Chapter 12: Marry Me

Autumn had arrived, and the temperature gradually cooled. At night, the autumn wind and rain brushed the damp streets, making the warm, cozy home feel especially welcoming.

A home for just one person isn’t really a home, at best it’s just a place to stay.

But now there was a man in the house, and Jiang Xingxing’s heart—once that of a lonely, rootless orphan—had settled. Every day, what she looked forward to most was finishing work quickly and rushing home, back to that man, so they could eat dinner together, watch TV, fight over the remote, and occasionally even act out scenes for fun.

When she received her bonus and salary, the first thing Jiang Xingxing thought about was what to buy for the man at home—perhaps a pack of cigarettes, or maybe a razor.

Shang Jie, this man, was quite different. He wasn’t like other men. He had no macho attitude and was perfectly content to stay cozily in her little home. Like a loyal puppy, he ate her food, used her things, and did his best to make her happy.

Maybe it was because deep down, he knew he’d eventually have to repay all of this.

That day, after leaving the theater, Jiang Xingxing was silent the whole way back. Shang Jie tried telling jokes to cheer her up, but she only responded with a forced smile, which made him feel uncomfortable.

In the evening, Jiang Xingxing cooked a large spread, all of his favorite dishes.

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Gqvla vyjkdt y pbsola, Fbydt Kkl lxlatle, pvkzz olyakdt sdzu y ryka sq czynj pbsavp, bkp elqkdle ycp nzlyazu hkpkczl.

Tkp cseu nyaakle y oyax xkpv, yde y qlo easrzlvp sq oyvla nzwdt vs bkp vktbv pjkd.

Ekvb y psqv obkvl vsolz, bl eakle bkp pbsav, flv-czynj byka yp bl oyzjle vs vbl vyczl, bkp ellr lulp tzydnkdt yv vbl pvlyxkdt ekpblp.

Ekvbswv pyukdt y osae, bl oldv vs vbl nswnb, pyv esod, yde tayccle y pxyzz calye aszz qasx vbl vyczl vbyv Kkydt Dkdtmkdt bye vyjld y ckvl sq lyazkla, qswde vss vswtb vs lyv, cwv nswzed’v cakdt blaplzq vs vbaso yoyu. Tl pvyavle xwdnbkdt sd kv.

Kkydt Dkdtmkdt: “…”

Ebyv’p bkp elyz dso?

Fbl nyzzle swv tldvzu, “Ya. Fbydt, ekddla’p alyeu.”

“Rv pllxp zkjl kv’p clld y obkzl pkdnl usw nyzzle xl Ya. Fbydt.”

“And it’s also been a while since you called me Miss Jiang.”

Shang Jie, holding the half-eaten bread roll in his left hand, looked at her and said, “I don’t like beating around the bush. Just say what’s on your mind.”

Since he was being so straightforward, Jiang Xingxing didn’t bother with pleasantries either and said, “Well, you’ve been living in my house for a while now, and it doesn’t seem right, does it?”

Shang Jie tossed the bread aside, pulled up a chair, and sat across from her, his tone rising slightly, eyes narrowing, “Are you kicking me out?”

“No, no! You can stay as long as you like. It’s just that, considering the current situation, I think you should return to your position as the president of Shang Group. There’s still a lot of work waiting for you at the company.” She cautiously watched his expression. “What do you think?”

Since she wasn’t beating around the bush, Shang Jie didn’t waste any more words either. He said bluntly, “I don’t want to sit in that position. Every day, it’s just sitting in an office handling documents or meeting clients, attending dinners and banquets, pretending to be polite. Behind your back, there’s always a group of people praising you to your face but cursing you behind your back. It’s all so boring, so exhausting.”

Talking about his past life, Shang Jie’s brow furrowed, and a deep impatience flashed in his eyes.

Jiang Xingxing looked at him in shock. She had never known that this man, who was always so calm and decisive—the heir to the Shang Group—actually had such frustrations.

“But you can’t just stay here forever,” Jiang Xingxing said, confused. “Are you planning to stay in my house for the rest of your life?”

Shang Jie irritably ran his hands through his hair, and once again, his left ring finger began to twitch. Jiang Xingxing noticed this gesture—whenever his emotions fluctuated, he unconsciously moved that finger.

Time to pull out the big guns.

“To tell you the truth,” Jiang Xingxing grabbed a tissue from the table, covering her eyes as large teardrops rolled down her cheeks. “The Red House Theater is going to be demolished. That’s where I grew up, and I can’t just stand by and watch it disappear. You’re the head of the Shang Group, and with just one word from you, you could save the theater. Please, I’m begging you.”

She wiped her nose with the tissue, her voice trembling as she sobbed, “Mr. Shang, I’m begging you.”

Shang Jie looked at her, expressionless, as she put on her crying act. After a while, seeing that his inner emotions were unmoved, Jiang Xingxing realized her performance had been seen through once again.

As expected, Shang Jie casually said, “Awkward.”

Jiang Xingxing: “…”

Well, of course, he could always see through her acting.

After a moment of silence, Shang Jie picked up his chopsticks and began eating. Seeing his attitude soften, Jiang Xingxing quickly sat down, placing a piece of beef into his bowl with a submissive smile, “Take your time eating, Mr. Shang.”

Shang Jie said, “I’ll go back, but on one condition.”

Jiang Xingxing’s eyes lit up, “Of course!”

As long as he was willing to return, a simple signature on a document could save the theater. To save the troupe, Jiang Xingxing would agree to anything!

