"I won't marry him!"
Shen Huaishuang refused without a moment's hesitation.
Shen Dong roared, "You have no choice. Like it or not, you are marrying him! I’ve already made the arrangements with the other party; you’ll meet, get the marriage certificate immediately, and then go home with him. After doing something so shameful, don't expect me to host a wedding for you. I don't want to be the talk of the town."
No one knew who had started the rumor, but everyone on the outside knew about Shen Huaishuang and that hotel incident. It was common knowledge that Shen Huaishuang was supposed to marry Bai Yujie, and that the Shen Family and the Bai Family were about to become in-laws. Now, this had happened. Two friends had even called him specifically to ask about it, and he had only managed to brush them off. He just wanted to marry his daughter off quietly.
Shen Huaishuang’s heart was already scarred, but Shen Dong’s words still managed to pierce her. She looked wounded. "Dad, I am your own daughter. How can you treat me like this? Marrying me off to just anyone?"
Shen Dong looked displeased. "You aren't 'clean' anymore. What kind of a catch do you expect to land? You should be grateful anyone is willing to marry you at all."
"I won't marry! I'd rather die than marry him!"
"That’s not up to you! Get married quickly and stop being such an eyesore."
Heartbroken, Shen Huaishuang ran out of the Shen Family home.
"Sister!" Shen Huaiyuan caught up to her. "Sister, congratulations on your upcoming wedding."
Seeing the schadenfreude on her face, Shen Huaishuang knew she had no good intentions. "Shen Huaiyuan, you’d better stay away from me!"
"Sister, don't be like that. I’m only here to warn you out of the goodness of my heart. I heard that man has been married four times already—with you, that makes five. He’s also abusive; all his wives ran away because he beat them. You’d better be careful when you go over there."
Shen Huaishuang hadn't expected Shen Dong to find someone like that for her. How much must Shen Dong hate her to marry her off to such a man? Seeing Shen Huaishuang turn pale, Shen Huaiyuan smirked and turned to leave.
Shen Huaishuang stood frozen in place, as if she had fallen into a frozen pool. Her entire body felt icy. What was she supposed to do? Shen Dong was determined to marry her off to an abusive man on his fourth marriage; she couldn't resist him.
Right, Grandma. She could ask Grandma for help.
"Grandma, please save me!"
...
Shen Huaishuang took a day off from work and took a taxi to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Grandma had come up with a plan for her: she had found a man for her to marry. Grandma said he was the grandson of her dear neighbor, Grandma Su—a steady, reliable man who was strong, healthy, and of good character. She trusted that her grandmother wouldn't harm her, so she quickly agreed. This was the only way to make Shen Dong and Ye Xiaomin give up. As long as she wasn't married, Ye Xiaomin would keep plotting to throw her into the fire. Even if she moved out of that house, she wouldn't be able to escape their clutches. Only by marrying could she put an end to their schemes.
She was kicking a pebble on the side of the road when a tall, powerful figure stood before her.
"Miss Shen, let’s go in."
Hearing that voice, Shen Huaishuang looked up sharply. It was the man she had slept with.
"Lu..." She momentarily forgot his full name.
"Lu Zhengting," Lu Zhengting said, providing his name himself.
"Oh, what are you doing here?"
"I am the grandson of Grandma Qin’s neighbor."
Shen Huaishuang’s grandmother’s surname was Qin. She was stunned. What a coincidence.
Lu Zhengting said, "Grandma Qin has already told me about your situation. Since it started because of me, I should be the one to take responsibility."
"Wait, did you come here because you knew it was me?"
Lu Zhengting nodded.
"Then... did you tell Grandma that the person from the night before last was you?"
"No. Do you want me to tell her?"
"No... let's not tell her for now."
Lu Zhengting nodded. "Then let's go in and get the certificate."
"Huh?"
Lu Zhengting turned his head. "You don't want to?"
Shen Huaishuang pursed her lips and said, "It's not that. It's just that there's so much going on, I’m a little overwhelmed."
The person she was marrying was the same one she had the affair with. The result wasn't bad. "Let's go."
Shen Huaishuang walked toward the Civil Affairs Bureau.
"Wait."
"What’s wrong?" Shen Huaishuang looked at him, puzzled. He wasn't having second thoughts, was he? They hadn't gotten the certificate yet; it wasn't too late to back out.
Lu Zhengting pointed at her clothes. "You can't wear those for a marriage photo."
Shen Huaishuang looked down at her outfit—a black T-shirt and jeans. That was what she usually wore to work. "What’s wrong with my clothes?"
"You should wear white for the photo."
Lu Zhengting grabbed her and strode toward a black sedan. Shen Huaishuang glanced at it—it was a Bentley. Grandma had said Lu Zhengting was the grandson of her neighbor and lived right next door. Did people in the countryside have this much money?
Lu Zhengting pushed her into the car and pulled a white shirt out of a bag, thrusting it into her hands. "Change."
He then closed the door for her and stood with his back to her by the car, standing tall like a statue. Shen Huaishuang quickly changed, folded her T-shirt, and put it in her bag. She pushed the door open and got out.
Lu Zhengting looked back at her and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Shen Huaishuang looked down and felt incredibly awkward. Lu Zhengting’s shirt was too big and too long; it hung loosely on her frame, making her look like a child playing dress-up in adult clothes. She tucked the hem into her pants, which made it look a bit better.
Lu Zhengting said, "Ready to go?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Shen Huaishuang remembered something. "Oh no, I forgot about the household register. We can't get a marriage certificate without it."
"It's alright, I have a way. Come with me."
Although she was skeptical, Shen Huaishuang followed Lu Zhengting into the Civil Affairs Bureau. To her surprise, they obtained their marriage certificate quite smoothly without the register. Holding the little red book, Shen Huaishuang felt much more at ease. Finally, she didn't have to marry that abusive man on his fourth marriage.
Walking out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Shen Huaishuang asked curiously, "Lu Zhengting, do you know someone at the bureau?"
"Yes, I have a friend who works here."
"Oh."
When they reached the Bentley, he said, "Miss Shen, it's noon. Let me take you to lunch."
"Just call me Shen Huaishuang." It felt strange to be called "Miss Shen" now that they were married.
"Alright. What would you like to eat?"
"Anything."
Lu Zhengting’s thick brows furrowed. "What is 'anything'?"
"Anything just means anything. I'm fine with whatever."
Lu Zhengting paused for two seconds and said, "I'll give you two seconds to pick one."
Seeing he was insistent that she choose, she said, "Hot pot."
"...Alright."
Lu Zhengting got into the driver’s seat and started taking off his shirt. With a few quick motions, he stripped off his shirt and tossed it onto the passenger seat, leaving him in nothing but a white tank top.
Shen Huaishuang coughed, her face burning. From her angle, she could clearly see Lu Zhengting’s right arm—thick, powerful, and corded with muscle. Her heart started pounding wildly. A rough-and-tumble man... there was just something so appealing about that.