Transmigrated as the Scumbag Alpha’s Gorgeous Wife Who Keeps Trying to Seduce Me (GL) - Chapter 5

The takeout feast arrived, but Chi Lengzhao didn’t have much of an appetite. She managed a few bites of steak and a bowl of matsutake chicken soup before dabbing her mouth with a napkin. Then she asked Housekeeper Zhou to bring the unopened king crab, jumbo prawns, and scallops to the young nurses who had been looking after her.

Wearing slippers, she once again made her way to Shen Zhixi’s room and knocked on the door.

At the nurses’ station, three young nurses were happily digging into the feast Chi Lengzhao had sent. When they saw her standing at Shen Zhixi’s door, they exchanged looks, their cheeks flushing with amusement before breaking into quiet giggles.

“Come in,” came Shen Zhixi’s voice from inside.

She was looking at her phone but immediately set it down when she saw who it was. Her expression turned cold.

The way she looked at Chi Lengzhao—tense, guarded—was like a cat facing down a weasel that had dared to trespass on its territory. One twitch away from leaping forward with claws out.

Chi Lengzhao felt a chill under that stare and tried to break the ice. “Your mom—she left?”

Shen Zhixi arched an eyebrow. “Chi Lengzhao, drop the act. My mom’s not here anymore. No matter how sweet you pretend to be, she’s not around to see it.”

Chi Lengzhao forced a smile. “That’s not fair. I am a good person. No need to fake it.”

Shen Zhixi let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You? A good person?”

“Believe it or not, this version of Chi Lengzhao is a good person.”

There was a chair near the hospital bed, and a couch against the wall. Chi Lengzhao sensibly avoided the chair and sat on the faraway couch instead.

After they were rushed to the nearest hospital by ambulance last night, Housekeeper Zhou had quickly arranged for a transfer to a private hospital—better facilities, better service, much higher cost.

“I’ve thought about the divorce,” Chi Lengzhao said, picking up an orange from the table and slowly peeling it. She did it with such care and deliberation, as if each piece of rind were a step in a space mission.

Shen Zhixi watched her closely. That face—so familiar—and yet, the calm, composed expression felt foreign. It was the first time she’d seen her like this, and something about it made her uneasy.

Is she… actually going to agree?

“I’m sorry,” Chi Lengzhao said at last. “But I can’t agree. Not yet.”

Shen Zhixi’s tightly drawn nerves relaxed. Just as expected.

Of course, Chi Lengzhao refused.

“I’m just saying I can’t agree to the divorce right now,” Chi Lengzhao continued. “I know you hate me. You probably even loathe me. I mean, I’m awful—terrible reputation, selfish, manipulative. If it weren’t for Meixi, you wouldn’t have married me.”

Her voice was calm and detached, as if she were reading from a script that had nothing to do with her.

“Glad you know,” Shen Zhixi replied, eyes locked on her, refusing to lower her guard. She didn’t know why Chi Lengzhao was being so… honest, but she wasn’t about to fall for it.

“But we just got married,” Chi Lengzhao said. “Getting divorced right after the wedding isn’t good for either family’s reputation. It could even affect business.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Shen Zhixi folded her arms, voice cold. She wanted to hear it.

“I made a promise to help Meixi, and I’ll keep that promise. But in return, you’ll need to play the role of a loving wife. As for the divorce… let’s wait three years.”

“Three years?!” Shen Zhixi’s eyes darkened. She didn’t want to spend even one more second with this demon—let alone three years.

She fell silent. Was she really about to make another deal with the devil?

Chi Lengzhao added, “Three years is a clean timeframe. No kids, no scandal. It gives both families face.”

“Fine,” Shen Zhixi said coolly, “but make it clear—the reason we don’t have kids is your fault, not mine.”

Chi Lengzhao chuckled. “Sure. I’ll take the blame. Let’s say I’m… incapable of marking.”

She paused, then added lightly, “Three years isn’t that long. One year after another, and it’ll fly by. Just think of it as going back to high school for a second run.”

Shen Zhixi frowned, her arms tightening around herself as she fell into thought.

After a long silence, she finally said, “One year. No more than that.”

By then, she would be free. Divorced from Chi Lengzhao and rid of this twisted marriage. To outsiders, a one-year marriage wouldn’t seem so scandalous, and her parents would be more likely to accept it.

If in this life Chi Lengzhao still refused to help Meixi, then she would help her father turn things around on her own.

Chi Lengzhao paused in the middle of peeling the orange. Her head lowered slightly, her expression unreadable. “One year might be a little tight. Raising funds and improving the company’s situation will take time.”

Shen Zhixi narrowed her eyes. Of course. The sweet-talking had started again.

“One year,” she said firmly.

Chi Lengzhao sighed and nodded. “Alright. One year it is. Once Meixi stabilizes, we will get a clean divorce.”

Shen Zhixi stared at her, still skeptical. “Let me make one thing clear. I am only pretending to be your wife. You cannot expect me to fulfill any kind of marital obligations.” She paused, then added in a sharper tone, “You are not allowed to touch me. And you absolutely cannot mark me.”

To her surprise, Chi Lengzhao agreed without hesitation. “Fine. I won’t touch you. Like I said, I’m incapable of marking anyone anyway.”

“Also, during this year, you have no right to interfere in my life. You cannot control what I do or where I go.”

“That’s fine,” Chi Lengzhao said calmly. She wasn’t the same as the original version of herself, who had been manipulative and controlling. “Just one condition. If you have a lover, I won’t stop you. However many you want, it’s your choice. But it can’t be public. Outwardly, you’re still my wife. As your legal partner, I ask that you show me a little respect.”

Shen Zhixi let out a cold laugh. “I’m not like you. I’m not that shameless.”

Chi Lengzhao smiled faintly. “I believe you. Honestly, it would be hard to find anyone worse than the old Chi Lengzhao.”

There was something strange about Chi Lengzhao today. The usual anger and aggression were gone. Instead, she seemed calm, composed, even refined.

Shen Zhixi couldn’t help but glance at her again.

At that moment, Chi Lengzhao finished peeling the orange. She looked up, and their eyes met.

For a second, Shen Zhixi saw a surprising gentleness in her gaze. It caught her off guard. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Have an orange,” Chi Lengzhao said softly. “I remember you liked them.”

She placed the neatly peeled orange into a dish and walked over to Shen Zhixi.

“If it helps you feel safer, we can put everything in writing,” she added.

Shen Zhixi gave a cold snort. That old tactic again.

Before proposing, Chi Lengzhao had also promised a formal agreement. A so-called gentleman’s contract, complete with signatures and handprints, guaranteeing she would never force anything.

And in the end, none of it meant a thing.

“No need,” Shen Zhixi said coldly. “But I want you to give me something to hold on to. If you honor the agreement, I’ll return it on the day we divorce.”

Chi Lengzhao raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“The sapphire necklace.”