Chapter 5: A Fierce Battle

If marriage were a competition, then this contest should have begun the very moment Si Mingming, who never smiled upon their first meeting, finally broke into a grin.

Su Jingqiu sensed danger but could not pinpoint its source. Returning to his seat with a coffee in hand, he asked Si Mingming, "Are you curious about my tattoo?"

Si Mingming shook her head and confessed plainly, "I'm interested in you." Her frankness, combined with her sharp mind, launched a siege on Su Jingqiu that had nothing to do with romance.

Su Jingqiu thought: This woman is fierce. He looked up and asked, "What exactly interests you about me?"

Si Mingming pondered—perhaps it was the unremarkable taste of his restaurant’s food that nevertheless thrived in this business district; or the fact that he chose the café opposite his home base for a blind date; or that his waiter had twice fled the restaurant after locking eyes with her through the floor-to-ceiling window. Maybe it was as his mother, Nie Rushuang, said: he appeared physically healthy. Also, though he seemed a bit slow-witted, when he looked at someone seriously, there was something there—not emptiness.

"Do you feel dizzy every morning when you wake up?" Si Mingming didn’t answer his question but instead asked another.

"I sleep four hours a day and wake up full of energy like a calf," Su Jingqiu replied carelessly. Though truthful, it sounded more like a rebellious joke coming from his mouth.

"Then can you provide a credit report?" Si Mingming asked again.

Su Jingqiu instinctively wanted to say, “None of your business,” but before he could speak, the woman opposite asked calmly, “Register the marriage? Tomorrow.”

The words “None of your business” vanished into thin air. The woman remained composed, but Su Jingqiu saw a spark of provocation in her eyes. Was she mad? Even madder than him?

His phone rang. Taotao said, “Help! Boss! Your blind date is absolutely crazy!” Taotao was trying to stop fate’s wheel from delivering a terrifying woman to the restaurant where he worked. Just imagining her sitting there, becoming the boss’s wife, wielding an invisible whip ready to strike at any moment, sent chills down his spine.

Su Jingqiu glanced at his phone and leaned back fully in his chair. The lunch rush at the café was busy; the queue for coffee stretched from the register to beside them. The air conditioning was strong, but the heat and various scents—perfumes, body washes, shampoos, or the sweat of recently exercised bodies—flowed around them relentlessly. Yet none of these seemed to cling to Si Mingming. Sitting there, she appeared detached from this place; everyone else was merely idle extras in her world, barred from entry without a ticket.

She didn’t flinch under his prolonged gaze. She took a long sip of her coffee, quenched her thirst, relaxed, and leaned back in her chair just like him.

One woman had seen great upheavals; another was at ease in her own small world; and a third, unlike Zheng Liang, seemed poised to conquer all.

In his mind, Su Jingqiu completed a thorough appraisal of Si Mingming—and after that, he changed his mind.

Taotao would be disappointed. The “crazy” woman suddenly intrigued Su Jingqiu. A “hollow man” facing off against a “madwoman”—just the thought was thrilling.

“Let’s not say more. Exchange physical and credit reports,” Su Jingqiu said, setting his phone aside. “If there are no problems, we’ll register tomorrow. If you dare, I dare.” His reasoning remained intact: good health and financial integrity were his final bottom lines.

Si Mingming nodded, typed her email address into a text, and sent it to Su Jingqiu. “Let’s talk later. I have a meeting this afternoon.”

She then picked up her coffee and drank it down in one gulp—not exactly graceful, bordering on crude. She gently placed the cup on the table and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Before the man who might become her husband, Si Mingming made no effort to embellish herself. Her authenticity was like an unexpected afternoon downpour, leaving one stunned.

While wearing her sun-protective jacket, she kept watching Su Jingqiu. Truth be told, she quite liked his appearance and the seemingly simple-minded innocence in his eyebrows and eyes. She couldn’t help but glance at him more often, her expression softening.

She waited for him to regret this, but he stared back resolutely, as if to say: “Who’s afraid of whom?”

***

In an instant, Si Mingming diagnosed his ailment: one of three things—most likely, his heart was dead. She said nothing, put on her sunglasses slowly, and turned to leave.

The afternoon meeting was routine. After her report, she opened her inbox and saw the electronic report Su Jingqiu had sent. Without any pleasantries, he was already competing in courage with her. But Su Jingqiu did not understand Si Mingming; she was never impulsive. She approached people and matters with calm judgment. She never intended to compete in courage or clash with Su Jingqiu; she simply wanted to marry. And this man met her basic criteria—nothing more.

