The Marriage Partner Is The Villain Boss Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Xu Zhiyi had known she was bound by a marriage contract since she was at an age of innocent ignorance.

That day, perhaps on a whim, her mother remembered the daughter she hadn’t seen in a long time and, for once, took her along to the mahjong parlor.

“Le Lei, I heard the Jiang family has quite a history with yours?”

It was unclear which wealthy socialite started the topic, but in an instant, the others all turned their gazes over. Naturally, they pointedly ignored Xu Zhiyi, who was crouching under the table.

“Mhm, we might even become in-laws.”

Le Lei answered absentmindedly, her entire focus fixed on the tiles in her hand. “This hand… Tsk, my luck is terrible today.”

“In-laws? Really?”

The chattering discussion drifted through the heavy tablecloth. Xu Zhiyi curled into a ball, not daring to make a sound, her eyes curiously tracing the several pairs of expensive high heels.

At her young age, she only felt that the perfume here was too strong and pungent, making her want to sneeze.

“I’ll have to ask my husband for the specifics. Regardless, we won’t be pushing our eldest daughter into a political marriage.”

Her mother’s nonchalant words fell upon Xu Zhiyi’s ears like a bolt from the blue.

—If it wasn’t her older sister, then it could only be her.

Ironically, she had only found out she even had an older sister because Aunt Fang had accidentally let it slip.

Her parents had never mentioned her sister to her.

Bang!

Lost in thought, Xu Zhiyi accidentally bumped into a table leg. In an instant, the table shook violently, and several mahjong tiles rolled onto the floor beneath it.

“Who is it? Who’s there?!”

Her mother’s shrill voice made her eardrums ache. Xu Zhiyi had just covered her ears when a sudden force grabbed her elbow, dragging her out ruthlessly.

Slap!

A slap forced the word “Mom” back down her throat. Her fair little face turned bright red and swelled up instantly, her thin, small frame trembling like a leaf blown down by the wind.

“I told you not to run around! You deaf brat!” Le Lei looked as if she wanted to deliver another slap, but she was held back by the wealthy woman beside her.

“Alright, Le Lei, don’t spoil everyone’s fun. You can discipline the child when you get home.”

“Exactly. This round doesn’t count; let’s start over.”

A few minutes later, Le Lei gave a reluctant huff and begrudgingly sat back down.

The game continued until midnight. During that time, she didn’t spare her daughter a single glance, only calling the driver to take her away so she wouldn’t be an eyesore.

Two or three months passed after that, and Xu Zhiyi noticed a new face moving in nearby.

“This is Jiang Huaian. You two should get along well from now on.”

Her mother was being uncharacteristically pleasant to her.

Xu Zhiyi didn’t say a word. She silently looked away, answering with her silence.

She didn’t like Jiang Huaian. Not one bit.

…

Beep—

Horns honked one after another.

Xu Zhiyi turned to look, finding that the woman’s face was still cold, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“A-Yan…”

She called out tentatively, her chest aching with a dull pain. No matter how much grievance or sadness she held in her memories, it couldn’t compare to the impact of seeing Pei Qingyan’s suppressed emotions.

“This road is too congested. It’s frustrating.”

The woman let out a slow breath, her voice sounding slightly hoarse.

“A-Yan, I didn’t know—” Xu Zhiyi started to say she hadn’t known Jiang Huaian would show up, but she was interrupted.

“It’s my fault for not controlling my emotions.”

Pei Qingyan gave her a deep look. Her furrowed brows suddenly relaxed as she pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Today… I’m very happy. Truly.”

Her expression was filled with a subtle unease, her gaze focused and burning, like a wild wolf desperately guarding its food.

“I’m very happy too.”

Xu Zhiyi knew she was forcing herself to stay composed. She gently slid her fingers into the gaps between the other woman’s fingers. Their rings made a crisp clinking sound when they touched, drowning out the slight tremble in her voice. “Because that person is you.”

She paused. The second half of her sentence lingered on the tip of her tongue, a bit too embarrassing to say out loud.

But there was no need for her to be explicit.

The woman’s expression suddenly softened. She leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of Xu Zhiyi’s lips, more restrained than ever before.

Heat radiated from where she had been kissed, spreading through her entire body in an instant. Xu Zhiyi looked away slightly, but after a moment, she turned back to look at the woman’s joyful face. This was one of the rare times she didn’t shy away.

“Let’s go home.” She hooked her fingertip around the other’s, using the gesture to hide her fleeting bashfulness.

“Okay.”

…

Dinner consisted of two light dishes and a soup.

Pei Qingyan had originally planned to eat out, but Xu Zhiyi talked her out of it.

“You’re out at social engagements every day; your stomach is already in bad shape. If you don’t start taking care of it, you’ll end up with chronic problems later.”

“But—”

“I don’t want to end up without a partner when I’m old.”

Seeing the woman obediently shut her mouth with a submissive expression, Xu Zhiyi felt a stir in her heart, and her tone softened. “How about this? Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it.”

Pei Qingyan didn’t want her to work too hard. She casually named two vegetable dishes and then took the initiative to help out in the kitchen.

There seemed to be a deeper layer of intimacy between them than there had been before they registered their marriage.

“I might need to call home later to ask about what happened this afternoon,” Xu Zhiyi mentioned casually while chopping vegetables.

“So, you think that man named Jiang showing up was someone else’s doing?”

Hearing her refer to him as “that man named Jiang” repeatedly, Xu Zhiyi secretly curled her lips into a smile. “I can’t rule out the possibility. You know… my family situation.”

“Do you need my help?” The woman frowned slightly, her eyes full of sincerity.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

As she spoke, Xu Zhiyi felt her right eyelid twitch.

…

Just as the dishes were being served, a call from home came through first.

Xu Zhiyi put down her chopsticks and only had time to tell Pei Qingyan, “You eat first,” before hurrying to the balcony.

“Hello, Mom.”

Her voice was devoid of any emotion.

“When are you planning to hold the wedding?”

The other end of the line was chaotic. She could faintly hear someone shouting, “Let’s go big on this hand!”

—The mahjong parlor.

Unpleasant memories leaped out from the cracks of her mind. Xu Zhiyi took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress her turbulent thoughts. “It’s not settled yet. We’ll probably have to wait a while.”

A brief “Oh” came from the other side, followed by a burst of static.

“Le Lei, hurry up! Stop the call! Do you want this tile or not—”

The high-decibel shouting forced Xu Zhiyi to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Mom, go back to what you’re doing. I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, hold on! What about the shares President Pei mentioned before? Why haven’t they…”

Xu Zhiyi turned off the phone and tossed it onto the sofa.

She stood there silently for a moment, trying her best to hide the unnatural expression on her face. Once she had mentally prepared herself, she caught a glimpse of Pei Qingyan standing not far away. Her eyes were fixed on her, filled with worry.

“About the shares—”

“A-Yan, you know I don’t want to talk about that.” Xu Zhiyi closed her eyes and walked straight toward her, only to be pulled into the woman’s arms by her waist.

“Alright, we won’t talk about it.”

Pei Qingyan kissed her forehead and said softly, “Let’s eat first. The food will get cold.”