Chapter 02: The Agreement

Inside the nanny van, Xie Yun watched as Lu Qingzhuo furiously tapped away at her phone screen, constantly typing, deleting, and retyping replies to haters. Her intense concentration made it seem like she was engaged in a fierce battle, prompting Xie Yun to speak up.

“Lu Lu, why don’t we just hire some internet trolls? Look at you — your fingers are turning red. Even if you don’t feel bad for yourself, I feel bad for you.”

“What do you mean hire trolls? That’s such a waste of money,” Lu Qingzhuo scoffed, her eyes fixed on a comment with over ten thousand likes. She typed with one hand while chewing on a lollipop with the other. “These people are just bored out of their minds, talking like they’ve got rotten fish in their mouths.”

“But Lu Lu,” Xie Yun hesitated. “Didn’t you usually ignore these haters before? Why are you so invested these past few days? The company can handle the negative comments for you. You really don’t need to bother.”

“I’m just bored. Might as well use them for practice. It’s free practice material — no reason to waste it.”

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t seem the least bit concerned about anyone noticing her sudden change in behavior. Casually pulling out a compact mirror from her bag, she touched up her lipstick. Right then, her phone rang, the sharp sound resembling a death knell.

There were only two people who would directly call her — her agent, Su Lan, or absolutely no one else.

A quick glance at her phone confirmed it was indeed Su Lan. Calmly, she answered the call. The voice on the other end was so dark and menacing that it sent a chill down her spine.

“Lu Qingzhuo, are you leaving ridiculous comments again?!”

“Sister Lan, no, no, it was my cat. It accidentally tapped on my phone.”

Xie Yun, sitting beside her, nearly choked on air upon hearing that blatant lie. Su Lan exploded through the phone, her tone nearing hysteria.

“You—! You’re seriously driving me crazy! I leave you alone for one day and you start causing trouble again?!”

“Sister Lan, I know you’re worried about me, but honestly, the company’s safest approach is still to hire trolls. If that’s the case, I might as well handle the comments myself.”

Su Lan fell silent for a moment, clearly caught off guard by her response. Then she spoke again, incredulous. “Do you have any idea how damaging this is to your image? I’ve already pieced together what happened. Even if Ye Shutong stepped on your dress, you shouldn’t have embarrassed her in public like that.”

Lu Qingzhuo paused, contemplating. Yeah, publicly humiliating Ye Shutong wasn’t exactly a wise move, especially for a rising star like her. But then again, her reputation was already in shambles. Even if she posted about volunteering at a disaster site in the morning, by the afternoon, people would still accuse her of clout-chasing.

“Sister Lan, I understand. I won’t do it again next time.”

Her tone was so sincere it could almost fool anyone into believing she genuinely regretted her actions. However, from Xie Yun’s perspective, her boss was still comfortably chewing on her lollipop, completely devoid of remorse. It was like watching the protagonist of a revenge drama right before their grand comeback.

After hanging up the call, Lu Qingzhuo instantly reverted to her laid-back demeanor. She crunched the remainder of her lollipop, swallowed it, and pinched her own waist.

Flat, firm, and not a single bit of flab — but still not good enough. She needed abs.

Her appetite vanished. Taking a sip of water, she lay down on the seat. The car was sealed tight, with the air conditioning blasting. Feeling a chill, Xie Yun thoughtfully draped a cashmere blanket over her.

The nanny van moved silently toward Mingxia Manor — a place regarded as a must-visit check-in spot by millions. In reality, however, it was the private estate of the Fu family, the wealthiest family in C Country. Today, Lu Qingzhuo was heading there to meet her soon-to-be spouse, Fu Yumian.

The marriage itself was absurd and laughable. When Lu Qingzhuo first woke up in this body, the first thing she saw was Fu Yumian’s cold and detached face on the computer screen. The Omega’s ice-cold gaze sent a shiver down her spine, and it took her more than ten seconds to compose herself and speak.

She remembered that night vividly. Fu Yumian’s assistant, Han Tian, had stood by her side, watching her like a hawk as she pressed her fingerprint on the marriage agreement.

The whole situation was unnerving. Compared to them, Lu Qingzhuo felt like a lowly barnyard chicken among phoenixes — unrefined and completely out of place.

In her previous life, she had met countless elites, but none could match the commanding aura of this Omega.

Fu Yumian was stunning — exquisitely beautiful. Her high-born upbringing was apparent in every movement she made. With delicate lighting casting subtle highlights on her snow-white skin and her sharp, defined jawline, even a casual glance from her was enough to send a shiver down one’s spine.

Lu Qingzhuo was dumbfounded. But it wasn’t the prospect of marrying Fu Yumian that shocked her — it was the conditions laid out in the agreement.

She had read through the contract from top to bottom without missing a single punctuation mark, and when she finished, her jaw almost dropped.

Han Tian, who had been observing her closely, seemed impressed by her ability to absorb information so quickly.

“Miss Lu, have you finished reading? If you have no objections, please sign and press your fingerprint.”

“Wait a minute. I have a question.”

“Please ask.”

