Forced Into Marriage with My Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 1

“Long time no see.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re about to meet an Alpha you haven’t seen in sixteen whole years, and you’re going to discuss marriage arrangements?!”

By the final word, Ye Chi’s voice had reached a pitch sharp enough to pierce the ceiling.

Yan Huaijin, lying on the bed and engrossed in a game, didn’t even look up from his phone. He merely frowned at the shout in his ear and complained, “Why are you yelling so loud? I can’t even hear the game anymore.”

“What’s with that attitude?” Ye Chi shot him a look reserved for lazy sluggards before launching himself forward, landing squarely across Yan Huaijin’s waist and abdomen.

“Ack!” Yan Huaijin let out a muffled grunt, feeling as if his body had been snapped in half where Ye Chi was pinning him down.

Just as the game ended, he tossed his phone aside and used his free hands to unceremoniously shove Ye Chi off him.

“Get off, you’re heavy as hell.” Yan Huaijin rubbed his stomach, his face crumpled in a scowl. “You’re always messing around with me without any sense of boundaries. If you were an Alpha, my parents would have forced us to get married by now.”

“Unfortunately, I’m an Omega. An Omega-Omega romance is doomed to fail,” Ye Chi said jokingly. He rolled with the momentum of the push and landed flat on his back on the duvet. “Xiao Jin, you’re about to marry a complete stranger. Aren’t you scared? Do you really have no reaction at all?”

“He’s not a stranger. We met when we were kids.”

“Try splitting hairs with me again.” Ye Chi rolled his eyes so hard it was painful to watch. “What’s the difference between someone you haven’t seen in sixteen years and a stranger?”

“What can I do? I can’t break the law.” Yan Huaijin kicked his legs, his tone growing impatient. “Who cares? The database says we’re a 99% match.”

“Tsk.” Ye Chi sighed, genuinely distressed for him. “To be honest, the only reason the feudal marriage law, which mandates forced marriage for pheromone matches above 90%—hasn’t been abolished is because this kind of thing is so damn rare!”

“In all my life, I’ve never seen a third couple with a pheromone match over 90%, besides our parents.” Ye Chi gestured wildly, his arms flailing in disbelief. “Of course, thanks to you, I’ve finally seen the third pair.”

Yan Huaijin was momentarily speechless.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been shocked or angry when he first heard the news. He was shocked that someone’s pheromones could be so compatible with his, and he was furious that he’d just returned home only to be informed of a sudden, forced marriage.

Yan Huaijin was utterly unconvinced. He immediately went online to look up marriage laws, attempting to use legal weapons to defend his personal rights.

However, after reviewing the marriage laws, his defiance was shattered into pieces. His heart was filled with the thought, The sky is falling, and he felt as if his entire life’s trajectory was about to be rewritten.

And this wasn’t even the final straw that broke him.

The persuasive words of his mother, Yan Rulan, and his older brother, Yan Zhixing—who had flown back home from the North District—still echoed in his ears.

Yan Rulan: “Baby, you’re young and spirited, and you love your freedom. Mom understands. But a spouse with a 99% pheromone compatibility is truly an opportunity you can’t miss. With such a high compatibility rate—let me put it bluntly—as an Omega, you could practically treat him like a dog. If you don’t believe me, just look at Mom and Dad. Our compatibility is only 90%, yet your father has always indulged my every whim. This marriage is a guaranteed win.”

“I don’t want to treat an Alpha like a dog…” Yan Huaijin’s lip twitched. “I don’t have that kind of kink.”

“Mom, let me take over.”

Yan Zhixing stepped in to relieve his mother and continued the persuasion. “Xiao Jin, I’ve always doted on you most of all. Before you make any decisions, I’ve already paved the way for you. There are three reasons why we’re comfortable with you marrying Jiang Yunkai.”

“First, our families have a long history together, and we were even neighbors over a decade ago. We know them inside and out. They have a good family reputation, and their parents have a harmonious relationship. It’s highly unlikely they’d ever cause any messy family drama.”

