To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 26

From about seven or eight meters away, Song Chu stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at her.

In his hand, he held a small pink bag.

A bright white spotlight shone directly above, casting alternating shades of white and red across Qi Jinyou’s face.

Well, at least she didn’t need to buy a charger anymore.

Bracing herself, she took two steps forward. “What a coincidence, Song Chu-ge.”

As soon as she spoke, she quickly looked away, pretending to observe the backyard as if she were just taking in the surroundings—to ease the awkwardness.

Her gaze landed on a Bugatti among the rows of motorbikes.

She froze for a moment.

The man’s clear voice rang out, deliberately loud enough for her to hear: “Not a coincidence. I was waiting for you on purpose.”

Qi Jinyou felt his piercing gaze, as if he wanted to see right through her. She felt flustered but was also shocked by his blunt confession—it was almost arrogant.

Saying he was waiting for her was putting it nicely. It was more like he had caught her.

“Oh, then… thank you.” She shifted her gaze to the pink bag in his hand.

She was trying to create a smooth exit for both of them, avoiding the embarrassment of explaining her actions.

At the same time, she wanted to take back her bag and quickly head home to cook some noodles.

After all the chaos earlier, she had avoided any real danger, but she had only eaten a third of her meal. Now, she was starving.

She stepped closer and reached for the bag.

“Song Chu-ge, give it to me.”

But the man dodged her hand. Holding the bag, he turned and walked toward the Bugatti. Before Qi Jinyou could react, he had already opened the front trunk, placed the bag inside, and shut it—his movements swift and decisive.

“You just thanked me, right? Have dinner with me as a thank-you gift.”

Qi Jinyou was stunned. Did he come here just to drag her back to Chen Nuo?

The man continued, “Let’s change the place. The steak here is too tough, not my style.”

She couldn’t help but ask, “What about your friends?”

Qi Jinyou felt that Song Chu was way too unpredictable. People said the Song Corporation thrived under his leadership—how exactly did he run things?

“They have company.” Song Chu curled his lips in a mocking smirk. “Your blind date today—he and my friends are all alumni from Eighth High.”

Qi Jinyou ignored his sarcasm. Since her bag was in his hands, she had no choice but to get in the car with him.

As the car hit the main road, Qi Jinyou remained silent.

“Why so unhappy? Did the blind date not go well? Chen Nuo wasn’t interested in you?” He glanced at her for a second and let out a soft chuckle.

Qi Jinyou nodded in agreement, not wanting to explain further—she was afraid it would just invite more of his teasing.

Think whatever you want, as long as you shut up.

“I told you to dress up a little, didn’t I? Didn’t listen to good advice, and now you’re suffering for it.”

Qi Jinyou shot him a sideways glare. Did this man have any tact? Shouldn’t he have the decency to drop the topic when he knew the outcome? Did he not understand basic manners?

She countered, “You seem experienced with blind dates. Do you go on them often?”

Song Chu replied naturally, “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?” Qi Jinyou figured if she was going to strike, she’d go straight for the weak spot.

Sure enough, she hit the mark. Song Chu glanced at her for a second but said nothing.

Yet, after saying it, Qi Jinyou regretted it. She was getting too bold around him.

She thought of Shen Yan—how he was constantly humiliated by Song Chu without a shred of dignity.

Seeing that Song Chu didn’t retaliate, she secretly stuck out her tongue and turned her head toward the window.

They arrived at a Japanese restaurant.

A server led them to a private booth, where they took off their shoes before entering.

Song Chu ordered their food.

Once the server left, he stretched out his hand toward her. “Give it to me.”

Qi Jinyou looked up in confusion. She remembered the last time he had done this—it was at the hospital. She had foolishly thought he wanted to hold her hand, but instead, he had demanded five million from her.

As she looked at him now, she even wondered if she had mistakenly taken something from his house.

No, she hadn’t.

What did he want this time?

Song Chu spoke leisurely, “Give me your hand.”

Qi Jinyou was surprised, unable to guess his intention.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but he held on, enclosing her delicate, slender fingers in his warm grip.

With his other hand, he pulled a thin, gleaming metal band from his pocket.

Before she could react, a bracelet was fastened around her wrist.

He turned her hand over, examining it. “Looks good.”

The bracelet was silver, and though Qi Jinyou wasn’t knowledgeable about jewelry, she could tell the central pearl, smooth and luminous, gave it a unique elegance.

“I got this from a well-known temple while on a business trip. The monk there blessed it.”

“You like wearing things on your wrists and ankles, don’t you? This will protect you from harm.”

Then, he pulled out another chain. This one had no pearl—just a leaf-shaped silver charm in the center.

Without saying another word, he lifted her foot. By the time Qi Jinyou realized what was happening, it was too late to pull away.

“This one is blessed too.”

As he spoke, he fastened the anklet around her ankle.

Qi Jinyou looked down at the glowing silver chains on her wrist and ankle. Her first reaction was to take them off and return them.

Noticing her movement, Song Chu warned, “Don’t take them off. The monk said you have to wear them for exactly eighty-one days. If you remove them now, not only will they stop protecting you, but they’ll also take away your good fortune.”

Seeing her hesitation, his tone softened. “Consider it compensation from me.”

“Besides, they’re not worth much.”

Qi Jinyou hesitated. He could be making this up, but still—better safe than sorry. Most Chinese people had at least a little superstition in their bl00d.

“How much did they cost? I’ll pay you.” Qi Jinyou changed her approach.

She didn’t want to be entangled with him any further. For the first time in her twenty-three years, she felt something unfamiliar stir within her. She knew exactly what it was and wanted to uproot it before it could grow.

Song Chu extended his hand again. “Sure. Two million.”

So this was what ‘not worth much’ meant to the wealthy.

“Didn’t you just say they weren’t expensive?” Her almond-shaped eyes widened.

“The accessories aren’t, but the blessing was. I hired the temple’s top monk.”

Qi Jinyou knew arguing with him was pointless.

“Fine. I’ll return them to you once the time is up.”

At that moment, the server arrived with their food, putting an end to their debate.

The dishes on the table were colorful and fragrant. Qi Jinyou, starving, picked up her chopsticks and started eating earnestly.

Watching her eat, Song Chu mocked, “A blind date, and you didn’t even get a meal out of it.”

Qi Jinyou rolled her eyes at him but didn’t respond. Wasn’t it his fault?

She suddenly thought of Chen Nuo and her aunt.

Just then, a message popped up on her phone: How’s everything at home?

Looking at the food in front of her, Qi Jinyou felt a little guilty toward Chen Nuo.

She replied: I’m really sorry about today. Everything is settled now. Thank you.

After finishing the meal, Qi Jinyou checked the time—9 PM.

She didn’t want Song Chu to drive her home.

Starting tomorrow, their paths should separate again, each returning to their own life.

The fact that their lives had intersected at all was unexpected. But just like all passersby in life, Song Chu was only one of them.

And she was just another in his.