On the way back, Mu Yiran silently gazed out the car window. Shi Youxi sat beside her, fiddling with the two marriage certificates for a while. His phone kept ringing, but Shi Youxi ignored it. Seeing that Mu Yiran didn't seem to be enjoying her marriage at all, he pinched the ring finger of Mu Yiran's left hand and smiled:
"Happy marriage, Mrs. Shi, why don't you smile?"
"..."
Mu Yiran closed her eyes speechlessly, recalling how Shi Youxi had suddenly wished a newlywed couple a happy marriage when she left.
The woman in the couple had been staring at them the whole time, and as soon as she heard Shi Youxi congratulate her, she immediately said:
"Happy wedding, happy wedding, handsome! Your wife is so beautiful! You two are a perfect match!"
I thought it was just a whim of Shi Youxi, but I didn't expect that he would say it to every couple who came to get their marriage certificate along the way.
Regardless of what kind of marriage certificate they get, Shi Youxi's every word is filled with joy!
Mu Yiran recalled a couple who came to get a divorce and, upon hearing Shi Youxi's words about happiness, exclaimed, "Happiness? I'm so happy I want to die! You're crazy!"
The person who was called crazy remained unfazed and laughed even harder: "It doesn't matter if I live or die, as long as I'm happy!"
"I wish you happiness, and in return, please wish my wife and me a happy marriage!"
"..."
God, reciprocity is the best policy!
Thinking of Shi Youxi's genuinely happy smile when he asked for blessings, and how he was still cheerful even when others scolded him, Mu Yiran felt inexplicably annoyed again. She shook off Shi Youxi's hand:
"You've heard 'Happy Wedding' so many times already, isn't that enough? If not, drive back and continue."
"Not enough." Shi Youxi wasn't annoyed when his hand was shaken off; his emotions had instantly stabilized since he became a married man.
He pressed himself against Mu Yiran, saying, "It's no use no matter how many times others say it. I'm not marrying them, I'm marrying you, but you haven't told me that yet."
Shi Youxi pinched her chin and turned her face to face. The two looked at each other for a few seconds. Just as Shi Youxi was about to speak, Mu Yiran's phone rang.
Mu Yiran slapped his hand away, but he hooked her fingers with his own. While dealing with Shi Youxi's persistent antics, Mu Yiran took out her phone. "Hey Mu Mu, what's up?"
Happy birthday, my Miss Mu!
"I ordered a cake for you, but I'll have to give you the gift when I get back to China in a few days!"
Mu Yiran was taken aback upon hearing this.
Oh right, she forgot... Today is October 19th, her birthday.
"Did you forget your birthday again? You just drift through life like this while I'm not around! Do you think you won't get old if you don't celebrate your birthday?!"
Mu Yiran, still mindful of the large Buddha statue beside her, turned her body and replied:
"Oh, I've been too busy lately and forgot. Besides, it's enough that you're here to remember for me."
The call wasn't loud, but it was easy to hear in the quiet carriage, especially since her voice had an unusual softness and dependence, sounding like she was being coquettish. Shi Youxi stared intently at her every move.
As usual, Mo Mumu scolded Mu Yiran like a mother hen, saying that she lived an ethereal life and that, apart from work, she was the same in Mo Mumu's eyes every day.
Mo Mumu could easily guess what Mu Yiran did in a day and how she spent her week, but this knowledge did not bring Mo Mumu any peace of mind, especially after she saw Mu Yiran's miserable state two months ago, she would keep an eye on what Mu Yiran was doing whenever she had free time.
When a person loses the sense of ritual to commemorate every moment of their life, it proves that the person has no attachment to life.
She knew that Mu Yiran didn't like celebrating any holidays because she was always alone, because she was afraid—afraid to glimpse her own equally warm first half of life in those warm crowds.
After finishing her lecture, Mo Mumu sighed again:
"Mu Yiran, can you act like a human being?! Your life isn't for me to see, and you don't only live well because I'm here. Like your birthday, don't think it's unnecessary to celebrate just because your uncle and aunt are gone. It's your own birthday!"
"The most important day in a woman's life, besides payday, is her birthday, which proves she's forever 18!"
“I always thought that having me, your grandfather, and our two family members by your side was enough, but now I think that’s not enough.”
Shi Youxi raised her eyes slightly.
"It's time for you to go out and socialize a bit, and find a boyfriend."
Mu Yiran: "!!!"
She didn't dare look back at the man next to her to see his expression, but the person who had been playing with her fingers clearly stopped.
"Mumu! I have you, that's enough! What does having a boyfriend have to do with life! Haven't you always been a proponent of being independent and beautiful?"
“I called you ‘Du Mei,’ not ‘Du Huo’!” Mo Mumu didn’t detect Mu Yiran’s discomfort; she spoke very quickly:
"Stop talking nonsense. It doesn't matter if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Anyone who's there for you is a good friend! I've been keeping an eye out for a few for you recently. They're all from Lin Nian's hospital. Their family backgrounds, professions, and character are all good. Find some time, and I'll arrange for you to meet them! How about today? It'll be perfect for celebrating your birthday."
"Do you have an ideal type? I remember you seem to like younger men, right? 185cm? A little wolf?"
Mu Yiran's blood pressure spiked, and just as she was about to hang up, she suddenly heard Shi Youxi shout:
"Wife."
