Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 15 - Be Labeled as His Woman
Chapter 15: Be Labeled as His Woman
“It hurts—”
Just as Wen Shuchen’s handsome face inched closer, He Qingchi instinctively turned away with her long, dark hair slightly tousled. Her throat tightened, and a few syllables escaped, “My shoulder hurts.”
Wen Shuchen’s deep eyes changed slightly as he let go of the woman’s delicate shoulders.
The next moment—
Just as He Qingchi barely managed to catch her breath and was about to scream, the man’s hand smoothly moved to the back of her neck. Though his touch was gentle, it still rendered her unable to struggle.
Inside the private room, only the wall lamp gave off a dim light. Their breathing was clearly audible.
He Qingchi stared with wide, dark eyes and finally got a good look at the man’s face up close. Her fingernails subconsciously dug into her palm. “Wen Shuchen… Are you drunk and mistaking me for someone else tonight?”
Wen Shuchen lowered his gaze, looking at her angry expression, his eyes deep and unreadable.
He raised his long fingers and lightly touched her eyelashes.
That made He Qingchi’s heart skip a beat, and she instinctively closed her eyes.
His warm, alcohol-laced breath leaned in again.
This time, He Qingchi shoved him away. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks—perhaps startled by his apparent intent to kiss her, or perhaps because the strange emotions rising in her chest were becoming too much. Pressed against the wall, she straightened up, wanting to flee but finding no escape.
Wen Shuchen calmed slightly and moved a chair, placing it directly in front of the door before sitting down grandly.
With this immovable Buddha blocking the way, even if He Qingchi could vanish into thin air, she wouldn’t escape his grasp.
“Let me catch my breath first.”
The man’s low, hoarse voice sounded.
He Qingchi looked at him, increasingly convinced he was drunk.
Wen Shuchen sat motionless like a statue. His expression was unreadable, as if deeply lost in thought, grappling with some unsolvable problem. He wanted to gradually deepen his relationship with He Qingchi, not startle her like this.
But things didn’t go as planned. From the moment he heard her voice, all his repressed emotions burst forth like a flood.
The door to the private room shut out everything outside.
In the suffocating silence, He Qingchi's racing heartbeat slowly calmed.
After five or six minutes, her feet ached from standing in heels. She stared at Wen Shuchen, still sitting relaxed in the chair, saying nothing.
Just when she couldn’t bear it anymore…
Wen Shuchen lifted his head, his deep gaze landing on her. The intensity seemed enough to burn.
He Qingchi instinctively wanted to step back, but her back was already pressed against the wall. She felt his gaze scan her entire body inch by inch, finally stopping at her empty wrist.
Without the red beaded bracelet, her skin looked pale and clean.
After a second of silence, He Qingchi’s temper instantly vanished.
No matter how many reasons she had, none could excuse the fact that she lost his bracelet.
“I came tonight…” He Qingchi finally spoke first, breaking the suffocating atmosphere.
She wanted to explain she’d come to ask Shu Tongyi about the missing bracelet, but under Wen Shuchen’s deep, intense gaze, the words caught in her throat.
If there had been any ambiguity about their relationship before, Wen Shuchen’s actions tonight made his intentions too obvious.
Even if she wanted to play dumb, the tension between them was undeniable.
He Qingchi didn’t continue.
Wen Shuchen spoke for her: “You didn’t want to be linked to me in the crew, so you pretended not to know me. You didn’t reply to my messages, didn’t show up to the dinner.”
He Qingchi’s expression tightened. That statement made it sound like she was the one who wronged him, like she was the heartless one.
There’s no reasoning with drunk men—especially not with this one.
She knew that much. She figured Wen Shuchen was entirely different from his usual calm self tonight, likely under the influence of alcohol. And this wasn’t the right time to talk things through.
She pushed down the chaotic emotions in her chest, trying to keep her voice steady: “If someone sees us alone in this private room, it’ll be weird. Can you move the chair?”
She spoke as if coaxing a child mid-tantrum—gentle, patient, rare for her.
Wen Shuchen’s thin lips pressed into a line. His gaze never left her.
He Qingchi asked again, “How much were you forced to drink at dinner tonight?”
