Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 43 - Is She a Substitute?

Xia Chen had been dealing with company affairs for days, finally managing to go through all the reports. They weren’t bad, although they paled in comparison to his own standards. Nevertheless, the monthly income wasn’t insignificant, nor had it led to any losses for the company.

“Mr. Xia, there’s a young lady downstairs requesting to see you,” the intercom chimed, and Yilin’s voice came through.

Xia Chen set down the documents he had been holding and asked, “Did she say who she is?”

“She mentioned just a single name: Qing.” When Yilin got the call from downstairs, he asked for the person’s name, and that’s how she responded. Hearing her say just the name Qing immediately made him realize who it was – Murong Qing.

“Have her wait for me in the conference room. I’ll be there once I finish these documents,” Xia Chen instructed. Murong Qing, what do you want?

Murong Qing sat in the conference room sipping the coffee that Yilin had brought her. She appeared relaxed, but inside she felt uneasy. Xia Chen agreed to meet her but didn’t invite her into his office, making her wait here instead. What was he trying to imply? Xia Chen felt conflicted about whether to meet Murong Qing. Although he knew there was no place for her in his heart now, he still found himself thinking about their past whenever he saw her.

“Mr. Xia, Miss Murong has been waiting for half an hour. Are you going to see her or not?” Yilin asked while delivering documents.

“I’ll see her. Let’s go now,” Xia Chen replied as he got up and left the office.

As he entered, Murong Qing turned at the sound and her face lit up when she saw Xia Chen. She had just thought he wouldn’t meet her; apparently, there was still some hope.

“Ah Xia…” Murong Qing approached him, attempting to link her arm with his, only to be subtly pushed away by Xia Chen. Her face momentarily stiffened but quickly returned to normal.

“Miss Murong, please behave yourself,” Xia Chen said, taking a seat.

“Ah Xia, I still prefer you calling me Qing. It sounds so much more affectionate,” Murong Qing said as she sat next to Xia Chen, trying to lean closer but was once again pushed away.

“If you’ve come just to reminisce, I’m sorry, but I’m very busy,” Xia Chen responded bluntly.

Murong Qing couldn’t believe Xia Chen would speak to her this way. No matter how she treated him in the past, he would never get angry; he always pampered her. Now he was treating her with such coldness.

“Ah Xia…”

“Please call me Mr. Xia. You’re not in a position to call me Ah Xia,” Xia Chen interrupted her.

“Okay… Okay…” Murong Qing forced a smile. “Mr. Xia…”

“Speak. What do you need?” Xia Chen looked at her.

“I want to discuss the contract,” Murong Qing began, setting aside feelings for the moment. Once the contract was settled, she would have the chance to get closer to him. Xia Chen would eventually return to her side.

“I made it very clear to you that Tianchen won’t sign a contract with you,” Xia Chen responded, fully aware of her intentions. He had mentioned this last time, yet she still hadn’t given up. That was just her nature; she hadn’t changed at all.

“Without me, you’ll have a hard time breaking into the international market,” Murong Qing said confidently. Having spent years abroad, she had become a world-renowned model. Numerous companies wanted to sign her, but she turned them down, wanting only to return and assist Xia Chen. She had left out of necessity, but now with the ability to support him, she wanted to be by his side and never leave again.

“Are you really that confident?” Xia Chen chuckled lightly. “How many more years do you think you can stay in the modeling industry? Before you even get a chance to break into the international market, you might disappear altogether.”

“You…” Murong Qing was taken aback by his comment. She had considered the possibility that returning to help him might not guarantee success, but she believed paving the way for herself would make things smoother.

“Isn’t that the truth?” Xia Chen looked at her. “What do you think your real purpose for returning to the country is? You can’t possibly think I don’t know.”

Xia Chen stood up, turning his back to her. “You just want to use Tianchen’s platform to shine again. You’re afraid that you won’t have a chance to walk the runway anymore, so you want Tianchen to make you famous, right?”

Murong Qing hadn’t expected Xia Chen to know this. Indeed, over the past few years, she had participated in numerous fashion shows, but her body was starting to give out. Chronic health issues began to resurface, and doctors advised her to take a year off. Her company seized the opportunity to terminate her contract. If she didn’t work for a year, who would remember her afterward? The modeling career was fleeting, and she couldn’t just walk away; she still hadn’t achieved the accolades she desired.

“That’s true,” Murong Qing admitted. “But the main reason is that I love you and want to help you.”

“Love?” Xia Chen stared at her incredulously. “You dare to say you love me? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Leaving me when I was unconscious – is that love? I don’t cherish that kind of love.” He could never forget what she said during his coma, how she had talked about pursuing her dreams and how he couldn’t provide her with happiness. It was absurd; now she was claiming to love him after being absent when he needed her most.

“At that time, I was under pressure,” Murong Qing recalled her painful past. “I didn’t want to leave you. Tianchen had just been established, and what it needed was fame. I wanted to help you break into the international market, so I…”

“Do you really think I don’t have the capability to break into the international market? That I need you to guide me?” Xia Chen found her reasoning laughable. He had already signed a contract with a company in the UK, and once the time was right, he could send Tianchen’s artists there for further training, allowing them to develop internationally.

“But you also haven’t established Tianchen internationally,” Murong Qing pointed out. She had been keeping an eye on Tianchen for the past few years. Although Tianchen was well-known domestically, it lacked influence on the international stage.

