Marriage Concerto (Small Thing Called Love) Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Contract

After Qiao Yichen finished listening to Ding Meng speak, the first thought that flashed through his mind was, ah, she remembered my name after all.

T/N: In Chapter 1, Ding Meng only called Qiao Yichen by his nickname Goudan.

Only after a second did he blankly ask, “What did you just say?”

The corner of Ding Meng’s mouth twitched. She was only able to speak those thick skinned words after summoning a huge amount of courage. Did he want her to say it again?

The short period of silence made Qiao Yichen conscious of the embarra.s.sment on the other side of the phone. He thought for a bit and spoke, “Let’s meet up in person to discuss this.”

The two arranged to meet at a coffee shop near Zhong Xin Hospital. After Qiao Yichen walked into the shop, his eyes glanced around and very quickly found where Ding Meng was sitting. He waved away the waiter and sat down across from Ding Meng. “Why did you come over from Zhong Xin Hospital? Are you sick?”

Ding Meng heard his words and lifted her head, discovering that she didn’t dare look straight at him. “It was my grandma. Her heart disease worsened.”

Qiao Yichen’s black pupils s.h.i.+fted a bit. He asked, “Is that why you changed your decision?”

Ding Meng pursed her lips, lightly nodding. “My grandma is getting old and her health isn’t that great. My plan to continue sabotaging blind dates isn’t a solution….”

Qiao Yichen looked at her without saying a word. It would help him out a lot if she agreed to this marriage proposal, but this wasn’t a small decision. He didn’t want her to make the wrong choice due to a moment’s indiscretion.

“Have you thought it through?”

Qiao Yichen’s voice was even more mellow and rich than the coffee in front of her. Ding Meng realized for the first time that his voice had the power to move a person’s emotions. She subconsciously thought over her decision once more. In the end, Ding Meng didn’t change her mind. “I’ve thought it through. Doesn’t she just want to see me get married? What’s so hard about that. It’s not like it will kill me.”

Qiao Yichen lightly laughed. This tone of voice – clearly she’s just saying this in the heat of the moment. “Then you don’t care about becoming a divorcee anymore?”

Ding Meng curled her lips. “These days the divorce rate is so high. Divorcees are a dime a dozen. Moreover, my situation is still one that can be explained.”

Qiao Yichen still stared at her, but his expression was now much more serious. “After getting married, you’ll have to live with me.”

These words inexplicably caused Ding Meng to blush. She lowered her head and rustled through her purse. She produced an A4 sized piece of paper and handed it over. “Concerning that, I’ve already thought it through.”

Qiao Yichen suspiciously glanced at her and received the A4 paper–

Three terms of agreement:

1. After marriage, both parties cannot interfere with each other’s life. Living expenses will be covered independently.

2. Both parties can have their own relations.h.i.+ps and have no right to interfere with the other’s, but bringing home companions is prohibited.

3. With the exception of unavoidable circ.u.mstances, both parties must not have any physical contact whatsoever and definitely can not have any intimate relations.

Qiao Yichen read for a while and then burst out laughing. Ding Meng cleared her throat and asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Qiao Yichen pointed at the third term. “What sort of relations are these intimate relations?”

…. Ding Meng’s face turned red. “Those are… you know!”

Qiao Yichen laughed and placed the A4 paper off to the side. “Your conditions are too general and informal. If you’ve really thought things through, I’ll ask a lawyer to construct a more detailed contract.”

“Okay.” Ding Meng nodded her head. She raised her eyes to look at him. “Then tomorrow, can you come with me to the hospital to see my grandma?”

“Of course.” Qiao Yichen thought for a bit and then asked her, “But when the times comes to divorce, how are you going to explain this to your family?”

Ding Meng somewhat restlessly rubbed her hair. She flopped on the table and said, “I’ll tackle that when the moment comes.”

Qiao Yichen didn’t say any more. He treated Ding Meng out to dinner and then sent her home. The next day, he dressed up especially well. When the agreed upon time came, he rushed over to Zhong Xin Hospital.