“Second, your pheromone compatibility is 99%. Xiao Jin, as an Omega, the effect of pheromones on your body’s hormones will only intensify as you get older. Jiang Yunkai is a perfect match for you, both in terms of family background and biological compatibility.”

“Third, and this is my heartfelt advice as your older brother: I haven’t been working in the North District all these years for nothing. I’ve had business dealings with him, and from my perspective, he’s actually quite impressive—just a little less so than your brother here.”

Yan Huaijin had been listening intently, but when he heard Yan Zhixing’s final self-praising remark, he couldn’t help but snap. “Cut the crap, will you? I’m in a very complicated mood right now.”

Yan Zhixing chuckled and said no more. He pulled Yan Huaijin into a tight hug. “I’ll stop. I haven’t been home from the North District in so long, and I’ve really missed you. Think about the marriage on your own. Even though it’s a forced arrangement, if you don’t want to go through with it, your brother has a way to stop it. I’ll always support your decision.”

Recalling this, Yan Huaijin let out a long sigh and snatched his phone back just before it slipped off the bed.

He unlocked his phone and aimlessly tapped through several apps. Without looking up, he said to Ye Chi, “There are a lot of reasons. Anyway, after thinking it over carefully, I’ve agreed to get married. When you really think about it, marrying Jiang Yunkai isn’t a bad deal for me. It’s not like he’s some useless poor kid or anything.”

That was true.

Ye Chi shrugged his shoulders, then hugged him in a clingy manner. “Then you’d better not choose romance over friendship! You have to come out and hang out with me all the time, even after you’re married.”

Yan Huaijin couldn’t help but laugh as he recalled all the trouble he and Ye Chi had gotten into together. “You’re so childish, Ye Chi. I’m getting married, not going to prison.”

“Who knows? What if you become a gentle, domestic househusband after marriage? Where else am I going to find my favorite troublemaker, Xiao Jin?”

“Get lost. Are you cursing me?” Yan Huaijin cursed him half-heartedly, then remembered something and reminded him, “I have to go out and have dinner with Jiang Yunkai at five this afternoon, so I can’t keep you company. If you want to go out and kill time, I can have my driver take you.”

“Got it. Sigh.” Looking at Yan Huaijin’s beautiful face, Ye Chi lamented the marriage grave he was about to enter.

The two of them chattered away in the room until around four in the afternoon, when a knock sounded on Yan Huaijin’s door.

“That should be my mom.”

He patted Ye Chi’s arm, got out of bed, and opened the door. “Mom.”

“It’s almost time. Go get yourself cleaned up and dress a bit more formally,” Yan Rulan said, glancing at Yan Huaijin’s oversized T-shirt and shorts. “Just a little more formal than what you’re wearing now. You young people—being too stuffy is no fun.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Yan Huaijin said, pointing to the walk-in closet. “I’ll go pick out some clothes first.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Yan Rulan patted his arm and glanced into the room, successfully catching Ye Chi’s eye on the bed.

Ye Chi scrambled to sit up and obediently greeted her, “Aunt Yan.”

“Yes, dear,” Yan Rulan replied, waving him over with a gentle smile. “Xiao Chi, are you hungry? Would you like to come downstairs and have dinner with me?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Ye Chi grinned shyly and quickly scrambled off the bed to her side. “Thank you, Aunt Yan. I’m crashing your dinner again!”

As the two of them happily headed downstairs for dinner, Yan Huaijin stood in the walk-in closet, stroking his chin with a thoughtful expression as he surveyed the various clothes and accessories.

A bit more formal, but not too casual, and not too stuffy either.

Maybe a plain-colored shirt?

Yan Huaijin tugged at the hem of his white T-shirt, pondered for a moment, and then had an idea.

Three minutes later, he dutifully buttoned his mist-blue short-sleeved shirt all the way to the top and headed out the door in a pair of light-colored jeans.

He wasn’t in the mood to drive and had the family driver take him to the restaurant.

Lost in thought the entire way, Yan Huaijin only snapped back to reality when they arrived and the driver reminded him to get out of the car.

