Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Escorting Them to the Civil Affairs Bureau After a poor night’s sleep, Yu Xia was drowsy and exhausted, yawning nonstop. All she wanted was to go home and catch up on her sleep. “Um… then let’s each go home to our own mothers. See you around!” The two of them walked to the entrance together, and Yu Xia said her goodbyes. Chi Mucheng was just about to speak when someone suddenly called out to them. “Mr. Chi, Miss Yu, are you two planning to go register your marriage? I happen to be passing by the Civil Affairs Bureau. I can give you a ride and bask in your happiness while I’m at it!” It was Officer Wang, the same officer who had brought them back from the bar the night before. He hit the brakes, leaned half his head out of the car, and spoke to them. Chi Mucheng and Yu Xia exchanged a glance. Yu Xia was on the verge of collapse. Could she really not escape this no matter how hard she tried? In her heart, Yu Xia was firmly opposed. But in the end, she could only obediently get into the car. She had thought that everything would be fine once Officer Wang dropped them off at the Civil Affairs Bureau. However, things did not go according to plan. He pulled the car over by the roadside and got out with them. Yu Xia: What was going on? Was he planning to personally escort them to the window, watch them sign and seal the documents, and witness them entering into matrimony? Officer Wang was impartial and stern when handling cases, but at this moment, he was exceptionally warm and friendly. “I caused a misunderstanding and wronged you two yesterday, so today you absolutely must give me a chance to make up for it. There’s a staff member here who handles marriage registrations and is known as the ‘Marriage Goddess.’ I don’t know if you’ve heard of her, but not a single couple who registered their marriage through her has gotten divorced in over a decade. I’ll arrange for you to go through her today. Consider it a good-luck charm and a favorable omen.” As he spoke, Officer Wang walked inside with practiced familiarity. Yu Xia was dumbfounded. This had gotten completely out of hand. She tugged desperately at Chi Mucheng and frantically gestured at him with her eyes. What were they supposed to do now? Surely they weren’t really going to get married? Chi Mucheng, on the other hand, seemed much more rational. “Get married, or get dragged back by Officer Wang and end up with a record. Which one do you choose?” Yu Xia agonized over it for a long time. In the end, she decided that those who understood the situation were the wisest and chose marriage. Twenty minutes later, they smoothly accepted two red marriage certificates from the hands of the “Marriage Goddess.” Officer Wang looked at them with a sense of accomplishment, seeming even happier than he had been when he registered his own marriage. Before leaving, he even added, “Remember to invite me when you hold the wedding. I’ll bring you a cash gift.” When Yu Xia walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she was completely dazed. She had actually… gotten… married… to a man she had known for less than a day? “Well… I’ll be going now. Contact me if anything comes up.” Yu Xia truly had no idea how to face this new husband of hers. She needed some time to process everything. Chi Mucheng put the marriage certificate into his bag and promptly stopped her. “I’ll take you home. We can have a meal together while we’re at it.” Yu Xia wanted to say that it wasn’t necessary. They weren’t close, after all. But when she saw Chi Mucheng’s cool, deep expression, it was obvious that he wasn’t accepting refusals. She could only agree reluctantly. Indeed, there were many things between them that needed to be resolved, and they needed to have a proper talk. That was why neither of them spoke during the entire journey. Each was lost in their own thoughts. At this hour, they could only go out for breakfast. Chi Mucheng took Yu Xia to Hetang Breakfast. It was a popular restaurant with an upscale image. Supposedly, it accepted only two hundred customers a day and reservations were required. Even getting a reservation was difficult. Previously, she and Yan Jin had wanted to try the place, but the earliest reservation available had been a month later. So Yu Xia was a little overwhelmed by the fact that they were being served despite having no reservation. “Do you come here often?” she asked. Just now, she had heard a server wearing a manager’s name tag greet him warmly as “Mr. Chi.” Chi Mucheng responded lazily, “A friend of mine owns the place.” Yu Xia’s eyes lit up. The restaurant was located in Jiangcheng’s most expensive district, where the annual rent alone cost over a million yuan. Anyone capable of opening a restaurant like this in such a prime location was certainly no ordinary person. They were walking farther inside when Yu Xia suddenly sensed a chilly arrow of hostility shooting stealthily toward her from the front and side. She subconsciously raised her eyes and looked over— Sure enough, enemies were bound to run into each other. She had actually come across that scumbag and his newlywed wife here. Her pretty face darkened, and all her good mood vanished. Chi Mucheng noticed that something was wrong and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?” Yu Xia replied glumly, “Nothing. My ex suddenly rose from the dead right in front of me.” Hmm? Chi Mucheng followed Yu Xia’s line of sight and happened to meet Jiang Yiwen’s sinister gaze. Actually, Yu Xia had no intention of paying them any attention. A qualified ex should obediently remain hanging on the wall. Unfortunately, someone insisted on seeking attention from her. Jiang Yiwen let out a cold laugh. “Yu Xia, I originally felt quite guilty toward you. I didn’t expect you to have hooked up with someone else long ago. Since that’s the case, I suppose we’re even. As for the slap you gave me yesterday, I’m broad-minded enough not to hold it against you.” Yu Xia was instantly furious at the way he was spouting one scumbag remark after another. “What exactly do you mean?” He had cheated and behaved like a scumbag, and now he wanted to use her as a scapegoat? She wasn’t some fool who could be taken advantage of! “Isn’t it obvious? You’re still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Haven’t you always been a clean freak? You stayed out all night, and first thing this morning, you showed up at a breakfast restaurant laughing and chatting with another man. Are you still going to claim that there’s nothing going on between you two?” Jiang Yiwen’s every word dripped with sarcasm. Yu Xia almost wanted to gouge out her own eyes. How had she ever been blind enough to fall for such a piece of garbage as Jiang Yiwen? “Don’t assume everyone is as despicable, filthy, and shameless as you are!” “Hubby, now you know who’s truly worth cherishing, right? Someone from the countryside who’s never seen the world like her simply can’t withstand temptation.” Zhu Yunhui spoke from the side, her words loaded with implication. “But you still took time out of your workday to accompany me. That was very thoughtful of you. I’ve wanted to come to this restaurant for ages, but I could never get a reservation. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful surprise.” She was clearly speaking to Jiang Yiwen, yet she kept staring arrogantly at Yu Xia, her eyes filled with provocation. “I’m glad you like it. Here, have some more. These are all your favorites.” Jiang Yiwen appeared to be considerate as he placed a plate of pastries in front of the woman. Yu Xia felt so disgusted that she could no longer eat breakfast. Aren’t they both thousand-year-old foxes? Why bother putting on a ghost-opera act? Who was afraid of whom? So she simply twisted the knife a little deeper. “Yes, eat some more on my behalf. After all, the original reason Mr. Jiang made this reservation was so he could have breakfast with me.” When this popular restaurant had first become famous, Yu Xia had shared it with Jiang Yiwen. When she and Yan Jin had tried to make a reservation and heard that they would have to wait a month, they had given up. Later, Jiang Yiwen had said, “I’ll make the reservation. A month is a month. I guarantee I’ll make sure you eat your fill when the time comes.” Who could have imagined that in the short span of a month, everything would have changed? Zhu Yunhui was so infuriated by her words that even her false eyelashes nearly trembled loose. Her ability to maintain her expression completely failed. “You—” She pointed at Yu Xia for a long while but couldn’t manage to squeeze out another word. Standing to the side, Chi Mucheng watched Yu Xia display such formidable fighting power. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and he felt an indistinct sense of pride.