Yu Shuchang's eyes didn't waver as he answered, calm and deliberate.
"Marriage."
Sheng Yin's breath caught.
Her mind reeled, and for a moment, she didn't hear anything else—just the deafening thump of her heartbeat. Marriage? Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock.
And then it hit her.
The contract.
It had been stated that if Sheng Yin wasn't married by the time she turned twenty-five, she would be required to marry Yu Shuchang.
But tomorrow was her birthday.
Her twenty-fifth birthday.
Sheng Yin's face drained of color. She stared at Yu Shuchang like she was seeing him for the first time.
Yu Shuchang chuckled softly, his voice low and amused. "You remember now, don't you?"
Sheng Yin's lips trembled. She bit down on them and turned her face away. "If you marry me," she said in a small voice, "you'll regret it."
Yu Shuchang stepped closer, his expression gentler now. "If I don't," he said, "I'll regret everything."
