Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

**Ren'an Clinic**

When Xiaomei Du arrived, Qin Ran was in the middle of performing acupuncture on an elderly woman. It was already past five in the evening, and Qin Ran planned to finish up and head home after completing the session. She now lived in Dongjiang Villa, quite far from Ren'an Clinic—over an hour's journey by subway and bus.

Xiaomei Du stormed into the clinic, her presence immediately drawing attention. The aunt buying medicine mistook her for another landlord causing trouble and promptly interjected, "They're moving out at the end of the month! It's not even the end of the month yet, and you're here again trying to kick them out? That's hardly decent."

Xiaomei Du paused, then huffed indignantly, "Who says I'm causing trouble? Can't I come see my sister-in-law?"

Qin Ran glanced at Xiaomei Du and addressed her evenly, "Sister-in-law, please have a seat. I'll be done in about ten more minutes."

Though Xiaomei Du might act unreasonably at home, she knew better than to lose face in public. She obediently took a seat on a nearby stool. Zhao Lin was out searching for a new shop location, and Liu Ming was busy attending to other matters, so no one paid much attention to Xiaomei Du.

Once Qin Ran finished, she approached Xiaomei Du. "Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"

"What else? Your brother—he's such an idiot…"

Xiaomei Du went on to explain her plan: a fake divorce with Qin Jian to help him evade a 500,000-yuan debt. "It wasn't just him who messed up the pipes. Why should he bear all the responsibility while the workers get off scot-free?"

She continued bitterly, "There's no way we're paying that money. Even if we do, the gas company will still fire him. We'd lose 500,000 yuan *and* his job. Who would want that?"

Qin Ran immediately realized her brother hadn't told Xiaomei Du about the 500,000 yuan he had already paid to the gas company. Since he hadn't mentioned it, she saw no reason to bring it up herself.

Instead, she asked nonchalantly, "So, you're saying you want a fake divorce with my brother but need to make it official on paper, right?"

"There's no other way," Xiaomei Du replied, exasperated. "If we don't file for a real divorce, the gas company will find out." She sighed deeply. "I told your brother we could sign a private agreement stating the divorce is just to fool the gas company. In reality, we wouldn't truly separate. Once this blows over, we can remarry and reclaim our marriage certificate."

Qin Ran's expression remained indifferent. "Sister-in-law, I don't know much about these things. I'm newly married and lack experience. But I do know that marriage isn't something to be taken lightly. Whether it's getting married or divorced, it's serious business—not something to joke about."

"I'm not joking with your brother," Xiaomei Du insisted.

"Then are you saying you actually want to divorce him?" Qin Ran pressed.

"No, no! I said it's a fake divorce!" Xiaomei Du quickly clarified. "Qin Ran, didn't you understand anything I just said? This is mainly for—"

"You said a lot," Qin Ran interrupted, slightly impatient, "but none of it was easy to digest. Look, you're my sister-in-law, and he's my brother. You're both older and have been married for two years. You definitely have more experience than me in this area."

"So whether it's a real or fake divorce, it's not for me to say. I'm just a college student—I don't know anything. I can't give you any advice."

As Qin Ran turned to leave, Xiaomei Du grabbed her arm. "Xiaoran, I'm not asking for advice. I want you to talk some sense into your brother. He's so stubborn and doesn't know how to adapt."

"Agreed," Qin Ran cut in sharply. "If my brother were a little more adaptable, he wouldn't have added your name to the property deed of a house he bought with his own money when he married you."

Xiaomei Du fell silent. She had assumed Qin Ran, being a university student, would be naive—but clearly, she wasn't. Just like Qin Jian, who seemed compliant but refused to go along with the fake divorce and leave everything behind.

Xiaomei Du clutched her bag tightly. She needed to find a new solution. Qin Jian was a good man, but without a job, their future looked bleak. At 34, she was still young and attractive—and she couldn't waste her youth on someone who couldn't even provide for her.

As Xiaomei Du left, Zhao Lin returned, riding her electric scooter. She walked in and curiously asked, "Qin Ran, who was that woman who just left? She looks familiar, but I can't place her. She didn't seem to be here for medicine."

"That's my sister-in-law. She came to discuss some issues with my brother. By the way, did you find a suitable location, Lin Jie?"

Zhao Lin shook her head. "There are some good locations, but we can't afford them. The ones we can afford are too remote."

Last year, they found this shop because the previous owner had an emergency and left almost without asking for a transfer fee. Finding such a deal again was like winning the lottery.

"Lin Jie, Binhua University starts in two days. I need to report and decide whether to pursue a master's or an internship. Also, I've moved to the eastern suburbs, which is quite far. I need to leave by 7:30 at the latest because the buses stop running at 9:00."

"The eastern suburbs? Why so far?" Zhao Lin asked, puzzled.

"The rent is cheaper there."

Qin Ran didn't dare mention the haunted house, fearing it might scare Zhao Lin and Liu Ming.

Zhao Lin laughed, "How much cheaper? The commute is long, and the transportation costs must be high."

"Not really. The subway is 5 yuan, and the bus is 2 yuan, so it's only 14 yuan round trip. Plus, the house is bigger and more comfortable, and the rent is super cheap."

"Alright, if you like it, that's fine. I need to find a new location soon so we can move by the end of the month."

Liu Ming, having finished his work, joined them. "Qin Ran, since you've moved to the suburbs, why don't you look around there for a suitable place to open a clinic?"

"Sure, I'll check it out when I have time."

Qin Ran looked at them both. "But there aren't many people in the suburbs. Wouldn't it be risky to move the clinic there?"