Zhang Lele also messaged: Bai Yang had left again, Yiyi had a slight cough. She had just taken leave to rush home. She warned Si Mingming, “Don’t get married! Listen to me! Don’t do it!” Zhang Lele’s mood fluctuated with her own sense of marital happiness. When she felt joy, she told Si Mingming, “Marriage isn’t that scary. Having someone to share all emotions with, to face storms together—that feeling is really good.” When anxious, like now, she would say otherwise.

Driving home from work, Zhang Lele overtook many cars. Upon entering, she saw Yiyi smiling broadly, which lifted her spirits slightly. Her phone buzzed—a message from Bai Yang, transferring the entire paycheck to her and saying, “Yiyi’s mom, you’ve worked hard. I’ll make it up to you when I get back!”

Zhang Lele sighed and told Si Mingming, “Forget what I said. If you want to marry, then marry.”

Si Mingming replied, “If all goes well, I’ll register tomorrow.”

The chat group fell silent. Both Lu Manman and Zhang Lele knew their friend Si Mingming was serious. Beneath her calm exterior was an unusually passionate heart. The first time they ran away from home, it was Si Mingming’s decision. Three girls, burdened with heavy academic pressure, abandoned their school bags outside the classroom and rode their bikes away.

They rode and rode, thinking they had reached the horizon, but only made it to the town of Changping, forty kilometers away. Each ate a bowl of noodles; finally, Si Mingming called Nie Rushuang, who drove over to pick them up.

Back then, Nie Rushuang arrived at the noodle shop in an old, rattling Xiaoli car that looked like it could fall apart any moment. She neither scolded nor criticized them, only worried about handling the three bicycles. Eventually, she found a small truck to tow them, following her little Xiaoli all the way home.

After that, they returned to calm, but every year or two, strange urges to rebel and run wild would suddenly rise in Si Mingming’s heart. So when she said she wanted to marry, they were not surprised—just like now.

Lu Manman said, “I’ll be there soon. Bring your flash husband so I can examine and play with him.”

A moment later, she added, “Si Mingming, you really haven’t changed at all.”

Si Mingming carefully reviewed Su Jingqiu’s report while sitting on the toilet and sent him hers in return, establishing preliminary trust.

She emailed him: “How should I address you?”

“Su Jingqiu. And you?”

“Si Mingming.”

“What’s your real name? Mingming or Mingyue?” Su Jingqiu still couldn’t decide.

“Whatever,” Si Mingming replied. After a long silence, she asked, “Have you made an appointment?”

“For what?”

“For the registration?”

“Do you need an appointment for that?”

“I have no experience.”

“Neither do I.”

Their email exchange seemed a bit ridiculous. They didn’t even consider other ways to communicate, treating this merely as a medium—anywhere would do.

Both were sparing with words: Si Mingming always was, and Su Jingqiu was simply too lazy to talk. The meticulous and serious Si Mingming sent him another email, attaching a photo of her ID card with one line: “For authenticity verification, please keep.”

Su Jingqiu zoomed in on the photo, thinking she was truly consistent inside and out—so serious, even in her ID picture.

Taotao peeked over, still incredulous. “Boss, just like that... it’s settled?” After Su Jingqiu’s “Hmm,” he sighed. Somehow, he felt his notorious boss was about to get bullied. That woman looked formidable.

He nervously approached Su Jingqiu. “Boss, I don’t mean anything else, but I think she’s the type who’d kick you out of bed if she’s unhappy.”

“Who does she think she is? No woman’s been born yet who dares kick me out of bed.” Su Jingqiu wasn’t exactly mild-tempered; he was fierce in his own way. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the capacity to run a bar in such a rough neighborhood. Drunken troublemakers often caused scenes, but as long as Su Jingqiu was around, they mostly behaved. This boss was not one to be trifled with.

“Then... then...” Taotao couldn’t resist asking, “Are you... going to sleep together?”

That was a sharp question. Sleep together? Physical contact, caresses, and tangled limbs—none of this matched the image of Si Mingming removing her sun jacket. Su Jingqiu shook his head firmly.

“Then why get married?” Taotao asked again.

This time, Su Jingqiu was annoyed, pointing at the register. “Are you too idle?”

Taotao shrugged and left, leaving Su Jingqiu to his thoughts. He began to regret it. He no longer wanted this marriage; competing with Zheng Liang didn’t seem so important anymore. He simply couldn’t like this woman and decided to end this farce. Just as he opened a message to back down, he saw Si Mingming’s text:

“Marriage is essentially a partnership, nothing more. Each solves their own problems.”

Su Jingqiu paused. This woman was so adept at reading people, delivering every word and step at the perfect moment.

A clever woman was truly formidable.

Not long after, Su Jingqiu fully understood: Si Mingming only seemed mad, but he himself was truly crazy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so easily led by her, whose acting was clearly clumsy.

“Ten tomorrow morning. Don’t miss it.” Su Jingqiu’s final reply.