Chapter 5: The marks planted

The extended luxury car came to a steady stop beneath Tan Zhuo’s downtown high-rise apartment just as a light misty rain began to fall.

Tan Zhuo stepped out of the car and walked a few steps with her umbrella, but the wind made it wobble slightly.

Recalling the marriage agreement confirmed in the car, she suddenly paused, feeling like she had overlooked something.

Instinctively, she turned back.

The Bentley had not yet driven off. The rear window was half-open, and through the hazy curtain of rain, the young man’s side profile looked exceptionally refined—his features elegant and clear.

He had likely put on a pair of thin, silver-rimmed glasses to read documents on the way back, giving off an air of cold detachment that warned people not to approach.

He didn’t seem like the kind of person who would casually marry a bankrupt fiancée without expecting anything in return.

As if sensing something, Chao Huai Du raised his eyes and looked at her calmly. “Is there something else?”

In the dim light, his eyes behind the glasses seemed to hold countless secrets, yet remained calm and emotionless, as if this marriage mattered less to him than his work.

Tan Zhuo collected herself and approached the car. Her rain-dampened eyelashes drooped heavily. “Then what about you? Is there anything you need me to do?”

Chao Huai Du must have his reasons for marrying her.

If this marriage was a pie falling from the sky, then the lack of a prenuptial agreement made it the biggest pie imaginable.

The bigger the pie… the harder it would be to swallow.

The expression on her beautiful face was stubborn, demanding a clear answer right away.

As she leaned toward the car window, her long hair fell from her back to her chest, revealing a slender, fragile neck.

On it were several deep-colored kiss marks—like markings left by a wild beast.

Poor thing.

Chao Huai Du’s gaze lingered for a few seconds before he spoke with rare compassion. “Miss Tan, being this impatient will cost you in business.”

Tan Zhuo, already pampered by nature, had been bent over for so long that her wrist holding the umbrella was sore and about to give out—and yet he kept speaking in riddles she didn’t understand.

So she simply opened the car door herself and said cleanly, “Come upstairs for a bit.”

This matter had to be clarified tonight, or she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

The next second—

Night wind and drizzle rushed into the car all at once.

Assistant Cui, sitting in the front seat, shivered from the cold.

He kept his head down, pretending not to hear: Miss Tan was bold and unpredictable—it was no wonder the boss chose to go through with the marriage.

Yet Chao Huai Du, sitting closest to the wind, wasn’t angry at her action. Calmly, he removed his rain-speckled glasses and placed them back into the storage case.

His thin lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile. “It’s my honor.”

While Tan Zhuo was still stunned, Chao Huai Du had already exited the car, taken the umbrella from her hand, and walked beside her.

His tailored trousers outlined his long, straight legs, exuding restrained strength with every step—like molten lava hidden beneath a frozen river, full of tension and allure.

But Tan Zhuo couldn’t help feeling something was… off about his words.

What was so honorable about “coming upstairs for a bit”?

Wait—

Did she say something wrong?

“Come upstairs for a bit.”

Could Chao Huai Du have misunderstood that as—”come upstairs and do something”?

No way, right?

Right??

Noticing her amused expression, Chao Huai Du moved the umbrella back a few inches and kindly reminded, “Come closer. I’m getting wet.”

Tan Zhuo stepped closer, tilting her head up to look into his clear, amber eyes.

Maybe she was overthinking.

He was being so gentlemanly, even shielding her from the rain. How could someone like him have any bad intentions?

A few seconds later…

Wait—who was getting wet?

Gentleman, my foot!

Very quickly, Tan Zhuo regretted inviting this big boss upstairs.

Because the moment the elevator opened, she was met with a sea of flowers.

The fragrance of roses wafted from the elevator all the way to her front door. Vibrant red petals filled the entire hallway and even blocked the entrance completely.

This apartment had been a gift from her grandfather for her eighteenth birthday. Very few people even knew it existed. And now, just like her studio, it had been filled with countless roses.

That meant—even her last sanctuary had been discovered by some admirer.

Worse yet—this happened in front of her future husband!

Tan Zhuo quickly faked confusion and looked at the apartment number, then pretended to realize something. “Oops, wrong door.”

But the next second—

A long arm blocked her path.

Chao Huai Du looked at the sea of “romantic surprises” outside her door, then slowly leaned in, smirking faintly. “Feeling guilty? Your boyfriend sent them?”

He was smiling, but his words were laced with frost. The simple sentence whispered beside her pale earlobe became a judgment. “You’re committing marriage fraud.”

