After Being Forced to Marry My Sworn Enemy - Chapter 3

Zhong Chu raised her voice slightly. “What nonsense are you talking about? I thought I was just like you—do I look like such a childish person?”

An Yanqing didn’t believe a word of her lies and simply called out.

The young assistant hurried over. At the sight of the shocking red marks on An Yanqing’s back, her face fell into a difficult expression. “It’s too obvious… Sister An, we’re using the company car today, and there aren’t any spare clothes inside.”

The assistant took a photo to show her. On the white shirt, smears of red fingerprints were scattered here and there like splayed claws; at first glance, it looked like a scene from a horror movie.

The flamboyant red marks stung her eyes. An Yanqing closed her eyes to calm herself for ten seconds before looking up at Zhong Chu. “Did you hear that? There are no clean clothes in my car. Have someone send one over to me.”

Zhong Chu crossed her arms and turned her head away. Even after being called out to her face, she remained nonchalant, letting out a cold, uncompromising sneer. “Just because you tell me to go, I’m supposed to go? On what grounds?”

An Yanqing pursed her lips slightly and thrust her phone screen in front of Zhong Chu’s eyes. “On the grounds that you’re the one who dirtied my clothes. You have to take responsibility.”

Zhong Chu’s smile deepened as she arched an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Oh? Which distinguished painter created this great masterpiece? It’s quite artistic; it’s practically on par with my own excellent painting skills.”

A staff member nearby waved high at them. “You two, come over here for the photo!”

An Yanqing pressed her brow hard, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

The two of them loathed the sight of each other, but not wanting to place an undue burden on the staff, they didn’t continue their argument there.

The result of this was that the moment they thought about the photo being taken—representing being bound to the other person for the rest of their lives—their expressions became increasingly grim. Even if this consequence was, in a sense, a form of mutual torture and a “wish fulfilled,” their complex, tangled emotions were beyond human control.

The staff member shouted, “You two, smile a bit, move closer.”

It seemed that anything involving Zhong Chu could never proceed smoothly.

An Yanqing’s chest felt tight. Perhaps it was psychological, but at the spot on her lower back where Zhong Chu had touched her earlier, she felt a stinging pain seeping into the texture of her skin along the red marks. Wave after wave of dense pain washed over her.

She couldn’t help but rub it a few times. Seeing Zhong Chu’s sullen face, her expression grew even colder. “Miss Zhong, you have a mouth; does it serve any purpose other than spite? Can’t you manage a slight upturn of the corners?”

Zhong Chu gave her a listless look and snapped back, “Right back at you; we’re two of a kind. It seems Big Star An’s mouth serves no purpose other than choking people with words.”

In that back-and-forth, the feeling of being at each other’s throats returned.

Zhong Chu’s flagging spirits revived. She thought about how, after getting married, a jerk like An Yanqing would be just like she was now—utterly loathing her, yet unable to ever shake her off or hide from her, clinging tighter and tighter like a maggot in the bone.

Wouldn’t that be a joy?

An Yanqing’s brow furrowed. “To be honest, your smile is a bit perverted.”

Zhong Chu instinctively touched the corners of her mouth; the upward curve was indeed a bit high.

She gave a light cough and nonchalantly changed the subject. “It’s a big day. Can you stop wearing that ‘dead person’ face? Be a bit happy. Can’t you learn from me and just smile?”

The irritation on her back grew more intense. Even through the fabric, An Yanqing could feel the slight swelling of her skin; a single touch brought a piercing, sharp pain.

She was likely allergic to that ink pad.

An Yanqing couldn’t bring herself to smile.

She stared straight into the lens, expressionless, and followed the staff’s instructions to lean closer to Zhong Chu.

Zhong Chu, however, no longer had a cold face. She even went as far as to lean against An Yanqing’s shoulder, smiling excessively brightly.

When the photo came out, the staff member fell into deep contemplation.

No matter how you looked at it, the photo was eerie. One person’s face was as cold as ice shards, while the other’s smile was so exaggerated it felt as if all the happiness of two people had been concentrated into one, making it look very strange.

