Ten Thousand a Month

There was only 250.41 yuan left in my account. I took a screenshot and posted it on my Moments as a joke.

"Quitting the grind. Minor defect. Selling myself for ten thousand."

Within a minute, Adrian Warrington's message popped up: "Please confirm receipt of 100,000.00 yuan."

I was completely dumbfounded???

"Marriage."

"One hundred thousand a month."

"To deal with the elders. After the wedding, we live our own lives."

Ha. Did he think I was the kind of person who could be bought with money?

I tapped confirm immediately.

Payment received.

1

I quit my job.

On a whim, after slapping my thigh, I fired my boss.

After the impulse faded, after I paid my rent, I had exactly two hundred and fifty yuan and forty-one cents left in my account.

Damn. The more I worked, the poorer I got. This world was a real piece of work.

250.41. Even my bank balance was mocking me. I was the ultimate sucker.

Don't panic, don't panic. As a seasoned internet surfer, I took a screenshot and posted it on my Moments as a joke.

"Quitting the grind. Minor defect. Selling myself for ten thousand."

Within a minute, Adrian Warrington's message popped up: "Please confirm receipt of 100,000.00 yuan."

I was completely dumbfounded???

"Marriage."

"One hundred thousand a month."

"To deal with the elders. After the wedding, we live our own lives."

!!!

Hahaha, Rachel Xu, your day has finally come?!

The novel plot I'd been dreaming about day and night had finally landed on my doorstep?

Was I the kind of person who could be bought with money?

I turned around and tapped confirm.

Yes. Yes, I was.

With a pounding heart, I trembled as I typed back, "Okay, hubby."

Couldn't refuse.

Absolutely couldn't refuse.

Let someone else be the corporate warrior.

I didn't want to work this crappy job for one more second.

If a person has no dreams, what's the difference between them and someone carefree?

No one was going to stop me from being a useless lump who stayed home and collected money.

2

Adrian Warrington. New money in the business world. Rich, handsome, talented. Worth over a hundred million.

And me? A pure, bottom-tier corporate drone. My entire net worth wasn't worth mentioning.

I was down-to-earth. He was down-to-the-earth with his money.

The only reason I knew someone like him was because I'd followed my old boss to negotiate a partnership with him.

To be precise, my old boss had begged to suck up to him, and he'd succeeded.

For Adrian to ask me to marry him, there were only two possibilities: either he wasn't thinking clearly, or he was running a poverty alleviation program.

Whatever his reason for picking me out of the crowd, it didn't stop me from being deeply moved by his gesture.

Me, Rachel Xu, was about to become a little rich lady.

One hundred thousand a month. Six hundred thousand in six months. One point two million in a year.

In just one year, I could retire early.

Skip forty years of struggle.

Maybe one day, Adrian's parents or his first love would come with money to humiliate me into leaving him, and I could make an extra bundle.

Marry! Immediately!

Forget just dealing with his parents. I'd even polish the tombstones of his ancestors for eighteen generations until they shone like mirrors.

3

Adrian and I rushed to get our marriage certificate that very afternoon.

Mostly because I was in a hurry. This kind of good fortune had to be locked in as fast as possible. Not a single moment could be wasted.

What if his brain suddenly cleared up and he changed his mind? I'd be losing millions!

We had no feelings for each other. As soon as we got the certificate, we walked straight out of the civil affairs bureau. We didn't even step into the photo area next door.

Holding the little red booklet, I felt much more secure. I was beaming, full of energy.

A hundred thousand. Of course I had energy.

"Mr. Warrington, just give the orders. I'll be at your beck and call."

Adrian looked displeased. "What did you call me?"

"Hubby?"

He nodded, satisfied. "Good. Keep it up."

"Sure thing. Whatever makes you happy."

I admit I was a bit of a bootlicker. But the man in front of me was my sugar daddy. I'd call him grandpa if he wanted.

"So, what do we do now?"

"Move."

Oh, right. According to the plot, we were supposed to live together.

Too bad I'd just paid three months' rent this morning. Non-refundable.

Ouch.

I packed a single suitcase, traveled light, and moved straight into Adrian's small villa.

I left most of my stuff in my rental.

One, I'd already paid for it, so it would be a waste not to use it. Two, in case Adrian suddenly brought home his first love or a new flame, I'd have a place to hide.

What a considerate and understanding wife I was.

