RBNR Ch29: If you cheat, I’ll kill you

“I’m curious, how did you manage to piss him off?” Shu Helan asked while poking at the asparagus in her bowl. “Weren’t you sending gifts back and forth before? It was quite ambiguous. What happened after his birthday to turn things upside down?”

Feng Chengyu: “No talking while eating, no talking while sleeping.”

The two were having a work meal with no one else around.

The food in the alliance cafeteria wasn’t very appealing, and Shu Helan was uninterested. “Tell me about it. I have experience.”

Feng Chengyu hadn’t mentioned that night’s events to anyone, so Shu Helan was unaware, but when it came to romantic experience, Shu Helan was no slouch.

Feng Chengyu glanced at him and said, “It seems the birthday gift was sent wrong.”

Shu Helan was surprised. “No, the daffodil brooch was Aunt Lin’s gift for your coming of age. You’ve worn it on important occasions, and it’s very suitable. How could it be sent wrong?”

Feng Chengyu said, “He didn’t remember we had that layer of relationship. When someone reminded him, something with such specific meaning made him uncomfortable.”

Shu Helan: “Didn’t remember? You mean he didn’t know you were his fiancé? Then why did he send you gifts before?”

“Maybe he had some feelings, but not to that extent,” Feng Chengyu said. “I misunderstood.”

Moreover, based on Qin Bao’s character, if he received a gift from someone he knew, he would definitely reciprocate. It didn’t mean much.

“Ah, the fragile self-esteem of a young person. They can choose for themselves, but don’t like being arranged.” Shu Helan commented, “You made this mistake once, and he could wipe out all the previous good feelings he had for you in an instant.”

Who would have thought? Feng Chengyu didn’t expect things to develop this way.

Shu Helan suggested, “Then send some other gifts to make up for it, and try to appease him?”

Feng Chengyu tidied up the tableware and wiped his lips.

Then he admitted to Shu Helan, “It’s not just about the gifts. You’re right; there is indeed a generation gap. Last month, I caught him at a black-market club while investigating illegal clubs with the Thirteenth Police Station.”

“That place where they do illegal fighting?” Shu Helan was taken aback, then laughed. “I see your guy really likes to play.”

On the day of his high school graduation, he rode away on someone else’s motorcycle, and in college, he fought with an Alpha who was harassing him. The footage was quite spectacular. He was also a regular at parties in the modeling circle, and An Qingyan, who loved to play, was always with him in photos on social platforms.

It didn’t seem surprising to find him at a black-market fighting club.

Shu Helan said, “I heard they not only do illegal fighting but also cross lines. Can you tolerate that?”

Feng Chengyu said, “Why not?”

Shu Helan gave a thumbs-up. “The ultimate忍者 (ninja).”

Feng Chengyu said, “The family puts too much pressure on him. He’s under a lot of stress, and everything gets mixed up. His rebellious mentality is stronger. And… it should be his first time going.”

Shu Helan sighed, “The old man of the Qin family is ruthless.”

They shared a moment of silence, having similar backgrounds.

That night, when Feng Chengyu walked into the dim room and saw the person on the bed, weak from hunger, he immediately thought of that quiet night from his childhood.

In the ancestral hall of the Feng family mansion, Feng Rui’an, who had just become deputy secretary, was kneeling on the ground, seemingly drunk. She was sobbing softly, with no pride from gaining authority: “… Did you see? I succeeded. I gave up everything… Are you satisfied?”

So desolate, she was completely different from her usually spirited self. Indeed, she was happy, but she was also disheartened.

Feng Chengyu never understood why his aunt was like that. It wasn’t until much later that he learned that Feng Rui’an was once a very talented snooker player.

“But I’ve already scheduled a meeting with him,” Feng Chengyu thought. “If there’s a chance to be together… I want to help him. I’ll talk to Grandpa about it.”

Shu Helan observed him for a moment and teased, “Wait, I remember you said something different a few years ago. Didn’t you say if he doesn’t want to when he grows up, you’d resolve it fairly? Now he doesn’t want to, but you still want him and can’t let go?”

Feng Chengyu wasn’t embarrassed at all and replied calmly, “My thoughts haven’t changed. I still won’t force him. But I want to try. Any objections?”

Shu Helan: “None, who am I to object? You pursue your Omega, and I’ll keep saving up red envelopes. I wish you success.”

Feng Chengyu raised his glass, and everything was unspoken.

Shu Helan said, “As for how to make amends now, I see he’s quite impatient. He’s a kid. I suggest you go along with him more, so he’ll slowly come to like you.”

Feng Chengyu curved his lips slightly. “That’s not certain.”

