Contractual Love: Mistaken for True

(Jingjing and Shen Mobai)

When Jingjing arrived in City S, she was completely unfamiliar with the area, not even knowing which direction to go for her school. Just as she was about to ask someone for help, she was unexpectedly bumped into by someone. Rubbing her head, she cursed, “Can’t you watch where you’re going?”

The person, looking down at Jingjing, sneered, “That should be my line. I was walking just fine, and you suddenly ran into me. Where were you looking while walking?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jingjing retorted, feeling wronged. Clearly, he had bumped into her, yet he was the one complaining. She wanted to see what kind of man this one, with his eyes seemingly positioned on top of his head, looked like. Yet, she found herself captivated by his dark, alluring eyes. How could a man be so good-looking?

“What are you staring at? Never seen a man before?” another voice chimed in. Jingjing turned to follow the sound and saw a man in a black athletic outfit standing before her.

This was Shen Mobai. It was their first encounter, and neither found the other appealing. Shen Mobai thought Jingjing was just a lovesick girl who always fawned over handsome men, while Jingjing deemed Shen Mobai an arrogant jerk. Their paths crossed because of that handsome man, Chen Ziyi.

Four years later.

Xu Xiaoyou had gone out for dinner with Xia Chen, leaving Jingjing sitting alone in the office, feeling particularly bored. She didn’t have to work in the afternoon but wasn’t inclined to go shopping by herself. The editor-in-chief had mentioned that Xu Xiaoyou should handle Shen Mobai, but it seemed like Xiaoyou wasn’t very enthusiastic about it.

Thinking back to seeing Shen Mobai in the newspaper, she couldn’t believe he was the same arrogant guy she had encountered at the airport four years ago. How could he be the general manager of Moding? Moding was the company she had always aspired to join, and here Shen Mobai had completely ruined that dream for her.

Later that night, as Jingjing stepped out of a bar, she was surprised to find it had started to snow. The snowfall was truly beautiful, and she decided to walk back since it wasn’t far; she figured it would be a nice stroll. However, just a few steps into her walk, a car suddenly sped by, and she barely managed to dodge it, or she would have been hit. Watching the car drive away, she shouted at its rear, “Can’t you drive more carefully?”

To her surprise, the car that had seemingly sped away quickly reversed back. The window rolled down, revealing a somewhat familiar face.

“Miss, do we know each other?” Although it was a question, Shen Mobai was certain he had seen this woman before; he just couldn’t recall where.

“How could I know you, you arrogant jerk?” Jingjing didn’t even realize her slip of the tongue.

Shen Mobai smiled, “Still insisting you don’t know me? How would you know I’m arrogant if you didn’t?”

Jingjing bit her lip, regretting she had exposed herself.

“Are you… Jingjing?” Shen Mobai asked uncertainly. He knew her name because she was Xu Xiaoyou’s friend; he had seen her photo before, and she was quite good-looking.

“How… how do you know?” Jingjing took a step back, perplexed. How did this man know her name?

Shen Mobai stepped out of the car and walked over to Jingjing, saying, “I’ve seen you before.”

“W-When?” Jingjing stammered, her breath hitching. They had only met once four years ago; how could he remember someone so insignificant?

Observing Jingjing’s anxious demeanor, Shen Mobai couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. This girl was quite amusing. Since he couldn’t have Xu Xiaoyou, playing around with her friend seemed like a good idea.

Shen Mobai reached out, lifting Jingjing’s chin as he kissed her. Jingjing’s eyes widened in shock. She didn’t expect Shen Mobai to kiss her, especially in public. This was her first kiss-how could she let a man she barely knew take it from her?

Pushing Shen Mobai away, tears suddenly spilled from Jingjing’s eyes. Shen Mobai frowned. If she couldn’t handle this, why was she out at a nightclub? He could have sworn she had just come from one. Since she couldn’t handle it, this would only make things more interesting.

“Remember, I’m Shen Mobai, and from now on, I’m your boyfriend,” he said, leaving her with those words as he walked away.

“Who agreed to that?” Jingjing yelled, finally reacting.

“I did, and you didn’t object, did you? Goodbye, my girlfriend.” The car slid into the driveway and disappeared from sight.

“Shen Mobai, you shameless jerk…” Jingjing shouted at the car, but in the rearview mirror, Shen Mobai caught a glimpse of her sitting in the snow, and for some reason, a pang of pain tugged at his heart.

Extra: Why Did You Leave Me? (Chen Zihan and Shu Yuqing)

Xia Chen tossed the script for “Mu Yun” to Chen Zihan. “Are you going to accept it?”

Chen Zihan glanced at the script, then placed it back on the desk. “I’ll think about it.”

Xia Chen found this puzzling. Usually, whenever there was a role for that woman, Chen Zihan was always eager to take it. Why the hesitation now?

“What’s the matter? You don’t plan to keep following her?” Xia Chen asked with a smile.

Chen Zihan shot a glance at the smug Xia Chen. “I’m not in the mood. Don’t bother me.” With that, he stood up and left the office.

Shu Yuqing, this time, I absolutely won’t follow in your footsteps. I’ve done so much for you, so why won’t you even spare me a glance? What misunderstanding has made you walk away for four years without a word? Coming back, it’s like you’ve become a completely different person.

Chen Zihan couldn’t forget the scene from six months ago at the airport. He was supposed to go abroad, but as he entered the airport, he spotted Shu Yuqing, just getting off the plane. Amid the crowd, Chen Zihan immediately recognized her-wearing sunglasses and a mask. Ignoring his identity as a celebrity, he rushed over and grabbed her hand.