The room was quiet for a moment. Wen Shuchen didn’t answer.
He Qingchi couldn’t help but frown. This man was truly hard to deal with.
Was he seriously planning to lock her in here all night just because she didn’t let him kiss her?
Wen Shuchen finally stood up, his pale slender hand still resting on the chair. He seemed to realize this wasn’t the right place to talk either. His voice dropped low and hoarse, making a compromise: “Let’s talk somewhere else?”
He Qingchi didn’t answer right away. She asked, “Where?”
Wen Shuchen’s handsome brows furrowed, clearly annoyed by his own alcohol smell: “I need to sober up.”
Otherwise… he might do something even more outrageous.
At 10 PM, they left the club.
Under the cover of night and streetlamps, their shadows stretched long on the road—entwined into one.
He Qingchi had originally thought that “sobering up” meant going out to buy some medicine, so she followed along without thinking much. Who would’ve expected that Wen Shuchen would calmly take a clean, neatly folded suit from the trunk of his car and say he wanted to change at a hotel?
He was the type with a severe cleanliness obsession and perfectionist tendencies—he couldn’t tolerate even the faintest smell of alcohol on himself.
If she followed him to a hotel and they checked in separately, and someone with ill intent leaked that information, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash her clean. What’s more, the nearby high-end hotels were full of big-name actors from the production team who were on lockdown for filming. There was a high chance that reporters were lurking nearby. As for cheaper places, someone of Wen Shuchen’s status likely wouldn’t even consider them.
After weighing all the risks, He Qingchi decided to take him back to her own hotel, where she was already staying.
As the female lead of the show, she had been given fairly good accommodations.
Her hotel suite was a standard luxury type, with a living room, walk-in closet, and a kitchenette—basically a well-decorated, compact apartment.
As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, there were still various lipstick and makeup items scattered messily across the carpet.
She had rushed out earlier and hadn’t cleaned up after rummaging through her things. Flustered, she shoved everything back into her bag, then turned to look at the man still standing by the door with his tall, lean figure.
Wen Shuchen held his spare suit gracefully in one hand and stood politely in the hallway, sparing her from further embarrassment.
“Come in quickly—don’t let anyone see you.”
He Qingchi had no time to care about the awkwardness from earlier in the day and hurriedly ushered him into the master bedroom. “The towels are fresh from the hotel, changed daily. Just shower and come out when you're done.”
Wen Shuchen said nothing and let her take the lead.
Once the bedroom door closed, the man’s overwhelming presence faded. He Qingchi stood still for a few minutes as her rationality returned. She pressed her fingers to her forehead, reminding herself to clear things up once he changed and sobered up.
If that red string bracelet had really been taken by Shu Tongyi, then returning it to Wen Shuchen could be seen as simply restoring it to its rightful owner.
He Qingchi went to the kitchen to boil a cup of water and set it on the coffee table to cool.
In the bathroom, faint mist clung to the mirror.
Wen Shuchen removed the alcohol-scented suit. Dressed in a white shirt and black dress pants, his tall frame looked clean and elegant under the bathroom lights. He slowly buttoned up each button, all the way to the collar, covering even his slender neck.
Lower in the mirror’s reflection, the rolled-up sleeves of the shirt revealed faint tattoo markings on his firm forearm.
But soon even the cuffs were neatly buttoned, concealing everything.
Wen Shuchen folded the suit he’d removed and placed it to the side. His eyes swept across the room and landed on a black lace slip dress draped carelessly over the edge of the bathtub, the hem already trailing on the floor.
He paused, then calmly picked it up and folded it neatly, placing it next to the suit.
Two or three minutes later, the tightly closed bedroom door opened.
He Qingchi immediately looked up and turned her head.
Seeing that Wen Shuchen was now fully dressed, with no suggestive open buttons or signs of flirtation, her inner tension eased a little. She asked, “Are you sober now?”
“Mm.” Wen Shuchen’s expression was clear and composed—nothing like someone who had been drunk earlier.
He walked into the living room, saw the cup of water on the table, and naturally reached for it.
