Chapter 2: A Chaotic Union

"Is life playing a prank on me? How is this even possible? I haven't even graduated yet, and I'm already getting married? What kind of joke is this, God?" I asked my older brother, "Bro, are you guys pulling some prank on me?"

But no, the man in front of me, ever so calm, said again, "No, sir, your wedding is happening for real. We are thrilled to announce that this will be our 100th wedding ceremony."

I felt dizzy. "What's going to happen to me now? My parents will kill me! I've already been a burden to them, and now I'm going to surprise them with a new bride? There's no way I'm getting out of this alive."

In desperation, I turned to my older brother again and said, "Bro, if you need a kidney or something, take mine. Just don't do this. I haven't even graduated, I can barely feed myself, let alone a wife! Please, I beg you, let me go this time. I swear, I'll never come back to this area again."

But my brother didn't budge. On the other hand, the girl also started pleading. "Please, let us go. We'll give you whatever you want." But it was no use. They were determined to get us married. And before I knew it, they had already brought a priest from the village and completed the marriage registration.

Everything in my life seemed to have ended. They pushed us into the wedding chamber, and I just sat in one corner, trying to process what had happened. "Oh God, what have I done? I haven't even had a proper relationship, and here I am, married!"

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize the girl was laughing at my misery. I stopped crying and asked, "Was all of this planned by you? Are you in on this?"

She chuckled and said, "Who would plan to marry a loser like you? Dream on!"

I had no words. She wasn't wrong. Still, I asked, "So, what do we do now?"

She replied, "What do you mean? You're my husband now. It's your responsibility to figure it out."

Guys, believe me, after hearing that, I had nothing left to say. I just passed out on the bed, too overwhelmed to think. The next morning, we were kicked out of the house. The girl turned to me and said, "Well, I guess we'll have to go somewhere else now. You're responsible for me, after all."

I thought to myself, "What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?" Then I remembered: my uncle Cho Min-woo's Moonlit Garden House. I had the key! Without a second thought, I told her we could stay there. It wasn't technically mine, but my uncle and his son were both out of the country, so no one would bother us.

When we arrived at the house, she looked around and said, "Your house isn't too bad."

I corrected her immediately. "Dear madam, for your information, this house isn't mine. It belongs to my uncle. He was a politician who embezzled a lot of money, which is why he's in exile now."

She laughed, and we both entered the house. It had been abandoned for quite some time, so it was a mess. We spent the entire day cleaning it. By the time we were done, it was already evening.

Then she casually dropped another bombshell. "I can't cook. Oh, and I'm also scared of staying here alone."

I thought, "Seriously? Now I have to cook for her too?"

I told her, "My house is quite far from here. If I stay here, I won't be able to attend college regularly. It's going to be a hassle."

She smiled and said, "Then why don't you just move here permanently? You can stay here, cook for me, and it'll be fine."

In my head, I was thinking, "What kind of queen have I married?"

But out loud, I said, "That's not possible."

She immediately shot back, "Fine, then I'll just go to your house and tell your parents that you aren't taking responsibility for me after marrying me."

This is why I never wanted to get into a relationship. Women and their drama it's unbearable sometimes.

Reluctantly, I said, "Okay, fine."

We headed back to my house. As we approached, I spotted my friends, Li-wei and Min-jun, hanging out nearby. I ran straight toward them. Min-jun tried to run, but I caught him and gave him a few playful punches. "You guys ruined my life! It's over!"

Min-jun, confused, asked, "What happened? Did they beat you up?"

I groaned, "I wish they had beaten me up. That would have been better."

Li-wei looked concerned. "Dude, are you on drugs or something? What's wrong with you?"

I just sighed and said, "It's nothing. I'm just going through a rough time. I might not be around much for a while, got a lot on my plate."

Li-wei raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously okay? You're not making any sense."

I waved it off. "Don't worry, I'll see you guys at college."

When I finally reached home, my mom was waiting for me with a stick. As soon as she saw me, she hit me a few times and shouted, "Where have you been all day? I've been worried sick!"

I quickly lied, "I was at Min-jun's place. We had a group study session. I even sent you a message!"

Mom wasn't convinced. "Studying? That's why you barely passed with 60%! This time, if your grades don't improve, you're going to regret it."

I sighed and said, "Alright, alright. I'll study harder from now on. By the way, mom, I was thinking of moving into Uncle Cho Min-woo's house. It's closer to my tuition, and I'll be able to focus better."

Mom narrowed her eyes. "You'd better be studying, not running around with your friends."

"Don't worry, mom. I won't disappoint you."

I quickly packed my things and headed back to Moonlit Garden House. It wasn't my first time staying there, but this time it felt different. I wasn't alone. And now, I had no idea what to do next. Should I embrace this married life, or find a way to get back to my old life?

I didn't even know the girl's name yet. How was I supposed to live with a stranger? What would our future look like?

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Meanwhile, in Changsha village, a man was looking for a girl. He showed her picture to several people. One person mentioned seeing her at the bus stop last night.

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End of chapter 2