Qin Ruochu sat on the high-end genuine leather sofa in the office of the president of Shen Corporation, nervously to the point where she dared not even breathe too hard. She was the only person in the office, which was so quiet she could almost hear the sounds of a meeting being held in a room down the corridor door away.
She was there not for a job interview today, but for a blind date. More specifically, she was the one being screened, because the person she was supposed to meet was intimidatingly important. Important to the point of causing her immense pressure.
Shen family of Yun City - a super-rich and deeply-rooted noble family that entirely dominates all other wealthy families. The current leader of the Shen family, Shen Musheng, was a legend in his own right. When Shen Musheng's father died, the Shen Corporation faced a great crisis, which almost brought the entire family to collapse. Only 25 at that time, Shen Musheng returned from studying abroad and eliminated all obstacles in a very short time, making the Shen Corporation invincible once again.
Such a legendary man, if he declared his need for a spouse today, countless people would scramble to offer their daughters before nighttime, all clean and ready for him to choose from.
Therefore, encountering such a man on a blind date, she was obviously the one being selected.
As Qin Ruochu was lost in her whirlpool of thoughts, the large door leading to the conference room swung open from the middle, and a tall man strode out.
All Qin Ruochu managed to catch a glimpse of was a row of suited figures in the conference room before the door quickly shut.
The man walking towards her was decked out in a light grey, high-end tailor-made suit, the crisp white shirt complemented by a deep blue tie. He towered at over 1.8 meters, his legs long, his handsome face proportionally perfect.
Qin Ruochu took notice of his eyes, deep, cold, with a touch of sharpness. His face was blank, seeming both indifferent and serious.
Such a man, coupled with this kind of family background... he was undoubtedly a premium among the premium.
The moment he walked in, Qin Ruochu had already gotten up, "Hello, Mr. Shen, I am Qin Ruochu."
"Miss Qin, please sit," Shen Musheng began. Today was the annual general meeting of the Shen Corporation's shareholders, and he had been busy from morning until then. Realizing that he was on a matchmaking date, he made an effort to soften his expression, not be as serious. "I'm sorry, it's a busy day today, which is why we are meeting in my office. I hope you don't mind, Miss Qin."
"That's fine, I don't mind," Qin Ruochu smiled faintly, growing nervous. Her first blind date was with such a high-profile potential match, so she was quite pressured.
Looking at the youthful blind date sitting in front of him, Shen Musheng couldn't help but smirk at her nervousness. Before Qin Ruochu arrived, he had already obtained detailed background information about her. She was the cousin of his university friend, Qin Zimu, the only daughter of Qin Zimu's uncle. Her parents were scholars but had passed away in an accident. Since fourteen, she had been living with the Qin family. Perhaps due to her parents' death, she had always been low-key, so low-key that no one even knew she belonged to the Qin family. She was docile in character and had a simple social circle.
"Do you dislike me?" Shen Musheng asked after some thought.
Qin Ruochu stared a moment, then shook her head. Either in terms of Shen Musheng's appearance or family background, he could entirely be the dream prince to any woman, she had no reason to dislike him. Besides, this blind date was arranged by her cousin, who had always treated her well, and wouldn't cheat her.
"So since you don't dislike me, would you marry me?" Shen Musheng's second question completely stunned Qin Ruochu.
Her shocked expression of being unable to close her mouth pleased Shen Musheng to a degree. He slightly pursed his lips, revealing a faint smile. "I'm very busy and don't have time to deal with a bunch of scheming matchmaking attempts. I think you're a good match, but I might not have any time to slowly court you before marriage. So, I hope that we could get to know each other slowly after marriage. What do you think?"
He was definitely assertive, but the addition of the question "What do you think?" at the end made it not quite as daunting.
Qin Ruochu's eyes were transfixed on the two freshly minted red books stamped with an official seal. The two bodies in the photo were close together. She had her signature smile on, and even Shen Musheng was slightly smiling. They indeed looked like a married couple.
Qin Ruochu's eyes began to sting, she quietly sighed. She was just here for a blind date, but in a matter of hours, she was now a married woman. This swift pace indeed left her struggling to keep up. However, her newly-married husband was incredibly handsome, even his ID photo looked like a professional portrait. Vaguely, she felt that she had struck gold.
Shen Musheng stood by Qin Ruochu's side, with a faint turn of his head, he saw the little woman beside him holding two marriage certificates in a daze. Ever since she got hold of the marriage certificates, her face was a mixed expression of confusion, surprise, joy, and disappointment.
Shen Musheng felt surprisingly good, marrying this woman might prove to be more satisfying than he had anticipated. He reached out to take the marriage certificates and put them his suit pocket. He thought, the certificates would be safer with him.
