Chapter 2 — The Salted Fish's Marriage

I immediately tapped on the video to play it. The footage did not show a face. The camera began with the sharp, clean-cut jawline of a man, swept over his moving Adam's apple, and then traced down his straight, proud collarbones. He looked as though he had just stepped out of a shower, dressed in nothing more than a loosely wrapped bath towel. Droplets of water tracked down his well-defined pectoral muscles and taut abdominal abs, finally vanishing deep into the V-line below. Behind him stretched the massive, floor-to-ceiling bedroom window, framing the breathtaking nocturnal panorama of the grand metropolis. It was aristocratic, deeply alluring, and practically radiating raw masculine hormones.

Thud.

The phone slipped from my grasp and smacked straight onto the head of Fortune. The poor feline was startled out of his wits, instantly leaping out of my lap and fleeing the scene. Forgive me, Big Brother Fortune! Mommy will compensate you later! Right now, my brain was utterly intoxicated and paralyzed by the thoroughly sensual spectacle unfolding right before my eyes.

The comment section underneath had completely lost its collective mind.
What in the absolute world! Is this genuinely something I am allowed to witness without paying a subscription fee?!
My sincerest apologies to the original poster, I was shouting too loudly just now, but may I ask if this man is currently lacking a wife? If he is not lacking a wife, might he perhaps be lacking a daughter?
That physique, that background, that aura... I hereby declare that this is the ultimate CEO of my deepest dreams!
So, exactly who is the lucky woman married to him?! I urgently wish to transmigrate and become his legal wife!

Some individuals had even begun to completely lose control online.
My dearest husband, I caught a glimpse of your abs, but it seems one of them is missing. Could that missing muscle perhaps be me, my precious treasure?
No words needed, just by gazing at this waistline alone, my imagination is already running wild... (the remainder of this comment was deemed too stimulating and has been censored by the system).

I buried my face in my hands, rolling around on the bed in a fit of helpless laughter. Mo-Yan, you have finally met your match today! I am dying to see just how long you can maintain that stubborn, unyielding facade of yours.

The following day, several of Mo-Yan’s close companions came over to the house for a gathering. Among them was a man named Zi-Yang, notorious throughout high society as an incorrigible playboy. Wrapping a familiar arm around Mo-Yan’s shoulders, he chuckled with a roguish grin, "Mo-Yan, not bad at all. You actually managed to marry such an absolute fairy of a wife and kept her hidden away all this time."

Mo-Yan's expression remained entirely devoid of emotion as he casually brushed the man's arm away. "It is merely a contractual arrangement."
"A contractual arrangement? Oh, I believe that completely." Zi-Yang leaned in closer toward me, flashing a playful, flirtatious smile. "Little sister-in-law, pay no mind to him. That fellow is simply all ice on the outside and warmth on the interior. Here, let us exchange WeChat contacts. Should he ever dare to bully you in the future, just report directly to me."

I smiled politely and reached for my phone, preparing to scan his QR code.
"Ahem."

A cough, neither too loud nor too soft, cut sharply through the air. Mo-Yan was holding a glass of wine, standing not far away, fixing us with a gaze as cold as glacial ice.
"Zi-Yang, do you happen to have an excessive amount of idle time on your hands?"
"Not particularly idle at all, I was merely showing some proper concern for my sister-in-law." Zi-Yang remained entirely unfazed.
"She does not require your concern."

Mo-Yan strode forward, naturally stepping in to place himself directly between us, effectively blocking Zi-Yang from my line of sight. He lowered his gaze to look down at me, his tone carrying an unreadable emotion. "Did you not mention earlier that you wished to visit the art exhibition? Why have you still not gone to change your clothes?"

I blinked in astonishment. When on earth had I ever claimed I wanted to go to an art exhibition? Yet, meeting his frosty glare—which practically spelled out the words "get lost immediately" in bold letters—I still obediently nodded in response. "Ah, yes, very well."

When I finally finished changing and came downstairs, the living room was occupied solely by Mo-Yan. He sat upon the sofa, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingertips, though he did not ignite it, merely turning it over and over in a slow, absentminded rotation. Upon seeing me descend, he extinguished the unlit cigarette entirely and rose to his feet.
"Let us go."
"Go where?"
"To see the paintings."

I was completely bewildered. You cannot be serious. We are actually going to look at art?

The art exhibition was exceptionally dull. Mo-Yan undoubtedly found it equally tedious, as he failed to focus for even a single moment throughout the entire duration. The two of us drifted like fish washed ashore, hopelessly lost within a vast ocean of high culture.

Stealthily, I retrieved my phone and updated the ongoing forum post.
New developments! She is attempting to add my good brother here on WeChat! Right in front of my very eyes! Is she deliberately testing my boundaries, or attempting to use reverse psychology to make me jealous? Her tactical maneuvers are growing increasingly sophisticated by the day.
Hmph, women. How could I possibly feel jealous?
It is simply that my good brother clearly suffers from a deeply flawed aesthetic judgment.

I nearly burst out laughing right then and there. Was his mouth truly the only part of his anatomy that refused to surrender?
Using my alternate burner account, I replied directly to his post: You are clearly consumed by jealousy, stop trying to deny it.
He instantly fired back: I am no such thing.
Me: You are.
Him: I already stated that I am not.
Me: You most certainly are, the pungent aroma of your vinegar is practically overflowing from the screen. Just admit it, you have fallen completely in love with your wife.

On the other end of the connection, silence descended once more. After a prolonged interval, a single sentence finally pinged through.
When one's heart is entirely devoid of women, the pursuit of wealth becomes truly divine.

I stared at that reply, then glanced sideways at Mo-Yan, who stood nearby radiating an aura that practically screamed do not approach me, feeling as though my brain were splitting neatly down the middle.

Inside the exhibition hall, the air conditioning was cranked to a bone-chilling level. I was dressed in relatively light attire and could not suppress a sudden, involuntary shiver.
Without warning, a suit jacket carrying the faint, crisp scent of cedar wood draped over my shoulders.

Startled, I turned my head abruptly, locking gazes with Mo-Yan’s profound, unfathomable eyes.
"Put it on." His tone remained characteristically indifferent. "Do not catch a cold. Medication expenses are far more costly than a jacket."

With that, he turned sharply on his heel and strode away, leaving me with nothing more than his aloof, retreating back. I tightly clutched the coat wrapped around my form, which still retained his residual body heat. Within the deepest chambers of my heart, a secluded little corner was gently tapped, as if by an unseen hand.

Upon returning home, the moment I slid his jacket off my shoulders, my phone chimed softly.
The forum post had updated once again.
She seemed somewhat chilly today, so I handed her my jacket. I was not showing concern for her; I was merely worried that if she fell ill, she might pass her germs along to me. Yes, that is precisely the truth.

The comment section erupted below:
HAHAHAHAHA the original poster is behaving precisely like an innocent elementary schoolboy desperately trying to save face!
That excuse was truly magnificent, though I strongly advise you never to attempt utilizing it ever again.
Stop stubbornly biting your tongue, it is glaringly obvious that you are deeply smitten with her!

The original poster's reply: I have stated repeatedly that I do not care for her in the slightest!