Chapter 1: The Flash Marriage to the Female CEO

“After marriage, I’ll be the breadwinner and you take care of the home. If everything goes well, I plan to have a child in two years. No rush on the wedding; you decide the bride price. I already have the car and house. As for pocket money... I’ll give you 30,000 a month to start, and if you perform well, I’ll increase it.”

Chen Fan, who had been woken up by his mother’s barrage of calls at six in the morning to go on a blind date, felt much of his resentment dissipate the moment he heard “30,000 pocket money a month” after waiting over half an hour at the café.

June in Sucheng City was sweltering, with nine out of ten young women on the street showing off their charms. But the woman in front of him was different—dressed in professional office attire with a vest draped over her shoulders, as if the heat was nothing to her.

Her face was a perfect oval, lips red and teeth white, with a stunning figure. She looked like she had no trouble breaking into showbiz on the spot, and judging by her demeanor, she was clearly wealthy.

Someone like her actually came to a blind date?

Chen Fan couldn’t quite understand.

Peng Jiaxin frowned slightly, glancing at the time.

“If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, you can say it.”

“Uh... no, do you want me to introduce myself?”

The woman’s powerful aura reminded Chen Fan instinctively of the stern-faced interviewers he had faced before, and his tone became unexpectedly respectful.

Peng Jiaxin nodded. She didn’t know much about Chen Fan either, but his first impression was good—fair-skinned, somewhat handsome, patient enough to listen to her despite her being late, and without complaints.

He didn’t seem very wealthy but was neat and tidy, with well-groomed clothes and hair, showing he was taking this blind date seriously.

“My name is Chen Fan, 24 years old, 184 cm tall, no bad habits. I currently make a living writing novels. I’m a jack of all trades, master of none, no car or house, but I do have some savings.”

On a blind date, honesty was key. Chen Fan didn’t want to cause fights over these matters after marriage.

“Chen Fan?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

Peng Jiaxin fell silent. If she remembered correctly, the person her mother set her up with should have the surname Xiao, though she’d forgotten the full name. It definitely wasn’t Chen Fan.

Most likely, she had the wrong blind date.

But then again.

They were just randomly picking someone to settle down with. Whether it was right or wrong didn’t matter, as long as he was to her liking.

“I’m Peng Jiaxin, 27, CEO of Starsea Company.”

Peng Jiaxin leaned forward slightly, clasping her hands under her chin.

“To be honest, Chen Fan, what do you think of me?”

“You’re beautiful and rich. I never imagined I’d be connected to someone like you in this lifetime.”

Peng Jiaxin, a little embarrassed by Chen Fan’s blunt compliment, cleared her throat lightly.

“Speak plainly.”

“I’m very satisfied.”

“So shall we get married now?”

“Okay... huh?”

The civil affairs bureau opened at nine. They finished registering at 9:10. Peng Jiaxin gave Chen Fan a taste of high society.

Chen Fan also experienced the new policy firsthand—just presenting an ID card and the matter was settled.

“Add me on WeChat?”

“Sure.”

Peng Jiaxin was decisive. It was clear from her immediately pulling Chen Fan along to get the marriage certificate after liking his look. After adding each other as friends on WeChat, she held his hand and took photos with their red marriage certificates to announce it on social media.

After posting, she didn’t let go but looked at Chen Fan.

“Do you want to take a photo too?”

Chen Fan shook his head.

To be honest, he was still dazed. How could his values be so swayed just by appearances?

He felt ashamed of himself.

Peng Jiaxin didn’t mind; official announcements didn’t matter to her as long as they were married. She glanced at her watch—it was almost 9:30.

“Let’s chat on WeChat if anything comes up. I have to go to work now.”

“Okay.”

Chen Fan released her hand, discreetly wiping sweat from his palm.

“Take care on the road.”

“Mm.”

He saw her into the car. After hesitating a moment, Peng Jiaxin rolled down the window.

“I know an old Chinese medicine practitioner who treats physical weakness. I can recommend him if you want.”

“...No thanks, I’m in good health.”

She shrugged and drove away.

Chen Fan thought the day’s bizarre events were over, but a call from his mother after he got home left him even more baffled.

“Wait, Mom, you mean I stood up the blind date today?”

“Heh, keep pretending.”

Chen Fan felt embarrassed, staring at the marriage certificate in his hands.

Then who was the person I actually registered with?

Desperate times!

“Mom, you might not believe it, but I’m already married... to the blind date I met this morning.”

Chen’s mother: “???”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“It’s true.”

Chen Fan sent photos of the marriage certificate to his mother.

There was silence on the other end, and after a long pause she said slowly,

“Son, you didn’t get duped into a marriage scam, did you?”

Though worried about her son’s love life, she wasn’t desperate enough to arrange a marriage on first meeting.

“Uh... she seems richer than me and is a company executive. You can even find her online.”

“What’s her name?”

“Peng Jiaxin.”

Chen’s mother hung up quickly. Chen Fan knew she was off to search for information about his “cheap wife.”

He lay back on the sofa, recalling the morning’s events.

“This is surreal...”

Almost like he had traveled through time.

Indeed, Chen Fan had transmigrated. A year ago, he woke up in this parallel world where entertainment reigned supreme but the culture was somewhat shallow. Everything else was similar to his previous life.

After an hour of sorting through and accepting the situation, he decisively quit his low-paying job earning 2,800 a month and became a full-time writer. Thanks to a novel titled “Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River,” he achieved financial freedom.

Perhaps that was the only benefit of transmigrating. He remembered everything from his past life clearly.

Yet even so, he couldn’t escape his mother’s matchmaking schemes.

Chen Fan knew his mother’s intentions—to get him over his previous relationship quickly.

But...

The original self’s pathetic behavior had nothing to do with him.

Someone who had chased after a girl from high school through college, never gaining her affection. On the eve of graduation, he watched the so-called childhood sweetheart climb into the passenger seat of a luxury car, yet refused to give up. For a woman who wouldn’t even wear the lipstick he gave her during their kiss to make him feel involved.

The original self was so absurd that he gave up a stable local university job recommended by his mentor and followed the woman to Sucheng, a first-tier city, a year ago.

Besides low pay and high living costs, he had suffered from severe discomfort due to the change in environment, confined to a cramped rental for over a week.

To pay rent and buy gifts for her, Chen Fan worked intensively every day until one day, on the way to buy her a present, he stumbled and fell—never to wake again.

That was when Chen Fan took over.

He locked away those memories deep in his mind—they were so ridiculous that even he felt ashamed to recall them.

A notification chimed on WeChat. His mother sent several 60-second voice messages.

Chen Fan listened. The gist was:

“Peng Jiaxin is a good woman. Treat her well. Your father and I will come see our daughter-in-law soon, and talk to her parents about the wedding.”

“Mom, let’s not rush the wedding. Peng Jiaxin is at a critical point in her career and can’t be distracted.”

“Okay, but it’s no problem for us to come visit, right?”

Chen Fan’s parents were still a little worried he might be scammed. Understandably so, given the original self’s outrageous past behavior.

Chen Fan understood perfectly.

“Of course.”