Marriage in the 1970s: The Political Commissar's Contract Wife

Zhang Meili's face, however, showed no sign of relief. She leaned closer, a layer of worry furrowing between her brows: "I'm worried about one thing right now... Fang Chu. He's full of guilt now, agreeing to anything. But what about later? What if, a few years later, Xia Xia really becomes successful, and then... he refuses to divorce her? With the Fang family's background, if they really start to act recklessly, how can Xia Xia possibly resist?"

Zhi Lin's eyes instantly turned deep and cold. He snorted, "Let's get through this difficult time first. As for the divorce... we'll see later. If Fang Chu dares to deny it then, I'll have my own ways of dealing with it."

He didn't explicitly say what the method was, but the resolute tone in his voice told Zhang Meili that he, as her brother, would do anything for his sister.

Knowing that further contemplation was pointless, Zhang Meili changed the subject and proposed the most practical step at hand: "Then... shall I release the news of Xiaxia and Fang Chu's 'marriage' tomorrow? The rumors circulating outside are getting increasingly nasty, with all sorts of nonsense being said. We need to suppress this unhealthy trend as soon as possible."

"Okay." Zhilin nodded decisively. "Go and do it. Make it sound like it's a done deal. Say that the two of them have been in love for a long time, had a little argument before, but have made up now, and will just have a simple ceremony to mark their marriage."

Using a new, more "complete" story to cover up those unsavory rumors is currently the most effective public relations tactic.

The couple exchanged a glance, both seeing the same determination and helplessness in each other's eyes. For Zhixia to have a seemingly "normal" future, they had to join forces and put on this carefully orchestrated play in a spectacular fashion.

Zhang Meili's announcement spread like wildfire, instantly reaching every corner of the family compound and temporarily suppressing the previous unpleasant rumors. People's conversations immediately shifted from "Zhixia's miscarriage" to "Political Commissar Fang and Zhixia are getting married." Although speculation still lingered, it was now presented in a seemingly "normal" guise.

After learning the news, Fang Chu had other plans in mind.

He knew that Zhixia was determined not to get a marriage certificate, and the "fake marriage" agreement was like a thorn stuck in his heart.

He wanted a real, legally protected relationship, and deep down he still held a faint hope that he could have a future with Zhixia.

So, he used his family connections to secretly and without Zhixia's knowledge actually get a marriage certificate for him and Zhixia.

He carefully locked those two thin sheets of paper deep inside the drawer, as if hiding an unquestionable secret and a heavy shackle.

That day, as soon as he returned to his office, Li Yunxiao rushed in, closed the door behind him, and wore a complex expression that was a mixture of undisguised gossip and seriousness.

"Fang Chu, are you serious? Are you really going to marry that Zhi Xia?" Li Yunxiao asked in a low voice.

Fang Chu frowned slightly, disliking the doubt in his tone: "Hmm."

"Then... what about Yunyun?" Li Yunxiao blurted out, mentioning a name almost universally acknowledged in their circle, "You know exactly how Yunyun feels about you! Your mother has long considered Yunyun her future daughter-in-law, and both families are interested!"

Fang Chu's face instantly darkened, his tone hardening: "Yunyun and I are just classmates. What my mother thinks is her business, what does it have to do with me?" He paused, then looked up at Li Yunxiao, his eyes filled with a desperate resolve, "Zhixia and I even have a child. Now she has suffered so much because of me, and her reputation is ruined. I can't shirk my responsibility."

"Responsibility? You fucking know about taking responsibility now?" Li Yunxiao was infuriated by his self-righteous attitude. He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time, "I just don't understand! What exactly happened between you two?! How could you... how could you force yourself on her?! Even if you, Fang Chu, are a scoundrel, you're not the kind of person who would do such a despicable thing!"

These words were like a key, suddenly unlocking the humiliation and anger that Fang Chu had kept locked away. His jaw tightened, his eyes suddenly turned sinister and terrifying, and he squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth:

"I've been fucking set up."

"What?!" Li Yunxiao gasped, his eyes widening instantly. "Who?! Who the hell has the guts to scheme against you?! Are they out of their mind?!" He simply couldn't imagine that anyone would dare to lay such a dirty hand on the young master of the Fang family on this turf.

Fang Chu didn't answer, but the icy, menacing aura emanating from him seemed to drop the temperature in the entire office. The mastermind behind it all had not only ruined him, but also destroyed Zhi Xia's life. He was determined to avenge this.

Seeing that Fang Chu did not answer, Li Yunxiao pressed on, "Did you find out anything?"

Fang Chu slammed his fist on the heavy desk with a dull thud, making the pen on the desk jump. His chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with a murderous rage and a barely perceptible hint of defeat.

"No! It's been a month. I've used every connection I can, asked everyone I can, but they've vanished into thin air like they've never found anything!"

This was undoubtedly a double provocation against his ability and dignity. The other party acted too cleanly, clearly having planned it for a long time and knowing his movements and reactions very well.

"A wild goose leaves its cry as it flies past, a person leaves their name as they pass through life." Li Yunxiao calmly analyzed, seeing the crux of the matter more clearly than the furious Fang Chu. "Any scheme will leave no trace. Before, you were worried about Zhi Xia's reputation, afraid of making things worse and embarrassing her, which hindered your investigation. Now it's different!"

Li Yunxiao leaned forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with a ruthless determination to break the deadlock:

"Now that the news of your 'marriage' has been released, everyone sees you two as a legitimate couple. The previous commotion was just young people having a tiff. Now that you have this status, what do you have to worry about? Go all out and investigate thoroughly! Go through everyone who attended the wedding that day, everyone who handled the drinks and food, even everyone who was there and might have seen something unusual! I refuse to believe we can't find that bastard!"

As Fang Chu listened to his childhood friend's words, the violence in his eyes gradually subsided into a colder, more resolute killing intent. He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, each word seeming to have been pulled from an ice cellar:

"You're right. I was thinking the wrong thing before, always trying to cover it up."

He took a deep breath, as if trying to temporarily suppress his boundless anger and transform it into the power to act.

"Wait until I find out who it is..."

He paused, a chilling smile curving his lips. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute, undeniable air of destruction:

"I will definitely kill him with my own hands."

A brief, deathly silence fell over the office, broken only by Fang Chu's heavy breathing. A more covert and intense manhunt, hidden beneath the smokescreen of the "wedding," was about to unfold. The schemer lurking in the shadows was probably unaware that he had just ignited a lion whose scales had been defied.