Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 37 - Valentine's Day

Xu Xiaoyou always thought that Xia Chen was just being impulsive, but she didn’t expect him to actually find several houses for her to consider. As she looked at the listings, each house was more expensive and more well-known than the last. She really couldn’t understand what Xia Chen was thinking. Why would he want to move? Everything was fine here; she was quite comfortable living in their current place.

Xia Chen surveyed everything in the house, each item set up according to Murong Qing’s preferences. He had never imagined that one day he would personally throw them all away. When she had just left, he thought about getting rid of everything too, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Unexpectedly, now he was doing it, and he felt not an ounce of pain in his heart.

“Can you believe what Xia Chen is thinking? He’s insisting on moving for no reason at all,” Xu Xiaoyou vented to Jingjing, but her friend seemed completely unresponsive.

“Hey… Jingjing…” Xu Xiaoyou waved her hand in front of Jingjing’s eyes. “Earth to you!”

“Ah, what’s up?” Jingjing asked, looking confused.

Xu Xiaoyou was at a loss for words. All her chatter had been for nothing. What was wrong with Jingjing? She seemed so out of it lately. “What’s going on with you? You’ve changed so much since the New Year. What happened?”

“Nothing… really,” Jingjing replied, turning to get some water, only to find her cup was already full.

“Still claiming nothing’s wrong? You just filled that cup, and now you’re going for more. Something definitely happened,” Xu Xiaoyou said, standing behind her. Though she didn’t know what it was, she was certain it wasn’t anything good that had put Jingjing in this state.

“What’s this?” Xu Xiaoyou exclaimed as if she had discovered something amazing, and was taken aback. “A… a hickey?” There it was, a hickey on Jingjing’s back. If she hadn’t brushed her hair just now, she might never have noticed it. Could this mean she was living with someone?

“Where?” Jingjing quickly turned around, worried. How could she have been found out? She had checked before leaving.

“On your back. You can’t see it,” Xu Xiaoyou pointed to her back and asked, “Who’s the guy?”

“Please don’t ask. I won’t say anything,” Jingjing said as she walked out of the break room.

“Hey, wait a minute! You’re going to meet people like that?” Xu Xiaoyou hurried to fix Jingjing’s hair, covering the hickey.

Back home, Xu Xiaoyou told Xia Chen about the situation. He looked at her and asked, “Why are you so concerned about someone else’s business? If she doesn’t want to tell you, it might be for a good reason. You two are so close; she’ll tell you eventually.”

“But I’m just curious! What kind of guy could change Jingjing this much?”

“Mind your own business a little less and think about where we’re moving. Have you seen any houses?” Xia Chen was still focused on the move.

“Ah Xia, can we not move? I really like it here,” Xu Xiaoyou pouted, trying to be charming.

“No, we’re moving. I’ve already decided,” Xia Chen said firmly.

“Then give me one good reason to convince me, or I will definitely disagree,” Xu Xiaoyou said, puffing up her cheeks.

“I want a home that belongs only to the two of us,” Xia Chen said as he wrapped his arms around Xu Xiaoyou’s waist.

“This is our home!” They had been living here together since their wedding, and it had been a few months-this place was their home.

“It’s not,” Xia Chen said, kissing Xu Xiaoyou’s lips to silence her protests.

Valentine’s Day was approaching, and the newspaper was planning an event, asking everyone for ideas. Jingjing was the first to say she wouldn’t participate, and everyone turned to look at her. She was the one who usually suggested activities every year, and now she claimed she didn’t want to play. Naturally, the gossip mill began to churn as everyone tried to figure out the reason.

Xu Xiaoyou pulled Jingjing aside and whispered, “Even if you don’t want to participate, there’s no need to announce it in front of everyone. Are you afraid nobody knows you have a boyfriend or something?”

“I…” Jingjing’s face turned red. She hadn’t thought much about it earlier. That morning, the guy had told her to save time for him on Valentine’s Day. When the editor-in-chief mentioned it, she just blurted out her response without thinking.

“I finally understand why people say that those in love are foolish. Just look at you. Jingjing, you’re totally smitten with that guy,” Xu Xiaoyou shook her head, realizing her friend was hopeless.

