Mu Beiyin immediately said, "I just want to find someone to marry. I have no ulterior motives toward you. After marriage, you can do whatever you want and treat me as if I don't exist. Can other socialites do that?"
Song Lingqian's uncle is a powerful figure in Ancheng. Being pressured by his elders to marry, he must be unwilling. But if he marries me, he can appease his elders and still have freedom after marriage.
He should agree this time, right?
Huo Shiqing leaned in, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "No ulterior motives?"
Mu Beiyin's heart skipped a beat. Why did she feel that this man suddenly became unhappy? What's he upset about?
Isn't it good that she has no ulterior motives toward him?
The atmosphere was eerily quiet. Mu Beiyin, worried he might refuse, was about to say something to make amends when suddenly the man turned and strode away:
"Get in the car."
Mu Beiyin was escorted to the car by the assistant, momentarily confused. "Where are we going?"
Huo Shiqing, composed and elegant in every move, calmly replied, "Didn't Miss Mu want to marry me?"
...He agreed to marry?!
Mu Beiyin was stunned for a moment. Fearing he might change his mind, she quickly sat beside him. "Then let's not delay. Let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau now!"
Huo Shiqing curled his lips and chuckled softly.
Not far away, Lin Ru watched this scene and panicked. This man looked extraordinary. Could Mu Beiyin have latched onto another wealthy family? That can't happen!
She hurriedly approached, clinging to the car door.
"Mu Beiyin, isn't it enough that you ruined Lingqian? Now you want to ruin someone else? Don't drag this gentleman down for a lifetime!"
Mu Beiyin looked at Lin Ru mockingly. "You, who climbed up by being a mistress, have the nerve to say I ruin people?"
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Lin Ru almost couldn't help but curse. She immediately turned to Huo Shiqing:
"Her private life is a mess. She's slept with different men. There are photos. A woman like her isn't worth marrying!"
Mu Beiyin sneered, "Ms. Lin, do you think everyone believes your stupid tricks?"
She added meaningfully, "Song Lingqian believes it because he's brainless. My future husband is smart and saw through it immediately."
Future husband...ubook.reader.qq.com+6houhaiwang.com+6ognv.shuqi.com+6
Huo Shiqing couldn't help but smile, "Hmm, I believe in Miss Mu's character. Also..."
His voice turned hoarse, exuding authority, making Lin Ru break out in a cold sweat: "Whether she's worth it, I decide."
Mu Beiyin's heart pounded. Even though she knew he was just maintaining his dignity, she still felt a warmth inside.
Coming back to her senses, she casually raised an eyebrow at Lin Ru:
"My dear stepmother, did you hear that? People with eyes know how to choose. Let your daughter continue to cling to that loser. After all, every pot has its lid. I won't accompany you anymore!"
With that, the car sped away.
Lin Ru's face turned pale, her expression twisted. This man actually married Mu Beiyin?!
She couldn't let Mu Beiyin step over Qianrou!
No, she had to think of a way...
Half an hour later, inside the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Huo Shiqing was invited to the third floor. A leader-like figure respectfully handed over the registration documents to the two.
Mu Beiyin was a bit puzzled. It's just a marriage; does it require such a grand setup?
But fortunately, she successfully married Song Lingqian's uncle. After all, only by marrying into the Song family could she fully reclaim her mother's inheritance.
Mu Beiyin signed her name, finally breathing a sigh of relief. She turned her head and saw the man writing three powerful characters: Huo Shiqing.
Wait a minute...
Mu Beiyin's breath caught, her face changed. "You... why is your surname Huo?"
Isn't Song Lingqian's uncle supposed to have the surname Song?
Huo Shiqing was signing and didn't look up. He calmly said, "I changed my surname."
"Oh, oh..." Mu Beiyin patted her chest, scared to death. She thought she had married the wrong person.
But something still felt off. The name Huo Shiqing sounded familiar.
Mu Beiyin frowned, and suddenly a light flashed in her mind. She looked up sharply, eyes wide.
—Huo Shiqing!
The most mysterious and powerful man in Ancheng!
