The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 121 It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake.
At this moment, Zhen Mi's fragrance grew even stronger. With her warm, soft body in his arms, Yu Qing's blood surged, and the dam of reason crumbled instantly before this carefully crafted temptation. The temperature inside the carriage rose sharply, and heavy breathing replaced words…

The luxurious station wagon began to sway slightly, then gradually more violently, as it came to a stop on the desolate outskirts of the city, creating an ambiguous and dangerous scene.

……

After an unknown amount of time, the passion gradually faded.

As Yu Qing stroked Zhen Mi's smooth back, the doubts that had been suppressed by her beauty resurfaced, even tinged with disappointment—it seemed that the methods of Shengdi were nothing more than this ancient and erotic set.
His emotions were complex and difficult to describe, a mixture of genuine feelings stirred by her beauty and a sober pretense, which he could hardly distinguish even himself. His fingertips lingered on Zhen Mi's breathtakingly beautiful face, and the feeling of intoxication was real.

But he knew this was just the beginning. He was waiting for the other side to reveal their true intentions and purpose. He was even a little curious: what made them think he wouldn't turn the tables on them and instead make them "lose both their money and their reputation"?
"Hmm... Ouch..." Zhen Mi in his arms suddenly cried out softly and shrank back.

Yu Qing was taken aback: "What's wrong?" His fingers accidentally touched the hair behind her ear.

There was a fresh, thin scratch there; although it was shallow, it was clearly recently made.

"How did you get hurt here? Why didn't you treat it?" Yu Qing's voice remained gentle, but his eyes instantly sharpened.

Zhen Mi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, then relaxed, and she replied in a languid, dazed voice, "Hmm...maybe...maybe I accidentally scratched it at home yesterday...it's nothing..."

Yesterday? At home?
Yu Qing's heart sank completely, yet it also suddenly lit up. All the doubts became clear at that moment!
There were no sisters at all! From beginning to end, there was only Zhen Mi! The "younger sister" who fell from the kite and the heartbroken "older sister" were both played by her!

This wound was most likely caused by an accidental cut from the kite frame or a branch during today's "crash" performance! The hospital's death certificate and the claim of shattered internal organs are all props and lines from this grand show!
What a brilliant sleight of hand, a substitution of one thing for another! If he hadn't been on guard, he would have been completely fooled by the superb acting and perfect script!

He suppressed his shock and a cold laugh, pretending to completely believe her story. He gently stroked her hair, avoiding her wound, and said, "Be more careful in the future."

"Mmm..." Zhen Mi snuggled closer, as if she were endlessly dependent on him.

Yu Qing knew that the stage curtain had been raised and the main characters had all taken the stage. He decided to take the initiative and give this beautiful actress beside him a warning.

In front of Zhen Mi, he deliberately raised his wrist and called his assistant through his watch, ordering in a clear voice: "Immediately retrieve all background information on the Zhen family of Juyuan City, especially the person named 'Zhen Mi,' the more detailed the better, with the highest access level."

Zhen Mi's body visibly paused in his arms, then she raised her head, her eyes carrying just the right amount of grievance and coquettishness, and poked his chest with her fingertip: "You don't believe me? Even after all this... you still investigated me..."

Yu Qing took her fingers, kissed them, his eyes deep and a hint of an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. He whispered, "Don't misunderstand... It's precisely because 'we've come to this' that I need to know more clearly who you are. And..."

He paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense, "I have something very important to tell you, and I may soon need your and your 'family's' help..."

This statement was both a probe and a bait. He wanted to see how this charade would unfold next.

He did this for two reasons: first, to blatantly demonstrate the power he wielded—"Look, I have the right to investigate your background at any time"; and second, to give her room for imagination—does his eagerness to understand her mean that our relationship is about to enter a new and more intimate phase? He needed her to be impatient and reveal her hand first.

