Cold CEO Vs. Sweet Wife

Jean Wen moaned as the sunlight danced across her face. She knew she needed to get out of bed, but her body disagreed. She was exhausted despite how much she had slept.

As Jean took in her surroundings, she heard a man speaking. When she listened attentively, she realized that he was talking on the phone. From the conversation, it seemed he was about to leave. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to convince herself to get out of bed. Jean groaned as she stood and turned to the bedroom door.

"Zed Qi..." Jean Wen whispered when she saw the man. Wearing only the bedsheet, she stood by the door. Jean tapped her bare foot on the ground and smiled at the man bashfully as she waited for him to finish speaking.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later at the company." The man ended his conversation abruptly. A beep sounded as the call disconnected. Then he turned to look at the woman by the door.

Zed Qi's eyes slowly roamed over Jean's body. Her pale skin was in subtle contrast to the color of the bedsheet. He particularly liked how her ruffled hair added to her allure. Zed Qi thought Jean looked even more beautiful and charming in the morning light.

"I'm waiting." The man said in a nonchalant tone. He seemed a little impatient.

Jean chuckled, "The land in the suburb, could you..."

"No way!" The man reacted immediately. He didn't even let her finish her request.

Jean was a little surprised at his reaction. Slowly, she walked toward him and said, "I don't think you can be sure that the land has potential. Plus, you are already wealthy enough. Why are you so adamant on keeping it?"

The man frowned. His deep-set eyes reflected a terrifying coldness. He spoke in a low husky voice, "Mrs. Qi, please be careful about what you say. The land is mine, besides... do you always ask for a favor this way?"

Jean clenched her fists. Although his arrogant and homiletic tone displeased her, she smiled seductively. She needed him to agree to her request!

"You just got it yesterday..." Jean muttered softly.

The man didn't appear to have heard her remark. He finished settling his shirt before grabbing his coat. Then he turned to leave.

Determined to have her way, Jean doubled over to him and held his arm. She looked at her husband with her most charming expression as she pleaded, "Please, please, do me this favor. I know you are a very generous man. Please promise me that you will leave the land to the Wen family. Promise me, okay? Promise me..."

Zed shook off Jean's hands. Annoyed with her perpetuance, he gave her a stern and extremely cold look, "No!"

"You!" Jean seethed. She couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn. She couldn't hide her frustration as she had tried multiple approaches to convince him, and each time Zed refused her.

Without another word, Zed walked out of the room.

Since Jean was inappropriately dressed, she didn't follow him. Instead, she took a few deep breaths and returned to the bedroom.

Once in the closet, she selected her clothes. As she stood in front of the mirror, Jean couldn't help cursing, "You are a jerk, Zed. I tried so hard. I even slept with you last night! I can't believe you won't even consider my request. Let's see how you feel if the situation were reversed!"

As Jean lifted her leg to slide on her pants, she felt a sudden pain between her thighs. Memories of the previous night flooded her and Jean cursed Zen some more.

Suddenly, Jean saw a slender hand holding a dress appear in front of her.

Jean turned back with a frightened look. She had been loudly cursing her husband and now, he was standing right behind her. He looked at her curiously.

"Can you repeat what you just said?" Zed's face darkened and a sardonic grin appeared.

'I saw him leave! Didn't I? Why did he return so soon?

What should I do?' Jean wondered. What defense could she possibly have for all the things she just said? Jean found herself in an impossible situation.

She usually behaved decently and elegantly in front of Zed to please him. 'I suppose he heard everything I said.

Will he be more reluctant to help me with the land? Oh, it's all over.'

Unsure of what Zed might have heard, Jean decided to play dumb. "I didn't say anything. Did you hear someone talking? I heard nothing." Although embarrassed, Jean casually flicked her hair away from her cheek. She composed herself and managed to squeeze a smile, however, her trembling hands betrayed her.

