First, then, love.

Shu Jianguo rubbed his hands together and walked around the Moutai store. The aloofness of an old intellectual was nowhere to be found at this moment.

"This wine can't be bought on the market; it has to be kept as a precious artifact."

Lin Shufen gripped Shu Yao's wrist tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh, her face flushed with excitement.

"Yaoyao, did you hear what your mother said?" Lin Shufen raised her voice, her vocal cords taut, "The son of Shengshi Real Estate! The grandson of an old general! Aunt Zhang can practically recite the family tree to me, they've shown their sincerity beyond measure. Your father and I both agree to this marriage!"

Shu Yao's temples throbbed.

madman.

These people have all gone mad.

"I'm tired, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

She forcefully pulled her hand back, and without even changing her shoes, she lifted her skirt and headed straight for her bedroom.

The door slammed shut with a "bang".

The door clicked shut.

Shu Yao leaned against the door and let out a long breath.

The room was lit by a dim wall lamp, and the air was filled with the faint scent of tuberose.

Shu Yao kicked off her high heels and stepped barefoot onto the soft cashmere carpet.

She tossed her bag to the foot of the bed, opened the wardrobe, grabbed a silk nightgown, and went into the bathroom.

Turn the shower head switch to the maximum.

Hot water slammed down from above, hitting the mosaic tiles and instantly creating a cloud of white steam.

Shu Yao took off her sundress.

The fabric absorbed water, and its color turned dull and lifeless.

She casually tossed it into the laundry basket.

Standing in front of the anti-fog half-length mirror.

A young and beautiful body was reflected in the mirror.

At twenty-four, she possessed all the advantages of her age: her skin was dazzlingly white, her shoulders and neck were straight, her collarbones were deep, her chest was full and firm, and her waist was so thin that you could pinch it with two hands.

No, He Zheng could almost pinch it with one hand.

Looking up, there's a noticeable red and swollen mark on the lower right side of the collarbone.

Shu Yao reached out and touched it.

"hiss--"

It hurts.

She frowned.

Shu Yao squeezed out three pumps of shower gel and rubbed it on the bath sponge to create dense white foam.

Foam was applied all over my body, and hot water was used to wash it off, rinsing away the sticky sweat and the dampness of the rainy season. My skin was scalded and turned pink.

Fifteen minutes later.

She turned off the water and pulled a large, pure white bath towel to wrap around her chest.

As she pushed open the bathroom door, the cold air from the bedroom blew in, making her calves shiver.

She walked to the dressing table, pulled out a chair, sat down, skillfully unscrewed the body lotion, scooped out a large amount of cool, white cream, and applied it from her ankles to her calves.

Massage in circular motions, pushing upwards little by little.

She has extremely high standards for her quality of life. Her skin must always be smooth and shiny. She uses the same brand of body lotion and shower gel, and the fragrances are layered so that she can smell good all night long in bed.

"Meow--"

My ankle was suddenly swept hard by a furry thing.

Shu Yao lowered her head.

A chubby calico cat was circling around her legs, its fur glossy, its face round, and its markings yellow and black.

"Princess".

The princess stopped, raised her head, and stared at Shu Yao with her round yellow eyes, her tail slapping the cashmere carpet in annoyance.

It has a terrible temper.

Follow its master.

They eat when they're hungry, and they'll cry out if they have to wait even a second longer.

"What's the rush?" Shu Yao wiped her hands with a tissue, then shuffled to the corner in her slippers.

I took a can of tuna and pulled the metal ring.

The fishy smell of seafood wafted out.

Shu Yao pinched her nose in disgust and poured the canned food into the ceramic cat bowl.

The princess immediately buried her head in the food, making loud slurping noises, and ate without lifting her head.

Shu Yao sat back on the edge of the bed and picked up a dry towel to dry her hair.

With her other hand, she reached for her phone on the bedside table, opened WeChat, and made a voice call to her best friend, Qiaoqiao.

After two beeps, the call connected.

The clear sounds of peeling and chewing immediately came through the receiver.

"What do you want to eat? It's the middle of the night." Shu Yao put the phone on speakerphone, tossed it onto the blanket, and sat up cross-legged.

"Spicy crayfish." Qiao Qiao slurped up a mouthful of spicy broth, her voice muffled. "Hiss... What's up? Did you finish your date with your young master?"

"Date my ass." Shu Yao pulled a cushion behind her back. "The He family sent people to deliver the engagement gifts. My parents have gone crazy. There's Moutai and Hermes all over the floor, and a pair of icy jadeite bracelets. My mom's eyes are practically shining when she looks at me now."

There was suddenly no sound on the other end of the phone.

A few seconds later, the sound of cola ice cubes rattling could be heard, followed by a loud burp.

"Holy crap." Qiao Qiao gasped. "That's a huge move! The He family is determined to settle you down right away, skipping all the dating steps."

