Forced Into Marriage with My Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 2

“Cherish it.”

“About the wedding arrangements,” Jiang Yunkai said, sitting up straighter. “Do you have any preferred dates for registering the marriage and holding the ceremony?”

As the conversation turned to specific details, Yan Huaijin suddenly realized he was actually getting married. An indescribable feeling washed over him. Maybe this is what people online call pre-wedding jitters, he thought.

He shook off the stray thoughts and said hesitantly, “Any day should be fine for registering the marriage. I don’t have much on my schedule lately, so I’m pretty free.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Huh?” Yan Huaijin was stunned. “Are you in a hurry?” he asked instinctively.

“Sorry. Just a suggestion.” Jiang Yunkai suppressed a flicker of excitement and quickly revised his words. “A week from now? Or you can pick any date you prefer, and I’ll work around it.”

“Never mind. Let’s just do it tomorrow.”

Yan Huaijin gritted his teeth, deciding to cut the Gordian knot and not let himself wallow in useless negative emotions for too long.

His resigned expression, as if he were throwing himself into the fray, dampened most of Jiang Yunkai’s secret joy. Yet, the news that they would register their marriage the very next day sent Jiang Yunkai’s heart, which had just plummeted, fluttering back up a little.

“Okay. What time tomorrow?”

“Let’s head out at nine in the morning. It’ll be too hot in the afternoon.” Yan Huaijin chose a time that balanced the outdoor temperature with his biological clock.

Jiang Yunkai made a note of it and volunteered, “I’ll pick you up. That way you can sleep in a bit.”

The offer hit the mark perfectly. Without a moment’s hesitation, Yan Huaijin readily agreed. “Alright, sorry to make you make the trip.”

“Right, let me send you my address.”

He immediately pulled out his phone to type a message.

“No need. I know where you live,” Jiang Yunkai said.

Yan Huaijin’s fingers paused over the screen. He quickly realized, “Oh, right. My parents must have told you ages ago.”

“No.” Jiang Yunkai brushed off the lingering gloom like a thin mist and stated a simple fact. “You forgot we used to be neighbors. Even after you moved, I always remembered your address clearly.”

“Haha.” Yan Huaijin gave a forced laugh, desperately trying to keep the conversation going. “You have a pretty good memory.”

Jiang Yunkai vaguely sensed that he had killed the conversation again. Slightly annoyed, he changed the subject. “What kind of wedding do you want?”

The private room fell into a suffocating silence without warning. This time, Yan Huaijin didn’t respond immediately.

Jiang Yunkai’s thumb rubbed the calluses on his index and middle fingers, a habit formed over years of practice. He replayed the conversation in his head, wondering if he had said something wrong.

“The wedding,” Yan Huaijin said, wearing a troubled expression, “can we put it off for now?”

It was expected, but Jiang Yunkai still couldn’t give up. “Sure, but I want to know why.”

Yan Huaijin asked, “You know what my profession is, right?”

“An actor.”

“Correct.” Yan Huaijin said tactfully, “If you spend much time online, you’ve probably noticed that my reputation isn’t very good.”

In truth, it was abysmal—so many scandals it could break a Guinness World Record.

Jiang Yunkai knew this all too well. “Yes, I know.”

“So let’s not rush into a wedding. If it ever gets exposed, you and your family will be dragged into it,” Yan Huaijin said with utter composure.

Numerous schemes to shift the conversation’s mood flashed through Jiang Yunkai’s mind, but he didn’t voice a single one.

He saw it now: Yan Huaijin simply didn’t want to have a wedding.

“Fine. No wedding for now.”

Yan Huaijin hadn’t expected him to be so agreeable, and the rest of their conversation became considerably more genuine.

The minute hand on the wall clock swept steadily forward. The water in their glasses had dropped by more than half. This blind date, disguised as a dinner, was finally drawing to a close.

As they left the restaurant, Jiang Yunkai noticed Yan Huaijin hadn’t brought a driver or come in his own car. He took the keys from the doorman and, driven by an impulse he couldn’t quite name, stepped closer to Yan Huaijin.

“Let me drive you home. It’s late, and it’s not safe for you to be out alone.”

It’s just a ride from my future husband, Yan Huaijin reasoned. After tomorrow, Jiang Yunkai will be my legal spouse anyway.

