Zhen Bao was considered the village beauty by all the neighbors, and was also the class flower and school flower at school.
Zhen Bao felt that she didn't deserve such an honor, but she knew that she did look quite good. When she was in elementary school it was fine, but when she entered middle school and high school, boys would often write her love letters. The students' courtship methods were quite civilized, but Zhen Bao had also encountered some shifty characters from society who specifically targeted innocent students, and was even eyed by people suspected of being human traffickers.
After encountering so many bizarre incidents, Zhen Bao gradually became more vigilant, although she had dropped out due to lack of money and was living a carefree life in her hometown, Zhen Bao was still on guard.
When Fu Mingshi said that their grandfathers were war buddies, she believed him and was willing to treat him as a friend and host him, but when Fu Mingshi said that his grandfather had liver cancer, and brought up their childhood betrothal, wanting to trick her into marrying him, if Zhen Bao believed him again, she would be a fool. Who knows if he was just another advanced human trafficker? If she blindly went along with him to get a marriage certificate, she might never be able to break free from his control afterwards.
His suit and leather shoes looked quite expensive, but they could also be a deliberate prop by a scammer pretending to be a wealthy man.
Harboring suspicions in her heart, Zhen Bao did not show it on her face. She scratched her head with a conflicted look and said, "This... I feel very sympathetic about your grandfather's illness, it's just that childhood betrothals are feudal dregs. Fu always looks very well-educated... Anyway, you should just go back and try to persuade your grandfather again."
"I've tried persuading him already, but the old man is stubborn and insists on fulfilling the promise from back then." Fu Mingshi had already anticipated that Zhen Bao would not immediately agree to this preposterous request. The prenuptial agreement was for his own consideration, but also for Zhen Bao's sake, so she wouldn't worry about him taking advantage of her. "Ms. Zhen, I can pay you a deposit first, 100 million, I hope you can help me out this once."
He was sincerely discussing a transaction with her, he didn't intend to shortchange her due to any naivete or ignorance on her part.
100 million?
Zhen Bao almost laughed out loud. If this guy could really take out 100 million, why would he marry a country girl like her? He must be trying to scam her. She had heard that fraud tactics nowadays were becoming more and more advanced. They could first make extra money appear in your account, then retract it later.
Firmly believing that Fu Mingshi was a scammer, Zhen Bao didn't even want to keep talking to him. She turned around to walk back. "Really can't do it, Fu always should go back." She was very satisfied with her current life, there was no need to marry a stranger for money.
Her refusal was so blunt that it made Fu Mingshi frown. He followed behind her and asked, "What would it take for Ms. Zhen to agree?"
With her back to him, Zhen Bao sighed, "I don't want to trick people, and I don't want to fake marry a stranger. Fu always, please don't make things difficult for me, okay?"
Though she was only 20, her face was still very youthful. Fu Mingshi was a business tycoon who dominated the commercial sphere, he certainly wouldn't be deterred by Zhen Bao's cold demeanor. He just felt a headache coming on, understanding on one hand that his request was preposterous, but still needing to fight for it on behalf of his grandfather.
"I'll leave the agreement here for you, Ms. Zhen can take a look first. I'll come again tomorrow." Fu Mingshi held out the prenuptial agreement, looking at Zhen Bao with a sincere gaze. After getting to know her temperament today, he would think of a new strategy tonight.
Zhen Bao just wanted to hurry up and send him away, so she took it.
"See you tomorrow." Fu Mingshi bid her farewell lightly and turned to leave.
Zhen Bao continued to herd geese. She tossed the prenuptial agreement onto the ground and was about to sit down when Fu Mingshi suddenly turned back around. Zhen Bao paused briefly, then shamelessly sat down since it was too late to pretend otherwise. He was just a scammer, she didn't need to give him any face.
Fu Mingshi looked at the prenuptial agreement she had used as a seat cushion on the ground, and silently swallowed back the words urging her to come down the mountain sooner. He quickened his pace down the hillside.
Zhen Bao knew he was angry but felt quite satisfied.
Her little black dog Hei Dan ran back and snuggled up to his owner.
Zhen Bao hugged Hei Dan and looked again at the seven white geese leisurely eating grass in the bamboo grove, feeling carefree and content.
~
50 li from Zhen Bao's home there was a small town. Hongfa Hotel was the only hotel in town. The driver had stayed here last time. Of course Fu Mingshi would take the best room, though the best room in a small place like this couldn't compare to the bathroom in Fu Mingshi's villa.
The driver was experienced and had specially prepared new bedding and quilts in the trunk, diligently helping to change them out. "Boss Fu, please bear with this for now."
Fu Mingshi stood by the window without saying a word.
His phone rang, it was his grandfather. "Did you meet with Zhen Bao?"
Fu Mingshi's tone was cold. "She's unwilling. I said I would give her 100 million as a betrothal gift and she still refused. Grandfather, forget it. You feel that having her marry into our family would be taking care of her, but she's gotten used to living in her rural hometown..."