Sure enough, Zhen Mi's body trembled slightly in his arms. She raised her head, and her captivating eyes instantly filled with a perfectly timed look of grievance and coquettishness. She gently poked Yu Qing's chest with her fingertips, her voice soft and sweet: "You don't believe me? We're...we're so intimate...and you still want to investigate me..."

The tone was as if she had been greatly wronged, yet it also carried a hint of coquetry.

Yu Qing caught her mischievous fingers, kissed them, his eyes deep, a smile enigmatic and seemingly concealing a great secret, as he whispered, "Don't misunderstand, Mi'er... It's precisely because our relationship is extraordinary that I need to know more clearly who you are, what kind of family you come from. And..."

He paused deliberately, keeping her in suspense, his gaze fixed intently on her, "I might soon... have something of immense importance that requires your and your 'family's' full assistance..."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples in Zhen Mi's heart. A matter of utmost importance? Did it require the Zhen family's help? A barely perceptible urgency and curiosity flashed in her eyes as she began to probe Yu Qing for information: "Husband~ what's so important? Can't you tell me now? I'm already... yours... what can't you tell me?"

However, Yu Qing perfectly embodied the phrase "wanting to speak but holding back." His brow furrowed slightly, as if he had some reservations. He sighed softly, pulled her closer, rested his chin on the top of her head, and his voice became somewhat muffled and heavy: "Wait a little longer… the timing isn't quite right… it involves too much, I need to be fully prepared…"

This hesitant, seemingly reluctant attitude only fueled Zhen Mi's curiosity, making her itchy and eager to pry open his mouth. It also strengthened her resolve to "bind" herself to Yu Qing as soon as possible.

Just then, Yu Qing's wristwatch vibrated very slightly, and an encrypted message was projected directly onto his retina. It was a reply from his assistant. However, the content made Yu Qing's heart sink.

Information shows that all the administrative intelligence resources he could mobilize in Juyuan City and the surrounding area were suddenly "out of contact" or "frozen" within a short period of time! He was unable to obtain the latest information on Zhen Mi and the Zhen family.

The people behind the scenes acted swiftly, severing his local reach.

However, the assistant managed to unearth some information about the Zhen family from older, publicly available historical archives. The records show that the Zhen family was a prominent and influential family in the area one to two hundred years ago.

During its most prosperous two-hundred-year period, this family produced over three hundred women renowned for their beauty.

Among them, as many as thirty-nine have detailed historical records and have had a significant impact on society (or the families they married into). Without exception, they all became first ladies of the top elites of their time, top models who attracted global attention, superstars who influenced cultural trends, or highly skilled female entrepreneurs.

What is even more striking is the extremely strict and ancient religious doctrine that the Zhen family adheres to. It has a zero-tolerance requirement for the "sanctity" of the women in the family.

Any woman found to have been unfaithful before marriage or unfaithful after marriage would not only be immediately expelled from the family and stripped of all her surname and honor, but what's even more terrifying is that, historical records show that these expelled women would almost always mysteriously disappear from the world within the next one to two years, leaving no trace of their lives or deaths.

Government agencies at the time intervened in the investigation multiple times, suspecting that the Zhen family had used extreme vigilante justice to "clean house," but each investigation ultimately came to nothing due to "insufficient evidence" or "interrupted leads."
.
This terrifying tradition, ironically, greatly preserved the perfect image of Zhen family women as "pure, innocent, and unwavering," making them the most coveted marriage partners for powerful and wealthy families of that era. They were like flawless, precious works of art that would never betray their partners.

Upon seeing this, Yu Qing felt a chill run down his spine. Zhen Mi's words, "You want to renege on your debt? Then I won't survive..." were not merely a playful pout or a threat; they were likely a cold, cruel reality!
The people at Shengdi were truly ruthless to hire a woman with such a background. If he hadn't already seen through the scheme, there was a 90% chance he would have fallen for it and felt immense guilt and protectiveness because of Zhen Mi's "experience."