He Qingchi felt this was the perfect moment to talk, just as she was preparing to speak—unexpectedly, she heard his deep, calm voice:
“Have your parents ever arranged an engagement for you?”
He Qingchi looked at him in surprise, meeting those dark, clear eyes.
“Are you sure you’re sober?”
Wen Shuchen calmly drank half the cup of water, set it on a nearby cabinet, and pressed his lips together without answering.
He said nothing, and He Qingchi couldn’t ask further.
Her fingers silently clenched in her palm. She knew Wen Shuchen was waiting for her to answer his question first—only then would he speak. Her lashes fluttered slightly with tension. After two seconds, she finally said, “What if I said I was engaged?”
“To whom?”
Wen Shuchen immediately followed up, his tone blunt, not even trying to hide anything. “I’ll visit them in person and break it off for you.”
Even if she were slow on the uptake, He Qingchi now saw his intentions clearly.
If she were engaged to someone else, what right did he have to interfere?
Wasn’t this him taking the liberty to assume the role of her future boyfriend—or something even more intimate?
Wen Shuchen’s deep gaze never wavered. After a brief pause, he continued in his usual calm and steady tone: “If you’re not engaged, then I’ll help you get engaged.”
All of He Qingchi’s emotions were completely stirred up by these few short sentences. Sitting on the sofa, she grew increasingly uncomfortable and couldn’t help but snap back: “Wen Shuchen, what engagement are you helping me arrange? You’re clearly not sober. What’s your assistant’s number? I’ll call them to pick you up…”
How long had they even known each other? And now he was subtly implying a proposal?
He Qingchi felt things were moving way too fast.
In fact, she and he weren’t even in that kind of relationship.
She got up, intending to grab her phone, but before she could lift a foot, his low and even voice gently called out: “Qingchi.” Then came the next words: “If you take even half a step from that sofa—if you move even an inch closer to me—Qingchi, I don’t know what might happen.”
Just those few words froze He Qingchi right where she sat.
Her mind couldn’t help but flash back to the moment in the dark private room at the club—how he had forcefully closed in on her, attempting to claim her lips.
Wen Shuchen was not joking at the wrong time.
There was a deep seriousness between his brows, and his long hands slowly slipped into his pockets as he looked down at her sitting on the sofa. Her repeated blinking and fluttering lashes betrayed her nervousness.
At that moment, He Qingchi’s heart was pounding wildly, and everything she’d wanted to say tonight completely vanished from her mind.
She kept recalling the moments of contact they’d had before—one after another. Even if there had been some unspoken ambiguity between them, it shouldn’t have progressed to the point where Wen Shuchen was talking about marriage…
What she feared most was that everything he said and did tonight was just a product of the alcohol.
She pressed her lips together, paused, then honestly voiced her thoughts: “Wen Shuchen, if you’re trying to propose… I refuse.”
She could refuse, right?
This wasn’t some feudal era—no one could force someone into marriage anymore.
Wen Shuchen’s deep, unreadable gaze dimmed slightly as he replied in a low voice, “To be honest, I don’t want to rush it either.”
He Qingchi looked at him, her dark eyes full of confusion.
—So… now he was taking it back?
“The way you treat me… it’s like you could turn your back on me at any moment,” Wen Shuchen said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The smile softened his words, making his pursuit seem less aggressive—less like a forced marriage.
He had seriously considered his friends’ advice earlier that evening—whether or not to claim He Qingchi as his woman, at least in name.
But clearly, even this bit of probing had made her uncomfortable.
Wen Shuchen continued slowly, “So, Qingchi… I want to change our relationship.”
He Qingchi didn’t say a single word throughout, listening to him in a dazed but strangely calm state.
If she interpreted it correctly, he was implying she had used him and now wanted nothing to do with him—burning the bridge after crossing it?
At that moment, she felt at a loss for words.
Yet she stubbornly refused to admit that she’d ignored him during the day because she’d seen him standing with Shu Tongyi and gotten upset.
Faced with Wen Shuchen’s open confession, He Qingchi gave a strained smile and tried to explain, “Today at the set, the moment you and Shu Tongyi were seen together, rumors spread like wildfire. You might not know, but there’s a lot of gossip in this industry.”
