Chapter 3

Jiang Yi did not agree immediately.

The person on the other end of the phone did not seem to notice how low her spirits had fallen.

“Jiang Yi, I have a meeting now. We’ll talk later.”

Jiang Yi stared at the disconnected call and tugged bitterly at the corner of her lips. Then she got up and went to the study, where she found an agreement inside the drawer of Shen Siyun’s desk.

Everything promised in it was highly tempting. Her food, clothing, housing, and transportation would all be taken care of. On top of that, there was a spending card into which a sum of money would be deposited every month for her personal expenses.

By comparison, her obligations seemed far simpler. She only needed to be a satisfactory bed partner.

Perhaps because the policy legalizing same-sex marriage had been introduced three months earlier, the agreement now included an additional responsibility: she would also have to play the role of Shen Siyun’s girlfriend whenever necessary, so Shen Siyun could deal with her friends and relatives.

But it was only an act.

The agreement did not offer Jiang Yi even the slightest chance of becoming her real girlfriend.

Then she saw the term—

Five years.

Jiang Yi’s heart went cold.

She did not know whether she should cry or laugh.

Should she feel fortunate that Shen Siyun had not grown tired of her and even wanted her to stay for another five years?

Or should she grieve over the fact that, despite all her efforts, she was still nothing more than a lover?

Reason told her that her love could not survive being dragged out like this any longer.

Jiang Yi put the agreement back and called Song Rao.

“Song Rao, you were right. Not every love will be returned. I agree to your plan. Let’s get married.”

Song Rao was not surprised by her answer.

“All right. Since we’re putting on a show, we’ll do it properly. We’ll take it one step at a time. First, we tell our parents.”

At her core, Shen Siyun was a businesswoman. Before doing anything, she investigated every detail thoroughly.

Only if everyone knew that Jiang Yi and Song Rao were married—legally bailiantales.com recognized as wives—would she believe it.

Father Song and Mother Song stared at their daughter and Jiang Yi, who were sitting before them with their fingers tightly intertwined. The two of them remained stunned for a long time.

“You’re serious?” Mother Song found it difficult to believe.

Just yesterday, the two had still been best friends. How had they suddenly joined hands and confessed their love to each other today?

Song Rao had even claimed that she had secretly loved Jiang Yi since childhood but had been too afraid of frightening her to say anything.

“Auntie, I know this is sudden, but feelings can’t be stopped. Song Rao and I have known each other for so many years. I understand her. I know what she likes and dislikes, and I’ll support every choice she makes. You’ve been arranging blind dates for her these past few days because you want her to settle down and start a family as soon as possible, don’t you? Since that’s the case, why can’t that person be me, Auntie?”

After such an emotional appeal, Father Song and Mother Song were somewhat moved.

Wouldn’t Jiang Yi, whose background and character they knew thoroughly, be more suitable than some outsider?

Someone met through a blind date would still be a stranger, and they would need time to adjust to each other. After going back and forth like that, they might not even manage to marry before the New Year.

Since both young women had feelings for each other, that was naturally the best possible outcome.

Once Father Song and Mother Song accepted it, they looked at Jiang Yi as though they had suddenly gained another daughter. The more they looked at her, the more pleased they became.

“Song Rao, have you told Jiang Yi’s unauthorized copyparents yet? If not, do you need your father and me to go over and speak to them for you?”

Song Rao politely declined their offer. She took Jiang Yi to buy tokens of commitment, then went with her to the Jiang family home.

At first, Jiang Yi’s parents refused to agree no matter what. They thought the two women were joking around and playing house.

Later, however, they heard that Song Rao was a chemistry professor and postdoctoral supervisor at Yingyu Academy of Sciences.

That made her a government employee with an official position.

Mother Jiang suddenly stopped objecting.

Father Jiang shot her a sidelong glare.

“Oh, I see. You’re still thinking about that geographer from back then, aren’t you?”

Song Rao looked utterly confused.

Jiang Yi leaned close to her ear and whispered an explanation.

