The Broke Billionaire Is My Husband
The Beijing sky was just weeping that day, an unseasonal downpour really lashing the city.
But for Chia Qian that was the least of her worries standing drenched in water with a filmzy umbrella that barely did its job. It was hard to imagine just a month ago she won the fastest growing actress in the country now reduce to this state because of a fallout with her family, her adoptive mother Madam Xin made her life a mess . Her money was frozen, and something way more terrifying was staring her down – a deadline, just a week and a few days away before she became totally broke and unable to pay for anything.
Her heart was basically pounding to its highest, She was waiting for Mei Li, her best friends who took a plane to the neighbouring city in a last- ditch effort to raise some investment. It was embarrassing to even think about, but Chi Qian was flat broke And the hole she was in? Oh, that was so much bigger than just money.
Then a flash of movement by the airport exit, reveals Mei Li.
Chi Qian didn't even think, completely forgetting any sense of dignity.
She ran tossing the useless umbrella and pulling Mei Li into a tight hug “ Mei Li, I'm glad you are finally back.”
Well, the same can't be said for me .” Mei Li shot back in a sharp tone. But Chi Qian knew the drill; it was just Mei Li's usual front although she could practically feel the storm brewing behind that calm face.
“ Let's get in the car first,” This time urging with a soft voice knowing they had a long conversation ahead of them. “ I'm also sure you don't want standing in the rain getting cold.”
Their eyes locked in for a moment for a silent stare-down. Then Mei Li's cool facade just melted a little, a grudging sigh escaping her. "At least you still manage to look pretty, even in this rain."
Mei Li's rare compliment actually lightened the mood instantly as it was something they always agreed on , Chi Qian didn't think much of Mei Li behaviour since she knew that it was a facade having known each other since middle school it would be a lie of Chi Qian say she didn't see through her in a moment only giving in knowing how mad Mei Li is.
And honestly? Drenched in those comfy, baggy pants, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling, and her slender figure just outlined by the wet fabric, Chi Qian knew she looked good. Plenty of women would kill for her kind of beauty though with the exception of Mei Li, with her curvier shape and that "fierce" vibe,.
Chi Qian still remembered Mei Li taking on four boys in middle school; yeah, Mei Li wasn't kidding about being fierce.
They didn't have to walk far at all before reaching Chi Qian's car. Chi Qian slid into the driver's seat, driving towards the direction of her little duplex. A sleepover was already on the cards; as they just had way too much to talk about.
Just minutes after they'd cleared the airport, a sudden burst of words filled the small car, both of them speaking at once.
"How was your—"
"Who is—"
"Sorry...."Sorry!"
Chi Qian let out a little chuckle, trying to ease the awkwardness. "You go first. You're the one who flew thousands of miles away to raise money. It's only fair when you start ."
Mei Li didn't argue back. "Look, I won't get mad, but who is he? I know things are rough, but not so rough you need a guy just to survive. And even if you did! I'm just saying, he should at least be able to upgrade this beat-up second-hand car of yours! Plus, you should've told me first, instead of me finding out from random DMs of people sending videos of you with a silhouette of some man!"
Chi Qian knew Mei Li's bluntness always came from a place of fierce loyalty. Still, she had picked her next words super carefully. "He's... technically my husband."
Mei Li's eyes went wide, then narrowed. " No joke, I can tell from behind he looks nothing like Kai Feng. Did Madam Xin sneak in while I was gone and force you into another engagement?I'm promised to head there and show them what I'm made of. “
Although Mei Li spoke in a calm tone but Chi Qian knew she meant otherwise not doubting a word, plus Mei Li won't just believe that she suddenly had a husband out of the blue that she didn't know of as Mei Li has been her best friend right from childhood and now her manager so they basically spent each together.
Chi Qian sighed knowing Mei Li, her best friend, knew her way too well there was just no way to dodge the mountain of questions coming her way. "No, it wasn't Madam Xin, or anyone else, really. It all started at the investment forum…"
Chi Qian then spent the next thirty minutes spilling the whole nightmare. While Mei Li was off in Shanghai, Chi Qian had actually gone to this super exclusive investment forum, a prize from her "fastest-rising actress" award. Her Kim Jin, her supposed current husband, had been there too. They'd barely meet just bumped into each other briefly in the hotel elevator.
Then, things took an absolutely wild turn. After a late-night meeting, she’d found Kim Jin unconscious right outside her hotel room. Like any normal person, she’d called for help and rushed him to the hospital. And that's exactly when her personal nightmare truly kicked off.
She couldn't leave. A police officer was practically glued to her, watching her every move. Turns out, Kim Jin had been poisoned with some kind of neutron-disrupting agent. And, impossibly, Chi Qian had the exact same brand of drink in her room – a drink she knew absolutely nothing about. The CCTV footage for that day? Completely wiped.
It didn't take long for anyone with two brains to realise that she was set up but that was just the beginning as Chi Qian at this moment was worrying that she might actually face jail time.
But then, a bizarre, twisted miracle. Kim Jin, the guy who'd been poisoned, woke up with temporary memory loss. And he started calling Chi Qian his wife, getting all miserable if she wasn't right there. Trapped, desperate, and seeing this utterly strange lifeline, Chi Qian decided to just play along. And that's how she ended up here, married to a total stranger.
The rest of the journey home was covered in silence with Mei Li realising how Chi Qian was more miserable than ever, only breaking the silence as the car pulled into Chi Qian home. “ So I'm meeting the husband.”.
