The Agreement

Qian Cancan pummeled Qian Chu’s shoulder in a frenzy.

The force of a drunk person was terrifying. As Qian Cancan struggled, she cursed furiously, only for Qian Chu to seize the opening and press her advantage.

Qian Chu had no one to teach her, so she sealed Qian Cancan’s lips and tongue, stirring up one ambiguous wet sound after another.

Her hands were busy too, gripping Qian Cancan’s thrashing arms and slowly working their way upward, inch by inch.

Qian Cancan was still struggling when she finally found her chance and bit down hard. Qian Chu hissed in pain and loosened her hold for a moment; Qian Cancan took the opportunity to kick her straight off the bed.

“You perverted creep,” Qian Cancan snapped, her chest heaving with anger. In the struggle, her already thin shirt had been pulled open completely, revealing a long stretch of collarbone and pale skin. She grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it at Qian Chu. “Get lost!”

Qian Chu was knocked into the wall by the pillow; her head hit hard, and the dizziness only got worse.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at Qian Cancan sitting on the bed.

Qian Cancan’s cheeks were flushed red, her clothes disheveled, and she was breathing hard as she looked back at her. That gaze was bright and furious, carrying the kind of fearless, spoiled defiance that said she didn’t care about anything at all.

That kind of unguarded, unafraid vitality drew her in deeply.

She had suffered so much since childhood just to figure out how to gain a foothold in this society; yet Qian Cancan’s appearance had completely shattered everything she had spent years putting in order.

Qian Cancan was like a blinding, brilliant sun.

Only now did Qian Chu realize, belatedly, that she simply couldn’t take her eyes off her.

“You’re still looking?” Qian Cancan was furious. She jumped off the bed and grabbed Qian Chu by the collar. “I’m warning you, get out now. I’ve had enough of you!”

The distance between them was very close. Qian Chu said in a low voice, “I wasn’t joking. Li Lan told me you respond to both softness and force, but I’m not soft enough, and I don’t want to be forceful with you. I’m sorry for what I said before, but I don’t know how to make it right.”

“You used to smile at me all the time,” Qian Chu said, her voice threaded with pain. “I really wanted to go back to how things were before. But after that, you stopped speaking to me completely, and I felt awful. So awful that no matter what I did, it still felt wrong.”

Shock flashed through Qian Cancan’s eyes.

She had never thought Qian Chu would have feelings for her.

She had thought it was all one-sided.

“I really, really want to go back to the way things were.”

Qian Cancan slowly loosened her grip; her mind was blown to pieces by all the crackling emotions exploding inside it.

“You like me?” Qian Cancan asked.

Qian Chu nodded in confusion. “I’ve never liked anyone else. If I were ever going to like someone, I’d definitely like you first.”

Qian Cancan stood up and stared at her in disbelief.

“Finally said something human for once.”

Qian Chu lowered her head, her whole body deflated, and said nothing.

Qian Cancan still refused to forgive her.

Qian Chu sat on the floor, her clothes a mess and her heart a mess too, like a condemned prisoner waiting for judgment, neck bared for the blade. She no longer even had the energy to struggle.

Then Qian Cancan suddenly asked, “You said Li Lan told you I respond to both softness and force. Did you tell Li Lan about us?”

Qian Chu was afraid Qian Cancan would add another mark against her, so she hurriedly said, “She doesn’t know the details. I didn’t tell her the specifics.”

Qian Cancan huffed. That wasn’t what she was worried about.

Qian Chu was someone at Li Lan’s side; she should know everything about Li Lan’s affairs.

Qian Cancan hooked a finger at Qian Chu. “Answer one question for me, and I won’t hold it against you. I’ll treat you like I used to, all right?”

No pie would fall from the sky that fast. Qian Chu froze for a moment, then immediately said, “Okay.”

Qian Cancan said, “I’ve always been a little confused. Why did Zhu Qing become a ‘dutiful wife and mother’ after marriage? Her whole vibe got so service-oriented. She used to swear she’d never be a housewife.”