“So that’s why you pretended not to know me?” Wen Shuchen asked.
He Qingchi neither nodded nor shook her head—either way would feel wrong.
“Avoiding suspicion keeps the gossip down,” she said. “Besides, I didn’t want Director Guo to find out that the scenes added last-minute to the movie were because I asked you for help.”
It sounded like a very reasonable explanation.
Wen Shuchen accepted it, his tone softening: “Even if Director Guo knew, with me around, he wouldn’t dare hold it against you.”
He Qingchi just smiled and said nothing.
If Wen Shuchen ever changed his mind and withdrew his support, and Director Guo found out the truth, she’d be facing his cold treatment on set every day.
Wen Shuchen brought the conversation back around: “So you ignored me during the day because of that—but why didn’t you come to the dinner party tonight?”
He didn’t mention the text message that had been like a stone sinking into the ocean, giving her a bit of room to explain herself.
Honestly, no matter what she said, he would believe her.
He Qingchi gave another excuse. “Those kinds of dinners are chaotic and noisy. I don’t like them.”
Wen Shuchen’s expression relaxed, the usual warmth returning to his demeanor, gradually fading the tense mood from earlier that night.
“Mm. I didn’t think it through.”
He Qingchi had just said it casually, not expecting him to actually buy it.
Now she didn’t even know what to say.
Wen Shuchen could be hard to deal with—but when he was in a good mood, he was clingy and indulgent.
When he was agreeable, you were the girl, and everything you said was right.
……
The rest of the time, their interaction in the living room returned to normal. They weren’t close enough to talk about each other’s personal circles, so they mostly just shared how things had been going in their lives recently.
When Wen Shuchen talked to her, his smile would reach his eyes—that look made He Qingchi slightly nervous. She went to pour herself a glass of water, then returned to the sofa and asked casually, “Shu Tongyi… is she a friend of yours?”
If one listened carefully, her tone held some hesitation.
She wasn’t sure if the question was appropriate.
Wen Shuchen’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t shy away from her gaze. “You could say that.”
As a woman, He Qingchi could tell that Shu Tongyi’s attitude toward Wen Shuchen was different. A woman that cold and aloof—no matter how stunning—would still show a touch of cautious gentleness in front of someone she liked.
Since she had already asked, there was no point holding back now. “And you and her…?”
“Hm?”
He Qingchi curled up on the sofa, holding her cup. A thin blanket was draped over her knees, her long, black, silk-like hair flowing over her shoulders. Her face held a slightly complicated expression—so beautiful she looked like a porcelain doll.
She thought for a moment, then gave him a soft smile. “She wanted to play the female lead in this film, but you gave the role to me. Aren’t you afraid of being caught in the middle?”
Previously, Shu Tongyi had contacted the director and slashed her asking price to get in, clearly without informing Wen Shuchen.
And last time, he had directly taken the role away from Shu Tongyi and given it to her. He Qingchi had always been curious—how exactly did he handle that situation?
She knew it was impolite to speculate about other people’s private relationships, so she added, “Since she’s your friend, after all.”
“The female lead in this film was yours from the beginning.”
The unspoken implication: there was no need to explain or justify anything.
He Qingchi lowered her gaze and took a sip of tea.
Wen Shuchen thought for a moment, then fixed his eyes on the delicate lines of her profile. His voice was low and gentle: “Did you lose your bracelet today?”
He Qingchi’s head snapped up, surprise flashing in her eyes.
Wen Shuchen pulled her red string bracelet from his pocket—the same one she had before, with the deep red Buddhist bead still dangling from it.
“Shu Tongyi’s assistant found it in the makeup room. Don’t lose it again.” His expression softened, not the slightest trace of blame for her carelessness. After a pause, his tone turned gently commanding, almost coaxing: “Give me your hand.”
Without thinking, He Qingchi obediently lifted her slender hand. Her lips moved slightly: “Is that what Shu Tongyi told you?”
Wen Shuchen glanced up at her, but didn’t stop moving. He slipped the red bracelet back onto her pale wrist. He Qingchi’s mood was hard to describe—it felt like things had gone full circle, only to return to that bracelet.
