Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

It was a little after 3 p.m.

Shang Song was placed on the sofa in the living room on the 88th floor by Xie Jing'an.

He had a lumbar support cushion behind him and a cashmere blanket covering his legs.

Fruit tea and snacks were laid out on the coffee table.

The sun is shining brightly; it's perfect for daydreaming.

if you can.

Directly opposite him, in the makeshift chairs, were seven lawyers in suits lined up.

Everyone had a serious expression, exuding an aura of being billed by the minute.

Yes, seven.

An entire legal team.

They brought notebooks, thick folders, and one even turned on a projector, projecting densely packed clauses onto a specially set-up screen.

It's been two hours.

Shang Song has been listening for two hours.

"Regarding Mr. Xie's family trust fund, the beneficial rights terms are detailed in Appendix C, which includes the adjustment mechanism in case of a change in marital status..." A lawyer's voice was as steady as Shang Song's in a university advanced mathematics class.

Shang Song's vision began to blur, and the lawyers' voices grew fainter and fainter.

When he was half-awake and half-asleep, he felt that his life was miserable.

Last night, Xie Jing ravaged my body; today, the lawyer Xie Jing hired is ravaging my spirit.

His head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice.

Just a second before he was about to fall completely asleep, his cheek was pinched lightly.

Shang Song dodged away, barely managing to lift his eyelids.

Xie Jing withdrew his hand and gestured to him with his eyes: Listen carefully.

Shang Song gave a muffled "hmm".

He knew that Xie Jing probably wanted to provide him with security, fearing that he would suffer losses in the future.

This is probably Xie Jing's world: everything must operate within rules and terms to avoid any potential risks.

There is nothing wrong with that in itself.

In fact, it could be described as extremely thorough.

But... this is not the marriage Shang Song imagined.

In his imagination, he would happily go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Xie Jing, take a slightly silly photo together, get two marriage certificates, and then have a celebratory meal together.

Simple, warm, and reassuring.

Instead of being surrounded by seven lawyers and listening to gibberish for two hours—about how much of Xie Jing's wealth he could possibly get if they divorced—he would receive a fraction of it.

As Shang Song listened to yet another lawyer explaining the difference between "irrevocable gifts" and "conditional gifts," he became sleepy again.

Just as his eyelids drooped again, Xie Jing pinched his cheek once more.

This time, Xie Jing used a bit more force.

Shang Song finally reached his breaking point.

"Xie Jing!"

The lawyer who was giving his explanation stopped speaking, and all seven lawyers turned to look at him.

Xie Jing's expression remained unchanged, but he asked with his eyes: What's wrong?

"I'm sleepy!" Shang Song exploded. "I don't understand! What's this about irrevocable equity trusts and separate assets in joint accounts?! My head is spinning!"

His lower back was sore and numb, and he was forced to listen to two hours of incomprehensible nonsense, which made him feel more and more aggrieved as he spoke.

"It's just getting married, why is it so complicated! I'm not listening! I don't want to sign anything! If we can get the marriage certificate, we will! If not, then forget it!"

Xie Jing didn't speak immediately, but stared intently at Shang Song with his unfathomable eyes, as if assessing how much of his words were out of spite and how much were a genuine retreat.

The seven lawyers, however, had already fallen silent.

A few seconds later.

Xie Jing shifted his gaze to the chief of the legal team, "Attorney Xu, leave the core terms and conditions that must be signed. As for the rest, you can proceed according to the charter."

Lawyer Xu: "Understood, Mr. Xie."

He quickly took out the most crucial document from the thick folder, respectfully placed it on the coffee table, and then gave the other team members a wink.

The lawyers immediately began tidying up their laptops, projectors, and scattered documents.

In a short while, only Shang Song, who was still sulking on the sofa, and Xie Jing, who was sitting next to him, remained in the living room.

Shang Song glared at Xie Jing, his eyes filled with accusation.

Xie Jing ignored the accusation in Shang Song's eyes, and simply reached out, picked Shang Song up, and placed her on his lap.

Shang Song froze for a moment, then did not struggle.

As Shang Song nestled in Xie Jing's warm and firm embrace, the slight irritation in his heart gradually subsided.