Mostly, I was afraid Adrian might have a sudden brain spasm and kick me out with nowhere to go.

4

Adrian went on a business trip the night we got the certificate. Except for a cleaning lady who came every day, I was alone in the huge villa.

For a whole week, I woke up every night in my sleep.

Laughing.

It was too good. Way too good.

Husband doesn't come home. Pays on time every month. No kids. No mother-in-law drama.

Hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing at this sweet deal.

I had nothing else to do. I just scrolled through videos, binge-watched dramas, and played card games with my best friend.

During this time, the story of that lovesick fool who dug wild vegetables for eighteen years suddenly went viral. I watched it, shook my head, and couldn't help posting a warning on my Moments: "Lovesick fools eat wild vegetables for eighteen years."

Adrian liked it.

That was the only contact we had after getting the certificate.

Looked like we were both clear-headed. That was a relief.

Even though I seemed lazy, I still did my daily self-reflection, never missing a day.

"When will Adrian's mom come to bribe me with money?"

"How much money will Adrian's mom offer to bribe me?"

"How much should I ask for from Adrian's mom?"

I even had a guide bookmarked on how to successfully get the money when she came to bribe me.

I waited and waited. Finally, a few days later, Adrian called to say his mom was coming over that night.

I jumped three feet high off the sofa. She was finally coming!

No offense meant.

Before I could say anything, Adrian continued on the phone, "I'll come back tonight to meet her with you."

I quickly refused: "No, no, I can handle it myself. You're busy with work, no need to come back specially."

Wait, what was he coming back for?

If he was there, how could I shamelessly take his mom's money?

This golden opportunity couldn't be ruined by him.

He insisted: "It's better if I'm there for the first meeting."

I refused.

He insisted again.

I refused again.

After a few rounds, Adrian sensed something was off and started getting sarcastic: "What? Afraid my presence will stop you from taking the money and running?"

Damn!

Was he a mind reader?

How did he know what I was thinking?

"My mom won't bribe you to leave."

"Rachel, give up that idea."

I wanted to punch the sofa, but I had to put on a sweet smile: "What would I do that for? I just didn't want to bother you. Since you insist, I'll wait for you to come back."

5

She said evening. But Mrs. Warrington showed up at three in the afternoon.

Caught me completely off guard. I was woken up from a daze, splashed some water on my face, and went downstairs. I didn't even think to text Adrian.

She was sitting next to me in a cheongsam, looking very kind: "Adrian told me. So you're my daughter-in-law I've never met."

I sat up straight, hands on my knees, looking very obedient: "Yes, Auntie."

"What 'Auntie'? Since you're married, you should call me Mom."

I... So Adrian's thing about titles came from his mom.

When Mrs. Warrington found out Adrian hadn't been home since we got the certificate, a look of pity crossed her face: "You've been wronged."

"Heh," I laughed awkwardly, telling the truth: "No, I haven't."

Not at all, really.

I was getting paid for this. How could I say I was wronged?

But Mrs. Warrington thought I was just too afraid to tell the truth. She stubbornly believed I'd been terribly wronged and got angry.

"I'll make him come home tonight to keep you company!"

I was on the verge of tears: "Mom, that's really not necessary."

But she wasn't listening. She kept defending me:

"What's the point of making money all day? Leaving a new wife at home alone? Unacceptable!"

"Come on! Let's go out!"

I was confused: "Go... where?"

"To conquer."

6

I thought she was going to take me straight to Adrian's company to confront him. But the place she wanted to conquer was the mall.

"Buy!"

"Those two are cut from the same cloth. Forget their wives when they're working. Let's spend their money for them. Buy whatever you want."

Mrs. Warrington was already having the latest models brought out.

Was this the joy of being rich?!

But I hesitated to step inside.

Even a simple T-shirt in this store cost over ten thousand. The little money I had wouldn't last.

Seeing me not moving, Mrs. Warrington urged: "Come on in! Don't save Adrian's money!"

Auntie... I mean, Mom... Is it possible that I'm not saving your son's money, but I don't have his card?

I excused myself to go to the bathroom and secretly called Adrian.

"Mr. Warrington! Mr. Warrington! SOS!"

"What's wrong?" His voice was low.

"Your mom dragged me to the mall to shop."

I was frantic, but he just said calmly: "Okay."

Okay?