"Stop blabbering. I don't believe that you can't even persuade a little girl. Mingshi, I'm telling you, if you don't bring Zhen Bao back, don't bother coming back yourself either!"
Leaving him with that relatively calm threat, Elder Fu decisively ended the call.
Fu Mingshi looked at the screen, a feeling of powerlessness welled up in his heart.
The driver pretended not to have heard the voice from the phone. He tidied up the room, then silently slipped on gloves and went to disinfect the bathroom like a dutiful servant. After finishing up the chores he scurried back to the next room carrying his supplies.
Fu Mingshi locked the door, quickly rinsed off, and came out wearing only boxer briefs, exposing his fit, muscular chest and defined but not exaggerated eight pack abs. His long legs were enough to make all the male models on the runway lose their color. The driver had laid out a new bamboo mat on the chair for Fu Mingshi. As he sat down and opened his laptop to check emails, Fu Mingshi, a workaholic, quickly put Zhen Bao out of his mind.
The next morning, Fu Mingshi got up at his usual 5 AM.
At 6 AM, the shuttle bus was on the road again.
Fu Mingshi gazed out the window absentmindedly at the hills. Money didn't tempt Zhen Bao, and he couldn't think of a better way. There seemed to be a lot of contracted marriage tropes in TV dramas, but usually the female lead owed the male lead something first and had no choice but to agree. Zhen Bao didn't owe the Fu family anything.
The man knitted his brows. The driver could see it clearly through the rearview mirror. As a professional bodyguard who didn't want to keep playing dual roles as caretaker here, the driver coughed and tentatively suggested, "Boss Fu, I think you could try persuading Ms. Zhen to come back with you first, then develop feelings before proposing.
They were two complete strangers. With the situation as is, how could Ms. Zhen agree to a proposal just like that? She'd either be after Boss Fu's money or looks if she readily agreed. Her motives would be impure."
Fu Mingshi glanced over with a piercing look.
The driver grinned foolishly, "I'm just rambling, don't take it seriously Boss Fu."
But Fu Mingshi's mind became unclouded. His furrowed brows relaxed.
~
Zhen Bao also had the good habit of sleeping and waking up early. After eating breakfast and washing the dishes, she was in the backyard planting seedlings in the vegetable patch. She suddenly heard the geese honking loudly in the front yard. Recalling the image of the big scammer from yesterday acting sanctimoniously, Zhen Bao finished uprooting several more seedlings before dusting off her hands and heading to the front yard.
Outside the wicker fence, Fu Mingshi's face was ash gray. Inside the fence, the seven big white geese had their necks stretched tall as they honked and flapped their wings aggressively at him.
"I read your agreement. I'm sorry but I still can't agree." Zhen Bao stood in the doorway, completely impolite.
She had changed into a pair of lighter wash jeans, paired with a black and white horizontal striped tee. Her features were elegant, but her words unexpectedly firm. Fu Mingshi already realized his mistake. Ignoring the big white geese, he apologized loudly, "I'm sorry, I was too impatient and didn't consider things thoroughly yesterday. How about this - you move to the Fu house first, and if ultimately you still can't accept me, I'll send you back."
Grandfather liked Zhen Bao. As long as Zhen Bao was in the imperial capital, grandfather could rest easy focusing on his treatment.
Zhen Bao sneered. Was this guy feigning compromise because he realized she wasn't easy to fool?
Unwilling to waste time on a scammer, Zhen Bao waved her old Nokia phone at him and coldly warned, "I already said no means no. If you don't leave, I'm calling the police!" The volume of her voice indicated her mood. She always spoke gently to villagers, but now she was yelling loudly. Hei Dan and the white geese could all tell that their owner didn't welcome this stranger, and immediately started honking even louder.
The old grandma next door curiously came out and asked Zhen Bao in the local dialect what was going on.
Fu Mingshi didn't want Zhen Bao to speak badly of him, so he quickly spoke up before she could open her mouth, "Ms. Zhen, for the sake of our elders' relationship, can you let me in to talk?" He wanted to discuss things with her calmly.
Zhen Bao looked at him, then turned and told a little white lie to the neighbor granny that Fu Mingshi was a salesman before actually starting to walk towards the door.
The geese became well-behaved again in front of their owner, obediently making way on both sides.
Fu Mingshi thought Zhen Bao had come around, and apologized again when she approached, "I'm sorry for the trouble."
Zhen Bao looked up at him with a smile. "You leave immediately, then I'll forgive you."
She smiled brightly, even sweeter than her photos, leaving Fu Mingshi a bit stunned before he came back to his senses. "Ms. Zhen, I..."
Not appreciating that she had given him one last chance, Zhen Bao's patience wore out. She suddenly pushed him forcefully. Fu Mingshi had martial arts training, and instinctively grabbed her hand. Seeing his quick reaction, Zhen Bao became even more certain he was a bad guy. She stomped on his leather shoe, then took advantage when Fu Mingshi loosened his grip to swiftly dodge inside the fence.
She dodged, but the geese inside the fence scrambled to run out and join forces against their owner's enemy.
"Honk honk honk!"
