Eric drove steadily—and fast.
Before long, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
The process inside was even quicker.
Elena Shen followed behind Ethan Jiang, and in less than ten minutes, a crimson-red marriage certificate was placed into their hands.
Elena felt as if she were in a daze the entire time.
By the time she fully came to her senses, she was already standing on the steps outside the Bureau, clutching the warm certificate tightly.
Eric emerged shortly after, having personally handed out celebratory candies.
He approached the steps, beaming, and presented a fresh packet of specially prepared sweets to Elena, who was still staring blankly at the certificate in her hands.
"Miss Shen, wedding candies," he said with a smile full of festivity.
"Congratulations to you and Mr. Jiang. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and an early blessing with children."
"…" Elena's lips twitched.
With Ethan glancing sideways at her, she stiffly reached out and picked one from the packet, half-praising, "... Assistant Zhou certainly knows how to set a tone for ceremony."
Eric accepted the "praise" with a grin.
Then, without missing a beat, he changed his words smoothly.
"It's the only marriage certificate Madam and Mr. Jiang will always receive. Of course, the occasion deserves all the proper ceremony."
Elena gave a dry laugh.
Back in the car, the front and rear partitions rose once more.
As the seats were sealed off from both ends, Elena suddenly recalled the young couple who had come to register just after them.
They were clearly infatuated, likely still in the throes of a pure, emotionally charged romance—one without any physical intimacy yet.
When they emerged, freshly minted certificate in hand, Elena had happened to catch sight of the young man wrapping the blushing girl in his arms, whispering into her ear with unconcealed urgency: "Now that we've got the certificate, let's go home and... consummate the marriage right away."
That image stirred a sudden thought in Elena's mind.
She and Ethan are now married. A Platonic marriage… that was probably out of the question.
Which meant, inevitably, they'd have to share a bed.
But… how?
They barely knew each other...
Her thoughts had been interrupted earlier when Eric handed over the candies.
Now, with the partition up and the spacious backseat sealed into an intimate, private capsule, that same train of thought returned—this time more vividly.
Elena's spine stiffened. Her posture grew rigid.
Her palms began to sweat as they clutched the warm marriage certificate.
In the silence of that enclosed space, she swallowed softly and murmured, "Ethan, I've got classes this afternoon, so I should head—"
"Elena." His voice cut gently through the air, calling her name.
Her words faltered midway.
She turned her head instinctively to look at him.
Their gazes met directly. Elena's lips pressed together. Her fingers clenched tighter around the certificate. Just as she was about to glance away, he said—
"Today is the family dinner. We're going back to the estate—did you forget?"
Elena froze mid-motion.
Only then did she remember—today was the first of October on the lunar calendar.
Of course. The family gathering.
She had been so tightly wound while staying with Aurel Shen overseas, constantly on edge in fear of her brother interrogating her about the arranged marriage. Then, upon returning home, came the registration. Her nerves had never truly relaxed—no wonder she had completely forgotten today was the family dinner.
But...
The memory of her last unpleasant encounter with Adrian Jiang before she went abroad was still fresh.
In recent days, Elena has been avoiding the news, trying not to look at the trending headlines dominated by Adrian and Grace Su.
In the two years of their Cold War, she and Adrian had reached an unspoken agreement—neither would appear before the other.
Though the family dinners had long ceased to require the younger generation's attendance, Elena still worried that she might run into Adrian there. And the thought of sitting at the same table in such a strained atmosphere made her uncomfortable.
Her fingers curled tighter.
She asked Ethan, "Do I really have to go?"
Ethan gently took the now-creased certificate from her hands and placed it in the storage compartment before replying—
"Today is also your birthday. Mother said she wanted to celebrate it with you in person."
Elena fell silent.
Ethan lowered his head slightly, glancing at the girl beside him. Her brows were subtly furrowed, her delicate fingertips clenching nervously in her lap.
His gaze lingered on her profile for a few seconds before his warm palm wrapped gently around her wrist.
Elena's fingers stilled. Her long, dark lashes trembled slightly.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked softly.
She shook her head, eyes still downcast. "... Nothing."
Since she didn't want to speak, Ethan didn't press further.
He only said, "Some elderly will be present today. Just stay by my side. There's nothing to fear."
When they arrived at the old estate, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, along with several of the family's uncles, were already gathered.
The main hall of the villa was buzzing with conversation.
Ethan got out, taking both marriage certificates with him, and led Elena through the courtyard and into the main hall.
As soon as they entered, the chat paused and, one by one, the elders rose to greet him with smiles.
"Ethan, you're back?"
"We haven't had a proper chance to catch up in the past two years. Let's make the most of today's gathering."
A faint smile lifted at the corner of Ethan's lips.
He exchanged greetings before taking a seat.
As he did, the other uncles followed suit.
Mrs. Jiang, who hadn't seen Elena in days, immediately called her over.
While Ethan continued his conversation with the elders, his gaze followed Elena as she made her way toward his mother.
Most of those in attendance today were elderly.
Few younger relatives had shown up.
Sitting beside Mrs. Jiang and Elena chatted softly with her while scanning the room.
As she had anticipated—Adrian wasn't there.
She relaxed just a little.
Today's dinner was largely meant for the elderly to speak with Ethan about the company. He had been away for two years, and now that he was back at the helm of both Tiansheng Group and the E.R. headquarters, the gathering served as the perfect occasion for such discussions.
Perhaps because it was the first family dinner since Ethan's return, none of the younger generation from the extended branches came.
With no need for small talk with other relatives, and no peers her age in sight—especially not Adrian—Elena found herself rather at ease.
She snacked on fruit and sipped drinks.
Chatted casually with Mrs. Jiang.
Soon, it was time for the meal.
As the staff began setting dishes on the large round dining table in the main hall, Elena stood to follow Mrs. Jiang over.
But just then, a tall figure stepped into the room from outside.
"Apologies—I'm late."
That familiar voice struck a nerve in Elena's mind.
She turned, and her gaze collided with Adrian's just as he entered.
For a fleeting second, their eyes locked.
Then Elena quickly looked away.
The Nightfall trending scandal involving Adrian still hadn't been taken down. After days of public speculation, the storm had grown so large that even the elite circles had begun wondering if the Jiang family's second son was truly planning to marry the little starlet he had single-handedly promoted.
Mrs. Jiang had no bias against actors.
But she never liked Grace Su.
She had seen all kinds of schemers in her decades among society wives, and she could spot Grace's ambitions a mile away.
Unfortunately, her younger son refused to be managed.
He insisted on mingling with a woman whose intentions were anything but pure.
Mrs. Jiang's expression soured.
Still, with so many guests present, she swallowed her irritation.
The uncles were here mostly to reconnect with Ethan and discuss business.
Now that both had been achieved, and the atmosphere was pleasantly warm, no one wanted drama.
Except, of course, Elena—who barely lifted her head during the meal, never once looking across the table.
Just as the banquet was winding down, one of the uncles—possibly a little drunk—brought up the former engagement between the Jiang and Shen families.
The cheerful mood at the table froze for a moment.
Uncle David was the quickest to react, nudging his fourth brother beneath the table to shut him up.
Even they, usually detached from the online world, had heard the rumors swirling on social media.
To bring up Adrian and Elena's former engagement now, in this setting, was practically an insult to the Shen family.
Uncle Peter realized his slip and was about to smooth things over with a laugh when—
Ethan gently set down his wine glass and spoke, his tone even, yet firm.