Okay?!

Just an "okay"?

Just as I didn't know how to continue, Adrian said slowly: "Buy whatever you want. Call me when you're done. I'll pick you up for dinner."

"Um, can I get reimbursed?" I asked carefully, afraid he'd refuse, and added an explanation: "It's not that I want to buy things. It's for work, you know?"

A scoff came from the other end of the line: "Reimburse. I'll reimburse everything."

I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't my money, I was fine.

After I hung up, Adrian transferred me five hundred thousand yuan.

Seeing that number, my hand shook so hard I almost dropped my phone.

"If that's not enough, let me know. I have a meeting now."

"Enough, enough."

So this was how rich people operated. Transferring five hundred thousand was like transferring fifty bucks.

Tsk. A wave of envy washed over me.

7

Mrs. Warrington had a great time shopping. The world of the rich was really that simple and unadorned.

Feeling a bit guilty about the huge sum Adrian had given me, I bought a few shirts for him while I was shopping for myself.

Just when I thought Mrs. Warrington was done, she turned and walked straight into a men's underwear store.

I hesitated at the entrance. She waved me in: "Come on, pick a couple for Adrian too."

Me: "?"

"No need," I said, my face full of reluctance, stammering: "We're... not that close."

"You're husband and wife. No need to be shy." Mrs. Warrington came over and said earnestly: "We'll each pick our own. I won't look. Just pick."

She pushed me inside.

Help!

I was on the verge of tears. First of all, ours was a purely transactional relationship. We weren't close enough to be picking out underwear for each other. And more importantly... I didn't know...

What size Adrian wore!

I couldn't exactly text him and ask now, could I?

That would be crazy.

But Mrs. Warrington was right there, and she looked like she wouldn't let me off until I picked something. I had to steel myself and pretend to browse.

Forget it. Whatever size. I'd buy them and hide them. Adrian would never see them.

When Mrs. Warrington wasn't looking, I grabbed two boxes from the shelf and threw them on the counter: "Checkout. Hurry."

8

We left the mall at six.

Mrs. Warrington dropped me off at Adrian's office building, said "I won't intrude on your couple time," and left.

I stood in the lobby with my bags, not knowing whether to stay or go.

She'd thoughtfully arranged for someone to take me to Adrian.

Before my escort arrived, an unwelcome guest showed up.

"Rachel."

That familiar voice.

I turned around. Oh. It was my ex-boyfriend, Derek Chen.

What a jinx.

We'd had an office romance. My old boss was a creep who tried to use his position to take advantage of me.

When I told Derek about it, his first reaction was to tell me to pretend nothing happened and just take the loss.

"I'm up for a promotion this month. If we make a big deal out of this, it'll be bad for both of us."

His face didn't even show a trace of anger. He was just worried about his career.

I smiled, said nothing, and put the tripe I was going to share with him into my own mouth.

Ha. Go eat shit.

On the way back, I broke up with him.

The next day, I quit.

He was probably here to negotiate a partnership with Adrian's company.

"What are you doing here?"

"None of your business?" I didn't want to talk to him. I turned to leave.

But he reached out and blocked me. "I got promoted."

"So? You will..." My broken English came out, but I couldn't remember the rest. "None of my business?"

"I know you were wronged back then. I'm a manager now. I can support you even if you don't work. Let's get back together."

He put on a look of deep affection, but it just made me sick.

"Derek, I'm expensive. That thousand-dollar raise of yours can't afford me."

"Rachel, you weren't this materialistic before." He grabbed my wrist and demanded: "Where did you get the money for all these designer brands?"

This was ridiculous.

A thousand bucks and he's talking to me about being materialistic.

"Stay away from me." I couldn't be bothered to argue with him anymore. Just as I was wondering how to get away, my savior arrived.

9

"Rachel. Come here."

Adrian was standing nearby, his eyes fixed on Derek's hand on my wrist. His expression wasn't pleasant.

I pulled my hand free and ran straight to Adrian, beaming: "Mr. Warrington, you're here."

"Yeah." Adrian's reaction was flat, unreadable.

"Let's go, then."

Adrian reached out to take my bags, but I refused: "No, I've got it."

I had some sense. I couldn't let my sugar daddy carry my bags.

But he seemed even more annoyed. He scowled and quickened his pace, leaving me to follow, lugging my bags.

