Future Love Contract (GL) - Chapter 13

Although Zhao Xinyun felt that way, seeing a couple kissing still made her a little embarrassed. It wasn’t the scene itself, but the way it made her think about her own relationship with Gresya. The two of them didn’t really act like a couple. There were no overly intimate gestures, and Gresya had never brought up meeting her parents on Mars. So, who exactly was Gresya pretending for with this fake relationship?

When Zhao Xinyun thought about it more carefully, she realized Gresya had been treating her very well lately—almost no different from someone seriously trying to woo a girl. Maybe she thought that, as the one who proposed the fake relationship, she had an obligation to do these things? Or… did she actually have other feelings?

Meanwhile, Gresya looked completely at ease, munching away on the popcorn they’d just bought. The screen hadn’t changed in ages; the sunrise was still far off. Zhao Xinyun chewed on a fruit candy, lost in thought. She thought the day would pass uneventfully. But just then, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd. She looked toward the noise and saw a man at the entrance holding a huge bouquet of bright red roses.

She’d seen things like this in the 21st century, but six hundred years later, it seemed more rare. Was it because women were easier to court in this era? Either way, it made for interesting gossip. She turned her head to get a better look at the man. He was dressed in a sharp suit and clearly took time to look good. But for some reason, Zhao Xinyun found his demeanor vaguely sleazy.

He’d picked a good day to confess—so many couples were out watching the Venus sunrise. She glanced at the giant bouquet. Even though growing roses in bulk wasn’t hard with modern tech, it still showed effort. Zhao Xinyun was curious to see what kind of woman this man was pursuing, and whether the scene might end in public rejection—which would be even better gossip. But to her surprise, the man started walking directly toward her.

Was his target… Gresya? Could it be that Gresya had created the fake relationship just to shake this guy off? That might explain things. But if so, why didn’t she just tell her? It wasn’t like Zhao Xinyun would have refused to help. And why was this guy only showing up now? Maybe he worked on a satellite base and just got back? If Gresya had to go through all this trouble to avoid him, he must be difficult to deal with—and could cause problems for her too.

While Zhao Xinyun was deep in these thoughts, she glanced at the man again—and suddenly, her head began to ache for no reason. She frowned and clutched her forehead. The first thought that popped into her mind was to use the headache as an excuse to grab Gresya and leave, avoiding an awkward scene.

But then, something unexpected happened. The man walked right up to her—not Gresya—and bowed slightly, then said, “Xinyun, we meet again.”

Zhao Xinyun got a clear look at his face and heard his voice. In that instant, it was as if a dam burst open. A torrent of memories surged back. Her head throbbed in agony, and she pointed at the man, shouting, “You—How—” Before she could finish, she cried out and fainted.

The sudden collapse caught Gresya completely off guard. She rushed forward to catch Zhao Xinyun before she hit the ground. Ignoring the man, she immediately called for an ambulance.

The medics arrived quickly and took Zhao Xinyun onto the emergency vehicle. Gresya climbed aboard without hesitation. But the man tried to get in too. Gresya turned on him, furious. “What do you think you’re doing? Want her to faint again the moment she sees you?”

The man still insisted on coming along. Gresya turned to the paramedics. “I’m her girlfriend. Let’s go—we don’t have time for this guy.” Then she glared at him. “And who the hell are you?”

“I’m her boyfriend,” he said calmly.

“You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me!” Gresya nearly exploded.

The two paramedics exchanged looks, unsure who to believe. In the end, they let both of them ride in the second vehicle to the hospital.

“Who the hell are you? What did you do to make her faint just by seeing your face?” Gresya snapped.

“I told you, I’m Zhao Xinyun’s boyfriend,” the man replied, completely composed.

“That’s a joke. She’s with me now. And she’s never mentioned you—not once!” Gresya hesitated. She had no right to act like a real girlfriend, since they were only pretending. Maybe this guy really was a former flame? But wait—Zhao Xinyun had told her during the first couple of days they met that she’d never been in a relationship. Gresya had no reason to doubt her.

What did this man do to her that made her react so strongly? It couldn’t have been anything good.

Feeling more justified, Gresya calmed her tone slightly. “Do you know why she fainted?”

“I don’t. Do you?”

“…”

Realizing she wasn’t getting anywhere, Gresya gave up. She decided to ignore him completely. Pulling out her tablet, she browsed the web to distract herself and ease her worry. Whenever the man tried to talk to her, she ignored him. If unavoidable, she responded with nothing more than a cold “Oh,” “Yes,” “No,” or “Don’t know.”

The ambulance reached the hospital quickly. Everything that had happened only took a few minutes. Gresya ignored the man, leapt from the vehicle, and sat on a bench outside the ER.

To Gresya, the waiting felt like an eternity—even though it wasn’t long. Her thoughts wandered. How did she really feel about Zhao Xinyun? Was she this anxious just because she was being kind? Or had something changed without her realizing it? If she’d known things would go this far, she never would have suggested the fake relationship… But now what?

She sighed heavily. Just then, the doctor came out.

“She’ll be fine. Just a case of emotional shock. She’ll wake up soon,” he said, pulling down his mask.

Gresya finally relaxed, though she still had no interest in fighting with the man. He sat on a bench nearby, holding the roses and staring at the floor.

She ignored him and paced the waiting area. After what felt like another lifetime, the doctor reappeared.

“The patient’s awake. You’re Gresya Antowa, right? You may go in.”

The man stood up to follow, but Gresya swiftly blocked the door. “You want her to faint again in a hospital bed? Not happening.”

The doctor nodded. “The patient hasn’t requested any other visitors. Sir, please wait outside.”

The man had no choice but to sit back down.

Gresya entered the room. Zhao Xinyun’s complexion was surprisingly okay. But she had her eyes shut and her brows were furrowed, as if in pain.

“Are you alright? Anywhere hurting?” Gresya asked, holding her hand.

Zhao Xinyun shook her head quickly, which reassured Gresya that she wasn’t physically injured. “No. I’m fine. My vitals are normal. It was just a sudden emotional shock that made me pass out.”

“Was it him?” Gresya asked. Then she stopped herself. Now wasn’t the time to pry. She added instead, “If you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask. But if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word.”

Best not to tell her that the guy was waiting outside. It might trigger another episode.

“Oh, it’s nothing. If you’re willing to keep pretending to be my girlfriend, that’s already helping enough,” Zhao Xinyun replied.

“That’s it? No problem at all.” Gresya agreed without hesitation. Zhao Xinyun’s intentions were obvious—she wanted to use their fake relationship to reject that man.

What started as a silly idea had now become a mutual arrangement. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe it would give her time to figure out her true feelings for Zhao Xinyun.