The Two-Month Contract

In a prestigious, yet overlooked corner of the magnificent Hang Shi Group, a corporation whose name commands respect, I, Ye Shang, 24, was a mere temporary employee—a tiny speck of dust navigating the concrete labyrinth under the heels of the elite. My fate took a drastic turn on the worst possible day: the day I was laid off. As I cleared my desk, a call from the hospital delivered a crushing blow: My mother was in critical condition, requiring immediate, prohibitively expensive surgery. Tears mingled with the cold rain as I fled the building, plunging into despair.

In that moment of absolute hopelessness, destiny led me to Chu Han. He stood before the hospital entrance, tall, wearing a simple white shirt, yet exuding a chilling, inaccessible aura. His deep, dark eyes lowered slightly when he looked at me, seemingly with purpose.

“I can help you,” he stated, his tone absolute.

“Why?” I asked, wary and choked up.

“In return, you will marry me for 60 days.“

I thought he was jesting, but he presented a formal contract: A two-month marriage, no conjugal obligations, no probing into each other’s private lives, and a settlement of 3 million yuan upon divorce. The staggering amount took my breath away.

“Why me?” I asked. Chu Han remained silent for a long time. Later, I would realize that question was the beginning of every secret. For my mother, I signed. From that day, I was the legal wife of a complete stranger.

The most perplexing thing was that Chu Han, my husband, was seemingly poor—at least by his presentation. He lived in an old apartment near the outskirts, rode a rattling electric scooter, and often wore black t-shirts and sweatpants. Had it not been for his visually arresting, perfect physique, no one would believe he could afford the 3 million yuan in the contract.

On the first day, looking at the sparsely furnished room, I asked anxiously, “Are you sure you’re okay? I can go back to work; you don’t need to pay me so much.”

Chu Han’s eyes darkened instantly. “A contract is a contract. You only need to be my wife for exactly two months.”

We lived together like roommates: He cooked noodles for me in the morning, waited for me to come home to eat dinner. He was quiet, even mournful, as if burdened by immense solitude.

Gradually, I noticed his oddities:

• He always took calls on the balcony or disappeared for entire days.

• One moment, he appeared poor; the next, he unconsciously revealed the cold charisma of an inaccessible elite.

• He bore a long, sharp, old scar on his shoulder—the kind of wound sustained by someone who had been through severe hardship.

Once, when he had a fever, I touched his forehead. Unexpectedly, he held my hand, his voice hoarse, “Let me lean on you for a moment.” I was flustered, but allowed him to rest his head on my shoulder. In that instant, I saw the strange tenderness and deep-seated pain beneath his indifferent exterior.

Until one evening, I caught him in front of the mirror, taking off his shirt, revealing a body of cold, hard muscle and a fresh, long gash on his back, as if cut by a sharp object.

“What happened? Who did this? Why…” I panicked.

His gaze was razor-sharp. “You are not to ask.“

“But you’re bleeding! You have to go to the hospital!”

He lowered his voice, full of secrecy: “No need. This is related to my identity. It’s better if you don’t know.” His tone was cold, but the pain hidden in his eyes choked me. I had a premonition: Chu Han was absolutely no ordinary man, and I was being drawn into his world.

In the early days, I still believed Chu Han was merely a quiet man with a difficult secret. But that feeling shattered late one evening.

Leaving work around 9 PM, I walked down the empty street. About 40 meters from our apartment, I saw two men next to a black van, staring intently at our building. A sense of dread washed over me. Just as I was about to retreat, one of them muttered, “That’s her.“

Before I could turn, a strong force pulled my wrist into the shadows behind an abandoned building. It was Chu Han.

He pulled me tight against his chest, forcing me to bury my face into his shoulder. “Don’t look,” he whispered, his voice low and laced with anxiety.

My heart pounded. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone is following us.”

“Following… us?”

Chu Han’s voice was heavy. “No. Following me.“

“But why do they know about me?”

He paused. That second lasted an eternity. Then, he lowered his voice, a deep resonance that sent shivers down my spine: “Because they think you are my weakness.“

My head snapped up, my heart skipping a beat. Weakness?

Chu Han looked directly into my eyes, his gaze profound, dark, and filled with an ambiguous emotion that terrified me—not of him, but of the feeling growing in my own heart. “Yes, they know I care about you,” he said softly yet clearly, leaving no room for denial.

I was stunned into silence. From that moment, I understood that Chu Han’s ordinary, poor life was merely a thin veneer. That night, Chu Han held my hand.

“Pack your things; we’re moving tonight.”

