taels of silver. That would be enough to buy a decent two-entry courtyard in town. How is that not big enough?
Feeling slightly sheepish, she raised the number. “Then… two hundred?”
Xie Zheng: “…”
Forget it, he thought. I’ll just leave her some extra silver when I leave.
Fan Changyu, seeing his silence, assumed she might have overreached with her request and said awkwardly, “As the saying goes, saving a life is greater than… building a pagoda… I’m really not looking for you to repay me…”
Xie Zheng’s eyelid twitched slightly at her attempt to recall the phrase “saving a life is greater than building a seven-story pagoda.” He interrupted her, saying, “I’ll remember your kindness, Miss Fan.”
Since he’d said as much, Changyu decided to drop the subject. Instead, she asked, “So… now that you’ve agreed to the temporary marriage, do you have any questions for me?”
Seated by the window, he shook his head slightly, seemingly unfazed by this whole temporary marriage arrangement.
Changyu thought about it and figured he was right. Since this was a fake marriage and they weren’t truly becoming husband and wife, there was no need to dig into each other’s backgrounds.
“Well,” she said, “the wedding might be a bit rushed—likely within the next couple of days.”
Xie Zheng replied simply, “However you arrange it is fine.”
His dark lashes lowered, concealing the depth in his eyes. “However, my registration documents were taken by bandits, so I’ll need to go to the government office to get a replacement.”
Fan Changyu responded, “That’s no problem. Since you’ll be marrying into my family, we can just add your registration under our household.”
With both parties in agreement, Fan Changyu didn’t linger any longer and got up to prepare for the wedding. Before leaving, she noticed the bowl of pig lung soup he hadn’t touched much and reminded him, “The soup should be cool by now—drink it up.”
Xie Zheng replied, “…Alright.”
Does she not realize her pig lung soup tastes a bit strange?