Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 924: Bu Li, don’t even think about it in this lifetime

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Chapter 924: Chapter 924: Bu Li, don’t even think about it in this lifetime

David Locke’s kiss came too abruptly, leaving Mary Scott completely dumbfounded. She stared blankly at the man right in front of her, unable to figure out how they ended up kissing.

Had they reconciled?

How could this man kiss her just like that?

Mary was furious.

"Pfft..." David, eyes wide open, watching the myriad emotions flash through Mary’s gaze, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Mary snapped out of it at the sound of his laughter, forcefully shoved David away, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "What are you doing? Don’t forget we’re in an agreement marriage, and we’ve already fallen out. Stop touching me for no reason."

"Where did we get our marriage certificate?" David didn’t react to Mary’s anger but instead asked seriously.

Mary couldn’t follow his train of thought. "Of course we got it from the Civil Affairs Bureau."

"Oh, does the Civil Affairs Bureau issue fake certificates?" David patiently led her on.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Mary felt the man was becoming increasingly absurd. The Civil Affairs Bureau, issuing fake certificates—how was that even possible?

"Oh, so that means our marriage certificate is real, our marriage is authentic and legally recognized." David, satisfied with Mary’s affirmation, slowly added.

Mary realized she had been led into a trap. "Technically, yes, but our situation is different. Did you forget what you said when we got married?"

"Oh, I forgot. Anyway, the marriage certificate is in hand, recognized by law. We’re officially husband and wife," David said seriously, shamelessly twisting the situation.

"But didn’t you say you wanted to divorce—"

"No divorce. Don’t even think about it for the rest of your life." David interrupted Mary rudely and bluntly.

Mary, "..."

What was wrong with him today? Could it be that he bumped his head too?

Mary didn’t want to argue with David while he was unwell, opting instead to change the subject. "We can discuss us later. What about your film? What’s going to happen?"

The topic shift was so abrupt that David couldn’t follow, so he simply stared at Mary. freёwebnoѵel.com

Mary grew anxious. "Your leg, in this condition, you definitely won’t be able to shoot in March. How could you agree to it earlier? What will happen then?"

"Are you worried about me?" David’s mood lifted instantly as he stared joyfully at her.

"I..." Mary was caught off guard, her face flushing as she guiltily denied, "Who’s worried about you? What happens to you has nothing to do with me."

David clearly didn’t believe her and seemed increasingly elated, pointing at his pants. "Help me put them on."

Mary, "..."

Annoyed!

But Mary felt completely helpless against him and increasingly thought that dealing with men was like trying to untangle needles at the bottom of the ocean.

Compared to taking pants off, putting them on was much harder. By the time Mary finished struggling, both of them were drenched in sweat. The man in the hospital bed was incredibly fussy, forcing Mary to use a freshly dampened towel, her face flushed, to wipe his body clean.

After the sweat was wiped away, David finally calmed down.

Oddly enough, the sweat seemed to help lower David’s fever, and his complexion improved significantly.

Even so, it wasn’t until early dawn that the two could finally rest.

The next morning.

Mary woke early to check David’s temperature before waiting for the doctor to come and change his dressing.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that Mary found some free time. Following Mia Anderson’s ten-plus messages of reminders, after dinner she grabbed her tablet and sat on the couch.

David saw her behavior and knew what was going on. Picking up the other tablet Martin had sent over, he powered it on as well.

Although the program hadn’t started broadcasting yet, the comments section had already amassed over ten thousand entries.

Such engagement was rare even for popular shows, but Mary knew the buzz wasn’t due to the program itself but because of her recent cheating scandal with Simon Baker. If the program lacked highlights, the hype would fade quickly.

Thinking about this made Mary a bit anxious. She had been paid a hefty sum for this program, and if the data wasn’t good in the end, she’d feel rather guilty, especially since this was her first time participating in a variety show.

"Come here." Just as Mary was entirely focused on the tablet screen, the voice of the man in the hospital bed suddenly broke the silence.

Mary looked up.

David patted the side of his bed. "Watch it together."

Mary’s movement froze as she held her tablet, her smile awkward. "No need for that."

She couldn’t imagine David watching her program, which felt as awkward as being forced to perform for relatives by parents when she was a child.

