Chapter 93

 

Miss Ming could consider… keeping me.

That was truly unexpected…

For those words to come out of Liang Jiancheng’s mouth.

Was this even logical? A minor upper-middle-class woman keeping a tycoon?

Completely illogical! A total violation of market economic principles! If the Professor were here and heard Boss Liang say this, he would probably frown and scold him, saying that this was indeed something a capitalist like Boss Liang would do— turning everything into business, making money at any given opportunity.

However, when Liang Jiancheng proposed this arrangement, Ming Xi was not only surprised but also unexpectedly tempted—

Compared to being Liang Jiancheng’s secret lover, she really wanted to be his secret client.

Better for her pride. Better for his interests.

The white motion-sensor light above suddenly turned on, then slowly went out again.

In the shifting light and shadow, their faces remained close, the stairwell so quiet it felt almost surreal. Their breathing was clearly audible. After a long silence, Ming Xi’s lashes trembled slightly. She asked the most essential question — just as the light came back on.

“Is it expensive?”

Liang Jiancheng smiled.

His gentle smile seemed to possess a magical quality, drawing Ming Xi’s gaze to him intently. In such close, focused stillness, she saw warmth shimmering there — like a gentle night breeze stirring quietly, not cold at all, yet effortlessly stirring her emotions.

He looked slightly embarrassed too, cleared his throat lightly, and said: “It’s my first time doing this kind of business. I’m not quite sure how to quote the price. How much is Boss Ming willing to offer?”

Ming Xi pressed her lips together, then pouted faintly, replying, “Too expensive, I can’t afford it.”

“Oh… then the price is negotiable.”

Even if Boss Ming decided to default on payment in this matter, he would accept it.

Liang Jiancheng gently took Ming Xi’s hand, recalling his emotional freefall on New Year’s Eve, and how his heart had pounded uncontrollably when he saw her car in the underground parking garage. He was instantly overwhelmed with emotion and relief.

Sure enough, he saw Ming Xi sitting alone here. She had taken the initiative to find him and even offered to maintain a romantic relationship with him. She tried hard to hide her embarrassment, bold and courageous, yet unable to shake off self-blame and insecurity. Since that’s the case, then let’s try a different approach, one that allows Miss Ming to stand tall.

And in this world, who stands tallest and most justified?

Aside from God, it’s the customer who pays.

“Boss Liang, you’re not joking, are you?” Ming Xi asked again, calmer now, still half-skeptical.

As long as they could be together, he was never rigid about form. Liang Jiancheng’s gaze was clear and firm, his tone calm yet thoughtful. He politely replied, “Of course, it has always been my honor to receive Boss Ming’s favor.”

The highest level of negotiation was never aggressive pressure — it was irresistible sincerity and conditions.

The most beautiful game was always mutual benefit.

Ming Xi reached out, openly stroking the clean line of his jaw. Her slender fingers traced upward inch by inch until they pressed lightly against his lips. She gently pressed her lips together and said, “Alright! Since Boss Liang is willing, I will definitely give you a sincere price.”

Liang Jiancheng’s lips moved slightly: “I look forward to Boss Ming’s offer.” ”

Boss Ming had truly grown bold this year — daring to keep a man. And such a high-grade one at that. Ming Xi laughed so hard her head almost touched his. Then she asked the piercing question: “Liang Jiancheng, aren’t you afraid your mother will scold you?”

No.

“One cannot monopolize privilege too obviously. Officials shouldn’t be allowed to set fires while forbidding commoners from lighting lamps.” This is the first time Liang Jiancheng had so brazenly ridiculed his mother.

But…

Young Master Liang, you’re not the one keeping her, you’re the one being kept!

Fine!

Since the proposal was acceptable, then they would negotiate properly.

Two businesspeople discussing serious matters — especially involving money — could not rely on verbal agreements alone. It had to be written in black and white.