Mu Beiyin was silent for three seconds, completely stunned, almost biting her own tongue. "You're the helm of the Huo Shen Consortium?!"
Huo Shiqing's pen paused, and he gave a meaningful, light laugh. "Miss Mu, you seem quite surprised. Before you volunteered to marry me, didn't you know who I really am?"
Mu Beiyin immediately got stuck. Of course she didn't know! Who would have guessed that the helm of Huo Shen would be Song Lingqian's uncle—and that he would agree to marry her?!
No wonder everyone at the civil affairs bureau looked so serious—Huo Shiqing getting married was indeed a big deal.
Swallowing hard, Mu Beiyin didn't want Huo Shiqing to think she was naive, so she pretended to be calm.
"I just didn't expect that someone as famous and distinguished as Mr. Huo would marry so casually…"
Under his gaze, she forced herself to turn the phrase and changed "casually" to: "go with the flow. I thought when you get married, the civil affairs bureau would come personally."
Huo Shiqing chuckled lowly, his voice sending a pleasant tingling to her ears. "It seems Miss Mu has some misunderstandings about me. But if you like, having them come to you wouldn't be impossible either."
Mu Beiyin choked slightly—she didn't mean it like that!
Just then, the staff had finished preparing the documents and handed them over to the two of them.
She took the two red booklets, feeling a huge weight lift from her heart. Forgetting the earlier awkwardness, she couldn't help but smile.
Walking out of the civil affairs bureau, Mu Beiyin stopped and didn't get into the car.
She was very self-aware—marriage was just a transaction for both parties, and now that the transaction was complete, she had no reason to stay.
Clearing her throat, Mu Beiyin said, "Well, Mr. Huo, since we're married, I won't bother you any longer. I'll just…"
Huo Shiqing's eyelids flickered slightly. "Miss Mu, you just gave the Mu family a big… problem today. They're probably looking to settle scores with you. Do you really think tonight you have any choice other than going home with me?"
Mu Beiyin: "…"
Thinking about the trouble she was about to face, her expression changed slightly. Then she pretended nothing had happened, calmly getting back into the car.
"Mr. Huo is right. We're married now; it's too formal to talk about bothering or not. Let's go home."
The atmosphere in the car became awkward.
Huo Shiqing chuckled softly, "Miss Mu, your ability to be both flexible and resilient today, I must say, I've seen it for myself."
Mu Beiyin lowered her head, feigning shyness. "You flatter me. Mr. Huo will discover even more of my strengths in the future."
Even Huo Shiqing fell silent for a moment. "…"
This Miss Mu was truly nothing like the rumors.
His fingertips lightly brushed over her neck, intentionally or unintentionally pushing aside her necklace to reveal a deep scar.
Huo Shiqing seemed suddenly pricked, suppressing the strange emotion in his eyes. "Have Bai Ji send you back to the villa. Pick any room you want. I have business to attend to and won't be coming back tonight."
Mu Beiyin pursed her lips.
Just now, Huo Shiqing said he was going home, but after seeing her scar, he changed his mind. Was the scar really that ugly? Could he not even stand being under the same roof with her?
But not living together suited her just fine.
Not entertaining his thoughts, Mu Beiyin politely said "Goodbye," then leaned back in the seat to rest.
…
The next morning, Mu Beiyin woke up and immediately froze.
This wasn't the rundown little room at the Mu family villa.
Right, she had married Huo Shiqing yesterday, and this was the guest room at Yujing Garden.
Rubbing her head, she stepped out of the room, planning to get something to eat in the kitchen, when suddenly a thought struck her.
Wait! Song Lingqian once said his uncle was quite skilled in calligraphy and always stayed at the old residence with the elders.
But Yujing Garden clearly showed signs of daily living, meaning Huo Shiqing had been living here for a long time. Yet the entire villa had no calligraphy works.
The Song family was a family of calligraphy and painting artists, yet Huo Shiqing was running a business alone, founding the Huo Shen Consortium…
Mu Beiyin felt something was off. Could she have… mistaken the person?!