Chapter 59 Getting the Marriage Certificate

Shang Qi looked at her father and said with tears in her eyes, "Dad, stop shouting. Mom needs quiet! This is the medical report Luo Yichen just brought. Mom is really very sick. He also gave me a plane ticket and told me to leave."

Shang Wende snatched the medical report, and his heart clenched into a tight ball after reading it.

Shang Qi continued, "I hope you can understand my decision. I cannot sacrifice Mom's life for my own sake. I must stay and take care of her! The fact that Luo Yichen is willing to let me go shows that he still has a conscience. Dad, you don't need to worry too much about my marrying him."

Looking at the sleeping Yu Xiufen, Wende felt completely torn.

Seeing the determination in Shang Qi's eyes, Xi Jingpeng knew that everything was already unchangeable. He desperately wanted to stop Shang Qi, but nothing came out of his mouth. He finally understood that unless Yu Xiufen's health improved immediately, Shang Qi would not change her mind.

Xi Jingpeng silently left the hospital. It was pouring rain outside, and without a second thought, he rushed into the downpour. The cascading rain beat down on his body, yet it failed to wash away the anguish in his heart. He ran recklessly in the rain, hoping to escape this cruel reality...

Outside the hospital room, Shang Qi dialed Luo Yichen's cell phone. She said, "I am not leaving. I am going to marry you. However, you must agree to a few conditions. First, I will continue to work after the wedding. Second, I will not move into your house. Third, as long as it does not violate morality, whatever I do has nothing to do with you, and you must not force me to do anything."

Luo Yichen pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, I promise you. Then let's not wait until tomorrow; let's go get our marriage certificate right now. Get ready, I'll come pick you up immediately."

Shang Qi gave a bitter smile and said, "Fine, that saves us from prolonged complications! I'll wait for you at the hospital entrance."

Luo Yichen hung up the phone and immediately drove to the hospital to pick up Shang Qi. Sitting in Luo Yichen's car, she remained silent. There was not a trace of joy on Shang Qi's face, as if someone else were the one going to register the marriage.

Seeing her like this, Luo Yichen felt uneasy inside. Yet, he still felt a faint sense of joy, knowing that he was about to win his wife over. No matter what the future days might hold, he saw a glimmer of dawn before him. Luo Yichen said, "We are going to get our marriage certificate. Can you look a little happier?"

Shang Qi gave him a blank look and said, "It's just the two of us now, there's no need to put on an act! I didn't bring my household registration booklet; let's go back to my house to get it first!"

Luo Yichen felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him, and the joy in his heart instantly vanished. He thought to himself: There were moments when our hearts beat for each other. Have you forgotten all of that just because of this incident? For your sake, I even lied to my grandfather. Why are you so unappreciative? Maybe Mom was right; only after getting married will you slowly start to accept me.

Thinking of this, Luo Yichen pressed harder on the accelerator. Driving at top speed all the way, he managed to retrieve the household registration booklet and arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau just in time. The moment the two of them stepped into the hall of the Civil Affairs Bureau, they attracted the gazes of many people. Luo Yichen took out the household registration booklet and ID cards, saying, "We are here to register our marriage."

The person in charge of processing the paperwork was a middle-aged woman in her forties. She had seen the photos of Luo Yichen and Shang Qi on the news. She said, "The two of you are here to register?"

Luo Yichen was extremely displeased by her astonished look. He said discontentedly, "That's right! What's there to ask? Hurry up and process our paperwork!"

The busybody of a middle-aged woman was quite tactless and said to Shang Qi, "Young lady, didn't you take him to court? Why are you marrying him again? You mustn't just surrender like this!"

Luo Yichen was so angry his nose was almost crooked. He was truly afraid that Shang Qi would change her mind. To his surprise, Shang Qi smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern! What happened before was just some misunderstanding between us. It's really quite embarrassing; it was clearly a family matter, yet it ended up in court. We've really made a laughingstock of ourselves in front of everyone!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged woman looked at them skeptically and asked nothing more. Seeing that it was almost time to get off work, she efficiently processed their paperwork. Luo Yichen noticed that someone in the crowd was taking pictures of them. He did not stop them and even flashed a sweet smile at everyone.

When she received the marriage certificate, Shang Qi felt that the bright red cover was glaringly harsh, as if it even carried the scent of blood. How long could this marriage, built upon mutual deception, possibly last? Mom, please get better soon! Once you do, I will be able to end this absurd marriage.

Holding the marriage certificate, Luo Yichen felt much more at ease. At the same time, he felt that the document in his hand was terribly heavy. From now on, he was no longer alone; he had to shoulder corresponding responsibilities. No matter how reluctant Shang Qi was to marry him, he hoped this marriage would last forever.

After they got back into the car, Shang Qi said, "My father doesn't agree with us coming to get our marriage certificate. Let's keep this a secret from him for now."

"We can't keep this hidden for long. It would be better if I accompanied you back and explained everything clearly to Dad."

Hearing Luo Yichen change his form of address, Shang Qi felt completely uncomfortable all over. She said, "You should still call him Uncle for now. After all, the two of us haven't held a wedding yet, and my dad hasn't accepted you. Drop me off at the hospital first, and I'll find an opportunity to tell my dad. You shouldn't meet him face-to-face like this, so as to avoid causing an even bigger commotion."

