Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 31 - Such a Christmas Eve

Shen Mobai was driving home alone, unsure why Xu Xiaoyou harbored such resentment towards him. Although he had made mistakes in the past, he didn’t think they warranted such hatred from her. Had something happened to her after he went abroad? But why couldn’t he find out? Xiaoyou, I can’t be sure if your relationship with Xia Chen is as good as you claim. I just want to do my best to compensate you. If it weren’t for me, you’d have a better future.

Xu Xiaoyou saw Xia Chen off downstairs, reminding him to watch out for certain things. Although she didn’t know what he was going to do in the UK, Dissie was there, so she insisted that Yilin make sure they didn’t meet. Xia Chen hadn’t expected Xu Xiaoyou to be so controlling. Yet her concern felt somewhat gratifying.

Yilin stood by, watching the two bid farewell, amused. If the madam knew what Mr. Xia was up to, she probably wouldn’t have let him leave so easily.

Suddenly, Xu Xiaoyou remembered something and asked Xia Chen if he had found his ring. She had forgotten to ask yesterday, but thankfully she remembered now. Xia Chen looked at Yilin, who cleared his throat and said he had found it, sent it to the shop for cleaning, and would have it back in a few days. This reassured Xu Xiaoyou.

As she watched Xia Chen’s car grow more distant, an uneasy feeling crept into her heart. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad might happen.

When she arrived at Acer for work that afternoon, everyone was looking at her strangely. What was going on? Why were they gazing at her like that? Jingjing pulled Xu Xiaoyou into the break room and asked with a serious tone, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Xu Xiaoyou was confused. “Tell you what?”

“About the contract signing.”

Contract signing? Xu Xiaoyou still didn’t get it. Who signed a contract? What did it have to do with her?

Seeing that Xu Xiaoyou was genuinely puzzled, Jingjing explained, “It’s about your Xia Chen signing a contract with Acer. You didn’t know?”

“Xia Chen signed a contract with Acer? When did this happen?” Xu Xiaoyou asked in surprise.

“Yesterday afternoon, his secretary called, and they signed this morning. But it was all handled by his secretary; he wasn’t present,” Jingjing clarified.

No wonder he hadn’t wanted to explain why he would leave in the afternoon; he was doing this behind her back.

“Xiaoyou, you’re in for a huge gain,” Jingjing exclaimed excitedly.

“Why?” Xu Xiaoyou didn’t understand. Wasn’t the president the one who profited the most from the signing? Did this mean she was getting a raise?

“The president said he wants to promote you, and that travel expenses have already been reimbursed. We’re getting a day off this afternoon!”

“Really?” Xu Xiaoyou was taken aback once more. She initially thought the president was just joking, but now she realized it was true.

The president walked into the break room, clearing his throat to get the attention of the two people who were talking. They both turned around, and upon seeing him, greeted him in unison, “Good afternoon, Mr. President.”

The president nodded and said to Xu Xiaoyou, “I need you to step out for a moment. I have something to discuss with you.”

What could be so important that the president had to speak to her in person? Xu Xiaoyou felt a mix of anticipation and anxiety as she followed him out of the break room.

The president took out a document and handed it to Xu Xiaoyou, saying, “If you find everything in order, please sign it.”

Xu Xiaoyou took the document and glanced inside. It was a formal contract. Although she had been at Acer for a while, she was still technically under evaluation. Despite being officially hired, there had always been some discrepancies in her treatment. Signing this contract would mean her job was now secure.

“Xu Xiaoyou, can you tell me what your relationship is with Mr. Xia?” The president was actually a bit nosy. How could a company like Tianchen be interested in their little newspaper? They had called yesterday about purchasing Acer-what a lucky break for Acer! If they partnered with Tianchen, they wouldn’t have to worry about competition from other newspapers.

Xu Xiaoyou looked up from the document and replied, “Actually… there’s really nothing much to say… we just… know each other.”

She didn’t want everyone to know about her relationship with Xia Chen, especially not at that moment. People would just say she was showing off.

The president nodded, sensing that their relationship wasn’t simple. He recalled what Miss Yi had said that morning about treating Xu Xiaoyou well. If the incident with the ring happened again, he might not hold onto his position as president. Although Miss Yi didn’t specify their relationship, Mr. Xia’s evident care for Xu Xiaoyou suggested it was quite special.

Xu Xiaoyou signed the document and handed it back to the president before leaving the office. The president looked at the contract, thinking, Mr. Shen, I can only apologize to you.

Jingjing dragged Xu Xiaoyou to the mall, exclaiming that since they had the day off, they should really have some fun-especially since it was Christmas Eve. With Xia Chen not being home, it was the perfect time to let loose.

After wandering around the mall, Xu Xiaoyou spotted a men’s trench coat that would suit Xia Chen perfectly. However, the price was rather shocking. She realized that they had been together for quite some time and hadn’t bought him anything special. The last time, the scarf never materialized. With New Year’s around the corner, she decided to treat it as a New Year’s gift. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to splurge.

Jingjing watched Xu Xiaoyou, noticing her reluctance but determination to buy it. After all, Xia Chen was no ordinary man. Regular clothes wouldn’t impress him, and good pieces could cost several months’ worth of salary. What Xu Xiaoyou was about to spend was a significant amount for her. Sighing, Jingjing thought, “Really, what a contrast…”

After leaving the mall, Jingjing suggested they go to Xu Xiaoyou’s house. She had never been there and was curious to see what a wealthy person’s home looked like, especially since it was in the most upscale area of City S.