Only when we were in the car did Adrian ask: "Who was that?"

"My ex-boyfriend." I explained while buckling my seatbelt: "We're completely over. I just ran into him by accident."

Adrian's expression softened a little.

If I didn't know we had a contract marriage, I'd almost think he was jealous.

But I was a bit of a brat. Seeing his reaction, I couldn't help teasing him:

"Mr. Warrington, are you jealous? I thought we agreed on no interference in each other's lives."

"You're overthinking it. I was just asking."

I knew it.

Adrian started the car and changed the subject: "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything's fine."

Half an hour later, Adrian parked in front of a restaurant.

"So, what are we eating?"

He didn't even look up. "Dumplings."

Me: "..."

10

The car pulled up slowly in front of the small villa. I huffed and puffed as I hauled my shopping bags out of the back seat, ready to say goodbye.

"Thanks for the ride home."

As soon as I finished speaking, Adrian pushed open his door and got out.

"Rachel. This is my home too."

I was a bit surprised. "You're staying here tonight?"

He stood there, one hand in his pocket, staring at me: "You seem disappointed that I'm coming home."

Busted.

I laughed it off: "How could I be? Of course I want you to come home and keep me company."

"Good. Then let me tell you, starting today, I'll be coming home every night."

Meaning: your good times are over.

I was so screwed.

Why did I have to open my big mouth?

I'd really shot myself in the foot.

But whether as the owner of this house or as my legal husband, I had no grounds to refuse him coming home.

Dejectedly, I handed him the clothes I'd bought for him.

"For me?"

"Yeah. See if they fit."

Adrian sat down on the sofa and started looking through the bags. He picked up a box and examined it.

"Ah."

"Too small."

I was listless, my mind full of how to coexist with him under the same roof. Hearing this, I snapped back without thinking:

"How do you know they're too small without even trying them on?!"

I turned to look. In Adrian's hand was the pair of underwear I'd grabbed randomly.

Oh, crap!

Since I never planned on giving them to Adrian, I hadn't paid any attention to the size.

At the checkout, I'd just thrown the two boxes of underwear into the bag with the shirts, planning to hide them first and then give him the clothes. But his announcement that he was moving back in had thrown me off, and I'd forgotten all about them.

My face flushed bright red. I snatched the box from his hand and hid it behind my back, trying to explain: "These aren't for you."

"Not for me? Who are they for, then?"

"Your ex-boyfriend?"

He glanced at the box behind my back, raised an eyebrow, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "That's small."

"You... you..." I was so flustered I couldn't form a complete sentence. "Shameless."

He chuckled. "Size 2XL. Remember that. Buy the right size next time."

He was provoking me!

Was I going to lose this?

It was just trash talk. I could do that.

"What? Does the little guy need a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment?"

Adrian slowly leaned in, a slight smile on his lips, his eyes full of teasing: "Don't believe me? Wanna try?"

11

I admit it. At that moment, I chickened out. I grabbed my bag and fled to my room.

Who would have thought that the upright, woman-repelling Adrian Warrington could be so shameless?

Compared to him, I was a total rookie.

To be honest, if he weren't so handsome, I would have slapped him twice. If he were just average-looking, I definitely would have.

But I forgot. The whole house was his. Where could I run?

And I'd been sleeping in the master bedroom.

Now that the real owner was back, I should naturally give it up. After showering, I conscientiously went to the guest room.

But the bed in the guest room was bare. No sheets.

I started rummaging through cabinets. I searched the whole house and couldn't find a single set of bed linens.

Adrian watched me scurrying around and casually asked: "What are you looking for?"

"Bed sheets. I'm sure I saw some spares in the house."

"Ah," he said, his expression natural, explaining for once: "The cleaning lady probably threw them out. We replace our linens every few weeks."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?"

I was a bit dejected and frustrated: "How am I supposed to sleep in the guest room without sheets?"

Adrian slowly unbuttoned his shirt. "Mrs. Warrington, I have no intention of sleeping in separate rooms."

What? Share a bed?

That costs extra.

"Didn't you say... we'd live our own lives after the wedding?"

I'd thought that by coming home, Adrian was just taking away my freedom of the house. I didn't realize he was taking away my freedom of a separate bed, too.

Adrian said matter-of-factly: "You sleep your way, I sleep my way. How am I interfering with you?"