Zed's grim expression worsened. Frightened, Jean shuddered. After glaring at Jean for a while, Zed threw the dress into her arms, before turning to the cabinet and taking the car key.

'So he returned for the car key.'

Looking at the Zed's back as he walked away, Jean swung her fists in the air and murmured with anger, "If I had known that you would be a heartless jerk, I would not have slept with you!"

As Jean recalled how wild she had been the previous night, shame and guilt flooded her. She felt nothing but hatred for her actions.

The marriage between Zed and Jean was nothing more than a business deal. This titular marriage, however, had been arranged by Jean's greedy father. He had coerced Jean to sleep with Zed just before their divorce. She felt like a prostitute.

And what had all this scheming gotten her? Jean had learned a lesson. Zed was not as easy as she had been led to believe.

Since her plans had failed, Jean had no other choice but to go home and tell her father the truth.

Once at the Wen house, Jean explained her failure to her father. Mr. Wen flew into a rage and smashed a teacup onto the ground.

"You gave up so easily? You couldn't do the one thing that I had asked you to do?"

Jean lowered head and pushed herself to apologize, "I'm sorry, Father. I did everything I could. There is nothing else for me to do. Zed Qi will divorce me soon. Can I just stay at home now?"

Their marriage had been quite an unpleasant experience. Zed always seemed cold toward her. Jean couldn't understand it and the more she tried, the more frustrated and anxious she became. Now, after the crazy night she had with him, Jean felt so embarrassed. She didn't think she could face him again.

"No! You are married to the man. You can use the marriage to get what you want. There's no need to agree to the divorce. Don't dream about coming back home till you have taken him down!" Mr. Wen threatened before forcing Jean to leave.

Since Jean had no other choice, she returned to Zed's house and waited him to arrive. She knew she had to talk to him about the land again.

She didn't want to be trapped in this meaningless marriage any more. There had to be a way out.

Jean spent the night alone in Zed's massive house. She gave up when she realized that Zed had no intention of returning.

Alone, Jean was consumed by pity. She felt devastated and couldn't accept that her effort from the previous night was not even worth a proper discussion about the land.

"Is it because I'm inexperienced?" Jean muttered.

When Zed returned the next morning, he looked very tired. After walking through the door, he headed straight for the bedroom.

"You are back." Jean threw away her dignity and started doting on Zed. She helped hang his coat, and wiped his face with a wet towel. She was determined to make every effort to please him.

"I'm going to bed." Zed said curtly, before lifting the quilt and lying down. Jean sighed as it looked as though he had no intention to speak with her.

'What excuse can I give my father if I fail again?' As she recalled his advise about her marriage, Jean frowned. The appointment for their divorce procedure was tomorrow, as agreed previously.

'There will be no more chances for me. I have to do it now.'

"Did you work overnight, Zed? You are not looking too good. I can give you a little massage. It will help you relax." She purred.

Zed did not react. Jean took his silence as consent and placed her fingers on his shoulders. As she began kneading, she increased pressure so that he wouldn't fall asleep.

"Although we are getting divorced tomorrow, we have been a couple." Jean blushed and fumbled as she couldn't bring herself to speak of the previous night. She hesitated before trying again. "We've been, you know, in a husband-and-wife relationship. Could you leave that land to me as a divorce gift?" Jean closed her eyes and bit her lip as she waited for Zed to reply.

Zed opened his eyes. Although he looked weary, her request seemed to make his eyes sparkle. "In return, what gift will you give me?" He asked.

"You......" Jean choked as she heard his question. She blushed before she murmured to herself, 'Damn this businessman! The only thing he can think about are conditions.'

"Leave if you have nothing else to do, I'm going to sleep now, or......" Zed lifted a corner of his quilt and patted the pillow by his side.

Jean had spent the night preparing arguments for this discussion with her husband. After seeing Zed's subtle invitation, her mind turned blank.

She turned away but was reluctant to give up.