In Liang Jiancheng’s study, they quickly drafted a document titled ‘Special Contract Agreement for Liang Jiancheng’s Personal Affection.’ Given that Party A was willing to provide stable, long-term emotional care and certain material support, Party B voluntarily agreed to be kept. On principles of fairness, voluntariness, and mutual pursuit, both parties agreed to the following:

The contract term was three years. Party A (the keeping party): Ming Xi, and Party B (The kept person): Liang Jiancheng.

The printer on Liang Jiancheng’s desk slowly produced two contracts for the arrangement. The contracts were already written, with the initial term set at three years. It also stipulated that if either party breached the contract, they would have to compensate the other for emotional distress.

Then, Liang Jiancheng personally handed the two contracts and a ballpoint pen to Ming Xi. Although the contract date was set, the amount field was still blank.

Boss Liang was very polite, repeatedly saying the price was negotiable, leaving the amount blank for her to fill in herself.

Ming Xi held the pen in her right hand, her left lightly pressing the paper. She shot Liang Jiancheng a suspicious glance, and before writing down the amount, she hesitated again at the three-year term, biting her lip and saying, “Can’t we sign one year at a time?”

No. Liang Jiancheng shook his head mercilessly at her.

He had almost given up all his rights just to secure this period; Boss Ming couldn’t go back on her word again.

Ming Xi wasn’t going back on her word; she was putting herself in Liang Jiancheng’s shoes. She spoke her sincere thoughts: “The price I can offer this year is definitely not high. If we sign a contract every year, when my value increases, Boss Liang will also have the opportunity to raise the rate.”

Liang Jiancheng shook his head slightly again—no.

“It’s fine, Boss Liang isn’t short of money.” Liang Jiancheng clearly refused.

She pressed her fingers to her temple, still hesitating.

Liang Jiancheng patiently sat opposite Ming Xi, his well-defined hands elegantly interlocked, his handsome face exuding an extraordinary air. Seeing her still tangled in the duration issue, he smiled — that half-smile, negotiable yet persuasive: “I drafted a three-year term for Boss Ming’s benefit as well. Over these years, I’ve observed that Boss Ming is extremely slow to warm emotionally. One year is far too short. Given how busy we both are, the time we can spend together each week is limited. Our three years may equal only one year for others. If we sign annually, I may not be able to guarantee… the quality and frequency of my services.”

Ming Xi let out a soft “Ah.”

Someone was speaking brazen words in a perfectly proper tone — and she blushed in a perfectly proper way. However, now that she was the client, Boss Ming forced herself to remain composed and lowered her head to review the contract again, focusing on the responsibilities and obligations of both parties.

One key clause read: If Party A breaches the contract, Party B has the right to enforce contractual benefits until the term expires. If Party B breaches the contract, Party A shall receive compensation equal to twenty times the original support amount.

If Liang Jiancheng were to fall for someone else within three years — or decide to get married — would he really compensate her twentyfold?

Ming Xi held the slim ballpoint pen, its tip gliding smoothly over each line of text. It was her first time signing such a peculiar contract, and she felt an inexplicable thrill. Reading it from beginning to end, it looked as clear and reasonable as the lease she had signed years ago.

Except—

How much should she write in the amount field? What would be appropriate? Ming Xi was truly in a dilemma. She needed to act within her means without making Liang Jiancheng feel too wronged… The contract was for three years, with payments made annually. Regarding this, Ming Xi casually asked Liang Jiancheng, “Does this have to be paid yearly?”

On this point, Liang Jiancheng was even more straightforward. “Boss Ming, you don’t need to worry about payments. If you encounter cash-flow issues in the future, monthly, quarterly, or delayed payments are all acceptable. Our relationship is special. Beyond this arrangement, you are also a very dear and admired friend of mine. Whether payment is on time or not, I guarantee I will never press for payment. This is my verbal promise to you. However, out of personal dignity, I cannot include this in the contract terms. I hope you understand.”