*

The meeting place Qin Bao chose was a themed private cinema.

When Feng Chengyu arrived, the receptionist was stunned, repeatedly glancing between him and Lin Zi while registering.

Feng Chengyu went upstairs alone, and Lin Zi tapped the receptionist’s desk, politely saying, “You know customers need privacy, right?”

The receptionist was terrified and nodded vigorously.

Recently, there had been a large-scale crackdown on illegal activities in the southern city, and there were rumors about this Feng representative suddenly interfering in other matters. People speculated about his true intentions. His sudden appearance here made the receptionist think there might be illegal activities in their store too.

As Lin Zi finished speaking, another tall and slim figure walked in through the door, moving swiftly like the wind.

From the figure and outfit, Lin Zi immediately recognized him as the Qin family’s young master who frequently appeared in advertisements.

When Qin Bao entered the room, he was shocked by the sea of pink.

He had just randomly booked a room on the app, but the beaded curtain, the plush carpet, and the feather duster that seemed to have no purpose made the place look like a romance suite.

Feng Chengyu had arrived first and was now sitting neatly in a shell-shaped chair, his shirt buttons fastened to the top, and his cufflinks perfectly aligned, creating a strong sense of incongruity.

Qin Bao: “……”

This place was just for watching movies, relatively quiet. He had been here once with Xu Tangzhou before, and that room was quite proper.

Feng Chengyu, propped up on his face, looked at him sideways with an attitude of “as you wish”: “Sit.”

Qin Bao walked over and sat in the other shell.

The chairs couldn’t be moved and were very close, but this time he had taken enough blocking agents to ensure he couldn’t smell anything.

Since Qin Bao was the one who suggested the meeting, he should be the one to start.

So, facing Feng Chengyu, he discovered that the shell could actually rotate, and turned it around completely. He raised his chin and asked, “Is what you said last time true? Can you really convince my grandfather to stop interfering in my affairs?”

Qin Bao had fair skin and a delicate face. If this were a high-fashion photoshoot, he would look like the pearl prince in the shell.

Feng Chengyu: “Yes.”

Normally, people would lower their heads when they thought they would be put in a difficult position. This was especially true in the industry.

But Feng Chengyu was so straightforward that he left Qin Bao at a loss.

“Alright… You mentioned some demands, but I want to state mine first.” Qin Bao said in a rough voice, “If you can’t accept them, then we might as well stop talking and save the rest of the procedures.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Qin Bao said: “I can marry you to fool my grandfather, but I don’t want to be tied to you for life. We need to set a time limit. This way, you can fulfill your grandfather’s wish without taking too long, and you won’t lose out.”

Feng Chengyu: “A time limit? How long do you want?”

Qin Bao hesitated: “Two years.”

Two years should be enough for him to grow up, and at the end of those two years, he would be only 20 years old, which was quite reasonable.

Right now, he was quite unscrupulous. Marrying Feng Chengyu was indeed not a loss for him.

But he only wanted a free ride, not a pure love.

Feng Chengyu, who seemed to be very accommodating, rejected his proposal without a second thought: “Two years is too short; it’s a ten-year minimum.”

“Ten years? Ten years is too long!” Qin Bao was startled and protested, “How about three years? I’ll add one more year!”

“No, at least nine years.”

“Four years!”

“Eight years.”

Qin Bao gritted his teeth: “Five years, and I’ll add one more year at most! Don’t push your luck, that’s enough.”

If he didn’t agree, he would walk away immediately.

To his surprise, Feng Chengyu immediately said: “Alright, five years it is.”

Qin Bao: “……”

Something seemed off.

Feng Chengyu’s expression didn’t change, so it wasn’t clear if he was plotting something. He continued: “Five years, although it’s a shorter period, is suitable for both of us. We’ll have time to prepare in advance, and it will be easier for the family to accept.”

After all, marriage and divorce would still follow.

When Mr. Qin and Ms. Rong had issues, it took them three to four years from the first signs of discord to the formal divorce. Xu Tangzhou’s parents also took many years.

Qin Bao reluctantly accepted and asked: “……From when does the time start?”

Feng Chengyu: “From the day of marriage registration.”

“Can’t it be a fake marriage, not registered?” Qin Bao, who was scheming, was stimulated, “And why can’t it start from today? Why does it have to start from the registration day? What a waste of time!”

“A fake marriage won’t work.” Feng Chengyu looked at his watch. “The Civil Affairs Bureau is not far from here. We should be able to register now.”

Qin Bao’s face turned red instantly. Not knowing what to say, he could only criticize: “I haven’t even thought about it, and you’re so casual, immediately suggesting we get married!”