The cold scent of sandalwood he wore invaded the space, overpowering the rosy fragrance as it pressed in inch by inch, flooding her breath with dominance.

Everything stilled, except the swirling scent.

Tan Zhuo’s steps faltered, and she accidentally stepped on several roses. The petals burst, and the fragrance thickened.

Her slender back pressed against the wall, and the only thing she could smell was his white sandalwood cologne.

In her rising panic, her survival instincts kicked in. Tan Zhuo quickly denied, “I didn’t!”

How could she dare deceive Chao Huai Du?

This man was terrifying!

She looked up with innocent eyes, about to continue her performance, when she stuttered mid-sentence, “It’s just… I’m too charming. I attract a lot of admirers—some of whom are… uncivilized.”

Chao Huai Du’s palm slowly slid down the wall. His fingers brushed past her scattered black hair by her ear, as if gently smoothing it.

His voice was deeper now. “Is that so.”

“Yes!”

Crisis averted.

But… Tan Zhuo frowned. The flowers blocked the door. How would she get in?

Under the shifting light, the man’s tall figure exuded pressure.

Tan Zhuo’s bright eyes gleamed. Hmm—wasn’t this the perfect free labor?

“President Chao, could you help me? I can’t move them.”

As she spoke, she lightly shook her delicate wrist under his nose to show she was a helpless little flower—and even had the audacity to tug at his sleeve.

Chao Huai Du was wearing a black shirt. His sleeve was pulled up slightly by her tug, revealing the smooth lines of his forearm.

He grabbed her cool fingertips and pressed down lightly, like a warning.

Tan Zhuo shrank back, mumbling, “What’s the big deal? You’re a man—it’s just a little skin.”

The next moment, Chao Huai Du’s sleeve slid back down to his wrist.

He calmly looked away from her fair, slender wrist and made a call to summon his bodyguards.

Tan Zhuo: Oh right—almost forgot this man isn’t just any guy. He’s the kind who always travels with twelve personal bodyguards.

Guess she’d never see President Chao doing manual labor in this lifetime.

While she pouted, a bodyguard stepped forward and asked, “Miss Tan, where should we move them?”

All those admirer-sent flowers had the same ending.

Tan Zhuo treated real flowers mercilessly. She pointed toward the hallway window. “Downstairs trash bins.”

There could only be one flower in bloom—real or fake.

There were too many roses. Although the bodyguards were already being careful, petals still occasionally fluttered up and down during the move.

By all logic, girls should love beautiful flowers, but Tan Zhuo didn’t blink once—there was no trace of affection on her face.

Petals of rich, vivid colors drifted everywhere, their fragrance lingering. Chao Huai Du glanced over casually and asked as if making idle conversation, “Don’t like roses?”

Fatal question!

Danger, danger!

Alarms blared in Tan Zhuo’s mind. Her bright eyes trembled slightly, but she firmly declared, “I don’t.”

“I’m a woman of principle. I only like roses from my husband!”

As she spoke, a bright-colored petal drifted down gently from between her brows.

Just as it was about to touch her lips, it tickled slightly. She instinctively tried to purse her lips.

Chao Huai Du reached out, pinched the edge of the petal, and tossed it into a plastic garbage bag already filled with roses, watching it join the rest.

Then he accepted a disinfectant wipe from Secretary Cui and elegantly wiped the fingertips that had touched the petal, calmly adding, “Mm, these roses aren’t worthy of you.”

Tan Zhuo, not modest at all: “I think so too.”

She was more beautiful than any rose.

Finally, everything was cleared away. Tan Zhuo let out a breath of relief.

As she opened the door, she motioned for Chao Huai Du to look inside. “Take a look—I didn’t hide any secret lovers.”

At that moment—

The vintage clock by the wall chimed a few times.

The hands pointed to ten o’clock.

“So late already.” Tan Zhuo glanced at the time. She rarely had guests here and casually picked up one of her own ceramic cups, pouring plain hot water.

Then she held it in both hands and offered it earnestly: “Men should drink more hot water.”

Definitely not her being lazy with hospitality.

Chao Huai Du looked at the overly cute cat-ear cup.

He paused slightly.

Tan Zhuo blinked: “You’re not drinking?”

“It’s late. For someone as disciplined as President Chao, I assume no coffee or tea at this hour, right?”

Chao Huai Du’s fingers brushed the cat ears, and under her expectant gaze, he took a small sip and commented lightly, “Miss Tan is very thoughtful and gentle.”

Then he calmly put the cup down.

His image remained steady.

Tan Zhuo relaxed. Remembering the reason she invited him up, she wanted to get to the point but didn’t know how to start.

