Chapter 6: A Radiant Beauty Gently Shattered Within Another’s Body

"Marriage? Marry you?" It took Xu Yunzhu quite a while before she found her voice again.

How could this be allowed?

Pei Qiaonian wasn’t even part of her mission.

"It's only temporary," Pei Qiaonian said coldly. "I don't trust you. I need you by my side to feel at ease. We'll set it for one year. If things change before then, I'll give you a sum of money, and then we'll divorce. You'd better disappear from my sight."

Xu Yunzhu was speechless.

She didn’t even have a chance to resist. Afraid he'd reach for her neck again, she nodded meekly.

She was on the verge of losing her life; what was the point in trying to complete her strategy now?

She had to switch back, then focus on winning over Pei Jin. By then, she swore she'd vanish from Pei Qiaonian’s world forever.

"Unblock my number. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the people and things around me. Don't mess up, understand?"

Xu Yunzhu kept nodding like a robot.

Pei Qiaonian frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her perfunctory attitude. He shot her a fierce look. "Speak!"

She replied weakly, "Yes, alright, as you command. I won’t let you down."

Thinking of the original Xu Yunzhu’s identity in the book, she recalled that although she was just cannon fodder, she still had a job. She cherished her career. If she borrowed this body temporarily and the real Xu Yunzhu returned to find her career in ruins, wouldn't she break down?

Afraid that Pei Qiaonian would destroy her image, she reminded him, "I'll do whatever you ask, but you need to take care of things on my side too. Don’t ruin my reputation."

Pei Qiaonian glanced at her, his disdain barely concealed. "What reputation do you have? You've been in the industry for three years and still returned as a nobody."

Xu Yunzhu stared at him in disbelief. How could anyone be so sharp-tongued?

"That’s harsh! You can deny my achievements, but you can't deny my efforts. Everyone in the industry knows me. If I keep working hard, I'm bound to make it big!"

In the novel, after the broken engagement, the original Xu Yunzhu did become popular by starring in a drama, rising to a low-tier celebrity. She finally got a role in a reality show where she wasn’t just a background character, but after framing the female lead, she was immediately written off the next day.

Pei Qiaonian snorted.

Before he could say anything more, Pei’s mother burst in with a group of people.

Seeing Xu Yunzhu, she was furious. "Why are you still here? Do you want to hurt my son again? Get out! The Pei family doesn't welcome you."

Pei Qiaonian glanced at her carelessly, his smile cold. He leaned toward Xu Yunzhu and whispered, "In this house, trust no one. Don't get attached to any of them, understand? Otherwise, you’ll suffer a hard fall."

"What?" Xu Yunzhu was confused, but Pei Qiaonian had already turned to leave.

He walked past his mother as if she were invisible, his steps unhurried.

Pei’s mother couldn’t care less about "Xu Yunzhu," her only concern was her son’s well-being. She hurried forward, "Qiao, are you alright? That woman didn’t do anything to you, did she?"

Xu Yunzhu hesitated, unsure what Pei Qiaonian had meant.

She thought Pei’s mother seemed nice—at least she was the only one in this house who truly cared. Since she’d woken up in this body, she hadn’t seen a single genuine family member from the Pei family, let alone a visitor.

Xu Yunzhu couldn’t help but shake her head. Pei Qiaonian had terrible relations, living like a lone wolf.

She cleared her throat, her voice deep and magnetic. "I'm fine. She just came to apologize."

She gave a random excuse, wanting to send this group away. Her mind was a mess; she needed time to sort things out.

"You should all go. I want to rest."

Pei’s mother, seeing her son’s tired face, couldn’t help but mention, "Qiao, you’re not getting any younger. What do you think of the eldest Miss Xie…?"

The eldest Miss Xie?

What fresh trouble was this?

Pei Qiaonian was already entangled with Ning Qinghuan, and now there was another Miss Xie?

"Who?" she asked.

"Xie Zhiyuan, the match I arranged for you," said Pei’s mother. "Qiao, I think Yuan is wonderful—well-educated, refined, a true lady from a scholarly family. The Xie family has political connections too; she’ll be a great help to your career."

Pei’s mother rattled on, but all Xu Yunzhu could focus on was the phrase: "marriage partner."

Did they expect her to go on a blind date?

She couldn’t handle it! She had to deal with the Pei family and now pretend to court someone on behalf of Pei Qiaonian?

At that moment, a bright, sunny soul inside someone else’s body quietly shattered.

"Let’s talk about it later—I need to rest," Xu Yunzhu said, desperate to send Pei’s mother away so she could find Pei Qiaonian and ask what to do.

She’d wanted to keep her distance from him, but now, without his help, she’d be exposed in no time.

Pei’s mother insisted, "Just meet her once. I’ve already set it up; you just need to go. Qiao, your current position isn’t stable. Only strong backing can secure your place as head of the Pei family. I’m doing this for your own good."

She finished, holding her breath, bracing for her son’s fury. Strangely, the son who used to storm out or glare at her whenever this was mentioned now just looked at her calmly, his usual anger replaced by an unexpected gentleness.

Xu Yunzhu was getting a headache. She didn’t dare agree, but she couldn’t refuse since Pei’s mother had already made arrangements.

She hurriedly ushered Pei’s mother out. "I’ll think about it."

She quickly shut the door.

Outside, Pei’s mother called, "Qiao, trust your mother. I’m the one who really cares about you in this world. I’d never harm you. There’s a family dinner tonight, so freshen up and come down."

Only when she heard footsteps fading away did Xu Yunzhu breathe a sigh of relief. She immediately pulled out her phone, unblocked the number, and added the WeChat contact.

In less than a second, her request was accepted.

She typed rapidly: [Your mother set you up with a marriage partner and already arranged a meeting. What should I do!]

Pei Qiaonian, on his way to the Xu family home, saw “his” WeChat request and accepted it instantly. Xu Yunzhu’s message followed immediately.

He frowned, thoughts turning to Pei’s mother, and a deep annoyance flashed in his eyes: [Just tell her to get lost. Bring my household registration book to Lanhai Villa tomorrow. I’ll be waiting.]

Xu Yunzhu was speechless.

Was it really okay to treat your own mother like this?

Even through the screen, Xu Yunzhu could feel Pei Qiaonian’s impatience.

She instantly changed the WeChat remark to "Grumpy Guy."

Grumpy Guy: [Where’s your household registration? Where am I supposed to find it?]

Xu Yunzhu thought for a moment: [It’s in my parents’ bedroom. Be careful when you go looking for it.]

Grumpy Guy: [Ha, your social-climbing father is always trying to cozy up to the Pei family. Marrying me is the best thing that could happen to you.]