After Running Away from Our Arranged Marriage, the Scum Gong Actually Begged Me to Get Back Together - Chapter 4

Su Xingque looked down at the boy before him, who was clearly timid yet stood his ground with bizarre determination. The sight brought back his mother’s earnest, painstaking advice over the phone from earlier that morning.

“Stop looking at everything as a business alliance. Stop confining your life to the profit margins on a balance sheet. And above all, stop drowning yourself in past relationships. Don’t be afraid to try loving someone again.”

His mother had been a victim of a commercial marriage alliance herself. That was why, even after his father passed away, she would rather have a screaming match with Su Xingque every few days than cancel this engagement. She had flatly turned down every wealthy socialite who came to her door flaunting their eligible sons and daughters, remaining stubbornly fixated on the obscure Shen family—and specifically on Shen Zhu, the illegitimate son.

This single issue had driven a massive wedge between the once-harmonious mother and son. Over the past few years, Su Xingque had watched his mother’s health steadily decline. He wanted to mend their relationship, but he had no idea where to start.

Today, his mother’s tone had verged on outright begging, leaving Su Xingque’s chest tightening with a dull ache.

Meanwhile, Shen Zhu kept his gaze fixed on Su Xingque. Seeing the man silently tap away on his phone without a word, a layer of cold sweat began to break out in the palms of his hands.

The rumor that Su Xingque’s mother was the only person who could keep him in check was something Shen Pengcheng had told him. Shen Zhu had no way to verify if it was true. If Su Xingque dug his heels in and insisted on calling off the wedding—

“My assistant will contact you,” Su Xingque suddenly said, rising to his feet to leave. “We’ll pick a date when we’re both free to get the marriage certificates.”

Shen Zhu let out a long breath as his tense shoulders finally collapsed in relief. He slumped back into his chair, sipping his coffee while casually admiring the street view outside.

Look at this beautiful early spring weather. Look at all these corporate elites bustling about. Look at that grand, magnificent high-rise across the street.

From now on, he was officially the mistress of the Su Group estate!

Su Xingque’s assistant, Wilson, was terrifyingly efficient. That very evening, he called Shen Zhu to finalize the date, note down his address, and inform him that a car would be sent to pick him up.

By Friday afternoon, Shen Zhu had specifically changed into a clean white button-down shirt. Clutching his necessary documents, he stood downstairs by his rundown rental building, waiting for his ride.

Assuming Su Xingque despised him enough to send a random chauffeur at best, Shen Zhu completely abandoned any sense of image management. He leaned sideways against the stained exterior wall of the building entrance, casually swinging his keys around one finger while tunelessly whistling a melody.

Five minutes later, an extended Maybach purred to a halt right in front of him. The window rolled down smoothly, revealing Su Xingque sitting in the passenger seat, staring at him with a gaze that could freeze water.

Why the hell did he come in person? Startled, Shen Zhu immediately snapped to attention and walked obediently over to the car.

“H-hello, President Su,” Shen Zhu stammered, instantly slipping back into character to project the perfect image of a shy, blushing groom.

“Oh my, you two are getting married today. Why are you still being so formal?” A middle-aged female voice chimed in from the back seat.

The driver stepped out to open the rear door for Shen Zhu. The moment Shen Zhu saw the elegant woman sitting inside, his vision practically went black.

Can someone please tell him why Su Xingque’s mother is here too?

“Hello, Auntie,” Shen Zhu said with a timid smile, sliding in to sit beside Meng Jing.

Meng Jing’s warm, approachable aura stood in stark contrast to Su Xingque’s icy detachment. For a brief second, Shen Zhu genuinely wondered if the two were actually mother and son.

“Why are you still calling me Auntie? It’s time to change how you address me.” Meng Jing took Shen Zhu’s hand, patting it gently between her palms before turning a sharp glare toward the front seat. “Look at this child from the Shen family. So handsome and gentle. Stop scowling all the time and scaring the poor boy.”

