Flash Marriage: Taming The Cold CEO

The neon lights outside reflected on the glass-paneled windows of the cafe. A tiny snail moved drowsily on the potted plant in the corner. Lesley Liang, who had chosen a seat near the window, was staring out absentmindedly while she waited. After looking around for a while, her eyes finally rested on the potted plant beside the window and she found that sadness surged within her like a tidal wave.

Never in her wildest dreams would Lesley Liang have thought that she would marry a man whose name she didn't even know fifteen days before. She had spent the last three months in a mess.

This was the first time she was going to meet her best friend after she broke up with her boyfriend and got married.

Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere in the cafe was destroyed by a loud voice.

"Hi, Lesley!"

The voice drowned out the pleasant sounds of the soothing, classical music playing in the cafe. With an embarrassed smile, Lesley Liang quickly gestured her friend to be quiet. Seeing this, Phoebe Jin, who was wearing a fiery red suit and short skirt, covered her mouth and walked towards her sheepishly.

"How come you chose to meet me in a cafe this time?" Taking a seat across Lesley Liang, Phoebe Jin couldn't help but feel surprised.

With a faint smile, Lesley Liang pursed her lips slightly. Her dimples were as sweet as candy, and her big eyes were as clear as water, as if there was never any sadness in them.

"We haven't seen each other for about three months." Lesley put down the coffee in her hand and smiled softly.

Phoebe Jin looked at her friend up and down and felt something was wrong, so she asked, "Where have you been all this time? Tell me the truth. You haven't been answering the phone when I called. And when I went to your house, the landlord said you had moved out. You are an adult. Can you stop behaving like this and worrying me?"

Phoebe reprimanded loudly as if she was her mother. Looking around, Lesley teased, "I chose to meet you in a public place so that you wouldn't yell at me."

But Phoebe didn't care whether it was a public place or not. She continued ranting about Lesley's sudden and unannounced disappearance.

With an apologetic look, Lesley bit her lips and said softly, "Phoebe, I'm married."

"What?" sputtered Phoebe as the coffee spilled from her mouth. She touched Lesley's forehead in disbelief and asked, "Do you have a fever? Why are you talking nonsense?" Then she wiped the coffee with a tissue.

Lesley said seriously, "It's true." She smiled sadly.

The warm and cozy atmosphere in the cafe became cold and tense after Lesley finished speaking. The playful expression on Phoebe's face disappeared too. She asked in a low voice, "Are you serious?"

Biting her lips again, Lesley nodded silently.

Lesley knew before coming here that Phoebe would be shocked when she heard the news of her marriage. So she was prepared for this reaction. She remained calm and waited for Phoebe to absorb the news.

After about five minutes of silence, Phoebe sighed, stared at Lesley, and said, "I know you feel bitter. You have been in love with your boyfriend for many years, but he suddenly cheated on you. No one can get over such a betrayal."

The corners of Lesley's mouth twitched. Those words stabbed her heart like a knife.

"Lesley, I feel sorry for you. You have to take care of yourself. That two-timing scoundrel doesn't deserve your attention at all. You will meet someone better in the future!" Noticing the sadness on Lesley's face, Phoebe tried to comfort her, ignoring the news that her friend had just given her. She couldn't believe that Lesley was married.

Lesley knew why Phoebe wasn't convinced. After all, Lesley had just broken up with her ex-boyfriend, David Han, and now, out of the blue, she claimed that she was married. Obviously, Phoebe would think that it was a prank. Moreover, she knew that Lesley still loved David Han.

"Phoebe, I didn't lie to you. I just want you to stop worrying about me," Lesley said lightly after a few minutes of silence. She sounded sincere, but not happy.

Seeing that Lesley was serious, Phoebe was incensed. She stood up, pointed at the spot between Lesley's eyebrows, and cursed, "Are you insane? Did you find some rich man on the street and get married in a flash?"

Lesley didn't take her accusation to heart. She smiled and looked up at Phoebe who was anxious. "You're crazy!"

