1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 187 Five Years Later, Contractual Marriage
Late 1998, Shanghai.

The New Year's Eve gala was broadcast on CCTV during prime time, while the Bund was brightly lit and packed with people.

Lin Xiyu stood in the observation deck on the 88th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, known as the tallest building in China, overlooking the city where she had worked hard for five years.

Through the transparent glass of the floor-to-ceiling window, a slender and charming figure wearing a black belted cashmere coat could be vaguely seen.

"Xi Yu."

The phone vibrated slightly, and Wu Meng's slightly excited voice came through the receiver: "Gu Bin is back from the United States. He's now an internationally renowned lawyer."

My heart clenched painfully, and my phone clattered to the ground.

"Excuse me, are you Sister Xiyu?"

A young man wearing black-rimmed glasses, with handsome features and resembling a recent college graduate, tentatively approached, bent down, and picked up her phone.

"Yes, Thanks."

Lin Xiyu didn't have time to think much. She took the phone, calmed herself down, and sent him a sweet smile.

"Hello, I am Zhao Yuncheng."

A look of amazement flashed in Zhao Yuncheng's eyes, and he praised her sincerely: "Sister Xiyu, you look even more elegant, younger, and more beautiful than in the photos."

"It seems your first impression is good."

Lin Xiyu calmed down and smiled gently: "Next, can we talk about the details of our cooperation?"

"my pleasure."

Zhao Yuncheng's eyes were burning with barely concealed excitement.

"There's a Western restaurant downstairs. Let's go down and talk there."

The observation deck was too crowded to talk, so Lin Xiyu gave the other person a knowing look and headed for the elevator first.

"it is good."

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Yuncheng followed him out of the observation hall.

-

The elevator descended rapidly to the 16th floor. The doors opened, and a tall, slender figure slowly stepped inside.

Lin Xiyu looked up and, upon seeing the person's face clearly, her breath hitched and her heart almost stopped.

Gu Bin, it's him!
He's back from the United States.

Seeing that she was in a daze, Zhao Yuncheng considerately pulled her arm and took a few steps back to make some space.

Gu Bin seemed not to see that there were other people in the elevator. With a cold expression, he turned his back and pressed the button.

Lin Xiyu stood behind him with a complicated expression, secretly observing him.

Even after many years, he still has handsome features and an outstanding temperament.

He seemed to have grown taller than before, transforming from an unruly boy into a dignified and noble young man.

My heart ached involuntarily again, and an indescribable bitterness welled up inside me.

After not seeing each other for several years, had he become so unfamiliar with her that he couldn't even recognize her?
-

The elevator descended to the 3rd floor, the doors opened, and Gu Bin strode out with his long legs.

"Gu Bin, you've arrived."

A slender and beautiful woman in an evening gown approached him and familiarly took his arm.

Lin Xiyu turned her head away, not wanting to see the jarring scene.

"Xiyu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zhao Yuncheng noticed her unusual expression and looked at her with concern.

"I'm fine"

Lin Xiyu took a deep breath, looked at her best friend's younger brother standing beside her, who was gentle and considerate and clearly showed affection for her, and gritted her teeth in a fit of pique.

It's not impossible for a fake marriage to turn into a real one!
-

The two arrived at the Western restaurant and found a quiet corner by the window to sit down.

Lin Xiyu took off her cashmere coat and draped it over the chair next to her.

Zhao Yuncheng, being very perceptive, called over a waiter to put a coat cover on his coat.

"She's very good at taking care of people."

Lin Xiyu gave him an approving look.

"necessary"

Zhao Yuncheng grinned, trying his best to impress: "We're getting married soon, so I have to do my best."

"Won't you reconsider?"

Lin Xiyu paused in ordering: "Even if it's a fake marriage, if you divorce and remarry, it's still a second marriage."

"I did hesitate a bit before coming."

Zhao Yuncheng adjusted his glasses, his gaze burning: "After meeting Sister Xiyu, all my hesitation disappeared. Sister Xiyu is more beautiful than any girl I've ever met before. She makes my heart flutter involuntarily. It feels like love at first sight. It would be my honor to marry you."

"She's considerate and knows how to sweet-talk people."

Lin Xiyu chuckled and teased, "A guy like you must have been very popular in school, right? Did you have a girlfriend?"

"Uh."

Zhao Yuncheng was a little embarrassed, and his ears turned red as he said two words: "No."

