To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 7

Qi Jinyou heard him emphasize the word “money,“ but she didn’t think much of it.

She couldn’t help but silently think: “Why else? Of course, it’s because I’m short on money.“

“I want to save money,“ she said, but then regretted it immediately. This involved another secret of hers.

She was saving money to go abroad, to escape this place.

A certain emotion flickered in the man’s eyes.

“Are you really short on money?“ he asked, his tone heavy with meaning.

Yes, who would expect the niece of one of the prominent families in Haishi, the Shen family, to be short on money?

Qi Jinyou didn’t know how to answer.

She simply nodded.

She had just returned to Haishi to work after the New Year, and set the goal of going abroad in two years. Going abroad required money, so she started looking for part-time work last month.

“Keep doing your work here. It looks pretty easy. I’ll keep your secret,“ the man said, noticing that she didn’t want to talk more.

Qi Jinyou looked up, her eyes filled with surprise, and reminded him, “Don’t tell anyone, not even Brother Zian.“

Song Chu had the best relationship with Cheng Zian, but Cheng Zian seemed to be the least secretive.

The man’s dark eyes deepened, and he nodded.

“Get in the car. I’ll give you a ride back.“

Qi Jinyou looked down at her phone. The ride-hailing app kept spinning, with no driver accepting her request. She was hesitating whether or not to get in the car.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car braking sharply.

Qi Jinyou turned around, and a white Ferrari stopped in front of her.

The window rolled down, and a beautiful face appeared.

“What are you two doing here?“ Zhuang Xiaoran’s clear voice asked.

Qi Jinyou instinctively took a few steps back and explained, “Nothing, I was just asking for directions.“

“Song Chu, you haven’t left yet? I didn’t see you in the lobby earlier,“ Zhuang Xiaoran turned to look at Song Chu.

“I was just waiting here, hoping someone would ask for directions,“ the man replied casually, with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Zhuang Xiaoran laughed for a few seconds and then looked back at Qi Jinyou. “Qi Jinyou, you don’t have a ride back to the city, right? Come, get in the car, I’ll take you back.“

Seizing this rare opportunity, Qi Jinyou weighed her options in her mind and then told Song Chu, “I’ll take Miss Zhuang’s car back.“

She got into the white car, not noticing the man’s frustrated expression as he seemed to hesitate to speak.

As the car drove past Song Chu, Zhuang Xiaoran waved at him.

“Are you close to Song Chu?“ Once the car was on the main road, Qi Jinyou started a conversation.

“We met through our love for cars. He’s very knowledgeable about sports cars, and we have a lot to talk about when it comes to them,“ Zhuang Xiaoran answered readily.

It was clear that Zhuang Xiaoran really loved sports cars.

Not all car enthusiasts were show-offs.

“Let’s add each other on WeChat. Maybe we’ll need each other someday. I feel like we really get along,“ Zhuang Xiaoran glanced at the Bugatti in the rearview mirror before speaking to the person in the front seat.

She continued, “You must like sports cars too, or you wouldn’t be working here.“

Qi Jinyou didn’t deny it, though that wasn’t the real reason.

Zhuang Xiaoran adding her on WeChat was unexpected, but she wasn’t overly surprised. They might meet again at the club, so adding each other was no big deal.

Originally, Qi Jinyou had planned for her to drop her off at the subway station, but Zhuang Xiaoran insisted on taking her to the road nearest to her apartment.

Her aunt’s father’s birthday party was on Sunday afternoon.

In the morning, she had gone to an early education center to assist as a lecturer.

After finishing in the afternoon, she went to buy a gift for the elderly man.

Old Mr. Zhao of the Zhao family had seen so many good things in his life that she just bought him a thoughtful gift.

The elderly man had recently developed an interest in calligraphy, so she bought him an inkstone from a nearby stationery shop.

The banquet was held at a five-star hotel, and the Zhao family had booked an entire floor of the restaurant.

Qi Jinyou arrived half an hour before the event started.

When her aunt saw her, she waved her over. Qi Jinyou approached and handed the gift to Old Mr. Zhao, offering her best wishes: “Grandfather, happy birthday.“

She then sat at a table farther from the main one. Today’s guests were either rich or important, so she wasn’t given a prominent seat.

Qi Jinyou’s mother had passed away when she was young, and her father had unexpectedly died when she was in her third year of high school. At that time, the head of the Shen family, her grandfather, and uncle had both passed away. Her aunt, who had temporarily taken her in at a friend’s house, brought her back to the Shen family despite the family’s estrangement. This became a story in Haishi’s social circles.

When she returned, the Shen family held a banquet. Her aunt’s father, Old Mr. Zhao of the Zhao family, held her hand in front of everyone and said, “Child, your biological grandfather is gone. From now on, think of me as your grandfather.“

At first, Qi Jinyou believed him and nodded.

But as time went on, the reality made her realize that she had been too naive.

She alone knew the coldness and distance hidden behind the fake affection.

The banquet would start in ten minutes, and most of the guests had already arrived.

After sitting down at an empty table, Qi Jinyou’s attention remained on her phone. She didn’t notice when her table filled up.

She suddenly felt someone’s gaze on her and looked up.

There was a young man sitting next to her.

The young man’s eager gaze met hers, and he smiled, saying, “Jinyou, what a coincidence.“