Qian Chu’s drunkenness still hadn’t worn off; if anything, it was hitting harder. Hearing that it was about Zhu Qing, she didn’t hide anything and answered honestly, “She was taking money, of course she had to be diligent.”

“Taking what money? Living expenses from Li Lan?” Qian Cancan still didn’t understand.

Qian Chu shook her head. “They had a contract marriage. Zhu Qing may have misunderstood a bit; in the first few months after they got married, she took that agreement as a service contract.”

Qian Cancan let out a furious roar. “A service contract!?”

Qian Chu was startled by the yell. “...But Manager Lan quickly started dating her, and neither of them ever brought it up again.”

“No, explain it clearly. Why did Li Lan sign the agreement, and what exactly did it ask Zhu Qing to do?”

That was getting into the employer’s privacy, and Qian Chu didn’t really want to say it. But Qian Cancan was clearly in a state where, if Qian Chu didn’t tell her, she’d bite her to death.

Qian Chu thought that since it was about Zhu Qing, it wouldn’t matter if Qian Cancan knew.

“Manager Lan wanted a stable marriage partner to get away from the harassment of a lot of bosses. Zhu Qing only needed to appear with Li Lan at certain social functions and prove she was her partner.”

Qian Cancan said suspiciously, “That’s it? No sell-your-heart-or-body kind of clause?”

Qian Chu said solemnly, “We’re all proper people.”

Qian Cancan thought for a long time, then still looked puzzled. “Then why does Zhu Qing have such strong service instincts?”

She had thought her best friend was some deeply hidden love-brain who had simply gone back to family life the moment she got married.

Qian Chu considered it. “Maybe because it was two million a year.”

Qian Cancan: ...

Got it. Zhu Qing was money-obsessed.

Qian Cancan pieced the whole thing together. The two of them had some affection for each other, one needed a marriage and was willing to pay for it, while the other could be with the person she liked and make money too; naturally, she was happy to accept.

However... a contract marriage was still a contract marriage. Qian Cancan felt that after losing her memory, Zhu Qing was like a silly little deer, spending all day being cheerful, and Li Lan probably hadn’t told her about the contract marriage either.

It would be better to tell Zhu Qing about this.

Seeing Qian Cancan fall silent, Qian Chu hesitated again and again before standing up and sitting beside her.

She cautiously reached out to tug at Qian Cancan’s sleeve. “Can we go back to how we were before?”

Qian Cancan turned her head to stare at her, then suddenly grinned. “Sure.”

Qian Chu’s eyes lit up.

Qian Cancan’s tone took on a coaxing edge. Under Qian Chu’s steadily weakening rationality, she softly ordered, “Take your clothes off first.”

-

Xiao Bao was putting together a giant puzzle.

Before, Zhu Qing’s understanding of Xiao Bao had been limited to the fact that she was an obedient, adorable little kid. Only after hearing what Zhao Yun said did she gradually realize that Xiao Bao possessed intelligence beyond her age.

A normal five-year-old wouldn’t be able to count thirteen lychees on a plate in an instant; that was an exceptional sensitivity to numbers and images.

Zhao Yun said, “There are over two thousand pieces in this puzzle. We’ll just do three hundred today.”

Zhu Qing: ...

“Keep an eye on her for a bit. I’m going to pick up a package,” Zhao Yun said to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing nodded. Just in case, she still asked, “You’re going to pick up... ”

“I ordered some English readers for Xiao Bao,” Zhao Yun said lightly. “It’s cheaper to buy thirty books as a bundle.”

Xiao Bao waved at Zhao Yun. “Be safe on the road!”

Zhu Qing had nothing to say.

The push to cultivate children had reached even five-year-olds.

“Zhu Zhu, look at this puzzle piece; it kind of looks like a bone,” Xiao Bao said, tugging at Zhu Qing and chattering nonstop. Zhu Qing collected herself and said with bright energy, “Come on, let me see... like a bone?”