Su Xingque checked his watch, completely ignoring his mother’s commentary.

When he had refused the marriage, she had used every trick in the book to force his hand. Now that he had agreed, she suspected he was playing a game to fool her, going so far as to shadow him in person just to watch them sign the papers.

Unfortunately, his mother viewed the world far too simply. In the business world, seeing was never believing. Su Xingque leaned back against his headrest and closed his eyes, tuning out the conversation between Shen Zhu and Meng Jing.

He had to admit, the little brat certainly knew how to please people. In the short drive from the apartment to the Civil Affairs Bureau, he had managed to keep Meng Jing laughing non-stop, leaving her more convinced than ever that marrying Shen Zhu off to her son was a stroke of absolute genius.

Su Xingque had intentionally scheduled the appointment during the bureau’s lunch hour, so the main hall was entirely deserted. A designated staff member was already waiting at the entrance to welcome them, guiding them through copying their documents and filling out the registration forms.

Shen Zhu wore a solemn expression, holding his pen tightly as he filled out every single box with painstaking care. Sitting beside him, Su Xingque flew through his form in a matter of seconds. He tossed his pen down and leaned back, glancing sideways at Shen Zhu with blatant impatience.

“Did you bring the required photos with the red background?” The staff member asked, reviewing the completed forms.

Shen Zhu shook his head. Today was only the second time they had ever laid eyes on each other. Let alone a couples’ photo, he doubted Su Xingque had even looked at his face clearly yet.

“In that case, please step over to the studio on the side to take a quick photo.”

Meng Jing, who had been hovering closely behind them, slapped Su Xingque’s arm in annoyance upon hearing they hadn’t prepared a photo. “How could you not arrange this in advance? The photo on a marriage certificate is permanent!

What if it turns out looking terrible?”

“You’re about to start a family, yet you still have no idea how to take care of someone.”

Shen Zhu offered an awkward, apologetic smile as he took his seat in front of the studio’s red velvet backdrop.

“Two handsome young men like you will look great no matter how I shoot it,” the photographer chuckled warmly, raising the camera to adjust the angles. “Sir on the left, could you please take off your suit jacket and tie? It will match the young gentleman’s casual look a bit better.”

Su Xingque let out a heavy, harsh exhale. The tendons on the back of his hand strained visibly as he ripped his tie off. Looking at him, Shen Zhu genuinely worried the man might leap across the space and strangle him to death right then and there.

This guy definitely has anger management issues, if not outright violent tendencies, Shen Zhu thought, harboring a sudden, faint concern for his post-marriage safety.

“Move a little closer together, please. You two aren’t the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl; there’s no need to leave the Milky Way between you,” the photographer joked, sensing the suffocating tension in the room. “Tilt your heads in slightly. Give me a smile.”

Expecting Su Xingque to initiate any physical proximity was a lost cause. Taking matters into his own hands, Shen Zhu actively shuffled over until his arm was pressed firmly against Su Xingque’s.

“Smile for the camera, Gege,” Shen Zhu murmured softly, tilting his head slightly toward Su Xingque while keeping his eyes on the lens.

Since Meng Jing had forbidden him from using “President Su,” and using his actual name felt incredibly awkward, Shen Zhu had come up with the term Gege (older brother) in a moment of desperation.

Besides, it doubled as a subtle test of affection. He wanted to see if acting cute could help him score a few early brownie points with the tycoon.

Su Xingque’s spine stiffened instantly. The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a forced, rigid line that barely qualified as a smile.

The photographer clicked the shutter and walked over to the computer to process the print. On the right, the younger boy smiled so brightly his eyes curved into perfect crescents, revealing a few neat teeth—the picture-perfect image of marital bliss.

The man on the left, however, remained entirely unaffected by the joy, completely wasting his exceptionally handsome face.

“You may proceed to the registry room for the vows and stamping,” the photographer said, handing over the freshly printed photos.

