"Ten grand! It's all yours—will you marry me, mister?"
Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, Emma Holden looked up at the stranger in front of her, eyes full of hope, her young face practically begging for a yes.
Ethan Clarke had been walking fast but came to a hard stop, staring at this random girl.
She barely looked older than a teenager.
Then he remembered what she’d just said—his lips tightened slightly, and his deep eyes narrowed.
He’d had girls ask for his WeChat plenty of times, but one randomly ambushing him on the street to ask for marriage? That was a first.
Honestly, it was kind of hilarious. The world really had gone off the rails.
Still, Ethan had always been good at keeping a straight face. Even though he was surprised, his voice stayed cool and flat. "Kid, we don’t even know each other."
Emma blinked her sparkly big eyes and grinned. "True! But it’s fine—we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other after getting married!"
God help her, flagging down strangers wasn’t exactly her plan A.
But with her family forcing her to marry some retired old dude, she didn’t have many cards left to play.
She'd snuck the household register out of the house—risked everything to get it.
If she couldn’t pull this off today, it was game over.
She’d been standing outside this bureau literally all morning. After failing who knows how many times, she decided to give it one last try. Closed her eyes, counted to a hundred, reopened them—and boom! This gorgeous older guy magically appeared.
Surely, this was fate, right?
But when Emma met his icy gaze, she shivered despite the summer heat.
This guy... kinda scary.
Swallowing hard, Emma lowered her voice nervously. "Mister, you probably think I’m joking, right? I’m not! I swear I’m serious."
As she spoke, she opened her canvas tote and pulled out the household booklet. "Look! This is my hukou. I’m not messing with you. I mean it!"
Ethan noticed the sweat gathering on the tip of her nose, and the frostiness in his eyes faded just a bit.
Marriage, huh? It brought back complicated memories. His brows creased slightly.
And right now... he really did need a wife.
For the first time, Ethan looked closely at the girl.
She was genuinely pretty, with flushed cheeks and a kind of innocent charm. Her smiling eyes sparkled with something almost magical—like starlight could live inside someone’s gaze.
There was something about her—something oddly likeable.
Still...
His face gave away nothing as he asked, voice as calm as ever, "What grade are you in, kid?"
Emma paused for a second, then quickly grinned again. "Oh, no—I'm a sophomore in college! Seriously, look here—my hukou shows I passed the legal marriage age three days ago. Totally legal!"Ethan Clarke lowered his gaze, like he was deep in thought. That cool and distant vibe he gave off? Totally made you second-guess approaching him.
Emma Holden waited a few beats, eyes dimming slightly as silence stretched on.
So... he wasn’t into it?
She quietly set the household register aside, lips pressing together awkwardly before she mumbled, “It’s okay, mister... If you’re not cool with it, I get it…”
Just as she lowered her head, a necklace slipped out from under her collar.
Ethan’s expression shifted in a flash.
In that split second, a flood of memories seemed to flash through his mind. His eyes narrowed slightly, and what he said next totally blindsided her: “Alright.”
“Alright, see you then—wait, what?!”
Emma’s head snapped up. Her eyes lit up in disbelief, cheeks flushing pink. “Wait, wait—did you just agree?! Like, for real?”
He steadied himself and nodded. “Yeah.”
Emma blinked, staring into his deep eyes. She had no idea what made him change his mind, and honestly, she didn’t want to overthink it.
All that mattered right now was—heck yeah, he said yes!
Without missing a beat, she grabbed his arm excitedly and yanked him towards the Civil Affairs Bureau. “C’mon! Let’s go before they close!”
Ethan raised a brow. Such a hurry?
Inside, Emma handed over their documents with a big grin.
The staff lady blinked in surprise and waved them off. “Sweetie, you can’t register if you’re underage. Go on home.”
Emma nearly cried on the spot. “Miss! I’m twenty, seriously! I’m totally legal!”
The clerk blinked again, then chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, thought you were a high school freshman.”
Emma sighed to herself.
Ugh, why do people always think I’m a kid?
Blame it on the eternal baby face.
The clerk took their documents and added, “I need a red-background photo, two inches.”
Emma paused a beat before turning to glance at the silent man behind her.
Ethan caught her pleading look and said calmly, “Let’s just take one now.”
Soon enough, both were sitting in front of a red backdrop.
“Okay, scoot closer, you two! Don’t be shy!”
“Big smiles! You, girl—adorable smile! And sir, maybe lose the poker face a little?”
After a bit of a photo-fuss, the final stamp was slammed down on their certificates.
Outside the office, Emma held her marriage license in both hands, eyes sparkling with glee.
She handed one of the red booklets to him. “Here, mister! Thank you so much! When I get the chance, I’ll totally treat you to a nice dinner… Anyway, it’s getting late, so I’ll head home now. Bye, Mr. Clarke!”
She’d only caught his surname—didn’t quite catch the full name earlier.
But just as she turned to leave, Ethan stepped sideways, cutting off her path. His deep voice came low and steady: “When are you moving in with me?”