"I don't want to marry him." Shu Yao picked at the tassels on the edge of the cushion with her nails. "That man is too dangerous, he exudes a menacing aura. Today on the road, someone changed lanes and bumped into his car. A bald man got out and started cursing. He didn't even lift a finger. With just one look, the bald man was so scared that he stammered and obediently transferred money to pay for the car repairs. I think he must have a history of murder."

"That goes without saying, they work in the SWAT team."

"That's why I'm scared!" Shu Yao raised her voice. "This kind of man has a temper as hard as a rock. If we argue after we get married, he could dislocate my jaw with one slap. I'm so delicate, I can't take that kind of pain."

Qiaoqiao laughed out loud on the other end of the phone.

He laughed so hard he coughed.

"Shu Yao, we grew up wearing the same dress, let me explain the current situation to you."

Qiaoqiao's tone became serious.

"You're twenty-four this year, and your mother is forcing you to go on blind dates every day. You've been to at least thirty of them—civil servants, bank managers, teachers from top high schools. Which one of them can stand your awful temper?"

Shu Yao pouted.

"What's wrong with my temper? I'm spending my own money, and I demand a certain quality of life. Is that wrong?"

"That's right. But an average man can't afford to support you." Qiaoqiao hit the nail on the head, every word striking a nerve. "An average man would feel the pinch for half a month if he bought a bag worth tens of thousands of yuan. An average man expects you to be a virtuous wife and mother, to have two children and to cook for his parents every day. Can you handle that? When you go on blind dates, which man doesn't look at you with a critical eye?"

Shu Yao recalled the bank vice president from last week who complained that her red nail polish was not dignified.

She then poured the coffee directly onto the man's shoes.

I felt nauseous.

"Where's He Zheng?" Qiao Qiao asked. "What did he say when you made those unreasonable demands of him?"

A rough image flashed through Shu Yao's mind: the tough guy sitting opposite her, chugging down a whole glass of warm water.

"He said he'd hand over his entire salary, do all the housework, cook the meals, feed the cat... and take care of me."

Shu Yao's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.

"That settles it!" Qiao Qiao slammed her hand on the table, making her phone ring loudly. "A top-of-the-line ATM! And an all-around bodyguard too!"

"You spend his money, buy your bags, and support your cat. He works as a SWAT officer; he can't come home for ten days or two weeks at a time. What do you call that?"

Qiaoqiao shouted excitedly from the other end.

"This is the ultimate, upgraded version of a 'widowed marriage'! Your husband is rich, handsome, has a great physique, and is endlessly tolerant of you! Most importantly, he doesn't come home to bother you!"

Shu Yao was stunned.

The hand that was drying her hair stopped in mid-air, and water droplets fell down the strands of hair onto the red marks on her collarbone.

It's a little itchy.

"And most importantly," Qiaoqiao continued, "their family has a top-tier military compound background. Once you get that marriage certificate, you'll be the young mistress of the He family. Marrying into that family will be a game-changer. Your mom is always comparing herself to your aunts, right? This is a one-hit kill."

"You've essentially achieved both financial and personal freedom. You traded a marriage certificate for absolute comfort for the rest of your life. Do you think you're losing out?"

That makes sense...

Who doesn't want to marry into a good family?

Shu Yao bit her lower lip, her heart beating faster than usual.

She really needs a human shield.

It can block out parents' endless pressure to get married and the outdated, societal notion that "women must have children and serve their husbands when they reach a certain age."

He Zheng perfectly fits the criteria.

Not only does it meet the standards, but the hardware completely exceeds them.

There aren't many men who are both rich and good-looking, and he doesn't interfere with her or restrict her.

She can still be a cello teacher if she wants to.

Each gets what they need, and the two parties benefit from each other.

Using a calculated marriage to secure a comfortable life in the second half of life.

Shu Yao's throat felt dry, so she licked her red lips.

"But..." Shu Yao muttered softly, making a last-ditch effort, "What if he really is abusive?"

"Is your brain filled with water?!" Qiao Qiao cursed. "He's a police officer! His walls are covered with awards and honors! Why would he abuse you just to rip off the uniform he wore because he almost broke up with his family? Even if he dared to lay a finger on you, you should go to the provincial government compound and lie under his dad's car wheel to stage an accident. The He family can't afford to lose face like that!"

Shu Yao touched her chin.

reasonable.

Hang up the call.

She lay sprawled on the large bed, her silk nightgown slipping down to her thighs, revealing her fair and slender legs.

His eyes were fixed on the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

Knot.

Consider it buying some peace and quiet with a marriage certificate.

This deal feels like a sure thing.

As long as you treat him like an ATM roommate, you can still live a great life.

Having figured this out, Shu Yao turned over, hugged the blanket, and a sly smile appeared on her lips.