RMM – Chapter 8 My Marriage, My Choice

“You’ve really turned stingy ever since you lost your memory! I’m already downstairs, and you won’t even let me come up? What, afraid I’ll rob you?”

He Wen complained unhappily at Su Ruo.

“Xi Yuechen is at home. If you really want to come up, I won’t stop you,” Su Ruo scoffed.

“The colonel is there too? Then never mind, I’ll pass.” He Wen shivered and pursed her lips.

Growing up, they had feared little, acting recklessly and arrogantly. But life has a way of placing people in your path who make you hesitant. For them, there weren’t many such people, but there were a few—like their stern, ever-serious fathers. And then… there was Xi Yuechen.

Technically, Xi Yuechen had spent most of his time in the military, with little direct interaction with them. Yet, in the rare moments they did meet, they couldn’t help but feel an instinctive unease—an odd mix of admiration and intimidation.

Back when they were still mischievous kids skipping class, Xi Yuechen’s reputation had already spread through every corner of the military compound. As a legendary figure in the army, his achievements were so well-known that their parents constantly drilled them into their heads. Every time they got into trouble, their parents would endlessly compare them to Xi Yuechen —reminding them of how he had been disciplined and outstanding from a young age. How could they not be familiar with him?

That alone was enough, but during their childhood, every time they saw Xi Yuechen, he had treated them with cold indifference and an intimidating gaze. The shadow he cast in their hearts was deep. As children of military families, they naturally admired his unwavering discipline. So, now that he stood at an almost unreachable height in their eyes, their respect and fear of him had become second nature.

When Su Ruo first told them she was getting married, they absolutely refused to believe it. Someone like Su Ruo—outwardly warm but inwardly detached—was suddenly planning to marry someone they had never even heard of? That was impossible.

But when they returned home, and their parents confirmed the news along with an actual wedding date, it was already shocking enough. Yet nothing compared to the bombshell that followed—her fiancé was none other than Xi Yuechen.

The revelation hit them like lightning, leaving them utterly speechless.

At first, they thought Su Ruo had suffered some sort of emotional breakdown and was making a rash, foolish decision. After all, Colonel Xi was someone they could admire from afar, but could he really be a man to casually marry? The consensus was clear: Absolutely not.

But Su Ruo remained unfazed, smiling coolly. “Wow, you all seem so worked up. Could it be that you’re jealous? As far as I know, there are quite a few males here, but no need to compete with me. And as for the females, don’t overthink it either—this wedding is already set in stone.”

When they tried to reason with her, she cut them off sternly. “Enough with the pointless talk. Do you really think I don’t know what I’m doing? It’s just marriage. You can drop the dramatics right now. And once I’m officially married, any further slander or objections from you would be considered an attempt to sabotage a military marriage—a crime, you know that, right?”

That statement left no room for argument. She wasn’t joking. She was serious.

But how had she ended up marrying the colonel?

Out of both curiosity and concern, the group secretly started betting on how long Su Ruo’s seemingly doomed marriage would last. She merely smiled and refused to comment.

Later, He Wen asked her privately, “Why did you suddenly decide to get married? And to Xi Yuechen, of all people?”

Su Ruo replied, “Who said it was sudden? And why is marrying Xi Yuechen so unbelievable? We’ve had an arranged engagement since childhood. This was decided a long time ago.”

He Wen stared at her, deadly serious.

Su Ruo’s smile faded slightly as she added casually, “The elders from both families are happy, and neither of us object. So we’re getting married—simple as that. No need to overcomplicate things. Besides, it’s a good match between two well-matched families, so everyone wins. At the end of the day, we all have to get married eventually.”

She didn’t say much more, but He Wen, having grown up with her, understood.

Despite Su Ruo’s ever-present warm smile, she was, at her core, emotionally distant. Apart from their childhood friends, no one had ever truly entered her world. No matter how many suitors tried to win her over, she remained indifferent.

They used to joke that her cold personality was a complete waste of such a beautiful face—it served no purpose.

While they were busy experiencing crushes and heartbreak, Su Ruo remained entirely uninterested. Even after graduating from university, she was still the same—untouched by romance, as if it had nothing to do with her.

So now, with marriage being an inevitability, and an ideal candidate already approved by both families, why would she care who it was?

She simply agreed.

He Wen had a terrible headache. How could her childhood best friend be such an oddball, completely unconcerned about her own happiness?

But no matter how much she worried, there was nothing she could do. She knew Su Ruo well—once she made a decision, even ten oxen couldn’t drag her back. Stubborn as hell.

When two proud, emotionally distant people—neither of whom would ever change for the other—entered a marriage, it was no surprise that everyone thought it was doomed from the start. Everyone, that is, except for one person: Xi Yuehui. He was both hopeful and anxious, waiting for a miracle. But instead of a miracle, what he got was an accident.

Su Ruo’s amnesia changed many things. Whether her marriage would take a new turn, no one could say.

Seeing the subtle relief on He Wen’s face, Su Ruo couldn’t help but smile. “What’s with that expression? Since when did the great Miss He ever back down? Don’t tell me… you’re afraid of Xi Yuechen?”

