Ge'er could no longer recall the specifics of how she ended up at the Civil Affairs Bureau with Shang Jincheng, or how they obtained their marriage certificate.
When she regained consciousness, she was already in bed.
They lay on the same bed, her nestled in Shang Jincheng's arms, even using his arm as a pillow.
Sensing she was awake, Shang Jincheng lowered his head and kissed her forehead before reaching up to cup her chin.
As their eyes met, and she saw his face clearly, feeling his warmth, Ge'er was startled. With a jolt, she rolled over and sat up.
"You, you, you... Am I dreaming? Shang Jincheng, what are you doing here?"
Fortunately, they were both still fully dressed.
Shang Jincheng watched her agitation and slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position.
"Just woke up, what are you yelling about? This is my place, where else would I be?"
"This is your place?" Ge'er became even more agitated.
She looked around the unfamiliar surroundings.
"How did I end up at your place?"
She had drunk a lot yesterday, her memory completely blank, only vaguely recalling some absurd things she had done. But wasn't that just a dream?
Shang Jincheng shrugged, looking smug and self-satisfied, as if his plan had worked.
"Miss Zhan. Oh, no, Mrs. Shang. Forgot what you were boasting about last night? You said you weren't a coward, that whoever backed out was a gutless wonder. Now you wake up and want to renege?"
Mrs. Shang?
The title sent shivers down her spine. Ge'er glared at him angrily.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What was I boasting about with you last night? What do you mean I want to renege? What did I do to you?"
The marriage certificate was on the bedside table. Shang Jincheng reached out, grabbed it, and waved it in front of her.
"See for yourself. I'm yours now. Officially recognized by the state, protected by law. It's too late to renege even if you wanted to."
Ge'er looked at the two fiery red little books. She blinked her eyes hard and hesitantly took them, her hand trembling.
She still clung to a sliver of hope that this was some prank by Shang Jincheng.
However, when she opened the booklets, their wedding photo was inside.
Under 'Certificate Holders,' their names were clearly printed.
She couldn't believe it. Just hours after being released from home, and after a single night's sleep, she had married herself off.
And to Shang Jincheng, whom she had disliked since childhood!
"This... I... You... Shang Jincheng, you did this on purpose!"
Shang Jincheng remained nonchalantly shameless.
"It's happened. The rice is cooked. The boat has sailed. Whether I did it on purpose or not is irrelevant now."
"Face reality, and let's enjoy our married life. Mrs. Shang, today is our first day of marriage, whatever you want to do, I'll accompany you."
Did he have to use such a disgusting tone to annoy her?
Ge'er was fed up with his constant "Mrs. Shang."
"Whose first day of marriage? Who wants to enjoy married life with you? Impossible!"
"Shang Jincheng, knowing I was drunk, you took advantage of my impaired state to drag me to get a marriage certificate. You're truly malicious!"
As she spoke, she scrambled off the bed in a panic, looking for her shoes.
"Who says the rice is cooked? Who says the boat has sailed? Absurdities done while drunk don't count! I don't want to do anything now. Hurry up and get this process reversed!"
"Get up quickly!"
Shang Jincheng wasn't surprised by her reaction at all and wasn't annoyed. He simply watched her with a smile.
"You're not a three-year-old child anymore. How can someone so smart say such foolish things? What do you mean, reverse the process? This is a marriage certificate."
"What about the marriage certificate? Am I familiar with you? Getting married without any feelings is a joke! Since no one knows yet, I'll admit defeat. We can just get divorced. Let's go handle the divorce papers!"
Shang Jincheng sighed, still leaning against the headboard, not moving.
"You've truly broken my heart. Less than eight hours after becoming a married person, you want to become an unmarried one. Although my reputation isn't great, you can't play jokes like this."
Ge'er found her shoes and wished she could throw one at his face.
"Are you joking with me, or am I joking with you? I was a perfectly good maiden, and because I had a couple of extra drinks, you tricked me into becoming a second-time married woman. If my daddy and my brother find out, they'll break your legs!"
"It's already good that I'm not holding you accountable. Don't act all innocent after getting what you wanted. Hurry up and get up!"
Shang Jincheng raised his wrist to check the time.
"Miss Zhan, no, Mrs. Shang, please check the time."
Ge'er also raised her wrist in a panic to check the time.
It was 5:40 PM.
Damn it, the Civil Affairs Bureau was already closed.
All her strength drained away. She slumped to the floor, stunned for a few minutes.
"Even if we can't do it today, we have to do it first thing tomorrow morning."
"How can you be so shameless? Knowing I have a low alcohol tolerance... If my parents find out, they'll hold you responsible!"
She gnashed her teeth, truly regretting getting the certificate with him. Shang Jincheng's heart sank, and he slowly dropped his smile.
"I really regret not taking a video of you making those vows last night. Now I can't argue my way out of this. You were the one who insisted on dragging me there, and you even made me give you all my cards. Well, now it's all my fault."
"Hmph!" Ge'er turned her head away, refusing to listen to his sophistry.
Shang Jincheng stared at her indignant expression for a few seconds, then softened.
"Divorce isn't that easy. Since we've come this far, it must be fate."
"You don't have a crush on anyone anyway. Who you marry doesn't matter, right? I'm not completely useless. Think carefully before deciding."
She had never met anyone who could praise themselves so highly.
Ge'er didn't need to think. Shang Jincheng wasn't her ideal type at all. She would never live with him, even if she died!
"Who has fate with you? It's a doomed fate, more like it. I will absolutely not marry you. And I warn you, Shang Jincheng, besides the two of us, no one else is to know about this! If you dare to spread it..."
She didn't know what she could do to him.
Even if she broke his legs, what good would that do? Being a second-time married woman was an undeniable fact now.
She really regretted moving out.
No wonder her parents had kept her and Tiantian so close. The outside world was truly treacherous!
The weather was still very cold. Nancheng had no heating, and the room wasn't air-conditioned. Shang Jincheng, worried she would get cold sitting on the floor, got up to help her.
"Alright, alright, I'm wrong, I'm shameless, I shouldn't have taken your drunken words seriously. It's all my fault."
"If you're upset, hit me a few times to vent. Don't hurt yourself. Get up quickly."
Ge'er was annoyed by him and didn't want him to touch her. She twisted her body to avoid him.
"Get lost, don't touch me! You change girlfriends every day, who knows if you have an illness!"
Shang Jincheng's hand froze. "Tch, Zhan Jingge, here you go again!"