Chapter 5 She Was Feeling Him

"I..." Elsa wanted to say something, but she found the words all choked up in her throat.

"This is my identification card. You can have a look first." Soren took out his ID card and placed it on the table neatly facing Elsa.

Against her will, Elsa stared down at the ID. The man was of high rank and on active duty. She had interviewed many people with identical profiles. The document looked very familiar and authentic, and even the wrinkles garnered after a long period of use were real.

"I don't smoke, and I only drink occasionally. I don't have other bad habits."

"Why me?" Elsa again looked at his identification card. She knew that with his status, it would not be difficult for him to find a suitable wife.

Soren himself didn't know why. Yesterday, he felt a strong intuition telling him that Greenwood should not be the man standing beside this woman. It didn't occur to him to ask until he saw her tears just now. He could see that there was no love lost between her and Greenwood. Even so, he could hardly tell her that he had fallen for her. "I've been seeing you these past few days. I think that we would suit quite well."

If a man hadn't seen any woman in three years, even a sow was a beauty in his eyes. These words had come up when Elsa had been conducting interview before. She suddenly thought of this sentence and believed what he said. "We would suit quite well."

Even so, she didn't know whether she should accept the man's proposal. It was quite sudden decision, after all.

At this time, the waiter brought over their coffee and placed it on the table before them. "Here are the drinks you ordered. Please enjoy them."

Soren tore open a sugar packet and asked, "Full pack or half?"

"Half a packet."

He stirred in half a packet of sugar into the latte and pushed the cup toward her. This thoughtful gesture seemed to be deliberately designed to flatter her, in light of his proposal. However, the calm concentration on his face made it seem like he was doing these things as a matter of course-like it was second nature to him to do these things.

He said carefully, "It's okay, I'm not rushing you. Take your time and think about it first."

Elsa took a deep breath and slowly replied, "I have always been in poor health, and I've had surgery before. The doctors said that my chances of bearing a child full term is lower than that of ordinary people. I am busy with work, and sometimes I can be a mess. Also, I'm not a family-type person. I'm far from being a suitable partner..."

Both of them understood what she was implying with her revelations.

"I don't mind. The point is, you seem to be suitable for me. What's more, it's still too early to talk about having a baby and starting a family..."

Elsa blushed when she heard that statement. 'What you're saying is, both of us will be getting the relationship that we want out of this arrangement."

After some thought, Soren nodded his head.

"Then... What are we going to do now?" Elsa asked.

By now, their understanding was that they had already accepted each other and were going to marry.

"I have to call someone first. Can you stay here for a while?" Soren picked up his mobile phone.

Elsa was feeling overwhelmed at that moment, so she gestured toward the bathroom. Soren nodded. She rushed toward the small room, took off her large-framed glasses, and splashed cold water on her face. She hadn't been getting quality rest in the last few days, so she constantly felt like she was in a daze. It was like she existed in a dream-like state, and she was left wondering if she would eventually wake up to find herself still in her dorm, clutching the quilt to herself and fighting the sound of the alarm.

She momentarily closed her eyes hard. When she opened her eyes and saw the hotel's logo in the mirror, she told herself that it was not a dream. She walked out of the bathroom slowly and saw that Soren was still in his seat. A spry, enthusiastic young man rushed toward their table and placed a stack of documents in front of Soren. With a simple, honest smile on his tanned face, he said, "Sir, here are all the materials."

"Hello, sister-in-law!" the young man said to Elsa in a gruff voice when she sat down in front of Soren.

A blush unconsciously burned in her face when she heard the greeting.

"Wait for us for a moment!"

"Yes, sir!" The young man bowed to him, turned around, and ran to stand ramrod straight by the cafe's entrance.

Indicating the papers in his hand, Soren said, "These are the documents for the marriage registration. It usually takes several days to get them filed, so we can't get a marriage license today."

Still in oddly light dream-like haze, Elsa asked, "Then what should we do?"

"Would you mind holding the wedding reception tonight and postponing the registration for a few days?"

Elsa did not mind that at all, so she shook her head.

"Are you okay?" Soren asked with concern when he noticed her flushed face.

"I'm fine. How should I answer these forms?" Elsa picked up the stack of paper and skimmed through the documents. The pages were densely dotted with description. Certain sections asked for accounts of their relationship and marriage reports. She felt dizzy.

"Just fill in your personal information-I'll take care of the others. Ten, I'll accompany you to file the paperwork when it's convenient for you. Once we get these approved, we can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get the marriage license."