I felt his logic was completely flawed, but I couldn't find the words to argue.

"Or do you want me to do something to you?"

"No! Of course not!"

Had Adrian taken some wrong medicine today? Why wouldn't he stop flirting?

Knowing I couldn't win an argument with him, I chose not to keep fighting: "I'm thirsty. I'm going to get some water."

"Go ahead." Adrian didn't press me. "I still have some work to do. Go to sleep if you're tired."

12

After quitting my job, my back didn't ache, my legs didn't hurt, and my hair loss slowed down once I stopped stressing. Two weeks of slacking off had gotten me into the habit of falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Even though I'd been worried about sharing a bed with Adrian just moments before, sleepiness still overcame me.

So by the time Adrian finished his work, I was already fast asleep. I didn't know when he got into bed, and I didn't know when he left.

When I woke up, I looked at the traces on the bed. Good. In the two-meter-wide bed, Adrian and I had both conscientiously slept on the very edges. There was enough space for two more people in the middle.

He'd proven with his actions that he really wasn't interfering with me.

But I was a bit annoyed. Just how much did he dislike me?

It was the same for several days.

Adrian came home every night, but it was like he wasn't there at all.

He worked late in his study every night.

I didn't get it. Was being a CEO just about not having time to sleep?

Sleeping later than a dog, waking up earlier than a rooster.

I'd rather be a bum.

After being cooped up at home for a few days, I took advantage of the weekend to go shopping with my best friend. As usual, I updated her on my life of luxury.

She was shocked. She slammed the table and stood up: "No way? You're a total babe. You've got the chest, you've got the butt. And he didn't touch you all night?"

The other customers in the milk tea shop all turned to look. I pulled her back to her seat and silently put my hand to my forehead.

"God, keep your voice down, will you?"

"Sorry, sorry. I lost control. Got a little carried away."

My best friend finally came to a conclusion: "Either he can't, or he's gay."

It all clicked.

If it was the latter, everything made sense.

Doesn't like women. Even his assistant is a man.

Spent money to find a wife for a quick marriage, just to deal with his parents.

Insisted on sharing a bed but stayed a meter away, probably to avoid raising suspicion with his mom.

A guy like Adrian was hard not to fantasize about. To put it bluntly, he fulfilled every girl's fantasy of the opposite sex.

But now it seemed he could also fulfill a guy's fantasy of the same sex.

Tsk, tsk. I shook my head and took a big gulp of my milk tea. Finding a partner these days was so hard. Finally, you meet a quality guy, and he's already taken internally.

13

We were halfway through our shopping when my best friend was called back to work by her boss. I lost interest and went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients before heading back to my rental.

I liked to cook. I'd originally just wanted to document my life, but I got lucky. A few of my videos went viral, and I gained eight hundred thousand followers in a year. I was a half-baked food blogger.

No one knew about this except my best friend.

Before, because I had a job, I didn't post very often. I kept a schedule of three or four videos a month. But since Adrian bought me off...

Wait. Since I married Adrian, I'd completely gone into a state of rest and laziness.

Plus, all my filming equipment was in my little apartment, so I couldn't be bothered to make the trip.

I did the math. I'd been on hiatus for twenty days. No wonder my fans were saying they'd call the cops if I didn't update soon.

I had nothing better to do anyway. Might as well pick up my food blogger identity and add some bricks to my retirement fund.

I was out of practice. I messed up the measurements and accidentally made too much food.

Wasting food was a sin. After some deliberation, I packed up the leftovers and brought them back to Adrian's villa, planning to have them as a late-night snack.

I spent an hour editing the video and posting it. A few of my long-time fans commented to tease me.

"Oh, the missing person returns."

"Finally remembered your password today, huh?"

I picked a few interesting comments to interact with, then went to take a shower.

At ten o'clock at night, I was heating up my leftovers in the kitchen when Adrian came home.

I handed him a glass of water. "I'm heating up a late-night snack. Do you want some?"

There was quite a bit left. I couldn't finish it all by myself.

"Yeah." He didn't refuse. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I'll have a little."

In the end, Adrian's "a little" meant he ate everything, including my share.

"You seem hungry?"

Was he a starving ghost? How could a CEO not even get a proper meal?

"I had a business dinner tonight. Didn't eat much." Adrian wiped his mouth after eating his fill and complimented me generously: "Tastes good."

