Xuan Yang was taken aback, struggling to keep up with his train of thought.
She opened her mouth to reply, but Zhou Dang's phone rang first.
"Got to take this," Zhou Dang said calmly, glancing at the caller ID. His thick brows furrowed slightly.
Xuan Yang nodded, catching a glimpse of the screen out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the note "Old Mansion," her heart tightened.
Zhou Dang's expression remained unchanged. He had expected that, given the old master's connections, he would be the first to know about their marriage registration.
He just hadn't anticipated it would be this fast—the call coming right after he left the bureau.
Collecting his thoughts, Zhou Dang answered the call just before it ended.
On the line came Old Master Zhou's weathered yet powerful voice, brimming with rage. "You reckless brat! How dare you get married without a word? Do you have any regard for the Zhou family or for me, your grandfather? Huh?!"
Though advanced in age, the old man was still strong and his voice boomed, louder than any young man in his twenties.
The car was extremely quiet, so Xuan Yang, sitting beside him, couldn't help but overhear.
She glanced at Zhou Dang, holding her breath with concern.
Zhou Dang looked back at her, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes reassuring.
Then he turned away from her gaze, leaned lazily toward the door, and propped his elbow as he spoke to the old man on the phone. "Don't get worked up, Grandpa. Your blood pressure will spike again."
Before the old man could continue his tirade, he explained, "We just finished the paperwork, and I haven't had a chance to report back to you yet."
"I'll come back later and give you a full account."
Old Master Zhou nearly got sidetracked. His tone grew worse. "Is it about reporting or not, huh?"
Zhou Dang tapped his fingers idly on the window, sounding innocent. "But wasn't it you who said I went ahead and got married without a word?"
Old Master Zhou: "..."
After taking a breath, he resumed sternly, "I will not recognize this marriage. Get your ass back to the Old Mansion immediately!"
Zhou Dang turned to look at Xuan Yang, who was sitting stiffly beside him, and replied reluctantly, "Can't now. I'm taking my wife out to celebrate."
Old Master Zhou on the phone: "..."
And Xuan Yang on this end: "..."
A brief, dead silence fell inside the closed car.
It was finally broken by Shen Li in the driver's seat, who couldn't help coughing.
Xuan Yang turned to stare at Zhou Dang, her almond eyes wide, pupils contracted, eyebrows arched dramatically, and two red blushes inexplicably rising on her fair, flawless face—
Zhou Dang had lost his mind!
To provoke Old Master Zhou at a time like this!
Zhou Dang was amused by her panicked expression. A faint smile flickered in his light-colored deep eyes. He brushed off the old man on the phone. "Tell you what, I'll ask my wife. If she doesn't mind, I'll go back to see you first."
Xuan Yang: "!"
Zhou Dang hung up, holding the dark phone in his hand, which accentuated his pale skin and long, slender fingers, giving him a cool, restrained air.
He turned to Xuan Yang, glancing at his phone as an aside. "You heard that. It was my grandfather."
Xuan Yang was still in shock, somewhat disoriented.
Zhou Dang noticed and pressed his advantage. "Grandpa wants me to go back and explain everything. I said I'd ask you first."
He paused, then shamelessly called her, "Wife, what do you say?"
Xuan Yang's years of composure completely shattered. Her delicate, beautiful face was a mélange of emotions, her expression "colorful."
Her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't utter a word for a long time.
The prolonged silence only piqued Zhou Dang's amusement. He leaned in closer, almost touching her earlobe. "Wife?"
Xuan Yang's scalp tingled. She recoiled like she'd been shocked, losing all her usual calm. "...Go back. Take care of the important matters."
Zhou Dang's voice was low and magnetic. The repeated "wife" could melt anyone's bones.
Even Xuan Yang, who had lived a disciplined life for over twenty years, felt her blood stirring.
But she showed no sign of it, turning her face to look at the street outside the window to compose herself. The faint redness on her ears gradually faded.
Zhou Dang saw it all, feeling greatly pleased. "Alright, whatever you say, wife."
Xuan Yang's sitting posture twisted, clearly stiffening.
Zhou Dang retreated contentedly, leaning back into his seat with a low chuckle. "You need to get used to it soon, Mrs. Zhou."
Xuan Yang: "..."
Zhou Dang told Shen Li to drop Xuan Yang off at the Xuan Family Villa first.
Although hanging up on Grandpa was satisfying, Zhou Dang knew he had truly angered the old man this time.
He was afraid that if he didn't go back, Grandpa would come directly to Xuan Yang.
On the way to the villa, Zhou Dang propped his head against the window, watching the receding streetscape.
When he was silent, his demeanor turned cold and unapproachable, like a completely different person from the one who had been joking around.