"Alright, don't be angry anymore." Xie Jing's deep voice sounded above his head, like a coaxing, like a soothing, "I was too hasty, I shouldn't have let you hear this now."

Shang Song pursed his lips and remained silent.

Xie Jing didn't rush for his response, but simply patted his back very gently.

His gaze fell on the stack of documents on the coffee table, and he continued to coax her in that low, deep voice:

"These terms and conditions may seem complicated, but they are actually quite simple."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you trust me, just sign your name where you need to, regardless of what's written in front of it."

Shang Song shifted in his arms, finally speaking in a muffled voice, "Don't you need to worry about it?"

He felt Xie Jing's chest vibrate slightly, followed by a definite syllable.

"Signing these won't change your life at all. You can still do whatever you want, go wherever you want, and buy whatever you want, just like you do now."

He added, "However, you will have a considerable living allowance every month. You can use it as pocket money or save it, it's up to you."

"I don't want your money." Shang Song said subconsciously. Deep down, he didn't want his relationship with Xie Jing to become so... materialistic.

"It's not my money." Xie Jing's fingertips touched Shang Song's cheek, gently rubbing it. "Or rather, not entirely."

Shang Song's cheek was pinched, and the swollen flesh subsided a little. He looked up at Xie Jing with a puzzled expression.

Xie Jing also looked down at him, his brows slightly furrowed, and explained slowly:

"The Xie family's wealth has been accumulated over many generations and is managed and increased through complex rules and trust funds."

Its rules were already set.

"The primary goal is to ensure the continuation and stability of the entire family, rather than allowing any one person, even the nominal head of the family—me—to arbitrarily possess or control it."

He looked at Shang Song's slightly widened eyes and continued, "As the current head of the Xie family, I have a responsibility to ensure the smooth operation of the Xie family and to mobilize resources within my authority. However, this does not mean that I can dispose of the Xie family's assets at will."

"It has its rules."

"If you marry me, it means you will become a member of the Xie family. Therefore, you will automatically receive the standardized treatment that the Xie family head's partner receives under this system."

"That fixed living fund is set by the rules. It comes from a specific distribution channel of the family trust, not from a transfer to my personal account."

He paused for a moment, seemingly searching for the best way to express himself that Shang Song could understand. "You can think of it as, when an employee joins the company, the company will pay their salary and social security contributions."

Shang Song understood this metaphor.

He nodded subconsciously.

Seeing his somewhat confused expression, Xie Jing continued, "If you marry an ordinary businessman who has built a considerable fortune through his own hard work, then the wealth he accumulates after marriage, the real estate he purchases, etc., will largely be your joint property, right?"

Shang Song nodded again.

"But the Xie family is not like that." Xie Jing's voice was calm and his words were frank: "The vast majority of the Xie family's core assets are held and managed through a complex web of offshore trusts, family funds, and cross-shareholdings."

"Those assets do not legally belong to me, or even to any member of the Xie family."

"They belong to the legal entity of the 'Xie family,' and therefore cannot be directly divided or transferred through marriage."

He raised his voice slightly, "So, in comparison, the wealth you can gain from marrying me is actually very limited."

"That living fund sounds substantial, but in the grand scheme of the Xie family's assets, it's probably not even a drop in the ocean. It's more like... living expenses."

"It is a basic guarantee that the Xie family provides to the spouse of the head of the family. It is enough for you to live as you please, but it will not make you legally possess hundreds of billions or trillions of assets overnight."

"In addition, they are also a form of isolation and protection. They ensure your quality of life, but also isolate you from the Xie family's most core assets from the very beginning."

"This is not a bad thing for you."

"You don't need to get involved in those complicated asset management and family affairs; you can just live the life you want."

"So," Xie Jing said, his gaze fixed on Shang Song, "signing these documents won't change your life drastically; you'll just get an extra salary."

He paused, a gentle light appearing in his deep eyes. "And what I can give you personally is my time, my attention, and my protection; the Genting family; any special treatment you desire; and my guarantee that as long as I live, I will never let you suffer any more injustice."

"So, Shang Song, sign them and marry me, okay?"