Outside the door, Chen Zihan couldn’t take it any longer. He pushed the door open and said, “If it weren’t for you, Tianchen would have already made a name internationally.”

“Me?” Murong Qing was confused. “What does that have to do with me?”

“The company you signed with overseas is the same one Xia Chen signed with long ago. After your contract, Mom Xia immediately terminated their agreement, and the company lost a significant amount of money in penalties. At that time, she even considered shutting down Tianchen. If it weren’t for you, Tianchen would have already stepped onto the international scene. Would it still need to take such small steps now?” Chen Zihan’s assistant pushed him closer to Murong Qing. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have stayed in the entertainment industry for so many years only to end up like this.”

“N-no… that’s impossible…” Murong Qing stepped back. She had never considered that everything was because of her. When she left City S, she only wanted a better future. At that time, she had been wholeheartedly pursuing the glory of honor and had resolutely left Xia Chen behind, thinking she would return to help him once she became famous. She never expected that her choices would hurt him.

“What’s impossible?” Chen Zihan pressed on. “You’re selfish and self-serving; you would do anything for your own gain.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Xia Chen interjected, sensing that the argument was escalating. It had been so long since the events unfolded, and he didn’t want to revisit them. “Yilin, please show her out.”

Yilin, who had been listening outside for a while, walked in and said to Murong Qing, “Miss Murong, please.”

Murong Qing picked up her bag from the chair, glanced at Xia Chen, and walked out.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoyou was wandering aimlessly around the mall. Originally, Jingjing had invited her out for some shopping, but less than an hour into their outing, Shen Mobai called, and poor Jingjing was promptly taken back by him. Jingjing was currently caught in a tough spot, desperately trying to escape Shen Mobai’s grasp but finding it impossible to break free.

Entering a men’s clothing store, Xu Xiaoyou spotted several shirts that she thought would suit Xia Chen perfectly. Just as she reached for one, someone snatched it away first. Xu Xiaoyou’s eyelids twitched. She remembered the last time she had a similar experience when Dissie had pushed her aside for the same scarf. Would something like that happen again?

As the person turned around, Xu Xiaoyou was startled to see Murong Qing. What was she doing here? Didn’t she worry about the paparazzi?

Murong Qing also paused for a moment upon recognizing Xu Xiaoyou. She hadn’t expected to run into her here – it was truly a stroke of luck.

“What a coincidence, Miss Xu,” Murong Qing greeted first.

Xu Xiaoyou was taken aback that an international supermodel would know her and quickly responded, “Hello! Hi! How do you know who I am?”

Murong Qing smiled, thinking to herself, how could I not know? I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while. “We met at the airport last time, and I’ve seen your photos in the newspapers. Besides, I’m friends with Xia Chen, so naturally, I know about you.”

Xu Xiaoyou recalled the last time at the airport when Xia Chen had been openly unfriendly to Murong Qing. Yet here she was claiming that they were friends. Was this how you treat a friend?

“Do you have some time to chat?” Murong Qing asked. Knowing she couldn’t get anywhere with Xia Chen, she figured she could start with Xu Xiaoyou. From the looks of it, she seemed easily influenced.

Seeing as she had nothing better to do, Xu Xiaoyou nodded in agreement.

It was again the Golden Hour Bistro. Why did they all like coming here? Although it had a serene atmosphere, it was a bit off the beaten path, located on the university campus and quite a distance from the city center.

“This was my favorite place before I went abroad,” Murong Qing said as she ordered a coffee.

Xu Xiaoyou remained silent, thinking that Xia Chen also loved this café; he had publicly expressed his fondness for the Golden Hour Bistro. Now, Murong Qing seemed to enjoy it too.

“Do you know why I like this place so much?” Murong Qing asked, not waiting for Xu Xiaoyou to respond before continuing, “Because it’s where Xia Chen and I first met.”

Xu Xiaoyou stared at Murong Qing in shock, unsure of what she was implying. “So… what does that mean?” she asked, sounding uncertain. Although she was Xia Chen’s wife, she felt like an outsider being drawn into a secret.

“Don’t you want to know about my history with him?” Murong Qing pressed on, feeling pleased to see Xu Xiaoyou starting to bite. Yet she managed to keep her demeanor calm.

Xu Xiaoyou knew that before marrying her, Xia Chen had rumors with many celebrities, mostly to help them gain fame, without any real substance behind those relationships. Murong Qing’s statement implied that she had a past with Xia Chen, which stirred a feeling of jealousy within Xu Xiaoyou. Why was Xia Chen so charmingly fickle, with people constantly claiming to have had a relationship with him?

“I’m not interested in your past,” Xu Xiaoyou suddenly felt the afternoon tea was becoming quite dull and stood up to leave.

“Don’t you want to know why he married you?” Murong Qing continued, unrelenting.

Xu Xiaoyou was already aware that their marriage was for mutual benefits, with no deeper feelings involved initially, so there was hardly anything to discuss.

“Of course I know; you don’t need to repeat it.” Although they shared genuine feelings now, thinking about the beginning still made Xu Xiaoyou uncomfortable.

“Is that right?” Murong Qing replied incredulously. If Xia Chen had shared his reasons with her, she would be curious to know. “You really don’t care about being his lifelong substitute?”

“Substitute?” Xu Xiaoyou turned around, confused about what Murong Qing meant. Did Xia Chen have ulterior motives for marrying her?

“It seems you still don’t know why he married you.” Murong Qing took a sip of her coffee and asked, “Aren’t you even the slightest bit curious?”