Chapter 14

The morning in Shanghai was vibrant and bustling. Cars filled the streets in an unbroken stream, and pedestrians hurried by with determined expressions, all headed toward their destinations. Among them sat Cheng Li in a car, gazing absentmindedly at the people on the sidewalks, while a storm raged in her mind.

Ever since Rong Qi had asked her, “Will you marry me?” everything had spiraled into chaos.

When she first heard his proposal, she thought the idea was utterly insane—outrageously absurd.

She even tried to argue against it, hoping to make him reconsider.

But then he had looked straight at her and said:

“Then let your impulsiveness flare up for me one more time.”

In that moment, Cheng Li’s life, which had always been careful, orderly, and mistake-free, veered entirely off course.

She raised her hand and lightly knocked her forehead.

What on earth had she been thinking when she said, “Okay”?

“Do you want to marry me?”
“Okay.”
“Then let your impulsiveness flare up for me one more time.”
“Okay.”

That single word, repeated twice, had answered all his questions.

And so, this absurdly irrational conversation had led to the current situation.

She was now sitting in Rong Qi’s car, heading toward her home—to retrieve her household registration booklet.

Earlier that morning, after Grandma Xiang’s examination was complete, the doctors and nurses had wheeled her back to the ICU.

Rong Qi had arranged for his assistant to stay at the hospital to keep watch.

Then he turned to Cheng Li and said, “Let’s head back now, or we won’t make it in time.”

Still dazed, Cheng Li had asked, “Make it in time for what?”

“To register our marriage,” Rong Qi replied.

And so, within a single morning, her life had accelerated as though someone had hit an 8x fast-forward button. It hurtled forward so fast that she felt completely disoriented, unable to make sense of the situation.

Her reason, her rationality, her restraint—gone.

All because a crazed little voice in her mind kept feeding her a singular thought:

Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?

You were the one who insisted on a blind date with him. Now he’s skipping straight to marriage. You’ve hit the jackpot.

If you marry Rong Qi, you can completely crush that scumbag Xu Jiheng.

“Mr. Rong, we’ve arrived,” the driver said softly from the front seat.

Cheng Li, who had been resting her head against the car window, immediately straightened up instinctively.

Already?

Had they already reached her home so quickly?

The car stopped. Rong Qi got out first, walked around the back of the car, and opened the door on Cheng Li’s side. Bending slightly, he looked at her and said, “We’re here.”

Cheng Li took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

Since the driver didn’t know exactly where Cheng Li’s home was located, he had parked in front of the residential complex.

“I’ll head inside to grab the documents,” Cheng Li said quietly.

Just as she was about to turn, her arm was gently tugged.

Turning back, she saw Rong Qi looking at her. “I’ll go with you,” he said.

“There’s no need,” Cheng Li hesitated, blinking nervously. “What if my parents are home?”

Hearing this, Rong Qi raised a faint brow.

Seriously?

She was willing to agree to register their marriage, but she was worried about this?

Without saying another word, Cheng Li turned and began walking forward, with Rong Qi following closely beside her.

As they entered the complex, Cheng Li’s steps unconsciously slowed, while Rong Qi naturally walked half a step ahead of her.

When they reached the turn where they needed to go left, Rong Qi didn’t need any prompting and simply turned.

The heavy silence weighed on the air until Cheng Li broke it. “Your memory is really good. You’ve only been here once, and you already remember the way to my house.”

Her words, said casually, unintentionally unlocked a fragment of memory.

It was probably their second year of high school.

One winter morning, students trickled into the classroom for the early self-study session.

But even by the end of the session, Cheng Li’s desk remained conspicuously empty.

Cheng Li was well-liked in class. She was beautiful, served as the class study monitor, and was always eager to help her classmates with their problems. Whether among the boys or the girls, she was a popular presence.

The second class of the day was Chinese, taught by the homeroom teacher. A girl mustered the courage to ask, “Teacher, why isn’t Cheng Li here today?”

The question made Rong Qi, who had been quietly gazing downward in the back row, lift his head.

The teacher smiled at the eager faces in the classroom. “I didn’t expect you all to care so much about your classmate. Cheng Li is sick with appendicitis and needs a week to recover. Her mother called to inform me last night.”

Everyone knew Cheng Li’s mother was Mrs. Ling, the English teacher for the senior class.

During the break between classes, a group of girls gathered in the corridor to discuss.

“Why don’t we visit Cheng Li?”

“If we’re visiting, we should bring a gift. What should we buy?”

“But we don’t even know where she lives.”

