Early autumn, in the cold city, at a construction site.
A young man in a coarse cotton shirt was working hard on the site, simultaneously joking around with his co-workers to help pass the boring time.
At that moment, a classic love song ringtone echoed out from his pocket, inviting hearty laughter from the workers around him:
"Jackpot, answer the phone quickly, find out, how much did you win this time! Haha......"
"Winning" phone calls, Ye Mo couldn't remember how many he had received. The first time he won was four years ago. This man really believed in it. He was so excited that he was howling, his face was red and almost made his coworkers die of laughter.
"Look at you, you're drooling all over your clothes! Wait until I really hit the jackpot one day; you'll be absolutely green with envy!"
"Hello, sis......"
Before Ye Mo could say more, the voice of an unfamiliar woman came from the other end: "Are you Ye Xuan's brother, Ye Mo?"
Ye Mo was slightly taken aback.
"That's me, may I ask who you are......"
"I'm Teacher Wang, Ye Xuan's home room teacher. Ye Xuan suddenly fainted in class and has been sent to the People's Hospital in town......"
On hearing his sister was ill, Ye Mo's face changed instantly. He swayed dangerously, and if it weren’t for the quick reaction of a coworker, he could have fallen off from a twenty-meter height.
Having lost their parents at a young age, Ye Xuan wasn't just his only family in this world, she was his everything.
As soon as he finished high school, Ye Mo brought his sister to Cold City to work. He worked to earn money for his sister's studies while self-studying to get a bachelor's degree.
An unyielding heart prompted Ye Mo to silently swear: One day, he would ensure his sister to had a carefree life.
Ye Xuan had fainted before, but out of concern for money, she adamantly refused to go to the hospital. Ye Mo couldn't persuade her otherwise and just had to let it go. Who could have guessed it was actually kidney disease...
After some inquiring, the cost of dialysis for this disease would be tens of thousands a year, plus other miscellaneous expenses like medical treatment, postoperative immunosuppressant drugs, nursing care fees, and more, the total could easily add up to 100,000 to 200,000.
If this money could cure her, it would be worth it, but all it does is effectively control and slow the disease progression, essentially buffering the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. By the time the patient needs to wait until both kidneys have failed, it would be too late.
The only cure is a kidney transplant.
Ye Xuan is the only family Ye Mo has left in this world, and he must save her. The question is, where the hell can you get the money?
He hadn't visited his hometown in years, and couldn't count on his distant relatives. As for his coworkers, they couldn't possibly gather much. In his anxiety, Ye Mo really hoped that the "pay big bucks for heirs" wasn't a scam.
With his robust physique and decent looks, he could carry the lineage forward for several infertile men...
In his despair, a friend who used to work on the construction site and is now working at a matchmaking company called.
"Ye Mo, there's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A wealthy and beautiful woman is seeking a husband. With a little 'disguise', you'll surely meet the marriage conditions. Wanna give it a shot?"
"A wealthy woman?" Ye Mo's eyes lit up, he knew what the words meant. Vaguely, he seemed to see piles of red bills floating before his eyes...
"Yes, listen carefully, the marriage conditions are basically this: she's looking for a male partner under conditions of a reversal of conventional roles, the guy should be honest, naïve, diligent, timid, weak, and introverted."
Hearing Yang Lin's words, Ye Mo expressed his doubts: "Isn't her requirement too low? Are you sure that she's not a burly old woman?"
"There's no deceit, we've always had a good relationship, I wouldn't trick you. I guarantee she's a charmer. I've seen her photos. She looks pretty, like the Goddess of Mercy from TV dramas. If it weren't for the fact that you need money more urgently than I do, I'd gamble on it myself."
"If she's really what you described, this woman must be out of her mind, or perhaps is just bored. It doesn't look like she's looking for a husband, but like she's looking for a housekeeper!"
"You should know by now, city folks love to play games, love excitement. Maybe she's trying to annoy her parents, intentionally seeking a man like this to vex them. Or she might be frigid, have no interest in romance but purely wanting to have a child."
The more logically Yang Lin analyzed, the more unreliable Ye Mo felt, and he gently replied, "Let's forget it. Even if I marry into the girl’s family instead, we still have to live together for a lifetime, if there are no feelings at all, isn't that harmful?"
"What are you afraid of? If it really doesn't work out in the end, just get a divorce!" Yang Lin was somewhat frustrated with Ye Mo's perceived lack of ambition and added, "Oh right, the other party specifically wants a mute."
"A mute? A rich and beautiful woman? Ha…" Ye Mo mumbled, shaking his head and chuckling bitterly. The world of the rich was truly incomprehensible.
"Are you in or not? Give me a clear-cut answer, they are being very insistent, if you can't make it, I'll find someone else," Yang Lin urged impatiently.
Ye Mo was silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor declining. "Why are you in such a hurry? Marriage is a major matter in life, let me think about it for a while. I'll give you an answer in three days."
"Alright then, think it through. You know once you miss out on this opportunity, there won't be another one."
After hanging up the call, Ye Mo sank into contemplation. The other conditions were manageable, as a man, he had learned to adapt and endure, but being a mute was an issue. Maintaining silence for a day or two was fine, but it would drive him crazy to stay silent for a lifetime! And what if he got exposed one day, how would he handle that?
However, standing in the hallway of the hospital room, looking through the door's glass at his peacefully sleeping sister, Ye Mo made up his mind.
...
This was a nice coffee house, where Ye Mo finally got to meet the rich and beautiful woman Yang Lin had mentioned.
Her long hair was loose, a pair of lovely eyebrows curved over her big eyes, her nose was delicately shaped, the blush on her rosy cheeks, and the white dress outlining her figure, presented a picture of extraordinary elegance.
Beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful!
In all his life, Ye Mo had never seen such a stunning woman.
At this point, the woman had already sat down opposite him. Unconcernedly, she glanced at him, taking out a folder from her bag, coldly started, "I don't have too much time to chitchat with you. I only want to ask a few questions, you only need to nod or shake your head, understood?"
Ye Mo was taken aback, the person was so aloof. But thinking about the money needed for his sister's medical treatment, Ye Mo endured it.
"You're Ye Mo?"
Ye Mo nodded.
"Do you meet all the requirements for this marriage proposal?"
Ye Mo pursed his lips and slowly nodded.
"Do you have any objections to the requirements of this marriage proposal?"
Ye Mo opened his mouth, paused for two seconds, and shook his head vigorously.
"Do you think you could be a qualified son-in-law?"
Ye Mo shrugged, and nodded.
"Do you think I am beautiful?"
Ye Mo paused slightly, and nodded vehemently.
"Hmpf!" The woman sneered, a sneer lifting the corners of her lips, her disdaining eyes filled with contempt, as if she was saying: Like you would know what beauty is.
Hearing the sneer, Ye Mo was nearly driven to an explosive anger.
"I am giving you three days. After three days, come to Chu State and marry me. I warn you, if you dare to go back on your word, you will meet a gruesome end!"
This... it's over just like that?
Ye Mo felt a bit dumbfounded.
Driving a luxury car, living in a mansion, and sleeping with a beautiful woman—this dream many men strive for their entire lives, he, a mere common laborer, had somehow achieved in just five minutes!
Stupefied, he watched the alluring figure that was gradually moving away and couldn't help but slap himself hard.
Smack!
Accompanied by a ringing in his ears, Ye Mo grimaced, rubbing his aching left cheek.
Oh right, what was her name again...
