The summer sun was bright and scorching. Outside the entrance to the Civil Affairs Bureau, a man and a woman stood out from the crowd.
Xia Ruohan held a freshly issued marriage certificate in her hand, her face clearly blank. A drop of sweat slid down her cheek, hit the ground, and vanished.
After a moment, she looked up at the man beside her.
“Hey.”
Hearing this, Jun Lin looked down at her.
His hair was immaculately groomed, his handsome face sharply defined with chiseled features. In his well-defined hands, he held a marriage certificate identical to Xia Ruohan’s. His white shirt was crisp and wrinkle-free, and his long legs were encased in black dress pants, giving him a tall, slender silhouette.
Even dressed simply in a shirt and slacks, this man was captivating.
“What?” Jun Lin’s voice was icy cold, as if this woman were not his wife but a stranger.
Xia Ruohan silently stepped back a little from Jun Lin, took a deep breath, and said, “We’re married now, so does that mean my family doesn’t have to pay you back?”
“We are legally married. My money is your money.” Deep within Jun Lin’s dark eyes lay a tenderness Xia Ruohan did not know.
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then if I do something wrong, will you take the blame for me too?” Xia Ruohan’s eyes suddenly lit up, her beautiful eyes as clear as water.
Jun Lin remained silent, as if to agree.
“Hey, say something.” Xia Ruohan pouted in displeasure and poked his arm with her finger.
“Mm.” Another curt reply.
Xia Ruohan rolled her eyes, having grown accustomed to his aloof demeanor.
“From now on, when you talk to me, you have to make yourself clear. You can’t just say ‘mhm’ and leave it at that. Got it?”
A hint of a smile flashed in Jun Lin’s eyes, but he simply replied with two words: “Got it.”
Xia Ruohan hadn’t been nearly this happy when they were getting their marriage certificate earlier—her face had been a picture of misery. But now that he’d mentioned he could help her handle all those troublesome matters, she was actually delighted.
Xia Ruohan nodded, looking as though she were a student ready to learn.
“What about you?”
“What?” Xia Ruohan was momentarily confused.
“Don’t call me ‘Hey’.”
Xia Ruohan had gotten used to calling Jun Lin “Hey.” Everyone else addressed him respectfully as “Young Master Jun,” but Xia Ruohan was the only one who called him “Hey” without fail.
“If I don’t call you ‘Hey,’ what should I call you?”
“My name, or something else.”
The implication behind the latter was obvious.
But Xia Ruohan was slow to catch on. After a moment’s thought, she parted her pink lips and called out, “Jun Lin?”
In City D, almost no one dared to address him directly by his full name. The name “Jun Lin” carried more power than even the mayor’s.
“Mm.” Jun Lin held out his hand to her. Xia Ruohan realized he wanted to take her hand; feeling a bit uneasy, she bit her lip before placing her hand in his palm.
The young girl’s delicate, smooth skin looked even fairer in the sunlight. Enveloped by the man’s large hand, a sense of security she’d never felt before welled up inside her.
Xia Ruohan gazed at his profile, blinked, and suddenly said, “You’re even more handsome than I am.”
“Hm?”
“Nothing, nothing. Let’s go.” Xia Ruohan looked away in embarrassment, not daring to meet his gaze again.
From Jun Lin’s angle, he could clearly see the faint blush on the tips of Xia Ruohan’s ears, and he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
He wasn’t some man-eating monster—why was she so afraid of him?
“Ruoruo.”
“Huh?” Xia Ruohan looked at him, her face flushed crimson. Her pink lips parted as she spoke, causing Jun Lin to tighten his grip on her hand.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me.” It seemed he’d told Xia Ruohan this countless times.
Xia Ruohan’s lips twitched slightly, but she didn’t reply.
Who was Jun Lin? Ask anyone, and they’d sing his praises to the heavens—how could she not be afraid?