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Taking You to Pick Out Rings
The next morning, very early, Lin Mitang requested leave from her company. Together with Cheng Dingyuan, she smoothly went to the Civil Affairs Bureau and obtained their marriage certificate.
The little red book in her hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, yet at the same time, Lin Mitang herself felt like she was stepping on clouds—weightless, floating.
For nearly twenty-seven years, this was the very first time she had ever done something so reckless in her life.
Yesterday, she had still been busy being pushed into blind dates. Today, she had just gotten her marriage certificate with someone she hadn’t seen in eight years.
Even though it was just a contractual marriage, in the past she wouldn’t have even dared to dream of such a thing.
Wait—hadn’t she forgotten something?!
Lin Mitang turned to look at the man beside her:
“Cheng Dingyuan, didn’t we forget to set the terms of the agreement?”
They hadn’t even drafted the agreement, yet they’d rushed to get the certificate.
What kind of contractual marriage was this?
Cheng Dingyuan was scrolling through his phone, but at her words, he paused.
Then he gave a look of realization, lazily drawing out his tone:
“Ah, seems like it.”
“We can still set it now.” He put away his phone.
“You start. I’ll have it typed up later for us to sign.”
Lin Mitang thought carefully:
“Since this is a contractual marriage, during the contract period, we mustn’t interfere with each other’s normal lives. That includes—but isn’t limited to—work, social life, schedules, etc.”
“Of course. What else?” Cheng Dingyuan prompted.
She racked her brains, then suddenly asked:
“Wait… do we also need to… live together?”
He gave her an amused glance:
“What do you think?”
“…Oh.” Lin Mitang cleared her throat, feigning seriousness, though the redness creeping up her ears betrayed her discomfort.
“Then… if we do live together, we can’t dress too revealingly at home. And if you want to bring male friends over, you need to tell me in advance.”
“Sure, no problem.” He nodded easily, as if no matter what conditions she raised, he’d agree.
“Go on?”
He really did seem to care about that inheritance.
Lin Mitang blinked.
“That’s all for now.”
“My turn then.”
She straightened up immediately, pretending to listen attentively.
“I’m pretty easygoing, not many demands.”
“Mhm, go on.”
“Whether you come home at night or not, you need to notify me beforehand—no later than 8:30 p.m.”
“Mhm, okay.”
“If you’re bringing male friends home, you also need to tell me in advance.”
“Mhm—wait, shouldn’t that be female friends?”
“Male,” Cheng Dingyuan corrected without batting an eye.
“And before the contract expires, neither of us can bring up divorce. Otherwise, the breaching party must pay a penalty.”
She cautiously asked:
“How much is the penalty?”
His long fingers tapped casually on the table:
“One million.”
“One million?!” Lin Mitang gasped. “Isn’t that way too much? Even if you sold me, I couldn’t pay that.”
“That’s what makes it a penalty,” he said matter-of-factly.
“If it were easy to pay, then you could just breach whenever you felt like it. And then what about me?”
After a pause, he added, looking at her:
“Lin Mitang, just don’t divorce me within a year. I’m not out to scam you for one million. What are you afraid of?”
After thinking about it, she found that reasonable, and didn’t argue further.
“Alright, anything else?”
“During the contract, if you fall in love with someone, you must tell me honestly.”
Her eyes lit up:
“And then I can divorce you without paying the penalty?”
His expression instantly darkened.
“Of course you’d still have to pay.”
“….”
Tch. Then what was the point of telling him?
But since this concerned his interests, she promised earnestly:
“But, Cheng Dingyuan, I actually never planned on marrying anyone for the rest of my life. You can rest assured, I absolutely won’t break the contract.”
She did believe in love, but she also firmly believed it would never happen to her.
With her mother Li Xiuhua as an example, plus all the stories of domestic violence, infidelity, even murder cases after marriage, Lin Mitang had always been pessimistic about love.
Love was something to read in novels, watch in dramas—that was enough.
She thought her words would reassure him, but his eyes remained unreadable.
He simply put away the marriage certificate carefully, and said lightly:
“We’ll see.”
It was still early. At her request, he drove her back to Happiness Community.
She needed to collect her things before moving in with him.
He had offered to just buy her all new things instead of going back to that shabby place, but she was firm.
The black G-Wagon parked in the same spot as last night. He was about to unbuckle and go up with her, but she said:
“Cheng Dingyuan, could you wait in the car? I don’t have much stuff, it won’t take long.”
“No way,” he clicked his tongue. “What if your mom—”
Before he could finish, she cut him off:
“I can handle it myself, really.”
Her voice softened unconsciously, autumn-water eyes tilted down, reflecting his shadow.
“Please?”
“…”
He rubbed the back of his neck, looked away.
