PANT - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
The video in Su Tianxue’s hand was playing. She had long anticipated this day, so after discussing it with her grandmother, she had asked her to record a video will, witnessed by a third party with no stake in the inheritance—the medical staff.
When the video was recorded, her grandmother was already in very poor health. She had a breathing tube in her nose, and her voice was frail as she spoke. The old woman had lost all her hair to chemotherapy. She wore a colorful, very fashionable wig and had even put on makeup, perhaps wanting to leave behind a slightly more beautiful image.
Su Tianxue had never dared to watch this video. She thought that as long as she didn’t open it, her grandmother’s departure would feel a little slower.
This was the first time she was seeing it, and only now did she realize that when her grandmother recorded the video, besides saying what they had already agreed upon, she had added a few extra words.
“Tianxue, ah, don’t blame Grandma for meddling. I hope that after I’m gone, you won’t live your life alone, that you’ll have someone to take care of you. I’m not worried about that child Wanxing. With a good older sister like you, she’s never lacked for care. But Tianxue, you’re too strong-willed. You’ve been on your own since you were little. For all these years, only Grandma has doted on you. Once Grandma is gone, I’m afraid no one will dote on you anymore.”
“This house, I’m leaving it to you. But Grandma has one small request. I hope you can find a suitable partner, get married, and bring her back to our home together.”
Su Tianxue froze.
Seeing the video, her aunt and uncle muttered and schemed for a moment, a new idea forming in their minds. When they spoke again, their earlier unruliness was gone, replaced by a pretense of politeness. “Tianxue, ah, we’re reasonable, law-abiding people, aren’t we? Your grandmother said the house is for you, so we won’t fight for it. Are we that kind of people? Just now? That was just an accident.”
“However, your grandmother did say she wants you to get married. So, this matter has to be settled after you’re married, right? So before you get married, in your uncle’s and my opinion, we should probably help you look after this house. Manage it on your behalf, you see? Once you’re married, we’ll follow this, uh, will, and give the house back to you. Right?”
Hearing this, Shi Ning let out a scornful laugh. She knew these types of people all too well. If this house really fell into their hands, Su Tianxue would never get it back in her lifetime.
Shi Ning looked at Su Tianxue, curious to see how she would handle this.
The nurse, who had been watching from the side, too scared to speak, was now extremely worried. She leaned in and whispered to Shi Ning, “Miss, your girlfriend is in such a state. A-Aren’t you going to go help her out?”
Shi Ning let out a confused “Hm?” and pointed to herself. “Me? Girlfriend?”
The nurse glanced at her again and said awkwardly, “Sorry, I misunderstood. That’s right, you’re both Alphas. How could you be a couple?”
Shi Ning said, “...What’s wrong with Alphas being a couple?”
The nurse was shocked. “But that’s a same-sex relationship. You can’t have children.”
Shi Ning: “Who told you I wasn’t gay?”
The nurse’s mouth formed a small, round O.
Just as Su Tianxue was pondering a solution, she heard the sound of two people chattering beside her. She glanced over and saw Shi Ning and the young nurse having a casual chat.
Hearing Shi Ning’s words, Su Tianxue had an idea. She walked over, stood in front of Shi Ning, and asked, “You’re gay?”
Shi Ning was speechless. “Didn’t you just experience the answer to that question a moment ago?”
Su Tianxue: “...Ahem.”
She was actually a little nervous.
Su Tianxue: “Excuse me, are you married?”
Shi Ning: “Are you taking a census? No, I’m not. Satisfied?”
Su Tianxue hummed in acknowledgment and said seriously, “Then would you be willing to marry me?”
Hearing this, Shi Ning laughed out loud. She stared at Su Tianxue in disbelief. “You want to marry me for a house now?” Was this the same Su Tianxue who had disliked her just moments ago?
Su Tianxue nodded. “It’s fine. You can refuse me. I can find someone else.”
“Now, hold on.” Shi Ning casually grabbed Su Tianxue’s hand. “I didn’t say I’d refuse you.”
Shi Ning: “I’ve thought about it for three seconds.”
Su Tianxue: “And?”
Shi Ning: “I’ve decided to accept your loving proposal.”
Su Tianxue corrected her, “There is no love.”
Shi Ning raised an eyebrow. “Maybe there will be.”
The two locked eyes, a silent battle of wills passing between them. The two trashy relatives, abandoned behind them, couldn’t stand being ignored and shouted frantically, “No, that doesn’t count!”
“Su Tianxue, you can’t just grab a random person to marry, and a homosexual at that! This isn’t right!”
Shi Ning: “The law doesn’t forbid Alphas from marrying Alphas. Sorry, your objection is invalid.” Shi Ning remembered this point very clearly; it had been mentioned in the original novel’s plot.
The aunt tilted her head back, her sharp, narrow eyes flying like two daggers. “I don’t care! I don’t believe it! Unless you can prove you two are really a couple and are really getting married, I’m telling you, Su Tianxue, we have all the time in the world. We’ll come to your door and cause a scene every single day. Sooner or later, you’ll have to give us this house!”