Lesley had thought that Phoebe would calm down but the opposite had happened. She never expected Phoebe to turn gossipy. "Then tell me about your adventure so that even I can learn from your experience. Maybe I can also catch a rich husband tomorrow!" Phoebe smirked and winked.

Lesley choked on her coffee. She set the cup down on the table. "Phoebe, don't be so greedy. Ken has always been kind to you. Don't be so ungrateful!" she said angrily.

With a cunning smile, Phoebe taunted, "Oh, I haven't seen you in months, and you've become so eloquent that you know how to teach me a lesson. You were also so kind and loyal to David. Why did he betray you then?"

When Lesley heard David's name, her heart trembled and her eyes widened. Fortunately, she had calmed down after all these months, so after regaining her composure, she smiled as if nothing had happened. "Some things are not in our hands. It's fate. We three have known each other since childhood, and Ken has always protected you all these years,"

Lesley said earnestly. Although she had a smile on her face, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. She couldn't help but think of the years she and David had spent together.

The two of them had lived together for four years. Normally, a couple would have been committed to getting married after living together for so long, but in the end, they broke up.

"Do you mean to say that you have a husband only by the decree of destiny?" Phoebe pressed on, unwilling to let the matter go. "Come on, tell me honestly. Which spell did you use to get him?"

"I'm not a witch!" Lesley snapped. The memory of that day three months ago suddenly rushed to Lesley's mind.

It was a hot summer's day. When Lesley found out that David had a new girlfriend, she felt like she had crashed from heaven to hell. Since then, she had been staying in a tiny rental house. She had stopped meeting friends and answering phone calls. It was not until a week later when Phoebe sent her a message to tell her that Lisa Bai was going to study abroad that she came out of her dark cave of despair.

Perhaps Lesley had a glimmer of hope that she would get to see David. After all, it was Lisa Bai, David's cousin, who had introduced them both to each other. So there was a high probability that David might be present at the send-off party. But unfortunately, he wasn't there.

At the party, everyone was toasting to Lisa Bai and bidding her farewell whereas Lesley was drinking alone in the corner, looking like the saddest person in the world. Eventually, even Lisa Bai had come over and tried to cheer her up. Lisa Bai was not only David's cousin, but also Lesley's confidant. Lisa had helped her overcome the sadness of heartbreak.

It was also after Lisa's send-off party that Lesley had met Michael Mo. Perhaps it was a coincidence that Lesley refused her friends' offer to drive her back home. Stumbling out of the banquet hall, she was walking back alone. She had a splitting headache from all the wine she had gulped, so she was unsteady on her feet. She didn't notice the speeding car at all. When the car came closer to her, she froze in place like a deer in headlights.

A tall man in an expensive suit stepped out of the car elegantly and walked over to Lesley. He looked at her disdainfully and then took out a wad of money from his wallet, and pressed it into her hands. "Watch where you're going the next time!"

The words churned up a sea of memories in Lesley's mind, as David often said this to her. All the grief accumulated within her heart exploded.

She cried silently at first and then burst into hysterical tears.

Michael, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks. He was shocked by Lesley's reaction. Perhaps he felt bad for the sad, lonely girl, so he took her home with him. Whenever Lesley's mind turned to the events of that night, beads of sweat formed on her face.

Something happened in her inebriated state that night that shouldn't have happened.

When Lesley woke up the next day, she didn't regret it. Instead, she foolishly thanked him. It was ridiculous when Lesley thought about it in hindsight. It seemed that the purity that was so valued in the world was actually worthless.

Standing in front of the French window, the man was smiling contently. He was half-naked, and smelled faintly of stale alcohol, which must have rubbed off on him from Lesley last night.

After putting on her clothes, Lesley was about to leave but she was stopped by Michael. He said the one thing that had terrified her so far. "Let's get married."

His tone was flat. His voice held no emotion and his words did not sound arrogant either, but they stuck in Lesley's mind.

When Lesley was in a vulnerable state, she had a tended to make mistakes. So true to character, she nodded and went to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Michael the next day. Before she got the marriage certificate, she didn't even know the man's name!

