Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 27 - Is he tricking me into marriage?

July 30, 2025 Oyen 0 Comments

Happy Reading~

Chapter 27: Is he tricking me into marriage?

 

He didn't expect that the one who would object to this marriage… would be her own father—the same man who had always been desperate to marry off his daughter.

 

On her phone, she showed the WeChat conversation with Qin Chuan to Wen Shuchen, her eyes filled with hesitation: “My dad said... he'd rather see me fall for a woman than agree to this marriage—specifically, marrying you.”

 

It wasn’t that he disapproved of her marrying into the Wen family—

 

He had named someone directly: Wen Shuchen.

 

He Qingchi looked into the man’s unreadable, deep eyes, unable to figure out what he was thinking. Pressing her lips together, she asked, “Did something unpleasant happen between you and my father?”

 

Wen Shuchen took his eyes off the screen, his expression calm and composed as usual. He offered what seemed like a reasonable explanation: “I have nothing but respect for your father. Perhaps I got ahead of myself by marrying you here in Jiangcheng before seeking his approval. It may have come across as insincere, and that’s why he’s upset.”

 

Is that really the case?

 

He Qingchi looked doubtful: “My dad has never cared about that sort of formality.”

 

Afraid she didn’t sound convincing enough, she added, “He’s always admired how Qu Bixin eloped with her sweetheart when she was young. He even used to complain that I wasn’t bold enough.”

 

Now she had finally done something bold—gotten married without informing the family—

 

And yet the old man was suddenly playing the role of the disapproving father-in-law?

 

She couldn’t make sense of either man—her father or Wen Shuchen. Her mind was a mess as she muttered to herself: “We haven’t gotten the marriage certificate yet. If we’ve only signed the agreement… is it still possible to back out?”

 

Wen Shuchen’s calm voice cut through her spiraling thoughts: “No.”

 

He Qingchi looked up, stunned.

 

“Qingchi. Mrs. Wen.” He called her by both her name and her new title—repeating it deliberately.

 

His eyes were locked on hers, sharp and steady, as if to make sure she understood the gravity of the situation: “You accepted the inheritance from my grandfather last night. That share agreement has already taken legal effect.”

 

“......”

 

Silence fell like a stone. Neither of them spoke for a while.

 

She noticed that all traces of Wen Shuchen’s usual gentleness had vanished. The realization hit her—maybe backing out now really wasn’t an option. Her palms grew damp with sweat. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and tugged gently at the hem of his shirt, trying to ease the tension: “Don’t be so fierce.”

 

The coldness in Wen Shuchen’s eyes faded instantly. He took her hand in his and replied in a much softer tone: “I’m not being fierce. I’ll talk to your father myself, okay?”

 

She nodded and didn’t bring up canceling the marriage again.

 

They went downstairs and had breakfast quietly.

 

He Qingchi could tell he wasn’t in a good mood, which made her even more subdued. Occasionally, when Secretary Song shot her a look, she pretended not to see.

 

As promised, Wen Shuchen drove her to the film set on time.

 

This time, he didn’t get out of the car either, staying hidden in the shadows of the back seat. He Qingchi said softly: “I’ll call you after filming.”

 

She wasn’t in a great mood either—her face was expressionless.

 

Just as she was about to get out, Wen Shuchen suddenly pulled her into an embrace, slinging an arm around her shoulder without warning. Both He Qingchi and Secretary Song, sitting in the front, froze in surprise.

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

Wen Shuchen said in a calm, commanding voice.

 

Startled, Song Chao immediately shut his eyes tight.

 

He Qingchi thought the words were directed at her. The slight annoyance in his tone made her feel like he was scolding her again, so she instinctively lowered her lashes and closed her eyes.

 

Her chest felt tight—the emotions she’d been holding in all morning pressed harder.

 

Wen Shuchen leaned in, his warmth engulfing her. His lips gently brushed the side of her neck—just for two seconds—then moved up to her ear. His voice was a soft murmur, “Don’t be upset. Let me make it up to you tonight, okay?”

 

She opened her eyes instantly—meeting the deep, smiling gaze in his.

 

His fingers slid from her shoulder to the curve of her neck, his touch light and lingering where he’d just kissed her. Her skin was so soft and smooth it was addictive.

 

She stayed silent. The longer she did, the bolder his movements became.

 

Eventually, she smiled slightly, her lips curving: “We’ll see if I have time.”

 

Truth was, she was already comforted—but she had to act a little coy.

 

She left the car and disappeared into the set, out of sight.

 

The driver silently started the engine.

 

With He Qingchi gone, the atmosphere in the car turned heavy and oppressive. After a long pause, Song Chao finally asked, “President Wen, shall we head to the old estate or to Dr. Meng’s clinic? He mentioned you’re out of medication and wanted to do a follow-up in person.”

 

Wen Shuchen calmly removed his tie and wrapped it loosely around his hand. Though he looked composed, the meticulous perfection of his outfit had begun to unravel.

 

After a while, he spoke in an even tone: “Head to the airport.”

 

“The airport?”

 

Song Chao, having worked with him for years, immediately caught on: “You’re going to negotiate with the He family about the marriage?”

 

Wen Shuchen looked up. His response was brief: “To Yancheng. There’s an elder aunt in the Wen family—respected and well-connected. She’s close with the He family’s matriarch. She can speak on our behalf.”

 

Song Chao nodded and immediately picked up his phone to make arrangements.