He Wen slowly started the car, scoffing. “Hmph, I’m just a small fry, unlike you, so full of courage. No matter how bold I may be, I’d still willingly steer clear of Colonel Xi.”

“You make him sound terrifying,” Su Ruo mumbled under her breath, momentarily forgetting that she, too, felt inexplicably nervous around Xi Yuechen. Hadn’t she just snuck out without telling him this time?

He Wen glanced at her but said nothing. After a while, she casually asked, “So, now that you two are married, how are things going?”

Hearing the question, Su Ruo frowned slightly and replied matter-of-factly, “What else? We just keep to ourselves, don’t bother each other.”

“And at night? Do you sleep separately?”

He Wen was just asking casually, not expecting anything surprising. But someone just had to give her a surprise.

“Sleep? Together, of course.”

“Wait, what? You actually sleep together?”

He Wen’s excitement shot through the roof. She quickly pulled over, her face full of gossip.

“How is it? Come on, tell me everything!”

Seeing He Wen’s expression, Su Ruo immediately knew what she was thinking. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she snapped, “What nonsense are you imagining? It’s just sleeping!”

He Wen looked disappointed. So, nothing happened? What a waste. But still… the fact that they were actually sleeping in the same bed—wasn’t that a little weird? If things kept going like this, could a little surprise baby appear out of nowhere one day?

Maybe this whole amnesia thing had a purpose after all. Wasn’t this just fate working to save their marriage?

Su Ruo felt a chill as she saw He Wen grinning mischievously. Choosing to ignore it was probably the wiser option.

“Hey, if you’re done with your wild fantasies, can we get moving now?” Su Ruo reminded her.

“Oh, right. Where are we going? You haven’t even told me the directions.”

“Let’s go to the furniture store. I want to buy two rugs—one for the living room, one for the bedroom. And a small coffee table, a rocking chair, maybe some flowers… Oh, and I should check out curtains too. The colors in the house are too plain—”

Before she could finish, He Wen abruptly stopped her with an intense, weird stare.

Su Ruo blinked and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

“Wasn’t your house already designed perfectly? I don’t remember you ever mentioning wanting to renovate before. What’s going on? What’s the big idea?”

“Why do you care? Are you saying I can’t make decisions about my own home? Since I live there, of course, I need to arrange it the way I like. I need to leave my personal touch everywhere—otherwise, I won’t feel comfortable living in it.”

He Wen clicked her tongue in amusement. “Tsk tsk, the power of amnesia is truly something. Even Su Ruo is turning into a model housewife. Unbelievable. At this rate, maybe you should start thinking about having kids soon?”

Su Ruo’s cheeks flushed red at He Wen’s teasing. “Stop talking nonsense! If you want kids, go have them yourself. Quit making fun of me.”

Seeing that Su Ruo was genuinely annoyed, He Wen wisely decided to drop the subject and quickly changed the topic. “Alright, alright, your humble servant will now accompany you on your shopping trip. Will you grant me the honor of serving you today?”

“Oh, get lost! My mom already gave me money, why would I spend yours?”

“Fine, fine. If you don’t want me to pay, I won’t. Now let’s go.”

Just as they were nearing the furniture store, He Wen’s phone rang.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Young Master Jiang. What’s the occasion? What a coincidence for you to call me now.”

Whatever was said on the other end made He Wen glance at Su Ruo with a grin before replying, “Oh, cut the crap. Ruoruo is right next to me—watch what you say if you don’t want trouble.”

“Alright, alright, I promise to bring her over. Don’t worry.”

After hanging up, He Wen immediately turned the steering wheel, changing their route in a completely different direction.

“Hey, hey! He Wen, where are we going?” Su Ruo asked hastily.

“Why so anxious? It’s not like I’m selling you off. Jiang Sheng’an and the others are at Mu You, and they asked us to join them.”

“Mu You? Where is that?” Su Ruo looked completely lost.

He Wen gave her an exasperated look but quickly sighed. “Forget it, I won’t argue with an amnesia patient. Mu You is your store. You’re the owner of Mu You, got it? Now, let’s take you on an inspection tour of your own business.”

Su Ruo owns a store? That was… quite a surprise. She had been worrying about having nothing to do, and now, out of nowhere, she had a business.

But still… “He Wen, can we go another day? Let’s just buy the stuff first, okay? I don’t even know them. Wouldn’t it be really awkward?”

“Oh, come on. What do you mean you don’t know them? You guys grew up together! Stop acting so delicate. Be quiet and listen to me. Ever since your accident, everyone’s been worried sick about you. You have to come today and at least recognize them again. Don’t you dare say you don’t know them.”

He Wen kept her eyes on the road as she lectured Su Ruo. In truth, she had her own motives. Since Ruoruo had lost her memory and even changed her personality, it was important for her to reconnect with her childhood friends. If she got used to being around them again, over time, their bond would naturally rebuild.

What He Wen didn’t realize was that the Su Ruo sitting next to her was no longer the same person who had grown up with them.

Su Ruo’s hesitation was completely ignored. Even her reluctance couldn’t be shown on her face. She could only watch as He Wen drove her straight toward this so-called Mu You.