When Su Xingque had surrendered to his mother’s wishes, he had attached a strict condition: they would register the marriage, but there would be no wedding ceremony, nor would his marital status be publicized. Meng Jing had readily agreed at the time, but fearing that Shen Zhu would feel slighted, she had specifically requested a formal vow-reading ceremony to serve as a miniature wedding.

The registry room was styled entirely in pristine white. Cascades of pale pink roses and lilies adorned the windowsills and the altar, creating an atmosphere that genuinely resembled an upscale wedding venue.

Surrounded by the setting, Shen Zhu found himself slipping slightly into the gravity of the moment. Matching Su Xingque’s rhythm, he recited the vows with an unexpected layer of earnest solemnity.

Even though we’re bound to get a divorce down the road, this is probably the only time I’ll ever get married in this life. Might as well experience it properly, he reasoned.

Standing to the side as their official witness, Meng Jing beamed as she listened to them finish their vows. She pulled a plush velvet box from her purse and handed it to Su Xingque.

“This is our family’s heirloom ring for the daughter-in-law. I had the style modernized, and it suits Xiao Zhu perfectly. Hurry up and put it on him.”

Her son had refused to let her prepare wedding bands, but he couldn’t stop her from gifting an heirloom. Meng Jing looked thoroughly pleased with her own loophole, ignoring Su Xingque’s darkened expression as she urged him under her breath.

Left with no alternative, Su Xingque snapped the box open, pulled out the diamond ring, and shoved it onto Shen Zhu’s middle finger as if he were putting a collar on a stray dog.

The ring had originally been sized for a ring finger. Being forced onto his middle digit, the metal scraped painfully against Shen Zhu’s skin, but he bit his lip and didn’t make a sound.

“What’s next? Let’s speed this up,” Su Xingque demanded, turning his cold gaze to the staff member standing behind his mother.

The clerk swallowed hard. “Just, just stamping the steel seal onto the certificates, and you’re all set.”

Five minutes later, the trio exited the bureau and piled back into the luxury car.

Meng Jing held the two little red booklets, turning them over and over as she nodded in absolute delight. After murmuring a few blessings, she handed one to each of them.

Su Xingque took his carelessly, tossing it straight into the car’s center console before instructing the driver to step on the gas and drop his mother off first.

The moment Shen Zhu received his marriage certificate, his phone chimed with a notification for a massive wire transfer—a generous “tradition-changing fee” from Meng Jing. Forced by the sudden influx of wealth, he quickly cleared his throat and offered a sweet, “Thank you, Mom.”

He opened his red booklet, staring at the photo for a long moment. Slowly, the temporary warmth of the ceremony drained away. The light in his eyes dimmed out, and with an expression of complete indifference, he filed the marriage certificate away with the rest of his documents.

Meng Jing had always refused to move into the ancestral estate with Su Xingque, preferring to live in their old family home. Once the driver pulled up to her residence and let her out, an awkward silence settled over the front seat as the chauffeur hesitated on what to do next.

By all accounts, he should drop Mr. Shen back at his apartment before chauffeuring President Su back to the corporate office in time for the afternoon shift. However, President Su’s disdain for the young man was so palpable that no one dared make a move without explicit orders.

The moment the Maybach cleared the gates of the Su estate, Su Xingque barked out an order. “Pull over.”

“Get out,” Su Xingque added coldly.

The driver, assuming the command was directed at him, immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

“Shen Zhu. Get out,” Su Xingque clarified, adding two sharp words.

It was the first time Shen Zhu realized his own name could sound so clinical and frozen. He didn’t move immediately, keeping his head down as he quietly messed around with something in his hands.

Seeing no reaction from the boy, Su Xingque’s patience finally snapped. He unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped out of the car himself, and wrenched the rear door open.

Shen Zhu raised his hands, carefully presenting the velvet jewelry box right before Su Xingque’s eyes. He gave a small, quiet sniffle.

“This, I’m giving it back to you.”