“I’ll trouble you then.” With his logic settled, Yan Huaijin didn’t wait for Jiang Yunkai to offer the gentlemanly courtesy of opening the door. He pulled it open himself, slid inside, shut the door, and buckled his seatbelt—the whole sequence a seamless, natural motion.

Jiang Yunkai raised an eyebrow and suppressed a smile as he slipped into the driver’s seat.

The car merged smoothly into the flow of traffic. Yan Huaijin lowered the window, letting the cool evening breeze fill the cabin and brush against his face.

From Jiang Yunkai’s angle, he could only see the top of Yan Huaijin’s head, his messy hair blowing wildly in the wind.

“Jiang Yunkai,” Yan Huaijin said, suddenly turning his head. “My brother mentioned he crossed paths with you in the North District. Are you the same age?”

“Yes, we graduated from university in the same year.”

“Oh.” Yan Huaijin did a quick mental calculation, then tilted his chin up slightly and muttered to himself, “So we’re three years apart. They say a three-year age gap creates a generation gap. Will we have trouble getting along after we marry? Hiss…”

“There won’t be a generation gap.” Jiang Yunkai couldn’t resist citing the most authoritative example he knew. “My father is seven years older than my mother, and they’ve been very happy in their marriage.”

Seven years?! Yan Huaijin was tempted to count it out on his fingers.

That would mean when Jiang Yunkai’s father was a sophomore in college, his mother was only in sixth grade!

How could there not be a generation gap? He didn’t believe it. Their childhoods must have been completely different eras.

Though he thought this, he would never say it aloud. Instead, he just hummed in agreement several times.

“…” Jiang Yunkai glanced at Yan Huaijin’s disbelieving expression and found himself at a loss for words.

At this moment, anything he said seemed futile. He couldn’t help but carefully recall fragments and details of his parents’ interactions.

He reached a conclusion: His father adored his mother too much, almost always doing whatever she said. It was impossible to tell if there was a generation gap in their daily conversations.

In the passenger seat, Yan Huaijin, having set aside the issue of the generation gap, enjoyed the cool breeze, his eyes half-closed in contentment.

With a buzz, the phone clutched in his palm lit up. Yan Huaijin looked down to check it.

It was from Ye Chi.

Xiao Chi: I’m leaving your place now.

Xiao Chi: Do you still have time to join us for the Endless Laughter variety show we’re doing for the drama’s promotion next week?

Xiao Chi: If you can’t make it because of your wedding, you must let me know in advance. I won’t go either. I don’t want to face that dead-man Alpha alone. Just seeing him makes me want to vomit.

Seeing the Alpha’s name in the chat window, Yan Huaijin was reminded of the disgusting memory. He didn’t bother to hide the look of disgust on his face as he typed back.

Cautious and Prudent: I’m going. Don’t worry, I won’t let you face this disaster alone. [Fist Bump]

Ye Chi replied instantly.

Xiao Chi: Brothers for life! [Hug]

Xiao Chi: By the way, I just saw you’re trending on a negative search topic again.

Yan Huaijin frowned, switched out of the chat, and logged into his Jiulang alt account to check the trending list. At number 18: Yan Huaijin Argues with Senior Behind the Scenes.

He clicked on it and saw that the “senior” was none other than that sleazy Alpha, Chen Jianya! Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he switched back to his chat with Ye Chi and started pounding the keyboard in frustration.

Cautious and Prudent: His bladder must be connected to his brain, because his head is filled with piss! All I did was run into him acting like a diva on set. Is that really worth it? To pin the blame on me?!

Cautious and Prudent: So old, yet so petty.

Xiao Chi: You can say that again. He’s absolutely sick in the head. I can’t believe he’s the male lead in our drama.

Xiao Chi: This trending negative search topic shouldn’t go to waste. I’ll use my main account to “accidentally” like a few comments that throw shade at Chen Jianya. That’ll piss him off. If anyone asks, I’ll just say I’m building hype for the new drama.

Cautious and Prudent: Go for it. Make sure to pick the comments carefully. I’m counting on you.

Yan Huaijin, the very person at the center of the public storm, was now enjoying the chaos.

After chatting back and forth for a while, Jiang Yunkai, who was in the car, suddenly spoke: “We’re here.”

Yan Huaijin looked up from his phone and scanned the scenery outside. “So fast. I was so engrossed in my phone that I didn’t even notice.”

He turned off his screen, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car. “See you tomorrow.”

Jiang Yunkai: “See you tomorrow.”