I was overwhelmed. “Why are they after you? Are you involved in something dangerous?”

He was silent. In the darkness, I saw a flicker of something like the fear of loss in his eyes. “Shang, right now, you just need to trust me.“

We moved to a much more upscale apartment—key card elevator, heavy surveillance, 24/7 security. Standing in the spacious living room, I felt wrong. How could Chu Han, the man on the electric scooter, afford this luxury? I looked at him.

---

The Night the Secret Unraveled:

A few days later, on a fateful Thursday evening, I went into the living room to find my phone charger and overheard Chu Han in the kitchen. His voice was low but distinct:

“Young Master, the cleanup of the rival’s shares is complete. I’ve dealt with the people following the Young Madam.”

“Don’t call her that.” Chu Han’s voice was ice-cold. “She has nothing to do with the Chu family’s affairs. If anyone touches her again, I won’t hold back.”

The glass in my hand immediately trembled and dropped to the floor with a crash. The conversation ceased.

A second later, the kitchen door burst open. Chu Han stood there, his eyes like daggers. I instinctively recoiled. “Who are you? Tell me! We’re husband and wife!”

He approached, stopping right in front of me. “Do you really want to know?” he asked, his voice low. “It’s dangerous.“

“I want to.”

Chu Han stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes darkening. Then he leaned down and whispered close to my ear, “Once you know, you won’t be able to escape me.“

I whispered back, “Why would I want to escape?”

Chu Han froze. He breathed slowly, gently lifting my chin. “Because you are very important to me.“

That night, he opened a large suitcase hidden in the built-in wardrobe, pulling out a thick file. His hand slightly trembled, indicating that the truth was heavier than anything I had imagined. He pulled me close, his gaze utterly serious.

“I only need you to remember one thing. No matter what my identity is, no matter how much danger is outside, don’t leave me.” He lightly bowed his head, forehead touching mine. “Can you promise me?”

I bit my lip, my heart racing uncontrollably. “Yes,” I replied, not knowing why the answer came so easily.

Chu Han smiled faintly, a rare and tender expression that made me want to cry. “Then let me tell you who I truly am.”

He opened the thick file. The first page read: CHU SHENGHAN, the heir of the Chu Corporation, whose logo I recognized from the city’s largest commercial tower.

“Chu Corporation… You’re from the Chu family?”

Chu Han looked up, his eyes eerily calm. “I am the heir of the Chu Corporation.“

I was stunned. “Impossible! You lived like a normal employee, rode an electric scooter, and stayed in that old room with me!”

“I did it deliberately, Shang,” his voice was warm but heavy. “The Chu family is a dangerous vortex. After my father’s early death, the power chain was chaotic. I had to disappear from the public eye; otherwise, I would have lost my life long ago.“

“And the people following us?”

“They belong to the faction trying to overthrow me. They know how to hit where it hurts.”

I swallowed hard. The weakness is me.

Finally, I asked, “Did you marry me… because of them too?”

Chu Han looked at me for a long moment, his eyes no longer cold or guarded, only holding a tiny, hidden ache. “No.” He answered firmly. “I married you because you gave me a sense of peace I’d never known. I needed a false identity, a simple life to evade them. But I never expected you would become what I want to protect the most.“

My face flushed hot. I hesitated, trying to formulate a further question. Chu Han looked at me intently, lowering his voice. “You want to ask if I like you, don’t you?”

“No, that’s not…” I stammered, my face crimson.

Chu Han stood up abruptly, moving to sit right in front of me, just a breath away. “I like you, Shang. Don’t doubt it.”

I was dumbfounded. The declaration hit me like a shockwave.

“But I won’t pressure you,” Chu Han whispered, his finger lightly tracing the back of my hand. “You just need to be honest with yourself, and don’t run from me.“

I looked up into his deep eyes. “I won’t run.“

IV. Conclusion

From that night on, our life shifted into a new phase—both dangerous and unbelievably warm. Chu Han drove me to work on a powerful black motorcycle, entirely different from the scooter. In his leather jacket, he exuded a heart-stopping danger and charm.

But the peaceful days were short-lived. A week later, the doorbell rang. Chu Han’s face changed as he checked the camera. He pulled me into the bedroom, his voice stern: “Stay here. Do not come out. If anything happens, I need to ensure your safety first.”

A strange man’s voice echoed from the living room: “Young Master Chu, it’s been a while. I’m just here to inform you. You should prepare for this Eastern meeting; our faction won’t play nice anymore.” The conversation grew tense.

