Chapter 1 - Sir, Why Don’t We Get Married?
Song Ning paced back and forth on the steps of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Today was the day she and Fu Le would register their marriage that had been arranged by her mother when her mother was still alive.
Song Ning and Fu Le were childhood sweethearts. Her mother's biggest regret was not being able to witness her and Fu Le's wedding. When her mother was alive, she and her mother had chosen this day together to register her marriage.
At this moment, a young delivery man hurriedly ran to her. When he came to a stop in front of her, he looked at her before he glanced at the photo in his hand.
Song Ning stopped pacing immediately.
"Are you… Ms. Song Ning?" the delivery man asked as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Song Ning nodded. "Yes. I'm Song Ning."
Upon obtaining the confirmation, the delivery man handed her a document. "Your parcel."
Song Ning was surprised. How did the delivery man know to look for her here? She looked at the name on the document before she looked at the delivery man again.
The delivery man motioned her to have a look at the document as he said, "The sender has a message for you. You should open the file and have a look."
Song Ning was thoroughly shocked when she opened the file and saw its content. She saw a stack of high-definition photos of a couple; they were none other than Fu Le and Feng Man. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she put the photos in her bag.
Following that, the delivery man took two steps backward. Then, he cleared his throat before he attempted to imitate a woman's voice and said, "Ning, Fu Le won't marry you. The person he loves is me. We've been together for half a year now. He just couldn't bear to tell you the truth because of your mother. Just think about it… What kind of man would be willing to marry a dense woman like you who doesn't care about her lover?" After he finished speaking, he looked at Song Ning with an expression of pity.
Despite her trembling body, Song Ning's voice was calm when she said, "Is that all?"
"Yes." The delivery man quickly nodded. He felt sorry for having to deliver such an outrageous message to Song Ning. He bowed before he turned around and hurried away.
When Song Ning felt the scorching heat from the sun on her head, she placed the file over her head, using it to shade herself. Contrary to the heat, her tears streamed down her face like the rain.
She brought her mobile phone out and dialed Fu Le's number, but he did not answer her call. She did not give up and continued to call him over and over again. After a while, the call finally connected.
However, before Song Ning could speak, Fu Le's voice rang from the other end of the line. "N-Ning, uh, I'm busy today. My friend's injured so I'm taking care of her in the hospital. I'll… I'll talk to you later... "
Song Ning tried to get rid of the tremors in her voice before she said, "Your injured friend? Are you talking about Feng Man?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Le blurted out, "How do you know?"
"Fu Le, do you still intend to marry me on another day? Or do you not have any intention to marry me at all?"
Fu Le only hesitated for a moment before he said, "Ning, I think you'll be able to live comfortably without me since you're capable and independent. You don't need me at all unlike… unlike Feng Man who can't live without me..."
"Okay, I understand," Song Ning interjected before she hung up. After that, she slowly squatted down with her phone in her hand as her heart throbbed in pain.
'Fu Le, what do you mean by I'm too independent? It's just a lame excuse for you cheating on me!'
At this moment, two tall men dressed in black suits were climbing up the stairs.
The man in the lead solemnly said, "I'm only marrying her to fulfill my grandmother's wish. I even agreed to divorce her once Grandma recovers from her illness. What's the matter now? Does she think the money I gave her isn't enough?"
The man at the back explained with a reluctant expression on his face, "Ye Xin said she's a public figure and this marriage will greatly impact her career. She's currently competing for an international award so this is a critical time for her. She doesn't want any negative publicity, and she doesn't want to be known as a divorced woman. Even if there's nothing between both of you, her fans won't believe it. Mu Chen, why don't you call her?" When he finished speaking, he passed a phone over to the man in front.
Upon hearing these words, Mu Cheng's expression turned frosty immediately. However, the corners of his lips curled up into a confident smile as he said, "I tolerated her when she used me for publicity, but now she refuses to do this for Grandma? Cheng Che, do I look like a fool to you?"
Cheng Che sighed. "Young Master Chen, for your Grandma's sake, please beg Ms. Ye."
"Beg? She should be grateful that I'm not going to bankrupt her family due to the friendship between our elders. Why should I beg her?" Mu Chen snorted.
Cheng Che said anxiously, "But you must get married today! We must stop your Grandma's hunger strike! I don't care. Since you've agreed to your Grandma's request, you must do it at all cost!"
Mu Chen frowned slightly as he lowered his gaze, lost in his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Song Ning who was standing nearby overheard the two men's conversation. With this, an idea appeared in her mind. She slowly rose to her feet before she turned to look behind. She froze when she saw the man behind her.
The tall man stood under the Civil Affairs Bureau's sign with his back against the sunlight with his clean and beautiful hanging by his sides. The sun cast a shadow on his sharp features and highlighted his icy and noble temperament.
Song Ning narrowed her eyes as she mustered up her courage to approach the man. Then, she said clearly despite her soft voice, "Sir, why don't we get married?"
'Fu Le, you'll regret missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!'