“Are you mourning your dead love right in front of your new husband?”
The teasing, mocking voice rang out in the silent lounge.
Shen Nianyi spun around and only then realized that Huo Yuqing had not left.
His tall, lean figure was resting against the doorframe, his deep eyes carrying an unfathomable darkness.
Shen Nianyi pulled herself together and explained what had happened at the wedding.
“Mr. Huo, I’m Youran’s best friend. I’ve seen your photo on her phone before. What happened today was presumptuous of me. If you don’t want to get married, then just consider it a favor I asked of you. If I ever get the chance, I’ll repay you even if it means working like a cow or horse.”
Huo Yuqing raised an eyebrow slightly. His eyes were as cold and deep as a wintry pool, and the pressure in his gaze was overwhelming.
“Oh? Miss Shen, you just went through the wedding ceremony with me, and now you’re refusing to acknowledge it?”
Shen Nianyi had not expected him to put it that way, and for a moment she was at a loss.
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
The man gave her no time to explain further. His low voice continued, “You chose me because Youran told you about my father forcing me to marry, and you were certain I would agree. Since this is an act, of course we have to play it through properly. Or are you planning to kick me aside the moment you’ve finished using me?”
“What am I supposed to tell Old Master?”
Shen Nianyi was instantly put on the spot, but the man added languidly, “Have you finished angering your fiancé and are now waiting for him to come back and coax you?”
His words easily extinguished the last trace of hesitation in Shen Nianyi.
“Fine. Then let’s go get our marriage license.”
An hour later, Shen Nianyi walked out of the civil affairs bureau holding two freshly issued red marriage certificates, her steps almost unsteady.
How was she supposed to explain this to Youran?
Her mind was still a muddle when the marriage certificates were suddenly pulled from her hands.
Huo Yuqing stacked the two certificates together and slipped them into his breast pocket. Then he took out his phone and opened WeChat.
“Add me. It’ll be more convenient for us to keep in touch.”
The moment she accepted his friend request, the man sent her an address.
“This is where I live. Move in as soon as possible, so Old Master doesn’t catch us off guard with a surprise visit.”
Living together after getting married was perfectly normal, so Shen Nianyi had no objection.
“All right. I’ll do it as soon as I can. I still have something to take care of. We’ll talk later.”
Her thoughts were tangled, and she gave him a little wave before turning and leaving.
Huo Yuqing’s gaze followed her all the way until she drove away.
It was burning and intent, as if a hunter had his prey in his sights, leaving it nowhere to escape.
Shen Nianyi had barely driven out of the civil affairs bureau when the car phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID on the screen and nearly drove into the guardrail because she was distracted.
After steadying herself, she answered the call.
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice filled the car—harsh and scornful.
“So this is the fiancé you shamelessly groveled for? You were dumped at your own wedding. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Shen Nianyi said nothing, merely tightening her fingers around the steering wheel on instinct.
The voice on the other end remained as haughty as ever.
“Forget it. You may be an unfilial daughter, but as your mother, I can’t just ignore you. Come to the Zheng family. I’ll arrange for you to marry the Jiang family’s young master as soon as possible.”
Shen Nianyi could not help laughing silently, though the corners of her eyes reddened with anger.
She had never expected that after years without contacting her, her biological mother, Su Mingxin, would make her first phone call not to ask whether she was hurt, but to force her into another marriage.
Back then, her father had endured Su Mingxin’s infidelity so that Shen Nianyi could concentrate on her middle school entrance examination.
Yet that woman could not even wait until the end of his seven-day memorial period before promptly remarrying into the Zheng family.
And because the Jiang family’s shipping terminals could help the Zheng family expand into maritime transport, she had forced Shen Nianyi into an alliance with the Jiang family’s dissolute young master the moment she came of age.
She did not care how lecherous or perverse that man was.
Over the past few years, he had even beaten his first wife to death, yet Su Mingxin still wanted Shen Nianyi to marry him.
“Mom, I’m your biological daughter too.”
Shen Nianyi’s voice was almost choked with tears.
What she received in response was a disdainful snort from Su Mingxin.
“If you weren’t my daughter, would you have the right to marry into the Jiang family?”
The last fragile thread of Shen Nianyi’s longing for familial affection went completely cold.
She watched the red light flashing ahead and said coldly, “I’m afraid I can’t do as you wish. I’m already married.”
Su Mingxin did not believe her at all.
“Even now, you’re still dreaming of marrying Qin Jiming? What a fool. You’re just as stupid as your father, and you’ll end up with nothing just like he did! When that happens, don’t come begging me for help!”
Shen Nianyi’s already frozen heart felt as though it had been pierced viciously by a sharp blade.
“Ms. Su, you have no right to mention my father!”
“You’d better prepare the paperwork to transfer the shares and the property into my name yourself. Otherwise, I’ll take them back in my own way. When we tear all ties apart, I won’t care who ends up disgraced!”
With that, she hung up.
That woman had no right to possess the shares her father had left her, much less the old house filled with all her happiest memories.
The car raced down the road.
By the time Shen Nianyi reached Jiangyu Blue Bay, her emotions had settled. She opened the car door and went inside.
She had thought packing her belongings would be quick and easy.
But when she looked at all the little things they had accumulated around the place, she was overcome with pain.
She had dated Qin Jiming for five years. After falling out with Su Mingxin, she had had nowhere else to go. Since their relationship had already been confirmed, she had moved here.
More than a thousand days and nights had left their traces behind.
She had thought this place would become another home filled with beautiful memories.
But the truth was that the things she had forcibly brought into their home under the guise of their relationship had now all become proof of her wishful thinking.
They mocked her for the state she was in.
It took three enormous black garbage bags to clear everything out. Looking utterly disheveled, she dragged them to the dumpster and threw them away.
The little ceramic pig she had begged Qin Jiming for ages to make with her rolled out from the edge of one of the bags and shattered into pieces.
At that moment, a sense of lightness she had never experienced before rose from the depths of her heart.
As for the belongings that were truly hers, they did not even fill a single simple suitcase.
So it turned out that once she discarded everything she had no reason to remain attached to, leaving was not difficult at all.
She had just gotten into the car and was about to start the engine when she saw Qin Jiming’s black Cayenne pull to a steady stop in front of Villa Six across the street.
The rear door opened, and Qin Jiming carefully carried Lin Jiujiu out. He carried her into the house in his arms the entire way.
The jacket of the groom’s suit Shen Nianyi had designed with such care was now wrapped around Lin Jiujiu.
The pain lasted only an instant. She calmly started the car and sped away.