The wrong Xia Yuqing?

Lu Jinchen blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"What the hell just happened?" he murmured in disbelief.

Slowly, he looked down at himself. His eyes took in his unbuttoned shirt, exposed chest, belt discarded on the floor, and—most humiliatingly—his hands still bound.

That shameless woman! She didn't even bother untying him before leaving!

If anyone walked in right now…

Oh. They would definitely get the wrong idea.

But one thing was certain—his contract wife was completely crazy.

Muttering curses under his breath, he glanced at the cord binding his wrists. His eyes darkened when he realized what kind of knot she had used—a constrictor knot. One of the hardest ones to untie.

No wonder the damn thing kept tightening the more he struggled.

But wait.

Didn't the background check say she was a simple girl? A pitiful woman troubled by an ex? Someone kind-hearted and easy to manipulate or fool? Wasn't that how she got into his mother's good books?

Then why did it feel like the woman he read about on paper and the one he met today were two completely different people? Or did the definition of kind and simple change without him knowing? 

The woman he met was sharp. Agile. Her movements were graceful yet lethal. She was weirdly strong and surprisingly charming, her moves seductive, and her body soft...

Lu Jinchen paused, his expression turning cold.

What the…

Why was he reacting like some eighteen-year-old kid who had never seen a woman before?

Cursing loudly, he shook those ridiculous thoughts out of his mind. His jaw clenched as he replayed the encounter in his head. Did he marry the wrong Xia Yuqing? Perhaps, a mix-up, two women with the same name?

One—the obedient, quiet girl his mother wanted him to marry. The other—this lunatic?

No. That was impossible.

Gao Yiming was not only his assistant but also his best friend. There was no way he would make such a silly mistake. Shaking off these unsettling thoughts, his eyes returned to his most immediate problem— the bound hands.

Doubts lingered in the back of his mind, but first, he needed to free himself before someone saw him in this ridiculous state. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side today.

At that moment, the door swung open.

"Jinchen, why did Miss Xia run away? Did you scare her off? Didn't I tell you to be—" Gao Yiming's words trailed off as he took in the absolutely ridiculous scene before him.

He stared.

And then—

"Pffft… Bwahahaha! Hahaha!"

Lu Jinchen's face darkened. "Shut up."

But Gao Yiming doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Dude, what the hell happened?"

"My crazy contract wife happened!" he snapped, half from embarrassment, half from fury.

"What?!" Gao Yiming wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, still gasping for breath. "Miss Xia... she did this to you? Hahaha… I can't believe it!"

Lu Jinchen shot him a murderous glare. "If you are done laughing, help me." 

"I will," Gao Yiming nodded slowly. But instead of helping him right away, he did something that Lu Jinchen never expected. He took out his phone and pointed it towards him.

"Jinchen. Smile." 

Lu Jinchen's eyes widened in horror. "Yiming!" he warned through gritted teeth.

But it was too late.

Click. 

His embarrassing picture was taken. 

Then, still grinning, Gao Yiming walked over to help. He opened a drawer, took out a utility cutter, and began slicing through the cord. "I still can't believe Miss Xia put you in this state..." he muttered, amusement evident in his voice. 

But, Lu Jinchen's mind was on something else. "Delete that picture. Now," he demanded.

"Oh, come on! I need something to show your future kids—how their father met their mother for the first time."

Lu Jinchen scowled. "That'll only happen if she remains the mother of my future kids."

Gao Yiming raised a brow. "Are you planning on divorcing her already?"

Initially, he'd assumed Miss Xia would be like any other woman—fawning over his friend's good looks. But this? This was beyond his wildest expectations. She had single-handedly turned the mighty Lu Jinchen into a bound, flustered mess. He almost wanted to applaud her.

"Of course!" Lu Jinchen scoffed. "Do you think I'd stay in this ridiculous marriage after what just happened? That woman is insane! I should've had her take a psychiatric evaluation before marrying her."

Gao Yiming chuckled, shaking his head. "She seemed fine to me. Maybe you provoked her."

"No!" Lu Jinchen denied it immediately. "She jumped on me before I could even say a word! I'm telling you, there's something seriously wrong with her. Or maybe..." He hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Maybe you made a mistake, and I married the wrong person."

"That's impossible," Gao Yiming said cutting through the final strand of the cord, freeing his best friend's hands. "She is Xia Yuqing. The woman Auntie wanted you to marry. No mistake. No mix-up." 

"Then psychiatric help it is," Lu Jinchen sneered, rubbing his sore, reddened wrists. Damn woman! She had nearly injured him. If he didn't take revenge for this, then he wouldn't be the cruel and ruthless Lu Jinchen everyone knew him as.

"So, what now?" Gao Yiming asked, putting the cutter back inside the drawer. 

Lu Jinchen buttoned up his shirt, his fingers moving with deliberate calm. His expression, however, was anything but. "What else?" His voice was low, edged with irritation. "I thought I was marrying a simple girl. Someone quiet, someone who'd stay out of my way. A perfect little wife who wouldn't disturb my life. But instead...." 

He sneered.

"…I married a tigress with brain issues." 

Gao Yiming bit his lip, trying so hard to suppress his laughter. He had never seen his best friend this flustered over a woman.

And honestly?

He loved it.

Before today, he had no hopes for this marriage.

But now?

He hoped Miss Xia would stay.

Because if anyone could ruffle Lu Jinchen's feathers this much…

Then she was exactly the kind of woman he needed in his cold and boring life.