Mo Zhai's footsteps were becoming increasingly hasty. He meandered through the bustling streets, sometimes quick, sometimes slow, but no matter what, he couldn't shake off the figure tailing him. The chip pressing against his chest reminded him to stay calm, not to act impulsively, but the closing distance darkened his complexion a few shades, a thin layer of perspiration forming on his forehead.
If it weren't for the large number of people behind him, due to the new product unveiling making waves three days from now, he would have dealt with them even at the cost of losing the chip. But now... all he could do was evade their pursuit like a panicky hamster, hoping the chip wouldn't fall into a competitor's hands and disrupt his company's development plans!
The pedestrian street had reached its end - any further and the crowd would thin out. Mo Zhai glanced at a beauty salon beside him, and quickly darted inside.
Xue Bing lay naked on the soft couch, her long black hair wrapped up in a towel at the back of her head. Only her delicate little face was visible with her twinkling large black eyes that gave her a spirit-filled look.
Her back was soaked in lavender-scented oil, the room filled with a mild warm heat, soothing music, and fragrance wafting in the air. It was a rare pleasure.
"Lucky girl, even with a ‘box-office poison’ tag, she still gets invited by production houses for high investment films, as the lead actress!"
"She's paired with a top actress, she's going to be outshone in no time!"
"She's got powerful connections, so our envy is pointless. I heard that Wen Xuan is planning to propose to her. A grand wedding, even the engagement ring is thirty carats. Wonder if it will bend her finger!"
Lying in bed pretending to sleep, Xue Bing's naturally sharp ears picked up the beauticians' gossip through the wall. She could only shrug helplessly, her eyes darting slyly. Engagement? She didn't want to get engaged!
The guy trailing Mo Zhai had reached the stairs. While removing his shirt, he managed to open a door and hid in the nearest beauty salon.
Perhaps it was due to the exhaustion of the past few days, Xue Bing dozed off on the soft couch until a hand abruptly covered her mouth.
"Don't scream, I'm not a bad guy!" Mo Zhai's voice sounded somewhat urgent.
Not a bad guy? Damn, a semi-naked man lying on her, if he wasn't bad, then what was he? What a joke!
Xue Bing's eyes flicked open, she opened her mouth and bit hard onto Mo Zhai's hand. How dare he take advantage of her, she'd bite him for sure!
"Hmm..." Mo Zhai was taken off guard by the bite. The girl's teeth clung onto him firmly, as if intending to penetrate his palm. He couldn't help but groan in pain, but the hand covering her mouth remained firm. He planted a delicate kiss on her back, creating a palpable sense of intimacy.
"Hey, what are you doing here? How did you break in?" a beautician's exclamation surfaced from one side, while Mo Zhai's feverish kisses on Xue Bing's back became quicker, hinting a sense of panic.
With a loud "thud", the door was forcibly slammed open. Two men glanced into the room where Mo Zhai was half-naked, his body pressed on Xue Bing. He had a disorderly fringe obscuring most of his face, and his body's motion didn't cease. Meanwhile, Xue Bing’s face was flushed red, her lips bitten pale, barely able to make a sound.
"Shit, caught them in the act," the man chasing after them cursed, quickly running off. Upon his exit, Mo Zhai relaxed all of a sudden, rolling off Xue Bing.
"I apologize..."
"Bastard! Pervert!" Xue Bing screamed, covering herself with a bath towel, fiercely slapping Mo Zhai after jumping off the bed. "I'll kill you!"
Mo Zhai stiffened at her reaction, his body tensing up. His obsidian eyes turned stormy, his hand trembling uncontrollably, yet, in the end, he left with a long sigh, without any retaliation.
His good temper left Xue Bing, who was about to escape after her successful strike, stunned for a moment. She then looked him up and down, surprised to find that he was not bad-looking. He had a full forehead, a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes, a high-bridged nose that fit perfectly on his face, and thick lips that were sexy and shaped. He even had six pack abs? Lacked a woman? With his physique, he could easily become a top model or even a top escort!
"What do you do? Be honest with me, or I'll have you thrown in jail!" She glared at him, her words were a bit threatening.
"I..." Mo Zhai's face darkened, not knowing how to respond.
"Huh, let me see!" Xue Bing caught sight of something peeking out from Mo Zhai's pocket and swiftly pulled out a business card.
"Mo Zhai, the CEO of the Sheng Hao Group! Ha, so you are a counterfeiter!" Xue Bing laughed out loud. The shadowy boss behind the Sheng Hao Group, who had never appeared in public, whose gender and full name remained a mystery, no wonder he dared to impersonate!
"So the man chasing you earlier was an undercover cop? Where did you pick him up? Under an overpass? In an underground passage?" Mo Zhai listened to Xue Bing's questioning with a darkened face, finding her assumptions quite peculiar. He didn't bother to correct her – her baseless guesses saved him the trouble of further explanations!
