Chapter 2 All Right, It's Settled

"You......" Jean choked as she heard his question. She blushed before she murmured to herself, 'Damn this businessman! The only thing he can think about are conditions.'

"Leave if you have nothing else to do, I'm going to sleep now, or......" Zed lifted a corner of his quilt and patted the pillow by his side.

Jean had spent the night preparing arguments for this discussion with her husband. After seeing Zed's subtle invitation, her mind turned blank.

She turned away but was reluctant to give up.

"If you don't want to give the land to Mr. Wen, then I won't divorce you!" With no other leverage, Jean was forced to use the divorce to bargain with Zed. After her exclamation, she turned and stared at Zed in anger.

"All right, it's settled." His voice was so indifferent that it sounded like he was making deals in the market, quick and decisive.

"What?" Jean balked as she heard his response. She thought she might have heard it wrong and stared at the man in dismay.

Zed closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

'What did he just say?

Stay married?'

Jean was stupefied. She thought she had imagined his response. There was no way that he was happy with this agreement and would want to stay married. She shook her head in disbelief. There was no denying that she heard him say "All right, it's settled," in his deep voice.

'Is he willing to stay married for that land?' 'It can't be that the CEO of a corporation would need the land so badly.'

"I never thought you would be so petty!" Unable to think of anything else as a retort, Jean clenched her teeth and left the room.

When Zed heard the door close, he opened his eyes and a faint smile played on his lips.

He was not being petty. He was reluctant to see her being taken advantage of by her father.

Once in the living room, Jean paced back and forth as she nibbled on her finger. From seduction to threats, she had tried everything she could think of. However, Zed remained unmoved. It was like he was immune to everything, good or bad. She had even been used by the heartless Zed Qi! And for what?

Now, not only had she failed to convince him to give the land to Mr. Wen, but she couldn't get divorced.

"No, he must be kidding. Why wouldn't he want a divorce? If he still intends on honoring the agreement, he will take me to City Hall tomorrow morning. Maybe then I will be able to negotiate with him." Chin resting on her hand, Jean Wen thought about her options. Exhausted from the emotional turmoil, she then quietly leaned against the sofa.

Jean spent the day watching TV in the living room. She hadn't been paying attention to what she was watching. Instead, she thought about strategies against Zed Qi.

By the time the sun set, Zed woke. He had slept the whole day! Hearing the shower turning on, Jean Wen snuck into the bedroom. Although upset, she made the effort to select his clothes.

Jean was convinced that she had to play up to that hateful man in order to get what her father wanted.

The bathroom door opened and Zed walked out. Towel in hand, he was drying his dripping hair.

Jean's eyes widened when she saw Zed appear before her. She had not been expecting him to be dressed only in a towel. He had wrapped it so low around his waist that she could see well past his six-pack abs to his apollo's belt. Contrary to his character, Zed Qi did have an attractive figure.

"What are you doing standing there?" The man asked in an indifferent voice before throwing the towel in his hands across his shoulders.

"Right, your clothes......" Zed's cold remark brought Jean back to her senses. She lowered her head as she handed the clothes she had picked for him.

Zed ripped off the towel around his waist without further thought and began dressing in front of her.

"Ah! You jerk!" Jean turned her head away. She was a smidgen too late though.

Ashamed and confused, she threw the shirt she was still holding at Zed angrily before rushing out of the room.

The man smirked. He finished dressing before checking the time on his phone. He frowned when he realized that it was late. He hadn't thought he'd sleep for so long.

He walked into the living room with a tie in his hand. When he spotted Jean, he gave the tie to her and ordered, "Help me with my tie."

Jean was still blushing. She cursed Zed secretly. There was no denying that she wanted him dead. However, Jean had to remain calm and appear pleasant. She smiled as she took the tie.

Standing on tiptoe, she put the tie around his neck. From a distance, the couple looked like they were close and in love.

Zed glanced at Jean. He noticed her quivering eyelashes. He smiled as she furrowed her brow in concentration. With rose-tinted cheeks and lips pressed, she looked cute.

Although he appeared indifferent toward her, Zed found Jean endearing.

"You are blushing. Are you shy?" Zed asked.

"No!" She promptly answered, but her trembling hands gave her away. She pressed her lips harder to control her emotions.

"It's not like you haven't seen me like that before." Zed enjoyed teasing her.

Jean frowned and tugged on the tie really hard.

"Ouch! Are you trying to murder your husband?" Zed held the tie with one hand and wrapped his other hand around Jean's waist. He pulled her to him.

Jean panicked and tried to push him away, but he was too strong. She struggled as he removed all distance between them.

"Tonight, come to an event with me and if you please me, maybe, I will give the land to your father." Jean felt confused by Zed's husky tone. He was normally so cold toward her.

She nodded and followed him without asking questions about where they were headed.

On the way, Jean thought about what Zed had said.

Please me, maybe, I will give the land to your father.

"Could it be that he wants me to entertain his business partners? And help him secure the project? Perhaps if I help him then he will give this land to father......" Jean muttered to herself as she tried to understand why he would suddenly change his mind. All this while, he had been stubborn about the land. He wouldn't even let her speak when she brought up the topic. Now, he was making her an offer. 'No, it couldn't be so easy, ' she thought.

Jean glanced at Zed hoping to judge by his expression. His face was hard and angled, like a sculpture. His brown eyes added a softness to his features that Jean found alluring. However, despite his outward charm, his temper was too much for her to handle.

"We have arrived, Mr. Qi." The driver said.

Jean looked away as the car stopped at a neon-lit, high-end club. She suddenly had misgivings about Zed's proposal.

"Get off." Zed spoke as he alighted from the car. Although he spoke in a cold tone, he held the door open for her like a gentleman.

"Hold my arm." He whispered in her ear.

Jean held his arm as she had been asked. She had to behave well. After all the tricks she had tried to get that land, drinking with his partners would be the least awful thing.

After they entered the club, an attendant showed them to a private room. Jean looked around and found that in the center of the room stood a decorated table with a seven-tiered cake. Although the room was big, it seemed crowded. Someone was playing the piano. Jean smiled and swayed a little when she recognized that the piece of music was her favorite song.

"Mr. Qi is here!"

As someone in the crowd shouted, the music stopped. A woman in a white, low-cut long dress sashayed toward Zed. Jean recognized her to be Eva Xu. She had been playing the piano when they entered. Was it her party?

"Here you are, Zed." Eva greeted him sweetly before she noticed Jean Wen standing beside him. Eva's smile froze. She frowned and asked, "Who is this?"

"My wife, Jean Wen." Though Zed had murmured, the room fell silent, as though all party attendants had heard and were in shock.