Bind By Contract Or Love

Mr. Lu, didn’t you swear you’d never get married? Brat—marry before you turn 26, or get out of Lu Group. Xiao Bing, did you find a marriage candidate for me? Ah—yes! He’ll be here any second… wearing a white dress. I’m here to get married—not to start a fight! Shoo! Shoo! And you—out too! How’s the Prince? Did he agree? Given your looks, he’s offering a 500,000yuan dowry—and insists on registering the marriage immediately. He’s already waiting for you at the Civil Affairs Bureau—just go straight there. Got it—I’ll be there right away. If you don’t repay the 500,000 yuan within one week, we’ll seize the property by force. Don’t worry, Grandma—I’ll figure something out. Grandma, I will save our home. Oh, every time I see you… Hey—you’re still lying there? Get up! Are you okay? How on earth did you ride that bike? Do you treat human life like a joke? I’m sorry—it was my fault. He’s the marriage candidate Liu Sheng found for me.

How about I compensate you with some money? No need—let’s just proceed with the marriage registration. You don’t even look seriously injured—surely you don’t expect me to hand over my entire self as compensation? I’m the one who asked you to register with me. Oh… alright, then let’s go in. Mmhmm. My bargainbasement husband isn’t half badlooking. Yeah, he’s handsome—and has a decent physique too. Did you bring the money? Here—500,000. 500,000? Wasn’t it agreed to be 3 million? For someone like you? Three million? That’d be enough for me to marry six people. Pathetic broke loser—wasting my time. This is your payment—3 million has already been deposited. It’s not 3 million. Five million? Fine—five million. Wait—no, ten million? Don’t get greedy. The money’s already been transferred. Account number for the deposit. I’ll contact you in one year to file for divorce—we’ll meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau then. Got it? Hello, Grandma—I’ll be home shortly. Hey, honey? It’s me. We’re filing for divorce at the Civil Affairs Bureau in thirty minutes. No problem, right? Yeah—no problem.

Ah, I completely forgot! Oh, where did I put the marriage certificate? Where’s the marriage certificate? Grandma, have you seen my marriage certificate? What’s wrong? What’s going on? Have you seen my marriage certificate? Marriage?! Oh no—why on earth would you need that dirty old thing? No—it’s not “that dirty thing”—it’s the marriage certificate! You know, the little red booklet—this big! Ugh—you should’ve just said “marriage certificate” right away! Come on, I’ll go get it for you. Here it is! Let me—let me grab it! Why is it all scratched up like this? What did he look like again? Oh dear—I had no idea it was so important! I used it to prop up the wobbly table leg… Did I damage it? No, no—it’s perfectly fine! Don’t worry about it, Grandma. Good, good—that’s a relief. Mmhmm. Mr. Lu, you have a meeting scheduled shortly—and yes, you’ll be meeting your wife. Mr. Lu—is this a date with the Madam? Please go prepare. Yes, sir. Mr. Lu, the gifts are ready. These days, it’s practically standard to give the wife gifts during divorce proceedings—after all, isn’t divorce kind of like a oneyear anniversary? Shall we cancel the gifts then? No—leave them. Since they’re already prepared, just give them all to her.

Give me the marriage certificate. Mr. Lu, Dr. Xiao just called—Grandfather has discontinued his treatment and secretly returned to China. What?! Stay here and deliver the gift to Madam. Yes, sir. Where is he after I leave? The CEO had prior commitments and left early. This is the gift he prepared for you—all of these are for me. Yes. My “bargainhusband” sure is generous. Hello, Ms. Lin Zhiyi? Congratulations—you’ve passed the preliminary screening for the Marketing & Planning position at Lu Group. We’d like to invite you for an inperson interview tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Lu Group’s headquarters. Are you available? Yes, yes, absolutely! OK—go get yourself all dolled up for the interview. Hi, I’m here for my interview—could you tell me where to go? Thank you. Sorry, so sorry—I’m rushing to a meeting, really apologize! Watch your step—don’t slip or fall! Let me pick that up for you.