Just, very embarrassing.

Unfortunately, David didn’t understand her discomfort at all, gazing at her steadfastly. His intention was clear: if you don’t come over, I’ll come to you.

Reluctantly considering David’s injured leg, Mary caved and awkwardly made her way over.

But it wasn’t over. When she reached the bedside, David patted the spot beside him again. Mary glared at David irritably, and David simply looked back at her.

After ten seconds, Mary silently climbed onto his single bed, found two cushions for them to prop against, and placed the tablet in the center.

David finally seemed satisfied, sitting with Mary to wait for the program to start.

Much like Mary, the other guest participants were also waiting for the program, including Duke Blue.

However, unlike others who were focused on the viewer numbers, Duke was fixed on the announcement of Raspberry Snack’s endorsement at the end. He had confidently assumed the endorsement would go to him, but neither the program team nor the brand had approached him throughout, leaving him somewhat uneasy.

This time, he and Charlotte Leigh had teamed up to cause trouble for Mary. In the end, they hadn’t managed to ruin her as planned. Instead, they inadvertently shot her to new levels of online buzz and topicality. That wasn’t the worst, though. What irked him most was how events gradually unfolded—with the entire internet initially hating Mary, but now there was a trend of forgiveness.

As for him? After causing such a mess, wasting money and effort, and accomplishing nothing, there were no resources to show for it. Worse, he’d offended Director Locke. If he hadn’t quickly sensed the tide shifting and worked to suppress the fallout, his reputation might have suffered damage. Now, he could only hope this endorsement would at least recover some of his losses.

Regarding Director Locke, word in the industry was that he’d been in a car accident yesterday and was in the hospital—unlikely to act against him for now. Plus, though Director Locke had clout, it was mostly limited to film and television resources. Duke’s resources there were already lackluster; even losing Director Penn’s projects wouldn’t directly impact him. Besides, Duke had his own film studio.

Given his current popularity, his company wouldn’t easily abandon him.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Duke glanced at the assistant on the sofa. "Keep an eye on the program. When the endorsement is announced, contact the producers and brand reps to finalize the price."

"Got it. So, Duke, how much should we charge for the endorsement?" Ace asked obsequiously.

Duke thought it over. This stunt he pulled against Mary had cost him over two million yuan—he should at least make double that back.

"Six million yuan, let the company know." Tossing out the number, Duke kicked off his shoes and retreated to the bedroom.

Ace smiled to himself, thinking Duke was a really good guy. These days, no well-known young actor charges under ten million for an endorsement—only someone as gracious as Duke could be so reasonably priced. Shouting a confirmation toward Duke’s closed door, Ace earnestly focused on the television.

The program started promptly at 8 PM.

Mary nervously licked her lips—not because she feared her performance on the show, but because she worried about the man’s reaction beside her.

She knew David well—he was a renowned director. During their brief encounter on his film set, the very project that rekindled their acquaintance, she had learned firsthand about his obsessive attention to detail and demand for perfection in visuals. She dreaded seeing him cast a critical eye on her variety show.

Thankfully, minutes passed without David saying anything, and Mary quietly let out a breath of relief—until the program reached the segment showing her and Duke boarding the car. Duke had mistaken her for a stalker, and his assistant had immediately berated her.

The production team clearly retained the scene to spark conflict and generate excitement for viewers.

With other shows, David would have instantly understood the director’s motive; but in this moment, his gaze was solely fixed on Mary’s expressions. After a long while, as Mary wondered if the hospital heating might be broken, the man beside her suddenly spoke. "You like this type?"

Mary froze, turning to David in confusion. "What type?"

David’s face remained stoic, his words unspoken.

Mary tilted her head toward him and caught his tense features, his eyes glued to the screen as though trying to pluck Duke off it. Suddenly, she understood—he meant Duke?

"Are you kidding me?" Mary responded incredulously with a glance at David—did he seriously think her taste was that bad? Just the thought of someone as sleazy as Duke being close made her nauseous.

"Good, better not. Most of the scandals surrounding you this time are probably linked to him." David seemed to relax slightly after hearing the disdain in Mary’s tone.

