Chapter 3: No Ex-Girlfriend, No Bad Habits

In an apartment of Fujin Garden in Nanling State—

*

Mu Keren was holding a bucket of soaked instant noodles, circling and marking something on the newspaper with a pen.

Her waterfall-like black hair was casually clipped at the back of her head with a hairpin. But even so, sweat kept sliding down her fair and slender neck from time to time.

In this rental room, less than ten square meters, there was no air conditioning, no fan, not even a window for ventilation.

The only cooling tool was a small fan placed to one side. Halfway through her meal, Mu Keren, drenched in sweat, had to set aside the noodle bucket. Then, she grabbed a tissue and the small fan to simultaneously wipe off the sweat and fan herself.

But could such a small fan handle June's oppressive weather?

Just as Mu Keren started waving the fan even faster due to the unbearable heat, a rapid ringing sounded.

It was her cell phone!

This was her second day in Nanling State. Before this, her phone had been turned off due to no place to charge it.

Luckily, last night she had found this dwelling. Though a bit stifling, it was much cheaper compared to other places. But even then, the rent had taken a large part of the cash she brought from Beiling State.

Now, providing for herself was the most pressing issue to resolve.

Therefore, she must find a job that could sustain her in the shortest possible time. As for returning to her home in Beiling State... let's wait until her father's anger subsides before discussing that!

"Hello, who's speaking?" The call was from a string of unfamiliar numbers. Mu Keren initially thought it might be a response to the resumes she had sent out early that morning.

"Why was your phone off yesterday? You made it hard to find you!" The male voice on the other end was deep and rich, like heavenly music.

The voice indulged Mu Keren while also leaving her somewhat perplexed.

"Did you dial the wrong number?"

That intimate manner of speaking, it was like whispers shared between lovers. La Chuan had once spoken to her on the phone with such intimacy.

But the current him was likely still deeply enamored and unable to extricate himself from someone else's tender embrace. How could such La Chuan think of her at this moment?

La Chuan was the only person she had ever dated. With him ruled out, Mu Keren naturally thought this was a wrong number.

Just as she was about to hang up, she heard the person on the line say, "Mu Keren, it's me! Huang Qingtian!"

A few simple words struck Mu Keren like a bolt of lightning.

Huang Qingtian!

She had just seen these three characters on a marriage certificate yesterday.

Was it not the man who suddenly pulled her into the civil affairs office and then, using some unknown authority, got married to her without even needing their signatures? Afterward, he left her with a marriage certificate and walked away without a care?

And now, he was calling her.

Mu Keren, already filled with suppressed anger, suddenly didn't know what to say.

And the man on the phone didn't seem to mind.

Without waiting for her response, he asked, "Are you free today? Let's meet up!"

Regarding his suggestion, Mu Keren didn't hesitate to reply, "Okay!"

She had wanted to see him the day before! That annoying red booklet had kept her tossing and turning all night. "Let's do it now. I'll text you the specific location in a moment." While it was still early and the civil affairs office was open, they could meet and also take care of the divorce certificate.

Having said that, she immediately hung up the phone and wolfed down the last few bites of noodles.

*

They met half an hour later.

When Huang Qingtian arrived at the designated spot, Mu Keren was already sitting by the window, stirring the ice in her coffee with a straw.

At this moment, her already fair skin was bathed in the overly bright light from outside, giving her an ethereal glow that made it hard to take one's eyes off her.

For a moment, Huang Qingtian found himself unable to shift his gaze from her.

He'd seen his share of beauties, but the beauty of this girl was the kind that deeply captured his heart because it was clean and clear.

Just one glance at her silhouette could deeply etch itself into your mind, just as it happened three years ago, the afternoon when he encountered her...

"You got here pretty fast!" Recovering his composure, Huang Qingtian took a seat across from her.

After he sat down, a waiter promptly offered him the menu. It could be said that from the moment he entered, the waiter had been attentive, even asking him what he'd like to drink in a soft, gentle tone.

Such treatment was undoubtedly related to his outstanding appearance.

But Mu Keren across from him was unmoved. Completely unmoved, in fact; she didn't even bother making small talk or jest, and instead slapped the red booklet on the table.

When the red booklet was placed on the table, Huang Qingtian's eyes surreptitiously glanced over it.

Quickly, his gaze returned to Mu Keren's face, his beautiful grey-green eyes narrowing slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Take this thing back!" she meant that she wanted a divorce. In truth, Mu Keren didn't feel like she had ever been married, so the word "divorce" was somewhat difficult for her to utter for the time being.

"Take it back? And then?" Huang Qingtian waved off the eager-to-please waiter and leisurely crossed his legs, reclining in his seat across from her.

"Then dissolve the relationship!" In Mu Keren's eyes, Huang Qingtian had just displayed a suspicion of feigning ignorance.

"I disagree!" His voice was still magnetic. His expression remained unchanged. But for some reason, Mu Keren could sense an aura about him that brooked no refusal.

"By what right do you disagree?" As she asked this, Mu Keren's hand on the glass tabletop clenched into a fist. Even the knuckles turned white from the force.

Marriage, to everyone, held profound significance. Therefore, Mu Keren didn't wish to be married in such ambiguous circumstances.

"Then I ought to ask you, what dissatisfaction do you have with me?" After glancing at Mu Keren's hand on the table, Huang Qingtian inquired.

Those grey-green pupils, now enshrouded with a faint mist, were hard to read, elusive in trying to discern his thoughts.

"I don't know you, how can I marry you!" she confessed. Even heartbroken, she wouldn't want to divert her attention in such a way. It was disrespectful to others and irresponsible to herself.

Just when Mu Keren thought she had made her intentions clear, the man sitting opposite suddenly stared at her intently.

His grey-green eyes, intense and luminous, now held an unmistakable seriousness.

Under such a gaze, his rose-colored lips parted slightly, "My name is Huang Qingtian, I am 30 years old, a civil servant! I don't smoke, don't drink, have no bad habits, nor do I have an ex-girlfriend."