His words were sincere and impeccably tactful — containing both the client’s respect and the kept party’s humility.

Ming Xi: …

“If Boss Liang feels his dignity is compromised, then let’s not sign it,” Ming Xi said, turning to return the contract.

“Boss Ming, you’ve misunderstood me. If all the terms are set by you and you still hesitate to sign, that would truly hurt my dignity,” he emphasized carefully.

Ming Xi nodded; Liang Jiancheng was right. But the amount… she still needed to think about it.

There was only one chair in the study. Liang Jiancheng sat comfortably in it, while Ming Xi perched on a round stool. He was tall, and his custom desk was slightly higher than average. When she leaned forward unconsciously, her chin ended up resting right above the desk’s edge.

Supporting her head with one hand, she examined Liang Jiancheng carefully from top to bottom, eyes wide and inquisitive.

Earlier, she had repeatedly confirmed that this wasn’t a joke — that he wasn’t playing house. That was how they ended up signing this contract tonight.

Sigh…

They hadn’t even properly sorted out being boyfriend and girlfriend, and now they had become Party A and Party B. And she was the one keeping him. Such a drastic change—she needed to think it over carefully.

Seeing that she still hadn’t written the amount, Liang Jiancheng leaned forward slightly. His handsome face suddenly filled her vision. His gaze was familiar and affectionate — and seemed to tug at her heart.

“Seems my charm isn’t sufficient… Boss Ming is reluctant to spend money on me.” Liang Jiancheng casually remarked.

Ming Xi: “…”

He absolutely knew that speaking shameless words in such a gentlemanly, noble manner was devastatingly effective.

When their eyes met just now, her eyes were momentarily dazzled. Ming Xi sat up straight and offered a bright smile: “Boss Liang is too modest, I’m just worried that if I set the price too low, I’d be wronging you.”

Oh, I see. Liang Jiancheng’s lips curled slightly, revealing a subtle yet satisfied smile, his tone slightly teasing: “It’s fine, Boss Ming, just do what you can.”

She couldn’t help laughing inwardly. Who would have thought those two previous nights they’d spent together were merely trial experiences before paid service! To be fair, Boss Liang did have the qualifications to charge a fee.

Ming Xi finally made up her mind and neatly handwrote a number in the amount column: 99999.99.

When Liang Jiancheng saw the completed number, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. He needed no words to show he was satisfied.

“Boss Ming is so generous!” Liang Jiancheng praised sincerely, completely impressed.

Now that the contract price was set, Liang Jiancheng picked up both contracts and wrote his name in the signature column, his handwriting elegant and flowing. His study not only had all the necessary office software but also inkpads for signing contracts. After Liang Jiancheng signed his name, he solemnly pressed his red seal on it.

Seeing Liang Jiancheng’s decisive actions, Ming Xi felt that her hesitation would only make her seem petty. Soon, she also decisively signed her name, “Ming Xi,” on the contract and carefully pressed her fingerprint.

Two copies. Each kept one.

Liang Jiancheng put the contract into a special folder, got up, and carefully placed it in the study’s safe.

Once everything was settled, Party B looked at Party A and asked professionally: “The contract is now in effect. Does Boss Ming require overnight service?”

No, no, no! Ming Xi shook her head several times. She had returned from Yicheng early this morning and had taken Smith to inspect the factory in the afternoon; she was too tired and didn’t need any services.

“Oh.” Liang Jiancheng couldn’t hide his disappointment. “If you need anything, Boss Ming, please remember to let me know.”

“Ahem…” Ming Xi couldn’t help but cough lightly. Standing in Liang Jiancheng’s study, she said the most important thing to her, “I’ll transfer the money to Boss Liang within three working days after I return to the office.”

Liang Jiancheng stood to the side. Hearing Ming Xi’s words, he tilted his head slightly, then turned back to thank her, “Thank you, Boss Ming. You’re such a straightforward person.”