The puzzle piece was round and plump. Zhu Qing asked in confusion, “What bone are you talking about, Xiao Bao?”

“The kneecap,” Xiao Bao said. “And the mummy’s head.”

Zhu Qing fell silent.

Xiao Bao hummed as she worked without stopping, and before long she had already assembled a small section.

After hesitating for a while, Zhu Qing decided not to disturb her.

After working for a bit, Xiao Bao got tired and started acting spoiled, tugging on Zhu Qing.

“I want Zhu Zhu to hug me,” Xiao Bao said. “I want sugar water.”

“I’ll go get some from the fridge,” Zhu Qing said.

Xiao Bao wrapped both arms around Zhu Qing’s neck and refused to let go. “Then never mind. I don’t really want it that much.”

Warmth spread through Zhu Qing’s heart; knowing she was just being clingy, she teased her on purpose. “Then what if I want some?”

Xiao Bao thought it over. “Then Zhu Zhu can carry me there.”

“I can’t carry you,” Zhu Qing refused flatly. “I just got back from the hospital; did you forget?”

Xiao Bao went quiet. It was obvious she really wanted to keep clinging to Zhu Qing, but she still mustered her tiny willpower and tore herself away.

Zhu Qing couldn’t help laughing. “You, little clever thing.”

Just then, Zhu Qing suddenly noticed that Xiao Bao really did look a bit like Yu Ling.

Not just in certain facial details, but more in the overall feeling.

These days, the online discourse had been focused on the variety show that had just ended.

Some were happy, some were worried. Yu Ling and Qi Yao were among the worried ones; most of the internet was busy boycotting them.

Netizens disliked attention-seeking women, and in contrast to Qi Yao’s laziness, selfishness, and arrogance, Yu Ling’s green-tea behavior whenever she tried to perform only made people dislike her even more.

Zhu Qing didn’t know what deal Li Lan and Yang Huayi had made. She clearly knew Yu Ling had damaged the vehicle and put her in mortal danger, yet she had borne it in silence and never publicized it; instead, she had focused most of her energy on Qi Yao.

Zhu Qing had overheard Li Lan talking on the phone with Qian Chu about actions being taken against Qi Yao, and when she curiously asked, Li Lan only told her not to worry.

“Zhu Zhu, do I have something dirty on my face?” Xiao Bao asked, rubbing her face hard with both hands.

Zhu Qing came back to herself and realized she had been staring at Xiao Bao for a long time. She said sheepishly, “It’s nothing; Zhu Zhu just spaced out.”

Li Lan’s voice came from nearby. “Tired? Give Xiao Bao to me.”

She had just finished a call with Yang Huayi, and her expression looked fairly calm, which probably meant it had gone smoothly.

Meeting Zhu Qing’s concerned gaze, Li Lan gave a slight nod. “Don’t worry.”

Zhu Qing felt relieved.

Xiao Bao held up both hands, waiting to be picked up, and nestled obediently into Li Lan’s arms.

Li Lan carried Xiao Bao over to the sofa and touched her slightly messy bun. “Sleepy? If you’re sleepy, then go to bed.”

Xiao Bao changed position and buried her face, revealing one eye to look at Zhu Qing. In a small voice, she said, “I want Zhu Zhu to sleep with me.”

“You can sleep, but don’t have her tell you bedtime stories.”

Xiao Bao pouted. “Why?”

“Because that’s called coaxing you to sleep, not sleeping with you,” Li Lan said softly. “If you want bedtime stories, I’ll tell them.”

The dissatisfaction on Xiao Bao’s face was almost tangible. “You don’t have any feeling when you tell them! You even killed the little green worm!”

The little green worm was a character in a fairy tale who was supposed to “die” and then turn into a cocoon before becoming a butterfly. Unfortunately, Li Lan was so careless that after reading the death part, she assumed that was the ending and never went to get the next book, leaving Xiao Bao crying for a whole night.

Li Lan remained calm and didn’t think there was anything wrong. “That’s because you have conditions. Zhu Zhu auntie isn’t in good health; don’t make her do this and that every day.”