Lu Qingzhuo steadied her breath, pointing to a particular line in the contract: “A monthly allowance of 20 million yuan will be deposited into your account.”

Tentatively, she asked, “Assistant Han, what day of the month does President Fu usually transfer the money? Not having a fixed date gives me anxiety.”

Han Tian: “…”

Thank goodness Fu Yumian wasn’t present; otherwise, she’d probably deduct Lu Qingzhuo’s allowance on the spot.

“For now, the first day of each month,” Han Tian answered with a professional smile. “But we can adjust to your preferred date if necessary.”

Lu Qingzhuo instantly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Feigning composure, she casually pointed to the next clause: “A lump sum of 10 billion yuan will be deposited after the two-year marriage term.”

Staring at the figure, she discreetly pinched her own thigh.

Ouch. Real pain. Not a dream.

“So… this 10 billion yuan… I’ll get it after two years of marriage, right?”

“Correct,” Han Tian confirmed. “The moment the contract expires, the money will be transferred.”

Lu Qingzhuo hesitated before asking, “Uh… is there any deposit or security advance? You know, since 10 billion is a huge sum, signing this contract feels like selling myself. Makes me uneasy.”

Han Tian almost burst out laughing. As a professional, she had encountered plenty of difficult clients, but none as hilariously outrageous as Lu Qingzhuo. No wonder Fu Yumian chose her — she was a different breed of chaos.

Maintaining her composure, Han Tian replied, “I can consult with Fu Yumian if you’d like.”

Lu Qingzhuo smirked. “Nah, it’s fine. I’ll just talk to her after we’re married.”

“Um… you may have missed a clause,” Han Tian said carefully. “The agreement states that you and Fu Yumian will live separately and not interfere in each other’s private matters. Visiting her private residence requires her personal approval.”

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes widened slightly as her gaze lingered on the final clause of the agreement: “Neither party shall interfere in the other’s personal affairs.”

No wonder she hadn’t noticed this crucial condition earlier. Her attention had been entirely captivated by the one billion yuan mentioned in the contract.

Assistant Han, noticing her hesitation, patiently explained, “President Fu has a cleanliness obsession and refuses to live under the same roof with an Alpha whom she has no relationship history. So, Miss Lu, you might want to reconsider.”

A house, a car, and a beautiful wife who would deposit money into her account every day.

And most importantly — this beautiful wife wouldn’t meddle in her life or even come home.

Wasn’t this basically like marrying a personal ATM?

Did she really need to reconsider?

Lu Qingzhuo propped her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, then lowered her voice. “I have one more question. Like… does President Fu have any white moonlight living abroad? Or maybe… a deceased wife who happens to look exactly like me?”

Assistant Han’s professional demeanor cracked for a brief second. Her lips twitched, and after clearing her throat, she managed to respond. “Miss Lu, it seems you’ve read too many CEO romance novels. Rest assured, President Fu has no white moonlight, let alone a deceased wife. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Noticing the subtle smirk threatening to appear on Assistant Han’s face, Lu Qingzhuo decided to spare the working woman from further embarrassment.

“No more questions for now. Let’s exchange contact information,” Lu Qingzhuo said, pulling out her phone and opening WeChat. “Should I scan your code?”

The two quickly added each other. Then, Assistant Han retrieved a sleek, light gold card from her briefcase and placed it in front of Lu Qingzhuo. “Miss Lu, this is a supplementary card from President Fu. Your monthly living expenses will be deposited into this account on the first day of each month. The remaining balance should also be sufficient for your needs.”

“Oh, I really shouldn’t…” Lu Qingzhuo said half-heartedly, though her hands decisively accepted the cold, shiny card without hesitation. She then flashed a standard smile toward Assistant Han. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now. I’ll keep a copy of the contract.”

“It’s already prepared,” Assistant Han said smoothly, pulling out a duplicate from her briefcase and handing it over. She then added, “Also, the villa you’re currently staying in has now been transferred to your name. It’s a welcome gift from President Fu.”

A multi-million-dollar villa just for meeting online? Now that was sincerity.

Lu Qingzhuo struggled to suppress the grin threatening to break across her face. Resting her chin on her palm, she deliberately avoided Assistant Han’s gaze and said, “Well then, thank you, President Fu. I’ll strictly adhere to the agreement and make sure not to cross any boundaries. Please assure her that she has nothing to worry about.”

And then reality slapped her in the face.

It turned out she had a natural talent for attracting hate. No matter how carefully she crafted her words online, she would always get accused of clout-chasing top-tier celebrities.

Even something as simple as posting a food selfie would get her bombarded with comments about wasting food or staging fake shots.

Her popularity did increase — but it came with a heavy price. Major brands were hesitant to approach her for endorsements, fearing her large number of anti-fans would damage their reputation.

The only endorsement she managed to secure was from Aurora, a mid-to-high-end women's watch brand under the Fu Group.

The name Aurora meant polar light.

Every time Lu Qingzhuo attended an event, she would wear the same watch. She was fully aware that the brand didn’t approach her purely out of interest — it was likely that Fu Yumian, seeing how low her status was, decided to help her out.

As if she was trying to… level her up.  

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