An idea flashed through my mind.

I leaned in, looking eager: "Mr. Warrington, want to make a deal?"

"Let's hear it."

"You seem to like my cooking. I'll cook for you, and you pay me. What do you think? Fair deal, right?"

I was sick of the takeout options nearby. The cleaning lady didn't cook. I'd been planning to start cooking for myself anyway, since I still needed to gather material for my channel.

Cooking for one was the same effort as cooking for two. I might as well make some extra retirement money.

I must have some kind of talent for making money.

"Rachel, are you obsessed with money?"

"Come on. Who doesn't like money?"

He was worth over a hundred million, and he still worked from dawn to dusk to make more.

"How much do you want?"

I held up five fingers. "Five hundred per meal."

Before I could even put my hand down, he high-fived me. "Deal."

Damn. I'd priced myself too low.

14

Adrian set up a shared payment account for me. The cost of ingredients came out of his pocket.

He knew me.

I asked him why he didn't just throw a card at me like the CEOs in novels.

He snorted. "I'm afraid of losing both the money and the person."

He was basically saying he was afraid I'd take the money and run.

I was indignant. "Is that the kind of person you think I am?!"

He asked calmly: "Oh? Are you saying you're not?"

Okay, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't do it. I still secretly hoped someone would show up with a pile of cash and ask me to step aside.

I could only blame him for knowing me too well.

No time like the present. The next day at noon, I packed a carefully prepared lunch and headed straight for Adrian's company.

He was still in a meeting. Bored waiting in his office, I opened my card game app to play.

But I lost one round after another. I lost all seven hundred thousand of my game coins and went bankrupt.

There must be some bad energy in this office.

When Adrian came back, I was screaming into the sofa. My phone was playing a thirty-second ad.

"It's all gone! Everything's gone!"

Adrian looked confused. "What's gone?"

"Seven hundred thousand! A full seven hundred thousand!"

He said lightly: "That's not much money. Is it worth screaming like that? I'll make it up to you."

I was still lost in regret and didn't react to his infuriating comment: "It's different! Those seven hundred thousand coins took me a whole week to save! And now I've lost them all!"

He was confused. "What coins?"

"Game coins! For the card game!"

Adrian: "..."

He thought I'd lost seven hundred thousand in cash. I'd actually lost seven hundred thousand game coins.

What stung more was that even when he thought I'd lost seven hundred thousand in cash, he'd said "That's not much money."

The joys and sorrows of humans are not the same.

"How much is seven hundred thousand coins? I'll buy them for you."

I refused indignantly: "Vulgar! What's the point of buying them? The satisfaction comes from earning them yourself!"

I could watch a million ads, but I would never spend money on a game. That was my last shred of dignity.

Adrian put his hand to his forehead, clearly exasperated by my behavior, but finally said: "Give me your phone. I'll win them back for you."

So the scene of Adrian eating and me playing cards suddenly turned into him playing for me and me feeding him. It was a weird dynamic.

"Open up."

"Run the bomb."

"One more bite."

"Double bomb them!"

"..."

After a few rounds, I watched as Adrian turned the four thousand coins from watching ads into one hundred thousand, then two hundred thousand, then five hundred thousand.

I got so excited I lost control and hugged Adrian tightly. "You're my god! My one and only god!"

Adrian froze for a moment, looking a bit uncomfortable.

There was an awkward tension in the air.

I quickly let go, realizing I'd crossed a line.

This was too intimate for us.

More importantly, Adrian's reaction suggested he didn't like physical contact with women. He might even be repulsed by it.

I rubbed my nose and apologized: "Sorry. Got carried away."

To be honest, I was holding back. If it had been my best friend, I would have kissed her on both cheeks.

He cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Want me to keep playing for you?"

"No, no. That's enough for me to play with." I snatched my phone back and hurriedly packed up the lunch boxes on the table. "You finish eating. I'll head back now."

I didn't dare stay any longer. I walked out of the company with a heavy heart.

Would Adrian be angry about my careless gesture and kick me out?

Please, no.

I hadn't saved up enough retirement money yet.

15

On Friday, my aunt called me home.

When I was nine, my parents died in a car accident. I'd lived with my uncle's family ever since.

At the funeral, the relatives whispered about who I should live with. Whoever it was, I'd be a burden.

