Chapter 32: Signing the Servitude Contract

Beside the shabby stands on the athletic field.

After some playful shoulder bumps and laughter, Xie Bingran suddenly waved her hand.

Li Qiang and the others immediately caught on. Without another word, they bid Bing Ge a quick farewell and left together.

The empty field was left with just Xu Chen and Xie Bingran.

Xie Bingran pinched the cigarette hidden in her palm, then casually tossed it to the ground, murmuring under her breath:

“I was just holding it. Didn’t actually smoke.”

Xu Chen chuckled, clearly pleased.

It seemed she really did listen when he told her not to smoke.

Xu Chen sized Bing Ge up and down—she looked just like she had a few days ago.

A loose black jacket over a black tee.

Slim-fit jeans and a pair of grimy old canvas shoes.

Xie Bingran fell silent under his scrutiny, visibly uncomfortable.

“Hey! I’ve got something good to show you!”

Xu Chen hoisted a pile of bags and boxes, moving to the cracked concrete platform a few steps away.

He placed several Nike-branded boxes and shopping bags on the waist-high ledge.

Xie Bingran strolled over at a leisurely pace, hands shoved in her pockets.

As Xu Chen opened a box, he said,

“I wasn’t sure of your size, so I got three sizes. Try them on…

And since I guessed you’d be too lazy to change workout clothes, I grabbed you two outfits, too.”

Three pairs of shoes and two athletic sets for spring and summer sat before Xie Bingran.

She glanced down, her expression as gloomy and unreadable as ever—no clue if she was happy.

“Not saying anything? Don’t like them?”

Xie Bingran kept her hands in her pockets, showing no intention of taking anything out.

She paused, then said coldly,

“I can’t pay you back. Just return them.”

Xu Chen smiled, “What are you talking about? I want to give them to you. You don’t have to pay me back.”

Xie Bingran frowned, her gaze icy:

“I don’t want to owe you anything anymore. I simply can’t pay you back.”

Xu Chen let out a muffled sigh and said,

“You already agreed to sign the servitude contract. Is your life and freedom worth less than these shoes?”

Xie Bingran lowered her head, silent. A faint bloodstain marked her left cheek.

Perhaps from last week at the Old Department Store, or another fight these past days.

Xu Chen grinned awkwardly and picked up a pair of size 39 shoes.

He crouched and measured them against Xie Bingran’s feet.

“You’ve got big feet!”

Xie Bingran’s eyes flashed coldly. “Want to die?!”

Xu Chen: “…”

Xie Bingran coughed and shrank her feet back.

Xu Chen stood and grabbed the size 40 pair.

“This pair should fit. Give them a try!”

Xie Bingran kept her hands in her pockets and said,

“My life and freedom really might not be worth more than these shoes.”

Xu Chen looked at her seriously and said,

“You don’t understand yet. Soon you will. Your life and freedom are worth a fortune—a super fortune!”

Xie Bingran glanced at Xu Chen. Her delicate, gloomy eyes flickered in the breeze.

“Then I’ll sign the servitude contract first,” she said softly.

Xu Chen laughed, “You’re even more eager than I am!”

He unshouldered his backpack and pulled out two sets of documents—each in duplicate.

He’d printed them at home this morning using his dad’s computer and printer.

Besides the contracts, he had pens and ink pads ready.

Well prepared, fully equipped.

Xu Chen used an empty shoe box as a makeshift desk and spread out the contracts.

“Let me explain—there are two documents here…”

As Xu Chen began, Xie Bingran snatched the pen from his hand and interrupted,

“Just tell me where to sign.”

Xu Chen was speechless. He pointed to the signature and fingerprint spots.

Without hesitation, Xie Bingran signed her name on each copy and pressed her right index finger into the ink pad.

Xu Chen glanced down at her hand—covered in bandages, faint bloodstains, bruises…

Hard to believe these belonged to an eighteen-year-old girl.

Xu Chen neatly stacked the contracts and said,

“My company seal isn’t ready yet. Dad still needs to register the business and carve the official stamp.

That’ll take a couple of days. Once it’s done, I’ll give you a copy.”

Xie Bingran rubbed the red ink off her finger and said casually,

“If these are important, you should keep them for me. I’d probably lose them.”

Xu Chen: “You really trust me.”

Xie Bingran remained expressionless, saying nothing.

And so, on this overgrown, dilapidated middle school athletic field in a rundown town…

Future track star Xie Bingran entrusted her life and freedom—worth millions in commercial value—to Xu Chen.

As Xu Chen packed up the papers, he half-joked,

“One of these contracts is an equity and authorization agreement. It’s complicated to explain.

Basically, we’ll start a company together and each hold a stake.

Of course, I’m thicker-skinned, so I took the larger share.

But Xie Bingran, I promise you’ll become very wealthy!”

Xie Bingran slipped her hands back into her pockets, her expression cold and distant again.

She either didn’t understand, didn’t believe it, or simply didn’t care.

Xu Chen continued,

“You’ll be rich someday. Life for the wealthy is good—you’ll have many great days ahead.

Wealth gives you precious health, too.

So don’t beat yourself up until you’re covered in wounds.”

He half-joked, and her gloomy eyes flickered in the wind.

“Come on, try the shoes. If the size 40s are too tight, I’ll get a bigger pair.”

With that, Xu Chen crouched again, ready to help her change shoes.

Xie Bingran looked down at him, a flicker of panic in her eyes.

“I… I’ll change them myself.”

Xu Chen froze, suddenly realizing his forwardness. He smiled and stood.

Xie Bingran knelt down, took off her dirty old canvas shoes, and slipped on the 899-yuan red running shoes.

“How are they?”

Xie Bingran flexed her feet and said quietly,

“They fit.”

Xu Chen crouched and pressed the toe box.

Xie Bingran instinctively tried to pull back but obediently extended her foot.

Xu Chen found there was just half a centimeter of space—perfect fit.

“Just right!”

Xu Chen stood, about to tease Xie Bingran about her big feet, but remembered her terrifying “Want to die?” glare and held his tongue.

Actually, for her 1.74-meter height, size 40 isn’t that big.