Smitten, yes-but it was only one-sided affection. No matter how much she loved, there would be no outcome. Jingjing bitterly smiled, really envying Xu Xiaoyou for having such a wonderful man like Xia Chen who cared for her.

On Valentine’s Day, when Xu Xiaoyou walked into the newspaper office, she saw a bouquet of vibrant red roses on her desk. Holding another bouquet in her hand, she was puzzled. Just earlier, Xia Chen had pulled a bouquet from the backseat of the car, telling her it was for her. So, why was there another bouquet?

After checking the card, Xu Xiaoyou picked up the bouquet, ready to throw it in the trash. Just then, Jingjing walked in and saw the roses on Xu Xiaoyou’s desk. “Who sent those?” she asked. Xu Xiaoyou handed her the card to read. The name Shen Mobai appeared in Jingjing’s line of sight, along with a message wishing her a happy Valentine’s Day. Jingjing bit her lip hard, realizing Shen Mobai had actually sent flowers to Xu Xiaoyou.

“What’s wrong with you, Jingjing?” Xu Xiaoyou noticed something was off; Jingjing looked extremely pale.

“Nothing… really,” Jingjing took a deep breath, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

“Still saying nothing’s wrong? Your face is as pale as a sheet. Come on, let’s go to the hospital and get you checked out.” Xu Xiaoyou insisted, determined to take Jingjing to see a doctor.

“No, I really am fine,” Jingjing firmly pulled her hand away, her tone shifting. Xu Xiaoyou was momentarily taken aback, wondering what was going on.

“I really am fine,” Jingjing quickly added, realizing her tone wasn’t the best. “I didn’t mean it earlier. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Xu Xiaoyou nodded, though she couldn’t shake her concern. Jingjing glanced at the glaring roses and asked what Xu Xiaoyou planned to do with them. Xu Xiaoyou replied that she intended to throw them in the trash, as that had been her plan all along. Jingjing didn’t respond and turned to head back to her own desk.

Throughout the day, Xu Xiaoyou noticed that Jingjing wasn’t herself. She seemed to make mistakes in whatever she did. Fortunately, Xu Xiaoyou didn’t have much work today, so she helped Jingjing, ensuring she didn’t mess anything up.

As soon as work was over, Jingjing dashed away quickly, and Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t catch up. She wanted to tell her that she had left her phone, but when she stepped outside, she saw Jingjing getting on a bus. Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t help but chuckle with a sigh, realizing that her phone was ringing-and the caller ID displayed “Big Loser.” Naturally, Xu Xiaoyou had no idea who “Big Loser” was, but guessed it might be her boyfriend. With that mindset, she answered the call. However, once she did, she immediately regretted it: “Big Loser” turned out to be Shen Mobai.

From a distance, Xia Chen noticed Xu Xiaoyou on the phone, and it didn’t seem like it was her own. As he got closer, he saw her hanging up the call, and he sensed something was off.

“Who were you on the phone with? You hung up as soon as you saw me,” Xia Chen said, wrapping his arms around Xu Xiaoyou’s waist.

“Just someone,” Xu Xiaoyou decided to tease him and deliberately withheld the name.

“You’re lying. The way you were talking on the phone, it definitely sounded like it was a guy, and a familiar one at that,” Xia Chen remarked, having met all kinds of people.

Inside, Xu Xiaoyou silently cheered him on for figuring it out, but on the surface, she maintained her composure. “So, who do you think it was?”

Xia Chen thought for a moment, unsure. There seemed to be many rivals, with the most notable being Shen Mobai. But he had heard from Shen’s secretary that he was already seeing someone else, so it couldn’t be him. Then there was Wang Jie from next door, but why would he call her phone and not her mobile?

“Whose phone is that, anyway?” Xia Chen seized on that lead.

“It’s Jingjing’s,” Xu Xiaoyou replied, noticing the crowd growing around them and realizing they were close to the newspaper office. If anyone spotted them, it wouldn’t look good. She pulled Xia Chen towards the car.

As he started the engine, Xia Chen asked, “How did Jingjing’s phone end up with you?”

Xu Xiaoyou then recounted everything that had happened today, including the bouquet of flowers, of course accidentally letting that slip. Xia Chen’s expression shifted dramatically, as he thought Shen Mobai wouldn’t be bothering Xu Xiaoyou anymore. To his surprise, he still was-now he really needed to be sent off to work abroad.