My uncle got angry on the spot. He pulled me into his arms and announced: "Rachel is my daughter from now on. I don't need any of you to support her. Don't let me hear that kind of talk again."

They all fell silent, and at the same time, they breathed a sigh of relief.

My uncle was a very easygoing man. That was the only time I'd ever seen him so angry.

After losing my parents, I couldn't accept it for a long time. I took my anger out on the people around me. I took a year off from school and transferred to a different one.

But they never complained. They were incredibly good to me, even better than they were to my cousin.

Over the years, they'd spoiled me back into a carefree little princess.

After I started working, I rented my own place and went back to see them every week.

I had a bad feeling. Something was wrong.

They usually thought I was busy with work and didn't want to bother me. They mostly just texted to check in. They rarely called me to come home. And on the phone, they sounded a bit angry.

Sure enough, as soon as I got home, I could see they weren't happy.

I ran over and hugged my aunt, acting cute: "Auntie, what's wrong? Who made you angry? Tell me, I'll go beat them up!"

But this time, she didn't fall for it.

"Sit down."

I sat up straight obediently.

My aunt was a bit angry. "Let me ask you. Did you quit your job?"

My heart skipped a beat. "How did you know?"

I hadn't told them because I didn't want them to worry.

"Derek came by yesterday."

Derek. Derek Chen.

I exploded. That jinx again!

When we were together, he'd come to drop me off once and ran into my aunt.

"He said you found a sugar daddy and broke up with him. He couldn't find you at your rental, so he came to us. We don't believe him. We only believe you. Tell us. What's really going on?"

I gave them a rough summary of what had happened.

My uncle was so angry he paced back and forth in the living room. "Good riddance! You quit! You don't need a job like that!"

"Then why didn't you tell us you quit?" My aunt was displeased. "You child. Why are you still sending us money when you quit your job? I'm sending it back to you right now."

She pulled out her phone.

I stopped her. "Come on. I've been working for a while. Of course I have some savings. Don't worry. I have money. I've got your retirement fund covered!"

"We have our own pension. We don't need yours. Rachel, your uncle and I just want you to be happy. We're not pressuring you to get married. But if you could find someone caring to look after you, we'd be at ease."

Seeing the worry on my aunt's face, I thought about it and decided to tell her part of the truth.

"Actually, I already have a boyfriend. He's better looking than Derek, taller, richer, and he treats me well."

"And I have a source of income now. I make videos. I have hundreds of thousands of followers. I can make money from ads. Don't worry."

They perked up immediately. They insisted on meeting my new boyfriend.

I couldn't refuse their request. I had to agree.

16

Back at the villa, my mind was full of how to ask Adrian to meet my uncle and aunt.

Since I needed a favor from him, I went all out for a few days, thinking up all sorts of elaborate lunches for him.

Adrian's meal treatment went from "I'll eat whatever you make" to "I'll eat whatever I want."

I always believed that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach.

And I'd gotten addicted to bringing Adrian lunch. Because he could win back all the game coins I lost.

With him, I felt like I was on a cheat code.

Adrian paid me for my cooking every week.

At noon, as usual, I brought him his lunch. He pulled out his phone to transfer me the money.

Seeing that the time was right, I seized the opportunity.

"Mr. Warrington, you don't have to transfer me the money for this week. Can I ask you for a favor instead?"

"What favor?"

"It's just... my family wants to meet you. Can you come with me to put their minds at ease?"

Adrian didn't say a word. He transferred the money as usual.

My heart sank. Did he have to refuse so bluntly?

All those good meals I'd made him for nothing!

Heartless bastard!

I cursed his ancestors in my head, then heard him speak slowly: "Meeting your family is the right thing to do. You don't need to trade it for payment."

Huh?

Sorry. I take back what I said about him.

17

I set a time and brought Adrian home.

Afraid he wouldn't be mentally prepared, I told him about my situation in advance.

He listened quietly, without saying a word. He just reached out and touched the back of my head.

I don't know if it was my imagination, but I thought I saw pity in his eyes.

Yes, pity. Not condescension.

My uncle and aunt were satisfied with everything. Adrian was intelligent and socially adept. He'd been ruling the business world for years. He'd seen it all. A small gathering like this was a piece of cake.

Really, who could find anything wrong with Adrian?

If he weren't gay, I might have fallen for him by now.

What a shame. What a shame. A man like this, you could only look, not touch.

On