“Who gave you that confidence?” Shi Ning couldn’t stand it anymore. “Do you know that the behavior you’re describing can be classified as ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble,’ punishable by up to five years in prison, criminal detention, or public surveillance?”
“Besides, you want us to prove we’re a couple, so why don’t you prove to me that you’re human? The only difference I see between you and a dog is that when a dog shits, its owner cleans up after it. You don’t have one.”
The aunt’s face flushed with anger, but then Su Tianxue shook her head and said, “Don’t say that.”
Shi Ning: ? So I can’t insult her.
Su Tianxue: “I think dogs are a little cuter than them.”
Understood.
Shi Ning smiled. “Yes, they’re not worthy of the comparison.”
The aunt was so furious she started cursing their ancestors. Shi Ning took out her phone and started recording. After the relative had finished her tirade, she called the police.
“Hello, Officer? Someone is cursing at me.”
Aunt: Are you even playing fair?
Shi Ning: “Verbal abuse is illegal. Didn’t you know?”
Aunt: “You just called me a dog!”
Shi Ning feigned innocence. “I did not. I just said you weren’t as cute as a dog. Would you like to take a look in the mirror?”
After a short wait, the police actually arrived to handle the matter.
“Name.”
“Shi Ning.”
“Age.”
“Twenty-seven. Unmarried.”
Su Tianxue caught the look Shi Ning threw her way and thought, So she really was lying in bed.
Seeing this, the young police officer frowned deeply. “Miss Shi, are you reporting your personal information to me, or to this Miss Su? Just speak. Why are you staring at someone else?”
Shi Ning: “I’m reporting to both of you.”
She could spout nonsense so easily. “Officer, she just proposed to me. I’m a little excited.”
The officer was exasperated. After going through the details of the police report and the related circumstances, he reviewed the audio recording Shi Ning had prepared and glanced at the hospital’s security footage of the disturbance. He decided to take Su Tianxue’s chaotic aunt and uncle back to the station for questioning.
The aunt was not having it. She craned her neck and yelled, “Officer! I’ve been wronged!!”
The officer’s expression changed. “How old are you, calling me uncle?”
Aunt: Is this a double standard?
The officer snapped his file folder shut and adjusted his body camera. “Is there a problem?”
The aunt quickly pointed at Shi Ning. “This person insulted me too.”
Officer: “What did she say to you?”
Aunt: “She said I’m not as cute as a dog!”
Officer: ...
Shi Ning didn’t back down. “Officer, I was merely stating a fact. I’m good at using metaphors to describe a person’s appearance. That kind of behavior doesn’t rise to the level of an insult, does it? You can’t define it that way.”
Shi Ning tilted her head. “Woof.” Her eyes were innocent. “I really like puppies.”
Did the officer not see that this woman was just fanning the flames? He shot her a helpless glare and dragged the relatives away. As they were leaving, the aunt and uncle were still shouting at the top of their lungs, “I’m telling you, Su Tianxue, I’ll be back!!”
“Your house- Ouch!”
The officer pushed the person’s head down. “What are you coming back for? You keep this up, and I’ll make sure you never come back!”
With them gone, the farce was more or less over.
Su Tianxue watched their retreating figures, lost in thought. Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation on her ankle. She looked down to see Shi Ning squatting on the ground, dabbing her ankle with a cotton swab dipped in iodine.
The iodine touched the spot where the crazy aunt had scratched her. There was a stinging pain mixed with a coolness that made Su Tianxue uncomfortable.
She pressed her lips together and pulled her foot back. “Thank you. But you don’t have to do this.”
Shi Ning just said, “Oh,” and didn’t insist. She stood up. “Can’t be helped. I’m a rather kind person.”
Su Tianxue turned her head away, not looking at her.
Shi Ning tossed the cotton swab into the medical waste bin and asked, “So, Su Tianxue, that proposal just now was just a joke, right?”
Su Tianxue shook her head. “No.” She had thought it through clearly. “If it’s possible, I’d like to ask you to marry me.”
Shi Ning leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets. “Why me?”
Su Tianxue looked at her carefree demeanor and replied, “Because you’re suitable.”
In all her life, this was the first time Shi Ning had ever heard someone say she was suitable for marriage. Ever since she started dating, people had only ever said she was destined to be a player, that she could never settle down. She had never thought about settling down either.
And now Su Tianxue was saying she was suitable.
Shi Ning was curious. “Miss Su, what about me do you find suitable? Am I good-looking, rich? Or do I have a nice personality, gentle and considerate? Or... was it love at first sight?”
Su Tianxue replied coolly, “Because you’re a player.”
Shi Ning: “?”