But simply sending Zhen Mi to his side wasn't enough. Because of the terrifying tradition behind her, Shengdi had to ensure Zhen Mi could become his "legitimate" person to prevent this pawn from being prematurely "eliminated" and to proceed with the next step of his plan. Just as Yu Qing was processing this information and preparing to start the vehicle to meet Yao Dan, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Just moments ago, Zhen Mi had been all tender and affectionate, but suddenly her face turned deathly pale. Without warning, she slid off her seat and knelt down at Yu Qing's feet! She stretched out her cold, trembling hands and gripped Yu Qing's clothes tightly. Her upturned face was instantly covered in tears, a deep-seated fear and despair.

"No! No! Please! Please don't let the car move! Don't leave here!" She cried her heart out, her voice filled with a deathly grief, a stark contrast to her previous alluring and seductive demeanor.

This sudden and violent reaction stunned Yu Qing. "Why are you doing this?" He bent down to help her up, but found that her body was stiff and he couldn't pull her up at all.

“Because…because as soon as the wheels start moving and we leave this place…I…I’ll…I’ll lose my virginity before marriage…I’ll…I’ll die! My family…my family will never let me go! Please, Qing…save me…” She sobbed uncontrollably, large tears falling onto the carpet inside the car.

Looking at the genuine, almost overflowing fear in her eyes, Yu Qing sneered inwardly, but feigned sudden realization, even with a hint of mockery: "Oh~ I understand. So, you mean we have to get married in this car for it to be considered 'married' and for you to live, is that right?"

Zhen Mi seemed to have grasped at the last straw, nodding frantically, looking at him with teary eyes, her gaze filled with pleading and hope.

Yu Qing stroked his chin, a troubled expression on his face: "But... I've already been married." He was referring to his regular double marriage with Rosie.

Zhen Mi immediately raised her head, a feigned surprise and a show of tolerance on her face: "As long as it's not a 'marriage compatibility' arrangement... it's fine..."

"Marriage compatibility?" Yu Qing continued to play the role of an "ignorant" playboy. "What's that?"

Zhen Mi hurriedly explained, her speech quickening slightly with urgency: "A marriage agreement is an agreement between two parties that their souls and property will be completely united, never to be separated, and that they will become each other's sole legal home. This is the oldest and most sacred covenant, which can replace any fixed-term marriage contract..." Her voice carried an almost religious fervor.

Alarm bells rang in Yu Qing's mind: **She's finally revealed her true colors!** She's trying to devour half of his wealth and his life! There's no more "profitable" deal in the world—using a beautiful woman and a set of feudalistic excuses to exchange for his immense wealth and freedom. This "marriage" must not go through!
While outwardly appeasing Zhen Mi, he secretly sent an urgent SOS message to Yao Dan: "Bring Rosie here immediately! I'll send you the location! Someone's forcing us into marriage! They want us to be compatible!"

Seeing that Yu Qing didn't nod for a long time and was just looking at her thoughtfully, Zhen Mi became completely anxious, her voice trembling with tears: "What...what kind of marriage are you getting married to?"

Yu Qing shrugged helplessly: "Regular double marriages. With Rosie."

Zhen Mi seemed to have already prepared an answer, and immediately said eagerly, "That's no problem! A person can have a maximum of five fixed-term dual marriage contracts at the same time! We can... we can sign a 'mixed marriage contract'! First, we'll form a fixed-term dual marriage, and then... then, according to the agreed time, it will automatically convert to a regular marriage!"

Yu Qing's inward sneer deepened, but he feigned ease and suggested, "Why go through all that trouble? Why don't we just form a permanent double marriage? It'll last just as long."

"No! Absolutely not!" Zhen Mi suddenly screamed excitedly, as if she had been greatly insulted. "Women of the Zhen family only recognize marriage compatibility! Only marriage compatibility can prove my loyalty and value! Everything else is blasphemy!" Her reaction was unusually intense, clearly because this concerned the core of her mission and... life and death.