Are you looking to buy a property? This is the floor plan for Longteng Huafu. I reviewed their project materials last night—the layout is square and welldesigned, with four southfacing rooms. Take a lookthe kitchen, dining area, guest bathroom, and study are all positioned on the north side—so the living room, master bedroom, children’s room, and elderly parents’ room all face south. Hmm—you’re from the Marketing & Planning Department? Oh, no—I’m here for an interview today. I happened to review several of their flagship projects last night, so I recognized this one right away. That’s rare. Not many young people take the time to do their homework these days. Thank you for the kind words. Let me help you over there. Wait—hold on! Just a moment, please. Thanks so much! Ms. Xiao Hua. You’re welcome—go on up; I’ll head out now. Hey—what’s your name? Lin Zhiyi. Ah—best of luck with your interview! Thank you—I hope your words come true! We haven’t found any trace of the elder anywhere else—he may already have arrived at the office. Mr. Lu, you’re back. Don’t worry, Mr. Lu—I’ll make sure to select top talent for the company during today’s interviews. You’re blocking my way. Ah Sorry—I’ve got somewhere to be. I’ll take my leave now. Honestly—these days, anyone and everyone dares show up uninvited. Not even a shred of professionalism. If only we could meet Mr. Lu in person… There’s no way he’d personally interview lowlevel candidates like us. If I could land a spot in the Secretary’s Office—even just once, I might get to see Mr. Lu up close. Lin Zhiyi—please come in for your interview.

Mr. Lu, our team didn’t meet the elder at the airport—where’s Old Tian? He wasn’t there either. I see… Grandpa, Grandpa—please sit here. Grandpa, your health hasn’t fully recovered yet—why did you sneak back to China without telling anyone? You’re the one who should be ashamed! It’s been a whole year—and still no granddaughterinlaw brought to meet me? Wait—did you even get married? No, Grandpa—I showed you our wedding photos! Just the cover page—that doesn’t count! I demand to meet my granddaughterinlaw—or I won’t live another day! Alright, alright, alright! Fine, Grandpa—if you rest and take care of yourself properly, I’ll bring her to meet you. Deal? Done. One month—that’s all you’ve got. Oh—and by the way… There’s a young woman named Lin Zhiyi who came in for an interview today. Hire her. Grandpa, our company hires based on merit—not connections. No backdoor entries allowed. Enough talk. I like her. Yes, Grandpa—I’ll hire her. Let me escort you home. No, no—I’ll go myself. Good morning, interviewers. Here’s my resume. Is that… you? Excuse me—have we met before? Don’t play innocent! What exactly are you packing up to leave with? You haven’t even looked at my resume—and you’re already dismissing me? What criteria are you using? We don’t need to look. People like you don’t belong here—take your documents and get out. I don’t understand what you mean. You deliberately tripped into Mr. Lu’s arms—trying to climb the ladder with cheap tricks. Think no one saw it? I don’t even know who “Mr. Lu” is! And you’re punishing me over baseless suspicion? Yes—I’m deliberately making things difficult for you. So what? You’re grasping at straws and twisting facts. With people like you as secretary… I’d honestly rather not get used to it.

Why does this person look so familiar? Who’s Miss Lin Zhiyi? Oh, that’s me. Major in Planning and Marketing. Is the Planning Department still hiring? Mr. Mu, the Planning Department isn’t shortstaffed. Then join the President’s Office as an intern assistant. Liu Sheng—handle her onboarding. Yes, sir. Follow me, please. Okay. That scheming woman—she’s already latched onto Mr. Lu! Don’t get too cocky just yet.

You’re the new woman who just joined the company. What do you want? How dare you hit me? You were harassing me—I was being lenient just slapping you. Didn’t you try to seduce Mr. Gu the moment you walked in? So what if I touched you a little? Who the hell do you think you are—some pure, virtuous saint? Mr. Lu! You’re not walking away from this. Mr. Lu—what’s going on? He grabbed me—groped my butt! Mr. Lu, I’m innocent! She’s the one trying to seduce me—using me to climb the corporate ladder! I have no idea how someone so morally corrupt even got hired here—whose bright idea was that? My recommendation? Fire him. He was my hire—so tell mewhat exactly is he?