If it weren't for the fact that Michael was so handsome, Lesley would have thought that he was a maniac who desired to get married.

Her phone rang suddenly, bringing her back to the present. She took it out of her bag, stared at the screen, and answered it immediately.

"Where are you?" Came a curt voice from the other end of the line. That simple inquiry stopped her heart from beating.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe whispered in Lesley's ear.

After hesitating for a while, Lesley answered, "I am outside with a friend. I will be back soon."

"Tell me the address. I'll pick you up." His low voice held an unmistakably authoritative tone, which left no room for refusal. She had no option but to give him the address.

After hanging up the phone, Lesley was completely flustered. She wondered why Michael wanted to pick her up today. Although they had legally married in a hurry, they had talked less than ten sentences in the past three months. Even the maid at home was wondering if they were a couple. So it was natural for her to feel uneasy when he was being so nice to her suddenly.

"Phoebe, he's here to pick me up. Let me get you home first," said Lesley hurriedly. She stood up in a panic.

Phoebe also stood up and said cheerfully, "Isn't his timing perfect? I need to see whether this man is reliable or not!"

Lesley couldn't prevent Michael's sudden arrival. With Phoebe waiting to create trouble, Lesley felt the dark clouds looming over her. While she was lost in thought, Phoebe quickly paid the bill. Then she grabbed Lesley's arm and said, "Let's go to welcome your husband!"

To discourage Phoebe from making a scene in the quiet cafe, Lesley lowered her head and followed her out.

Dusk was falling rapidly and the dim light made Lesley feel a little depressed. When she looked around, a silver-gray luxury car stopped at the door of the cafe.

"Lesley, is that your car?" Phoebe turned around and eyed the car keenly. After all, the flashy car revealed the owner's financial status.

Without responding, Lesley peeped into the car and suddenly realized something. She turned around quickly with an embarrassed look and whispered, "Phoebe, can you leave? We'll catch up another time."

Lesley hurriedly pushed Phoebe away.

Phoebe reflexively took two steps back and stood still. She blinked her big eyes, looking confused. "What do you mean, Lesley? We've been friends for so many years! And now you have gone missing for so long. Shouldn't you at least let me meet your rich husband and see how he trapped you?"

Phoebe was in high spirits and her voice was even higher. Hearing Phoebe's tirade, Lesley blushed and lowered her head shyly.

"Oh, the mysterious guest is finally here!" remarked Phoebe when the car door opened. Lesley turned her head to look at Michael.

He looked dapper in his sharp suit and leather shoes, leaning against the car casually. He always wore an indifferent expression, but it could not hide his gentle temperament.

"Wow, Lesley! You must have done some good deeds in your previous life to meet such an outstanding man!" gushed Phoebe, who was standing behind Lesley. She couldn't help but sigh when she saw Michael's face.

With an embarrassed smile, Lesley turned around and covered Phoebe's mouth with her hand. Then she said to Michael, "Phoebe likes to joke. Don't take her seriously..."

Phoebe pulled Lesley's hand off her mouth and complained, "You've forgotten about your friends for a man!" A happy smile appeared on Phoebe's face when she saw Michael approaching them.

"So, you're Lesley's mysterious husband. You're so handsome!" she squealed excitedly. Phoebe couldn't help praising him. She also nudged Lesley's shoulder and winked at her.

Lesley was mortified by Phoebe's comments. She felt awkward and the panic in her heart was growing.

Lesley was used to Phoebe's straightforward and blunt ways, but it was unlikely that Michael, who was a man of few words and smiles, would like it. "Phoebe is just joking. She just wants to say hello to you," Lesley explained quickly.

It was evident that this explanation was a weak one as Michael's cold expression did not change from the beginning to the end. On the contrary, when he heard Lesley's voice, his eyebrows furrowed deeper. Lesley put two and two together and realized he regretted what had happened that night. He had said that he was responsible for her, but maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. Maybe he was worried about his image being tarnished as someone who had sex with a woman and didn't marry her. Of course, she was only speculating.