Seeing Xia Chen’s darkening expression, Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful; it seemed this man was feeling jealous. To stoke the fire further, she added, “Actually, that call was from Shen Mobai.”

Xia Chen glanced at her with a neutral expression, which made Xu Xiaoyou’s heart skip a beat. Why did he look so intimidating? Realizing she had teased enough, she revealed the truth to Xia Chen.

“Actually, the bouquet was deliberately sent by Shen Mobai to annoy Jingjing.” Xu Xiaoyou watched Xia Chen’s reaction closely, but he didn’t respond. “Shen Mobai said Jingjing doesn’t believe him and wants to break up with him, so he thought he would provoke her. But I didn’t expect Jingjing to react so strongly.”

“Actually, Jingjing is Shen Mobai’s girlfriend,” Xu Xiaoyou pointed out, growing a bit impatient at Xia Chen’s lack of reaction. She had explained everything, yet he remained unresponsive. Why was he so hard to deal with?

In truth, Xia Chen was secretly amused. Shen Mobai had taken a liking to Xu Xiaoyou’s friend? That meant he would have to come up with a way to make him suffer in return. However, the thought of Shen Mobai sending flowers-he couldn’t forgive that, especially after seeing Xu Xiaoyou so happy on the phone.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Xia Chen found a spot and parked the car. Xu Xiaoyou led the way in, ignoring Xia Chen behind her. He quickly caught up, putting his arm around her waist to pull her close and quietly asked, “Are you angry?”

Xu Xiaoyou shot him a look, as if to say, how dare he ask that.

“Come on, don’t be mad at me, okay? Wifey,” Xia Chen coaxed, but Xu Xiaoyou still ignored him. Xia Chen thought for a moment and decided to pull out the big guns. He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered, “If you keep ignoring me, I’ll kiss you right here.”

“You dare!” Xu Xiaoyou glared at him fiercely.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Xia Chen grinned, playfully. He had already kissed her in public before; this was just a restaurant.

“You…” Xu Xiaoyou stomped her foot and pushed Xia Chen out of the elevator, closing the door behind her. To her surprise, the door swung open again, and Xia Chen swaggered back in, closing the elevator door as it started moving.

“Okay, okay,” Xia Chen soothed, “Don’t be mad. I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” Xu Xiaoyou asked.

“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” Xia Chen replied seriously.

“And what else?” Xu Xiaoyou pressed.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Chen said, “I shouldn’t be so petty.”

“And what else?”

Xia Chen began to sweat; dealing with a woman’s anger was indeed challenging.

“Is that all?” Xu Xiaoyou asked, giving him a scrutinizing look.

“Then how about you tell me what else there is?”

“You’re being a jerk,” Xu Xiaoyou pointed out, referring to what he had said in the lobby. Xia Chen nodded, but he thought that since she had called him a jerk, maybe he should do something to live up to that label. He leaned in and kissed Xu Xiaoyou.

Xu Xiaoyou didn’t expect Xia Chen to kiss her in the elevator, and she pushed him away. But Xia Chen held her tightly, rendering her unable to move. After what felt like an eternity, Xia Chen finally released her. Xu Xiaoyou leaned against him, breathing heavily, mentally scolding Xia Chen.

After dinner, the two strolled hand in hand down the street. Xia Chen asked Xu Xiaoyou what kind of gift she wanted. Xu Xiaoyou rolled her eyes, wondering why he even needed to ask about gifting someone else-didn’t that defeat the purpose?

“Do you prefer chocolate or Häagen-Dazs?” Xia Chen asked, as if that was a normal couple’s conversation.

Xu Xiaoyou looked at him incredulously. Could he really know about that? She had thought he wouldn’t pay attention to such things. After considering, she remembered that she didn’t really like chocolate, and Häagen-Dazs would probably be a bit cold to eat right now, so she decided to pass on that.

Noticing Xu Xiaoyou’s silence, Xia Chen continued, “How about I take you to a special place?”

“What kind of place?” Xu Xiaoyou asked, curiosity piqued.

“You’ll find out when we get there,” Xia Chen said mysteriously.