“Next time, don’t let someone else pick it up again,” he murmured, the pad of his finger brushing lightly around her wrist, leaving a faint warmth behind.
Without any solid evidence, He Qingchi’s nature made her unwilling to tattle on anyone behind their back.
After a brief daze, she withdrew her wrist—still warm from his touch—and calmly said, “Got it.”
Wen Shuchen’s faint smile couldn’t hide his good mood tonight. Even though it was already late, he made no move to leave He Qingchi’s hotel room. Even if they had nothing left to say, he seemed perfectly content just sitting there, watching her.
It made He Qingchi begin to wonder—was he being a little too abnormal tonight?
After all, Wen Shuchen’s behavior tonight had completely overturned her previous image of him as a well-mannered gentleman.
“You… shouldn’t you be going?” she began to hint that it was time to leave.
If she didn’t, she had a feeling this man might just stay the night.
Wen Shuchen glanced at his watch—11:30 PM. It really would be inappropriate to stay any longer.
He picked up his suit jacket and draped it over his arm, preparing to leave.
He Qingchi stood up to see him out. Just as they reached the entrance but before the door was opened, she looked up—and at the same moment, the handsome man beside her also lowered his head. Their gazes met, only inches apart.
Under the warm lights, Wen Shuchen’s deep gaze lingered on her face for a moment, his voice soft: “Every word I said tonight was true.”
He Qingchi could hear his breathing clearly, while hers seemed to stop entirely.
She didn’t know how to respond to that. It felt like his sudden confession had upended everything tonight.
Her eyelashes fluttered nervously as she cleared her throat and said, “I need to think about it.”
“Okay.” Wen Shuchen didn’t push her for an answer.
He gave her all the time she needed, his gentle smile filled with natural patience: “When you’ve thought it through, just let me know.”
He Qingchi said nothing more, but her cheeks grew noticeably hot.
Wen Shuchen didn’t press further. Just then, a knock at the door interrupted their moment.
A familiar voice from the hallway—it was Xiaozhu, an actress from the crew: “Miss Leading Lady, are you asleep yet?”
He Qingchi instinctively checked to make sure the door was locked, her heart racing at the thought of someone barging in. She glanced at Wen Shuchen, then asked awkwardly through the door, “What’s up?”
“I brought you a little late-night snack. Want some?”
He Qingchi knew Xiao Zhu’s gossipy nature too well. The snack was just an excuse—she was likely fishing for gossip about tonight’s dinner party. If she opened the door and let her in now, Wen Shuchen might have to hide in the bedroom the whole night.
So she pretended she’d already gone to bed. “I don’t usually eat late-night snacks, but thank you.”
Xiao Zhu chatted a little more, then left with the snack.
Only after the footsteps in the hallway faded did He Qingchi exhale and glance at the man beside her. “Sounds like the crew’s back from the dinner party. You’ll need to wait a bit longer to leave—otherwise, someone might see you.”
Wen Shuchen’s eyes sparkled with amusement. He leaned in slightly and said near her ear, “Miss Leading Lady?”
He Qingchi blinked and coughed awkwardly, flustered: “It’s just what the crew calls me.”
Wen Shuchen seemed to find the nickname amusing, repeating it softly over his lips.
“If you keep that up, I’m going to call you…” He Qingchi’s temper flared a bit at his teasing smile.
“Hm?” Wen Shuchen listened intently, waiting.
He Qingchi had picked it up from the crew’s gossip too—she said it without missing a beat: “Investor Daddy.”
Wen Shuchen’s expression remained serious as he corrected her choice of words: “I’m not your daddy.”
Then, his long hand opened the door. As he stepped out, he tossed a casual but pointed line over his shoulder without looking at her: “I’m going to be your husband.”
……
“I’m going to be your husband.”
These words echoed down the quiet hallway—loud and clear. Standing not far away, Shu Tongyi had heard every word, even more clearly than He Qingchi had.
There was no expression on her beautiful face as she watched Wen Shuchen walk out slowly from the adjacent suite. He wore a clean white shirt and black pants, his appearance neat and composed—a fresh change of clothes.
No longer the suit he’d worn to the dinner party.
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