"If you don't want to give the land to Mr. Wen, then I won't divorce you!" With no other leverage, Jean was forced to use the divorce to bargain with Zed. After her exclamation, she turned and stared at Zed in anger.

"All right, it's settled." His voice was so indifferent that it sounded like he was making deals in the market, quick and decisive.

"What?" Jean balked as she heard his response. She thought she might have heard it wrong and stared at the man in dismay.

Zed closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

'What did he just say?

Stay married?'

Jean was stupefied. She thought she had imagined his response. There was no way that he was happy with this agreement and would want to stay married. She shook her head in disbelief. There was no denying that she heard him say "All right, it's settled," in his deep voice.

'Is he willing to stay married for that land?' 'It can't be that the CEO of a corporation would need the land so badly.'

"I never thought you would be so petty!" Unable to think of anything else as a retort, Jean clenched her teeth and left the room.

When Zed heard the door close, he opened his eyes and a faint smile played on his lips.

He was not being petty. He was reluctant to see her being taken advantage of by her father.

Once in the living room, Jean paced back and forth as she nibbled on her finger. From seduction to threats, she had tried everything she could think of. However, Zed remained unmoved. It was like he was immune to everything, good or bad. She had even been used by the heartless Zed Qi! And for what?

Now, not only had she failed to convince him to give the land to Mr. Wen, but she couldn't get divorced.

"No, he must be kidding. Why wouldn't he want a divorce? If he still intends on honoring the agreement, he will take me to City Hall tomorrow morning. Maybe then I will be able to negotiate with him." Chin resting on her hand, Jean Wen thought about her options. Exhausted from the emotional turmoil, she then quietly leaned against the sofa.

Jean spent the day watching TV in the living room. She hadn't been paying attention to what she was watching. Instead, she thought about strategies against Zed Qi.

By the time the sun set, Zed woke. He had slept the whole day! Hearing the shower turning on, Jean Wen snuck into the bedroom. Although upset, she made the effort to select his clothes.

Jean was convinced that she had to play up to that hateful man in order to get what her father wanted.

The bathroom door opened and Zed walked out. Towel in hand, he was drying his dripping hair.

Jean's eyes widened when she saw Zed appear before her. She had not been expecting him to be dressed only in a towel. He had wrapped it so low around his waist that she could see well past his six-pack abs to his apollo's belt. Contrary to his character, Zed Qi did have an attractive figure.

"What are you doing standing there?" The man asked in an indifferent voice before throwing the towel in his hands across his shoulders.

"Right, your clothes......" Zed's cold remark brought Jean back to her senses. She lowered her head as she handed the clothes she had picked for him.

Zed ripped off the towel around his waist without further thought and began dressing in front of her.

"Ah! You jerk!" Jean turned her head away. She was a smidgen too late though.

Ashamed and confused, she threw the shirt she was still holding at Zed angrily before rushing out of the room.

The man smirked. He finished dressing before checking the time on his phone. He frowned when he realized that it was late. He hadn't thought he'd sleep for so long.

He walked into the living room with a tie in his hand. When he spotted Jean, he gave the tie to her and ordered, "Help me with my tie."

Jean was still blushing. She cursed Zed secretly. There was no denying that she wanted him dead. However, Jean had to remain calm and appear pleasant. She smiled as she took the tie.

Standing on tiptoe, she put the tie around his neck. From a distance, the couple looked like they were close and in love.

Zed glanced at Jean. He noticed her quivering eyelashes. He smiled as she furrowed her brow in concentration. With rose-tinted cheeks and lips pressed, she looked cute.

Although he appeared indifferent toward her, Zed found Jean endearing.

"You are blushing. Are you shy?" Zed asked.

"No!" She promptly answered, but her trembling hands gave her away. She pressed her lips harder to control her emotions.

"It's not like you haven't seen me like that before." Zed enjoyed teasing her.

Jean frowned and tugged on the tie really hard.