"Oh?"

Lin Xiyu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

"I'm poor."

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Zhao Yuncheng shrugged and said helplessly, "Dating a girlfriend costs money. I'm penniless, I don't have a single silver dollar. What girl would want to date me?"

"Makes sense."

Lin Xiyu nodded seriously, indicating her agreement.

"Sister Xiyu."

Zhao Yuncheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and suddenly felt a connection with her soul, a feeling that he could confide in her: "To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that my family was poor, and that I was a poor boy from the mountains who forced myself to find a way out and wanted to stay in Shanghai to make a lot of money, I wouldn't have agreed to let my cousin come to see you."

"Wu Meng was indeed someone I asked to help her."

Lin Xiyu's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled self-deprecatingly: "I've known her since I was a child. She understands me. I'm also from out of town, and my family's financial situation is average. Otherwise, I wouldn't have used such a clumsy method to try to get a dormitory room at the school."

"It's not easy."

Zhao Yuncheng empathized with her, and his gaze toward her became even more ardent.

"Here is the contract. Take it back and take a look. If you have no objections, sign it."

Lin Xiyu took out a paper document from her casual handbag and placed it in front of him: "After we get the marriage certificate, I will go to my workplace to register and complete the formalities. No matter how much the house we are allocated is worth, I will give you a quarter of it at market price."

"Don't look at it."

Zhao Yuncheng's heart burned with enthusiasm: "I trust you, we can sign now."

Lin Xiyu: "."

There's no need to rush.

-

To show his sincerity, Zhao Yuncheng indeed called over a waiter, asked for a pen, and was about to sign his name on the spot. The moment he put pen to paper, a shadow fell over the two of them.

“What you have done has crossed the line of morality, and strictly speaking, it has also violated the law.”

The sudden sound startled Lin Xiyu, causing her heart to race.

"Gu Bin?!"

Upon seeing who it was, her pupils contracted, and the color drained from her face.

She didn't want anyone to see that she was in a fake marriage, but he was the one who did.

An overwhelming sense of shame instantly washed over my entire body.

"Xi Yu, it's been a long time."

Gu Bin's eyes were deep, and his handsome brows held a hint of anger: "It seems I've come back at just the right time. I'm more suitable than him for a contract marriage."

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Yuncheng's expression changed instantly. He jumped up from his chair and glared at him angrily.

"That's literally what it means."

Gu Bin ignored his provocation, picked up the contract, and skimmed through it, his gaze icy. "This contract is riddled with loopholes. If one party harbors malicious intent and threatens to publicly report the other, the other party will not only lose the property but may also face termination of their employment." "That's just your idea."

Unwilling to be looked down upon, Zhao Yuncheng stubbornly argued, "Please don't make malicious assumptions about others."

"I am a lawyer, and I will address the issue at hand."

A mocking smile played on Gu Bin's lips as he coldly pressed, "Ask yourself honestly, are you content with only a quarter of the property, and have you never considered fighting for all of it?"

"Sister Xiyu, don't listen to his provocations."

Under his questioning, Zhao Yuncheng panicked for a moment and avoided his sharp gaze: "I truly like you and never intended to harm you."

"like?!"

Gu Bin's eyes suddenly darkened, becoming as cold as a blade.

"Yes, I like Sister Xiyu."

Zhao Yuncheng straightened his back, trying to make himself look more imposing.

Since you say you like it.

Gu Bin stared at him for a few seconds, then scoffed disdainfully, "Let me test how cheap your affection is."

"This is my business card."

He took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to him: "If you leave now, you can get compensation equivalent to half of this property, and a job at a law firm with an annual salary of 100,000."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zhao Yuncheng's momentum clearly weakened, his eyes fixed on the business card, unable to look away.

"I don't have the patience to wait."

Gu Bin's eyes were cold and his aura was so powerful that it was suffocating: "I'll give you ten seconds. You're out of time."

"Sister Xiyu, I'm sorry."

Zhao Yuncheng didn't wait ten seconds before he shakily reached out his hand.

"enough!"

Lin Xiyu suddenly shouted something at the top of her lungs, her extreme shame causing her to break down emotionally.

"What makes you think I'd willingly enter into a contract marriage with you?!"

-

bathroom.

"Hey, look! Isn't that the guy who stole the show at the banquet?"

