Su Qingli has had an epiphany.

"Considering it before I went to your house to meet your parents, I guess," Lu Han replied after some thought. "Even if we got a real marriage certificate, we'd have to switch it to a divorce certificate within two years at most. So why bother? You wouldn't want 'divorced' on your personal record, would you?"

Su Qingli let out a sigh of relief. It turned out that Lu Han had never intended to get a real marriage certificate from the start, and his decision hadn't changed after meeting Shen Luoyan. That was reassuring—she could be confident that Shen Luoyan wasn't as important to him as she feared.

"Aren't you being too pessimistic?" Su Qingli bit her lip, half-jokingly. "What if, during these two years, I actually fall in love with you?"

Lu Han found this amusing. "Do you really believe that yourself?"

In her heart, Su Qingli thought, *Of course, I already like you.* But aloud, she said, "You never know. I'm not made of stone. Maybe if you keep trying, I'll warm up to you."

Her hint was quite clear: she wanted Lu Han to take the initiative. She didn't want to make things too difficult for him.

"Hmph... Forget it," Lu Han responded with a touch of self-deprecation. "With Shen Luoyan and Chu Ruoyan, I've practically laid my heart bare for them, but what did I get in return? Someone like me… maybe I just don't deserve love."

"You're not allowed to say such things about yourself," Su Qingli protested, feeling a pang of sympathy. Had Lu Han's lack of security become so severe?

But then she remembered his background—an orphan who had been drifting alone for over twenty years. It made sense why he might feel this way.

Rather than being disillusioned with love, Lu Han's strong self-protection instinct had become second nature.

Suddenly, Su Qingli realized that perhaps it was right not to reveal her feelings too soon. Because Lu Han was sure she wouldn't fall for him, he felt free to tease her. If he sensed her interest, he might instinctively pull away, afraid of being hurt again.

Su Qingli understood that pursuing Lu Han couldn't be rushed. It needed to be gradual, like slowly heating water until it boiled—a natural progression.

Deciding to act on this insight, she took Lu Han's hand and placed it on her leg. Meeting his puzzled gaze, she adopted a casual tone. "Consider this comfort for your bad mood. Also, as a reward for getting us those fake marriage certificates."

"I wasn't in a bad mood…" Lu Han chuckled, though he wasn't about to turn down an offer like this. Especially with legs as exquisite as Su Qingli's, how could he refuse?

As she felt his rough hands caressing her leg, Su Qingli almost wanted to cry. Could she admit that she'd dreamed of this very scenario last night?

How embarrassing!

No way would she let this dog man know her secret! Feeling a bit guilty, she quickly changed the subject. "By the way, I haven't asked you yet—how did you know my birthdate?"

She was curious because she hadn't told him herself, yet he had included it on the fake marriage certificates.

"I asked Aunt Xie," Lu Han explained with a smile. "I told her I wanted to prepare a surprise for your birthday, so she gave me the details. To make sure everything was accurate, I even asked whether you celebrated your birthday by the solar or lunar calendar. And I made her promise not to tell you."

Su Qingli was speechless. *So much for keeping secrets. Even family can't be trusted.*

*Mom, you were too easily fooled!* But then she realized it wasn't her mother's fault. Lu Han was just too cunning. A future son-in-law showing such care for her daughter would naturally please her mother.

"Alright, you win…" Su Qingli sighed. "Lu Han, I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

As the car started moving, she glanced down at the fake marriage certificates in her hand and realized she wasn't as upset anymore. 

They were just fake certificates, after all. *Hmph, I'll turn them into real ones someday!*

While eating hotpot, Lu Han suddenly thought of something. "We're watching the movie tonight, around seven. What should we do this afternoon?"

"How about I drop you off at home after lunch, and then pick you up later?" he suggested.

"No way!" Su Qingli immediately objected. "I have a task. My mom said there isn't much time left before our engagement. Today, she wants me to take you shopping for a suit."

Lu Han nodded, not thinking much of it. After finishing their meal, they headed to the mall.

In the luxury section, Su Qingli quickly found a black suit she liked and asked Lu Han to try it on. Seeing the price tag—over 70,000 yuan—he hesitated. He had spent 20 million yuan without blinking for Su Qingli at an auction, but spending a lot on himself felt different somehow.

Perhaps it was just a common trait among good men.

When Lu Han came out wearing the suit, Su Qingli's initial excitement turned to disappointment. The fit was great, but overall, it didn't look quite right.

No matter; they had the whole afternoon. Her main goal was to spend more time with him anyway.

"Lu Han…"

Just as she was about to ask him to change back, someone called his name. Turning, she saw Chu Ruoyan standing at the entrance, accompanied by another beautiful woman—her close friend Liang Silu.

Chu Ruoyan had been feeling down lately, and Liang Silu had dragged her out for some retail therapy. They hadn't expected to run into Lu Han here.

The woman beside him must be Su Qingli.

Liang Silu had never met Su Qingli before, but she could guess who she was. Taking in her appearance, she couldn't help but feel inferior. Truly, Jiang City's top beauty was stunning beyond words.

She cast a sympathetic glance at Chu Ruoyan. Choosing such a formidable rival seemed like a losing battle.

"Why haven't you replied to my WeChat messages, Lu Han?" Chu Ruoyan asked, oblivious to Liang Silu's thoughts. Her world revolved around him now.

But before she could approach him tearfully, Su Qingli stepped in front of her, smiling warmly.

"Miss Chu, are you here to buy clothes too?" Su Qingli greeted her, feigning surprise. "Oh, where's your knight in shining armor, Ling Mo? Why isn't he with you today?"

This was a direct hit. For Chu Ruoyan, it felt like a slap in the face.

....

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