Qiao Xiaon'an briskly stood up, picked up her purse, and took a step to leave when suddenly her phone rang. She picked up the call as she moved. At the same time, Yun Mo's ringtone echoed as well.
They stood back to back, keeping a distance of two or three meters, both of them answering their phones.
Just as Qiao Xiaon'an swiped to answer, she heard her mother's heart-wrenching plea from the other end:
"Qiao Xiaon'an, if you dare to reject the Yun Family's marriage proposal, I will die in front of you."
"Even if I don't die, in the future, I will use every trick I can to ensure you marry an even wealthier man. There's no shortage of wealthy bachelors among your Aunt Chu's acquaintances."
"If you dare to say no, I will fight you tooth and nail."
Just as Qiao Xiaon'an was about to respond, before she could say a word, her mother hung up the phone.
She was left with a throbbing headache. Someone like her mother, who could even fake a cancer diagnosis, might just actually die if she did not get her married soon.
So, she turned around and was about to tell the man named Yun Mo that she would accept the Yun Family's marriage proposal. But Yun Mo had already hung up his call, his eyes as icy cold as ever looking at her, "I agree to marry you, but we only get a marriage certificate. No wedding ceremony."
This was his bottom line.
Qiao Xiaon'an was surprised. The man who had just desperately tried to get rid of her with money had now decided to marry her after just one phone call?
What exactly did the person on the phone say to him? Did they impose on him like her mother did?
Before she could figure anything out, the man had already walked past her and was headed towards the rhombus pattern screen. His icy voice receded along with his tall figure, "Tomorrow morning at nine, at the municipal civil affairs bureau, meet me at the marriage registration office."
Qiao Xiaon'an scratched her nose and watched as the man's cold, tall figure gradually disappeared into the distance at the other side of the tea house's garden with its small bridge and flowing water.
Feeling irritated, she huffed and sighed, "What a show-off."
Yes, the man was a bit cold.
But wasn't it the same for Qiao Xiaon'an, who was agonizing over whether to marry him?
A day later, it rained in the early spring of D City. The rains were light, but persistent, the sky was filled with layers of grey clouds. Qiao Xiaon'an sat at her desk, fiddling with the potted plant's leaves.
"Get the certificate, don't get the certificate, get the certificate, don't get the certificate?"
She repeated this cycle until almost all the leaves of the plant were destroyed. But she could still not make up her mind.
Unknowingly, the appointed time from yesterday had already passed.
It was already quarter past nine.
Yun Mo and Assistant Ade had arrived at the marriage registration office exactly at nine. But now, Qiao Xiaon'an was nowhere to be seen. All this while, Yun Mo sat inside the limited edition 'Phantom' car, going through various reports on his computer, without a hint of impatience.
Ade checked outside the car multiple times but could not spot Qiao Xiaon'an. He was anxious like ants on a hot stove whereas Yun Mo remained perfectly calm.
"Mr. Yun, are you really going to wait for Qiao Xiaon'an?"
"If she hasn't shown up by half-past ten, let me know."
"But Mr. Yun, you have an important meeting at ten."
"Put it off for an hour and a half."
"Mr. Yun..."
"..."
Yun Mo doesn't speak, continuing to gaze at his computer screen. The perfectly smooth silhouette of the "Phantom" car is sturdy as a mountain. It's quite in line with his demeanor. His handsome figure reflected on the shiny, bright car window as he leaned against the chair, causing Assistant Ade to stop speaking. Yun Mo seemed to be a measured person.
Yun Mo, who seemed to be lost in thought, suddenly looked towards the misty distance, "If she comes, notify me immediately."
"Mr. Yun, have you thought it through? A marriage without feelings and a common language can't last long. And also the disparity in your statuses might..."
Yun Mo didn't immediately answer; instead he gazed into the misty rain distance, subtly furrowing his eyebrows. Coupled with today's rain, he wondered whether she would be able to make it, "If everything goes smoothly today with the registration, she will be Mrs. Yun."
In the end, Qiao Xiaon'an couldn't withstand her mother's various threats, and eventually decided to rush to the Civil Affairs Bureau. However, she didn't bring an umbrella when she took the subway, so her thin white shirt was somewhat damp from the drizzle.
And she was late. After a round in the marriage registration office of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she didn't see Yun Mo's figure. She felt somewhat dispirited. Sigh, the marriage didn't work out, what kind of tricks would her mother come up with next?
But it was fine. She didn't like Yun Mo, who was as cold as ice.
However, today, she heard from her colleagues at the company that Chu Nantian would bring Yuan Yifan, who went overseas to study, back to the headquarters of Tongyu Company. If Chu Nantian and Yuan Yifan get engaged, wouldn't her mother want to force her to marry a rich man even more?
Chu Nantian, her former prospective rich second-generation boyfriend, didn't have a hint of arrogance. He was as gentle as jade, her senior, and pursued her throughout her college years. In the end, how did he end up in Yuan Yifan's bed?
And Yuan Yifan turned out to be her cousin.
Ah, it's all so chaotic.
Qiao Xiaon'an shook her head, gazing at the shiny floor tiles, and sighed deeply. Why did such a dramatic event happen to her?
The thought of Chu Nantian still made her heart feel stifled. However, this displeasure was fleeting and quickly replaced by a bright smile on her face. As the dimples on her cheeks appeared, a cheerful song came from her upturned lips, "She said in the rain and wind, what does this little pain count as? Dry your tears, don't be afraid, at least we still have dreams."
Yes, she still had dreams. Being terribly hurt by Chu Nantian once didn't matter. Perhaps her good fortune was still waiting for her.
If that person knows how to cherish her and loves her, she will fulfill his promise and protect him for life.
Talking to herself all the way as she walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau,
"My dear mother, it's not that I don't want to marry the young master of the Yun Family. We are just not fated."
"If you want to force a marriage, fine, I will go on a blind date on my own and find someone with ordinary conditions, earning less than five thousand, without a car or house, as long as he is honest. Once we've obtained the marriage certificate, and the rice is cooked, what can you do to me?"
"What's this business about marrying into a wealthy family? It's all bullshit. Isn't it good to live a simple life?"
Her ex-boyfriend Chu Nantian, with all his high status, had already brought her enough trouble. She did not want to bring any more trouble upon herself.
Just as she was talking to herself, an upright figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Actually, he didn't mean to stop her. She just happened to walk in front of him while looking down. When she looked up, she saw a frosty-faced Yun Mo. Qiao Xiaon'an was taken aback, "It's past ten, and you're still here?"
Yun Mo gave her a mild glance. His hands hanging at his sides were still long and clean, and his nails were beautiful and shiny. They were very pleasing to the eye. But when Qiao Xiaon'an's eyes moved upward and fell on his face, she felt extremely uncomfortable. Why did such a cold person have to be so good-looking?
She asked again, "Why are you still here?"
His answer seemed rather irrelevant, "Have you decided whether to register our marriage with me?"
"Didn't you say nine o'clock in the morning? I thought you had already left."
Only then did Yun Mo give her a longer look. The white shirt on her still had traces of raindrops, and it was wet. Probably that was why she was late. He didn't rush her, withdrawing his gaze from her, "If you've decided, then go register with me. I will not hold a wedding, and I won't allow divorce after marriage. Think it through if you want to get married."