Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 1 - The Man's Slender, Well-defined Fingers Held a Business Card, On Which was Engraved: Wen Shuchen

May 25, 2025 Oyen 0 Comments

Happy Reading~

Chapter 1: The Man's Slender, Well-defined Fingers Held a Business Card, On Which was Engraved: Wen Shuchen

 

#According to frontline media reports, He Qingchi, known as the number one cheongsam beauty in the entertainment industry, refused to act on set and acted like a diva, resulting in a lawsuit from the production team demanding tens of millions in breach-of-contract damages!#

 

He Qingchi sat expressionless on the living room sofa, staring at today’s entertainment headlines. Under the dazzling light, her lips were tightly pressed, her profile bathed in a cold white glow—like a soulless porcelain doll.

 

Until ten minutes later—

 

‘Ring—’ The phone rang urgently.

 

Her curled lashes blinked, finally breaking the doll-like stillness.

 

The confusion and coldness in her dark pupils gradually faded. She slowly looked at the phone screen that had lit up.

 

“Who is this? This is He Qingchi.”

 

She answered the call, picked up the now-cold glass of water beside her, took a sip, and cleared her throat.

 

“You’ve lost your mind, He Qingchi?!” came the roar of her manager, Li Ling, on the other end. Furious, her shouting lasted a full minute: “You’re just an18th tier actress in the entertainment industry, and you dare to publicly refuse to act in Director Guo’s film?!”

 

He Qingchi tilted her head and held the phone farther away: “Don’t be so loud. My ears are going deaf…”

 

Li Ling paused, then tried to calm down and reason with her: “The rumors online aren’t fake—if you breach the contract unilaterally, you’ll be paying tens of millions in penalties. Think this through before deciding!”

 

“I’ve thought it through. I won’t act, even if I have to pay the penalty.”

 

—It’s basically a porn film disguised as a Republican-era movie, and she’s supposed to act in it? What, is she brain-dead?

 

Li Ling’s voice turned cold: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You haven’t even officially debuted, and now you’re wrapped up in a scandal like this? Forget about surviving in the entertainment industry. The higher-ups have already decided to blacklist you. Come to the company tomorrow to terminate your contract!”

 

Before she could say more, the call ended with a busy tone.

　　-

He Qingchi tossed the phone aside and collapsed back into the sofa, her whole body sinking into the cushions. She raised a pale wrist to cover her eyes, and after a moment, her thoughts began to drift…

 

To be honest, her entry into showbiz had been an accident. Six months ago, she went viral online after a photoshoot in cheongsams, gaining millions of fans. That caught the attention of a talent agency, which signed her on the spot. Soon after, a famous director in the industry invited her to star in a big-budget Republican-era romance tragedy film, <Red Rouge>.

 

She had agreed to the role initially because she could easily pull it off.

 

He Qingchi was born with classic beauty—slim and delicate, a perfect clothes hanger. Draped in a vintage cheongsam of dark green silk, her snow-pale skin appeared even more striking. She looked untouched by the mundane world, effortlessly capturing the essence of a Republican-era woman.

 

To outsiders, this role seemed tailor-made for her.

 

But no one expected that right before filming started, the director would suddenly add a large amount of erotic scenes to the script—and even require full nudity.

 

That was the reason He Qingchi chose to break the contract. However, once the news leaked, gossip accounts online twisted the narrative, making it seem like she threw a tantrum on set. The production team got off clean, and she was painted as a diva.

 

Sigh.

 

These days, fans of drama series are quick to anger. She was labeled the ‘culprit’ and trended on Weibo all day, getting flamed relentlessly…

 

Tens of millions in penalty!

 

Thinking of her current bank balance, He Qingchi felt she could hardly breathe.

 

She’d kept her cool on the call with her agent, but now the harsh reality hit: Where the hell was she going to find that kind of money?!

 

Even if she were sold by the pound, she wouldn’t come close.

 

The room was dead silent—only the faint rustling of her clothes could be heard as she shifted on the sofa.

 

Suddenly—

 

Ding— Her phone chimed.

 

He Qingchi perked up her ears, raised her head to locate the phone. When she saw the screen, her dark eyes lit up slightly, and she stiffly sat up.

 

It was a new unread WeChat message from someone named Qin Chuan.

 

[Miss, what have you been up to lately? I’m hosting at Penglai Palace tonight. Four of the top ten heirs from Jiangcheng’s elite families will be there. It’s basically a live-action gallery of high-end male models. Don’t even think about saying no.]

 

He Qingchi: “…” (said nothing)

 

Another message quickly followed: [Come on, pretty please~ Show me some love.]

 

She typed back casually: “How much dirty money did you get from my scumbag dad?”

 

No need to beat around the bush—she called him out directly.

 

Qin Chuan’s chat box showed “typing…”

 

He had just typed out: [Shit, how did she know I spilled the beans] But quickly deleted it.

 

The next second, he replied with a smiling emoji: [I’m just a kid! No idea what you’re talking about!]

 

He Qingchi rolled her eyes. News about her falling out with her family over refusing an arranged marriage had probably already spread like wildfire. The He family, with its strict upbringing, usually raised proper, obedient heiresses who followed the elders’ orders.

 

Yet they ended up with her—completely unruly. Her old man had been so pissed, he froze her credit cards!

 

He was in his fifties, yet still so petty?

 

But He Qingchi had her pride, too. You won’t let me spend your money? Fine, I’ll earn my own.

