Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 4

From outside the door, Old Man Cheng’s voice came through. “Taozi, I’m not here for dinner. Someone’s looking for you. Are they a relative of yours? You never mentioned anyone.”

A relative? What relative? If you’ve never heard of them, I certainly haven’t either…

Tao Anyu went to open the door, bewildered. Old Man Cheng walked in with a smile, followed by a middle-aged man in a suit with a high-backed hairstyle and a briefcase tucked under his arm.

“Who is this…” Tao Anyu said, looking at the man in the suit. She had never seen him before. Besides, she was a blank slate now, a piece of white paper with nothing written on it yet. How could someone already be looking for her?

Tao Anyu’s question stumped Old Man Cheng. He pointed at the man. “What, he’s not your relative?” He turned to the man in the suit. “You said you were looking for Miss Tao, right? She’s the only Miss Tao I have here. Is this the right person?”

The man in the suit simply gave Tao Anyu a polite nod. “Hello, Miss Tao. My name is Kong. May I come in?”

Compared to his politeness, it was indeed bad manners for her, the host, to keep them standing at the door.

“Oh, please, come in,” Tao Anyu said, quickly offering them shoe covers. The two put them on and walked into the living room.

Old Man Cheng smelled the fragrance wafting from the kitchen and asked, “Taozi, are you cooking?”

“Yes.” Tao Anyu glanced at the kitchen, where a fruit porridge was simmering. “Have you two eaten? I’m making some porridge.”

“Oh, good, good, good, porridge is great!” Old Man Cheng had eaten Tao Anyu’s cooking before. Although it couldn’t compare to a five-star restaurant, it was delicious and visually appealing. Ever since he had his first taste, he had been trying to find ways to get her to feed him. Tao Anyu’s cooking was always different, always with some snacks or desserts, which made Old Man Cheng very happy.

“Thank you, Miss Tao, but no need.” Unfortunately, the man in the suit didn’t appreciate the offer. Not only did he refuse to eat, but he also didn’t let Old Man Cheng take advantage of it. The man sat up straight, placed his briefcase on the coffee table, and said, “Miss Tao, I’m here to discuss an important matter. I would appreciate it if you could spare some time to talk with me and understand my work.”

This was the first time in Tao Anyu’s life she had met someone so formal. She quickly adjusted her attitude and said earnestly, “Mr. Kong, hello. What can I do for you?”

Mr. Kong, however, turned to Old Man Cheng and said, “Miss Tao and I have an important matter to discuss. Could you please give us some privacy?”

“Oho, being all mysterious!” Old Man Cheng laughed, getting up to walk out the door. “Alright, alright, you two talk. Taozi, I’ll come over for dinner next time!”

“Okay,” Tao Anyu said, seeing Old Man Cheng out.

Mr. Kong waited until he was gone before he opened his briefcase and took out a stack of documents and a few photographs.

Tao Anyu sat in the chair opposite Mr. Kong, curiously looking at the items on the table.

“Miss Tao,” Mr. Kong said, organizing the documents into two piles. He also took a tablet, an ink pad, and two pens out of his briefcase.

Tao Anyu frowned, looking at the items. “Mr. Kong, what is all this…?”

“Miss Tao, I was instructed by my superior to come and see you specifically.” He handed her a document. “This is the content of the agreement. Please read it. If you have any questions, you can ask, and I will answer all of them for you.”

“Oh, okay,” Tao Anyu said, taking it carefully and holding it in her hands as she read through it.

Girlfriend Contract Agreement?

Tao Anyu froze at the title of the document.

Girlfriend Contract?!

What kind of ridiculous plot was this? She had just “died” once! No one should know her here! So, what kind of idiotic, crazy, brain-damaged moron would want to hire her as a girlfriend?!

This is insane! A terminal case! An incurable disease!

“Mr. Kong, I think you’ve made a mistake. I’m not—” Tao Anyu certainly wasn’t a snob, but she wasn’t that kind of vulgar person either!

Mr. Kong gestured toward the document. “Miss Tao, the contract payment is at the end. You can raise any concerns you may have.”

Contract payment? Did that mean she could make money as a contract girlfriend? Tao Anyu immediately skipped past the thousands of warnings and requirements and went straight for the important stuff—Ah, here it is. Contract Girlfriend Salary: A base of 100,000 per month, not including tips, with a commission system allowed…

A monthly salary of 100,000… 100,000… 100,000…

Tao Anyu, who worked herself to the bone for a meager 3,000 yuan in manuscript fees each month, fell into deep thought.

If she got 100,000 a month, that would be more than ten times her current earnings. With tips and commissions, holy cow! Her dream of traveling the world and eating delicious food everywhere could finally come true!

“Ahem…” Tao Anyu said with a serious expression. “Mr. Kong, can I ask you something? Um… the person who wants to sign this contract with me… is he…” Is he handsome? Is he the cold type or the gentle type? She had never been in a relationship with a man before, but it was just a contract. It was only for appearances, so the other person probably wasn’t serious about it. Most likely, their family was pressuring them, and they were looking for someone to stand in. She had no idea why they had found her, but this was easy money…

Suddenly, Mr. Kong fell silent.

Huh? Why did you stop talking? Mr. Kong, why aren’t you talking?

Tao Anyu’s heart sank. She had a terrible feeling… Oh no, is the person an old man?

No way! An old man is a deal-breaker. Even for money, she couldn’t spend her days with a geezer. The thought of calling an old man her husband gave Tao Anyu goosebumps…

“Um, is the person… a little old?” Tao Anyu asked carefully, watching Mr. Kong’s expression. “A ten-year age gap is…”

“No, she’s very young.” Mr. Kong’s face sank even further, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Seeing him like this, Tao Anyu grew even more uneasy. Very young? If the person was young, he shouldn’t be making that face. What could be scarier than a dirty old man? A disability? Dementia? Oh no, could it be… a-i-d-s?!

“Then is she in poor health?” Tao Anyu blinked. She was ready to refuse. Money was great, but not if it meant risking her health. What would be the point of earning money if all of it was spent on hospital bills?

“No, no, no. Her health is very good,” Mr. Kong shook his head.

Tao Anyu was confused. Then what is it? Why are you so hesitant?

Mr. Kong pushed the photographs that were under the documents toward her. He put his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat softly. “This is your contract partner.”

“…” 

Tao Anyu placed a finger on one of the photos, looking at the person in it. The more she looked, the more she wanted to slap them…

The photo showed a woman dressed in a punk style. She had a stylish, asymmetrical shoulder-length haircut. A string of fabric strips hung from her leather jacket, and she was wearing seven-centimeter studded high-heeled combat boots. A pair of large sunglasses covered her eyes, her chin was tilted up, and her mouth was curled in an arrogant smirk.

In a way, this photo is for a kind of blind date, right? Wouldn’t most people choose their best and most formal picture?

But what the heck was this woman?!

Did she, she, she, she think this look was cool? Was it supposed to be fashion-forward? Do fashionable people stick fabric strips on their clothes? You’d think she was a beggar!

Mr. Kong adjusted his tie and said solemnly, “Miss Tao, my general manager would like to meet with you. She wants you to be her contract girlfriend.”