Mr. Lu, I was wrong—I sincerely apologize. But please, believe mehe was the one who made a move on me just now! That’s complete nonsense. Mr. Lu, I’ve worked diligently and loyally at this company for years—you must trust me! You’re fired. Did you hear me? Get out—now. Why am I being fired when he harassed me?! I’m not firing him—I’m asking him to resign. I heard everything he just said. You won’t be wrongly accused. Mr. Lu, I know I messed up—I truly do! I have aging parents and young children depending entirely on me… Please, give me another chance—just one more! Hmm… Thank you. Mr. Lu, keep up the good work. Yes. Lin Zhiyi. Hmm… Why do I feel like I’ve seen him before? Liu Shuai. Mr. Liu. Go fetch my marriage certificate for me. Okay… Oh, by the way—what was the name of the match you introduced me to last year? Oh—Ma Xiaoya. Ah, looks like I misremembered. Ms. Liu, is there anything I can assist you with? Ah… Come with me, please. Yes. Here are our company’s property development materials—take them and familiarize yourself with them first. Got it. Found it yet?

Oh, Mr. Lu, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. It’s okay—did you find it? No, not yet. Ms. Liu, what are you looking for? Ah—the marriage certificate. The marriage certificate? Need me to help you search? No, thanks—I’ll handle it. Could you please go to the Planning Department and fetch the latest marketing proposal for Longteng Huafu? Mr. Lu needs to sign it right away. Got it. Mr. Lu, I truly know I messed up—please don’t fire me! I have a plan. To keep you on board. You must help me—I can’t let the company be renamed “Lu Group.” I’ll help—but first, do one thing for meget Lin Zhiyi out of Lu Corporation. Lin Zhiyi? He’s the reason I got fired in the first place! Don’t worry—I’ll make it happen. Go ahead. Lu Xingzhi—I’ll drive away every scheming woman who dares lay a finger on you. You belong only to me. What are you doing? L—Lu… Mr. Lu.

“From now on, no one is allowed into my office without my explicit permission.” “Yes, sir, Mr. Lu.” “Get out.” “Ah…” “What are you doing here, Lin Zhiyi?” “Trying to flirt and show off in front of Mr. Lu again?” “I’m here to deliver the marketing proposal to Mr. Lu.” “Hand it over—let me see it.” “Why did you hit me?!” “What did I do?!” “Youwithout authorization altered the marketing plan! Do you have any idea what would happen if we executed it? Not a single unit of our property development would sell!” “So you’re trying to sabotage this project?” “I didn’t touch the plan at all—I just picked it up from the Planning Department!” “Still lying? Today I’ll discipline this lowlife on behalf of the company!” “What are you going to do?!” “Hey—!” “Let go! Let go!” “What’s going on?!” “Mr. Lu! Mr. Lu!” “Mr. Lu—this woman tampered with the marketing proposal! It’s severely damaging the company’s interests!” “Mr. Lu, I swear—I never touched the plan!” “She’s lying! Where’s the original version? Did she secretly sell it to a competitor?” “What else do you have to say for yourself?” “I swear on my life—I only followed Secretary Liu’s instructions to retrieve the documents. I didn’t even open the cover—there’s no way I could’ve tampered with anything!” “Hmph. Stop pretending—you’re just trying to soften Mr. Lu’s heart.” “Enough! When was the last time you saw this proposal?” “Right after I picked it up, I passed by the pantry and grabbed a glass of water—that’s probably when it got swapped. We can check the security footage!” “The pantry cameras have been broken for days—don’t try to play the victim and the thief!” “Security—pull up the pantry footage now, Mr. Lu! And yes—the cameras were repaired just a few days ago.”

