Xiao Luo had only agreed to marry Su Li after her attempt to take her own life. In truth, he only saw it as a temporary measure and was convinced that Su Li would soon get tired of this game and eventually end their sham marriage.

  Xiao Luo felt that Su Li was a little over-the-top on how she viewed her “first time,” to the point that she was willing to end her life. He wanted to tell her that there were many married couples today that did not share their “first time” together, as the times have changed, and society was much more liberal these days. After some thought, he decided against it, especially when he saw Su Li’s stern gaze.

  In the afternoon, they both went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to apply for a marriage certification. Xiao Luo brought along a separate household registration book.

  As Su Li had a special status, a trusted staff was assigned to process the application on their behalf, and they duly received their certificates after pulling some strings. The marriage certificate was duplicated, and a copy was handed to Xiao Luo while Su Li kept the other. Xiao Luo had mixed feelings when he looked at the marriage photo on their certificate.

  With the marriage certificate in hand, wouldn’t that mean that he was now a married man?

  It was surreal, and it felt nothing like a marriage—there was no banquet or a pledge of love to one another, and in fact, there was hardly any affection between them. Yet, they were now joined in holy matrimony, all because of a piece of parchment.

  “Miss Su, I hope that one day, you won’t come to regret your silly behavior today,” Xiao Luo said.

  Su Li did not reply to this statement, but as he turned and walked towards her limited-edition pink Mini Cooper, she said, “I’m going to see my mother, come with me.”

  Xiao Luo made a face and drew in a quick breath through his nostrils. He slipped the marriage certificate into his folder and got into the back seat.

  Two persons in the same car, one in the driver’s seat while the other sat in the back, and neither had said a single word so far. They were just like two icebergs, one trying to be colder than the other.

  Su Li was the first to break the silence. She looked at Xiao Luo through the rear-view mirror and said, “Have you found a job yet?”

  Her tone was cold and authoritative, akin to a manager questioning a subordinate.

  “No.”

  Xiao Luo replied with little enthusiasm. He was leaning back in the soft leather seat with his arms crossed over his chest and rested his chin in his palm as he casually looked out the window at the passing streets.

  In Su Li’s judgmental eyes, Xiao Luo behaved like a slob and showed a lack of motivation to do better. Though she and Xiao Luo did not share an affectionate relationship, he was officially her nominal husband. Su Li did not hide her disappointment at what she observed and said: “As a man, you should have a decent career, so please make some effort to look for a proper job. If you really can’t find any, you can go to my friend Shen Qingyan’s company. I can help you……”

  \r \r \r

  “You don’t have to worry!”

  Xiao Luo cut her off abruptly. He already expected that it was going to be this way, knowing that Su Li was an outstanding and successful person, and such a woman tended to have strong ideas and opinions of her own. She was undoubtedly going to use her status and achievements to get her way with Xiao Luo.

  Su Li didn’t say anything else for the duration of the ride and stayed focused on her driving.

  The pink Mini Cooper drove the journey at full speed, arriving at Silver Dragon Villa in a good time. There, each residential apartment was individually separated, and although not be as luxurious as Shen Qingyan’s condominium, the architecture was elegant, and the environment peaceful and quiet. It provided for a trendy and affluent outlook.

  Xiao Luo followed Su Li into one of the residential apartments. The door opened, and a nanny of slight stature let them in.

  When they entered the living room, the lady of the house sat on the sofa watching TV, holding onto a bowl of melon seeds. She looked like a lady of leisure, used to a life of material wealth. Her frizzy hair was brushed back and styled into a voluminous hairdo, and she had a prominent mole on her cheek. Oddly, the facial mark gave her the appearance of being shrewd and calculative, while the way she carried herself did suggest that she had a mean streak in her.

  “So, it really was her mother?!”

  Xiao Luo was sure that the lady who had drugged Su Li that fateful night was indeed her mother, and Su li did not make up the story. He couldn’t help sighing in disgust when he realized that such a mother actually existed.

  As soon as the lady saw Su Li, she bolted upright on the sofa. She put her melon seeds away and stood up immediately and looked at Su Li nervously with overwhelming guilt.

