Chapter 156 Husband and Wife Duties

Although there was no evidence, Xia Mian felt that Zhou Pingchuan was morally blackmailing him.

The damn thing is, he really got kidnapped—a poor little guy with a disability and no parents, and a great woman who was suffering from a terminal illness and was undergoing treatment, and who remained unmarried and childless for life to raise her young master... Neither of them agreed to a divorce, and if he insisted on a divorce, he would be inhuman!

"And Mianmian, if you get divorced, you won't be able to go to the jewelry fair, go on a shopping spree at auctions, or blindly buy all the new clothes, shoes, and jewelry of the season."

Zhou Pingchuan leaned forward slightly, and with each word he spoke, Xia Mian's heart ached a little more.

“Oh, right,” Zhou Pingchuan unleashed his trump card, “and Master Chen, he definitely won’t go with you.”

That means we'll never again be able to taste Chef Chen's incredibly authentic Cantonese cuisine.

For the first time in her life, Xia Mian felt the pain of "heart being torn apart," and gritted her teeth: "Then... don't you mind that I had ulterior motives towards you?"

"Living under the same roof, as a single man and a single woman, spending every day together, it's inevitable that sparks will fly. But so what? We are a legally married couple, recognized by law."

“Besides, I’m not inhuman,” Zhou Pingchuan said softly, his index finger gently stroking the rim of his wine glass. “You’re still young, physically sensitive, and have a strong desire to explore sex. Since I’ve decided to marry you, I’m prepared to fulfill our marital obligations. If you need me, I’m always ready to oblige you in that regard.”

"Gulp—" Xia Mian's Adam's apple slid uncontrollably.

Zhou Pingchuan: "So, do you still want a divorce?"

Xia Mian seemed to be lacking oxygen, becoming even more dazed. But because he had made up his mind before, he still retained some rationality: "Since Aunt Xue doesn't agree, I'll think about it some more."

Zhou Pingchuan's lips curled slightly; it was a done deal.

"Then change my nickname back first," he said.

Xia Mian had never met anyone who liked being an ATM: "...We'll have to work things out for a while and see how it goes."

You think I'll change it just because you tell me to? I don't even like you.

Zhou Pingchuan knew that he had failed to reciprocate Xia Mian's feelings when she liked him, which had broken her heart.

He didn't expect Xia Mian to immediately rekindle her passion. Even today, after figuring out his own feelings, his plan wasn't to confess his love, but to make Xia Mian fall in love with him again.

Because only what you painstakingly obtain can be truly cherished.

He wanted Xia Mian to cherish him, to not dare to leave him easily, and to not dare to say those words that pushed her away like yesterday.

“Okay,” Zhou Pingchuan raised his glass and clinked it against his in the air, “I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

***

Zhou Pingchuan's behavior was so abnormal that Xia Mian had no appetite. She ate a couple of bites and then ran back to her room.

He returned to the guest room, which had no bathtub but only a shower. He took a small brush and slowly brushed his back while reviewing his conversation with Zhou Pingchuan.

In fact, Zhou Pingchuan wasn't entirely lying. With his power and status, he would never have been unable to find a marriage partner because of his disability. It was just that he was focused on his work and had no time or inclination to think about such things.

Moreover, Zhou Pingchuan is a businessman, and businessmen are the most calculating. To bring him into the Zhou family, Zhou Pingchuan had to take time out of his work to appease him, give him a dowry worth billions, and tolerate his endless stream of text messages...

In short, the sunk costs are ridiculously high.

If Zhou Pingchuan divorces him and finds another woman, he'll have to go through the whole process again. And, perhaps to save face, the other woman might even demand that Zhou Pingchuan provide her with a higher standard of treatment than he did.

As a businessman, Zhou Pingchuan would certainly have been able to calculate this.

So instead of driving him away and finding someone you don't know what kind of person he is, it's better to continue living with him.

Xia Mian breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully Zhou Pingchuan had no other motives.

But... but what does it mean to change it back to a nickname? Does Zhou Pingchuan have a penchant for being given nicknames?

Xia Mian couldn't understand, so she waved her hand and decided not to think about it anymore.

Anyway, changing the nickname isn't that difficult. It depends on his performance. If he performs well, then we'll change it. He won't lose anything!

Zhou Pingchuan came home early today and ate dinner early. After washing up, Xia Mian felt bored and reopened the live streaming app.

"There's nothing much to do, let's broadcast for a while longer. Have you guys eaten yet?"

Because there was no prior notice, not many people came in, but they were very active in answering questions.

[Whose idol broadcasts twice in one day? It's me! I declare that today I am the happiest little girl in the world!]

[Finished dinner? Want to dance again tonight?]

Xia Mian shook her head: "I just took a shower, I'm not jumping anymore, I'll be covered in sweat after jumping. Let's chat for a while."

Audience: [Okay, okay, have you eaten yet? Let's wait for Jay Chou to come back and eat together.]

Xia Mian: "We've already finished eating. He came back earlier than usual today."

Audience: [Wow, that's amazing! So celebrities live just like ordinary people, they also have to wait for their partners to come home before they can eat. Mianmian, tell us about your married life!]

The public loves to explore the side of celebrities beyond their glamorous image. When people make such requests, Xia Mian can't ignore them, otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives sees this, they might start making fun of him.

Xia Mian opened her mouth, about to reply. Just then, a dazzling array of colors appeared before her eyes again—a certain esteemed top-ranking figure had entered.

Having experienced it twice, I'm completely immune to summer hibernation. It's just that this question... is a bit unfortunate to ask, and perhaps a little sensitive.

Xia Mian quickly shut her mouth, and after thinking it over again, she spoke cautiously: "Actually, our lives are similar to everyone else's, and we may even be less free than you. We are very busy with work, and it is normal for us to be apart most of the time."

Audience: [When you're working, do you visit each other on set?]

Xia Mian: "Yes, I just went to Kepler a few days ago. There's a really good milk tea place near Kepler. He also picked me up from the film set this time."

Audience: [Hehe, what a loving couple. Your honeymoon must have been wonderful!]

Summer Sleep: "Honeymoon? Forget about it. My schedule has been packed this year, where would I find the time to travel?"

Audience: [That's true. So, how many opportunities are there for dating?]

"What a load of rubbish," Xia Mian said, her face slightly embarrassed. "We're public figures, so going out together is only good for having a meal and shopping. Nothing else is convenient."

Audience member: [That's right, if you go to a movie theater or amusement park, it could easily cause a stampede.]

It's not that he's afraid to go.

He and Zhou Pingchuan were only superficially a couple; there was no such thing as "dating." They simply lived separate lives.

Xia Mian shrugged: "That's why I said we're pretty much the same as you, maybe even less free than you!"

"But you have more money than you can spend!" the fans began to comfort him. Some even came to the conclusion from who-knows-where: "[Besides, Jay Chou looks so refined and gentle, like the kind of arts student who studies literature. He must be very romantic and often send you flowers and gifts.]"

flower?

Gift?

Aside from the wedding ring, he seemed to have never received any gifts from Zhou Pingchuan.

"...Well...because I travel all over the country, and I don't know where to send them, so I don't have many for now."

Xia Mian spoke in a relaxed tone, as if joking. Who knew that even though he was careful with his words, they were still taken out of context and posted online.

The title the other party wrote was also hilarious: [Xia Mian suspected of marital discord, pours out her grievances in a live stream, crying to fans about her unhappy marriage]