“Young Master, should I wait for you to finish your meal?” the driver asked.

“No need,” Yan Huaijin said, waving him off. “I’ll head home on my own after dinner.”

With that, he stepped up the stairs and entered the restaurant.

Following the server’s lead, Yan Huaijin walked deep into the corridor, passing halfway through before reaching the reserved private room.

As he pushed open the door, he caught sight of a figure sitting at the table, head slightly bowed.

“Hello,” Yan Huaijin said tentatively, approaching the table.

Hearing the greeting, Jiang Yunkai looked up, stared at him for a moment in surprise, and replied with a polite “Hello.” He quickly averted his gaze and stood up to pull out the chair opposite him.

Yan Huaijin nodded in acknowledgment and sat in the chair he had pulled out. “Thank you.”

The two men sat opposite each other. Though both wore expressions of calm composure, an inexplicable awkwardness hung in the air between them.

It was especially palpable because Jiang Yunkai was dressed in a sharp, formal suit. Yan Huaijin couldn’t shake the feeling that he might pull out a business contract at any moment, which made him unconsciously straighten his own posture.

This strange atmosphere, Yan Huaijin thought, must be because we actually knew each other for a while when we were kids. This feeling of reuniting after a long time—of being neither strangers nor close—was perhaps even more complicated than the dynamic between two complete strangers.

He racked his brain for the right words to start the conversation, but Jiang Yunkai spoke first.

“Long time no see.”

Yan Huaijin nodded slightly, a perfectly measured smile curving his lips. “It has been a long time.”

As the conversation began, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of excitement colored the end of Jiang Yunkai’s sentence: “Do you still remember anything from when we were kids?”

The question caught Yan Huaijin completely off guard. He had been only four years old back then. What could he possibly remember?

Unable to answer, he replied vaguely, “I remember a few things. We were neighbors, after all.”

Jiang Yunkai paused. “Right, we were.”

The pause was abrupt and unexpected. Before Yan Huaijin could wonder if he’d said something wrong, Jiang Yunkai changed the subject and handed him the menu. “Let’s order first. We can talk over the meal.”

Yan Huaijin took the menu and softly told the server his order, forcing himself to ignore Jiang Yunkai’s intense gaze.

The burning stare didn’t fade until Yan Huaijin finished ordering dessert and returned the menu.

In the brief moments when Jiang Yunkai’s eyes were on the menu, Yan Huaijin stole a few glances of his own. Handsome. He had to be at least 190 centimeters tall.

The table fell silent for only a few minutes. After the food arrived, they both tentatively reached out to each other again.

“It’s been years,” Yan Huaijin said, taking a sip of water. “How should I address you now?”

Jiang Yunkai seemed to hesitate before finally saying, “No need for formalities. Just call me by my name.”

“Jiang Yunkai,” Yan Huaijin said, enunciating clearly as he tried the name out.

“Mhm.” Jiang Yunkai replied, silently taking a deep breath.

“Then you can call me Xiao Jin. That’s what my family calls me,” Yan Huaijin said, his eyes curving into a smile as he placed a piece of vegetable dish into his bowl, not neglecting his stomach in the slightest.

Jiang Yunkai: “Okay, Xiao Jin.”

Yan Huaijin suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

Seeing him laugh, Jiang Yunkai looked bewildered. “Did I say it wrong?”

“No, you didn’t,” Yan Huaijin explained. “I’m laughing because the way you said ‘Xiao Jin’ was so earnest—like a soldier. It’s amusing.”

Jiang Yunkai pressed his lips together and said only, “As long as I didn’t get it wrong.”

With these few playful words to break the tension, the awkwardness at the dining table completely dissipated. Yan Huaijin realized that Jiang Yunkai wasn’t some sort of human refrigerator after all, and he began to eat more freely. The remaining resistance in his heart toward the forced marriage also diminished considerably.

After finishing most of their dinner, their conversation finally shifted from casual chatter to the main topic.

“What are your thoughts on the wedding arrangements?” Yan Huaijin put down his chopsticks, his posture attentive and ready to listen.

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