"There's sweet soup in the thermos. I just made it this morning."
Mingting had noticed Shen Tinglan watching him.
He looked up and smiled at her.
"I remember you like sweet soup, but you don't like it too sweet, so I only added a little sugar."
"It's my first time cooking, so I'm not very skilled. Give it a try and let me know if there is anything that needs to be improved, I'll adjust it next time."
Shen Tinglan had already noticed the roses and the thermos.
There was no denying that Mingting's every move struck a chord with her.
Especially the fact that he had personally cooked sweet soup and sent it to her, it made Shen Tinglan even more certain that Mingting would be a loving and considerate husband.
The thermos didn't hold much, just enough for one bowl.
Shen Tinglan poured out the sweet soup, which was filled with red beans, longan, lotus seeds, and silver fungus. She took a bite and found the texture was soft and velvety, and the sweetness just right.
"It's delicious!"
As it happened, Shen Tinglan was a little hungry.
She wasn't the coy type either. Since her fiancé had gone to the trouble of making sweet soup for her, finishing every last drop was the least she could do to show her appreciation.
After finishing the soup, Shen Tinglan walked over to Mingting's side.
When she saw the sketches on the desk, her eyes lit up.
"This is..."
Shen Tinglan picked up one of the draft papers, on which was a rough sketch of a ring.
"Wedding ring." Mingting put down the pen in his hand, "I hope you can wear a ring I designed myself when we get married."
Mingting spread out all the sketches.
"These include earrings, a necklace, a brooch, a bracelet… I want to design a full set for you to wear at our wedding..."
After thinking for a while, Mingting shook his head again.
"No, one set isn't enough. You love traditional culture and Fanfu, so we can also prepare a set of Chinese-Style Clothes when the time comes."
Shen Tinglan knew that Mingting majored in oil painting, but this was the first time she'd seen him design jewelry.
"If you have any ideas, let me know. Since these are our wedding rings, of course they should be to your liking."
As he spoke, Mingting picked up his pen and began sketching again.
Soon, the outline of a wedding dress took shape before Shen Tinglan's eyes.
"What kind of wedding dress do you like? Lace embroidery with pearls, maybe? Mermaid dresses are elegant, long trains are romantic, A-line dresses are graceful…"
As Mingting described the options, several different styles of wedding dresses began to take form on the paper.
The Shen Family were giants in the textile and apparel industry, and as the current CEO, Shen Tinglan had developed a discerning eye for these.
She never expected Mingting to also dabble in fashion design… Not only did he speak knowledgeably about it, but the wedding dress sketches he produced were quite professional.
Back then, Father Shen had chosen Mingting precisely because he was an artistic type who wouldn't interfere in the Shen Family's business affairs.
The plan was for Shen Tinglan to remain in control of the Shen Family, then eventually passing it down to their children, ensuring the family's interests were preserved. It's also the arrangement both sides had tacitly agreed to.
But now, Mingting was displaying extraordinary talent, which makes Shen Tinglan to see him in a new light.
"It's too early to get married…" Shen Tinglan had barely finished speaking when Mingting grabbed her hand.
"You've already taken my first kiss, are you planning to shirk responsibility?"
Behind the gold-rimmed glasses, Mingting's deep brown peach-blossom eyes were full of accusation.
Even the little ponytail tied with a hairband drooped weakly at this moment, making him look like a pitiful abandoned puppy.
'Cough…'
'He's… He's just so cute.'
"Responsible, responsible."
Shen Tinglan quickly reached out and touched Mingting's little ponytail.
"Words alone mean nothing." Mingting's lips curled slightly, and there was some temptation in his voice, "My dad said, 'A woman's words are as deceptive as a ghost's'."
'Would someone as serious and proper as Mr. Gu really say something like that?'
Shen Tinglan was a little skeptical.
However, she had seen her future father-in-law coaxing her future mother-in-law once, which was indeed a big contrast compared to Father Gu's decisive, no-nonsense demeanor in business.
"Then what do you suggest? How do you want me to prove it?"
Shen Tinglan continued stroking Mingting's little ponytail.
Before, she had thought men with long hair looked effeminate, but after meeting Mingting, she immediately changed her stance.
'Short hair was too prickly, and this medium-length hair was much softer to the touch.'
'And… rubbing my fiancé's head felt amazing!'
"Get the marriage certificate. Only when it's protected by the laws of this country can I feel at ease!"
By the time Shen Tinglan and Mingting walked out of the Civil Affairs Office, staring at the little red book in her hand, Shen Tinglan was a little dazed.
'Had I just been tricked?'
'I was usually such a calm and rational person… how had I been so easily led into the trap of marriage by Mingting? This wasn't scientific! Had he put me under some kind of spell?'
"For the rest of our lives, please take care of me! Little Tinglan, I promise to love you, protect you, and make sure you never regret marrying me!"
Mingting carefully put away the marriage certificate, then picked Shen Tinglan up and spun her around several times in front of the Civil Affairs Office.
The young man's bright, blissful smile was so infectious that Shen Tinglan stopped overthinking it.
But when Father Shen was told by his daughter that she and Ming Ting had already gotten their marriage certificate, he nearly fainted from anger.
Father Shen was furious. He couldn't fathom what kind of bewitching potion Mingting had fed his daughter.
'They had just gotten engaged yesterday… nothing had been properly discussed, no prenuptial agreement had been signed, and now they were already legally married?'
'Had I misjudged that kid?'
'Was he actually a wolf in sheep's clothing?!'
"Dad!"
At this time, Mingting seemed completely unconcerned with pride, and directly threw himself at Father Shen's legs.
"The kids will take Tinglan's surname… I'll marry into the family!!"