Yu Qing originally intended to make things difficult again, using the excuse that there were no tools in the car to sign the formal marriage certificate. However, Zhen Mi seemed to have been prepared. She immediately turned around, expertly operated the center console, and after a few clicks, a standard-formatted, clearly worded electronic "hybrid marriage contract" template instantly popped up. The terms clearly stated:

**"If neither party dies during the six-month period of regular intermarriage, the marriage contract automatically and irreversibly becomes a permanent union."**
Yu Qing looked at the line of text and cursed inwardly, "Damn it! It's airtight and watertight!" If he signed it, not only would he be rolling in his grave, but his great-great-grandfather would probably be turning in his grave and wringing his head off!

Fortunately, just then, the sound of screeching brakes came from outside the car, along with Yao Dan's deliberately amplified voice: "Husband! Husband! Are you in there? Sister Rosie heard you're going to remarry and she's crying so hard she's about to stop!"

Immediately following was Rosie's piercing, tearful, angry shout: "Yu Qing! You heartless man! Liar! I've only been signed for a short time, and you're already looking for someone else?! I don't agree! I'd rather die than agree! Come out here and explain yourself!" She pounded on the car window, extremely agitated.

Inside the car, Zhen Mi was annoyed by this unexpected troublemaker, and her face turned extremely ugly. She blocked the car door tightly, preventing the person outside from having a chance to break in.

Under current law, Rosie does not have the right to directly prevent Yu Qing from signing the second marriage contract, but she has the **right to know** and **seven days** to consider whether to ask the newcomer (Zhen Mi) for "emotional compensation".

If Rosie's asking price was too high, Zhen Mi could choose to back out or request arbitration. But now, in order to complete the transaction as quickly as possible, Zhen Mi has clearly **skipped and concealed this crucial procedure**.

Rosie's commotion was **legal and reasonable**, which gave Yu Qing room to maneuver.

Zhen Mi feared that things might change if she delayed, and she was determined to get Yu Qing to sign his name as soon as possible so that the fait accompli could not be reversed.

Amidst Rosie's increasingly loud crying and cursing outside the car, and Yao Dan's seemingly comforting but actually inflamed cries of "Oh dear, don't do this!" and "Husband, say something!", Zhen Mi was under immense tension, focusing almost entirely on preventing outsiders from rushing in and urging Yu Qing to sign the papers.

She no longer had the heart to carefully examine every word of the marriage contract.

In the midst of this chaos, Yu Qing's fingers flew across the touchscreen, silently altering a single word in a crucial clause of the marriage contract.

He would say, **"If neither party dies during the six-month period of regular double marriage..."**
It has been changed to

**"If neither party dies during the six-generation period of regular intermarriage..."**
(Note: In this century, a "generation" refers to thirty years. This is equivalent to changing six months into one hundred and eighty years!)
This one-word difference means that the so-called "automatic conversion to a marriage match" will only take effect **one hundred and eighty years later**! Before that, his relationship with Zhen Mi is merely a loose, dissolvable periodic marriage!

Yu Qing pretended to be annoyed by the noise outside the car and hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, stop arguing! Sign! I'll sign! Hurry up and finish signing so they'll shut up!" He quickly signed his name on the revised marriage contract.

Zhen Mi breathed a sigh of relief, fearing he might change his mind. She barely glanced at the document (or rather, her subconscious refused to see any changes at this moment) and immediately signed her name. Following procedure, she pressed her face against Yu Qing's in front of the camera, leaving behind visual evidence of "mutual consent and mutual affection".

All data was instantly encrypted and transmitted to the nearest marriage registration center for filing.

Zhen Mi let out a long sigh of relief, as if she had just crawled back from the brink of death, feeling utterly exhausted, before she finally had the courage to unlock the car door.

Outside the car door, Rosie wanted to rush up and make a scene, but when she saw Yu Qing's "fierce" and obviously impatient eyes, her arrogance immediately diminished, and she stood there obediently, only daring to sob softly, not daring to say a word.

(End of this chapter)