"That's right, it's him, the new lawyer at Huanyu Law Firm. I heard he came back from the United States."

"Looks quite young, maybe only twenty-four or twenty-five. How can someone so young have a Juris Doctor degree from a top American university?"

"He not only has a PhD, but also an international law license. He earns US dollars; he gets this much commission for winning an international trade case."

"One thousand dollars?"

"No, you can broaden your thinking and make bold guesses."

"Ten thousand?"

"No, no, no, you can be even bolder."

"One hundred thousand?"

"Don't doubt your ears, that's the number."

"My god, 100,000 US dollars is more than 700,000 RMB!"

"That's right, based on the exchange rate as of yesterday, it's even higher."

Is he married?

"No, still single, a perfect eligible bachelor."

"Sisters, my spring has arrived! I've decided that I'm going to win him over this year and successfully find a partner."

"Go for it! Charge boldly!"

"Go for it, sisters, we believe in you!"

Lin Xiyu scooped water to wash her face in front of the mirror, patting her cheeks to calm her agitated mood.

A slight commotion came from the doorway, and several women dressed in formal attire and with exquisite makeup walked in, chatting and laughing.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling welled up inside her.

It's easy to guess that the person they're talking about is most likely Gu Bin.

After all, that person was quite eye-catching when he was in school, and he was always attracting attention.

What is Gu Bin doing at the toilet door?
Perhaps it's his professional habit kicking in; he hasn't had enough of his witty remarks and wants to mock her some more?!
-

Gu Bin leaned against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers.

His well-defined brow bone and clear facial contours appeared even more striking and handsome under the neon lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The cigarette butts flickered on and off as people came and went in the restroom.

He waited patiently, letting the cigarette burn out completely, burning his fingers before extinguishing it. Then he took out another one and lit it again.

The clock is gradually pointing to midnight, and the New Year's bells are about to ring.

After waiting for nearly two hours, the person I had been waiting for finally came out.

"Xi Yu".

His eyes lit up, he stubbed out his cigarette, and went to meet them.

"You haven't left yet?"

Lin Xiyu glared at him unhappily, a surge of inexplicable irritation rising within her.

God knows what she felt like, hiding in the bathroom for two hours while pinching her nose!
Despite suppressing my feelings like this, I still couldn't escape him.

"I was too harsh with my words just now."

Ignoring her cold stare, Gu Bin reached out, wanting to gently stroke her face: "It was my fault, I apologize to you, please forgive me, okay?"

"not good."

A wave of indescribable bitterness washed over Lin Xiyu. In a fit of pique, she slapped his hand away and stormed out of the Western restaurant.

"Xi Yu."

Just as Gu Bin was about to chase after her, a waiter blocked him at the door: "Sir, that lady hasn't paid her bill yet."

Helpless, Gu Bin could only take out two hundred-yuan bills from his wallet, throw them at him, and say "Keep the change" before hurrying after him.

-

Lin Xiyu rushed out of the Jin Mao Tower and plunged into the crowded flow of people.

The New Year's bell is about to ring, and the banks of the river are packed with people. Tourists are as excited as if they have been injected with chicken blood, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Spring Festival.

Disturbed and confused, she drifted along with the crowd, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

A terrified scream came from not far ahead. Someone lost their footing and fell to the ground because of the crowd. The people behind did not know what was going on and continued to push forward.

"Don't push, don't push."

People fell to the ground in droves, and Lin Xiyu, caught off guard, also stumbled and fell down with the crowd.

Her right ankle was in excruciating pain, and people kept stepping on her leg and hitting her, making it increasingly difficult for her to breathe.

Panic spread to its peak in an instant, and piercing screams rose and fell.

"Xi Yu!"

A pair of strong arms pulled her out of the crowd and held her in their arms.

Lin Xiyu was so frightened that the excruciating pain in her ankle made her tremble a few times.

"Don't be afraid, come with me."

Gu Bin held her protectively in his arms, doing his best to shield her from the impact and prevent them from falling again.

The piercing screams that kept ringing in her ears easily shattered Lin Xiyu's last shred of feigned strength.

She trembled all over and huddled in his arms like a little quail.

Gu Bin carefully guided her, inching her away towards a less crowded area.

Lin Xiyu buried her face in his chest, leaning against him wholeheartedly, greedily absorbing the long-lost warmth.

Gu Bin noticed her dependence, his gaze hardened, and he held her even tighter.