Seeing that Shang Qi still treated him as an outsider, Luo Yichen felt deeply aggrieved. Yet he did not dare to push too hard, so he could only say, "Alright then! The wedding will be held in three days, you don't have much time."

When Shang Qi returned to the hospital, Shang Wende was pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan. Demanding an accountability, he lashed out, "Your mother is sick like this, where on earth have you been?"

At that moment, he caught sight of the red document sticking out of Shang Qi's school bag, and guessing the truth, he asked, "Did you go and register your marriage with Luo Yichen?"

Unable to refute, Shang Qi nodded. Blood rushed to Shang Wende's head in anger, turning his entire face ashen. He raised his hand to strike Shang Qi, but in the end, he could not bring the slap down.

Disregarding her own condition, Yu Xiufen hurriedly tried to intervene, "Don't hit her! Qi Qi, hurry up and apologize."

Stubbornly, Shang Qi said, "Dad, this is the best solution right now! I did nothing wrong."

Shang Wende's lips had turned purple with fury, and he said, "You've really grown wings now, haven't you? For something as major as marriage, you didn't even need my consent?"

Seeing her father so furious, Shang Qi's tears fell in a downpour. Going to register her marriage with Luo Yichen had already filled her heart with grievance. Now, facing Shang Wende's scolding, she felt even more wretched. Weeping, Shang Qi said, "Dad, I really had no other choice!"

In the heat of his anger, Shang Wende shouted loudly, "I went to great lengths to help you win the lawsuit. And you? You actually went behind my back to register a marriage with that bastard! Get out! I don't have a daughter like you."

Stunned by the scolding, Shang Qi stood frozen in place, unable to utter a single word.

Overcome with anxiety, Yu Xiufen felt a tight sensation in her chest and struggled to breathe, panting continuously.

Her heart aching terribly, Shang Qi turned and ran out. Suddenly, she collided with someone. At this point, her vision was already blurred with tears. She murmured vaguely, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

Then she heard a familiar voice saying, "What's wrong? Did your dad hit you?" The person speaking was none other than Luo Yichen. After dropping Shang Qi off at the hospital, he remained extremely uneasy. Therefore, after parking the car, Luo Yichen had sneaked up to the hospital room to see how things were. He hadn't expected that by the time he reached the door, an argument was already underway inside.

Seeing Luo Yichen, Shang Qi wanted to vent all her pent-up rage upon him. However, the hospital was crowded and filled with gossiping people; she simply glared fiercely at him and ran off. Luo Yichen chased after her in extreme anxiety. Finally catching up to Shang Qi, he grabbed her and said, "Stop running! Be careful you don't run into someone again!"

Shang Qi tried to shake him off, but Luo Yichen pulled her into the car. Once left alone with him, Shang Qi could no longer control her emotions. Hysterically, she screamed, "Why are you treating me this way? What on earth did I do wrong to deserve enduring such a cruel reality? My dad actually told me to get out! It's you, all of this is because of you!"

Shang Qi cried at the top of her lungs, but fortunately Luo Yichen's car had excellent soundproofing, so not a sound could be heard from the outside. Holding her by the shoulders, Luo Yichen coaxed, "Qi Qi, stop this! What Dad said was just words spoken in anger; how could he ever not want you?"

Shang Qi was already crying too hard to speak. She couldn't hear a single word Luo Yichen was saying and simply wept incessantly. Completely out of options, Luo Yichen shook her body violently and said, "Pull yourself together! This will all pass! Trust me, we will find out who orchestrated all of this."

The reason Shang Qi married Luo Yichen was, on one hand, for her mother's illness, and on the other, to find out who had framed her. Up to this point, all the conflicts centered around Luo Yichen. As long as she stayed by his side, she would eventually find some clues. This latest incident had nearly cost her mother her life, and Shang Qi was determined to find the true culprit no matter what.

A glimmer of focus returned to Shang Qi's eyes. Seeing that his words had worked, Luo Yichen continued to divert her attention. He said, "You were drugged in the water you drank. However, the police cannot find out who did it. Moreover, the glass mysteriously vanished."

Sobered up slightly by the shaking, Shang Qi asked, "How could that be? I didn't touch that glass, what about you?"

Luo Yichen replied, "I didn't touch it either."

Gradually stabilizing her emotions, Shang Qi wiped away her tears and said, "For such crucial evidence to vanish means the other party had planned this for a long time."

Observing her mood, Luo Yichen said, "Could it be that among the reporters who rushed into the room at the time, someone took it in the chaos?"

Shang Qi said, "Doesn't the hotel have surveillance footage? Let's go check it out!"

Seeing that she had regained her spirit, Luo Yichen finally felt relieved. He said, "The police are already investigating. I believe there will be results soon."

Shang Qi slowly regained her rationality. She said, "You can leave now! I'm going back."

Locking the car doors, Luo Yichen said, "Don't go back just to get scolded! I've already asked the hospital director to take care of your mother. The moment there's any news, he will notify me immediately."

Shang Qi forcefully pressed the door handle, but it simply wouldn't open. Frowning, she said, "Unlock the door for me."

Ignoring her, Luo Yichen started the engine instead. A bit panicked, Shang Qi shouted, "Where are you taking me?"

Luo Yichen replied, "Home, of course. Where else?"