Chapter 1 Marry Me

Late autumn.

Friend Cafe.

"Since ancient times, men have been the breadwinners outside the home, while women have been the homemakers. After marriage, you must prioritize your family, take care of me wholeheartedly, and be filial to my parents. My family is quite traditional, so after marriage, you must give birth to a son to continue the family line."

"In modern society, gender equality is important. Bride price is a feudal dregs, and I won't give it. I don't have a house or a car at the moment, but there's a saying that goes, 'Don't despise the young and poor.' I'm sure I'll be rich in a few years."

The man who was speaking had pointed ears and a monkey-like face.

Crossing his legs.

He exudes a strong sense of superiority in his every move.

Shi Yin sat across from him at a square English table. She smiled and nodded, saying, "Sorry, we're not a good match."

Hearing this, the man frowned, his self-esteem greatly hurt. He slammed the table and stood up, lecturing Shi Yin: "The most precious thing for a woman is her youth. You can still be picky in your twenties, but when you're over thirty and can't get married, I wonder what you'll do!"

The man left angrily.

When he left, he asked Shi Yin to reimburse him for the taxi fare he had taken to get here.

The weekday cafe was quiet, save for the rustle of fallen leaves outside the window. Shi Yin lowered her head, her slender fingers tapping the screen as she transferred money to the man she was dating. Just as she was about to enter her password, a charming voice rang out from above her head: "Miss Shi, what a coincidence."

He has a pleasant voice.

He always speaks with a cynical smile.

Shi Yin paused, raised her almond-shaped eyes, and gazed forward, spotting the renowned second son of the Han family in Beijing circles. More accurately, a second-generation rich kid, he was a playboy, a man who never did anything serious but was always up for brawling. A truant from school as a child, he'd been involved in gangsters as a teenager. His parents had finally managed to get him abroad to gain experience, but upon his return to Beijing and joining the Han Group, he'd squandered three hundred million yuan.

No one in the circle has a worse reputation than him.

same.

No one can beat her in terms of appearance.

Han Zhan is truly blessed by God. His brother looks ordinary, but he has inherited all the genetic advantages of his parents, with clear facial contours, three-dimensional facial features, and especially those peach blossom eyes. Even if you just look at him quietly, you can give people the illusion of being deeply loved by him.

"Can I sit here?" Han Zhan asked again.

"As you wish." Shi Yin nodded.

"Are you on a blind date?"

"Yes."

"No?"

Shi Yin nodded and whispered, "I couldn't meet his request, so I didn't delay him."

This made Han Zhan laugh.

He had a date with a friend today, scheduled for this café. While waiting for someone on the second floor, he stumbled upon Shi Yin, who had come in for a blind date. Since he had nothing else to do, he watched the whole thing unfold from upstairs.

Is that man a normal person?

Even sparrows know to build a nest before looking for a mate. He has no house, no car and no savings, yet he requires the woman to bear children and take care of the whole family. He is so arrogant that those who don't know him would think he is the Jade Emperor. Where does he get the nerve to do that?

Even so, Shi Yin still said goodbye politely and didn't say a single bad word about her afterwards. She had a really good temper, as docile and well-behaved as a lamb. She was just like when he first met her that night at the dinner party of the eight major families.

Timid and weak.

He lowered his head and said little.

She didn't dare to talk back, and could only hide in the corner and wipe her tears.

Han Zhan stared at her pretty face for a long while. He raised his platinum-rimmed glasses and moved a little closer to her. He lowered his voice and said, "How about marrying me?"

Almost the next second after he uttered these words, Shi Yin suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise. In her constricted black pupils, Han Zhan saw himself: a big bad wolf trying to manipulate a gentle kitten.

no way.

He was annoyed by his parents' urging.

If he didn't bring a wife home, the Han couple would force him to marry a famous lady. In this case, he would rather marry someone who was obedient and easy to control. Shi Yin was such a person, gentle and submissive, and he couldn't be controlled after marriage.

"You and I both plan to get married, so why not be together?" As she stared blankly, Han Zhan guided her step by step in a gentle tone: "At least I have a house and a car in Beijing, so I can provide you with food and clothing."

The wind chimes at the entrance of the cafe rang.

Someone came in.

Han Zhan glanced at the person who came and handed a business card to Shi Yin. "I have something else to do, so I can't drink coffee with you. Call me when you have figured it out. I'm online 24 hours a day and can get the certificate at any time."

This way.

Lu Cheng walked up to the second floor beside his friend and once again glanced at Shi Yin, who was leaning against the wall downstairs. He nudged Han Zhan and whispered, "I saw you talking to her when I came in?"

"Talking to beautiful women is my biggest hobby."

Lu Cheng was speechless. Fortunately, they had known each other for many years and were used to his expression. He changed the subject and asked, "There's a gambling race on Panzhou Highway tonight. Do you want to watch it?"

"No."

"Is there something important tonight?"

"The Shi family is holding a birthday party, let's go over and take a look." Han Zhan said.

"You're not interested in Shi Yin, are you?"

"So what if you like it?"

"No..." Lu Chengren was stunned. He caught up with Han Zhan's pace and tried to persuade him as he walked: "Shi Yin has a fiancé. She got engaged to Song Sinian, the eldest son of the Song family, last year. Everyone in the circle knows it!"

"Isn't Song Sinian messing with her sister?"

"Shh!" Lu Cheng was nearly frightened to death by him, raising his hand to cover his unrestrained mouth. Han Zhan was used to doing whatever he wanted, not giving anyone face, and not afraid of offending anyone. He said whatever came to his mind: "She came here for a blind date, obviously wanting to cancel her engagement with the Song family. Marrying me is like escaping her misery. The Song family is not a good thing."

"You talk as if you're so good." Lu Cheng complained.

"I'm not a good guy either." Han Zhan smiled, his brows full of rogue and devilish charm. "But compared to the one from the Song family, I still have a clear winner. At least I'm good-looking."

Lu Cheng: "..."

This guy seemed determined to get Shi Yin, but Lu Cheng still felt it was inappropriate and said again: "The Shi family has developed well in the past 20 years. With its high-end clothing design, it has become a wealthy family. It makes sense for their daughter to marry into a wealthy family. But the fortune teller said that Shi Yin's fate is unlucky. No one in the Shi family likes her. People in the circle avoid her when they see her. If you marry her, she will affect you!"

Han Zhan pondered for two seconds, "Is there still room for my image to decline?"

Lu Cheng was speechless.

Obviously, Han's reputation has reached its lowest point, and marrying a wife with bad luck seems to be the worst possible outcome, because it is already as bad as it can be.

…

at the same time.

downstairs.

Listening to the footsteps of the two people walking away, Shi Yin turned on her phone again and returned to the chat interface with the blind date man. She continued to enter the password, paid the performance fee, and politely added a note: "Thank you for your hard work."