A Marriage of Inconvenience Rejected

Si Xi lingered in bed for a while longer, then, bracing his aching body, made his way to the bathroom.

His legs trembled throughout his shower, and he couldn’t help but inwardly curse the man’s utter lack of restraint.

He first went to the bank to cash the ten-million-yuan check, depositing it into his own account; the sight of the long string of zeros added to his balance filled him with an immense sense of security.

Indeed, everything else was fleeting, a mere wisp of smoke, but money, he mused, was the only truly reliable constant.

He saw nothing amiss in accepting the ten million; the news of his broken engagement would inevitably make him the subject of gossip and ridicule for a considerable time, and the emotional damage incurred was immeasurable. What was wrong with him receiving a small compensation fee?

Not exposing the entire affair to a popular Weibo influencer, buying a trending topic, and letting netizens cyberbully that scoundrel Shao Xun for days on end, causing Shao’s corporation’s stock to plummet, was already a testament to his mercy.

At noon, his uncle, Xi Jin Nian, called, asking him to return home, likely to discuss the annulment of the engagement.

Si Xi drove back to his uncle’s house, a place he only visited occasionally since moving out for university.

Aunt Li, the housekeeper who had watched him grow up, greeted him with a beaming smile at the doorstep upon his arrival.

“Little Si is back.”

Aunt Li then lowered her voice, providing him with a whispered update: “Shao Xun and that Madam Shao, the one who looks down on everyone, have both arrived.”

“Is my brother here?” Si Xi inquired.

The ‘brother’ he referred to was Xi Hui, his uncle’s son, who was older than Si Xi because his father had married later in life.

“Young Master Xi Hui is away on a business trip these past few days.”

‘What a pity,’ Si Xi thought.

While his uncle’s treatment of him wasn’t exactly poor, it was always driven by self-interest. His cousin, however, was different; Si Xi knew Xi Hui would have undoubtedly given that idiot Shao Xun a good thrashing.

Si Xi entered the living room of the Xi family’s villa, where, as expected, he found his uncle and aunt seated opposite Madam Shao and Shao Xun.

What truly caught his eye, however, was Shao Xun’s face; it looked considerably better than usual.

Upon closer inspection, Si Xi realized with a mental ‘heck, that’s something,’ that Shao Xun was actually wearing foundation.

As he drew nearer, he couldn’t resist a few more glances, and then he noticed a subtle clue.

Shao Xun’s left cheek bore faint traces of several finger marks and seemed slightly more swollen than the right, as if… he had been slapped.

The video of Shao Xun from last night had been shared in the group chat for ‘wearing haute couture while eating watermelon,’ a group populated by a collection of scions who relished in stirring up trouble.

The video quickly went viral, spreading like wildfire, even making its way to Weibo, where numerous marketing accounts reposted it, propelling it directly to the trending topics.

Had the Shao family not leveraged their financial power to remove the trending topic and delete related entries, the entire nation would likely know today that Shao Xun had been ‘bedded by a muscular sissy.’

Si Xi had seen a rumor circulating in the group chat that the head of the Shao family, Shao Xun’s father, had erupted in a furious rage and delivered a harsh slap to Shao Xun.

‘It seems to be true, then.’

‘Haha, serves that deadbeat right.’

Si Xi, masking the schadenfreude in his eyes, greeted them politely: “Uncle, Aunt, Aunt Lin.”

“Little Si is back, come and sit,” his aunt called out to him.

Si Xi walked over and took a seat beside his uncle.

Noticing that Si Xi had greeted everyone but him, Shao Xun let out a dismissive scoff.

‘Don’t think I didn’t notice,’ Shao Xun thought. ‘The moment Si Xi walked in, his gaze was glued to me.’

‘He’s merely using these petty tricks to gain my attention.’

‘He knows Si Xi is madly in love with him, which is why he’s here today.’

‘Consider it a small compensation to him.’

After Si Xi sat down, Shao Xun’s gaze swept over him indifferently, only to freeze the moment it landed on Si Xi’s face.