“My mother has a soft spot for government employees. Back when she was going on blind dates, she met my father first. A few days after they got married, the matchmaker told her that the other man she had originally been meant to meet was a geographer. She regretted it for years.”

Song Rao: “…”

Mother Jiang had indeed regretted it, but several decades had already passed. No matter how much she regretted it, nothing could be done now.

She declared righteously, “What’s wrong with that? I already gave birth to your daughter. What more do you want? Besides, we watched Xiao Song grow up. The two of them are in love and want to marry. Are we supposed to cruelly tear apart a loving couple?”

Father Jiang stubbornly insisted that she had simply fallen for Song Rao’s status as a chemistry professor and supervisor. Since she had not managed to marry someone like that herself, she now wanted her daughter to do it instead.

…

By the time they left Jiang Yi’s parents’ home, the matter had more or less been settled.

No matter how strongly Father Jiang objected, one leg ultimately could not overpower the two arms in the family.

Both sets of parents had an idea of how many banquet tables would be needed and which guests should be invited. The two families immediately agreed and drew up a list.

Song Rao said, “Tomorrow, we’ll choose the wedding rings and invitation cards. The day after tomorrow is when your agreement ends, so we’ll go and get a fake marriage certificate.”

Jiang Yi nodded. “We’ll also need to arrange the wedding dresses. We can hire a professional wedding-planning company to take care of the banquet host, videographer, and everything else. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”

“After the wedding, will we live with our families, or…?”

Jiang Yi pursed her lips.

“I have an empty apartment Shen Siyun gave me. The property deed is in my name. Even if Shen Siyun goes crazy, we won’t be thrown out. Would that bother you?”

Song Rao said, “There’s going to be something that exciting? How could I possibly mind, Wife?”

Jiang Yi understood what she meant.

They were going to infuriate Shen Siyun to death.

She smiled. “Song Rao, you’re so good to me.”

She was willing to go wild with her, cause trouble with her, and defy every rule alongside her.

“This is more like the Jiang Yi I’ve known since we were children.” Song Rao looked at her with deep emotion.

Jiang Yi froze, then slowly curved her lips into a soft smile.

“I suppose I spent so long groveling at her feet that I forgot who I was.”

“Call me Wife.” Song Rao pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Jiang Yi’s eyes curved with amusement.

“Wife~”

The two clinked their glasses of red wine together.

“Cheers.”

“I’ll take you back to the apartment first. I still need to stop by the laboratory afterward.”

Song Rao drove Jiang Yi to the entrance of her apartment building.

Jiang Yi got out and told her to be careful on the road.

After the car drove away, Jiang Yi returned to the apartment. Shen Siyun called almost immediately.

“Have you been eating properly at home?” Shen Siyun asked.

The instant Jiang Yi heard her voice, her previously cheerful mood plunged.

Not even the beautiful sound of Shen Siyun’s voice could restore much of her affection. She gave a perfunctory reply.

“I ate.”

“The housekeeper said you weren’t home all day. Where did you go?”

“Nowhere. I just walked around.”

Jiang Yi entered the bathroom and prepared to take a bath.

To be fair, the apartment Shen Siyun had bought was fully equipped. It was an upscale residence and even had an enormous bathtub.

“Did you sign the agreement?”

The agreement again…

The delicate foot Jiang Yi had been about to lower into the tub abruptly stopped.

An almost unbearable bitterness and heartache swept through her. She closed her eyes and cursed Shen Siyun several times in her mind—

That scumbag!

Only then did she barely manage to steady her emotions.

“I’m going to take a bath. Whatever it is, we can talk after I’m finished.”

With that, Jiang Yi hung up without waiting for Shen Siyun to say anything.

On the other end, displeasure flashed across Shen Siyun’s face.

But when she thought of the agreement, she restrained her temper.

After all, she had said those things yesterday, and now she had brought up the agreement again today. It was normal for Jiang Yi to be upset.

At worst, she would coax her properly after she returned.

Jiang Yi loved her so much. Nothing unexpected could possibly happen.

She had simply been a little too impatient.