“Give me your phone.”
She handed it over, curious:
“What are you doing?”
His long fingers tapped swiftly across the screen. Then he held it up to show her.
A phone number was saved.
“If anything happens, call me.”
She looked at it for a moment, then her eyes curved into a small smile.
“Okay.”
At home, only Li Xiuhua was in.
The moment Lin Mitang stepped inside, her mother sneered:
“Well, well. I thought you were so capable. Grown woman pulling a runaway stunt, but in the end, you still come crawling back.”
Lin Mitang ignored her sarcasm, changed shoes, and headed to her room.
“Stop right there.” Li Xiuhua stormed after her.
“Are you deaf? Did you block my number? How dare you come back here, huh?”
Lin Mitang stopped and calmly said:
“Mom, I’m just here to pack my things.”
She pulled out the fresh marriage certificate.
“I’ve already married Cheng Dingyuan. I’ll be living with him from now on.”
The insult on Li Xiuhua’s tongue stuck fast. She gaped at the red booklet.
“You and Xiao Cheng… but you two only met yesterday—how did you—”
“Mom, don’t ask. He’s waiting downstairs,” Lin Mitang cut her off.
At that, Li Xiuhua quickly switched tone:
“Right, right, can’t keep Xiao Cheng waiting. Go pack. Next time, bring him over properly so we can have a nice chat.”
She paced the living room, her smile brimming with excitement:
“But honestly, Xiao Cheng should have at least come up to meet his mother-in-law…”
Lin Mitang shut her bedroom door, blocking out the voice.
She didn’t have much to pack. Just a few clothes, blankets, and personal items—one suitcase was enough.
Dragging it downstairs, she saw Cheng Dingyuan waiting outside the building. Sunlight streamed through tree branches, lazily spilling over his tall, straight figure.
He glanced at her suitcase and frowned slightly.
“Just this?”
Embarrassed, she nodded.
Before she could wonder if he was upset, he had already taken it from her and loaded it into the trunk.
“What time do you get off work this afternoon?” he asked.
She had only taken half a day off.
“Normally six. If there’s overtime, maybe eight or nine.”
His brows knit again.
“What kind of job keeps you that late? Is this ‘996’ in real life?”
She smiled lightly:
“It’s fine. Usually I don’t work overtime. It’s just a busy season now.”
Not everyone was born with what others spent their whole lives chasing. For her, just having a stable job that fed her was already enough.
Not wanting to discuss further, she asked:
“Why do you want to know?”
Fastening his seat belt, he replied naturally:
“To take you to pick out rings.”
Since it was just a contractual marriage, Lin Mitang had no plans for a wedding.
But Cheng Dingyuan insisted they buy rings—otherwise, how could he face his parents?
She didn’t refuse.
Yet when she saw the prices, her eyes widened in shock.
While the clerk fetched other designs, she tugged at his sleeve, whispering into his ear:
“Cheng Dingyuan, aren’t these too expensive?”
They weren’t really married. Any cheap ring would do. Why waste money?
Her breath brushed against his ear, carrying a faint gardenia fragrance. His Adam’s apple shifted as he subtly leaned away.
“For something you only buy once in a lifetime, how is it expensive?” he asked.
“But… aren’t we just in a contractual marriage?” she reminded softly.
He visibly paused, then lowered his gaze and asked:
“Didn’t you say you never planned to marry anyone else in your life? So after our contract ends, are you planning to suddenly marry for real?”
“…Well, no,” she admitted.
The clerk soon returned with more styles, but Lin Mitang struggled with indecision. Nervous about the cost, she finally turned to him:
“Which one do you think is best?”
Noticing her difficulty, Cheng Dingyuan tapped one.
“This one.”
The cool metal slid onto her finger.
But as they left the jewelry store, her guilt lingered.
“When the contract ends, I’ll return this to you. If you want, we can even add that to the agreement.”
He stayed silent.
Sensing his mood dip, she cautiously asked:
“Are you upset because I keep saying it’s just a contractual marriage?”
He stopped walking, glanced at her.
“Was I that obvious?”
She nodded earnestly.
“A little.”
He flicked her forehead lightly.
“Then why do you keep saying it?”
So her guess was right—he was worried she’d slip up in front of his parents.
Yes, that must be it!
Since he hadn’t used any force, she didn’t think much of it. Feeling guilty, she quickly apologized:
“Sorry. I’ll try not to mention it again. And don’t worry, I won’t ever say anything in front of Uncle Cheng or Auntie Yang. They’ll never know about the contract.”
He fastened his seat belt expressionlessly.
“Lin Mitang.”
“Mhm?”
He gave her a thin, fake smile.
“Better if you just don’t talk at all.