He had always known Si Xi was handsome, even to the point of being envied for his good looks, with some secretly calling him a ‘pretty face with nothing inside’ behind his back.

Having seen it so many times, he had come to view it as nothing more than a superficial matter, mere skin deep.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he found Si Xi exceptionally beautiful today, his handsomeness imbued with a novel, vibrant splendor he hadn’t possessed before.

It was as if a blooming rose had been nourished by sweet dew, bringing a flush of color to his entire being.

This transformation seemed eerily familiar, reminiscent of what he had observed in his first boyfriend during university after they had ‘tasted forbidden fruit.’

‘But how could this be?’ Shao Xun pondered. ‘Si Xi has always been so proper, and after our engagement, his heart was solely set on me. How could he possibly have been with another man overnight?’

‘Impossible, absolutely impossible.’

Madam Shao, her expression one of aristocratic coolness, spoke blandly: “I am here today concerning the marriage of our two children.”

When Xi Jin Nian had called earlier, Si Xi had already informed him about Shao Xun’s proposal to annul the engagement.

As the primary beneficiary of this marriage alliance, Xi Jin Nian certainly had no desire for the engagement to be called off.

He forced a dry laugh. “Their wedding is imminent, and invitations have already been sent. Our two families also have ongoing collaborations. Canceling the engagement now would likely be quite inappropriate, wouldn’t it?”

“Indeed,” his aunt chimed in, echoing his sentiments. “Where would our Little Si’s reputation stand? Moreover, I refuse to believe you, Shao Xun, harbor no feelings for Little Si whatsoever. Could you truly bear for him to become the laughingstock of the entire Yanjing elite?”

Shao Xun’s tone was chillingly indifferent: “He and I are merely bound by a commercial marriage; there’s no affection to speak of.”

A mocking curve played on Si Xi’s lips. ‘Well said, ‘no affection to speak of’.’

‘It seems he should be grateful that Wang Yang returned before their wedding, preventing him from stepping into this grave.’

‘Otherwise, witnessing his husband’s infidelity within marriage would truly be repulsive and sickening.’

His aunt, choked with indignation by Shao Xun’s words, felt a surge of anger.

Xi Jin Nian gently patted her hand and turned his gaze to Madam Shao.

“So, are you here today to discuss the annulment of the engagement?”

“Indeed, calling off the engagement now would be inappropriate. My personal visit is to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution with you.”

Xi Jin Nian, who had initially believed the marriage alliance was doomed, felt a surge of renewed hope, his eyes brightening as if withered wood had blossomed anew.

“What kind of solution?”

“My Shao Xun has someone else in his heart; there’s nothing to be done about it. As the saying goes, ‘a forced melon isn’t sweet.’ However, to avoid impacting our two families’ cooperation and to save Si Xi’s reputation, my suggestion is this: the wedding proceeds as planned, but it will be a marriage of convenience, in name only. After three to five years, we can find a pretext for divorce, allowing both parties to move on without delay. What are your thoughts, President Xi?”

Xi Jin Nian’s eyes gleamed even brighter, and he couldn’t resist slapping his thigh.

“This is an excellent solution! Little Si is only twenty-one this year. Even if you stay together for three to five years, he’ll be no older than twenty-six, which won’t hinder his future prospects.”

His aunt nodded in agreement.

Madam Shao had long anticipated their unhesitating acceptance, for the Xi family was clearly marrying above their station in this alliance, terrified that the annulment would mean losing their chance to align with the prestigious Shao family.

She raised her chin slightly and stated, “Given the circumstances, then, this matter is settled. I will have my lawyer draft a prenuptial agreement.”

“Good, good,” Xi Jin Nian hastily added. “We should also have a prenuptial agreement for both parties’ assets; we wouldn’t want to take advantage of Shao Xun.”

His aunt also chimed in: “Yes, and preparations for the wedding should continue.”

The three parents quickly reached a consensus, when suddenly, a soft chuckle broke the silence.

They all turned to look, realizing it came from Si Xi, who had remained quiet until now.