"Ouch! Are you trying to murder your husband?" Zed held the tie with one hand and wrapped his other hand around Jean's waist. He pulled her to him.

Jean panicked and tried to push him away, but he was too strong. She struggled as he removed all distance between them.

"Tonight, come to an event with me and if you please me, maybe, I will give the land to your father." Jean felt confused by Zed's husky tone. He was normally so cold toward her.

She nodded and followed him without asking questions about where they were headed.

On the way, Jean thought about what Zed had said.

Please me, maybe, I will give the land to your father.

"Could it be that he wants me to entertain his business partners? And help him secure the project? Perhaps if I help him then he will give this land to father......" Jean muttered to herself as she tried to understand why he would suddenly change his mind. All this while, he had been stubborn about the land. He wouldn't even let her speak when she brought up the topic. Now, he was making her an offer. 'No, it couldn't be so easy, ' she thought.

Jean glanced at Zed hoping to judge by his expression. His face was hard and angled, like a sculpture. His brown eyes added a softness to his features that Jean found alluring. However, despite his outward charm, his temper was too much for her to handle.

"We have arrived, Mr. Qi." The driver said.

Jean looked away as the car stopped at a neon-lit, high-end club. She suddenly had misgivings about Zed's proposal.

"Get off." Zed spoke as he alighted from the car. Although he spoke in a cold tone, he held the door open for her like a gentleman.

"Hold my arm." He whispered in her ear.

Jean held his arm as she had been asked. She had to behave well. After all the tricks she had tried to get that land, drinking with his partners would be the least awful thing.

After they entered the club, an attendant showed them to a private room. Jean looked around and found that in the center of the room stood a decorated table with a seven-tiered cake. Although the room was big, it seemed crowded. Someone was playing the piano. Jean smiled and swayed a little when she recognized that the piece of music was her favorite song.

"Mr. Qi is here!"

As someone in the crowd shouted, the music stopped. A woman in a white, low-cut long dress sashayed toward Zed. Jean recognized her to be Eva Xu. She had been playing the piano when they entered. Was it her party?

"Here you are, Zed." Eva greeted him sweetly before she noticed Jean Wen standing beside him. Eva's smile froze. She frowned and asked, "Who is this?"

"My wife, Jean Wen." Though Zed had murmured, the room fell silent, as though all party attendants had heard and were in shock.

"This is Eva Xu." Zed turned to look at Jean dotingly as he introduced Eva to her.

Once the initial shock had settled and people's curiosities had been satisfied, the guests resumed talking and toasting to each other. A musician began playing a melodious song on the violin. Slowly, the tense atmosphere at the party dispelled.

Eva, however, was still displeased. She raised an eyebrow as she studied Zed's wife. Jean was dressed in a plain white T-shirt and a shabby pair of jeans. Her baby face was free from makeup and her hair was casually combed. To Eva, Jean looked more like an immature high school student than a CEO's wife.

Eva already knew that Zed had married as part of a business agreement. This was the first time that Eva was meeting Mrs. Qi and Jean had failed to make a proper impression. Eva dismissed Jean as someone not worthy of her time and attention. Instead, she turned to Zed.

"Zed, you are late. The other guests who came late have already had three glasses of wine as a punishment. You better drink some wine and catch up!" Eva smiled seductively and pointed to the wine on the table nearby.

"No problem." Zed walked Jean to the nearest sofa before taking up Eva's suggestion to drink some wine.

Sitting alone on the sofa, Jean watched Zed as he drank and spoke with a crowd of people. The lively scene presented a striking contrast to the loneliness Jean felt.

'Who is that woman who was trying to please Zed just now? Did they have an intimate relationship?' Jean wondered.

As soon as Zed finished two glasses of wine, Eva sauntered closer to him and gently wiped his mouth with a paper towel. When Zed lifted the third glass of wine, Eva quickly stopped him.

"You know I was kidding, right? I know you arrived late, but you don't have to drink three glasses of wine just because I asked." Eva flirted.