“…”
Everyone, both inside and outside the phone, fell silent instantly.
Shi Youxi looked at the stunned Mu Yiran and curled the corner of his lips, "Wife, I also want to be number 1—"
The mouth was covered, and the sound disappeared.
Mo Mumu realized what was happening and asked, "What...what's that sound? Are you watching short videos in broad daylight?!"
"Yeah, what's so strange about an adult watching a short video! I'm not talking to you anymore! I'm really getting excited!"
Without thinking twice, Mu Yiran hung up the phone!
He turned away with a stern face and scolded, "Don't you know that little brats shouldn't interrupt when adults are on the phone?!"
Shi Youxi's mouth was covered by her, and his voice was low and muffled: "...Adult? Little brat?"
Mu Yiran felt the breath and soft pressure on her palm. She had been holding on too tightly in her haste, and she could even feel the soft, firm object poking her repeatedly. She abruptly pulled her hand back.
Tsk... I forgot, this guy is already 23 years old! He's not that underage brat anymore!
Shi Youxi used the tip of his tongue to push against his numb teeth. He didn't care who was the adult and who was the little kid. Instead, he held the two marriage certificates and gently patted Mu Yiran's hand.
"Why did you hang up? Why did you lie? Why didn't you introduce me to your friend?"
Mu Yiran: "I—"
Ignoring everything else, Shi Youxi asked again, "Am I really that shameful?"
"Is your sister planning to keep her marriage a secret?"
"..."
His series of questions made him sound as if Mu Yiran was forcing him to get married and not letting it be made public.
Mu Yiran was already annoyed, and now she was completely furious. She said whatever came to mind, "We just got our marriage certificate. Why do we have to go public with our relationship when it's still unstable?"
She pursed her lips: "Besides, you and I... didn't come to get our marriage certificate because we had feelings for each other."
"....."
Shi Youxi's lips curled into a straight line, her eyes suddenly turning cold. "If it's not because of feelings, then what is it because of? A one-night stand?"
He looked at the woman's face, which flushed instantly, and sneered.
"So what do you think I was doing when I just wished those people a happy marriage? Was it to act crazy?"
He retorted that Mu Yiran was even more outspoken than him, saying, "Saying 'Happy Wedding' to a divorced person, who wouldn't think you're crazy?"
Shi Youxi's face turned pale instantly, his jaw tightening as he stared at her, "...Even you're saying that about me?"
Mu Yiran felt guilty after being harshly accused by him, "I..."
Shi Youxi ignored her completely, lifted her buttocks to create distance between them, and turned Mu Yiran away with the back of her head.
Mu Yiran caught a glimpse of Shi Youxi's subtle actions out of the corner of her eye. He was bending the marriage certificate in his hand, and the man's well-defined fingers were smoothing out the two red booklets one after another.
The two were at an impasse for a short while before the car stopped. Mu Yiran had been distracted and hadn't paid attention when they went to get their marriage certificate, but now, seeing the exterior of the villa, she immediately recognized where she was.
This is in the same villa area as the Mu residence, but it is further back into the mountains than the Mu residence's detached houses. It is the king of the buildings in this area, with two courtyards, front and back, covering an area of nearly 2,000 square meters. It has a separate driveway down the mountain and a sizable golf course.
Shi Youxi definitely didn't choose this house randomly. Everything happened too fast, so much so that Mu Yiran hadn't even had a chance to properly think about when Shi Youxi regained his memory and when he found her.
Shi Youxi didn't give her time to think. As soon as the car stopped, he pulled her out. Mu Yiran saw several bodyguards at the entrance of the garage, all of whom were unfamiliar faces. She was led along, and along the way, she clearly saw the layout of the house.
It's almost identical to the villa in London where she was imprisoned by Shi Youxi.
In the blink of an eye, she had been pulled back to that room by Shi Youxi. No one had tidied up, the bed was still a mess, and the iron chain hanging from the ceiling was draped on the carpet, gleaming with a cold silver light.
Mu Yiran froze upon seeing him, so Shi Youxi picked her up and carried her to the bedside.
"Shi Youxi! What are you trying to do now!"
"I've already promised you we'd get our marriage certificate, you can't go back on your word!"
The man's physique was more robust than when he was 18, and her struggles were of no use to him. Hearing her frightened tone, Shi Youxi recalled something, and his eyes filled with heartache, but he still wouldn't let her off the hook:
"Now you know you're scared. Weren't you very arrogant in the car just now? Not only did you want to keep your marriage a secret, but you also wanted to hook up with younger men."
Mu Yiran kicked her leg hard, "Who said I was going on a date! Put me down! You're crazy, don't lock me up!"
Shi Youxi glanced at the messy bedding and threw the person on the sofa next to him. "Yeah, I'm just being crazy, I'm just locking you up."
"Shi Youxi!"
Shi Youxi held her down with one hand, freeing his other hand to open the display cabinet next to him. He took out a box from it, and with a "click," Mu Yiran felt a chill on her hand the next second.
...in hand?
Not feet?
She froze, her gaze slowly shifting to the source of the coldness—the ring finger of her left hand.
It was encased in a ring, with double bands of white diamonds surrounding the central stone—a dazzling pink diamond.
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