To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 20

Qi Jinyou curled her fingers, her heartbeat quickening.

The man spoke leisurely, “Give me five million.”

Qi Jinyou looked up at him in surprise. The panic in her heart eased a little, and her clenched hand relaxed—it seemed she had misunderstood.

Song Chu explained, “That elderly man just now is a famous traditional painter in Haishi. A single painting of his is worth millions. If you had knocked him down, what do you think would have happened?”

Qi Jinyou couldn’t help but recall the news she often saw online—stories about whether to help an elderly person who had fallen, and how good Samaritans were sometimes falsely accused. If she had really hit the old man, the consequences would have been terrifying.

“Also, the emerald jade pendant around his neck is worth at least seven figures. If he fell and it happened to break, wouldn’t you have to compensate for it?”

Qi Jinyou’s eyes widened as if she had actually knocked the old man down.

“The cane in his hand? Made of huanghuali wood, designed and carved by a master craftsman. Worth at least a million. If it broke when it hit the ground, what then?”

A chill ran down Qi Jinyou’s spine at his words.

She looked behind him at the old man, who was walking steadily.

Only then did she realize that everything Song Chu said was hypothetical.

She let out a breath of relief.

But she had to admit, “If I really knocked him down and something happened, I probably couldn’t afford to compensate even if I sold myself.”

Regardless of whether the old man was a famous artist, anyone coming to this hospital was either rich or powerful.

“I helped you avoid such a huge loss. Isn’t five million a bit too little?”

Not much at all.

Qi Jinyou said, “I don’t have five million.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to get out of it.”

“No.” Of course, Qi Jinyou couldn’t admit to that. Nothing had actually happened.

The man turned to look at her, his gaze heated. “You just said you’d sell yourself. How about using yourself to settle this five million debt?”

Qi Jinyou quickly avoided his gaze and walked forward. “No. Human trafficking is illegal.”

Song Chu followed, laughing, “If you don’t want to settle it now, then just remember—you owe me five million.”

They continued walking side by side, and Qi Jinyou kept her pace steady.

As they neared the inpatient department entrance, Song Chu said, “Tomorrow at 9 AM, I’ll come to pick you up from the hospital.”

“No need,” Qi Jinyou refused instinctively.

It was a workday—too much trouble. And it wasn’t just about bothering him.

“Don’t be stubborn. Listen to me,” the man said firmly.

She had no choice but to nod in agreement. They parted ways at the entrance.

Qi Jinyou returned to her ward, where Aunt Li had already come back. She didn’t have much to pack for discharge, and she didn’t feel like taking a shower. She climbed into bed and started watching a drama. It was the finale, and as she watched the touching love story of the main characters, her emotions slowly calmed down.

At 9:30 PM, just as she was about to sleep, Sister Zhou called.

After checking on her condition, Sister Zhou told her not to come to work this week—two influencers might come looking for her during her shifts.

Qi Jinyou felt guilty for causing trouble for the club. She also thought about how, on her first day, she had been mistaken for someone’s mistress. Those two influencers might return, and even if she avoided them now, she couldn’t hide forever. This wasn’t a long-term solution.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally voiced the thought she had been struggling with for days. “Sister Zhou, I want to resign. I don’t think I’m suited to work at the club anymore.”

“That’s out of the question. Manager Zhang won’t agree,” Sister Zhou laughed over the phone. “Don’t rush. Rest at home first and recover. You can come back after some time.”

After hanging up, Qi Jinyou opened a part-time job recruitment group.

She wanted to try her luck.

The weekend’s part-time job listings had all been taken. She used to work as a teaching assistant at a training center, but since she was absent last week, someone else had taken over.

She put down her phone and went to sleep, hoping for a new opportunity in the morning.

Despite comforting herself, she tossed and turned in bed for half the night.

Aside from worrying about part-time jobs, she kept thinking about Song Chu—her mind replaying the moment he held her in his arms.

She didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight.

The Next Morning
She got up at 8 AM.

After changing out of her hospital gown, Aunt Li went to handle her discharge paperwork. She hadn’t been home in six days and was starting to miss it.

When Song Chu entered, he was carrying breakfast and the discharge documents.

“I just saw Aunt Li. She’s busy,” he said.

They ate breakfast together, and by the time Aunt Li returned, they were ready to leave the hospital.

As soon as they walked out the main entrance, Qi Jinyou spotted a Bugatti. It was her first time riding in a sports car—an extremely expensive one at that.

The passenger-side door lifted open, and as she got in, she instinctively covered the metal parts of her bag.

Even after sitting down, she felt uneasy, afraid of damaging something. There was no way she could afford to pay for it.

Song Chu got in and noticed her tension.

“Relax. We’re going home, not robbing a bank or selling you off.”

She refused to admit she was nervous. “I’m not.”

The man smirked but didn’t say anything.

The drive was silent, with soothing music playing in the background. Gradually, Qi Jinyou relaxed.

Before leaving the hospital, she had checked the route on the navigation app. She had no idea where the hospital was in relation to her home, having stayed there for days.

It was about 30 to 40 kilometers away, and since traffic was light, they would reach her place in half an hour.

As they neared her neighborhood, Song Chu received a call.

He put it on speaker. The other party was polite but apologetic. “Mr. Song, I’m really sorry.”

“The pet trainer assigned to you had a family emergency and can’t provide in-home service.”

Song Chu asked, “Is there no one else available?”

“No, the other employees are busy with the pets at the shop. It’s the weekend, and we’re short-staffed.”

“We sincerely apologize. Perhaps you could find another service provider?”

“Alright,” Song Chu said with a hint of resignation as he ended the call.

Qi Jinyou had more or less understood the situation.

Before she could say anything, the man turned to her and asked, “Are you afraid of dogs?”

Qi Jinyou shook her head. She liked dogs.

She just never had the chance to own one. Before her father passed away, their family had a dog, but after he died, everything fell apart. The dog had been temporarily fostered with a neighbor.

At her aunt’s house, Shen Yan was afraid of dogs, so she never dared to ask if she could bring it over. Her relatives strictly forbade dogs in the house.

After graduating and renting her own place, she had thought about getting one but ultimately didn’t.

She could barely take care of herself—how could she properly care for a dog? She didn’t want it to suffer with her.

“Then do me a favor.”

Qi Jinyou asked, “What kind of favor?”

“I have to go on a business trip for the next two days, and there’s no one to look after my dog. Could you take care of it?”

He explained further, “My housekeeper is on leave for a month to help with her grandchild.”

“It’s actually quite simple—just feed it on time and take it out for walks.”

“I’m not afraid of dogs, but I’m not sure I can handle it properly,” she admitted.

“It’s fine. If you do well, it’s your credit. If anything goes wrong, it’s on me.”

She couldn’t refuse anymore. Song Chu had helped her so much already.

“I won’t let you do it for free—I’ll pay you three times the market rate.”

Qi Jinyou waved her hand. “No need, you’ve helped me a lot.”

Song Chu asked, “If you come to my house, what about your club job?”

Qi Jinyou could only tell the truth.

Song Chu sighed, “So it’s my fault for dragging you into this.”

In the end, she accepted the job—800 yuan a day.

After getting out of the car, she suddenly realized—she forgot to ask for his address.

If he was leaving early tomorrow, how was she supposed to get in?