She had brought all of her personal documents in her bag because she was supposed to get the marriage certificate with Greenwood this morning. She didn't know which specific materials she needed. Her mother sent her the single status certificate and household register two days ago, and the director of the newspaper even gave her an introduction letter. She took out all of her documents from her bag. It seemed like she was more prepared for this than Soren.

Afterwards, Soren took her to the hotel's business center to have the documents photocopied. Soren had written something in the love and marriage report sections. Elsa never got to read them, but as she watched him write in front of her, she could tell that the words were strong and convincing, judging from the slight expression of satisfaction on his face after he had finished answering those sections.

They were not familiar with each other yet, so Elsa was embarrassed to ask him what he wrote. She watched him put everything in a manila folder and call out, "Bob!"

"Yes!" The young man standing in attention trotted over to them and took the folder.

Soren laughed and said, "Tell the boss that I will take my wife to see him."

"Yes, sir!"

"Go ahead."

Their exchange was short and calm. Elsa had never heard the likes of it before at work, least of all Soren's voice. His voice was exceptionally commanding-it was the sort of voice that compelled anyone who heard it to obey.

It was only eight o'clock in the morning. Soren took a glance at his wristwatch and said, "I need to change my clothes first, then I hope you could accompany me to breakfast."

Elsa nodded. He looked like he only hastily covered up with a camouflage jacket, while the lower part of the body was dressed in pajamas and slippers. She watched him head to the elevator, still in a trance. How would she explain this to her parents? It was like she fell in a strange cycle that became increasingly complicated with every turn.

After some thought, she decided to tell her friends first. She would tell her parents once they got there.

Little Bun answered the phone. Elsa's heart softened. She said in an affectionate tone, "Little Bun, where's your Mommy? I want to talk to your mommy."

"Auntie, Mommy went to the hospital to work. I didn't eat waffles." Her voice was full of hurt indignation.

"What's wrong? Didn't your mother take you to the hotel?" She felt a little strange.

Little Bun replied in a whisper, "Yes, we were supposed to go there, but then we met an uncle in the elevator, and mommy and I got off the elevator. She told me that she needed to do something, so she took me back."

Elsa felt even more puzzled. She wondered why Jane did not call her when she decided not to stay at the hotel. 'Who did she meet that she had to rush out and leave her phone at home?' She comforted the boy, "Okay, I'll get you waffles later, okay? I'll give them to you when I come back tonight. "

"You are the best, auntie!" Little Bun cheered over the phone.

Soren came out of the elevator just as she ended the call. The man had changed into a white T-shirt and khaki pants, looking so much like a young surfer boy. She had seen his identification just now. He was already thirty years old-hardly the teenager that his outfit made him appear. As he approached her, she suddenly realized how her clothes did not match his at all. She couldn't help but feel some awkwardness.

Then, Soren walked toward her and held her hand naturally, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. Elsa gave a little flinch, recalling how Greenwood used to hold her like so. However, facing Soren whom she barely knew, she didn't escape this time. His palm was strong and hard. He had undergone rigorous training for a long time, after all. His skin felt a little rough against hers.

She was feeling him-he was feeling her, as well. Her fingers were very slender and long, and her skin was warm and silky to the touch. He quickly wrapped her small hand in his large palm.

"Let us just eat at the hotel. They usually prepare a free buffet for the hotel guests." Elsa didn't want him to spend more money.

"The sunshine is quite delightful at this time. You should go and get more sunlight."

Outside, the morning sun in summer was not too hot, and the sunlight fell on her body and seemed to wrap her in a warm, comfortable embrace. A complex emotion awakened in Elsa's heart.

He was taller and faster than her, and he soon overtook her pace with his long strides. The odd mood in her heart soon turned into a light, tentative happiness.

Realizing that he was walking too fast, he stopped, made a turn, and started to retrace his steps back to her.

They had their breakfast in a small farmhouse surrounded by fences. Such an establishment was seldom seen within a prime location in Linchuan City. Elsa couldn't believe that a man such as he could be quite particular with his tastes. She really had to rethink his image of him as a rough man.

Elsa ate plain rice dumplings and a cup of soy milk. After having eaten her fill, she felt drowsy and secure. However, she felt too shy to tell Soren what she felt. She struggled to stay awake and watched him eating meat dumplings. Idly, she turned her head away to watch dog's tail grass surrounded by the fence.

It was rare to see such plants in the city, and she hadn't seen them many years. Thus, she was surprised to see them outside the window.

"When will your parents arrive?" Soren's voice was so distinct that she could hear him even when she was lost in her reverie.