The streetlights stretched their shadows long. Yan Huaijin waved goodbye, but after walking a few meters, he stopped and turned back to the car.

Seeing this, Jiang Yunkai, who hadn’t started the engine yet, rolled down the window.

“Your outfit today is too formal. It makes our relationship look… improper,” Yan Huaijin said, leaning down to talk, resting his arm on the window frame for support. “Just wear a white shirt tomorrow. Remember?”

After leaving those words, Yan Huaijin quickly slipped away, leaving Jiang Yunkai completely bewildered.

It wasn’t until the car hit the highway that Jiang Yunkai finally processed what Yan Huaijin meant by “not so proper.” Perhaps it was the kind of unspoken arrangement between a crude, wealthy older man and a fresh-faced college student.

He glanced down at his own stiff, formal suit, then recalled Yan Huaijin’s youthful outfit, and felt a wave of regret.

A phone call pulled him out of his spiral of remorse.

Jiang Yunkai answered, “Hello, Dad.”

It was his parents, the Jiangs, calling from the North District.

“How did the meeting with the Omega from the Southern District’s Yan family go? Was it smooth?” his father, Jiang Jianzheng, asked with feigned concern.

At the mention of it, Jiang Yunkai’s chest tightened. He stared at the road ahead, his words dripping with resentment: “I will never take your fashion advice again. You have no idea how to pursue someone. You have zero experience.”

“Hahaha, is that so?” The man on the other end sounded rather smug. “Well, your mother and I fell in love naturally. It was a match made in heaven, not the kind of calculated move you’re trying to pull.”

“You almost ruined me,” Jiang Yunkai said heavily, then feigned deafness and muteness, having no heart to deal with them.

The couple, seeing the other end of the phone go silent, felt a pang of conscience. Sympathizing with their son’s rocky road in love, they switched to lighter topics, subtly encouraging him not to lose heart and to cheer up.

After hanging up, Jiang Yunkai had already exited the highway.

South District Villa Area.

Sang Zhenyi, who had just finished attending a financial summit in another district, rushed home before nine in the evening.

He walked in, changed his shoes, and headed toward the living room for a glass of water. His footsteps faltered as he passed the three people sitting neatly on the sofa.

“What are you all doing here?”

“Honey, you’re back just in time. Come sit down,” Yan Rulan said, resting her forehead in her hand, looking very distressed. This prompted Sang Zhenyi to sit down beside her without a word and rub her temples for her.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Your son went out to discuss marriage with that Jiang family kid, and it turns out they’ve agreed to get their marriage certificate tomorrow. I’m so troubled—the two of them are simply acting recklessly.”

“What’s the big deal? Getting a certificate is just a matter of sooner or later,” Yan Huaijin retorted softly.

“Xiao Jiang even transferred to the Southern District for your company’s business. Once you two get married, you’ll have to live together to cultivate your feelings. Mom was planning to spend a few more intimate days with you before you got married, to have some heartfelt talks, but now you’re getting married tomorrow…”

Yan Rulan was a traditional Omega with a sentimental nature, spoiled by Sang Zhenyi after marriage. Now, as she grew sad, tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Mom, it’s not like I won’t come back after I get married. Please don’t cry, or your eyes will be swollen on my big day tomorrow.” Yan Huaijin’s heart softened at her words, and his voice became soft and coaxing, deliberately acting spoiled with her.

Yan Zhixing chimed in, “That’s right, Mom. It’s fine. Xiao Jin will still live in the Southern District after he gets married. It’s very close.”

Sang Zhenyi, a master of the art of language, first gently criticized Yan Huaijin for acting entirely on impulse without any planning. Then, he said a lot of things like, “Young people should make their own decisions; we adults shouldn’t get involved,” to comfort Yan Rulan, smoothly resolving the small family conflict.

He was truly a master of balance, the stabilizer of family happiness.

Sang Zhenyi acted on the fly, finding an excuse for Yan Rulan to accompany him to dinner, and signaled Yan Zhixing and Yan Huaijin to leave with his eyes.

Yan Huaijin didn’t linger for a second longer and bolted into his second-floor bedroom.

After washing up, he lay on the bed and turned off the lights.

In the dim room, Yan Huaijin clasped his hands together, as if praying, and solemnly mourned his soon-to-end single life with a great sense of ritual:

“The last night of being a single dog. Cherish it.”

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