 

For the past six months, she hadn’t asked her family for a single cent. Her father must’ve realized freezing her assets wasn’t working, so now he bribed Qin Chuan to lure her out.

 

He Qingchi’s long lashes dropped slightly as she fell into silent thought.

 

She stared at Qin Chuan’s WeChat avatar and slowly curled her lips.

 

It was as if she could see the words “Here to deliver money” flashing on his forehead.

 

Without hesitation, He Qingchi typed her reply: [Fine. I’ll give you face… Send me the address of the club.]

 

Qin Chuan: [You—you—you’ve finally come around?!]

 

Looking for a man now!?

 

He Qingchi responded curtly, just one line:

 

[If you’re really my brother, split the bribe my dad gave you. I’ll come collect my share.]

 

Don’t think she didn’t know—this guy definitely took money from her father just to trick her into this matchmaking charade at Penglai Palace.

 

*

Night fell. The city lights sparkled. All of Jiangcheng was bathed in a glorious blaze of lights.

 

He Qingchi slowly drove her car onto the road. The address for the Penglai Palace club wasn’t far, but it was rush hour, and traffic was heavily congested. Still, she wasn’t in a hurry. Her gaze remained fixed on the flickering neon lights ahead.

 

To be honest, He Qingchi was never fond of these elite clubs swarming with socialites. Most of the time, she’d rather hide out at home than mingle with crowds, exchanging pleasantries and prying into each other’s private lives.

 

Halfway there, her phone suddenly vibrated.

 

She glanced at the road, then at the phone flashing in the storage compartment, and reached out to grab it.

 

Sliding the screen open with little patience, she spoke: “Almost there.”

 

Before she could finish her sentence—

 

A beam of blinding light suddenly shot straight at her from the front, aimed right at the driver’s seat. He Qingchi winced and shut her eyes, gripping the steering wheel and instinctively swerving.

 

But it was too late.

 

In the next moment—

 

A piercing screech of brakes nearly shattered her eardrums.

 

Her body jolted as the car swerved violently, getting too close to a black private vehicle just ahead at an angle.

 

Then—BANG—a loud crash.

 

They collided. Disaster.

 

He Qingchi’s eyes widened in shock and took several minutes to process what had just happened.

 

The sudden accident instantly turned the road into a parking lot. Nearby traffic police rushed over after hearing the commotion, while vehicles behind began honking impatiently.

 

贺青池赶紧下车，走到前方，看到对方的司机正严肃着脸色跟交警说话。

She quickly got out of the car and walked to the front, seeing the other driver speaking seriously with a traffic officer.

 

Damn it.

 

She swore she’d visit a temple soon and draw a fortune stick to see if she’d offended the God of Wealth lately.

 

Clenching her now-chilled fingers, she turned to glance at the black car she’d crashed into. 

 

From a short distance, through the shattered window, she saw a man in a sharply tailored suit sitting in the back seat. He was still on a call. The interior lighting was dim, but his profile was pale and clearly defined.

 

Before she could think of what to say, he looked up and met her eyes.

 

His deep gaze lingered on her for two seconds before shifting away.

 

That’s when she noticed—on his neat sleeve, a few drops of blood were trailing silently down the back of his hand.

 

Was he... cut by the glass?

 

A wave of anxiety gripped her. Just then, the man ended his call and turned his head to look at her.

 

After a moment, he spoke in a calm, unhurried voice, “Something wrong?”

 

His voice was low and smooth, like a gentle breeze at night—only two words, but pleasing to the ear.

 

They hit He Qingchi like a hammer to the chest. She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to address the stranger.

 

“Sir... I’m so sorry, this was entirely my fault. Would it be okay if we handled this privately? Could I get your contact info? I’ll take full responsibility and cover all your damages.”

 

As soon as she mentioned compensation, her emotions grew complicated.

 

If the police took her away on the spot, who knew what kind of stories would spread online.

 

What’s the point of being pretty if it just means making a fool of yourself?

 

He Qingchi wanted to explode on the spot, but forced an awkward smile instead.

 

She wasn’t sure if the man would agree. He didn’t say anything.

 

She stood frozen, waiting, wondering if she’d come off as insincere—or maybe the man, who looked like someone important, already knew she was buried under millions in debt and feared she might run off?

 

Suppressing her tangle of emotions, she turned back to her car, grabbed her bag, and returned to the black car’s rear window.

 

She showed him her ID card to prove her sincerity. “Here’s my ID. Sir, please don’t worry. I won’t dodge responsibility.”

 

Then she took out her phone and held it out to him. “Let’s exchange contact info, and I’ll—”

 

The screen lit up under her pale fingers, but before she could finish her sentence, her phone’s lock screen—featuring a male model—appeared.

 

The man was wearing tight pants, his hair dripping wet, smiling at the camera with eight-pack abs on full display—

 

One second. Two seconds. He Qingchi felt dizzy.

 

For a moment, she questioned reality: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

 

Just as she scrambled to find a way to casually defuse the awkwardness, the man inside glanced at her again, eyes landing on her face with an unreadable expression.

 

“……”

 

He Qingchi knew her beautiful face had just cost her another layer of dignity.

 

Still, she pretended nothing happened—everyone appreciates beauty, right?

 

So there was no need to be embarrassed. Yeah… totally fine!

 

“Put your phone away.” 

 

His voice was low and calm. His second sentence of the night.

 

Then, a slender, defined hand extended a business card toward her.

 

On the dark gray card, three words were printed clearly before her eyes—

 

Wen Shuchen.

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