"Hey, I heard you counterfeiters can produce fake certifications for the fourth and eighth-level English, teaching qualification certificates, accountant certificates... Is there any license you can't forge?" Xue Bing's bright eyes spun around like sprites. She tiptoed and whispered into Mo Zhai's ear: "So, could you forge a marriage certificate?"
"What?" Marriage certificate? Mo Zhai tilted his head to look at the smirking woman, and his mind went blank!
"Can you or can’t you?" Xue Bing nervously clutched Mo Zhai's pants, threatening him: "Call your accomplices to bring the fake certificate, or else I'll accuse you of indecent assault!"
"I don't have a cell phone! And who are you getting the fake certificate for anyway? You didn't even give me a photo!"
"I can provide you a phone! As for the man…that's you!" The main purpose of this fake certificate was to help her brother Wyn cancel his engagement. It really didn't matter who was named as the husband. Where was she supposed to find a man at this hour?
Mo Zhai had no choice but to acquiesce. He made a phone call and transmitted a picture to arrange the creation of the fake certificate.
At the beauty salon, Mo Zhai was seated on the sofa, listening to a barrage of questions with a creased brow.
"You're young, there are better jobs out there than forging documents. Does it make good money? Hey, have you ever considered becoming a gigolo? I could introduce you to some people…"
"He's wearing Armani, fake or the real thing? Where'd you buy them? Over at the Shili Bridge?"
Mo Zhai leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, ignoring Xue Bing's words. Xue Bing, receiving no answer, pursed her lips and jabbed at her cheeks, grumbling, "Trying to be mysterious, huh? Such a poseur…"
"Boss, here it is!" A hurried subordinate handed the fake marriage certificate to Xue Bing. Having looked at the certificate and then glanced at Mo Zhai, Xue Bing flicked the picture with her slim fingers and exclaimed, "It does look quite real! Can I have your phone number?"
"What do you want it for? Got a crush on me?" Mo Zhai gained a bit of interest in this quirky young girl. His usually calm face curved into a slight smirk.
Have a crush on him? Xue Bing widened her eyes in surprise. Impossible! She merely thought that if she ever needed another fake certificate in the future, she could seek his help again!
Not interested? Seeing the shock in the girl's round eyes, Mo Zhai stroked his chin. It was the first time he'd met someone who showed no interest in him. The feeling was strangely intriguing.
"Then there's no need for my number, as I have no intention of providing a divorce certificate," Mo Zhai suggested slyly. He was well aware that the certificate his subordinate brought was likely authentic. His father has always wanted him to marry. This girl seemed quite interesting!
"True," Xue Bing agreed, nodding as she held the marriage certificate. It was fake anyway, and if it needed to be gotten rid of, tearing it would suffice. Why go to the trouble of getting a divorce certificate, anyway?
"Handsome, thank you for your cooperation! Goodbye!" Having changed clothes, Xue Bing, lighter on her feet and holding the marriage certificate, scurried out. She could finally reveal everything to her brother, Wyn. Marriage? She had never considered it.
Goodbye? Mo Zhai gently stroked his chin, watching with fascination as Xue Bing retreated from sight. His gaze subtly swept over the beauty salon, landing on a hidden pinhole camera in the corner of the wall. Perhaps… they would meet again soon.
At the Wen Corporation, Wenxuan received a call from Xue Bing and immediately rushed out of the conference room. His eyes landed on the young girl sitting next to the huge floor-to-ceiling window. The afternoon sun was no longer as intense as at noon, giving off a rather lazy vibe. The warm sunlight streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on the woman, making the scene look soft and beautiful.
Looking at Xue Bing, a doting smile crept across Wenxuan’s face, and he quickened his pace.
"BingBing! How come you came alone? Didn't you let the secretary pick you up?" Wen Xuan pulled out a chair and sat across from Xue Bing, his gaze full of tenderness. "Did you choose the wedding dress I sent you? If you're satisfied, I'll have it air freighted from France. If you're not, I could take a day off to accompany you to France, visit the designer, and have it tailor-made according to your wishes. That should be in time for our engagement ceremony!"
While Wen Xuan was going on about the wedding dress, Xue Bing clenched her glass nervously, her eyes darted away, afraid to meet Wenxuan's passionate eyes. Finally, she bit her lip, interrupting Wen Xuan, "Brother Wenxuan, I’m married..."
Married? The moment these two words entered Wenxuan's mind, his brain blanked for an instant. A moment later, he snapped back into reality; did she just said she was married? Impossible! He had watched Xue Bing grow up since childhood. He had long considered her his woman. Wouldn’t he know if there was a man in her life?
Those incredulous gossip from the entertainment circle were just for fooling fans, not even a comma would he believe, was BingBing making excuses to avoid the engagement?
"Bingbing, I understand you're only twenty, your career is still on the rise, you may not want to get married now. But Brother Wenxuan promises you that even if we get engaged, your life will remain as it was, you can do whatever you want. Does my little girl have commitment issues?" Wen Xuan said, habitually tousling Xue Bing's hair.
Xue Bing blinked her large eyes, a flash of guilt slid past them, subtly she turned her head, avoiding Wen Xuan's hand.