“We can just ask Meng Yuange. They’re so close.”

Soon, Meng Yuange, who had gone to refill her water bottle, returned and was stopped by the girls. After hearing about their plan, she immediately said, “Cheng Li lives in Jiayuan Complex, two blocks ahead of our school.”

“Which building?”

Meng Yuange thought for a moment. “Building 17, Apartment 301. That complex isn’t easy to navigate, but there’s a huge plane tree in front of her building.”

Since the following day was the weekend, they agreed to visit her then.

That evening, after the night study session ended, Rong Qi didn’t head home as usual. Instead, he walked two blocks and found Jiayuan Complex.

Just as Meng Yuange had said, the complex had many buildings and was a bit confusing to navigate.

But he eventually found the right building.

And he saw the massive plane tree in front of it.

Standing below, Rong Qi looked up at the third floor, trying to guess which window was hers.

Perhaps her room was still lit. Or maybe she was already asleep.

Before long, he heard footsteps near the staircase entrance. Rong Qi stepped behind the tree to hide.

A figure emerged from the entrance, wearing a school uniform and carrying a backpack—it was Meng Yuange.

At the same time, a slightly raspy voice drifted down from above. “Don’t forget to take notes for me.”

Looking up, Rong Qi saw a girl in pink pajamas with a bear pattern standing on the balcony of the third floor. Her long hair draped over her shoulders. Whether it was the bright moonlight or the fact that she was unwell, her face looked pale and delicate, exuding a fragile charm.

“You’re sick and still can’t stop thinking about studying,” Meng Yuange said, tilting her head up to talk to her.

Cheng Li sighed helplessly. “There’s so much homework. I’ve only missed one day of school, and I already have this many worksheets.”

Yizhong was a prestigious school in the city, and the academic workload was heavier than that of other schools.

On top of that, the competition among students was fierce.

Meng Yuange waved her hand. “Got it, got it. You should hurry back and rest.”

That week, the boy sitting next to Rong Qi was shocked to discover something unusual:

The academic prodigy, who had never taken notes during class, astonishingly spent the entire week meticulously taking notes.

*

“We’re here. I’ll head upstairs first,” Cheng Li’s voice brought Rong Qi back from his thoughts.

He nodded slightly and said, “I’ll need to stop by my house later too.”

Luckily, his household registration booklet was still in the safe in the study at his family’s house.

Cheng Li seemed to remember something and reminded him, “Yesterday, Grandpa Rong was really startled. When you go back, make sure to comfort him properly.”

“Mm, I will,” Rong Qi responded with a nod.

Cheng Li was about to head upstairs when she paused, turning back to add, “I’ll need to shower and freshen up, so it might take a while. I’ll text you when I’m ready.”

After her rambling explanation, she noticed the faint smile on Rong Qi’s face.

Rong Qi looked straight at her. “I’ll wait for you.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Cheng Li laughed softly, waved her hand, and quickly turned to head inside the building.

When she got home, she realized that her parents weren’t around. Her father was likely at work, and since retiring, her mother, Mrs. Ling, had been living a vibrant life, either meeting friends for spa treatments or shopping with former colleagues.

Taking advantage of their absence, Cheng Li hurried to the master bedroom and found the household registration booklet in the cabinet where Mrs. Ling kept important documents.

After retrieving it, she went to the bathroom to shower.

Meanwhile, Rong Qi returned to his home, where his grandfather was still resting upstairs.

The housekeeper saw him and quickly asked, “How’s Grandma’s condition? I didn’t even know she was sick. Should I prepare some nutritious meals to send over?”

“Grandma can’t eat for now. Just stay here and take care of Grandpa. Can you spend the night here tonight?”

The housekeeper immediately replied, “Of course I can.”

Rong Qi had long wanted to arrange for live-in caretakers for his grandparents. With his busy schedule and frequent travel, he couldn’t always be home.

But his grandparents, accustomed to a life of frugality, had only reluctantly accepted having a housekeeper.

After this incident, however, Rong Qi was even more determined not to leave them alone at night.

If it weren’t for Cheng Li working late last night and noticing something was wrong, he didn’t dare imagine the potential consequences.

The housekeeper watched as he headed upstairs. “Should I prepare something for you to eat?”

“No need. I’ll be heading out again soon.” Rong Qi paused on the stairs, then turned back to ask, “Do you know how to make scallion pancakes?”

The housekeeper blinked, then gave an awkward smile. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

She quickly added, “But I know Grandma can make them. How about I learn from her when she recovers?”

Rong Qi was silent for a moment. “No need.”

