Chapter Three: A Marriage Certificate in One Hand, a Diploma in the Other

Shen Suining did not sleep soundly; she was trapped in a long, tangled dream.

In the dream, she was a senior at university, nearing graduation. After a dance troupe performance, they were celebrating at a hotel. She had drunk quite a bit that night—the very same night she had that reckless encounter with Jiang Runlang, which led to the birth of Jiangjiang. At the time, she had already accepted Jiang Runlang’s courtship. Though her memories of how it happened were hazy, she was truly in love with him and had embraced the outcome joyfully. By graduation, she held her marriage certificate in one hand and her diploma in the other, carrying the fruit of their love in her womb. She had felt genuinely happy.

Yet, for some reason, in this dream, the man she slept with did not have Jiang Runlang’s face. Even his voice was different. Jiang Runlang’s voice was clear, bright, and sunny, while this man’s voice was deep and seductive, as intoxicating as a cello. He leaned close to her ear, his lips grazing her earlobe again and again, his voice raspy with passion as he repeated, "Suisui, you are mine."

"Suisui..."
"Suisui..."

A tingling electric current surged through her ear, making Shen Suining tremble. She could no longer distinguish between dream and reality.

Suddenly, Shen Suining’s eyes snapped open. The sight of an unfamiliar ceiling brought her to her senses instantly. This was not her home, nor was it the hotel where her project team was staying! She bolted upright in bed, instinctively checking her clothes. Her coat had been removed, but the base layer sweater she was wearing remained intact. A long, relieved sigh escaped her—thank goodness, thank goodness...

Just as her tension began to ease, a low, soft chuckle echoed from behind her.

Shen Suining’s hair stood on end, a shiver running down her spine. She turned her head with great difficulty, only to come face-to-face with a man who was both a stranger and strangely familiar. He was a stranger in that she was certain she had never met him, yet familiar in that, apart from his sharper, colder features, he looked hauntingly like Jiang Runlang.

Shen Suining swallowed hard. As her memories flooded back, her heart sank. She clearly recalled what she had done at "Dancing Grace," and it appeared she had mistaken this man for Jiang Runlang.

The reality hit her like a slap in the face. Jiang Runlang had not come for her. How ridiculous—she had actually thought he had, and she had even asked such a foolish question. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Suppressing the turbulent emotions in her heart, she looked up at the man and said, "Sir, I am very sorry. I mistook you for someone else. I apologize for the intrusion. If you require compensation, please name your price. I have things to attend to, so I will be going."

As she spoke, she tried to push back the quilt to get out of bed. However, in her agitation, the more she pulled, the more tangled she became, eventually getting herself wrapped up in the bedding. This made her feel even more aggrieved and defeated, and she fought hard to hold back her tears. Thinking she was shielded by her back being turned, she clenched her fist and punched the quilt hard to vent her frustration.

But the next second, she heard that voice from her dream: "Suisui, is taking it out on the quilt enough?"

Shen Suining bristled like a cat whose fur had been rubbed the wrong way. She turned around with difficulty, her lips trembling as she finally found her voice: "What... what did you call me?"

The man watched her look of disbelief, then reached out to pat the top of her head. "Don't you remember, Suisui? I said, 'Suisui, you are mine!' To think you’ve forgotten already—it truly breaks my heart."

Shen Suining’s brain completely shut down. Her pupils dilated, and her eyes filled with terror. The man before her was no longer just a handsome face; he was a terrifying demon. Gripping the quilt tightly, she asked with a trembling voice, "Who... who are you?"

"Jiang Ze," the man replied.

Shen Suining felt as if she had been struck a second time, her face turning deathly pale in an instant. Jiang Ze—Jiang Runlang’s uncle, the taboo of the Jiang family, a man who had been declared dead five years ago. How could this be? She almost blurted out, "Are you a ghost or a human?"

Jiang Ze was, of course, human. When he had patted her head earlier, she had clearly felt the warmth of his palm. But how could he have suddenly returned? No, that was not the most important thing!

Her face paled even further. She stared fixedly into Jiang Ze’s eyes and asked, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"

Seeing her expression, Jiang Ze felt a mix of helplessness and heartache. Resisting the urge to pinch her cheek, he said, "Do you really believe that sexual incompetent, Jiang Runlang, could have given you a night of pleasure?"

"W-what?" Shen Suining’s ears rang; she wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.

Jiang Ze leaned in, close to her ear, and whispered, "Suisui has a small red mole on her chest. I loved it back then; I even bit it until it bled. Suisui cried from the pain—do you remember that?"

Shen Suining’s pupils widened. Although she had been drunk, she had a clear memory of that moment—the pain had been so sharp it had partially sobered her. As she thought of this, another memory rushed into her mind: the words she had spoken after being comforted through her tears. Those words were: "A-Ze, I love you."

In an instant, she felt dizzy and faint. Had she not been tangled in the quilt, she would surely have collapsed.

"How? How could this be?" she murmured, fear spreading through her heart. If the man that night wasn't Jiang Runlang, why had he married her? And if Jiang Runlang was truly as sexually incompetent as Jiang Ze claimed, how could the Jiang family not suspect that Jiangjiang wasn't his child, and why would they be so doting toward the boy?

Just then, a knock at the door was followed by a small, childish voice: "Daddy! Is Mommy awake yet?"

Before the sound had faded, Shen Suining saw Jiang Ze pick up a remote from the nightstand and unlock the door.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

Hurried footsteps drew near. Before Shen Suining could turn to look, a soft body collided with her.

"Mommy! I finally get to see you!" Jiang Yinuo exclaimed, burrowing into her arms. Too small to wrap his arms around her waist, he clung tightly to her arm, repeating, "Mommy, Mommy! Mommy, Mommy!"

Shen Suining looked down at Jiang Yinuo. Even though she couldn't believe it and felt deep resistance, she didn't know why, but upon seeing those round, sparkling eyes, her heart softened involuntarily. She found she could not treat the little boy's enthusiasm with coldness.