Feng Chengyu said: “I see you’re in a hurry; this way, it’s more efficient.”

Qin Bao: “…………”

He couldn’t refute.

Since it was a contract, both parties had the right to express their opinions.

So Qin Bao calmly bypassed Feng Chengyu’s suggestion and said: “There’s no rush. I haven’t thought about the other details. You go ahead and state your conditions.”

Knowing oneself and one’s opponent ensures victory in every battle; let’s see his conditions first.

Feng Chengyu directly took out a computer: “Wait a moment.”

Qin Bao: “……”

On the computer screen was a draft of a prenuptial agreement.

After a quick scan, Qin Bao frowned at several clauses.

【Regardless of how busy both parties are, they must meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If unable to meet due to work, the meeting can be postponed to the weekend. They must spend no less than three days a week together, and whoever finds it convenient should approach the other party. The location is not restricted.】

Qin Bao said: “We’re not that familiar. Is it really necessary to spend three days together every week?”

“It’s not about sticking together. For stability, we need to spend more time together in the first two years to solidify our relationship, so I can better help you. Later on, we can reduce it.” Feng Chengyu said, “If you think it’s not suitable, it can be modified.”

Qin Bao removed the “Wednesday” from “Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” added “in the first two years” at the beginning, and added “once a month in the last three years” at the end.

After making the changes, Qin Bao asked: “How about this? I think this is more reasonable.”

Since they needed to look at the computer together, Feng Chengyu leaned closer, his handsome face coming very near. Qin Bao stiffened and quickly moved his body away.

Feng Chengyu reviewed Qin Bao’s modifications and said: “Tentative.”

Qin Bao pointed at the screen: “And this clause.”

【During the duration of the relationship, on important days including but not limited to “birthdays,” “Valentine’s Day,” “anniversaries,” “holidays,” etc., they must meet and celebrate together.】

Qin Bao: “Valentine’s Day and anniversaries too? We’re not really together. Can we skip these?”

Feng Chengyu: “Do you think it’s unreasonable not to celebrate?”

Qin Bao: “……”

Previously, his parents also celebrated these holidays together. The initial signs of discord appeared when they didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day together that year.

It was troublesome but still somewhat reasonable.

Qin Bao: “……Fine.”

The last contentious clause: 【Both parties are obligated to attend any “family gatherings” and similar events. If the other party has work events requiring a plus-one, both parties are obligated to cooperate.】

Qin Bao: “Are you saying that if you have any official banquets, I have to go too?”

Feng Chengyu: “Yes. A married status helps build my public image and also saves me a lot of trouble.”

Qin Bao knew that some politicians, to win public favor, would use family-building strategies to shape their personas, so Feng Chengyu’s desire for marriage might be due to this.

He criticized Feng Chengyu bluntly: “You’re really calculating.”

Feng Chengyu was indifferent: “It’s not a big deal.”

Feng Chengyu was inscrutable, and Qin Bao was actually afraid of hidden traps.

But after reviewing the contract, he found that Feng Chengyu had been very thoughtful and fair. The terms did not favor either party, and were binding on both sides.

Overall, aside from a few clauses that required too much time together, which felt a bit restrictive, there weren’t any harsh conditions.

After reading it, Qin Bao neither accepted nor rejected.

He leaned back in the shell chair, his arms crossed in a defensive posture: “Now it’s my turn to make a proposal.”

Feng Chengyu also made a “please” gesture, as if at a negotiation table: “Go ahead.”

Qin Bao said: “Since this is a contractual marriage and not one based on mutual love, I don’t want it to be public. If we are to proceed, our marriage must be kept completely confidential. No one except my family and friends should know.”

These were Qin Bao’s pre-prepared thoughts.

He glanced at Feng Chengyu’s expression, which was very calm, as if he was already prepared for this. So he continued.

“You have a special status, and I am a public figure. If we get married, I don’t want to be seen differently because of our relationship being exposed. Moreover, I don’t want you to use any privileges to gain benefits for me. Just help me get out from under my grandfather’s control; you must not interfere in any other matters about me.”

Feng Chengyu: “Okay.”

In fact, other than this point, Qin Bao didn’t have many other demands. He only wanted to regain control of his career and was more afraid of being controlled by someone in the future.

There was one remaining question.

Qin Bao hesitated: “I want to ask, with our type of relationship, do we have to maintain fidelity like in a real marriage?”

“Of course.” Feng Chengyu looked deeply at him this time. “I will not tolerate any form of infidelity.”

“Just right, so will I.” Qin Bao turned his attention back to the screen. “I have a cleanliness obsession. If you cheat, I’ll kill you.”