Ming Xi, of course, understood that Liang Jiancheng was mocking her, and retorted without backing down, “Boss Liang is also very straightforward. The year hasn’t even officially begun, and you’ve already closed a deal.”

Yes, who would have thought there would be such a turnaround? Even a man’s uselessly handsome face could provide negotiation leverage. Thinking this, Liang Jiancheng finally couldn’t help but chuckle. Shaking his head, he followed her out, intending to escort her to the underground garage.

Ming Xi was about to leave, but as she reached the study door, she suddenly felt that she had already spent the money, and taking only a contract seemed like a loss… Just then, she turned back casually, calculation gleaming in her beautiful eyes.

“Although the possibility is extremely small, what if Boss Liang runs away during the service period!” she asked.

Liang Jiancheng raised his hand and gently pressed the corner of his eye. The two faced each other, and he asked directly, “Does Boss Ming want some collateral?”

Ming Xi gave a heavy “Mm.”

“Sure, no problem. Boss Ming can choose whatever you wants. Anything in this house that you like, that you can take and carry, you can take it all—including me.” Liang Jiancheng met Ming Xi’s dazzling, cunning, and arrogant face with his own personality, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Since that was the case, she wouldn’t be polite.

“I want photocopies of your ID card, property deed, and Xinghai Company’s business license.”

“…Alright.” Liang Jiancheng smiled knowingly; Boss Ming was indeed thoughtful.

He retrieved the originals from the safe, made copies, and handed them to her.

“…I also need a copy of your Princeton diploma,” Ming Xi added.

“Oh, Boss Ming,” Liang Jiancheng sighed softly, walked to a bookshelf, opened a drawer, and handed her the original certificate. “It’s not in use anyway. No need to copy it. You can take the original.”

“That’s enough! Thank you!” Ming Xi smiled, her eyes radiating a contented joy.

Then, Liang Jiancheng took a step forward and embraced Miss Ming who had come to his door this evening.

Tonight’s seemingly absurd agreement, which appeared like a farce to outsiders, was, for him, the only step forward to maintain their relationship.

What moved him even more was that his Boss Ming had taken that half-step toward him.

So, signing this three-year “contract of servitude” didn’t make Liang Jiancheng feel utterly humiliated; on the contrary, he was overjoyed, feeling that everything was going exactly as he wished, and his heart was bursting with happiness.

…

She had clearly done something “impressive” — yet she sneaked back home like a thief.

Luckily, when she came back, Caini was in the bathroom.

Ming Xi hurried into her workspace and quickly put away the original contract, the photocopies of Liang Jiancheng’s documents, and the extremely high-value Princeton graduation certificate in her hands.

The photo on Liang Jiancheng’s ID card showed a strikingly handsome young man. Even printed on plain copy paper, it couldn’t conceal his refined, youthful features.

The Princeton graduation certificate was the original. It was the first time Ming Xi had seen that photo. It wasn’t much different from the ID picture — except his gaze was firmer, his jawline sharper. Alongside his aristocratic composure, there was also a perfectly balanced touch of youthful arrogance.

How fascinating!

Five days ago, he had offered to be her free boyfriend — and she refused. Now she was paying for him.

Spending a little money wasn’t a big deal.

But why did she feel such indescribable excitement? There was even a faint sense of “this is such a bargain.” For the first time, Ming Xi reflected on her own character. Was she a pervert, or had she lost her mind? Finally, she came to a conclusion—

Sure enough, there’s nothing in this world that doesn’t feel better after you pay for it!

When you spend money, of course it feels better.

She wasn’t out of her mind, nor was she a pervert; she just liked spending money!

“You two made up?” Caini immediately noticed something different about Ming Xi when she saw her return — the brightness between her brows was practically overflowing. The only reasonable explanation was that Ming Xi and Boss Liang had reconciled.

Ming Xi shook her head with a grin and told Caini, “No. We’re completely not in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship anymore. We’ve made that clear.”

