Fated Deception: How I Accidentally Married a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 26: An Unexpected Opportunity

As evening settled over the compound, Lu Yuan drew his shy wife into their bedroom again.

…

Early the next morning, around seven o’clock, Su Liyan gently woke her husband. It was time for breakfast and then work.

Lu Yuan groaned inwardly at the thought of returning to his mundane job. The irony wasn’t lost on him—back on Earth, he’d been tightening screws for a living, and now, despite his newfound wealth in this world, he was essentially doing the same. It made little sense to continue this work when he had more than enough money from his businesses.

Yet he couldn’t simply quit. The position of craftsman carried prestige that many coveted. Though Lu Yuan personally cared little about status, he understood social expectations. What would he say when people asked about his occupation? That he lounged at home all day? Such an answer would only invite judgment.

After breakfast, Lu Yuan changed into his clean work clothes and set out. The factory was located east of the city, just beyond the east gate and across the bridge—a thirty-minute walk at most.

This eastern industrial district housed numerous factories under the Ministry of Industry, ranging from massive steel mills employing thousands to smaller operations like razor blade manufacturers with just dozens of workers. While the Ministry oversaw most heavy industries, facilities like oil refineries and textile mills fell under the Ministry of Revenue’s jurisdiction.

Lu Yuan’s workplace, Innovation Factory, specialized in high-end daily necessities primarily for export. Their production adapted to market demands, manufacturing whatever sold well internationally.

Arriving precisely on time, Lu Yuan headed to the locker room. Most craftsmen wore their work clothes from home, coming in only to add protective sleeves and change into steel-toed safety shoes designed to prevent foot injuries when handling heavy objects.

As he entered, Lu Yuan spotted a familiar face—Wang Xiaofei, whom he hadn’t seen for days. The man had likely been too ashamed to show himself after their confrontation.

Opening his cabinet, Lu Yuan slipped on his protective sleeves before eyeing Wang Xiaofei, who kept his head down while putting on his work shoes.

“Look at your collar,” Lu Yuan remarked with deliberate disdain. “It’s practically black with grime. Doesn’t your mother even wash your clothes? How unpleasant.”

Wang Xiaofei recognized Lu Yuan’s voice instantly. Though he’d noticed him entering, he’d hoped to avoid confrontation.

“Your clothes are dirtier than mine,” Wang Xiaofei began through gritted teeth, raising his head. “You have some nerve to—”

Before he could finish, Lu Yuan stretched out his sleeves with exaggerated pride and tugged at his pristine collar. “My wife washed these for me. Notice how clean they are?”

Wang Xiaofei stood speechless, then stormed into the workshop without another word.

Lu Yuan followed moments later, whistling cheerfully. Immediately, colleagues surrounded him, asking if he’d truly married and whether he’d stolen Wang Xiaofei’s prospective wife. News traveled fast in small communities.

With righteous indignation, Lu Yuan explained that Su Liyan had never even met Wang Xiaofei, making it impossible for her to have been “his” wife. Yet regardless of his explanation, the prevailing opinion held that Lu Yuan had somehow stolen another man’s intended. Lu Yuan eventually dismissed their gossip—Su Liyan was now legally his wife, and that was all that mattered.

After the workshop director took attendance, everyone dispersed to their stations. For Lu Yuan, this meant two hours of minimal effort before the mid-morning break.

Around ten o’clock, workers filed outside for fresh air—smokers clustered by the entrance while others simply enjoyed the respite from machinery noise.

“Greater China cigarettes?” A coworker exclaimed, noticing Lu Yuan’s cigarette box. “What’s the occasion?”

Lu Yuan generously shared his cigarettes. “I’m a married man now—time to upgrade my smoking habits.”

From nearby, Wang Xiaofei sneered. He clearly believed Lu Yuan had stolen the premium cigarettes from Su Liyan’s home, just as he believed Lu Yuan had stolen Su Liyan herself.

While enjoying his smoke, Lu Yuan noticed a golden light shimmering in the distance. The words “Great Bargain” seemed to hover in his vision—a notification from his system. Following the light, he spotted a group of factory officials walking toward the workshop, accompanied by a tall, thin man with blond hair and blue eyes—clearly a foreigner.

The factory leaders’ expressions appeared strained. Something was wrong.

After extinguishing his cigarette, Lu Yuan walked toward the group.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the workshop director called sharply. “Break’s almost over!”

Without turning, Lu Yuan replied simply, “Something’s come up.”

The director fumed at Lu Yuan’s dismissive attitude. For the past two weeks, he’d observed Lu Yuan’s increasingly lackluster performance and casual disregard for authority. He’d reprimanded him multiple times to no effect. Most frustrating of all, despite his carelessness, Lu Yuan never actually made mistakes in his work, leaving the director without clear grounds for disciplinary action.

“Fine!” the director shouted after him. “But if you’re one minute late getting back to work, you’ll regret it!”

As Lu Yuan approached the group, he quickly assessed the situation. The system’s “Great Bargain” indicator hovered above a nervous young man—clearly a translator struggling with his assignment. Whether from anxiety or incompetence, the translator’s English came out halting and inaccurate.

With his enhanced senses, Lu Yuan could hear the entire exchange from a distance. The translator was floundering, and the factory leaders, though unable to understand English themselves, clearly recognized something was amiss. Their tense expressions only increased the young translator’s nervousness, causing him to sweat profusely and stutter even more.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan stepped forward with a confident smile.

“Leaders,” he said smoothly, “do you need assistance? I happen to know a bit of English.”