Chapter 36: A Sham Marriage

"And what about you?" Su Mian did not want to keep venting her frustrations to Wen Ke-ning, especially since her friend's current situation was arguably even more dire than her own.

"Don't even mention it. You know how shallow the Wen family is. If they were just barely keeping up appearances before, now they can't even maintain that. They want to use me as a bargaining chip for business resources. I suppose they see me as just an adopted daughter and have decided to treat me as a disposable pawn."

Su Mian hugged her, feeling a sharp pang of sympathy. The two of them were truly the most miserable souls on earth.

Suddenly, Wen Ke-ning had an idea. "What do you think we should do in a time like this?"

Their eyes met, and they instantly knew what the other was thinking.

"Eat lobster, drink beer, and drown our sorrows."

They were of one mind. Su Mian placed an order on her phone while helping Wen Ke-ning find some clothes and freshen up. By the time the food arrived, they were settled, sitting at a small table and discussing the meaning of life.

Wen Ke-ning downed a drink and a piece of lobster, looking somewhat disheveled from her recent tribulations; the image of the wealthy socialite she once was had completely vanished.

"What do you plan to do next?" Su Mian already had her own plans, and she hoped there might be something she could do to help Wen Ke-ning.

"I think if I don't get married, they won't let this rest. So, my idea is to find someone and have a flash marriage!"

Su Mian was stunned, her lobster leg dropping onto the table. "Are you serious? That’s way too reckless!"

"It’s a fake marriage anyway, just something to get them off my back. Do you have any connections?"

Su Mian closed her eyes, mentally scanning the eligible men she knew. When she opened them again, she blurted out the name: Huo Bei-han.

"Huh? Who is Huo Bei-han? Is that someone I can use as a human shield? Find me someone reliable. I have absolutely no interest in the elite social circles."

"Why not? Aren't the wealthy circles quite good?" Su Mian asked, failing to understand.

"You don't get it, do you? If it’s someone from a wealthy family, even if it’s a fake marriage, it will eventually lead to tangled conflicts of interest. It's too much trouble."

Once it was put that way, Su Mian understood immediately.

"I see. Then I understand. I'll keep an eye out for colleagues at the office, and if anyone is willing, I'll introduce them to you."

"Okay, thank you, my dear."

The two continued to chat aimlessly, but it was clear that Wen Ke-ning was taking this matter very seriously.

"No, I remember there's some popular dating app these days. Let me see if I can find someone on there."

Su Mian said nothing, just smiled at Wen Ke-ning, thinking she was grasping at straws and would surely find nothing.

Wen Ke-ning uploaded her information and began swiping through the users.

"Look, this one seems to have good credentials." She found a profile and handed her phone to Su Mian.

Su Mian glanced at the person’s photo and profile. "Why does this person look so familiar?"

"Maybe all handsome men look like that. Even if it's a fake marriage, I shouldn't sell myself short."

"True, you have high standards anyway, so you shouldn't settle for less."

"Then I'll try to set up a meeting, but I'm worried there might be risks. Will you come with me tomorrow?"

Su Mian thought she was joking, but after a few seconds of silence, she realized she was serious and sighed. "Fine, I'll go with you." She would have to keep an eye on things to make sure her friend didn't fall into a trap.

The next morning, Su Mian got ready and prepared to go to work.

"Are you in such a hurry, babe? You’re in this condition; shouldn't your company let you rest?" Wen Ke-ning asked, looking at Su Mian with sleepy eyes from the bed.

"I’m almost fully recovered. If I don't go back, I'll just fall further behind on my work. Don't worry." After all, she was an employee, and she didn't want to be treated as a special case.

Her colleagues were surprised to see Su Mian, and she brushed off their greetings one by one. "Don't worry, I'm really fine. I’m off now, meeting time."

Su Mian grabbed her documents and followed her colleagues into the conference room. This senior-level meeting was primarily focused on investment planning, and the major client representatives were also attending. She had chosen to come in today not only because she was feeling better, but also because she wanted to learn more about investment strategies.

Just as Su Mian sat down, she saw a figure enter, surrounded by a crowd. Huo Bei-han walked to the client's seat under everyone's gaze, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sat down.

Their eyes met, and Su Mian felt awkward, immediately lowering her head to organize her files. However, as she listened to the reports from her colleagues and the insights from the senior staff on investment schemes, she became so absorbed that she completely forgot Huo Bei-han’s presence.

Huo Bei-han, sitting at the front, kept glancing in her direction.

"Alright, our side has finished speaking. Let’s hear some thoughts from the fresh blood."

As a new hire, Su Mian naturally had to step up to present her ideas. Had it not been for the incident a few days ago, she would have already detailed this proposal to each department.

"I believe the most important thing in investment is to look at a company's prospects. For example, the few companies I’ve selected have quite good development paths. I’ve done the background checks, and they are suitable for investment. We could proactively reach out to them, and in doing so, we could raise..."

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Sun Qian sitting nearby.

"Wait a moment. Although I’m not in your department, President Lin, allowing a new hire to express an opinion is fine, but since this directly determines our investment direction, isn't that being a bit too reckless?"

Just as Lin Mu was about to explain, Su Mian stood up and looked Sun Qian in the eye.

"The purpose of this meeting is to point out issues in each person's proposal, not for you to make decisions on behalf of the boss. If you say that a new hire is not qualified to speak, then you’ve been here for so long—where are your achievements?"

Su Mian’s tone was calm as she stated the facts, but Sun Qian’s expression turned increasingly ugly.

"I was just offering a friendly suggestion, I didn't mean anything else by it." Sun Qian, lacking a strong argument, saw her voice and confidence falter.

"Su Mian is right. The reason the company recruits new talent is to hear different perspectives. We'll discuss your department later; for now, we need to clarify the investment direction with the client."

If Su Mian’s words had been a silent slap to Sun Qian’s face, Lin Mu’s words had completely crushed her.

"That is all I have to say. As a new hire, I still have many shortcomings, and I ask everyone to please point them out." Su Mian finished, bowed, and sat back down.

Lin Mu leaned in toward Huo Bei-han to begin discussing with the others. Sun Qian intentionally moved next to Su Mian and whispered, "You did that on purpose."

"If you put that narrow-mindedness into your work, maybe you’d actually achieve something. Besides, you were the one who started the trouble by making things difficult. President Lin hates team discord, especially in front of the clients. Do you really think you’ll come out of this unscathed?"

Su Mian had only four words for Sun Qian: all brawn, no brain.

Sun Qian instinctively clenched her fist, snapping the pen she was holding in half. The sharp *crack* caused the clients to stop their discussion and look over.

Su Mian looked up, only to find that everyone was looking at Sun Qian.

Only Huo Bei-han was looking at her.

Without even trying to hide it.