The housekeeper saw him ascend two more steps before turning back again. “Just make two sandwiches for me.”

He’d been so preoccupied earlier that he hadn’t even noticed Cheng Li hadn’t eaten breakfast.

“Alright, I’ll prepare them right away.”

Cheng Li, now out of the shower, spent five minutes drying her hair until it was half-dry.

She then stood in front of her wardrobe, sifting through her clothes, unable to find anything suitable.

After all, this was her first time getting married.

She searched online and discovered that even getting a marriage certificate had become a trendy occasion.

There were photographers specializing in documenting the moment, delicate veils to wear, pre-taken ID photos, and even elaborate announcements for social media after receiving the certificate.

Imagining herself and Rong Qi in such scenarios, Cheng Li felt like she was losing her mind.

Finally, she pulled out a classic white dress from her wardrobe. Its timeless design and neutral color seemed like a safe choice.

After getting dressed, she applied a simple layer of makeup.

When it came time for lipstick, she initially chose a bold red but quickly dabbed it off with a tissue, leaving her lips with only a faint blush of color.

Checking the time, she realized it was already past ten.

She picked up her phone and sent Rong Qi a message.

Cheng Li: I’m ready.

The response came almost instantly.

Rong Qi: Come downstairs.

Seeing the message, Cheng Li grabbed her bag, double-checked her ID and the household registration booklet, and headed downstairs.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Rong Qi standing under the large sycamore tree.

When he noticed her, he started walking toward her.

Cheng Li was surprised. “When did you get here?”

“Not long ago,” Rong Qi replied.

He carried a faint scent of cool freshness, as if he had just showered as well.

“Let’s go.”

The two walked to the entrance, got into the car, and Rong Qi directly gave the driver the address of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The driver initially responded casually, “Alright.”

But as he realized the destination, his expression shifted to one of astonishment. His grip on the steering wheel instinctively tightened.

Two eligible young adults suddenly heading to the Civil Affairs Bureau—it didn’t take much thought to understand what they were planning to do.

Still, despite his shock, the driver maintained a professional demeanor and immediately started the car.

“Have something to eat,” Rong Qi said, handing Cheng Li a sandwich the housekeeper had prepared.

Only then did Cheng Li remember that she hadn’t eaten anything since coming home late from work the previous night.

Earlier at home, whether from nerves or something else, she had completely forgotten about breakfast.

Cheng Li hesitated. “Forget it. I don’t want the car to smell like food.”

“It’s just a sandwich; it won’t leave any odor,” Rong Qi said, holding it out to her.

Cheng Li finally accepted it, only to see him take out a carton of milk as well. Surprised, she said, “So your family drinks this brand too?”

Perhaps to ease the inexplicable awkwardness in the car, Cheng Li started chatting.

“My dad loves buying this local brand. He says the ingredient list on the packaging is the best.”

“Your father knows a lot about these things?”

“My dad’s the classic domestic type—good at everything from cooking to fixing pots and pans.”

As they talked, Cheng Li gradually felt her nerves settle.

But when they arrived at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau and stepped out of the car, Cheng Li looked at the sign above the door and blurted out, “Aren’t we rushing into this?”

Rong Qi lowered his gaze to her. Cheng Li hurried to explain, “I just feel like this might not be fair to you. Don’t rich people usually have lawyers prepare prenuptial agreements before getting married?”

“How about we go back and think this through…”

Before she could finish saying “think this through,” Rong Qi had already taken her hand.

His warm, firm grip pulled her directly toward the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

At 11:15 a.m., Cheng Li stared down at the little red booklet in her hands, the one bearing both her name and Rong Qi’s.

Even with the marriage certificate solidly in her grasp, she still felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.

Married?

Just like that?

She was married?

Throughout the entire morning, she’d had countless chances to back out. But it wasn’t until this moment that she truly realized—she was married.

To the high school classmate she’d only recently reconnected with.

Holding the marriage certificate, Cheng Li muttered to herself, “If Ms. Ling finds out, will she kill me?”

Ms. Ling had spent her entire life as an educator, shaping young minds with discipline and values. She would never have imagined that her rule-abiding daughter would go behind her back and do something so wild and unconventional.

“I’ll face it with you,” the man beside her said in his clear, low voice.

Cheng Li looked up slightly, taking in the strikingly refined face so close to hers. Once again, that surreal, dreamlike sensation surged through her.

Because all of this felt far too much like a dream.

Then, the corners of his lips curved upward slightly, and in a low voice, he said, “Congratulations on our marriage, Mrs. Rong.”