Chapter 3 Married Yesterday, Divorced Today?_1

Jiang Yuzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing how Mr. Pei was not a man of many words, she was worried that things might fall apart.

She took out clean bedding and placed it on the sofa, arranging it neatly.

After thanking him, Jiang Yuzhu returned to her room, weary. After closing the door, she decided to lock it as well.

Pei Jingchuan had just lain down on the sofa when he heard the sound of the door being locked and inexplicably chuckled.

It seems that Doctor Jiang is cautious, remembering to lock her door.

The entire living room was plunged into darkness, with a sliver of moonlight streaming through the crack in the curtains, casting a faint reflection of the living room.

Although it was only the living room, it was Pei Jingchuan's first time sleeping over at a girl's home and he experienced some insomnia.

He aimlessly surveyed the entire living room.

Even though the host was a doctor who was incredibly busy, everything was neatly arranged; there was no obvious dust on both the tabletops and the floor, and even the cat looked well-cared for.

He found nothing to criticize about her place.

Just as Pei Jingchuan had pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes, he suddenly felt a weight on his chest. Upon opening his eyes, he found that the cat had jumped onto him.

He waved his hand to shoo the cat away, but to his surprise, the cat, fearless like its owner, leaned in closer and stared at him as if observing him.

Such a small creature, yet its eyes were just like its owner's—so beautiful that it was hard not to focus on them.

So, he opted to sit up, extending his hand to stroke the cat's head. The sensation of its fluffy fur was rather pleasing.

The kitten didn't shy away and even squinted comfortably as it was being petted.

Pei Jingchuan silently smiled.

To her surprise, Jiang Yuzhu had a good night's sleep.

She was always an early riser, so when she opened her bedroom door at seven, she assumed that Mr. Pei was still sleeping. However, the bedding on the sofa had been neatly folded and there was no one in sight.

The drowsy kitten opened its eyes to find Jiang Yuzhu rushing towards it.

Jiang Yuzhu crouched down to scoop up Xiaobai, who was round like a bowling ball, and noticed the cat's dish next to her—the dish was filled with new cat food and water.

That's when she realized that Mr. Pei, who seemed rather cold, wasn't quite as he seemed on the surface.

He must have left already, perhaps forgetting to say something to her.

However, she suddenly heard noises coming from the kitchen.

Jiang Yuzhu looked up.

Pei Jingchuan emerged from the kitchen carrying two bowls of noodles. His expression was still as cold as it had been the day before.

"I'm used to having breakfast, and you only have noodles, so I cooked for two. I hope you don't mind me using your kitchen, Doctor Jiang."

She waved her hands in disbelief and responded in astonishment: "Mr. Pei, do you know how to cook noodles?"

The noodles placed on the table by the man looked tantalizing. There were two stems of green vegetables in it, the soup contained bits of a crushed tomato, and on top lay a perfectly fried egg.

As he pulled out a chair to sit down, a memory seemed to bring warmth to his face, and he gently smiled. "My grandmother used to cook noodles for me when I was a kid. Over time, I picked up the skill."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuzhu also smiled. Without any shyness, she took the seat across from him.

The two of them sat in silence, finishing the entire bowl of noodles.

Since he cooked for her so early in the morning, Jiang Yuzhu didn't feel it was appropriate to ask the guest to clean up. She stood up first to wash the dishes and chopsticks.

As Pei Jingchuan watched her washing the dishes and chopsticks and settling back on the sofa, he brought up the subject from yesterday.

"Miss Jiang, you aren't the kind of person who would get married on a whim; therefore, there must be a reason that you find inconvenient to say."

Jiang Yuzhu had anticipated that Pei Jingchuan might think this way, so she nodded in affirmation.

She paused for a bit to organize her thoughts before beginning to speak.

"I believe Mr. Pei would also not wish to be deeply devoted to a woman with whom he has hastily married. My personal thought is that we should be bound in name only, sufficient to satisfy our relatives' urging for marriage. It doesn't matter whom you favour or who you choose to be with."

Pei Jingchuan paused.

Jiang Yuzhu continued, "We could let each other go after a few years and live our own lives separately. I can pay you. If Mr. Pei disagrees, we can get a divorce certificate today."

A divorce certificate?

Pei Jingchuan found it amusing. Getting divorced the day after getting married?

But he didn't voice out his thoughts. Instead, he deviated into silence for a moment, contemplating what Jiang Yuzhu had said.

Jiang Yuzhu did not speak, patiently waiting for him to provide an answer.

Her idea was indeed unorthodox. Even if Pei Jingchuan refused, she would understand.

Who would have thought that after just a brief moment of contemplation, he would look up at her and earnestly say, "I feel the same way. We can reach a consensus on this matter."

Jiang Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief and she extended her hand with a smile, "Mr. Pei, pleasant cooperation."

Pei Jingchuan smiled slightly, extending his hand to shake hers, "Pleasant cooperation."

Once they settled their agreement, Pei Jingchuan greeted her before leaving.

Jiang Yuzhu watched from the window as he drove out of the residential area, feeling a load had been lifted off her shoulders.

With her personal affairs taken care of, Jiang Yuzhu tidied up and left for work at the hospital.

She arrived very early that day. Not long after changing into her office clothes, the door swung open with a squeak.

The young doctor from yesterday walked in, a bag of buns and soy milk in his hand, resting it lightly on the table in front of her and greeted her with a warm smile.

Jiang Yuzhu remembered that the name on the badge she had seen the night before was Zhou Zerong.

Zhou Zerong seemed a bit shy as he brushed the back of his head, saying, "Doctor Jiang, this food comes from a breakfast shop near my home, which serves quite delicious meals. You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? Would you like to taste it?"

Her eyes fell on the young doctor's face, finding his slight blush to her gaze quite telling.

Jiang Yuzhu smiled, politely yet firmly pushing back the breakfast.

"Thank you, Dr. Zhou, but my husband made me breakfast this morning. You should take it back and eat it yourself, don't waste it."

Zhou Zerong paused, then instinctively asked, "But your biographic material indicates that you're unmarried."

Only after he had said it did he realize his blunder, glancing anxiously at Jiang Yuzhu.

She didn't mind, just smiling back and responding, "We get along really well. We got our certificate yesterday."

Just as she thought, a sham marriage agreement as a shield could come in handy and be used without obligation.

Zhou Zerong found it hard to believe, but he accepted Jiang Yuzhu's words and his spirits fell, as deflated as a frostbitten eggplant.

He left Jiang Yuzhu's office dejectedly, speaking in a low voice before he went.

"If Doctor Jiang won't eat this, she could give it to the nurses who haven't eaten breakfast yet."

Zhou Zerong was young and highly regarded by the hospital. He was also handsome, so the nurses were fond of him.

Jiang Yuzhu didn't feel she had any particular charm that would ensnare Zhou Zerong, so she laughed it off and didn't take it to heart.

She was incredibly busy at the hospital, performing surgeries all morning. She was bustling around so much, she wished she could split herself into two for efficiency.

At lunchtime, she grabbed a quick bite in the hospital cafeteria. Just as she finished eating, her phone suddenly began to ring.

It was her aunt calling. After contemplating for a while, she decided to answer.

"Auntie," she replied, her voice rich with exhaustion.

On the other end, an elderly woman spoke with an affectionate tone, "Xiaozhu, your uncle is on a work trip today. Come over for dinner tonight. It's been a long time since we've had a proper family meal."

Jiang Yuzhu paused for a moment, "Alright, I do have something to talk about tonight."