However, Wei Yumeng, with her sharp eyes, spotted Jiang Siyu not far away. Judging by her expression, the day's emotional rollercoaster had undoubtedly left her utterly exhausted.
Zhan Mohan also noticed her gaze lingering and turned around. Seeing Jiang Siyu in such a dishevelled state, he felt no ripple of emotion.
He tugged at Wei Yumeng's clothes, attempting to usher her back into the car. "Let's go. Her ultimate punishment isn't just this. The Civil Affairs Bureau is open, and we still need to complete the paperwork."
Despite his words, Wei Yumeng was reluctant to leave. However, her gaze shifted from Jiang Siyu to a spot further away.
The proposal over there seemed to have been successful, with the couple embracing each other, a sight that inspired envy.
Zhan Mohan followed her line of sight and glanced over. Not understanding her subtle hint, he asked, "Do you know them?"
His question single-handedly ruined her mood. She reluctantly got back into the car. Did she really have to spell it out for him?
Still oblivious, Zhan Mohan saw her get into the car and circled around to the driver's side. He even remembered to hand her the snacks from the back seat. "Eat slowly."
He started the car, and they continued their journey to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Wei Yumeng, clutching the snacks she had craved for so long, found them utterly flavourless.
No, no, she had to find a way to avoid registering this marriage.
People naturally strive for perfection. Every step from dating to marriage is crucial; missing any one of them makes the whole process imperfect. Since she had the potential for a perfect relationship, why shouldn't she give her all to achieve it?
Zhan Mohan, unaware of the countless schemes brewing in her mind, arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. He proactively unbuckled Wei Yumeng's seatbelt. "Yumeng, we can register our marriage now."
Wei Yumeng's smile was somewhat forced at this moment. Seeing him get out of the car with both household registration books, she had no choice but to follow.
As they reached the entrance, she suddenly had an idea and called out to Zhan Mohan, stopping him in his tracks. "Mohan, my shoe is a bit uncomfortable. It seems to be rubbing my foot. Can you take a look?"
Zhan Mohan didn't suspect a thing. He placed the two household registration books under his arm and crouched down to examine her shoe.
Taking advantage of this moment, she snatched the household registration book from under his arm. Casually flipping one open, she saw her name. Without a word, she tore out that page. After a few hasty rips, she stuffed it into the nearby storm drain.
The entire action was executed flawlessly, leaving Zhan Mohan no chance to react.
By the time he stood up, Wei Yumeng's page had already vanished, its whereabouts unknown.
Wei Yumeng shrugged. "Sorry, Mohan. I think we came for nothing today."
Seeing her grin like a little fox that had stolen a fish, there was no hint of apology on her face.
Zhan Mohan frowned, looking at her, still unable to comprehend the meaning behind her actions. Was it simply to make registering their marriage more difficult?
She clapped her hands and returned to the car. The bewildered Zhan Mohan could only follow. "Yumeng, you..."
"I'm sorry," Wei Yumeng interrupted. "Shall I compensate you?"
As she spoke, she rummaged in her pockets and placed a ten-yuan bill into Zhan Mohan's palm.
"I remember re-applying for a household registration book costs six yuan. The remaining four is my tip. Don't be polite."
Zhan Mohan looked at the crumpled ten-yuan bill in his hand, a mixture of amusement and helplessness on his face. A four-yuan tip?
After carefully putting the ten-yuan bill away, he gently turned Wei Yumeng's shoulders. "Yumeng, are you trying to tell me you don't want to remarry? Or have I done something wrong? You can tell me directly."
Wei Yumeng saw that he had finally understood her "hint," but she couldn't be too obvious.
"You haven't done anything wrong. It's just that I feel something is missing between us in our marriage."
Missing what?
Zhan Mohan didn't quite grasp her meaning yet. However, some things were best left unsaid; if he pushed too hard, it would lose the essence of a "hint."
So, Wei Yumeng's hint stopped there. She then asked him to turn the car around and head home. On the way, Zhan Mohan remained lost in thought, pondering her words, and their conversation was sparse.
But as they neared home, Wei Yumeng began to grow restless, wanting to interrupt Zhan Mohan's thoughts several times.
Fortunately, Zhan Mohan noticed her fidgeting and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
She shook her head. "What if Grandpa asks why we didn't finalize our remarriage?"
Zhan Mohan burst into laughter at her question. "What? Weren't you decisive enough when you tore up the household registration book? I thought you'd already come up with a plan to deal with it."
He had seen her tear it without a moment's hesitation, and now she was scared.
Despite being teased, Wei Yumeng was displeased. However, this matter required Zhan Mohan to take the blame. She decided to endure it and not offend this ready-made scapegoat, lest she face a severe reprimand from Grandpa Zhan upon returning home.
Seeing her smiling and trying to appease him, Zhan Mohan's slight displeasure at her apparent reluctance to remarry vanished.
"Say something sweet, and I'll feel better. I'll take the blame for this."
Wei Yumeng took a deep breath. As expected, businessmen were driven by profit; even this small matter required a transaction.
However, when one is in a subordinate position, a symbolic gesture of deference is necessary. So, she leaned close to Zhan Mohan's ear and exhaled a puff of warm air. "Please, help me out, Husband."
At the last two words, Zhan Mohan's entire body trembled. Indeed, no man could resist being called "Husband" by the woman he loved. The usually decisive CEO Zhan was no exception.
Since it was a deal, Zhan Mohan would not renege on his word.
Of course, even if Wei Yumeng hadn't said it, he would have blamed himself when Grandpa asked.
If Wei Yumeng had known this, she surely wouldn't have sacrificed her precious term of endearment.
Upon returning to the Zhan residence, Grandpa Zhan did indeed inquire about the remarriage. Zhan Mohan held Wei Yumeng's hand and said with a hint of embarrassment, "Grandpa, we couldn't get it done today. I accidentally lost a household registration book."
Grandpa Zhan was truly surprised that he would make such a basic mistake. However, what had happened had happened, and there was no point in dwelling on it.
"Report the loss of the household registration book. We'll postpone the remarriage to another time."
Having skirted the issue, Wei Yumeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She just wondered if Zhan Mohan could figure out the real reason she refused to remarry.
Thinking she shouldn't give too many hints, she returned to her room to look after the two babies. Whether Zhan Mohan would have the insight to understand would be up to him.
After all, reporting a lost household registration book didn't take much time, and with Zhan Mohan applying pressure, they might even get a new one within a day.
The key was whether Zhan Mohan could grasp what she truly desired.