The staff member wondered if it was just an illusion, but she felt that the smiling woman’s expression held a hint of ill intent.

Once the photo was taken, An Yanqing got up and left immediately without a shred of curiosity. Zhong Chu followed behind her with ease, her mood unusually good.

“An Yanqing, today is our big day. Can’t you give a proper smile?”

An Yanqing walked with great strides, going faster and faster.

Zhong Chu followed right at her heels, eventually having to trot to keep up.

The incessant voice sounded like a soul-summoning chant, or like the faint buzzing of a mosquito, ringing in An Yanqing’s ears with no way to escape.

“An Yanqing, who are you showing that long ‘donkey face’ to?”

“An Yanqing, you’re a big star after all. Don’t you have any professional ethics? Can’t you even put on your fake ‘business smile’ in front of me?”

“An Yanqing, are you deaf or mute? While we haven’t officially registered yet, if you’re sick, just say so. I don’t want the first thing I do on our wedding day to be sending my wife to the hospital for treatment.”

An Yanqing suddenly stopped. Caught off guard, Zhong Chu’s rambling got stuck in her throat as she slammed headfirst into An Yanqing’s back.

The bridge of the nose is particularly sensitive to pain, and this impact felt like hitting a steel plate. An indescribable agony surged into her mind, and tears instantly fell from Zhong Chu’s eyes. Clutching her nose, her anger flared. “An Yanqing, you…”

An Yanqing pressed a finger against her forehead, ruthlessly pushing her away and cutting off her words. “I see you’re quite blind, and I don’t know if you’re an idiot, but there might be something wrong with your brain too.”

Taking advantage of her height, she looked down at Zhong Chu’s red eyes and said unhurriedly, “Today is our first day of marriage. As a wedding gift, I’ll take you to the hospital to get your head checked. If my wife has a brain problem, for me, that would be the true cause for celebration.”

Shit! Her insults are meaner than mine!

Zhong Chu’s brow was tightly knit, and her hand hadn’t moved. The pain in her nasal bone was different from ordinary pain—it was a mix of agony and an inexplicable sourness, a stinging sensation rushing from her nasal cavity straight to her brain.

She was in so much pain she couldn’t speak for a long time, let alone launch an effective counterattack.

The girl, as delicate as a flower, was covered in tear stains, looking utterly pitiable. In the eyes of bystanders, this sight seemed to create a strange misunderstanding.

A nearby staff member saw this and asked curiously, “Hey, you youngsters over there, what’s going on? Aren’t you here to register? Why did you make her cry?”

It was a slow moment at work, and two women of such equal, striking beauty were already the center of attention. Everyone had been watching them out of the corners of their eyes. Disappointed by the situation, they chimed in one by one: “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and coax her!”

“She looks like such a smart girl, how can she be so wooden when it comes to matters of the heart!”

An Yanqing’s brow furrowed slightly but quickly smoothed out. She loosely put an arm around Zhong Chu, tilting her head to give the others a faint smile. “My wife and I have a very good relationship. Since today is a joyous occasion, she’s simply weeping for joy. Please excuse us.”

Hearing An Yanqing’s explanation, the kind-hearted staff members nodded in realization.

Zhong Chu had finally managed to recover from the pain, only to be infuriated again by that sentence. She reached out and pinched An Yanqing’s lower back through her clothes.

A sharp pain came fast and fierce. An Yanqing let out a short “hiss.” Her hand on Zhong Chu’s shoulder moved down, instinctively reaching to grab her wrist.

But she was half a beat too slow, and a heavy slap landed on the back of her hand.

An Yanqing’s skin was fair, and the skin on her hands was even more delicate. With that one slap, a burning pain surfaced along with a sudden flush of red.

An Yanqing pursed her lips slightly and stared at the fuming Zhong Chu for two seconds. As she withdrew her hand, her thumb lightly brushed over the pained area.

The culprit had successfully swatted her hand away and, far from reflecting on her actions, even intentionally leaned closer.

