Su Qingran took a picture of their marriage certificate and posted it in the family group chat.

The group only included her parents and Su Qiantang.

As soon as she sent it, her father, Su Zhen, called.

The tone of her doting father was filled with a bit of exasperation, “With the rain and flooding this heavy, I thought you’d wait until the water subsided.”

Su Qingran couldn’t help but turn slightly to look at Pei Jingyan, and then she replied, “Because he drove a Jeep.”

The high clearance of the Jeep kept it from stalling.

But was that really the point? Su Zhen felt a mix of emotions, but inevitably, he was reminded of years ago.

He and Lu Ruolan had also been impulsive and a bit reckless once upon a time.

He only hoped that this time, his daughter hadn’t made the wrong choice.

After chatting for a while, Su Zhen asked when Su Qingran would be coming home, and she replied that she hadn’t yet decided on her plans.

At that moment, Su Zhen realized that his daughter was now married.

An unexpected wave of possessiveness and regret hit him, leaving him feeling a bit sour. “Alright, come home early tonight; your sister will definitely have a lot to talk about when she gets back from evening study.”

Su Qingran replied, “Okay.”

That phone call made her realize, too, that she was married to Pei Jingyan.

Married, in the legal sense.

“Qingran, when the rain stops, shall we go to the mall nearby to buy some clothes and get lunch?” Pei Jingyan asked for her opinion.

In truth, Su Qingran’s shoes were mostly fine since the flooding around the civil affairs office wasn’t that deep. But Pei Jingyan had walked from the old town area, so his pants were still damp.

As they walked into the mall together, she felt an odd sense of novelty return.

Su Qingran thought back to less than a month ago, when Pei Jingyan had come to order a beaded bracelet from her. Back then, she had been as nervous as a student meeting the principal.

Now, here they were, shopping for clothes together.

The feeling was strange and fresh, to the point where she instinctively let many other things slip from her mind.

Until a call came in—from her department advisor. “Qingran, I didn’t see you at school today. Are you busy with your graduation project?”

Su Qingran’s breath hitched. She answered, “I’m sorry, Professor Zhang. I had a few things to take care of these past couple of days and couldn’t make it to school.”

“Oh, I see,” Professor Zhang said, “Next week, the school is hosting a finance forum and has invited several prominent international figures, so we’ll need professionals for photography and editing. Our club is taking on the responsibility for the media coverage and publicity, so I need you to come to campus tomorrow to meet with everyone and go over the details.”

Only then did Su Qingran recall that she’d heard about this event a week ago. At the time, her department had said that her club would likely be put in charge.

But her world had been turned upside down this past week, and naturally, she’d forgotten all about it.

“Alright, Professor Zhang, I’ll be there tomorrow for the meeting,” Su Qingran replied, her breath heavy as she hung up the phone.

Next to her, Pei Jingyan had overheard the conversation and asked, “Qingran, do you need to be at school tomorrow?”

Su Qingran nodded, feeling a bit downcast. “Our club is in charge of the finance forum next week.”

Not only would she need to be at school tomorrow, but at the forum next week, there would likely be many people present. At her engagement party, the Jiang and Su families had invited quite a few friends from the business world. It was possible that some of the business elites attending the forum would have witnessed that fiasco.

After her engagement party, she would now have to return to that same circle.

Becoming the focus of everyone’s discussion.

Being abandoned would not be erased just because of Pei Jingyan’s presence. The fact that he was by her side would only fuel people’s curiosity and scrutiny.

“Do you need me there tomorrow?” Pei Jingyan asked.

Su Qingran shook her head. “Tomorrow is just a club meeting to discuss details.”

And perhaps the people in her club didn’t even know about the engagement party. She could only comfort herself with this thought.

“Alright, if you need anything at all, just let me know,” he said. “Qingran, you’re not alone now.”

Su Qingran looked up and met his gaze.

She said, “Alright.”

She wasn’t alone, but she would still need the courage to face everything on her own.

She could try walking on her own, and if she became afraid, she could then lean on him.

Although they were already married, she still needed time to adjust to this sudden shift in their relationship.

She also needed to grow, to learn how to interact with him—someone who was still a bit unfamiliar—and to cultivate their marriage.

That afternoon, after leaving the mall, Pei Jingyan stepped into the Su family home for the first time as a son-in-law.

Both sides were still a bit reserved, needing time to adjust.

Finally, Su Zhen spoke up, “Jingyan, since Ranran is still in school, I think she should stay with us for now. After she finishes her graduation project, you two can consider the matter of moving into your own home.”

Pei Jingyan nodded, “Dad, I feel the same way. I still owe Qingran a proper wedding, and I plan to wait until she finishes her schoolwork and the carving competition, then take her on a nice, relaxing trip.”

Their marriage had been rushed and somewhat dramatic. Although he owned several properties, they had mostly been bought as investments. Only the one he currently lived in was furnished; the other apartment and villa were only basically furnished and completely empty.

Now that there was a new lady of the house, it was best if she arranged the designs herself.

Thinking of this, warmth bloomed in Pei Jingyan’s chest.

“As for future matters, you two can discuss them together,” Su Zhen added. “As for the fact that you’re already married—”

Su Qingran interrupted, “Dad, we’ve discussed it, and for now, we’ll keep the marriage private.”

She was still in school. Although it wasn’t unusual for college students to marry, it often made them the center of attention, which Su Qingran didn’t like.

“We’ll go public after my graduation project is finished,” she said.

“Alright, we’ll follow your wishes,” Su Zhen replied, understanding that this was mostly his daughter’s decision. Since Pei Jingyan agreed, he naturally respected her wishes.

After all, there hadn’t even been a wedding yet, and he hoped for his daughter to have a grand celebration someday.

“Dad, as for my parents, I’ll go inform them first. Once everything is arranged, I’ll bring Qingran to meet them,” Pei Jingyan added.

Hearing several “Dads” in succession, Su Zhen still felt a bit unaccustomed. He nodded, “Alright, you make the arrangements.”

With Pei Jingyan in the picture, the relationship between the two families wouldn’t be as adversarial as many had assumed.

But the awkwardness would inevitably remain.