With her red books suddenly taken away, Qin Ruochu jerked her head up, her eyes meeting Shen Musheng's dark ones. His unruffled gaze caused her to unwittingly blank out for a moment, then quickly averted her gaze in panic.
"I have an appointment this evening; I'll drop you home to pack up your things." Shen Musheng quietly observed Qin Ruochu's reaction while dialling his driver to pick them up.
"Huh? Pack my things?" Qin Ruochu was understandably confused. Everything that had transpired that day had far exceeded her limit.
Shen Musheng realized that Qin Ruochu was yet to come to terms with the fact that she was married. It might take some time before this little woman could acknowledge that she was now Mrs. Shen. "We're married now, legally husband and wife, so of course we should live together."
"Oh." Qin Ruochu responded, her mind racing. Her little dwelling was indeed too small, not quite suitable for two people. And given Shen Musheng's status, how can he be expected to cram into her tiny apartment?
Shen Musheng gently caressed Qin Ruochu's face; her cheeks instantly flushed a deep red. She looked like a startled little bunny, her eyes unsure where to look. The atmosphere between the two subtly shifted to something more ambiguous.
Well, he found his little wife to be quite shy. Shen Musheng watched as Qin Ruochu's face nearly turned into a rosy glow under his gaze, the curve of his smile unconsciously deepening.
"Shen Mushing! You total jerk!"
Suddenly, a shrill woman's voice breaks the seemingly haunting atmosphere between them.
Shen Mushing quickly hides the subtle expression on his face, immediately recovering his usual cold calm. His eyes accurately shoot toward the woman who just vocalized.
Qin Ruochu’s eyelid twitched. It truly took bravery to openly label Shen Mushing as a jerk in such a public setting. As she raises her eyes to the woman, she sees a high-heeled woman angrily walking towards them.
This is a very beautiful woman, with delicate features and fashionable dress. Most importantly, she sports a large belly. Judging by its size, she should be about five or six months pregnant.
The woman, wearing high heels, walks steadily and quickly to Shen Mushing. Her beautiful face is now filled with anger. "Shen Mushing! You sneakily come over to marry another woman! And you concealed it from me. You've gone too far!"
Qin Ruochu was stunned. There seemed to be some special relationship between this woman and Shen Mushing. She stares at the woman's round belly with a thoughtful look.
Shen Mushing sweeps over the woman with a cold look. As soon as he opens his mouth, his tone is so frosty that it gives one the shivers, "Do I need to get your approval for what I do?"
With a moment's pause, the woman reveals a sorrowful expression and is on the verge of tears, "How can you do this?!"
The scene in front of her was so easy to stir thoughts and imaginations. Shen Mushing's cold indifference, the pitiful appearance of the pregnant woman standing beside him, and their conversation, brings a lot to question.
Qin Ruochu was taken aback. Could this woman be Shen Mushing's secret mistress carrying his child? And he had chosen to elope and get married here instead. The distraught woman who had rushed on the scene took a crushing blow.
With this thought in mind, Qin Ruochu's expression starts souring. Did she unknowingly become a home-wrecker?
Thinking of this, Qin Ruochu began to resent her cousin for setting her up with such an unreliable match. The man had another woman pregnant with his child, yet he was chasing after her instead.
Shen Mushing's expression was becoming impatient due to the woman in front of him who was accusing him. His tone revealed a serious reprimand, "Quit your nonsense!"
The woman's eyes widened in dissatisfaction. Her eyebrows knitted angrily, "You dare yell at me! I'm carrying your child!"
After hearing those words, Qin Ruochu opened her mouth, but she was unable to say anything. It seems like she isn't really a lucky person. Just when the heavens gave her a man so unreasonably good that it caused a public outcry, before a day passed, she learns it was a mistake, an unintended gift, that he wasn't hers after all.
She felt a slight disappointment in her heart, but she quickly comforted herself, saying it was alright and that realizing the truth now was not too late. Despite the embarrassment of having to file for a divorce just after getting married.
Shen Musheng had a somber look on his face. He had brought Qin Ruochu here secretly, and even deliberately cleared the place, only to still attract attention. As he turned his head, he saw his new bride lost in thought, her lips pursed. It took him only a second to realize that she must have misunderstood.
His hand gently rested on the top of Qin Ruochu's head, offering a gentle rub, bringing a sense of comfort. "Things aren't what you think."
Qin Ruochu's thoughts were momentarily stalled by his actions, but she still believed she should clear any doubt she had, so she inquired, "Is the child in her stomach... yours?"