“…” So, why is she smiling so happily?

For the first time, Caini felt a bit sorry for Boss Liang and didn’t want to side with her best friend. She still vividly remembered seeing Boss Liang’s dejected look that afternoon, while Ming Xi looked incredibly cute and carefree!

“Ming Xi, aren’t you being a bit too heartless to Boss Liang?” Caini couldn’t help voicing her conscience.

Ming Xi shook her head. Not at all. Not only was she not heartless — she was being quite generous to him.

Because the agreement clearly included a confidentiality clause, she had to keep everything from Caini as well.

“I just feel… being friends suits us better. It’s more relaxed,” Ming Xi said with a smile.

—

Perhaps it was the latent energy from the newly effective agreement, but Ming Xi’s state after resuming work was exceptionally good.

At Mingzhou’s first meeting of the spring, she got straight to the point and articulated each matter clearly. Starting from nothing, Mingzhou had developed rapidly over the past three years — especially in 2004, with impressive results. Therefore, for 2005, Boss Ming intended to raise the bar slightly.

She had taken Smith’s reminder on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year to heart. If Mingzhou remained confined to stable and transparent profit margins, its competitiveness for large orders would indeed weaken. As other foreign trade companies continued to grow, the market was ruthless — if you didn’t advance, you fell behind. Elimination could come at any time.

On the second day after work resumed, Boss Ming transferred money to Liang Jiancheng from her personal account, with the transfer note as “service fee”.

When Liang Jiancheng received the payment, he was preparing to introduce Kevin — the professional manager hired for Xinghai Foreign Trade — to the staff. He would not have much time to personally manage this foreign trade company anymore. He had to hand over management and devote himself fully to the financing reform of Xinghai Technology. Xinghai Foreign Trade was the first company he founded, built and developed almost entirely by his own hands. Now, handing it over completely to someone else left him reluctant — even though he had been negotiating with Kevin since last year and their philosophies aligned closely.

However, no one in this world had unlimited energy or omnipotent, and he was no exception.

Moreover, he now had a “side job.”

Kevin, 37, was a manager hired by Liang Jiancheng at a high salary. He came from Guangdong, had worked in the foreign trade industry for many years, and possessed excellent management and business skills.

After the handover was completed, Liang Jiancheng and Kevin stood by the office window, and his assistant Mark brought over two cups of coffee. The two each took one. Liang Jiancheng said politely, “I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Mr. Liang, you’re too kind. I will do my best,” Kevin replied sincerely.

Kevin’s “doing his best” wasn’t just empty talk. He had just taken over Xinghai Foreign Trade and directly secured a large order for Liang Jiancheng. DG Company and Haiou terminated their contract this year and were looking for new partners. Kevin made a strong push and had already basically finalized the cooperation intention with Smith.

“DG Company?” Liang Jiancheng hadn’t paid much attention to his foreign trade business recently. The only news he knew about DG Company didn’t come from his own company’s channels, but from Mingzhou.

He knew that Ming Xi really wanted to secure this business, otherwise she wouldn’t have rushed over from Yicheng last Friday.

“Very good.” Liang Jiancheng pursed his lips, replying perfunctorily.

Seeing this, Kevin cleverly asked, “Mr. Liang, in the future, when competing with Mingzhou, should I go easy on them?”

“No need. One matter is one matter,” Liang Jiancheng answered decisively.

However, Kevin’s unexpected success in securing the DG order might really anger Miss Ming, making his “side job” tonight very difficult… very difficult!

Before leaving, Liang Jiancheng called Mark over again. As a gesture for the new management’s appointment, he personally paid to treat all Xinghai Foreign Trade employees to afternoon tea.

“Thank you, Mr. Liang!”

“No need to thank me.”

After all, having just earned some “extra income,” Boss Liang was feeling especially generous today.

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Translator’s note:

I’ve read plenty contract relationship story, never this kind.