“Marry me,” he said, picking up another bite of food. “By the way, this twice-cooked pork today is pretty good.”

Jiang Xingxing: “…”

Don’t throw in a comment about pork while proposing!

She stared at Shang Jie in shock. His expression was calm, and there was no trace of emotion in his usually distant eyes.

He wasn’t joking.

“Wha… what did you say? How could I possibly marry you?”

Even if she wanted to save the theater, she couldn’t just sell herself, could she?

Shang Jie raised his narrow eyes, looking at her coldly, “Nothing comes without a price, Jiang Xingxing. You want to save the theater and put me back in that lonely, cold position, so in return, I want you to be with me, to live a life without freedom with me.”

Jiang Xingxing frowned, finding it hard to believe how much Shang Jie loathed his previous life.

And what was she even doing? Negotiating her future marriage with this man like it was a business deal.

It felt like marrying him was a punishment, like being thrown into prison. Wasn’t he the man that half the women in Jiang City dreamed of marrying?

What was going on?

She cautiously asked, “If I agree… can we get divorced later?”

“No.”

Jiang Xingxing: “…”

So, this wasn’t some fake marriage deal—it was a real marriage.

“And I also need your promise,” Shang Jie said calmly. “Promise me that no matter what happens, you’ll never divorce me.”

Jiang Xingxing muttered, “What kind of promise? If it ever came to that, if you didn’t sign, I wouldn’t be able to get divorced anyway.”

Shang Jie let out a cold laugh, and in that laugh, Jiang Xingxing unexpectedly sensed a hint of helplessness, almost sadness.

“There are many things I can’t control. If he wakes up…” Shang Jie trailed off, then looked at Jiang Xingxing. “In any case, the power will be in your hands. Don’t sign any divorce papers. As long as you don’t sign, we’ll always be together. Do you understand?”

Jiang Xingxing stared at him blankly. “But Mr. Shang, I haven’t even agreed to marry you yet, and you’re already talking to me about divorce…”

It was truly unbelievable.

“I won’t force a woman,” Shang Jie leaned back slightly, speaking nonchalantly. “Think about it yourself. I’m not pressuring you.”

“Mr. Shang, you once said that if I took you in and helped you through this tough time, you’d help me in return,” Jiang Xingxing frowned. “A man should keep his word. How can you go back on yours?”

Seeing her aggrieved expression, Shang Jie smiled instead. “I did promise you. But what I promised was to make you famous, not to save your theater troupe. And besides, I’m not done playing yet, and you’re already pushing me to go back. Miss Jiang, I’ve been in business for many years, and I operate based on two principles: fairness and integrity. Without fairness, how can there be integrity?”

Jiang Xingxing knew she couldn’t win the argument with him, but the theater troupe was in crisis. Shang Group’s people had been pressing them for days, and if they didn’t move out soon, they would likely take enforcement action. She couldn’t stand by and watch the place she grew up in, her home, be destroyed.

“Mr. Shang, Shang Jie… You said you’re not done playing, that you don’t want to go back yet. However you want to play, I’ll go along with it. Will you agree to return then?”

She was trembling, barely able to get the words out.

With a snap, he turned off the main light, and the room was bathed in a soft, rosy glow from the nightlight, casting a seductive tone over everything. Shang Jie lowered his gaze, his eyes shadowed in the dim light, making it impossible to read his expression.

In the dark, his low chuckle echoed.

“You say you want to play with me, but do you even know what kind of games I play? How dare you say that?”

Jiang Xingxing’s soft body trembled even more violently, her pale face tinged with a faint blush.

“No matter how you want to play, I can go along with it.”

Though terrified to the core, she forced herself to act brave. Shang Jie watched the changes in her expression, savoring every subtle shift.

She was truly scared.

A woman who had never even been in a relationship was now forcing herself to confront the most intimate subject between men and women.

“You’re willing to give yourself to me, but not to marry me?” Shang Jie asked, sounding a bit puzzled. “Why?”

“Not every woman dreams of marrying into a wealthy family,” Jiang Xingxing said calmly and sincerely. “I don’t want to get married so soon. I still have dreams I haven’t achieved.”

Shang Jie understood her dedication to acting. Over the past days, he had seen all the effort she put into her work.

He pulled out a long cigarette, lighting it as he tossed the pack onto the table.

“As you wish. Go take a shower first. Tonight, we’ll play some adult games.”

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Sansukini: Please check out my new translation coming next week, with schedule Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The title is “Please Bear With Me For Now,” the first book before “Getting on the Wrong Sedan and Marrying the Right Man,” https://secondlifetranslations.com/novel/sedan/
which was completely translated by Mily. I just felt my OCD acting up knowing that there’s a first book so I asked Mily for permission to translate this one.

Here’s the summary:

In the city of Yangzhou, there are two renowned beauties: one is the stunning yet thorny rose, Li Yuhu, who is breathtakingly beautiful but sharp-tempered; the other is the pure and elegant lotus, Du Bingyan. Both women were married on the same day, and while seeking shelter from the rain in the same temple, a mix-up occurred. Du Bingyan ended up mistakenly taking Li Yuhu’s wedding sedan and marrying General Dingyuan, Yuan Buqu.

She was exposed!
Wanting to explain what happened, Du Bingyan disguised as a man and travelled to find her “husband”, only for him to discover her identity as a woman while she was bathing in the river. Amidst a series of misunderstandings, the sparks of love begin to fly between them…

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