After Being Forced to Marry My Sworn Enemy - Chapter 1

The phone screen lit up and dimmed repeatedly, the digits on it constantly changing.

Twenty minutes had already passed since the appointed time; the person An Yanqing was waiting for had yet to arrive.

She sat in the waiting area, resting her eyes. Beside her, she heard her young assistant irritably click off her phone screen and complain in a low voice, “Miss Zhong is being far too unpunctual. This is a major event like getting a marriage license, and she actually has the nerve to be this late!”

An Yanqing was exhausted and didn’t respond. She wore a mask, and as she lowered her head, she pulled her hat down further. The black brim cast a shadow that completely concealed her face.

The Civil Affairs Bureau was somewhat deserted today. Having waited here in vain for so long, she had already drawn many strange looks from the staff.

The various stares pricked at An Yanqing’s back like needles. She frowned imperceptibly, pulled out her phone, and practicedly dialed a string of numbers.

The hall was very quiet. The echoes of the unanswered call seemed audible to everyone present—the ring, ring sounds, followed by the mechanical female voice offering apologies, until it automatically disconnected.

The assistant’s temper flared up instantly. “Sister An, what does Zhong Chu mean by this? She’s going too far!”

An Yanqing glanced at her calmly. Her hands didn’t pause for a second as she dialed a second, then a third time in one fluid motion.

Just as the third call was about to disconnect and the familiar “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable” was about to sound, the other end finally picked up.

An Yanqing had always known that Zhong Chu’s voice was deceptive. It was soft and pleasant, carrying the melodic lilt of a southern dialect. Her speaking pace was gentle and slow, with the end of her words rising slightly—sounding like the sweet, piteous coaxing of a spoiled girl that could melt one’s heart.

Even though it currently contained a hint of impatience, it still sounded lazy and soft: “Who is it? I’m busy.”

An Yanqing regained a bit of energy and sat up straighter, speaking with formal politeness: “Miss Zhong, I’d like to ask: Did you get high at a tavern and fall from the fifth floor? Or did your car break down in the wilderness and you encountered a serial killer? Or perhaps you met with an accident on the way and were seriously injured, and are currently in the ICU for emergency treatment, which is why you are unable to show up?”

On the other end, Zhong Chu recognized her identity. In an instant, she was like a cat with its fur standing on end; the laziness in her voice vanished, replaced by sudden vigor. “An Yanqing, are you sick?! Why are you cursing me out of the blue?”

An Yanqing moved the phone away and checked the time. “Miss Zhong, if it weren’t for an act of God or some other force majeure, how could you be a full half-hour late?”

“Only half an hour and you’re already anxious?” Zhong Chu gave a short, cold laugh. “An Yanqing, I’ll tell you the truth—you want to marry me?”

“—Keep dreaming!”

An Yanqing’s brow twitched. In the next moment, she instinctively moved the phone even further away.

Zhong Chu had deliberately pressed the phone’s microphone against a speaker. The explosive waves of bar music suddenly intensified; the high-decibel noise surged through the receiver, accompanied by a distorted, piercing static hiss that crashed over her like a heavy tide.

In an instant, An Yanqing’s eardrums buzzed. She gripped her phone tightly and bent over, pausing for a long while before she could suppress the wave of dizziness.

Zhong Chu was a jerk. The two of them had loathed each other since childhood; they had never seen eye to eye, and their feud wasn’t something that started yesterday. If An Yanqing could lightly toss out a vicious curse, it was only natural for Zhong Chu to strike back.

Seeing her distress, the assistant hurried forward to support her.

An Yanqing said with difficulty, “I’m fine.”

The assistant was blunt and felt the injustice on her behalf. “It’s not like we were the ones begging them; it was the Zhong family who proposed the alliance. Now, their eldest daughter is treating you with such contempt. To think she’d actually use something like getting a marriage license to play a prank—this is way over the line!”

An Yanqing pressed a hand on her shoulder. The assistant turned her face away, hiding her eyes which were red with anger. “Neither side is willing, so what is the point of carrying on with this marriage?”

An Yanqing simply said, “Grandpa Zhong was kind to me.”

