Chapter 24: Office Animals Don’t Learn Contract Marriage

The incident happened suddenly. Li Yingxuan asked to draft a prenuptial agreement on the spot and arrested Meng Weishen into the Starbucks where he had made that morning flat white.

Seeing the other party's stern expression, Meng Weishen tasted the feeling of entering the interrogation room and was forced to start recalling his bizarre experiences of the past two days.

Is the process correct? Yes, he found a matchmaker to introduce him to a potential partner, went on a date with his blind date, and the two of them got married successfully.

Is the result correct? Yes, he wanted to marry someone of the same sex to piss off his mother.

But why did he always feel that something was wrong? Was it because everything was moving too fast, or because of that unexpected one-night stand?

Meng Weishen's thinking ability had reached its limit, so he gave up thinking.

It didn't matter; the inappropriateness hadn't caused him any serious negative impact. On the contrary, he experienced a kind of euphoric happiness. This happiness was far from rational and out of line, giving rise to a subtle sense of guilt. And the guilt further enriched the layer of happiness, making him wonder if perhaps, deep down, he had always longed for something beyond rationality and rules.

The only downside was that the ring was too hard on his finger. Even though he had stopped curling his fingers, the metal was still a constant reminder that he was married.

He remembered that he had to reimburse Jiang Ranxu for the props fee: "Jiang Ranxu, how much are these two prop rings? I'll transfer them to you later."

"Graff Möbius strip, yours is a men's ring. It doesn't have diamonds, so it's not worth much. If you buy it at a domestic counter, the price tag is just over 30,000 yuan." Li Yingxuan answered first. "Why would you want to change it? Once he gives it to you, it's yours. And didn't he tell you in advance? Rings have to be custom-made to size."

Originally, the lawyer was only providing agency services for Meng Weishen, but Jiang Ranxu also followed closely and (forced) Asher to fiddle with the church wedding photos at the table next to them.

Jiang Ranxu nodded calmly: "A friend in Tokyo helped me buy it, so I don't know the price. Only lawyers care about the price. I just think the Möbius strip has a good meaning."

After yesterday's tea baptism, the lawyer ignored Jiang Ranxu and continued to talk to Meng Weishen, "Since you're only getting married to temporarily fool your parents, you can ignore the other person's family background and personal financial situation. But you still have to ask the other person to undergo a premarital physical examination, at least to confirm whether they have any sexually transmitted diseases or other infectious diseases."

Jiang Ranxu came over again and handed Meng Weishen three Polaroid photos. "Meng Weishen, choose a photo. I've already eliminated the blurry and overexposed ones. Which one is the best looking?"

Modern people have many ways to record their lives. Polaroid photography is the closest to capturing what we see, albeit with a layer of aged, blurred filters. This proves that we cannot capture any single moment in life, and that time begins to deteriorate from the moment we capture it.

At first glance, all three photos are quite atmospheric, but upon closer inspection, each has flaws: In one, Meng Weishen has his eyes closed, with dark circles visible beneath them. In another, Jiang Ranxu is slightly overexposed, looking as pale as a ghost. In another, the old priest is out of frame, the two men standing alone in the darkness.

Before Meng Weishen made a choice, the lawyer became impatient and interrupted their obsession: "What's going on between you two? Can you please concentrate on signing the contract before chatting?"

"Sorry, I was distracted just now." Meng Weishen pretended to be very concerned and even took the initiative to ask about the progress. "What is the current status of the contract? Can I take a look?"

Li Yingxuan turned over the computer screen and read the draft contract to him:

Prenuptial Agreement

Party A: Meng Weishen, ID number…, address…, phone number…

Party B: Jiang Ranxu, ID number…, address…, phone number…

Party A and Party B voluntarily enter into a marriage contract. After full communication and equal consultation between the two parties, they have reached the following agreement:

1. Ownership and Management of Property: Whether before or during the marriage, the property of each party, including any appreciation therefrom, shall be considered their separate and independent property and shall belong to each party separately. Such property shall not become joint property simply because the marriage continues. Each party shall independently manage, use, profit from, and dispose of their separate property without the consent of the other party.

2. Debt Assumption: Whether before or during the marriage, all debts incurred by either party shall be borne solely by the debtor, and the other party shall have no obligation to repay. If any third-party creditor seeks compensation from the non-obligated party, the other party shall be responsible for handling and compensating the debt.