Tears still lingered in her eyes, making her look touching and pitiable—like a delicate flower standing precariously on a branch after being ravaged by wind and rain. This sense of “brokenness” didn’t trample her innate noble elegance; instead, it brought out a different kind of charm.

Zhong Chu leaned toward her cheek, her beautiful eyes staring unblinkingly into An Yanqing’s. As she approached, An Yanqing’s head instinctively dodged for a second, but she quickly turned back to meet her gaze calmly.

Her voice was lazy and pleasant to the ear, but her tone was the polar opposite of her posture—filled with loathing and a sense of spiteful satisfaction. “An Yanqing, who the hell is your wife? Are you trying to gross me out on purpose?”

Zhong Chu kept her voice low. The staff watched them for a moment but soon looked away, assuming it was just a young couple’s way of flirting.

They were so close that An Yanqing felt the surrounding air begin to thin.

She instinctively wanted to push Zhong Chu’s face away, but in the next heartbeat, the way Zhong Chu wiped at her tears acted like an invisible thread, snagging her original train of thought.

Her movements faltered slightly. Her gaze fell upon the damp traces at the corners of Zhong Chu’s eyes, and her tone softened. “Did I actually make you cry from anger?”

The corners of Zhong Chu’s eyes were flushed red. Her rough rubbing had instantly created another splotch of defiant red marks on her sensitive skin.

She shot back a fierce glare, her tone sharp. “So what if I cried? Who says a girl can’t be weak? Who says she can’t cry?”

An Yanqing hesitantly raised her hand, as if intending to wipe the tears for her. But before her hand reached the other woman’s eyes, she seemed to harbor some reservation; she stopped mid-air, curled her fingers, and withdrew.

She looked away, her voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. “…Fine, was it really that bad? You’ve insulted me so many times, yet I only gave you a few words back?”

Zhong Chu’s tears were purely a physiological response to the pain. Now, quietly observing An Yanqing’s rare moment of internal conflict, she felt a surge of vengeful pleasure from toying with her.

Thus, she offered no explanation, simply following An Yanqing’s lead. “I’ve insulted you plenty, but haven’t you paid me back every single time?”

An Yanqing lowered her eyes, staring at the swaying hem of Zhong Chu’s clothes, her brow furrowed slightly. “Is your ego really that fragile now? We’ve traded insults before, but this is the first time I’ve actually made you cry. Truly unprecedented.”

“It’s because you were being too cruel!”

Zhong Chu watched as An Yanqing’s head dropped lower and lower, her fingers curling tightly. It looked as if she had suddenly realized how crossing the line her “bastardly” behavior was and was being struck by a sudden wave of guilt.

Zhong Chu was gloating internally. Just as she was about to strike while the iron was hot and press her advantage, An Yanqing suddenly snapped her head up.

The expression on her face was nothing like the distressed self-reproach Zhong Chu had imagined. Instead, it bore a particularly jarring, faint smile.

Zhong Chu’s heart skipped a beat; she knew something was wrong.

Sure enough, the tables turned. An Yanqing leisurely crossed her arms and looked down at her as if watching a show. She was naturally tall, and with this stance, her overbearing pressure became even more intense.

“Zhong Chu, did I really make you cry from anger?”

“Because if you’re crying, then I can finally start laughing.”

Zhong Chu couldn’t help but clutch the clothes at her chest. A breath caught in her throat, unable to go up or down, leaving her entire chest feeling stifled and throbbing with pain.

In a flash of realization, only one thought remained in her mind: Damn it, I’ve been played by this bastard An Yanqing again!

According to the Law of Conservation of Smiles, a smile never disappears; it only transfers from one person’s face to another’s.

For example, right now, Zhong Chu felt an urge to tear An Yanqing limb from limb. Meanwhile, An Yanqing uncharacteristically reached out with a smile to stroke her cheek, saying tenderly, “Darling, why stop? Keep crying.”

Under the pressure of her fingertips, a red mark immediately appeared on the delicate skin. An Yanqing leaned closer to her cheek, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the vivid color she had drawn. “Cry more. The more miserable, the better. Only when you’re miserable do I get truly excited.”