Then, the man said his final sentence: “Your people won’t be safe anymore, especially that girl.“

I froze. The door burst open in a split second. Chu Han spun around, catching sight of me. His eyes immediately changed. “Shang, I told you to stay put!” His voice was hoarse with panic.

He lunged and pulled me into his embrace. The other man sneered, “It seems the rumors are true. She is indeed your fatal weakness.“

Chu Han turned his head, his eyes glaring daggers at the opponent. “Shut up!” He used his body to completely shield me. I had never seen Chu Han radiate such raw danger.

After the man left, Chu Han turned back, holding my face in both hands. “You are not to leave my side, not even for a step. They know you exist now.”

I looked at him, my fear mixing with something stronger. I gripped his jacket. “I’m not going anywhere.“

His eyes darkened with fire. “Shang,” he called my name huskily, then held me tightly, as if I would vanish if he let go.

Later that night, I sat with him. “What are you going to do next?”

Chu Han leaned back on the sofa, his eyes on the ceiling. “The Chu Corporation’s war has begun. I have to go back.“

“Go back?” I stiffened. Reveal his identity?

“Yes,” he nodded. “I can’t hide forever, and I won’t allow anyone to touch you.” He looked deeply into my eyes. “Just stay by my side; that is enough.“

I nodded determinedly. He pulled me into his embrace, burying his face in my shoulder. “Shang, after it’s all over, I will give you what you want.“

---

The Final Choice:

After Chu Han shielded me with his body, getting a glass shard cut on his back, I knew I was no longer just a contract wife. His every action screamed that I had been important to him for a long time.

That evening, as I treated my minor injuries, Chu Han walked in. He took the ointment from my hand and sat beside me, applying it gently and slowly. His hands were strangely warm.

“Does it still hurt?” he asked. I shook my head.

“Are you afraid of me?”

I paused. Afraid? Not of him, but of my own emotions—of liking him, of depending on him, of the day this contract responsibility ended. I gently shook my head.

“Shang,” he said after a long silence. “The marriage contract, if you want to end it, I won’t force you.” His voice was hoarse. “But I hope you will stay.“

The next day, we arrived at the Chu family estate—this time, together.

Chu Elder Master stood among a long line of people. “Chu Han, are you serious about bringing your wife home this time?”

Chu Han squeezed my hand gently, his voice deep but clear: “I have never been serious about anyone but her.“

The Elder Master looked at me for a long time. “If you are to be the Chu family’s daughter-in-law, I will not treat you poorly. But whether she agrees is up to her.”

All eyes turned to me. My hand trembled slightly in Chu Han’s, but I didn’t pull away. I wasn’t ready to be a powerful daughter-in-law. I just… I turned to the man beside me. “I just want to stand by his side, nothing more.“

Chu Han was taken aback. The look in his eyes was like a dark sky illuminated by a tiny, warm flame.

---

Victory and Proposal:

The situation escalated. The Shen faction spread malicious rumors, and the press erupted. Chu Han stayed awake for countless nights. When I found him slumped over his desk, I touched his shoulder. “Get some rest.”

He pulled me onto his lap, holding my waist tightly. “I’m afraid you’ll regret choosing to stand by me.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t regret it. What I fear most is you pushing me away.“

Chu Han lifted my chin, his eyes burning hot. “I never had any intention of letting you go.” He kissed me, a powerful kiss that sought to etch me into his heart.

Three days later, Chu Han counterattacked. The Chu family refuted all the false news with solid evidence. The Shen faction was blindsided. Chu Han stood on the rooftop of the Chu Corporation building that morning, his jacket lightly fluttering.

He turned to me, his smile tired but brilliant. “It’s over.”

I ran and embraced him. “I’m proud of you.“

“I only won because you stood by my side,” he said. “You gave me faith. Enough for me to fight the whole world.“

Chu Han stepped back, looking at me intently. “Shang, as of today, we end the contract.“

I froze. He took my hand and placed it over his heart.

“Because I don’t want you to be a paper wife anymore.” His voice was choked. “I want you to be my real wife, the woman I love. The one who will walk with me to the end of my life.“

I stood frozen. Chu Han lowered his head, looking straight into my eyes, word for word. “Will you marry me?“

I laughed through my tears. “I stood by you when everything was unclear. How could I say no now?“

Chu Han held me tight, like a treasure. “Thank you for choosing me.”

I hugged him, closing my eyes. “It’s not choosing… I love you.“

Chu Han froze, then squeezed my waist tighter. “I love you too, more than you know.“

In that moment, I knew I had truly entered his world—not because of a contract, not because of responsibility, but because of love.

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