“What are you laughing at?” Shao Xun frowned.

“I merely wish to ask,” Si Xi said, looking at Shao Xun, “if you proceed with this marriage of convenience with me, will your Wang Yang truly have no objections?”

Shao Xun, with an arrogant expression, replied, “You and I are simply going through the motions, a marriage in name only. Once I make that clear to him, he naturally won’t have any objections.”

“He must be remarkably magnanimous then.”

Si Xi feigned a sigh of admiration, then abruptly shifted his tone. “I, however, am different. I have a strong sense of purity. My man is only permitted to appear on my marriage certificate, and vice versa. Therefore…”

He swept his gaze across everyone present and uttered four emphatic words—

“I do not agree.”

In truth, Madam Shao’s proposed solution was indeed the optimal one given the current circumstances.

This approach would save face for all involved.

Si Xi, in particular, would avoid becoming a laughingstock, and even without genuine love, it wouldn’t hinder his meteoric rise after marriage, allowing him to become the ‘Madam Shao’ everyone envied.

After all, few families in Yanjing could boast a higher standing than the Shao family.

All those who had once looked down on him as a mere dependent young master or lady would now be forced to hold their noses and curry favor with him. How satisfying that would be!

No one had anticipated Si Xi’s refusal.

Madam Shao merely dismissed it as childish pique, offering a scornful smile.

“Some things are best thought through before speaking,” she cautioned. “Don’t act on a childish whim and show off; once this opportunity passes, it won’t come again.”

“That’s right, Little Si.”

His aunt also joined in, persuading him: “If the engagement is canceled, you will be the biggest victim. And from what you just said, it sounds like you still have feelings for Shao Xun, doesn’t it? Perhaps after you’re married and living together, affections will develop, and you won’t need to divorce at all. Isn’t that right?”

Shao Xun let out a humorless snort, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“No, cancel the wedding,” Si Xi declared, his voice firm. “Those are my words.”

‘Don’t think I don’t know what Madam Shao is plotting.’

Madam Shao had always believed he was unworthy of her son.

However, her husband’s stepson, from his previous marriage, was fiercely vying for power, leaving Shao Xun isolated and compelled to use a marriage alliance to bolster his standing.

Yet, apart from Si Xi, they couldn’t immediately find another family with a better background than the Xi family.

She had no choice but to begrudgingly agree to the marriage.

If she looked down on Si Xi, then she would scorn Wang Yang, who was even less suitable, all the more.

This was why she devised the scheme of a marriage of convenience: it would allow Shao Xun to reap the benefits of the alliance without her having to worry about her son actually marrying Wang Yang.

Within these three to five years, she would have ample time to break up Shao Xun and Wang Yang, and then find a more suitable daughter-in-law from a family of equal standing.

Then, she could legitimately cast aside Si Xi, once he had served his purpose. How perfect that would be!

‘Killing several birds with one stone.’

‘She wants all the benefits for herself? There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’

Si Xi was no pushover, no easily manipulated dough ball.

Before, as a marriage alliance, he had no choice, and Shao Xun, as an alliance partner, was acceptable.

Among the second-generation elites of Yanjing, he stood out, and Si Xi had been willing to tolerate such an arrogant Madam Shao.

Now, if she still intended to trap him and let that old woman torment him, there were only two words for it—

‘No way.’

Xi Jin Nian frowned: “Little Si, don’t be willful.”

“I am not being willful. I am very clear about my own choices.”

Si Xi stood up, surveyed everyone present, and stated: “As a member of the Song family, I am willing to enter into a marriage alliance, but that person cannot possibly be Shao Xun.”

With those words, Si Xi paid no further heed to anything they might say, and simply turned to leave.

Reaching the door, Si Xi was about to pull it open when he heard Shao Xun’s somewhat exasperated voice: “Si Xi, don’t you dare regret this!”

‘Oh, look at how confident he is.’

Si Xi couldn’t even be bothered to roll his eyes. He merely waved a hand dismissively and left the Xi family home without a backward glance.