Gu Lingsha's voice echoed through the empty room, but Qi Lei did not reply to her. The only response she got was the cold wind whistling from the rooftop.

Qi Lei had already disappeared when she tried to catch up to him.

Gu Lingsha's body shuddered as she covered her face and started sobbing. After some time, she sniffled. Her eyes were red as she put her hands down.

Helpless...

Why did all the promises become void as she was feeling helpless and struggling painfully?

What happened to forever?

What happened to protecting her?

The only person who used his life to protect her was Mu Lingtian. The others who spoke about protecting her were just all talk.

None of them knew the pain she went through. Everyone thought lightly of her suffering. No one knew she would have nightmares every night and would wake up from shock and pain, then fail to fall asleep again.

Two lives were lost. How could the perpetrator live peacefully?

As the survivor, should she not do something for the dead?

She was right. She did not do anything and would continue on this path even if it might be difficult for her!

Gu Lingsha's determination became firmer after she experienced despair once. She was adamant about her choice.

"Weiwei, Lingtian, and my baby in heaven, Ah Feng, please give me the courage. I'll make him pay for this!" She held her necklace as she mumbled to herself.

After Gu Lingsha finally calmed down, she took a deep breath, turned around and grabbed her documents on the ground before moving forward.

Inside Qi Lei's office.

"Master Qi, I think Ms. Gu cried just now. Her eyes are a little red. She..." Yang Sheng stood before Qi Lei's table and looked at him. He hesitated for a moment before speaking up as if he was trying to find out about something.

Qi Lei did not give him any reaction, so Yang Sheng just remained stationary and looked at him intently.

"She's not the old innocent Shasha anymore. Just how horrible did the situation have to be in order to have pushed someone this far? I truly hope she doesn't become a woman like that. I hope she turns back."

Qi Lei spoke up after a while, sounding helpless. "However, it seems that whatever I did was futile. There's nothing much that I can do. My mother is right. I'm just like a decoration without any real impact. How can I protect others?"

Yang Sheng felt bad when he heard Qi Lei's forlorn tone. He quickly replied, "That's not true, Master. You have talents that are better than Master Feng as well. It's just that CEO Qi can't see it. It is extremely rare to find someone like you in the world of business. I feel lucky to be working for you, Master Qi. I'm sure you'll be recognized one day. I've always had faith in you."

"I'm not sure if I'm worthy of you to have faith in me. I've always hoped to be a normal person and stay in a normal, peaceful family, living happily with my family members with no need to fight over pointless things like these. My life feels like a TV drama. What's the whole point of this?" Qi Lei put down his documents as he sat down.

"Master Qi, it's normal to feel like you're not good enough. Not many people can be satisfied with what they have. It's just a matter of perspective." Yang Sheng then continued, "Do you still remember CEO Han from the Han Corporation?"

"Han Yifeng?"

Qi Lei raised his eyebrows and laughed. "I heard he's doing pretty well over there while Xi Xinyi is struggling here. I have no idea what to say about him."

Yang Sheng took a deep breath and finally spoke what had been on his mind, "He's an unfortunate man. He's lost so much. Please forgive me for saying this, Master Qi, but I never felt that Ms. Gu was a good match for you. She's not worthy of you. I think it'd be perfect for you to find someone like Director Xi. Ms. Gu has never been within your reach, so you never really lost her. You should make better decisions than CEO Han."

"A long time ago, I remember someone telling me that there's no such thing as a perfect match. It depends on whether two people are willing to be with each other. I'm not sure how I feel about Shasha. I don't know if I love her or if I only admired her, but it's a fact that she's given me a lot of good memories in the past two decades of my life. I hope these can stay, and I never expected them to change."

This was the first time Qi Lei was opening up to someone. He was not sure why he could talk about this so calmly to his subordinate.

Did he secretly long for a listener?

"Director Xi said that, didn't she?"

Yang Sheng smiled. "She was madly in love with CEO Han back then and almost lost herself. It's all thanks to Chairman Mu. Speaking of which, your life experience is awfully similar to Director Xi's. An unhappy childhood, rough relationships, and a headstrong personality... That's probably why you find Director Xi relatable," Yang Sheng teased him a little.

Qi Lei frowned instantly and denied, "Of course, I don't feel that way! You're overthinking! I don't feel like that! I just think she looks quite pretty!"

Yang Sheng had never seen Qi Lei like this before. He chuckled and just remained silent.