Seeing the girl’s face full of hesitation,

Chao Huai Du graciously offered a lead: “The Chao family has complicated dynamics, many factions. Becoming Madam Chao isn’t as easy as it looks.”

Tan Zhuo thought of the Lu Jin black card she had received so casually,

And the recent mess of admirers chasing after her.

Given her current situation, being Madam Chao couldn’t be worse—and besides…

Once she figured it out, she relaxed into the sofa, the corners of her pale-pink eyes lifting slightly. “President Chao is so capable, you’ll definitely protect me, right?”

She was smart.

Under the dazzling white lights, the man’s elegant features remained calm. His hands were casually folded, fingers gently rubbing together, as if weighing pros and cons.

After a moment, he finally smiled and replied, “Naturally.”

The two of them talked for nearly an hour.

For example, Chao Huai Du could only truly hold power after marriage—once he received the family crest ring, it would mean ancestral recognition. Otherwise, his status lacked legitimacy, and the board remained restless.

He didn’t have time to sort through personal assets, so there was a reason for not signing a prenup.

Tan Zhuo understood now—essentially, Chao Huai Du genuinely needed a wife to claim rightful authority, and she happened to walk into the perfect position. Plus, they had an engagement arranged by elders.

Then the clock chimed again.

The hands pointed to eleven.

His intentions were clear, and Tan Zhuo felt relieved—now that she knew everything she needed to, she no longer intended to keep him.

Just as she was about to stand up and see him out—

Suddenly, her phone on the edge of the sofa rang.

Tan Zhuo, completely unguarded, opened the message.

It was from an unknown number:
[The roses I sent you were flown in from overseas. Just like you—radiant and dazzling. Tan Zhuo, I love you so much. How could you throw them in the trash and bring another man home?]

Recently, Tan Zhuo had received countless similar messages—confessions paired with roses.

She was about to block the number as usual.

But before she could—

The next second—

A half-naked photo of a male torso appeared on the screen:
[Big or not? Hard or not?]
[Is he as big? As hard as me?]

“???”

The sudden explicit image startled her, and her foot slipped.

Her toe caught the edge of the rug, and her whole body stumbled forward—falling straight toward the man standing opposite.

Her phone also slipped from her hand.

Chao Huai Du caught the soft, fragrant body of the girl full in his arms, and at the same time, caught the phone that was about to fall on her foot.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, Tan Zhuo could clearly feel the firm, sculpted abs around Chao Huai Du’s waist—defined and perfect, crushing every other man!

But she noticed that after seeing the vulgar words on the screen, the man’s always-calm eyes instantly turned cold.

She nearly forgot—he was a high-born heir from an elite family, probably had never seen such crude language.

Tan Zhuo immediately steadied herself and pulled away, not daring to take advantage of him, and angrily declared:

“What nonsense! How dare he compare himself to you!”

“Our President Chao wears a robe properly even when making love—such a gentleman!”

“Only a pervert would send half-naked pics to a pretty girl in the middle of the night—no decency at all!”

Faced with such a “gentleman” compliment, Chao Huai Du showed no joy at all. His expression remained cold as he stared at the screen.

Sure enough, the next second—

Another message came:
[I saw him hug you.]

A chill ran down Tan Zhuo’s back.

She instinctively leaned closer to the tall, secure figure beside her, then looked around nervously. “This guy—he installed surveillance in my home?!”

Chao Huai Du took her phone, blocked the number, and then asked calmly, “Stay here, or come home with me?”

“With you, with you, with you!”

Tan Zhuo clutched Chao Huai Du’s sleeve tightly, afraid he’d leave her behind.

Though she had many suitors growing up—some of whom tried to impress her with roses and gifts—this was the first time she’d encountered such a creepy stalker.

Especially one lurking in the shadows… and still watching her.

So terrifying!

The girl’s speech was fast, trying hard to suppress her fear, but the momentary panic and helplessness on her face, moistened eyes under the glaring white lights—every movement exuded a breathtaking beauty.

With such stunning looks and nourished by power and wealth, it was natural for her to fully radiate charm and beauty. But once she lost her shelter, standing within reach, everyone would want to pluck her away.

Rationally, she was trouble.

But possessiveness won completely.

The man coldly ordered the bodyguards, “Take down all surveillance equipment.”

“Find him. Handle it.”

Tan Zhuo, startled, became talkative. “Handle it—do you mean silence him?”

Chao Huaidu slowly lowered his eyes, his voice as cool and crisp as ever: “Scared?”

