My gorgeous wife Chapter 1 - 1 1 Let's Get Married!
Linchuan City, an international metropolis, though not a first-tier city, distinguished itself among the second-tier cities.
The Lin’s Group, with its market value nearing one billion, served as a symbol of Linchuan City. The CEO of this prominent group, Lin Yi, was a celebrated figure in her own right, renowned as the most beautiful woman in Linchuan City.
Meanwhile, across the street from the Lin’s Group headquarters, an unusual encounter unfolded between a man selling egg-filled pancakes and a mature, alluring woman.
“Um… Miss, I’m about to pack up. Are you going to purchase one or not? There’s only one left. If you don’t want it, I’ll just take it home to eat myself.”
Li Chen harbored some thoughts about the stunning beauty before him, for he recognized her as Lin Yi, the esteemed CEO of Lin’s Group.
Lin Yi was truly beautiful that day, at least in Li Chen’s estimation, who had never before laid eyes on a woman of such exquisite appearance. Her eyes were clear and luminous, her brows gracefully arched, her long lashes fluttering delicately, her skin possessed a pale, flawless complexion with a gentle rosy hue, and her thin lips were as alluring as rose petals. The sophisticated aura emanating from Lin Yi was something few men could resist.
Lin Yi remained silent, but she bit her lips tightly, her expression etched with internal conflict as if she were wrestling with an incredibly difficult decision.
“Come with me!”
After a moment, Lin Yi rushed over, firmly grasped Li Chen’s hand, and pulled him forward.
Li Chen was utterly dumbfounded by this sudden action.
Had this woman lost her mind?
“Hey… what are you doing? I’m just a pancake vendor; I sell my culinary skills, not my body!”
Li Chen exclaimed as Lin Yi continued to drag him along.
In reality, Lin Yi’s strength was insufficient to move him significantly; it was more a matter of him willingly accompanying her.
“Hey, if you genuinely seek a man, why not go out and find one? Why are you dragging me into this? Let me tell you, I can’t afford to pay!”
Upon hearing Li Chen’s brazen words, Lin Yi felt her face flush with heat, yet she was truly out of viable options; otherwise, she would never have approached an egg pancake seller.
…
Lin Yi observed the man seated before her, finding the situation rather absurd. While the man was not unattractive – quite the opposite, he possessed a certain attractiveness – his attire and rough demeanor were far from qualities Lin Yi would ever seriously consider.
Yet, here she was, about to undertake an action that would likely be perceived as laughable by the entirety of Linchuan City.
“Let’s get married.”
Lin Yi mustered her courage and uttered these words.
“Pfft…”
Li Chen, who was sipping his coffee, promptly spat it out upon hearing her proposal.
“Um… I apologize.”
Li Chen hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth before looking at Lin Yi and stating, “Beauty, you are the CEO of Lin’s Group, and look at me, wearing clothes worth less than a hundred yuan. Marry you? Wouldn’t that make me a kept man?”
Li Chen’s intention was to convey that he was currently quite poor but possessed integrity and absolutely refused to become a kept man.
Lin Yi easily grasped his meaning. However, after a brief glance at Li Chen, a flicker of disdain crossed her eyes.
A kept man? As if you possess the qualifications?
If it weren't for the dire circumstances concerning her company, she would never have uttered such a proposition. The ideal man in Lin Yi’s dreams bore no resemblance to this person before her.
“I merely wish to register our marriage; we won’t actually be married. You continue your life as usual, and if you register with me, I will provide you with a substantial sum of money.”
“You mean… a sham marriage?”
Li Chen immediately grasped that this woman was proposing a fake marriage.
“Yes.”
“Are you jesting? How can you suggest faking something as significant as marriage? Although I am poor, marriage is not a trivial matter. I refuse; find someone else!”
Li Chen declared with firm conviction, completely oblivious to Lin Yi’s increasingly pallid complexion.
The president of Lin’s Group, a goddess in the eyes of many Linchuan City men, was actually being rejected.
Lin Yi possessed her own sense of pride, which, to be blunt, included a degree of condescension towards others, particularly someone like an egg pancake vendor.
“Five hundred thousand. I will give you five hundred thousand upon completion, and we will divorce after three months. What do you say?”
Lin Yi spoke through gritted teeth, feeling she had no alternative but to comply with the demands of that individual to secure the necessary funding for her company. She could not comprehend why that person had specifically chosen this egg pancake vendor, nor why they insisted on providing the funds only after she had registered her marriage with him.
Indeed, her company was facing a severe financial crisis, and the banks had already ceased extending loans. Without additional capital, Lin’s Group was on the brink of bankruptcy.
She was compelled to adhere to that person’s arrangements, despite her profound distaste for him. “Five hundred thousand?”
Li Chen’s eyes immediately brightened upon hearing this, but he quickly declared, “A mere five hundred thousand is hardly enough to buy my dignity!”
“One million. After this, we’ll go our separate ways, and you’ll stay out of my life.”
“I’m not that kind of person. Dignity is priceless.”
“Two million. That’s my final offer, don’t push your luck!”
Lin Yi gritted her teeth, her face had already turned pale, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
This man was escalating the price. Even after she offered two million, he still wasn’t satisfied!
“It’s truly not about the money; as a person, I…”
“Five million. No more than that. I’m telling you, if you don’t agree, I have at least a dozen ways to make your life in Zhonghai unbearable. Believe it or not!”
After uttering these words, Lin Yi felt as though all her strength had vanished.
The entire situation was deeply humiliating for her. Why was this man acting so self-righteous, as if he were the one suffering a great loss?
Could such a shameless man truly exist?
“Deal! I want cash!”
Li Chen chuckled. He hadn’t anticipated unexpectedly acquiring five million, which was a substantial sum.
He had returned to the country broke, but now it seemed like a fortunate windfall had arrived – a buy-one-get-one-free deal, with a beautiful wife included.
“Cash is impossible. I will transfer the funds to you only after we finalize our divorce in three months!”
Lin Yi didn’t want to wait until then, fearing the man might change his mind.
What if he refused to sign the divorce papers?
“No, I want it now.”
“Impossible. I won’t back down.”
“People even pay a down payment when purchasing a house. You’re essentially buying a person; you should at least pay something upfront. One million. I want a one-million deposit.”
“Only ten thousand. Consider it your pocket money for these three months, and nothing more!”
Hearing Li Chen mention buying a person made Lin Yi feel particularly uncomfortable.
She had once been so proud, with many successful men pursuing her.
When had it ever come to her buying a man?
“Fine, but I have one condition.”
Ultimately, Li Chen compromised. After all, it was only for three months.
He could afford to wait.
“What condition?”
“I want to move into your place. Your… What’s with that look? I don’t have any ulterior motives. It’s just that my lease is almost up, and I need somewhere to live,” he explained.