"Eva, you must have a soft spot for Zed. Is he more special to you than your friends? The other guests who arrived late were also asked to drink three glasses of wine. Why does Zed only need to drink two glasses of wine? Are you worried about Zed?" one of the guests teased Eva.

"It must be true!" said another guest. "Drink, drink, drink!"

The people around Zed began chanting. Since drinking three glasses of wine was not a challenge for Zed, he smiled and lifted his glass. Eva stepped forward quickly and wrapped her fingers around Zed's wrist. Then she causally pulled his hand toward her. She raised an eyebrow and gave Zed a seductive smile before drinking from the glass.

Zed frowned at Eva. This was not his first drinking game and Eva knew that three glasses of wine was something he could handle. 'What is she trying to do?' he wondered. Now that Eva had helped him finish, Zed put down the glass.

"Wow! Wow! It is a big surprise for us to see your public display of affection! You were such a cute couple when you were dating. You obviously still like each other. Why not become a couple again?" Eva's best friend Sue who was standing beside them suggested.

"Ahem, Sue, don't talk nonsense. Zed is already married. His wife is here today..." Eva lowered her head and clung to Zed's arm. She appeared to be a little bit aggrieved.

Although Eva had just told Sue that Zed was married, it didn't stop Eva from getting closer to Zed. Jean watched them quietly. Their performance was just like an outdated drama in Jean's opinion. It wasn't hard to guess that Eva was Zed's ex-girlfriend.

"They were forced to marry each other as part of a business deal. This kind of nominal marriage is very common in our circle. It is equally easy for Zed to divorce that woman. After all, he does not like her. You both truly love each other. You should be together." Sue kept encouraging Eva and Zed to be together again. Eva had asked her to do so before the party began. And so, Sue took every opportunity to make the suggestion.

"Sue, don't blather, otherwise, I will be upset with you." Eva stomped her foot and glared at Sue to emphasize anger coquettishly. Then she glanced at Zed quickly to check his expression. She wanted to see if his reaction would show her where she stood in terms of their relationship. Eva was hoping that Zed would want them to be a couple again.

Since Jean was sitting close by, she heard their conversation quite plainly. She was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear.

She was quite aware of the conditions of her marriage to Zed. She also knew that the marriage could be terminated easily if Zed chose to do so. Although this was a simple truth, hearing it from strangers at a party hurt Jean.

"Well, all jokes aside," Zed said to Eva before pausing. He took a quick look at Jean before continuing, "I am sorry. I forgot to prepare a gift for you as I was in a hurry today. Tell me what you want, and I will make it up to you. Today, I have something else to do, so I am leaving now."

"Zed!" Eva exclaimed in astonishment. "You came late and you're leaving in such a hurry." Eva stared at Zed pitifully as she clung to his arm.

Zed nodded before prying her hands loose.

Jean was confused by what she was seeing. She could not figure out why Zed had brought her to this place at all. Was Zed using Jean to annoy his ex-girlfriend?

"Can we talk in private please, Zed?" Eva repressed her indignation and tried to speak tenderly. She glanced at her surroundings to make sure that nobody had noticed them. Then she held Zed's hand and led him outside the room.

Although Eva and Zed had left, the atmosphere in the room didn't change. All people except for Jean were enjoying their time by singing, dancing, and drinking. Still sitting by herself on the sofa, Jean felt kind of foolish.

Sue walked over to Jean with a glass of champagne in her hand. She stared at Jean in disdain, "I really sympathize with you as you are in a nominal marriage, but I do believe you could free yourself from it quickly. You probably should since Zed and Eva are going to make up."

Jean smirked at Sue's words. She wasn't going to play this game. So she kept quiet and shook her head.

Even though Jean and Zed had not been together for long, she knew enough about him to be able to see how Zed felt about Eva. According to Zed's attitude towards Eva, Jean had already realized that he did not plan to revive his relationship with Eva.

