Superstitions. Forget it.
The service hall used a silent queuing system. Jiang Ruoqi stared at the LCD screen, afraid to miss their turn.
But staring too long made her eyes sore and head heavy. Unconsciously, she leaned against Meng Shang's leg, finding a good support point.
He saw right through her.
Unless there was an impenetrable barrier, Jiang Ruoqi would squeeze into any gap and push further, unstoppable.
Her fuzzy hair was right in front of him. She looked up at the screen while he looked down at her.
He understood clearly: he'd probably been coaxed into registering. Yet here he was, highly cooperative.
He even thought if she'd answered yes to his question, he'd find it harder to accept than being coaxed here.
He felt like a sheep being sold but still counting the money.
Meng Shang really wanted to ruffle her hair—not out of anger, but to tell her: Jiang Ruoqi, you're really going to marry me.
It was almost done; there was no time for regret. After registering, they'd have to weather the next few years together, like any ordinary couple.
He hadn't had many relationships or lived with anyone before, so he wasn't sure if he could take good care of her. But he'd try his best, to be tolerant and share the load. He also hoped she'd trust him a little more. Like... an ordinary couple.
"After we get the certificate, let's go see your grandmother in Hangxiang. Pick a day you're off. Tomorrow? But you're on night shift. We'll work it out—preferably a weekend."
"To be honest, I've already thought of what to say." Jiang Ruoqi still stared at the screen, her voice slightly muffled by the hall noise but still clear.
"We'll just say we've been together for a while but kept it quiet because of work. Now that I'm transferred to Xinhai, we decided to get the certificate."
"If they still don't believe us, we can drag Su Yansheng into it as a false witness. I'll have to talk to him beforehand to avoid slip-ups. But if he knows, then Ada will too. When she finds out I married you just like that, she'll freak out. You have no idea how hard it is to appease that lady..."
Jiang Ruoqi rambled on, and Meng Shang listened intently, not shifting his gaze.
Then his vision flickered. He realized it was Jiang Ruoqi's phone lighting up with a call.
The screen lit silently. He didn't mean to pry, but the caller ID was clear: Jiang Minghui, with "father" in parentheses.
Clearly, the call was poorly timed.
Right now, it seemed like answering would change everything.
Meng Shang lowered his gaze, a shadow falling over his eyes.
He didn't want to remind her.
The call indicator kept flickering patiently. Meng Shang closed his eyes, counted silently, and opened them again. Still there.
Finally, he reached out and touched her head.
Her glossy, silk-like hair was slightly cool. Meng Shang gently stroked it and, before she looked up, withdrew his hand reservedly: "You have a call."
Jiang Ruoqi looked down, saw who it was, and immediately turned off the screen: "It's nothing. Don't worry about him."
But as soon as her words ended, the call ended, and a missed-call notification popped up. Then, another call came in.
Persistent—so persistent that Meng Shang couldn't ignore it.
He thought, maybe it was a father's intuition. Without knowing anything, he insisted on calling just as his daughter was about to walk to the marriage registration window with a man she'd only met a few times.
Like fate itself, urging her to stop one last time.
Meng Shang gave a wry smile. If anything changed because of this, it must be fate.
"Answer it. We still have two numbers. It's fine." Meng Shang patted her shoulder.
Jiang Ruoqi bit her lip, pressing down until her once-red lips turned pale. One hand clutched the phone; the other hid in her sleeve, unknowingly picking at the hard calluses on her fingers.
The screen went dark again. Then a third call started.
Finally, Jiang Ruoqi stood up: "Wait for me. I'll be right back."
"Okay." Meng Shang nodded, his words insincere. "Go ahead. I'll wait here."
Even in her thick coat, Jiang Ruoqi's figure remained slim. Meng Shang watched, thinking that when she turned around, she might apologize and cancel this rushed registration.
But she'd only taken a few steps when she suddenly turned back, ran to him, grabbed his shirt collar, pulled him down, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.
"Don't worry. I'll still love you even after answering the phone."
The touch of her lips was soft and warm. The scent of her perfume drifted over before her kiss, a heavy rose with a musky base. It was just like her: brushing over his heart, lingering lightly, then walking away ruthlessly.
Meng Shang watched Jiang Ruoqi and let out a deep sigh.
Inconsistent little liar.