However, Qi Lei's expression darkened as he then looked at Yang Sheng. "Speaking of her, have we found out anything about that incident? I know Mu Yuchen has been investigating. Was it my old man who did that?"

"I wanted to talk to you about this. Master Qi, your initial guess wasn't wrong. This wasn't CEO Qi's idea, but the car was Yue Hai's assistant's car. Chairman Mu should've found out by now already. I heard from the HR Department that Yue Hai's assistant was fired today under CEO Qi's orders obviously," Yang Sheng said quietly.

Qi Lei's eyes darkened further after hearing that from Yang Sheng. He seemed really disappointed. "I get it. There are very few reasons that would get my old man motivated. Does my mother know about this?"

"CEO Wang isn't aware. She did send some gifts over to Chairman Mu a few days ago."

Qi Lei closed his eyes and gave it some thought. "Okay, don't let her know about this. Make a dinner appointment with Mu Yuchen tonight. Make sure that he comes."

"Yes, Master Qi!"

After Yang Sheng replied, Qi Lei left the office.

...

The sun was shining brightly in the middle of the blue sky. People walking by Fatong Avenue could feel the spring breeze dancing through the trees.

Ji Zitong could feel the cold from behind her. She had struggled so much today, but in the end, she decided to fulfill her promise.

She changed into a violet windbreaker and tied her long hair into a bun. Although she did not put on any makeup as usual, she seemed much more elegant today. However, her eyes looked a little lonely, and there was also a tint of helplessness.

Her hands held her household register and identification card tightly.

After walking for a long while, she stopped and then turned around.

She raised her head and looked at the huge clock right in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau building across the street. The clock showed that it was 10.30 a.m. She waited for some time as the traffic light changed colors several cycles, then she finally mustered up some courage and walked towards the stairs.

When she took her first step onto the staircase, she felt a breeze pass by, and she heard a honk behind her. Quickly turning around, she saw a Land Rover parked nearby.

The car window rolled down. Ji Zitong looked inside and saw it was Su Chen.

Su Chen put on a cool smile when he saw her. He leaned over his car window and studied her, his voice actually gentle for once. "When I was on my way here, I wondered if you'd actually show up. Thank God that you didn't leave me waiting awkwardly here. Ji Zitong, I'm really grateful that you're giving me this chance."

Ji Zitong's quiet expression was shaken, but she smiled. "Thank you, Instructor Su, for giving me a chance as well."

Su Chen smiled as he took off his uniform. He grabbed the coat on the front passenger seat and put it on. "I have a name. It's called Su Chen. You can't possibly keep calling your husband 'Instructor Su'. Did you bring your documents?"

Stunned for a moment, Ji Zitong nodded as her hands gripped the things in her pocket. Her palms were sweating. For some reason, she felt lost and fearful at this moment.

The man was changing elegantly into a clean suit in his car. Even though he was not in his uniform, he still had a dignified vibe around him.

Su Chen looked at her and saw the emotions in her eyes. He then averted his gaze to her shirt pocket as he spoke in a firm tone, "Give it to me!"

Ji Zitong was astonished once again. She backed away several steps as she looked at him.

Su Chen frowned as he was still staring intently at her. He smiled instead as he fixed his sleeve. "I'm giving you another 30 seconds to think about following me inside. I'll respect your decision no matter what, but if I were you, I'd definitely go in without hesitation. There aren't many men as good as me left in this world. It'll be your loss if you miss this chance."

How could there be someone so shameless in this world!?

Ji Zitong was speechless when she looked at this narcissistic man before her.

The two of them stared at each other for some time. In the end, Ji Zitong took out her stuff obediently and handed them to Su Chen.

Su Chen took them and looked through them. After confirming there was no issue, he grabbed his folder and put her documents in. Then, he got down from the car and locked it before turning to Ji Zitong. He then spoke to her when he saw the anxiety in her eyes, "Don't worry. I'll use the rest of my life to prove to you that you've won your bet in this grand gamble."

Ji Zitong was dazzled. She lowered her eyes and said, "The rest of your life is a long one. Don't make overzealous promises. It'll tarnish your reputation if you can't fulfill it.

She then looked at the building again before finally walking forward.

Su Chen gave her words some thought. He took a deep breath and quickly followed behind her.

There were very few people around in the Civil Affairs Bureau at 11 a.m. They walked past the main hall and arrived at the marriage registration counter. The staff handed them the forms after they clarified their purpose of visiting.

Su Chen was very efficient. He took the photo and signed it swiftly.