3. Payment of Fees: Party A shall pay Party B RMB [10,000] per month, payable within 5 days of Party A receiving the monthly salary. Any additional travel expenses, gift expenses, housing rental fees, etc. shall be separately agreed upon by Party A and Party B.

4. Statement and Commitment: Party B promises that the attached supporting documents are authentic and the attached letter of commitment represents Party B’s true intention and cannot be revoked once made.

5. Special Obligations: Party B shall fulfill all of Party A's marriage-related needs within the timeframe and content specified by Party A. Specific requirements shall be determined by both parties based on actual circumstances.

6. Other Special Circumstances: On February X, 2025, Party B voluntarily presents Party A with a wedding ring, model: Graff Spiral ring, platinum, 5mm, valued at RMB 31,300, including tax. Party B's gift is not intended for any purpose, including marriage, and once made, is irrevocable.

7. Duration of Marriage: The duration of the marriage between Party A and Party B shall be [1] calendar year, calculated from the date of formal marriage registration. At that time, Party B shall cooperate with Party A in the timely registration of divorce.

8. Liability for breach of contract: If Party B violates any of the above terms, it shall return all fees paid by Party A and compensate Party A for all losses suffered thereby.

Appendix:

1. Party B's physical examination report

2. Party B’s bank credit report

3. Party B has no major debts or serious illnesses.

——

Sister Ni held the prenuptial agreement up to the fluorescent light. The thin paper became translucent, revealing tiny wood pulp fragments as small as flying insects and the two people's ink-pen signatures soaked through the paper.

Sister Ni said with a half-smile, "So this is a prenuptial agreement. I've learned a lot. Before I got married, a friend also suggested that I sign something, but I was stupid and didn't sign anything."

The post-Spring Festival period was the peak season for orthodontics, and the two of them hadn't finished seeing all the minor patients until 7 p.m. The remaining cleaning work in the clinic was not only relaxing, but also allowed them to wait for Meng Weishen to come and pick up the signed contract and attached certificates.

Jiang Ranxu had some free time to chat with Sister Ni: "Why don't you sign?"

"At the time, I thought, why bother with material things? I married him because I truly loved him. Now I understand, it doesn't matter whether his father loves me or not. Marriage is all about making more money. We should have agreed before the marriage that the cheating partner would leave the house."

"Very good, very conscious. His awareness of making money is comparable to our Director Tan's."

"Keep your voice down. The old man is in the clinic today." Sister Ni tapped his arm gently with a piece of paper. "What about you? Didn't you get married for love? Why did you agree to sign a contract?"

Jiang Ranxu collected the contract and placed it in the same file folder as the printed medical report and credit report. He then calmly said, "Of course, I'll consult a lawyer. The last clause regarding the duration of the marriage violates public order and good morals and is likely invalid. Even after the engagement expires, there's no way we can get a divorce."

Sister Ni laughed out loud: "You are such a bad-hearted person, you should learn from Director Tan. But I must remind you that your prenuptial agreement omitted a clause."

"What else could be missing? Even the wedding ring is included."

"Should we offer a discount on Meng Weishen's orthodontic package to his family? If he continues to get orthodontic treatment here, the stingy old man may not agree to a discount. It will be very difficult for you to be caught in the middle."

Jiang Ranxu frowned. He'd calculated everything, but he'd still overlooked the issue of family benefits. It was all Meng Weishen's fault for messing up his schedule and making all the arrangements so hastily.

In the past, there had been a few ruthless individuals who had brought in their families to boost sales, and they had successfully secured family discounts. But their situations were different. Meng Weishen's orthodontic treatment came first, and his marriage came later. Giving family discounts would put the clinic at a disadvantage. And Director Tan was most afraid of being disadvantaged.

The cricket leader behind them was warned to be alert to any slight movement - they only heard Director Tan's kind voice coming from the corridor, and the two immediately fell silent.

"Hello, young man. You look familiar. Did you come to consult about orthodontic treatment before the holidays? After comparing, I think our orthodontic treatment is the most professional."

The old man was like a wrinkled octopus, once he got hold of a potential client, he wouldn't let go. Meng Weishen was dragged into the consulting room by the octopus, and he was too embarrassed to explain his true purpose. The scene was quite awkward.

Director Tan repeatedly called out to Jiang Ranxu, "My dear disciple, the patient is here. Why don't you go and greet him quickly? It's too late to glue the attachments today, but signing the orthodontic agreement is still possible."

Jiang Ranxu handed over the prenuptial agreement document bag: "Meng Weishen, this is the agreement you wanted."

