You can run from the monk, but you can't run from the temple*—the moment the two of them got into the car, Charles Chase’s phone rang.
* (This is a Chinese saying meaning, 'You can’t escape responsibility.')
Julian Jarvis’s furious voice blasted through the speaker. "Charles Chase, you really think you're something, huh?"
"Well, in some ways, yes," Charles Chase replied lazily, a shameless grin spreading across his face.
"Damn it—Yao Yao is still so young!"
"I’ll take good care of her."
"You—!" Julian Jarvis was at a loss for words, choked by rage.
Charles Chase actually understood how he felt. Cecilia was his sister, after all. When he found out she was pregnant, he’d felt she was far too young—that she deserved to enjoy life a bit longer. But now, seeing her with a child, she seemed so happy.
"Julian Jarvis, I mean it," Charles Chase spoke softly, gently brushing a strand of hair from Mia Moore’s cheek to soothe her. "You know my character. I’ll treat Yao Yao well, and the child too."
Julian Jarvis gritted his teeth on the other end. Knowing and accepting are two different things, and acceptance would take him some time. "You’d better keep your word. Otherwise, I’ll tear you apart."
"Sure thing, big bro-in-law."
Mia Moore couldn’t help herself and snatched the phone. "Ge, please don’t fight..."
Julian Jarvis sighed, taking a moment to calm himself. "We’re not fighting. If he ever mistreats you, just tell your brother."
"Charles Chase is really good to me. He listens to everything I say. Hehe, you should get used to being called Uncle soon!"
"..."
Feeling reassured, Mia Moore hung up the phone.
Charles Chase put down his phone and stroked her cheek. "All good now?"
"Mm, it’s fine. No matter what he says, my brother just cares about me. As long as we’re happy, he’ll come around."
"I know," Charles Chase leaned in and kissed her, chuckling. "We’re doing great—maybe he should focus on his own love life for a change."
Almost everything for the wedding was ready. The truth was, neither of them had to lift a finger—Madam Chen was absolutely devoted to handling every last wedding detail.
She’d even roped in Ye Jing as her partner in crime. Together, they’d seen every kind of wedding from grand venue decorations to picking out wedding favors. Every item was handpicked.
Except for the rogue batch of pink roses Charles Chase had ordered, everything else was done in Mia Moore’s favorite pale blue.
Mia Moore had once joked about arriving by helicopter, but since she was pregnant, that idea was nixed immediately. She hadn’t seriously meant it anyway.
The hotel they’d originally booked was nixed too. Sarah Chase kept finding flaws, until Ye Jing made a suggestion: why not hold it in the old family home?
It had gardens, a lake, a grand hall—so much lovelier and more convenient than any hotel.
Sarah Chase nodded in agreement. When she discussed it with Mia Moore, everyone was on board. So they brought in the decorators to transform the family house.
---
On the day before the wedding, Cecilia’s gift for Mia Moore arrived. As her best friend, she’d designed a custom set of jewelry herself.
Earrings, a necklace, a bracelet—each with a pale blue gem set in platinum, sparkling like the eyes of a mermaid girl beneath the waves, delicate and radiant, flowers blooming in playful bursts of color.
Set against black velvet, the jewels glittered brilliantly.
"Zhiyie, do you like it?"
Cecilia brought the jewelry to show Fu Zhiyie, who was working in his study. He looked up at her words.
He pulled her onto his lap, gently inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, then glanced at the jewelry. "It’s beautiful—like the color of the ocean. The necklace is exquisite. Mia Moore will love it."
Though he knew little about girls’ jewelry, he earnestly tried to express his opinion.
Cecilia rewarded him with a quick peck on the lips. "I’m glad, it turned out even prettier than I imagined."
He let out a low chuckle and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Baby, I’m still in a meeting today."
"..."
Embarrassed, she immediately jumped off his lap and dashed out, slamming the wooden door behind her.
Fu Zhiyie’s computer screen was full of old men who, by now, wisely kept their eyes to themselves.
Yep, this was the third time this month. They’d all gotten used to it by now.
…
The night before the wedding, Mia Moore moved back to the Jiang family’s old house to wait for Charles Chase to pick her up the next morning.
The two of them snuck in a late-night video call. Rubbing her chest, she confessed nervously, "Charles Chase, I’m suddenly so anxious—so anxious I feel sick."
On the other end, Charles Chase frowned in worry. "Sweetheart, what are you nervous about?"
"I don’t know… wuwuwu… tomorrow you’ll marry me away, and I won’t be a single girl anymore."
Charles Chase couldn’t help but laugh. "That’s right—not a single girl, and soon to be a mom."
Mia Moore hugged her knees on the bed, sniffling, "Charles Chase…"
"Yeah?" Charles Chase sat patiently at his desk, watching her intently and listening to every word.
"Will you treat me well, and our baby too?"
"Will you stop loving me after you marry me?"
"What if you get tired of seeing me every day? What if you stop liking me?"
Her words tumbled out one by one, her eyes growing redder.
"Baby, are you getting bridal jitters? How could I ever not love you?" His voice was gentle, low and affectionate. "Don’t be afraid, okay? Just go to sleep—tomorrow you’ll be my happiest bride."
Mia Moore nodded, trying to keep her overactive thoughts under control. Maybe it was a mixture of marriage nerves and pregnancy hormones; whenever Charles Chase wasn’t beside her, she felt strangely insecure.
It was already 10:30. Lying in bed, she still couldn’t sleep, so she took out her phone and sent Charles Chase a message:
"X﹏X, wuwu, I can’t fall asleep."
He instantly replied with a voice message: "Honey, try to sleep. Remember, I’ll come get you first thing in the morning."
"Okay… then please come early, alright?"
"I’ll be early, I promise. Now be good and get some rest."
Comforted, she finally drifted off.
But the next morning, even though Charles Chase arrived bright and early to pick her up as promised, the bride-to-be was still fast asleep.
What kind of bride sleeps in until nine on her wedding day? But not a single person dared wake Mia Moore. In the Jiang family garden, a whole fleet of wedding cars stood waiting in perfect formation.
Good thing the garden was huge. Dozens of luxury cars, all neatly parked, no silly or exhausting wedding pranks.
Charles Chase let Julian Jarvis know, then slipped away to Mia Moore’s room.
She was still curled up under the covers, clutching her blanket—a sure sign she hadn’t slept well the night before.
Yes, he’d spoiled her rotten—even in her own home, she couldn’t sleep without him.
He reached out to stroke the bride’s cheek, grinned, then sneaked a photo on his phone and sent it to Madam Chen:
"Mom, your treasured future daughter-in-law is still asleep."
Back at the Chase family home, Sarah Chase was absolutely delighted, showing the sleeping Mia Moore’s photo to Ye Jing.
"Look, my daughter-in-law is still sleeping—what luck! Being able to sleep is such a blessing."
Ye Jing stifled a laugh. "And being able to eat and sleep well—that’s the best of all!"
Sarah Chase immediately texted Charles Chase back: "Don’t you dare wake her! Let her sleep as much as she wants. We’re not in a hurry here!"
Charles Chase shook his head, put away his phone, and saw his place in the household hierarchy plummet in an instant.
Meanwhile, Sarah Chase was busy sharing Mia Moore’s sleeping photo with everyone on-site, gleefully announcing, "No rush, everyone—our bride is still asleep!"
Cecilia laughed so hard she fell against Fu Zhiyie’s shoulder, quietly saving the photo from Sarah Chase’s phone to her own.