 

At that moment, He Qingchi—already on set in Hengdian—had no idea Wen Shuchen was headed to Yancheng for her sake.

 

She had kept her marriage a complete secret from everyone on set—not a word leaked, not even to the famous Movie Queen Shu.

 

By the time they finally got a break around noon, He Qingchi had just gone to the dressing room to remove her makeup when Qu Bixin showed up under the pretense of a surprise visit.

 

Having been out of Jiangcheng’s high society for four years, no one on set recognized this new face. Normally, the tightly controlled shooting environment wouldn’t have let her in.

 

In the end, He Qingchi had to answer the phone and come down personally, still dressed in a cheongsam costume, to bring her in.

 

As soon as they entered the dressing room, Qu Bixin’s sweet, smiling face changed in a flash. She tossed the half-heartedly bought bubble tea onto the table, scowling with her big eyes full of attitude: “Are your set’s security guards blind? Does this queen look like some crazed fangirl?”

 

He Qingchi lazily kicked a chair toward her: “You show up at a film set for no reason and expect people not to think you're chasing stars?”

 

“You heartless woman! I’m here to visit you. Do you have no sense of sisterhood?”

 

Qu Bixin plopped down in the chair with a dramatic flair, crossing one leg over the other to show off the fishnet stockings under her skirt. Looking every bit the spoiled villainess, she was a far cry from her usual sweet-next-door act.

 

Since no one else was around, she acted however she liked—fishnets and all. Raising a perfectly arched brow, she said: “I heard your dad’s against you marrying the number-one bachelor in Jiangcheng?”

 

No need to guess who leaked it—He Qingchi already knew it was that loudmouth Qin Chuan.

 

She sipped the blueberry milk tea and answered slowly: “Why are you so desperate for gossip? My dad’s not against me marrying Shen Fu.”

 

“Try marrying Shen Fu and see what happens,” Qu Bixin snapped, her delicate face instantly dark with murderous intent. Her slender white fingers clawed at He Qingchi like a ghost: “Try stealing my man? You wanna lose that pretty little face?”

 

Forget stealing—she couldn’t even joke about it.

 

He Qingchi calmly popped a boba into her mouth, completely unfazed: “You’ve been brainwashed by Shen Fu, I swear. Total lunatic.”

 

“And you haven’t been brainwashed by Wen Shuchen?” Qu Bixin rolled her eyes. Her soft, doll-like voice took on a wicked edge: “You got married just like that, without knowing anything? Careful, you might’ve just fallen for a marriage scam.”

 

At that, He Qingchi immediately dropped her teasing tone.

 

Frowning at the always-bored Qu Bixin, she asked seriously: “Why is my dad against this marriage?”

 

“How would I know?” Qu Bixin shot back. She was here to dig for intel, not solve her friend’s problems.

 

But He Qingchi kept pressing: “Wen Shuchen is the top figure in Jiangcheng’s elite circle. Young, in control of his family business, no scandals… He’s a perfect catch. What reason would my dad have to reject him as a son-in-law?”

 

She could’ve gone on listing Wen Shuchen’s virtues.

 

But Qu Bixin gave her a look that said: "Can you not make me gag?" 

 

“Can you be a little less obvious when bragging about your man?”

 

She rolled her eyes again. “You sound even more shameless than I do when I praise my husband.”

 

He Qingchi: “......”

 

The two of them sat across from each other in the dressing room, locked in an intense stare-off.

 

Finally, Qu Bixin started playing with her manicured nails, one leg crossed casually, and said: “If you’re that curious, why not just go back to Yancheng and ask in person? Qin Chuan’s taken enough of your dad’s money—what could he possibly find out?”

 

He Qingchi had indeed been thinking about returning to Yancheng. Asking her family directly would be the most straightforward way.

 

Qu Bixin had hit the nail on the head.

 

There was a long silence while she considered it. Then Qu Bixin’s expression suddenly brightened with a sweet, mischievous smile—complete with her signature dimples: “So… did you two do the deed last night?”

 

He Qingchi looked up, locking eyes with this gossip gremlin.

 

It felt like Qu Bixin was scanning her head to toe with X-ray vision.

 

She didn’t miss a thing.

 

He Qingchi pressed her fingers against her brow, clearly unwilling to answer.

 

But Qu Bixin was dying of curiosity: “Wait… are you blushing? You? He Qingchi? The same woman who used to shut down any man who came near you? You were practically on your way to a nunnery. Now you’re shy? You even have that instinct?”

 

He Qingchi’s cheeks didn’t flush, but her eyes definitely dodged.

 

She had just grilled Qu Bixin about her own marriage, and now that the tables were turned, she clammed up.

 

After pestering her for a while and getting no answer, Qu Bixin pulled out her trump card. She smirked coldly: “Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll just assume you two went at it all night long and this morning you—”

 

“Shut up!” He Qingchi lunged to cover her mouth.

 

Was this woman trying to shout it for the whole set to hear?

 

Qu Bixin yelped and bit her hand.

 

“Qu Bixin! Are you a dog?”

 

Now it was He Qingchi’s turn to scream, shoving her away.

 

Qu Bixin toppled to the ground, and the shouting match began. The dressing room was too small for all this chaos, and neither woman had a shred of high-society grace left.

 

—“You dare push me? Just wait till Wen Shuchen scams you into a marriage!”

 

—“Thanks, just don’t let Shen Fu scam you out of your fortune!”

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