Tan Zhuo had only been joking, but Huaidu didn’t seem to be. “Maybe… we should let the police uncles handle it instead?”

Seeing she was truly afraid.

Chao Huaidu gently touched the corner of her reddened eyes with his clean fingertips. His cold tone finally softened with a bit of reassurance: “Don’t worry. The Chao family runs a legitimate business.”

Chao Huaidu’s residence, “Taihe Residence”, was located in the newly developed wealthy district of Jiangcheng, on Liqing Road. Rumor had it that a master from Beicheng was consulted, who claimed this spot had the best feng shui in the entire southern region. As soon as it went on sale, tycoons from across the country rushed to buy it. Some units were even auctioned at sky-high prices.

In private, insiders jokingly called it the “Emperor’s Palace”—a place only an emperor could afford.

These were very discreet rumors.

In short, anyone who could secure a villa here not only had wealth but absolute power.

Chao Huaidu had three units here.

And he combined them all into one massive estate, covering five to six thousand square meters, like a private manor. You needed to drive inside.

Tan Zhuo was, after all, a wealthy heiress. Pampered since childhood, she had seen the finest things—but… never anything like this.

So this was the true financial power of an aristocratic family.

And supposedly, this was only Chao Huaidu’s temporary residence.

She believed it now—it would take months just to tally up his assets.

This man was bold.

He didn’t even notarize the property. Was he really not afraid of a divorce and asset split?

After going through something terrifying and settling into an unfamiliar place, Tan Zhuo thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep. But unexpectedly… she slept through the night.

The next morning.

She was awakened by a phone call.

In the lavishly decorated room, sunlight spilled through the warm-toned stained glass, reflecting onto the enormous bed.

A pale, slender hand slowly reached out from under the blanket, fumbling around before finally grabbing the phone.

Still groggy, Tan Zhuo saw the screen: “Hello? Senior Brother?”

Mei Xiting: “Junior Sister, Mr. Yuan bought your blue-and-white porcelain vase!”

Tan Zhuo was instantly jolted awake by the windfall, sitting up straight. Her previously muffled voice turned clear: “99.99 million?”

“That’s right.”

“BE love is really expensive.”

She had listened to Mr. Yuan talk for hours about a tragic love story. She thought he’d try to haggle for a bargain.

Who knew he’d really pay that much, all for his elders’ eternal happiness in their next life.

Her first business deal had gone smoothly, and Tan Zhuo suddenly had confidence in her future antiques career!

After hanging up, the luxurious yet unfamiliar surroundings made her pause.

It took a moment before she realized—she was now living in Chao Huaidu’s home!

One step closer to becoming Mrs. Chao.

Even better, Chao Huaidu had given her her own private space.

No expectations of marital obligations.

Tan Zhuo let out a long sigh of relief.

She really wasn’t ready to spend every night beside a man, sharing everything, hiding nothing.

When she went downstairs.

The Chao family’s chef team had already prepared breakfast—both Chinese and Western styles.

The butler and servants stood by, ready to serve her.

They were far more disciplined than the staff her family had before going bankrupt.

Tan Zhuo saw nothing wrong with being waited on—she had been pampered her whole life.

Seeing that she was alone in the large dining hall.

She casually asked, “Where’s Chao Huaidu?”

The butler, unfazed by her casually calling him by name, replied, “Sir has gone abroad on a business trip. He’ll be gone for a week. Please make yourself at home.”

Huh?

Tan Zhuo looked around at the massive estate.

So it was all hers for the week?!

She could enjoy the high life without any painful spousal duties!

One good thing after another.

With Chao Huaidu away, Tan Zhuo wandered around a bit. Though the decor radiated aristocratic elegance, many details didn’t suit her taste.

It wasn’t quite comfortable. Some renovation was needed.

Although Chao Huaidu said to make herself at home… the question was, was she doing that as the owner, or as a guest?

That mattered.

Her eyes fell on a phone lying face-down on the table. She hesitated for a few seconds.

But she wasn’t the type to wrong herself. In the end, she followed her heart and opened WeChat.

To her surprise, Chao Huaidu was already on her friends list.

When did they add each other?

She remembered being interrupted by her senior brother last time—they didn’t add each other then.

Oh well, not important. What mattered now was clarifying her status in his home.

Unexpectedly.

As soon as she opened the chat, her unfinished message popped up:

【Your wife (……】

It had already been sent.

Your wife—Your wife—Your wife—

Tan Zhuo’s entire mind was consumed by those three words.

Alright, alright, alright.

No need to ask anymore.

Out in the world, status is what you claim for yourself.