Su Tianxue: “All I need is a fake marriage partner. Miss Shi, your personality—not caring about anything, not taking anything seriously—is a perfect fit. Plus, we’re both women, and both Alphas. Even if we spend a long time together, we won’t be affected by heat or ruts.”
Su Tianxue looked into Shi Ning’s eyes. “So, will you marry me?”
Shi Ning looked back at her, thinking how absurd this person was.
It seemed Su Tianxue wasn’t as boring or prim as she had initially assumed. After all, you had to have a bit of a wild streak to just grab a random person off the street and ask them to marry you.
And right now, she happened to be bored. Getting close to Su Tianxue might even let her get in on the action of her sister Su Wanxing’s storyline. She had transmigrated into a book anyway. No more reviewing cases day after day, just being a hands-off CEO with nothing to do. Getting married might be interesting.
“Sure.” Shi Ning answered breezily. “Let’s go. To the Civil Affairs Bureau, right now.”
“By the way, you just stated your height and weight. I overheard. It’s only polite to return the favor, so I’ll tell you mine. I’m 175cm tall, my middle finger is 12cm, and my weight is-”
Su Tianxue didn’t understand, so she asked with genuine curiosity, “What does finger length have to do with anything?”
Her question reminded Shi Ning that this woman had said she’d never been with a woman.
So, Shi Ning smiled faintly. “If you really want to know, I can let you experience the truth through practice.”
Su Tianxue: “...No, thank you.”
She understood now.
Su Tianxue turned and walked away. She had a beautiful back. She was a very slender woman, and because of her cold personality, she walked as if she had come from the dead of winter. Other women might sway their hips, but she couldn’t seem to learn how; each step was more proper than the last.
Shi Ning watched her, feeling that those few departing steps had walked right into her heart. She thought, Good thing I didn’t intervene just now and tell Su Tianxue that she could likely win the lawsuit and have her so-called aunt and uncle stripped of their inheritance rights just by proving they never fulfilled their filial duties to her grandmother.
Su Tianxue was still wearing her jacket. She gathered the fabric closer and turned back. “What are you standing there for?”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go.”
An hour later, the two of them were sitting in front of a staff member at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
The staff member confirmed for the third time, “You two wish to get married? And you’re both ALPHAS?”
Su Tianxue nodded politely. Shi Ning was suspicious. “Is there a problem?”
The staff member said, “We don’t really encourage marriages that are not beneficial for procreation. I’ve looked at both of your genetic test reports, and you are both exceptionally outstanding. If you were willing to contribute to the continuation of the human species and pass on these genes, I think it would be a very meaningful thing.”
Shi Ning: “Marriage is meaningless to begin with, so why look for meaning in something meaningless?”
Passing on genes, my ass.
If her crappy genes were really passed down, she’d probably have destroyed the world by now. The entire globe would be full of scumbags. Now that would be fun.
Shi Ning: “Just give me a straight answer. Can we get married or not?”
The bureaucrat was stunned by the impatience and ferocity in the woman’s eyes. The pressure from a top-tier Alpha made him shudder.
He quickly lowered his head. “You can, you can. It’s just that all marriages now have a three-month observation period. You can only get the certificate after three months. You’re both aware of that, right?”
Shi Ning: “Huh?”
Su Tianxue nodded.
Seeing this, the staff member pulled out two forms and handed them to Su Tianxue and Shi Ning to fill out. “Just give them to me to register once you’re done.” While writing, Shi Ning was like a primary school student trying to copy homework, desperately trying to peek at Su Tianxue’s form. And Su Tianxue was probably the type of person she hated most in her school days.
She angled her body, blocking everything. Shi Ning couldn’t see a single word.
Tch.
It’s not like she was dying to see it anyway.
They handed in the forms, took a photo, spent nine-ninety-nine, and received a marriage observation certificate.
As they walked out, Shi Ning took a deep breath of fresh air.
So nice.
She and Su Tianxue had no love between them, so their marriage hadn’t become a tomb. She was still alive.
“Here.” Su Tianxue, walking behind her, handed her a piece of paper. Shi Ning took it, confused, and then realized it was Su Tianxue’s information form. The very “private homework” she had just tried and failed to peek at.
Shi Ning took the paper, a little stunned.
Su Tianxue’s handwriting, like her, had an enduring quality, like wind and snow.
Unlike her own, which was all scrawls.
That faint, snowy scent was carried over by the wind again.
Shi Ning heard Su Tianxue say, “I wrote two copies. One for you to keep.”
She had handed over all her information to Shi Ning without reservation.
Shi Ning cleared her throat, feeling a little shy. “Su Tianxue, are you hitting on me?”
Su Tianxue frowned. “Of course not. You’re overthinking it.” She explained calmly, “In a while, inspectors from the marriage bureau will likely visit to investigate. To avoid suspicion and to ensure we can pass the marriage observation period smoothly, please memorize the information on this sheet and, following the template, write me a copy of yours. Thank you.”
Shi Ning chuckled. “You’re welcome. I should be the one thanking you.”
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