The string of Zhong Chu’s rationality snapped with a pop. She lunged forward, wanting to snap An Yanqing’s fingers. On their first day of marriage, she wanted to gift her a “plaster cast and steel plate” package, complete with a complimentary one-day hospital tour.

However, An Yanqing was prepared. She retracted her arm the moment the other moved, and Zhong Chu grabbed nothing but air.

Zhong Chu swung her hand to dissipate the awkwardness and took a step back. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage that was about to erupt from her chest. “What a pity. The ‘gift’ I wanted to give you would have suited your perverted fetishes perfectly.”

“Darling, you might have some misunderstandings about me.” Her rolled-up sleeves slipped down during her movements. As An Yanqing walked toward the exit, she casually rolled the sleeves of her shirt back up.

With her movements, half of her wrist was naturally exposed. The overhead lights reflected off it, making her bony, pale wrist glow with a delicate shimmer.

Only the large patch of crimson on the back of her hand, where Zhong Chu had slapped her, had yet to fade. The interplay of crimson and cold white gave off an inexplicably decadent and alluring vibe.

Misunderstandings?

Zhong Chu was so angry she actually laughed. She stared at that satisfying patch of red for a moment, then moved her gaze to An Yanqing’s elegantly arched neck, wishing she could press her hands there and leave even deeper red marks.

She was about to say more when a staff member called them over. Because of the interruption, Zhong Chu had to swallow her words and settle for glaring fiercely at An Yanqing’s back.

Though the hallway was wide, she insisted on squeezing past An Yanqing, intentionally bumping her shoulder.

An Yanqing finished fixing her sleeves. Her shoulders had taken repeated hits today, and she was aching all over. She looked down at the hem of the person in front of her and let out an imperceptible sigh.

The machine pressed down, and the official seal was stamped onto the fresh “Little Red Books” and photos.

From this moment on, their responsibilities and lives were permanently bound together. In some mysterious way, both women seemed to feel something at the same time. In this sacred moment, they fell silent in unison, their expressions becoming solemn as they couldn’t help but steal a glance at each other.

Neither could quite describe their own feelings, nor could they decipher the emotions of the other.

There was simply a sudden, overwhelming urge to sigh.

When they stepped outside, the sky was just beginning to turn dark. The streetlights hadn’t turned on yet, and the world was a hazy grey.

An Yanqing and her young assistant headed left, while Zhong Chu headed right. They were so sick of each other that they didn’t even bother saying goodbye. Not opening their mouths to snap at each other one last time was considered an act of mercy.

Zhong Chu had no interest in the freshly issued marriage certificate, much less any desire to look at it. There happened to be a trash can by the side of the road. She was absentmindedly about to toss the Little Red Book inside when her phone suddenly rang.

On the other side, An Yanqing had put her hat and mask back on while her assistant went to bring the car around.

She hadn’t changed her clothes yet. Wearing such a conspicuous outfit, she couldn’t help but frown at the stares from passersby.

Standing not far from the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she naturally saw Zhong Chu’s movements. The marriage certificate in her hand suddenly felt a bit hot. The red cover was as jarring as the finger marks on her back, and the stinging pain behind her surged up again. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped it.

She watched for a moment, then stuffed the Little Red Book into her pocket.

When she looked up again, Zhong Chu had somehow walked back.

Zhong Chu’s face was very pale, and she was clearly unwilling, yet she still spoke: “An Yanqing, we are already married. We are a legal couple.”

The pain in An Yanqing’s back and wrist intensified simultaneously. The fire brought on by the burning pain scorched from the surface of her skin all the way to her heart. Her lips moved, her voice devoid of emotion: “And?”

Her face was hidden by the mask, leaving only those cold eyes that Zhong Chu knew so well.

Zhong Chu couldn’t read her mood, nor did she care about her thoughts. She casually waved the Little Red Book in her hand and said with total entitlement: “And so, tonight, I’m going home with you!”

Support After Being Forced to Marry My Sworn Enemy