Ding Meng was already waiting for him by the hospital doorway. When she saw him arrive, she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows. “Qiao Goudan, I didn’t expect you to look rather good after dressing up.”

Qiao Yichen’s eyes twitched. “From this moment onwards, forget the name Goudan. I will add that condition to the contract.”

Ding Meng curled her lips and followed his quick steps towards the inpatient ward. “Why? I think that name has a lot of character.”

“Then are you ok with me calling you Ding Goudan?”

“Hey! Good people don’t steal what belongs to others. Goudan is better off with you.”

“How about Ding Ergou? Ding Gousheng? Ding Gouhai?”

T/N: Ergou – second dog; Gousheng – dog leftover; Gouhai – dog hey. LOL I’m not sure what’s up with these names, except that there’s a lot of dog in there…

Ding Meng, “…..”

She nearly forgot what her own name was.

By the time they walked up to the hospital room, both of them had stopped messing around. Ding Meng took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

It was Mama Ding’s voice.

Ding Meng mouthed to Qiao Yichen, “My mom.” Qiao Yichen nodded his head and walked in with her.

Mama Ding froze stiff when she realized that: one, Ding Meng brought a man inside, and two, he was actually really handsome.

Just yesterday she had heard grandma say Ding Meng was secretly dating and had even gotten to the stage of discussing marriage. She had originally believed Ding Meng just spoke some random words to make grandma happy, but now it looks like…it was real?

Ding Meng gently laughed and began introductions. “Mom, Grandma, this is my middle school cla.s.smate Qiao Yichen. Do you two remember him?”

Mama Ding was still thinking when Grandma Ding exclaimed in happy surprise, “Isn’t this Goudan er? He’s already grown so big.”

Qiao Yichen, “…..”

Ding Meng turned away and secretly laughed.

Qiao Yichen smiled and walked over to the side of the hospital bed and placed down the things in his hands. “Grandma Ding, I bought these health products for you. I hope you can recover quickly.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Grandma Ding smiled so widely her mouth almost fell off. “I didn’t expect Goudan er to grow up to be so handsome. Meng Meng, is this the boyfriend you spoke of?”

“Yes, yes he is!” Ding Meng immediately a.s.sumed role of the female lead. “Gou… …Yichen and I have kept in contact over the years and quite naturally just ended up together hehe.”

Qiao Yichen silently received the Gou Yichen stab.

Mama Ding also remembered Qiao Yichen and looked at Ding Meng rather accusingly. “Since you had a boyfriend, why did you hide this from us for so long?”

“This… back in the day his grades were terrible, and he always got into fights. I was scared you guys wouldn’t like him.”

Grandma Ding became solemn and spoke, “I don’t like to hear those kinds of words. Girls change eighteen times between childhood and womanhood, no need to mention boys. Look at Goudan. With just a glance you can tell he’s a successful person.” The more she looked at Qiao Yichen, the more satisfied she became. “Goudan, where are you working now?”

T/N: it’s an idiom that means blossoming into womanhood, but I thought it was used rather literally in this sense

Qiao Yichen faced the relentless barrage of Goudan stabs and replied without a change in expression, “I’m working at Guang Chen Productions as a producer.”

“Pro…” ducer? Ding Meng was so astonished her eyeb.a.l.l.s nearly fell out of their sockets. She thought he was just an ordinary staffer.

Mama Ding turned around to look at her. “Why are you so startled? Don’t tell me you didn’t know he was a producer?”

“Of course I knew!” Ding Meng laughed gently. “I just think he’s really impressive so I get surprised every time I hear it.”

Qiao Yichen, “…..”

Grandma Ding pulled Qiao Yichen and Ding Meng’s hands. Beaming, she spoke, “When do you two plan on getting married?”

Ding Meng, “…..”

The decisive moment has come!

Qiao Yichen calmly replied, “Grandma Ding, it’s like this. Meng Meng and I originally planned on getting married in the beginning of next year, but after hearing about your illness, we’ve decided to get our marriage certificate within the next two days. However, the wedding ceremony will take some time to prepare. Therefore, the feast and banquet will have to wait until next year.”

