Chapter 7: I Will Cut Down This Jujube Tree
Cheng Yuan was taking a sip of water and nearly choked when he heard her words.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Cheng Yuan glanced toward the kitchen and lowered his voice. "Are you kidding me? We just met today, and you want to get married tomorrow?"
Worried Cheng Yuan would refuse, Lin Ruoxi quickly explained,
"Don’t be nervous. It would just be a sham marriage. We can sign a prenuptial agreement, and we’ll divorce after six months. Of course, I won’t let you get the short end of the deal. I’ll pay you a very handsome reward."
’A sham marriage?’
’That’s even harder to accept than a real one.’
Cheng Yuan had no desire to get a divorce on his record for no good reason.
"Miss Lin, you’ll have to give me a convincing reason."
Lin Ruoxi bit her lip. "I didn’t come to Luocheng on business or for a vacation. I came to escape my wedding."
"Escaping your wedding?"
"That’s right. My fiancé, Gu Chen, is a total psychopath. According to my investigation, all seven of his previous girlfriends were tormented into having mental breakdowns. How could I possibly marry a monster like that? If I’m already married to someone else, the engagement will be called off."
"Why would your grandfather push you into the lion’s den?"
"During the war, Elder Gu carried my grandfather out from a pile of corpses. When Elder Gu came to propose the marriage alliance himself, my grandfather couldn’t refuse. Besides, our Lin family’s Huanyu Group has run into some cash flow problems and needs the Gu Family’s help. So, Cheng Yuan, can you please help me?"
Cheng Yuan suddenly broke into a grin. "You trust me that much, Miss Lin? Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn this sham into a reality?"
"If you can make me fall in love with you in six months, then what’s wrong with making it real?"
Lin Ruoxi didn’t sound very confident as she said this. Although she had a good impression of Cheng Yuan, she knew her family would never approve.
Cheng Yuan gazed at Lin Ruoxi. ’She really is beautiful,’ he thought, ’so beautiful it makes my heart skip a beat.’
Who wouldn’t fall for a beauty of her caliber?
Cheng Yuan had thought their meeting was just a chance encounter with this goddess from the Mortal World. He figured they were like two intersecting lines, destined to part ways after their brief meeting and grow ever more distant.
He never could have imagined that this stunningly beautiful CEO would become his wife.
Even if only in name.
"I agree. But I don’t want to get a divorce after six months."
"Then you’d better work hard. I don’t mind your current situation, but my family is more pragmatic. They’re all about marrying into a family of equal standing."
"Give me six months. My power will far surpass that of the Huanyu Group!"
Lin Ruoxi couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.
"Cheng Yuan, do you know the market capitalization of the Huanyu Group? Seven point three billion! How could you possibly amass a fortune of over seven billion in just six months? That’s pure fantasy."
’Over seven billion?’
Cheng Yuan’s pupils constricted slightly. ’Lin Ruoxi’s family is even more powerful than I imagined!’
Before his awakening, that was a number he could only ever dream of.
But now, Cheng Yuan was surprisingly confident.
Worried that Cheng Yuan would back out, Lin Ruoxi smiled. "So? Are you scared now? Actually, you don’t have to surpass the Lin Group. As long as you can earn one million on your own within six months, you can gain my grandfather’s initial approval."
She said it lightly, but Lin Ruoxi wasn’t optimistic in the slightest.
’Even if Cheng Yuan earned ten million, my family would still look down on him, wouldn’t they?’
’It’s practically impossible for Cheng Yuan to win the Lin Family’s approval!’
’So, I have to keep reminding myself not to get too emotionally invested in this marriage. Otherwise, the divorce will be excruciating.’
’One million?’
Cheng Yuan’s heart settled. ’Just the medical fees from those big shots in prison already exceeded a million. Does this mean I’ve already got my foot in the door?’
As they were talking, a commotion erupted outside.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Someone was kicking violently at the small iron gate to Cheng Yuan’s family courtyard.
"Cheng Hongbing! Wu Xiuli! Open the door now!"
Cheng Yuan’s expression darkened. He opened the door to the veranda and stepped into the small courtyard.