“Yuqing, is that really you?” Chen Zihan asked excitedly.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know you,” Shu Yuqing replied, pulling her hand away.

“Yuqing, it’s me, Zihan. How could you not know me?” Chen Zihan frowned. They hadn’t seen each other in four years; although his appearance had changed a bit, it shouldn’t be enough for her to claim she didn’t recognize him.

Nearby, reporters quickly gathered as they saw Chen Zihan holding Shu Yuqing’s hand and talking to her, eager to inquire about their relationship. Shu Yuqing bluntly stated once more that she didn’t know him.

Feeling dejected, Chen Zihan boarded the plane without caring about the reporters’ speculation, only wondering why Shu Yuqing had said she didn’t know him. Her eyes had been so cold-why, why?

“Baby, do you know Shu Yuqing?” Ping-Jie asked, noticing the way Chen Zihan looked at Shu Yuqing with such admiration and how he recklessly ran over to grab her hand. It was clear to her that he was smitten.

Chen Zihan glanced at Ping-Jie but didn’t respond.

“I can tell even without you saying anything,” Ping-Jie laughed. “Look at the way you gaze at her; she must be your goddess.”

“How did you know?” Chen Zihan questioned, surprised because he didn’t think he had ever mentioned this to her.

“How could I not know? I’m your manager, after all. Now tell me, what’s your story with her? I can help you think it through,” she said, concerned, as Chen Zihan felt like a little brother to her.

“Ping-Jie, do you think women are usually so fickle?” Chen Zihan was puzzled. Their relationship had seemed great, so how could she just disappear without a word and now claim not to recognize him?

“That’s not a fair thing to say! I’m not fickle at all,” Ping-Jie retorted, drawing disapproval from the other women present. He couldn’t generalize all women based on one person’s behavior.

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

“By the way, here’s a script for you to take a look at. If you like it, I’ll go ahead and take it on,” Ping-Jie said, handing Chen Zihan a script. He flipped through it and tossed it aside, saying, “Not interested. Besides, the Old Master wouldn’t approve of me filming anyway.”

“Are you really not considering it? I heard that this actress Shu Yuqing is also in the cast; if you want to know more, this is a good opportunity,” Ping-Jie observed, confident Chen Zihan would eventually accept.

Sure enough, as soon as Chen Zihan heard that Shu Yuqing had taken the role, he immediately insisted that he wanted to do the same. He was genuinely curious about what had happened between them.

Kevin, who never took on roles, landed a major annual production, which sparked widespread discussion. On the first day of filming, numerous reporters were eager to know why Kevin had chosen to take this project. Some even asked if it was because of Shu Yuqing, recalling their interactions at the airport that had captivated many reporters and fans alike.

Stealing a glance at Shu Yuqing, Chen Zihan said, “Actually, my actions with Miss Shu at the airport that day were just preliminary work for this project. I hope everyone doesn’t misunderstand.”

This was advice that Ping-Jie had given him. Since he had accepted the role, he didn’t have to worry about finding time to ask her everything; he could take it slowly and avoid raising any suspicions, as that might backfire. So, Chen Zihan had no choice but to deny the connection.

Hearing Chen Zihan say this left Shu Yuqing feeling a bit disappointed, but she couldn’t quite express her feelings.

As they continued filming, Shu Yuqing found herself getting confused by Chen Zihan. People referred to him as Ziyi or Kevin, but wasn’t he Chen Zihan? Why was he being called Ziyi? She even asked her manager, Song, about it. Song explained that they were two different people, and that Chen Zihan had been abroad and hadn’t returned in four years.

Shu Yuqing frowned, recalling how he had softly told her that he was Zihan. Had she misheard? And why had she never known he had a brother named Chen Ziyi? Was it possible that all those years ago, she had mistaken someone else for Zihan?

Many times, whenever Chen Zihan saw Shu Yuqing alone, he wanted to approach her. However, reporters were everywhere, and Ping-Jie constantly stopped him from asking, assuring him that she would clarify things. But to be so close to the person he loved and not be able to speak felt unbearable.

As the filming neared completion, Ping-Jie arranged to meet Shu Yuqing. Being a prominent manager, Shu Yuqing naturally didn’t dare decline, although she understood Ping-Jie’s true intentions for bringing her out.

“Miss Shu, I’ll be straightforward. I’m here for Kevin,” Ping-Jie stated, observing Shu Yuqing’s reaction to her words, but she remained silent.

“I could guess that,” Shu Yuqing replied.

Ping-Jie nodded, understanding that if Shu Yuqing had already figured it out, the next part of the conversation would be easier. “To be honest, I’m not here to gossip, but he’s been struggling lately. I need to know what happened between you two that caused someone once adored in the entertainment industry to spiral into becoming a heavy drinker?”

Thinking of how often Chen Zihan had been spotted in bars lately, Ping-Jie felt worried. His stomach problems had worsened, and drinking so much alcohol was dangerous-especially with Xia Chen not being home. If Xia Chen found out, it would be another round of scolding.

“I… we haven’t had anything happen,” Shu Yuqing replied. The truth was, hearing Ping-Jie say that Kevin had been doing poorly concerned her, especially since recent news reports stated that Kevin had been hospitalized due to illness, likely from drinking.

“Miss Shu,” Ping-Jie said, raising her voice slightly, “I don’t care what happened between you two before. Right now, Chen Zihan’s health is what matters most. I hope you’ll go see him and clear everything up.”

After Ping-Jie left, Shu Yuqing hesitated about whether she should visit Chen Zihan. Just now, Ping-Jie had mentioned that Chen Zihan was hospitalized. So which identity was he-Chen Zihan or Chen Ziyi? Did she really need to ask him about that incident from four years ago?