Ding Meng glanced at him. His words “Meng Meng” came out rather smoothly.

Grandma Ding said, “I have no objections. What does the child’s mother think?”

Mama Ding spoke, “I also have no objections. Wait a moment and we’ll tell her father.”

Ding Meng interrupted to speak, “I still have a small request. Since we are only getting the certificate and need to postpone the ceremony, please don’t tell any of our relatives and friends. Can we wait until we send out wedding invitations to tell everyone?”

Mama Ding originally wanted to say that even signing the marriage certificate was not needed, but thinking about her mother-in-law’s illness, she nodded her head.

After the matter was discussed, Papa Ding also rushed over. At noon, Grandma Ding stayed at the hospital while everyone else left to eat lunch. In the middle of eating, Mama Ding used the bathroom as an excuse to bring Ding Meng along with her. Qiao Yichen was left on his own at the table to continue accepting Papa Ding’s interrogation.

Ding Meng and her mom walked over to the bathroom. Her mom pulled her and asked, “Tell me truthfully, are you rus.h.i.+ng to get married because of your grandmother’s illness?”

Ding Meng froze for a second before replying, “Yes, but Yichen and I were originally planning on getting married anyways. We’re just getting the certificate a bit earlier now. It doesn’t make much of a difference.”

Mama Ding continued probing. “You guys are really dating?”

Ding Meng laughed and replied, “Mom, what are you saying? If we’re not dating, how could we be discussing marriage?” Seeing how her mom was still wrinkling her eyebrows, Ding Meng rea.s.sured her. “Qiao Yichen and I have known each other for so many years. We understand each other very well. Don’t be so worried.”

These words actually did let Mama Ding feel relieved. “Yichen, that child, is indeed outstanding. I can tell your dad likes him as well.”

“Of course, everyone likes my Goudan.” Ding Meng washed her hands and pulled her mom with her to go back out.

After finis.h.i.+ng lunch, Ding Meng and Qiao Yichen didn’t return to the hospital. Instead they drove off in the car together. Qiao Yichen looked at Ding Meng sitting beside him and asked, “Do you have anything going on later? The contract has been written. How about we go together to give it a look?”

“That quick?” Ding Meng was amazed. “Okay.”

Qiao Yichen brought her to a law firm and found a lawyer surnamed He. There were two copies of the contract. Ding Meng took her copy and started carefully studying it.

This contract was definitely more detailed than the one she had wrote. It not only covered everything in the three terms she brought up previously, it also covered many points she hadn’t even thought of before such as the handling of a.s.sets upon divorce.

However, there were some items that particularly drew her attention.

Item 7, both parties agree to initiate divorce procedures half a year after marriage.

Item 8, in the circ.u.mstance that one party’s feelings become real while the other party’s does not, proceed as written in item 7.

Ding Meng blinked. “What’s the meaning of item 8? Are you worried I’ll really fall for you?”

Qiao Yichen laughed. “No, it’s in case I fall for you.”

Ding Meng raised her eyebrows at him. “There’s also item 6. For the duration of the marriage, daily living expenses will be covered by you?”

Qiao Yichen replied, “This item is exactly what it sounds like.”

Ding Meng wrinkled her eyebrows. “I can cover my own.”

“It doesn’t matter. You don’t look like you can eat that much anyways.”

….That a.s.sumption of yours is really wrong.

Ding Meng continued. “Then what if I go crazy while shopping and spend money recklessly?”

“You just said “crazy”. That can’t be considered daily living expenses.”

Ding Meng’s eyelids twitched. Lawyer He sat across from them. His suit and posture gave off a very professional feel. “Now that you two have had a chance to take a look, is there anything you want to alter or perhaps are there areas you don’t understand?”

Qiao Yichen spoke, “I have no issues.”

Ding Meng spoke, “I also have no issues.”

“Then please sign your names on the signature line.”

Ding Meng and Qiao Yichen picked up their pens and signed off on the contract with their signatures.