With their purchases in hand, the two chatted and laughed as they made their way home. However, they were surprised to see someone lingering at the entrance of the community. Xu Xiaoyou found the person’s silhouette somewhat familiar but couldn’t quite place who it was at first.

When the person turned around and saw Xu Xiaoyou standing a short distance away, he immediately walked over and asked, “You’re Xu Xiaoyou, right?”

Xu Xiaoyou nodded mechanically and replied, “And you are…?”

“I’m Wang Jie. Remember me? The one you used to bully when we were kids,” the man introduced himself.

“Wang Jie? Is that really you?” Xu Xiaoyou was uncertain. She did remember Wang Jie, a boy she used to play with when they were younger, but he had been quite chubby at the time. The handsome man in front of her claiming to be Wang Jie was hard to believe. After all, he had been abroad for many years-what was he doing here?

Noticing Xu Xiaoyou’s doubtful expression, Wang Jie chuckled to himself, knowing that he had changed a lot over the years. Many people would not even recognize him. However, he had a trick up his sleeve. He rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a distinct bite mark on his forearm-an artifact from Xu Xiaoyou’s childhood antics. Seeing the bite mark in front of her, Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t help but smile sheepishly.

“I can’t believe that bite mark is still there!”

Wang Jie nodded, saying, “I originally planned to get it removed, but then I thought, since I’ve changed so much, you probably wouldn’t recognize me anyway. So I kept it as a mark of our childhood.”

Thanks to Xu Xiaoyou’s introduction, Wang Jie was allowed into the community. He had been wandering around for a while because the security guard had said he was an outsider and wouldn’t let him in without someone to vouch for him. This community was home to many influential people, and privacy was of utmost importance, which is why the guards were so strict.

“Are you looking for someone here?” Xu Xiaoyou asked, noticing that he had been lingering outside and seemed eager to get in.

Wang Jie nodded and replied, “I have a friend who lives here, but she isn’t home right now, which is why the security guard stopped me.”

Xu Xiaoyou then asked, “Which district does your friend live in?” Although she was not very familiar with the area, she knew which building was which because Xia Chen had mentioned it before. She had also come down here to stroll around when she had some free time.

“District Four, A3,” Wang Jie answered quickly.

“What floor?”

Wang Jie looked a bit puzzled. Was she really asking so explicitly because she didn’t believe him?

Xu Xiaoyou explained, “I live in that building too, so I was just asking. It’s no big deal.” The elevator would reveal the answer anyway.

Wang Jie nodded. “Fifth floor.”

Xu Xiaoyou didn’t know who lived on the fifth floor, as there was only one household per floor in their building. She lived on the seventh floor, the highest unit (which she had forgotten to explain earlier: their home was a duplex, meaning it had two levels). During her usual comings and goings, the elevator was mostly empty, so she didn’t know who lived where.

Wang Jie knew this was an upscale residential area; the residents were either wealthy or influential people. He recalled that Xu Xiaoyou’s family wasn’t very rich, so it was surprising that she could afford such a nice place. He remembered hearing from his family back then that she had a very wealthy boyfriend. Could this building belong to him?

When they reached the fifth floor, Wang Jie got off the elevator. Before leaving, he asked for Xu Xiaoyou’s number, saying they could stay in touch. Although she didn’t know who lived there, the security guard would know, and perhaps Xia Chen could help.

After a long time in the kitchen, the two friends finally had everything ready, and their hot pot dinner for Christmas Eve could begin. Remembering that she had saved Wang Jie’s number, Xu Xiaoyou thought he might still be around, so she called him. However, she was surprised to find out he had already left. Since that was the case, they decided to dig in. They devoured all the vegetables and meat they had bought, eventually collapsing on the couch, unable to move.

“Xiaoyou, why don’t you have any wedding photos in your house? Didn’t you say you two were together? Why haven’t you taken any wedding photos?” Jingjing had examined the place thoroughly upon entering and noted the absence of bridal pictures.

When they first got married, they had the mindset of possibly getting divorced later, so they didn’t think to take wedding photos at all. Later on, they got busy, and the thought of taking photos never crossed Xu Xiaoyou’s mind. The last ring was bought only because Xia Chen had thought of it. If Jingjing hadn’t brought it up today, she wouldn’t have even remembered about wedding photos.

“I’ve been busy… there just hasn’t been any time,” Xu Xiaoyou frowned. It certainly felt like they had never had time. Xia Chen often traveled for work, and when he wasn’t away, she was working late. On weekends, all she wanted to do was catch up on sleep. Looking at it that way, they hadn’t even had one formal date since getting together.

“That’s just an excuse. How could there not be time to take wedding photos? You must be too lazy!” Jingjing called her out.

Xu Xiaoyou turned to look at Jingjing and asked, “Why haven’t you found a boyfriend yet?”

Jingjing thought for a moment before replying, “I just haven’t found the right one.”

Xu Xiaoyou got up to tidy the dining table. Everyone has a past they’re reluctant to discuss. Although she didn’t know why Jingjing kept saying she hadn’t found the right person, there must be someone impossible lodged in her heart.

“Xiaoyou, I’m heading back…” Jingjing said, leaning against the doorframe.

Xu Xiaoyou turned around and noticed the time; it was already nine o’clock. It would be hard to find a taxi at this hour, and going back would require a long walk. She wanted Jingjing to stay the night, but Jingjing shook her head, saying the house was too big for her to sleep comfortably alone. With that, she opened the front door and left. When Xu Xiaoyou ran after her, she had already entered the elevator and was down in no time. Seeing Jingjing’s lonely figure as she walked away, Xu Xiaoyou thought it might be a good idea to have Mom Xia find something for her to do so that she wouldn’t focus solely on Xu Xiaoyou.