"You... Are you Dr. Frost?"

At the entrance of the convention center, Lily Chen's pupils constricted in shock.

She had originally thought that one of the top neurosurgeons would be a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. Never in her dreams did she imagine he would be the young, handsome man standing before her.

He wore an impeccably tailored suit, with handsome features and clear eyes, though his expression remained cold. His entire demeanor exuded an air of aloofness.

Very young, looking only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with the name "Alexander Frost" printed neatly on the access card pinned to his chest.

In his eyes, Lily saw herself looking disheveled, awkward, and furtive.

It couldn't be helped. The convention center was too far from the city, and she had rushed over on her electric scooter.

Last night, her father had suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was hospitalized. The bleeding location was precarious, and he had already fallen into a coma. Surgery carried too high a risk, so the doctors recommended conservative treatment.

She had consulted her friend Emma, who worked at the hospital, and Emma suggested she come to today's neurosurgical technology symposium to find a top expert named Dr. Frost.

To her surprise, the person she randomly stopped as he stepped outside to take a phone call was him.

"What do you want?" Alexander's expression remained cold, his voice detached.

Lily was so nervous her teeth chattered. "My father had a... a cerebral hemorrhage. The doctors at People's Hospital's neurosurgery department said they wouldn't operate, only provide conservative treatment..."

"I respect other doctors' diagnostic opinions," Alexander replied, his tone completely calm and unruffled.

"Besides, without a consultation request from the patient's attending physician and detailed examination records, I cannot make any diagnosis for a patient."

His response was decidedly professional and formal.

After speaking, he turned toward the entrance. His phone vibrated with an incoming message, and he checked the screen while walking.

Upon seeing the message content, Alexander's brows furrowed tightly.

The message was from the woman he was supposed to call mother.

Several long messages accompanied by photos of different young women.

["I know you resent me and think I have no right to meddle so much. But I'm only thinking of your best interests. If I don't push you, when will you ever settle down? These girls are all handpicked by me, from suitable backgrounds. When you have time, take a look. If you like any of them, I'll arrange a meeting."]

["You don't manage our family's vast business. How much can you earn with your salary year-round? If you didn't have so many shares and dividends, your salary wouldn't even be enough to maintain your car! Either get married to put my mind at ease, or come back to the company to help your brother. Your choice."]

It seemed his previous refusal over the phone had been in vain.

This kind of threat was an old trick. But as long as his "mother" wouldn't let up, it would continue to affect his mood.

Behind Alexander, Lily followed closely. She bit her lip—her father's life was hanging by a thread, so she couldn't afford to worry about propriety.

Lily quickened her pace and grabbed the corner of Alexander's suit jacket.

"Dr. Frost, saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. Please, I beg you to operate on my father. I'll do anything to repay your kindness!"

The man suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.

His deep eyes with their cold gaze first swept over her face, then slowly fell to her hand clutching his jacket.

Lily awkwardly released her grip. "S-sorry, I was just desperate."

The security guard at the entrance had noticed the situation and was watching Lily alertly while approaching. "Professor Frost, is someone causing trouble?"

Alexander waved his hand to indicate there was no problem, looking down at the young woman before him.

"Do anything?" His sharp eyebrow raised slightly. Thinking of the recurring marriage-pushing drama, he tugged at the corner of his mouth. "As a matter of fact, I do need someone's help with something."

Half an hour later, Lily gripped the steering wheel of a luxury car with a four-ring logo, driving toward the city center.

Her palms were sweaty. She couldn't understand how things had developed this way.

In her mind, their previous conversation replayed.

"I need someone to get a marriage certificate with me. Today."

"I can help!" she agreed without hesitation, then asked in confusion, "Where do we get it? My schedule is completely open today, I can help you pick it up."

Normal people wouldn't assume someone would want to get married to a stranger they just met.

Naturally, Lily hadn't thought in that direction either, assuming he just didn't have time to collect some certificate himself.

"Not help me get the certificate—get the certificate with me," Alexander emphasized.

Lily blinked, belatedly realizing what he meant. She stared in disbelief, "Get... what certificate?"

"What do you think?" Alexander's eyes, cool and quiet, observed her suddenly widened eyes.

Isn't he a brain doctor? Why hasn't he treated his own brain? Lily screamed inwardly in disbelief.

Seeing her looking at him as if he were insane, Alexander also seemed to find it somewhat amusing. The corner of his mouth tugged into a faint, self-mocking smile as he turned to walk toward the conference hall.

Lily couldn't even remember what she was thinking at that moment. She rushed forward and spread her arms to block Alexander's path. "Fine! As long as you operate on my father!"

...And that's how things had turned out the way they were now.

Her electric scooter had been 'abandoned' in the convention center parking lot because she had to drive Alexander's car back to the city, allowing him to study her father's condition on the way.

The air conditioning in the car was strong, but Lily's forehead still couldn't help but break out in fine sweat.

Alexander sat in the passenger seat, one hand supporting his chin, looking at the CT scans on her phone screen.

Lily couldn't resist turning her head, trying to judge from his expression whether her father's condition was optimistic or not.

But this man's expression... this man barely had any expression.

Lily felt somewhat defeated.

"Watch the road," Alexander said flatly without taking his eyes off the phone screen.

Lily turned back to look at the road ahead.

As they prepared to exit the overpass, she heard his pleasant yet detached voice directing, "Turn left at the bottom."

Lily bit her lip. "But..."

Turning right was the direction to the hospital.

"Turn left, to the civil affairs bureau," Alexander finally looked up from the phone screen to her.

Lily frowned deeply. "Dr. Frost, are you serious?"

Alexander gave a short laugh at her words, though it sounded cold. "Do you think I would skip an important meeting to play games with you?"

"But marriage is a serious matter! We're complete strangers who just met for the first time!" Lily couldn't understand this man's thought process.

"I'm not asking you for a romantic relationship. It has nothing to do with how many times we've met. I just need someone to marry me to avoid some unnecessary trouble."

Alexander frowned impatiently. "If you're willing, then you're willing. If not, pull over."

The car had already entered the exit ramp. Ahead was the traffic light intersection beneath the overpass.

Turn left or turn right... What a life-changing fork in the road!

Lily nearly bit her lip until it bled, finally giving the steering wheel a sharp turn.