  Su Li sat down at the sofa beside her mother and looked directly into her eyes. “You don’t have to be nervous, I’m not here to question you about the things you’ve done. I’m only here to tell you one thing, that’s all. I’m now married!”

  “Huh? You’re what…… you’re married already?”

  The lady’s jaw dropped, and she was wide-eyed with shock. The news of Su Li’s marriage was so sudden and had come out of nowhere. “W-when did this happen, and with whom?!”

  Su Li threw the marriage certificate on the sofa, and as she did so, she glared at her mother with a cold, frosty expression.

  Su Li’s mother snatched the certificate, and as she gawked at the document, her eyes trembled. She pointed her shaking finger at Xiao Luo, and losing control of her emotions, she turned to Su Li and said, “What? Daughter, how could you marry someone like him?! In this world, only Hongzhi is worthy of you, you’re both well-matched, how could you marry some unknown scoundrel like him?”

  The lady was aggrieved, holding her chest like she had been stabbed in her heart. How could her precious daughter marry this trash with no money or status?

  “This is all thanks to you, Mother!”

  Su Li could not contain her fury anymore, and she screamed. “Wang Wanjing, you are my biological mother, how could you drug me and allow that man to humiliate me? How could a mother like you even exist in this world?!”

  Wang Wanjing’s eyes turned red, but still convinced that her actions were justified, she responded, “Daughter, listen to me…… I did it for your own good, the Yang family is wealthy and powerful, they have influence. Your marriage to Yang Hongzhi is a match made in heaven, the combination between you and him will be perfect……”

  “That’s enough!”

  Su Li shrieked in anguish, and her eyes turned red and watery, but she was a woman of strong fortitude and fought back the tears. Then, she stood up to her full height and lifted her chin as she said, “You gave me life, but that doesn’t mean I have to follow your plans. Sister is where she is now because she listened to you, don’t you realize that, have you not sinned enough?!”

  “I-I……”

  Wang Wanjing was at a loss for words…… the mention of Su Li’s sister struck a raw nerve, and a sudden wave of anguish and guilt weighed down. She dropped to the floor, slumped against the sofa in a daze.

  “From now on, don’t ever look for me again, I never want to see you. I will transfer the funds into Su Canye’s and your account every month, you better make sure you manage your spending properly. If you spend it all in advance, then you go and find the money somewhere else!”

  “Daughter, why are you doing this to me, I’m your mother,” Wang Wanjing whimpered.

  “The moment you decided to drug me, you cut off our mother-daughter relationship.”

  Inwardly, Su Li felt hurt, but it had to be done. If this had not been her biological mother, she would surely have pressed charges.

  She had made her decision, and there was no turning back. She collected the marriage certificate, held on to Xiao Luo’s hand, and they left together. By the time she stepped out of the house, her face was covered in tears, and she looked pale and tired.

  Xiao Luo sensed her grief and was beginning to understand what she was going through. He handed her a piece of tissue. “Wipe your tears.”

  Su Li glanced at him and accepted it. She then turned her back toward Xiao Luo and wiped her tears.

  “Didn’t you say you wanted to keep it a secret, why did you tell your mother about our marriage?” Xiao Luo asked.

  “She won’t tell anyone.”

  Then, furrowing her eyebrows, Su Li turned to face Xiao Luo and remarked, “Please be clear, the protocol is only there to restrict your behavior, and it doesn’t apply to me.”

  “I see…… so, you have the final say and authority in everything.”

  Xiao Luo just wasn’t in the mood for an argument. He had his name printed on the marriage certificate, but it didn’t feel like he was married. It was precisely this attitude that prevented him from even trying to treat Su Li as his wife—he just hoped that this game would end soon.

  He failed to realize that the moment the certificate was issued, his fate with this woman was already intertwined. He could not discard it away, nor could he avoid it. The wheels of fate were already in motion—from the initial rejection to the gradual mutual attraction, and eventually becoming each other’s “one and only,” would this all happen in due course? ……