Who is that? Didn’t he get fired? Then why is he still in the company? Bring Hu Lei here—now. Let me go! What gives you the right to arrest me? The evidence is right here—you’re still trying to deny it? Tell usWhy did you swap the documents to frame me? I… Think carefully before you speak. I—I just couldn’t accept it. I wanted Lin Zhiyi fired too. But I never meant to harm the company! Save those excuses for the police. Move—now! Chen Zhiyi, due to your failure in handling this matter, you’re terminated. Why?! It’s already been confirmed—I didn’t do it! Mr. Lu. We found it. It’s my fault. I lost your marriage certificate. However, Mr. Lu—I checkedif Mrs. Lu still has her copy, you can proceed with the divorce process normally. A marriage certificate? He’s married? Understood. Cancel—no, get out. Mr. Lu. My husband.

Hey, we’re not related at all! Don’t go saying things like that. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you should leave. Get out—now! You too—get out! Ah… Yes, sir. Hey—sorry, something came up this morning, so I’ll have to head out early. Are you crying? It’s fine. You came to talk about the divorce, right? I’d like to postpone the divorce by one month—and I want you to come home with me as my wife, to meet my grandfather. Don’t worry—I’ll compensate you for this month’s expenses. No need. I still have the money you gave me back then. You’ve done me a huge favor—you’re practically my savior. How could I possibly take more money from you? Relax—I’m really good at winning over elders. I’ll handle the divorce myself. Oh—by the way, one more thingI lost my marriage certificate. Do you still have yours? What? Yours is gone too?!

Yours is missing too. It’s my fault. I’ve lost your marriage certificate. Just now, Secretary Liu said Mr. Lu’s marriage certificate is missing. What are the odds? If both certificates are gone, this really is a problem. Mine isn’t missing—I just found out a colleague of mine also lost theirs today. What on earth was I thinking?! Could my “mysterious husband” possibly be Mr. Lu?! Oh. Are you going through a tough time? You were crying just now. Even though our marriage is fake, “one day as husband and wife binds you for a hundred days.” If you’re struggling with something, please tell me—I’ll do my best to help. Mr. Lu and Mr. Zhao have arrived. It’s fine—I’d just been fired by my boss when you called, so I lost my composure. Work at your company? No need—don’t worry. I’m the kind of person who falls somewhere… and gets back up right there. Your boss fired you? He must be blind. Yeah—he definitely is.

Sure enough, you shouldn’t badmouth people behind their backs—talk about the devil and he’ll appear… literally trip over him. I’ll hang up first—I’ve got something urgent. I’ll text you later. Mmhmm. Lin Zhiyi, aren’t you Mr. Lu’s personal assistant? Then do you know who his mysterious wife is? We all thought Mr. Lu was the ultimate golden bachelor—turns out he’s been married all along. Heartbroken. Even if he weren’t married, he’d still never be yours! Hey—rumor has it Mr. Lu is planning to divorce his mysterious wife. Is that true? No idea. Fingers crossed it is true—then maybe I still have a shot. You all have way too much free time, don’t you? Pack up your things—and get out of here. Now. What the heck is going on?! Hey, Su Su—do you know Mr. Lu’s schedule for today? His schedule is strictly confidential—only Sophia and Secretary Liu know. Then do you happen to know who the company’s currently negotiating a deal with? Word is it’s Mr. Zhao from Tiankai Group. Hey—where are you going?! Master.

“Back already? Bring me the medicine.” “Why are you here?” “How did you know I’d be here?” “Nobody told me—I figured it out myself.” “The company’s been negotiating a partnership with Tiankai lately, and Mr. Zhao loves this restaurant.” “I came to see you because—” “…You’ve been scheming to get close to me. What’s your endgame?” “I just wanted to tell you—I’m fully capable of doing my job.” “And besides—it was Hu Lei who messed up. Why am I the one getting fired?” “I can’t stand incompetence—and I’m not wasting breath explaining myself to you.” “Oh—sorry, Mr. Lu! Let me help you—sorry, let me help!” “Lin Chunyi.” “If it’s urgent, come in.” “Yes.” “Step aside.” “I need to know why.” “Fine. Then I’ll tell you—exactly why.” “You’re my assistant—not a messenger pigeon. Files got swapped right under your nose. Do you really think you’re doing your job well?” “What?!” “Mr. Lu…” “Dare you make a bet with me?”