Her recent films, endorsements, and various top-tier resources were all the work of the Zhong family. The assistant knew this, so the words of resentment died in her throat.

Keep dreaming?

Zhong Chu’s arrogant tone from moments ago still rang in her ears. An Yanqing’s lips curled slightly as she dialed another number.

The call ended. Just as An Yanqing was about to close her eyes for a nap, she caught a glimpse of a newlywed couple standing not far from her, whispering to each other from time to time.

Seeing her look over, the girl called out excitedly from a distance, “Are you Sister An?!”

An Yanqing had appeared in many film and television works, mostly portraying resolute, valiant, and heroic female leads. Her free-spirited attitude toward life had earned her a massive following of “fangirls.” Her fans, regardless of gender or age, all called her “Sister An.”

The time and place weren’t right. As soon as the words left her mouth, the girl shook her head and said hesitantly, “Perfect Lover just wrapped recently, and Sister An is busy doing promotion for the crew; she wouldn’t have time. She hasn’t had a single scandal in all these years, let alone coming to a place like this… I’m sorry, I must have the wrong person.”

This girl knew An Yanqing’s official schedule like the back of her hand; she was clearly a hardcore fan. An Yanqing raised the brim of her hat slightly. “The promotion is over. I’m taking some time out of a busy schedule to come here and get married.”

When An Yanqing was completely covered, the fan had already sensed a resemblance. Now that those familiar eyes and voice appeared, the girl suddenly covered her mouth, fearing her scream might escape.

She was full of pleasant surprise, her words jumbled: “Sis—Sister, it really is you!”

An Yanqing had always been gentle and considerate toward her fans. Meeting like this was fate, so she took the initiative. “It’s not convenient to take a photo here, but did you bring a pen and paper? I can give you—”

Before she could finish, she suddenly lowered her head.

The phone screen had lit up. On it was a string of phone numbers without a contact name.

An Yanqing picked up her phone. “I’m sorry, I have something I need to handle first. Please wait a moment; it will be resolved quickly.”

The girl nodded vigorously like a chick pecking grain, pulling her partner a short distance away to thoughtfully give her some private space.

The phone rang incessantly, persistent as a soul-summoning bell. An Yanqing watched it calmly, with no intention of answering.

Only after it had finished ringing three times and started a fourth did she nonchalantly press the “accept” button.

The moment the call connected, the woman’s soaring rage on the other end nearly erupted from the speaker: “An Yanqing! You petty bastard! I just picked up the phone a little late, and you absolutely had to pay me back in kind—”

An Yanqing interrupted her unhurriedly: “The Civil Affairs Bureau closes in half an hour.”

Zhong Chu’s anger stalled for a heartbeat, only to come back even more ferociously. “When are you going to fix that vengeful, death-seeking personality of yours? Would losing half an hour of your life cost you a pound of flesh? I made you wait half an hour, so you just had to make me—”

Lacking the patience to hear more, An Yanqing said gently, “I won’t wait past the deadline.”

Zhong Chu was practically beside herself with fury. “An Yanqing, how old are you?! You actually went and snitched to my grandfather! You—”

An Yanqing hung up without hesitation.

The young assistant, who had overheard a snippet of the conversation, peeked cautiously at Sister An’s expression. Although there wasn’t much outward emotional change, the corners of her eyes had curved up slightly at some point.

Clearly, the rare sight of the eldest Miss Zhong suffering a setback was a result that brought her considerable pleasure.

An Yanqing gestured for her little fan to come over, took her pen and paper, and smoothly wrote a personalized autograph, adding a note wishing her a happy marriage.

The fan took the notebook and excitedly showed it off to her partner. The young man thanked An Yanqing repeatedly; the sweet shyness of the newlyweds radiated through every small detail.

An Yanqing’s gaze lingered on this scene of happiness for a long time. Suddenly, her phone screen lit up again, and she lowered her head once more.

That same familiar string of numbers was ringing. Zhong Chu was clearly incensed by being cut off repeatedly.

Hidden behind her mask, the corners of An Yanqing’s lips curled up. She set the phone to silent and tucked it back into her pocket.

