Want to hear something even crazier?

"Auntie, Wu Jiangyuan really was with me last night."

Pei Jinghe ignored Wu Jiangyuan's murderous glare and turned to Jia Xin'an apologetically.

"I was drunk and didn't remember clearly. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility."

Jia Xin'an was overjoyed, her expression deeply gratified. "You were getting married anyway. This is between you two as husbands. There's no need to apologize to us."

"If anything, your Uncle Wu and I will have to trouble you to take good care of our Yuanyuan from now on."

"You grew up together. We spoiled Yuanyuan rotten, so I hope you'll be patient with him, Jinghe."

Wu Jiangyuan silently rolled his eyes. His mother really did like that brat Pei Jinghe.

A few words from him had her beaming.

Knock, knock-

Grandpa Pei tapped his cane against the floor a few times and sat upright. "I watched Yuanyuan grow up. How could I not know what his temper is like?"

"He'll have nothing but a good life when he marries into the Pei family."

As he spoke, he turned and gave Pei Fu a look. "Have the boys register their marriage next month. We can choose an auspicious date for the wedding banquet later."

Pei Fu said, "Yes, Father."

"Wait... wait!"

Wu Jiangyuan thought he was hearing things. "What do you mean, register our marriage? We haven't even gotten engaged yet! How are we already registering?"

Grandpa Pei stroked his beard and chuckled. "I guessed last night that you two couldn't be relied on, so I had the reporters announce the engagement."

"An engagement is just a formality to announce it. It's optional. Registering the marriage is what matters most."

Wu Jiangyuan was furious but still had to keep smiling, his words turning gritted toward the end. "Grandpa Pei, you really do move. Very. Fast."

"Hurry up and register, you two. Give this old man with one foot in the grave some peace of mind."

Grandpa Pei smiled as he looked back and forth between Wu Jiangyuan and Pei Jinghe. How wonderful it would be if they married sooner and let him hold a great-grandchild sooner.

Wu Jiangyuan had no idea what the old man was thinking, or he would have bristled on the spot.

He stared darkly at Pei Jinghe. It was all this guy's fault.

The marriage was a done deal.

Wu Jiangyuan knew that nothing he said or did could change anything.

Grandpa Pei was determined to unite the Pei and Wu families through marriage.

No one dared defy him.

After leaving the old residence, Wu Jiangyuan didn't spare Pei Jinghe so much as a glance. He got into his G-Class and drove off.

Pei Jinghe walked out of the old residence at an unhurried pace, looking up just in time to see the rear of the G-Class disappear around the corner.

In the darkness, his eyes flickered slightly, and a faint, helpless smile tugged at his lips.

Was he really that unwilling to marry me?

Wu Jiangyuan went straight to bed when he got home.

Other people drowned their sorrows in alcohol and lay awake until dawn.

He was different. Ever since he was little, he had relied on sleep to recover, sleeping until he lost all sense of day and night.

The next day, it was his ringtone that finally woke him.

Wu Jiangyuan answered groggily, drawing out the word. "Talk-"

"Jiangyuan! Have you seen the news today? All those negative reports about you from yesterday were taken down this morning!"

Aji's excited voice came from the other end.

"Hm?"

Wu Jiangyuan checked the time on his phone. Ten thirty.

He opened Weibo and scrolled a few times. Sure enough, all the dirt had vanished.

Wu Jiangyuan was rather surprised too. "Since when did you guys get so efficient?"

Aji said, "It wasn't us. The company's damage control didn't do much. Brother He thought you'd paid to get the trending topics taken down yourself, so he specifically asked me to call and check."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "I don't have that much time on my hands."

Aji said, "Brother He wants you to come to the company."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Why? Don't I have no gigs for the next few days?"

Aji thought for a moment. "I heard some show approached us about inviting you as a guest. I don't know exactly what show it is."

"Then I'll see you in a bit."

Wu Jiangyuan didn't ask for too many details. Variety shows that approached him were few and far between.

After hanging up, he lazily rolled over into another position, his mind still on the negative news.

The topics that had dominated the trending list last night had all vanished overnight. Someone had definitely intervened.

He thought it over but couldn't figure out who, so he decided to call his good friend Dai Lan.

The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered.

The first thing the other man said was, "Wu Jiangyuan, disturbing my sleep will get you payback."

His voice was low and husky, edged with the irritation of someone who had just woken up.

Wu Jiangyuan wasted no words. "Let me ask you. Were you the one who took down those trending topics?"

Dai Lan said, "Me?"

He laughed a few times. "Do I look that much like a philanthropist?"

Wu Jiangyuan clicked his tongue softly. "If it wasn't you, who was it?"

Dai Lan said, "Someone helped get you off the trending list, and you're unhappy about it?"

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Shouldn't I thank them properly?"

Dai Lan said, "I'm telling you, it was probably your family."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Impossible. My dad would love to see me get torn apart online so I'd behave and go home."

Dai Lan said, "Just stop dwelling on it. I took a quick look earlier. The trending list is full of news about that rare Enigma from the Pei family getting engaged. There are Omegas crying their eyes out everywhere."

Then something else occurred to him. "Hey, I remember your family being pretty close to the Pei family. Can you find out who that Enigma's marrying?"

"Not a single hint has surfaced so far."

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Didn't I tell you?"

Dai Lan said, "What?"

Wu Jiangyuan said, "I'm the one marrying into the Pei family."

"..."

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Wu Jiangyuan moved the phone away from his ear in advance.

Three seconds later, utter shock erupted on the other end.

"Holy sh*t, Wu Jiangyuan, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"That's insane, man! You never told me that. You only said your family was on good terms with the Pei family."

"So by 'good terms,' you meant close enough for an arranged marriage?"

"You're an Alpha, and you're going to be an Enigma's partner."

"Wu Jiangyuan, could you possibly get any crazier?"

"Want to hear something even crazier?" Wu Jiangyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and casually dropped another line.

"I slept with Pei Jinghe."

With that, he hung up before the other man could react.

"Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong-..."

Message alerts bombarded him like demands for his life. Wu Jiangyuan didn't spare them a glance as he got up to wash.

What lovely weather. What should I wear today?