Zhu Qing couldn’t stand it and snatched Xiao Bao from Li Lan’s arms. “Xiao Bao, don’t be afraid. This time I’ll listen to your mom tell the story with you, and I won’t let her kill the little green worm, okay?”

Xiao Bao was a very easy child to negotiate with; her bun bobbed as she nodded. “Mm.”

But Xiao Bao never got to hear Li Lan tell the story. She got sleepy first and dozed off in Zhu Qing’s arms.

After putting Xiao Bao on the bed, Zhu Qing pulled Li Lan out onto the balcony to talk.

“Are you upset with me, or are you upset with Xiao Bao?” Zhu Qing teased. “Why do you always make Xiao Bao stay away from me?”

Li Lan pressed her lips together and said, looking down, “You don’t know how troublesome raising a child is. If she gets used to depending on you, your life will get very busy.”

Zhu Qing was just about to say she had time, when Li Lan spoke again, her tone turning a little firmer.

“Your time should go back to photography, back to translation, back to your hobbies, back to your colorful life; not spent circling around a child all day, satisfying her every demand.”

Zhu Qing clicked her tongue. “Xiao Bao isn’t that troublesome.”

“What child isn’t troublesome?” Li Lan frowned. “She’s a high-needs baby. I’ll take more care of her in the future, but you shouldn’t take on responsibilities that aren’t yours.”

Zhu Qing frowned too. Li Lan’s words made her uncomfortable.

That attitude of excluding her made Zhu Qing feel strangely like an outsider.

Even though she had lost her memory, the fact that they were married was real. Whether Xiao Bao called her Zhu Zhu or auntie, Zhu Qing had already come to see her as her own child in her heart.

She could roughly understand that Li Lan was afraid she would find it troublesome, like a stepmother in a blended family—if the child wasn’t biologically hers, then it was better to avoid as much trouble as possible... but Zhu Qing still felt uncomfortable.

Li Lan’s attitude also gave her a strange feeling.

“Can’t I want to take care of her too?” Zhu Qing asked cautiously.

Li Lan’s tone became even more uncompromising. “Once a child gets attached, it’s hard to shake them off. You can play with her, but don’t let her get too clingy.”

“Why?”

Li Lan was silent for two seconds; then her tone softened. Facing Zhu Qing’s repeated questions, she hesitated for a long while before finally saying, “Taking care of Xiao Bao used to be exhausting for you. You may have forgotten, but you gave all your private time to Xiao Bao. You didn’t even have a chance to catch your breath and recover... I don’t want you to become like that again.”

Zhu Qing thought of how clingy Xiao Bao had been at the beginning, then remembered Qian Cancan once saying she had become a “dutiful wife and mother” after marriage. Only now did she notice a clue she could use as confirmation.

“I’m a normal adult with agency,” Zhu Qing said skeptically, enunciating each word. “My relationship with Xiao Bao is a normal one. If I feel uncomfortable or tired, I can refuse and say I need to rest. Xiao Bao isn’t the kind of child who throws unreasonable tantrums either. Why would you be so worried?”

Li Lan looked at Zhu Qing’s suspicious eyes and kept denying it inwardly.

You and Xiao Bao are not in a normal relationship.

You used to treat Xiao Bao as your service recipient.

You voluntarily gave up your own agency.

No matter how tired you were, you would never say no.

You would slowly, little by little, become very uncomfortable.

But the words surged to her lips and then could not go any further.

Should Zhu Qing know about these things that had happened before?

If she knew that she and Li Lan were in a contract marriage, would she still be able to stay with her without a trace of concern?

Would she question the inequality in this relationship?

Would she be sad? Hurt? Would she doubt herself and doubt their feelings for each other?

Would she... leave?

————————!!————————

Li Lan: Worry drowned me.

Zhu Qing: ...You’d be better off worrying that the kitchen trash can is full. Go empty it.

And just like that, the weekend slipped away...