Chapter 3 — Kissing the CEO by Mistake, Winning the Ideal Husband

Indeed, after all, she was just an ordinary wage earner; negotiating one's rights and benefits was the final vestige of personal dignity. Shen Mo seemed rather pleased with my sudden shift in attitude.

Compensation for lost time, emotional damages, a wardrobe allowance—he would cover the lot.

He named a figure. A figure that nearly caused me to faint on the spot. I found myself... shamefully moved. My self-respect was crumbling inch by inch beneath the sheer weight of that number.

"Furthermore," he added, "during the term of our contract, any trouble you encounter at your workplace, I will personally resolve for you."

Those words delivered the knockout blow. I recalled Director Snow White, who constantly oppressed me, and remembered the project proposal she had brazenly stolen from me... If I could manage to slap her across the face in return... this deal didn't seem like a loss at all.

"Deal!"

As I uttered those two words, it felt as though I had just sold my soul to the devil. The corners of Shen Mo's lips finally curved upward into a triumphant smile. He withdrew a document folder and a pen from his suit jacket and handed them over to me.

"Look it over carefully. If there are no issues, sign it."

I took the papers and glanced through them—it was a pre-prepared "love contract." Party A: Shen Mo. Party B: Lin Wan. Duration: three months. The clauses were crystal clear, with rights and obligations specifically detailed, and even confidentiality provisions thoroughly outlined. The corner of my eye twitched involuntarily. This tycoon had truly prepared this in advance! Trembling, I signed my name in the space designated for Party B.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Shen Mo retrieved the contract and extended a hand for a handshake. I stared at his long, slender fingers, then down at the "indentured servitude agreement" in my own hands, feeling like crying without tears. Bowing one's head for a meager five buckets of rice—that was truly me! I hadn't just kissed a handsome man... I had just kissed an executioner, and then willingly signed my own death warrant!

The second day after signing the love contract happened to be the weekend. I had expected things to go as they usually did—sleeping until I woke up naturally, then lounging around the house like a salted fish all day long. Instead, right at eight o'clock in the morning, my phone rang incessantly. It was an unfamiliar number. I kept my eyes squeezed shut as I swiped to answer, my voice still filled with the lethal hostility of someone rudely yanked from their slumber: "Who is this?! Don't people deserve to live this early in the morning?!" The other end fell silent for a few seconds. Then, a low, magnetic male voice purred, "Your boss." I bolted upright instantly, wide awake. That voice... it was Shen Mo! I stared wide-eyed at the screen, my heart nearly skipping a beat. "Shen... President Shen?!"

"It seems your sleep hasn't rotted your brain yet." His tone remained utterly calm, devoid of any discernible emotion. "Give yourself half an hour to get ready. I'm downstairs."

"Huh? What are you doing at my place?" I asked blankly.

"Fulfilling girlfriend duties."

With that, he decisively hung up the phone. I sat holding the device in a daze for several seconds before finally digesting his words. Fulfilling... girlfriend duties? Today? Right now? I let out a wail, pulled the duvet over my head, and thrashed back and forth across the bed. I was merely an employee who had sold her soul for money! Why on earth did I have to wake up early to "play girlfriend" as well?! Capitalism was truly heartless! Despite my internal rebellion, I dragged myself out of bed like a ghost possessed. When I flung open my wardrobe, I froze in despair. T-shirts, hoodies, jeans... nothing but the epitome of casual, everyday commoner clothing. Where on earth was I supposed to find an outfit suitable for entering high society?! The minutes ticked away, heightening my panic. Finally, I rummaged through my clothes and unearthed a beige midi dress I had worn to the company's year-end gala the previous year. It was the most expensive piece I owned. After applying light makeup and letting my hair cascade down, I looked in the mirror and felt as though... I were preparing for the most important job interview of my life. Nervous, anxious, and harboring a lingering trace of... anticipation? Pah! Lin Wan, pull yourself together! This is just a job! I raced downstairs, and the moment I stepped outside, I spotted a luxurious black Bentley parked curbside. Shen Mo was leaning casually against the vehicle, dressed in simple casual attire that stripped away his usual corporate coldness and added a touch of everyday gentleness. He watched as I approached, his gaze lingering on me for a few seconds. I flushed under his scrutiny and instinctively tugged my dress down a fraction.

"You look lovely."

He spoke softly, his voice drifting like a breeze. My face burned crimson. This was the first time he had ever complimented me. He opened the car door for me, and I slipped inside. The interior was spacious, lightly scented with the familiar woody fragrance that always clung to him.

"Where are we going?" I fastened my seatbelt and asked in a small voice.

"My place."

"Huh?"

"A family gathering," he replied succinctly. "I need an official girlfriend to shut my relatives up."

My heart instantly leaped into my throat. Our very first "date" was meeting the family? Wasn't this pace... a bit too fast? The car glided smoothly, eventually halting before a heavily guarded villa complex. The ancestral estate of the Shen family was a sprawling classical Chinese-style compound that felt both elegant and quietly opulent. I trailed behind Shen Mo, my palms slick with nervous sweat the entire way. The moment we stepped inside, dozens of gazes converged upon us simultaneously. The living room sofa was packed with people—some elderly, others around our age—resembling a vast, sprawling clan. I felt like a little white rabbit that had stumbled into a den of wolves, ready to be torn to shreds at any second.

"Little Mo, you're back." A kind-faced elderly woman spoke up, her gaze shifting toward me. "And who might this be?"

"Grandmother, this is my girlfriend—Lin Wan."

Shen Mo wrapped an arm around my shoulder, drawing me to stand right beside him with a casual poise as if we had been together for ages. I offered a strained smile and bowed my head in greeting. "Hello, Grandmother."

"Oh my, what a sweet girl. Come, sit down quickly."

The matriarch seemed quite taken with me, pulling me down to sit right next to her. What followed was essentially an interrogation disguised as a family chat.

"Little Wan, where is your hometown?"

"What do your parents do for a living?"

"How did you and Little Mo meet?"

Drawing upon my years of corporate survival skills, I maintained the proper rhythm, politely and fluently answering every question. Shen Mo and I had rehearsed our script beforehand, and I had memorized it front to back. I recounted how we met at an art exhibition hosted by a mutual friend, and how it had been love at first sight for him. As I finished, I felt his shoulder tremble slightly. Was he laughing at me? That entire meal felt like sitting on a bed of nails. Halfway through, a gorgeously dressed young woman chimed in with a saccharine smile:

"Sister Lin Wan, I heard you're just an ordinary office worker?"