There are many next steps in life...
For instance, right now, Mia Grant’s first thought was about her job prospects after graduation.
So, without much thought, she said, "I won’t be graduating anytime soon. I plan to pursue a doctorate afterward."
"I’ll definitely come back after I finish my studies. According to my current plan, I’m going to work hard to get a job at a research institute."
She had already checked the location. It would be a very convenient commute to and from home once she started working.
Mrs. Keller didn’t have much to say about her career plans. "And after that?"
Mia’s expression went blank. For a moment, she didn’t understand what the other woman meant.
’Is she asking about my next career move?’
Mia admitted to herself that she was ambitious, but she didn’t want to seem too aggressive.
She didn’t have many short-term plans.
After all, she was still in graduate school.
Just making sure every step she’d planned so far came to fruition would be hard enough. She hadn’t thought too far into the future.
Seeing her confusion, Mrs. Keller sighed helplessly and got straight to the point. "When are you and Ethan planning to have a baby?"
"..." Mia’s eyes widened. "A... a baby?"
"Yes. You’re still young, I know, but Ethan..." Mrs. Keller left it at that.
It was only then that Mia remembered Kian Keller was already well into his thirties.
The two of them weren’t in the same age group at all.
At his age, people in their circle usually married young and had two kids in three years.
Someone like Kian Keller was definitely a rare case.
It was only because he now held a position of power; otherwise, there would be even more gossip behind his back.
He already had a leg injury, so people were probably speculating whether it had affected his ability to have children.
Once Mia’s imagination started running, it was like slipping on a banana peel—she just kept sliding further and further away.
Forcing her thoughts back to the present, she cleared her throat. "The two of us haven’t thought about that yet."
"As you know, I’ve been completely focused on my studies, and we spend more time apart than together. All my energy is going into my education right now, so I really can’t spare any to... plan for other things."
Mia felt she had been quite tactful.
After all, that was a step she had never planned for.
In the end, Mrs. Keller couldn’t bring herself to push her. She quickly changed the subject, asking when they were going to hold a proper wedding ceremony.
This was yet another thing Mia hadn’t planned for.
Seeing her expression, Mrs. Keller lost her composure and sighed.
"You two..."
"How could you have just rushed into getting married without any plans at all?"
Mia scratched her head awkwardly. "I guess we were afraid the other might have second thoughts."
She couldn’t help but speak the truth. Meeting her clear, honest gaze, Mrs. Keller didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"Ethan has never done anything so out of line in his entire life."
Mia thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, that’s just who he is. He’s very intense, very stubborn. He hates being told what to do, and at times, he can be quite vulnerable."
Mrs. Keller fell into thought. Finally, she said, "I really don’t know him well enough."
"I haven’t been a good mother. My only hope is that you, his wife, can be there for him."
Mia understood her situation but also felt sad for Kian Keller.
"He wasn’t born cold, you know."
"I’ll be abroad for a long time in the near future. If you have time... you could come and see him."
Mrs. Keller stared at her for a moment, then smiled and agreed.
Their conversation was soon interrupted by Kian Keller’s arrival.
Mrs. Keller glanced at him, unsure of what to say, and left not long after.
The butler dutifully saw Mrs. Keller out, leaving the couple to admire the flowers under the tree.
"Did she talk to you?"
Kian Keller asked.
"About what?"
Their eyes met. Mia shrugged helplessly. "If you’re talking about the baby pressure, then yes, she did."
Kian Keller’s brow furrowed, but a second later, a warm hand smoothed it out. She stood on her toes, smiling as she caressed his face. "Don’t worry, it’s fine."
"I told her we don’t have any plans, and she didn’t give me a hard time. She understands."
She smiled and kissed him. "You were so worried about a simple chat between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. You should have a little more faith in your wife."
Kian Keller wrapped his arms around her waist. "Mm."
"Have they been pressuring you constantly?"
Mia could tell he was under a lot of pressure.
Kian Keller said, "No, they just mention it once in a while. They don’t dare say much more."
Kian Keller called the shots in the Keller Family now. No matter how displeased the elders were, they wouldn’t dare openly turn against him.
He looked down at her. "You can have a little more faith in your husband, too."
Mia laughed.
They admired the flowering crabapple under the tree for a while longer. The wind began to feel a little chilly, so they got up and headed back inside.
On the way, Mia looked at their tightly clasped hands and said, "Let’s hold our wedding ceremony in the second half of the year, when I’m on break."
She couldn’t let him be caught in the middle. She wanted to do everything she could to cooperate.
Besides, they had to do it sooner or later, and she was looking forward to her own wedding, too.
It was better to get it sorted out early and put his mind at ease.
「In the second half of the year, the wedding took place as planned.」
Mia didn’t have to worry about much. She simply made a few choices from a handful of proposals, then had her measurements taken for the wedding gown and formal dresses. The wedding photoshoot also went smoothly and wasn’t nearly as tiring as she’d imagined.
Kian Keller handled basically all of the tedious details, making sure not to interfere with her studies.
She didn’t even have to take a half-day off.
The wedding was set to be in Jynsia. Mia didn’t want to go through too much trouble, and with most of the Keller Family’s elders living there, holding it in Jynsia was a perfect compromise.
The proceedings weren’t overly complicated. Kian Keller wasn’t a fan of certain formalities either, so they were on the same page and skipped many steps.
On the day of the wedding, surrounded by a full house of well-wishing guests, they exchanged rings, embraced, and kissed.
Mia felt that this wedding had been necessary after all.
After they had registered their marriage, she’d never quite been able to slip into her new role.
It was only at the wedding that she truly felt that she and Kian Keller were really married.
They were a legally married couple.
The wedding night was a sleepless one.
And what was meant to happen, happened.
Fortunately, he was considerate of how tired she was from the day’s events and didn’t make things difficult for her.
When it was over, Mia lay panting on the bed, flipping through the gift registry.
She had been sleepy, but the sight of the entries instantly woke her up.
Kian Keller knew she was a little treasure-hoarder, so he let her handle all of it herself.
He didn’t ask questions, nor did he care.
’So this is what it feels like to have your happiness doubled.’
That night, Kian Keller slept while holding Mia, and Mia slept while holding the gift registry.
She almost laughed herself awake in her dreams.
And Mia really did have a dream.
In the dream, that familiar, torrential rain was pouring down.
Through the curtain of rain, she gazed at the elegant figure under the umbrella, the ambition in her timid eyes nearly overflowing.
The moment their eyes met, she looked into those indifferent eyes, her desire to conquer him surging. She thought—
’This man... I have to have him.’
「Waking from the deep dream, Mia opened her eyes in the man’s arms.」
The familiar face before her overlapped with the one from her dream.
She couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and her gaze met the man’s still-sleepy eyes.
He had been woken up, but he wasn’t displeased. Even though he wasn’t fully awake, he subconsciously leaned in to kiss her lips.
Mia smiled and kissed him back. "Good morning, Ethan."