A middle-aged man had gathered with several thuggish-looking youths at the iron gate.
The youths were holding various logging tools in their hands.
"Who are you? What do you want with my parents?"
The youths’ aggressive posture instantly deflated. They shot fearful glances at Cheng Yuan. ’We heard the son from this family went to prison for assault. He’s out already?’
The youths instinctively turned to look at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man, completely unintimidated by Cheng Yuan, strode forward with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down on him condescendingly.
"I am Mei Chao, the property manager of Huijing Garden. Your family’s jujube tree is interfering with the community’s overall landscaping plan. It must be cut down immediately!"
Cheng Yuan was furious. "My family’s jujube tree is in our own yard, not in the community’s public green space! What damn plan is it interfering with? Don’t you dare look down on us just because we’re from the countryside!"
A contemptuous smile touched Mei Chao’s lips. "There’s no use talking to difficult people like you. Open the gate! This tree is coming down today!"
"You can try."
Cheng Yuan silently picked up a flowerpot filled with soil, his cold gaze fixed on Mei Chao.
Worried things would escalate, Wu Xiuli rushed out and began apologizing profusely to Manager Mei.
"Manager Mei, I didn’t know that was your son, Xiaofeng! If I’d known, I never would have scolded him. Kids will be kids, right? So he stole a few jujubes and broke a branch, it’s not a big deal! I’ll have Xiaoyuan pick a few pounds of jujubes for you to take home to him! Please, just calm down. Can we please not cut down the tree?"
A flash of anger crossed Mei Chao’s eyes. "When did my son ever steal your jujubes? Don’t you dare slander him! You’re making it sound like I’m retaliating on purpose! Your tree does not conform to the plan! Cutting it down is perfectly reasonable, legal, and in compliance with the rules! Open the gate, or I won’t be so courteous!"
"Manager Mei..."
Wu Xiuli started to plead again, but Cheng Yuan cut her off. "Mom, there’s no need to beg him. I’d like to see just how ’courteous’ he stops being."
A vicious glint flashed in Mei Chao’s eyes. ’So what if the kid’s been to prison? I’ve got plenty of guys under me who have done time.’
BAM!
Mei Chao kicked the small iron gate open and shot Cheng Yuan a provocative look, his expression screaming, ’See that, kid? This is me not being courteous!’
Cheng Yuan wasn’t about to take that. He raised the flowerpot, ready to hurl it at him.
Terrified that Cheng Yuan would end up back in jail for assault, Wu Xiuli quickly grabbed him. "Xiaoyuan, don’t be rash! It’s just a jujube tree. If he wants to cut it down, just let him."
Not wanting to worry his mother, Cheng Yuan said gently, "Mom, don’t worry. I won’t lift a finger."
Only then did Wu Xiuli let out a slight sigh of relief and release her grip on him.
Mei Chao snorted contemptuously. "Listen up, kid! I’m telling you, this tree is coming down today!"
With that, Mei Chao snatched a chainsaw from one of the youths and strode toward the jujube tree.
A cold glint flashed in Cheng Yuan’s eyes. In a chilling voice, he said, "Mei, don’t say I didn’t warn you. My family’s tree is no ordinary jujube tree. It’s the Jujube Tree Immortal. If you dare touch it, you’ll suffer the consequences."
Mei Chao burst out laughing. "Just as I thought, a country bumpkin who still believes in this nonsense! That’s hilarious! Today, I’ll show you what happens when I cut down a ’Jujube Tree Immortal’!"
With that, Mei Chao switched on the chainsaw, which let out a piercing SCREECH!
Cheng Yuan flicked his finger, sending a wisp of black energy, invisible to the naked eye, shooting instantly toward Mei Chao.
The wisp of energy was incredibly sinister, disrupting the circulation of qi and blood in Mei Chao’s body. He felt a sudden numbness wash over him.
The next second, an unbearable agony shot through him, as if every single one of his Meridians was being twisted together like a rope.
"AHHH!!"
Mei Chao let out a squeal like a stuck pig, then collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.