Director Tan was obviously overjoyed and gave Jiang Ranxu a look of approval: "Oh, you've already signed? You're quick, that's how it should be. My dear disciple, remember to contact the braces manufacturer tomorrow to confirm the plan, hurry up..."

"Director Tan." Meng Weishen clenched the document bag and interrupted, "This is actually a prenuptial agreement. I'm going to marry Doctor Jiang."

Director Tan's joy froze on the surface, then suddenly withered, his deflated skin becoming more and more furrowed. His fake smile deepened the furrows, making his two rows of young porcelain teeth look particularly out of place.

"You're so quick! I wasn't even mentally prepared. Congratulations!"

Meng Weishen quickly tried to make amends: "Signing the orthodontic agreement won't affect it either. We can sign it now. But we haven't formally discussed the price yet. Can you give us an estimate?"

"What are you saying? That's too polite. You're now the family member of my most admired student. I'll definitely help you negotiate discounts with the manufacturer." Director Tan acted out a whole series of polite gestures, showing off his mentoring demeanor. "However, whether it will succeed in the end is not up to me. It all depends on the right time, place, and people."

Jiang Ranxu patiently appreciated the other party's performance before asking about the medical records: "Director Tan, is orthodontic treatment necessary for a case like Meng Weishen's?"

In front of Meng Weishen, Director Tan couldn't tell him to shut up directly, so he just used his eyes to scold him for asking stupid questions: "Of course. I've said it before, someone with a good foundation like him will get better orthodontic results."

"Can I not do it?"

"Is this something we need to discuss? One of my canine teeth is crooked. How can it look better if we don't fix it?"

Director Tan had already lost his patience and adopted a commanding tone, "Alright, I have a dinner appointment with the leader tonight. Jiang Ranxu, take someone to sign the agreement, and sign it today."

"I've worked on an orthodontic plan for him. Overall, his occlusion and oral function are fine. I think treating him just for the sake of aesthetically pleasing teeth alignment is over-treatment and could lead to a series of sequelae." Jiang Ranxu often disagreed with his mentor, but for the first time, he spoke frankly, "My advice is don't do it."

An unspoken industry rule is that in private hospitals, overtreatment is considered unacceptable. How can they generate revenue without treatment? Are they simply robbing patients out of their pockets? Besides, patients who can afford to go to private hospitals don't need much money. Overtreatment is a choice made by both patients and hospitals.

Jiang Ranxu voluntarily switched from a public school to a private school, and he should understand and accept the unspoken rules.

So Director Tan probably thought he was crazy and glared at him for a long time, but he managed to hold back his anger with the professionalism of an old doctor and didn't curse in front of the patient. Until Meng Weishen broke the silence first:

"Sorry, sorry, the leadership has called for an emergency meeting. Director Tan, Doctor Jiang, how about you discuss the treatment plan internally and we talk again another day?"

Director Tan said goodbye to Meng Weishen with a kind smile. Sister Ni was also smart. Under the pretext of seeing someone off, she and Meng Weishen escaped from this troubled place together.

Seeing the fish he had caught slip away, Director Tan finally lost his temper: "Jiang Ranxu, you drank it or you don't want to do this anymore? If you want to save your reputation, go back to the public sector. Public sector also needs to generate income now. You might as well go to Africa to do medical aid and be his father's angel in white."

"Don't be angry, Director Tan. The elementary school students will be back to school soon. If you arrange a few more free fluoride application clinics, there will be plenty of opportunities to generate income."

"Besides, what's the deal with marrying a patient? Didn't you fail medical ethics at Clayton University?"

Unfortunately, there were so many people who opposed his marriage to Meng Weishen that Director Tan had to wait in line at the back. Jiang Ranxu said leisurely, "Anyway, you didn't teach me medical ethics, so don't worry about it. I'll treat you to wedding candy later. You can even eat your porcelain teeth."

The prenuptial agreement was in duplicate. Jiang Ranxu put his own copy into his bag and prepared to leave work.

He was quite satisfied with the current progress between the two. His trick was successful and Meng Weishen had no doubts at all.

Now all that was left was the marriage registration, so theoretically, there wouldn't be any accidents. As long as the registration went smoothly, Meng Weishen wouldn't be able to get rid of him easily. He had to follow his plan and develop their marriage from an agreement to a long-term relationship.

Divorce? Dream on. Even if you hire ten more lawyers, you can't get a divorce.