Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, Sophia Caldwell clutched the household register so hard her palms were damp. Nervous as hell, she kept nudging a little pebble with the toe of her white sneaker.
More than once, she almost bailed.
But then she remembered she’d already made plans with that man to come get the marriage certificate. If she backed out now, wouldn’t that make her look way too spineless?
Wait... what was his name again?
Han... something Ting?
Or Han... something Tian?
Why on earth couldn’t she remember it now, of all times?
Just as she was spiraling, a black business van stopped right in front of her. The door slid open, and a man in his early thirties stepped out. He was dressed in a white casual suit, tall, steady, and gave off that super composed vibe.
And somehow, at that exact moment, Sophia accurately called out his name.
"Ethan Mercer... Brother Ethan."
The second the words left her mouth, she felt a powerful presence pressing straight toward her.
Ethan Mercer was seriously tall, close to six-three. He was also nine years older than her. When he didn’t smile, he looked especially stern. Standing there in front of her, he was like a mountain, all weight and pressure.
She instinctively took half a step back, and that little voice in her head started screaming retreat again.
Was this marriage thing... a bit too rushed?
"Um... Brother Ethan, are you really sure you want to register with me today?" Sophia lowered her head, her voice tiny, almost like a mosquito buzzing.
But Ethan heard her clearly.
"I’m sure."
"Actually... even though our families had an engagement, that was arranged by my grandfather and yours. My grandfather already... already passed away. And now it’s a time of free marriage, right? You really don’t have to marry me."
Sophia’s head dropped lower and lower, and her face was burning red.
Ethan took another step closer. Then, with two fingers, he gently lifted her chin.
She had no choice but to look up at him with wide, uneasy eyes.
That handsome face of his was still serious, not a trace of joking there.
"The Mercer family has always valued honesty and keeping promises," he said. "If I don’t marry you today, wouldn’t that make me someone who betrays my roots and forgets my ancestors? When I go below someday, how am I supposed to face them?"
Sophia: "..."
...
Getting the marriage certificate went insanely smoothly. Half an hour later, Sophia Caldwell and Ethan Mercer were each holding a little red booklet of their own.
When they walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Sophia looked at the sky outside and felt weirdly dazed.
The sky hadn’t changed.
The street hadn’t changed.
But her whole world had flipped upside down.
She wasn’t even twenty-two yet, and somehow she was already a married woman.
"Ruoruo."
When Ethan called her that, she blanked out for a second.
They’d only just gotten the certificate, and he was already calling her that so naturally?
She glanced at him timidly and let out a soft, confused, "Hm?"
Ethan’s face was still as serious as ever, but his voice had softened a little. It was low and rich, like he came with built-in surround sound, ridiculously nice to listen to.
"You still haven’t graduated from college. The wedding can wait, just like you said. We don’t have to hold it for now. But you should move in with me. I’m currently living at Sunshine Garden, Building 6, unit 1601. Do you want me to help you pack?"
"N-no, it’s okay. I can go back and pack myself." Sophia refused right away. She had always been used to handling her own stuff on her own.
"Then do you need me to drive you home?" he asked again.
"No, that’s okay too. I can just take a taxi back."
"Alright then. Move over as soon as you can. If anything comes up, message me on WeChat."
Ethan didn’t push her. He handed her the access card and the key. After saying goodbye, he got back into the van.
Only then did Sophia quietly let out a breath of relief.
She stood there in a daze, watching the black van disappear around the street corner. After that, she got on the bus home herself.
...