Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Contract
The set fell into a stunned silence.
All heads turned toward the man who had just entered. Tall, dressed in a tailored dark suit that screamed authority, with eyes as sharp as cold steel — the CEO himself had arrived.
Lin Chaoxi's breath caught in her throat.
Why was he here?
"President Shen?" the director stuttered, half-bowing as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We weren't expecting—"
"I know," Shen Muyan cut him off coolly. "I didn't come as a guest. I came to take someone home."
Every camera assistant, actor, and crew member turned their attention to Lin Chaoxi, who stood frozen mid-step in her costume, still wearing the fake blood from the earlier scene.
The director looked between them, unsure whether to continue filming.
Shen Muyan's gaze didn't waver. "Lin Chaoxi. Come with me."
Her fingers clenched. The audacity. He hadn't contacted her in days. And now he showed up, in public, claiming authority?
"We're in the middle of filming," she said, her voice calm but clipped. "You'll have to wait until I wrap."
Shen Muyan took a step forward. The air tensed.
"I don't wait. Especially not for my wife."
Gasps erupted across the set.
"What did he just say?
"His… wife?!"
Lin Chaoxi's face burned.
He wasn't just asserting power — he was blowing up her cover.
She strode up to him, her voice low but angry. "Are you out of your mind?"
He leaned close, so only she could hear. "You want the public to believe this marriage is fake? Or do you want the contract to stay intact?"
Chaoxi's jaw clenched. He was using the terms against her
"Fine," she hissed. "But you owe me.
He smirked. "I'll repay you tonight."
Before she could fire back, he gently took her hand, and in front of everyone, led her off set like a man reclaiming what was his.
The ride back to the penthouse was silent — at least until they were alone behind closed doors.
"You humiliated me in front of everyone," she said, kicking off her heels.
"I protected you," he replied, loosening his tie. "Do you know who that actor was? The one shouting at you earlier?"
"Who?" she asked warily.
Shen Muyan met her gaze. "Zhou Wen. He's connected to Jiang Entertainment — the company that tried to ruin you last year."
Her heart sank. "You're joking."
He stepped closer. "I wouldn't risk showing up unless I had to. I know you want to make it in this industry, Lin Chaoxi, but not at the cost of walking into traps."
She sank onto the couch. The contract marriage was supposed to be simple. Keep up appearances. Avoid scandal. Get what she wanted.
But she hadn't expected him to care this much. Or to look at her like she was something precious.
"I didn't ask for your protection," she murmured.
"You didn't have to," he said, sitting beside her. "You're mine — at least for now."
Their eyes met.
Something unspoken lingered between them. Something that wasn't just business.
And for the first time, Lin Chaoxi wasn't sure if the lines between fake and real hadn't already blurred.