Once the fan’s excitement cooled, her reason returned. She carefully tucked away the signature, glanced around, and said thoughtfully, “Sister, why are you here all alone?”

An Yanqing didn’t say much. “She’s stuck in traffic.”

The assistant looked like she wanted to say something but held back, afraid of revealing the truth in front of a fan, so she could only lower her head in frustration.

Whether the fan believed it or not, she realized this wasn’t the best place for a chat and soon took her leave.

The brief bustle subsided, and the surroundings went quiet again. Just then, the hall doors suddenly swung open, and a figure walked in like a whirlwind.

Before her face was seen, her voice arrived first, scolding her head-on: “How old are you, huh? Still the same as when you were a kid, so fond of playing the ‘tell the parents’ card and stabbing people in the back?”

The newcomer didn’t look left or right, heading straight for An Yanqing with aggressive momentum. The gazes of those nearby were drawn to the commotion, their eyes widening instantly.

Zhong Chu was stunningly beautiful. Possessing the refined nobility of a high-born lady, she looked like a “wealthy flower of the human world”—a blossom carefully nurtured and pampered by a thousand loves.

The beauty had hurried all the way there, carrying the remnants of her rage. Her bright eyes seemed to burn with fire, and her cheeks were flushed a vivid red; she was breathtakingly vivid.

Zhong Chu stood, while An Yanqing remained seated composedly. Not only did she not stand up to greet her, she even leaned back slightly, crossing her arms nonchalantly. “Miss Zhong, it doesn’t matter if the method is childish, as long as it works.”

She glanced toward the entrance and asked curiously, “It’s only been ten minutes. You got here so fast—were you originally crouching in a roadside gutter waiting to watch me make a fool of myself?”

Zhong Chu was thoroughly disgusted by her low-handed tactics. She gripped the back of the chair next to An Yanqing, leaning her body down to deliberately get close. “An Yanqing, are you really that desperate to marry me?”

Shadows completely enveloped An Yanqing. A warm breath, accompanied by a faint scent of rose hair perfume, hit her face, causing a slight itch.

An Yanqing’s brow furrowed slightly. Her palm pressed against the armrest as she moved to avoid her. In the next moment, she forcibly controlled her movements and met her gaze calmly. “What kind of ‘dreaming’ are you doing now?”

An Yanqing had seen many beauties. Setting aside Zhong Chu’s terrible personality and judging only by her soul-stirring looks, even in an entertainment industry teeming with beautiful faces, a look as bright, grand, and entirely non-vulgar as hers was extremely rare.

If… she didn’t have such a haughty and flamboyant temperament, who would have the heart to speak harshly to her, based on that face alone?

At such a close distance, their breathing was clearly audible. Zhong Chu gave a cold laugh and leaned in further, one hand propped beside An Yanqing’s ear, while her other hand rose to hover near her face, as if it might fall at any moment.

It looked like both a lover’s tender stroke and an impending, heartless slap.

Her voice dropped, the tone rising at the end like honeyed southern silk. “An Yanqing, you’re still as unscrupulous as ever. Knowing you couldn’t get through to me, you used my grandfather to pressure me.”

The thrill of the unknown and a sense of danger coexisted; the feeling of pressure was overwhelming. No one knew whether the ambiguous tenderness or the anger of a falling-out would arrive first.

An Yanqing’s throat bobbed slightly. Her gaze lingered on the other woman’s face for a split second before she calmly and restrainedly turned her head away, standing up to brush the hand aside. “Miss Zhong, don’t forget, it was your Zhong family that proposed this marriage first.”

Zhong Chu was pushed back two steps before steadying herself. An Yanqing started walking forward on her own. Zhong Chu watched her back with cold eyes, irritably brushing her cascading black hair, and slowly let out a frustrated breath.

She didn’t follow behind An Yanqing but turned toward the window on the other side.

The idle staff member, who had been watching the drama for a long time, saw their cold expressions and total lack of pre-wedding joy. Making an instinctive assumption, the staff member said, “Miss, this is the registration window. The divorce aisle is over there.”

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