The whole process took very little time. It happened just like that.

The two of them walked out of the building at around noon. Ji Zitong walked in front and Su Chen was right behind her. She suddenly stopped when she reached the staircase, and he stopped beside her too.

Ji Zitong turned around and looked at Su Chen who stared back at her as well. He raised his hand and waved the two bright red marriage certificates in front of her.

Su Chen opened one of them and glanced through it. Then, he closed it and handed them to Ji Zitong. "Take a look."

Ji Zitong took them and quietly looked through the certificates.

The people in the photo looked a little awkward, specifically herself although the man seemed quite natural. She took a deep breath as she read their names. With a nod, she closed the documents.

Had she just gotten married like that?

Why did it feel like a dream?

Ji Zitong felt dazed as she looked at the gold imprint on the cover of the marriage certificate. In that instant, she felt lost. She thought about it and found it a little ironic. Nevertheless, she took another deep breath as if she was accepting her fate while she raised her head and looked at the warm sun.

A large hand came over and took the two red books away. "Alright, it's too late even if you regret it now. There's no room for regrets. Just take it as another new life experience. You should be celebrating the fact that you married me."

Su Chen put the marriage certificates away.

Ji Zitong turned over and looked at him as a faint light flashed past her eyes. Instead of her usual coldness, she seemed calm. "I'm not thinking about whether I'm regretting it or not. I'll follow the path that I've chosen. Will my life be as peaceful as the one I'm having right now?" She was staring at Su Chen intently when she spoke.

Su Chen frowned as he nodded. His voice was firm and filled with determination. "If that's what you want, I'm sure it's possible. I'm looking forward to a peaceful life as well. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made a promise like that with you."

Ji Zitong nodded. "Is that what you thought too?"

"Of course, why else were my grandfather and my sister so worked up for?" Su Chen replied.

Ji Zitong chuckled. She nodded as she gave Su Chen a gentle glance. "Thank you."

Su Chen did not reply and looked at the warm sun instead. "Let's go eat something."

...

The two of them went to a Western restaurant moments later, and each ordered food of their own.

"Do you want some wine?" Ji Zitong asked as she closed the menu.

Su Chen shook his head and said, "I'm heading back to my office later."

Though he loved alcohol, his work forbade him from drinking during working hours. He had excellent self-control and would not touch any alcohol unless it was necessary for socializing purposes. This made a lot of people think that he was an anti-social person. In addition to that, Su Chen rarely attended entertainment events with his colleagues as well. Even if he were to attend, he would look as serious as usual.

People could not understand him. They respected and feared Su Chen at the same time, not only for his position but also because of his network.

Ji Zitong understood and did not say anything else. She handed the menu over to the waiter.

"I have a meeting in the south of the city at 3 p.m. later. I'll send you home after our meal. Go back and pack up your stuff. I'll head over and visit your house tomorrow since it's a weekend. Is there any problem?" Su Chen asked.

Ji Zitong started to feel uneasy as she thought about it. She had just gotten married to a man without telling her family, so she had no idea how to tell her parents about this. Ji Zitong had a headache as she remembered her conversation with her mother last night.

Su Chen noticed her reaction and he just smirked. "Did you do it without telling them first?"

Ji Zitong was stunned. She looked at Su Chen with a guilty expression and sighed. "Sure, I was a little rash last night, but I'll do what I promised. I just hope that you can work with me to convince my parents. Let them know we didn't just do this on a whim and we'll be doing well together."

"So, you want me to put on an act in front of your parents?" Su Chen gave her a sharp gaze and asked a direct question.

Ji Zitong nodded. It was easier to make things clear now. She knew this man had always been this straightforward and direct. "It's not exactly acting. No matter what, our marriage certificates are real." She then continued moments later, "Don't worry. I'll do my best to fulfill my role as your wife."

"I see you're quite understanding. I hope we'll do well together then, Mrs. Su!" Su Chen felt that it was funny seeing her being so anxious with a cold expression. He raised his fruit juice and made a toast to her.

Mrs. Su?

Ji Zitong was stunned for a moment when she heard that term. She was caught off-guard by it. Then, she raised her glass of fruit juice as well and said, "Thank you. Let's do our best together!"

"What do your parents like?" Su Chen put down his glass and asked.

"They are pretty normal. My father likes to drink and practice martial arts while my mother likes flower arranging and taking care of her flowers. There's nothing too special."

Ji Zitong was quiet for a while after replying. "You've met my mother last night anyway."