Mary couldn’t resist a subtle smile. Since reconnecting, her interactions with David had been either fights, misunderstandings, or mutual coldness. This kind of candid exchange had been practically non-existent. Discovering David’s little quirks now felt oddly endearing.

She had thought this man had changed; but now, she realized many of his small habits remained the same.

David noticed Mary trying not to giggle and seemed mildly peeved. "What’s so funny? I’m merely pointing out facts objectively."

"I know." Mary replied cheerfully, her amusement all the more evident.

David took a deep breath, refocusing on the screen and ignoring Mary.

Mary, sensing the man’s awkwardness beside her, felt none of the old pain or resentment—only amusement—and chose not to disrupt the rare pleasant moment, continuing to watch the program.

To better gauge audience reactions, Mary had left the comments section open. As the show proceeded, comments flooded in, most chastising her.

Though the scandal about Mary’s alleged affair had been clarified, many who watched the live broadcast still held grudges, accusing her of slacking off. Seeing her on screen with Duke, sparking such misunderstanding, Duke’s fans began lambasting her as a clout-chaser and manipulative opportunist. They claimed she deliberately let Duke misinterpret her just to benefit from his fame, disregarding neutral viewers pointing out Duke’s egotistical behavior.

Over the years, Mary had grown accustomed to malicious gossip and insults; she had long ceased to care about such comments. But David was different. Unable to hold back, he advised, "Why not turn off the comments?"

"No need. I kept them on to understand audience reactions. Don’t worry, I’m really not bothered by these insults." Mary said nonchalantly. If she had let comments dictate her happiness, she wouldn’t have survived this long.

From beginning to end, the only opinion that mattered to her was his.

David considered her relaxed tone, glancing sideways to observe her face—trying to find traces of forced resilience or hidden hurt—but found none. Mary’s gaze remained fixed on the screen, her lingering smile betraying genuine interest in the program. The venomous remarks appeared to have no effect on her whatsoever.

But he distinctly remembered the old Mary wasn’t like this.

The pampered little princess who grew up being doted upon was delicate to the core; forget harsh criticism, even mild disapproval saw her pouting and seeking his consolation, her annoyance only soothed by her favorite strawberry sherbet.

But now? Watching the poised, indifferent woman beside him face thousands of anonymous insults, her demeanor seemed worlds apart from the girl he remembered. She must have had a rough time growing up.

David recalled the thick stack of investigative files—details about her life—and his heart felt as though it had been pricked by needles, heavy with regret.

Mary, sensing David’s gaze drifting away from the screen, turned curiously toward him, catching the quiet tenderness in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "If you’re not watching the program, why are you looking at me?"

"I am watching." David replied calmly, refocusing on the screen.

The show had reached the ice lake segment.

Mary’s clever maneuvers brought liveliness to the on-site atmosphere, but Duke’s fans doubled down on their criticism, as scenes were approaching where Mary seemed to slack off.

The comments became increasingly hostile: "Here it comes, the heartless diva’s lazy act is about to start!"

"She’s taking money for doing nothing! Is this even wilderness exploration anymore? The production team’s way too indulgent—our Duke works hard, and she keeps dragging him down!"

"Didn’t know an outdated actress could dare slack off on a variety show. Now we understand—her hubby’s Director Locke! The privilege, tsk-tsk!"

"Shh, haven’t you seen the gossip between her and the show’s director? Even if the rumors were denied, the entertainment world’s dirty secrets—where there’s smoke, there’s fire."

The comment ended with a sly alien emoji.

The whole section erupted into laughs.

A few viewers attempted to dispute this: "I watched the stream live—Mary’s later performance was stunning! Watch the full thing before passing judgment."

"Yeah, they clarified the misunderstanding already."

But such defenses were quickly drowned out by Duke’s fans’ scathing remarks.

Mary watched, her lips quirking upward, anticipating the unfolding scenes.

At that moment, her phone buzzed urgently on the side. Mary picked it up to find it was Mia Anderson calling. She answered directly, but before she could speak, Mia’s anxious voice blared, "Mary! Did you check Twitter? You’re trending again!"

Mary’s grip on her phone froze. "What’s going on?"

Given how every time she trended, trouble ensued, her gaze drifted to the tablet’s screen, an uneasy premonition forming.

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