"You don't believe me?" Sue continued. She smiled, "You can go out and see for yourself if you doubt my words!" Sue was angry at Jean's dismissive attitude, so she urged Jean to confirm the relationship between Zed and Eva personally.

"All right!" Jean said as she stood. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic in the room. The strange people, the noise, being treated with no respect or curtsey, it was all getting too much for Jean. She welcomed the excuse to get some fresh air and satisfy her curiosity at the same time.

Sue decided to follow Jean.

"Zed, the only present I want is you. Shall we be together again?" Outside the room, Eva had embraced Zed in an intimate hug. Her face was pressing against his chest. She appealed to Zed in a humble manner.

Jean stepped out of the room just in time to witness this scene. Although she had known what Eva and Sue were trying, Jean hadn't expected to see Zed like this. She inhaled sharply and took a step back. In the next moment, Jean heard Sue scream.

"Ah! You stepped on my foot!" As a quick reaction, Sue pushed Jean. Since she had used all of her strength, Jean stumbled forward and almost fell on the ground.

An awkward silence ensued. Eva was annoyed with the interruption while Zed was embarrassed at being discovered. Jean was mortified with what she had seen and Sue was upset for having ruined Eva's plans.

However, when Sue saw Zed and Eva cuddling intimately, she raised her eyebrows with an air of complacency.

In contrast, Jean wished that she could vanish into thin air. She doubted whether she made light of the relationship between Zed and Eva. From what she had seen in the room, Zed had shown a total disregard for Eva's act of affection. Seeing how they were standing now, Jean did not understand why Zed had changed his attitude to Eva so fast. She knew that their marriage was nominal and that she and Zed still had issues, but that didn't ease the discomfort Jean was feeling. She began wondering whether Zed deliberately brought her here to make Eva Jealous.

When Jean realized that she was regarded as a catalyst for Zed and Eva's relationship, anger swelled inside her. She clenched her fists and decided to strike back.

With a bright smile and ample enthusiasm, Jean walked over to Zed and Eva. She stared at Zed with affection and feigned love, "My dear husband... I'm tired. Shall we go home now?"

Eva was hurt when Jean referred to Zed as husband. She was even more distressed when Zed pushed her away gently. However, since they were not alone and she had to keep up the pretence, Eva needed to handle the situation calmly.

"My dear husband," Jean continued as she smirked at Eva, "Although a roadside flower is beautiful, you don't need to pick it in my presence. I need your respect." Jean walked closer to Zed and held his arm affectionately. Instead of giving her discomfiture an outlet, she spoke with him in a causal tone.

Jean decided to use this situation to confront the uncertain fate of her marriage. If Zed dared to show his anger toward her and beat her, she would take the video surveillance of this area to prove Zed's infidelity. Using the video as a leverage, Jean was confident that she could force Zed to give her that land.

"Eva and Zed are a couple. How dare you, a nominal wife, call Eva a roadside flower?"

Although Eva was in a very bad mood, she pretended to be genteel and charming in front of Zed. Sue on the other hand, had no reason to be polite. She spoke with Jean in a bitter tone.

"Who says that our marriage is fake? Did you install surveillance cameras in our house and spy on our night life?" Jean continued to bait Sue into a verbal argument.

Jean had pretended to be obedient and gentle in front of Zed all these days. She was unwilling to tolerate and please him any longer. If she could irritate Zed, it would be easier to accomplish her plans. She needed the land and she needed the divorce!

"Zed, didn't you get married only for commercial benefit?" Upon hearing Jean's argument and seeing her confident expression, Eva's face darkened. She couldn't help questioning Zed.

Sue was wide-eyed with astonishment.

Suddenly, Zed put his arm around Jean's shoulder, and stared at her apologetically, "My dear wife, I was wrong."

The three women were shocked when they heard Zed's apology. As for Jean, she looked at Zed in fear when she realized that she had been naive to think that she could get what she wanted so easily.