Chapter 10
He showed up the next day anyway.
Only now he’d ditched his usual suits and dress shirts.
Instead, he wore a very childlike hoodie.
I thought the hoodie looked familiar, but was puzzled. “Ralph, what’s going on with you today?”
Ralph looked down, clenching his hands as if struggling to speak. “Do…. do you like seeing me dressed like this?”
Truthfully, Ralph looked good in anything.
I smiled. “It looks nice.”
His eyes brightened at the compliment.
But then, as if remembering something, his expression dimmed again.
His voice was low.
“If you like it, I’m willing to do it.”
Me: “9”
That evening,
while organizing my bookshelf,
a photo slipped out unexpectedly.
09:50 C
It was a picture with my first love–one I’d kept by accident between book
pages.
As I bent to pick it up, I suddenly realized the hoodie worn by my first love looked exactly like the one Ralph had been wearing these past few days–the very same design.
So, was Ralph’s unusual behavior today imitating my ex–boyfriend?
Tsk. that dummy.
I suddenly felt both amused and annoyed, and quickly called Ralph:
“My dad probably didn’t explain it clearly. That first love of mine was two–timing me, and I only broke up with him after I found out. Even if I went to see him, it would only be to give him a beating.”
“When I said I wanted to go on a business trip with you, I really just wanted to travel, not to see him.”
Ralph was quiet for a moment, his voice brimming with unconcealable excitement: “Why bring this up all of a sudden? Actually, I wasn’t that
curious.”
Me:
The next day.
Ralph went from cooking for me with a long face to cooking with great. enthusiasm..
He was even humming a tune under his breath.
Well, look who transformed from a hopeless cook into a celebrity chef.
10711
Me:
And so I spent a month with Ralph.
On day one, I found him baffling.
By day seven, I thought he seemed a bit pitiful.
On day thirteen, I realized he could actually be quite endearing
sometimes.
Come
day twenty–three, I found myself acting on impulse–wiping the moisture from his forehead.
By day thirty, his profile looked particularly handsome in the sunlight as. he played chess with my father.
Before I knew it, my lips had brushed his cheek in a feather–light kiss.
Then he froze, stunned. A chess piece slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the board.
Only then did I realize what I’d done–kissed him without thinking.
I jumped up and ran back to my room.
Until my dad said he had left.
I cautiously pushed the door open.
The next,
someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me out.
Ralph’s tall figure loomed over me, one arm wrapping around my waist, the other lifting my chin as he slowly leaned down.
0950
My breath hitched, and I nervously clutched his clothes, closing my eyes slightly.
But then the guy suddenly turned his head and kissed me by the ear, then quickly pulled away.
I opened my eyes in surprise.
Then I met Ralph’s gentle, smiling eyes:
“What were you expecting when you closed your eyes just now?”
I realized he had tricked me, and in a mix of embarrassment and anger, I punched him.
“Ralph, you bas… mmph…
I didn’t get to finish.
Ralph lowered his head again and claimed my lips, far beyond a tentative.
taste.
His warm tongue forcefully parted my teeth, tangling with mine in an inescapable demand.
My legs trembled against the cold wall behind me, pinned by the scorching heat of his chest pressed against mine.
Each breath mingled with his, the embarrassingly wet sounds tearing a gasp from me.
The kiss ended.
I buried my face against his chest, too flustered to meet his eyes, struggling to steady my breathing.
Ralph nuzzled my hair with a puppyish affection, his voice rough: “By the way, I have some bad news. We had a break–in a couple of days ago.”
“What? A break–in?”
I lifted my head, alarmed: “Did they take anything valuable?”
Ralph shook his head: “Nothing.”
I frowned: “Then what did they steal?”
Ralph pressed his lips together, his tone deadpan: “They stole our contracts. All eighteen copies.”
I froze: “Stole the contract? What would he want that for?”
Ralph shook his head with feigned seriousness, pulling me back into his embrace: “Who knows? Maybe to sell as scrap paper.”
Me: “2”
I spotted the corners of Ralph’s mouth twitching upward the moment he finished speaking.
Instantly, I understood exactly what was going on.
My shriek instantly echoed through the hallway.
“Ralph! You jerk!”
Ralph leaned down again, shamelessly silencing me with his lips.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Ralph and me to get our marriage license again.
When Ralph came to pick me up,
I hadn’t finished getting ready.
So he stood by the doorway,
trembling as he shook hands with the spider plant, the potted fruit tree, and the puppy by the entrance.
Bro One, wish me luck with the marriage license.
Bro Two, wish me a happy wedding.
Bro Three, wish me a blissful marriage.
“Thanks, guys. I’m not as nervous now.”
After a long silence, he could only let out two bitter, helpless chuckles.
(#awkward silence)
I pushed the door open just as he kept taking deep breaths.
“Ralph, let’s go get our marriage license.”
Ralph froze. After one glance at me, he quickly covered his eyes.
Thinking something got in his eyes, I reached for his hand-
A cool drop landed on my skin.
Startled, I asked, “Ralph? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Ralph pulled me into an embrace and buried his face in my neck.
“It feels like a dream.”
“Honestly, I’ve gone to the airport many times just to see you. But I only dared to watch from afar, never getting closer. I was terrified that if people recognized me, they’d speculate about us or twist things to spread rumors about you.”
“I couldn’t stand that. But starting today, I don’t have to hide any
anymore. Because you’re my wife now, and I can openly protect you.”
“Diana, you can return to the Entertainment Industry. Keep doing what you love–I’ll always support you.”
“From now on, I’m your husband and your most loyal Die–Hard Fan.”
My eyes stung as I patted his back:
“Alright, alright, stop crying. You’ll ruin our photos. I’m picky about looks -I refuse to have an ugly marriage license photo.”
Ralph’s tears turned to laughter as he firmly grasped my hand:
“Let’s go to the County Clerk’s Office.”
That night, a Trending Topic suddenly appeared atop the Social Media Trends list.
#May I marry my Diana#
