Using Me as a Substitute? Did You Know Your Best Friend Calls Me Wife?

Mia Kane’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe those words had come from a little boy.

"You... How old are you? Do you even know what it means to marry a wife?"

"I’m already ten. I’m not a little kid anymore. Of course I know what it means. It’s... when I spend my whole life with you. I can only be good to you, and you can only be good to me."

Mia Kane was a little shocked—shocked that he was actually ten. He looked no older than six or seven, especially thin, small, and malnourished.

"Then why do you want to marry a wife? You’re still so young."

The boy lowered his head, his expression dejected.

"When Mommy was leaving, she held my hand and said she wouldn’t get to see me grow up and get married. I... I won’t get to see myself grow up either, so I just want to fulfill her wish and find a wife."

Hearing this, Mia Kane’s heart ached.

The boy’s mother had passed away.

And he was sick, too. He didn’t know with what, but he probably didn’t have long to live.

"Why won’t you grow up? What kind of sickness is it?"

"Dad said it’s cancer. The strongest kind..."

The boy’s eyes were already red with grievance, but he stubbornly refused to let his tears fall.

Mia Kane wiped the corners of his eyes, brushing away the dampness.

"So how come you didn’t find someone else, and found me instead?"

"Because you’re the prettiest, big sister. You’re as beautiful as my mommy."

The boy looked at her with bright eyes. Because he was so small and thin, his face was no bigger than her palm. That, combined with his pale skin, made his eyes seem especially large and dark.

Being looked at like that, she couldn’t help but feel a sting in her nose.

"Then what do I have to do to become your wife?"

"Big sister, you’re willing?"

The boy was overjoyed.

Mia Kane nodded.

The boy carefully took out two small red flowers from his pocket. The words "Groom" and "Bride" were written on them. They were a bit worn, and she had no idea where he’d found them.

He held them out to Mia Kane with both hands.

Mia Kane pinned one to her own chest, then pinned the other on him.

Since the sunlight outside was harsh and would cause glare in the photo, she took the little boy under the shade of a tree.

Just as she was about to take the picture, Adrian Preston unexpectedly returned with two bottles of water.

"What are you two doing?"

"Perfect timing. Help us take a picture."

She quickly handed him her phone.

Adrian Preston didn’t take it. Instead, he stared at the red flowers on their chests, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Mia Kane, are you trying to commit bigamy?"

"Ahem... What are you saying in front of a child?" She cleared her throat twice.

She pulled Adrian Preston over, her red lips close to his ear, and whispered the boy’s story.

She was afraid the boy would hear and be sad.

Her warm, moist breath washed over his ear, and an itch started deep in Adrian’s chest.

Even more deadly, her lips brushed almost imperceptibly against his earlobe, sending a tingly, numbing sensation through him that was both an itch and not an itch.

It was like a little kitten was scratching, scratching away at his heart.

"It’s just one picture. Don’t be so stingy. He’s so pitiful, I couldn’t possibly refuse."

"Wait for me a second. Don’t take it yet."

Adrian Preston took her phone, leaving Mia Kane completely baffled.

’It’s just a photo, why is Adrian upset?’

"Big sister... he’s so scary."

The little boy trembled.

Mia Kane quickly comforted him. "Don’t mind that he looks fierce on the outside. He’s a very, very good person... He used to be a police officer, did you know?"

"A police uncle?"

"That’s right, a policeman. Fighting evil, taking down criminals, protecting the country..."

Adrian Preston hadn’t gone far and heard Mia Kane praising him.

She hadn’t noticed he was still nearby and was busy pulling the little boy close, recounting Adrian Preston’s heroic deeds.

As she praised him, the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably. There was a light in her eyes, and her tone became much more cheerful.

Adrian Preston watched her intently. It was as if she herself was glowing.

This light shone not only into the little boy’s heart, but even more so into Adrian Preston’s.

"One time, your big sister fell into the hands of bad guys, and he took on eight of them at once! He knocked them all down without getting a single scratch!"

"Does he have a gun, then? A really powerful one."

"Of course! He’s an amazing shot. He can take someone’s head off from over a hundred meters away."

Mia Kane started spinning these wild tales without batting an eye.

The little boy’s eyes were filled with adoration, all traces of his earlier trembling fear gone.

"Can he turn invisible?"

"Of course! He can scale walls and walk on rooftops, move objects with his mind... it’s a piece of cake for him!"

"Can he shoot webs? Like Spider-Man?"

"That’s a foreign superhero. We don’t worship foreign things. He knows the Ironclad Fist Style and the Stillwater Strike..."

Adrian Preston was gone for over ten minutes, and Mia Kane spent the whole ten minutes shamelessly praising him.

Adrian Preston came to stand beside her, but she was so absorbed in her animated storytelling that she didn’t even notice.

"He can even catch ghosts! If a good person dies unfairly, he can go down to Hell and negotiate with King Yama, snatching people right back from Ox-Head and Horse-Face."

"Wow, he’s that amazing?"

The little boy was in awe.

"Mia Kane, if you were Pinocchio right now, I’m afraid your nose would have pierced through the hospital."

Startled by the sudden sound of Adrian Preston’s voice, Mia Kane felt a pang of guilt and snuck a glance at him.

He was looking down at her, arms crossed, watching her with an unhurried, amused expression.

Mia Kane’s cheeks began to burn.

’Looks like I exaggerated a little too much, and the person himself overheard me.’

’But it was all for the sake of his tall and mighty image!’

"Hello, Police Uncle!"

The little boy stood up straight and even gave him a less-than-perfect salute.

Adrian Preston immediately dropped his casual demeanor, straightened his posture, and returned a perfect salute.

Mia Kane looked at the big one and the little one, and the thought that Adrian Preston was her man now filled her with a strange sense of pride.

’The families of officers probably feel this way too, though I bet they’re mostly just worried sick.’

’If Adrian were still working undercover, she probably wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep well either, praying every day for his safe return.’

"Where did you go? And my phone? Give it back, I still need to take the picture."

"I went to find out about the boy’s situation. He does have cancer, but it’s in the early stages. He’s had a few rounds of chemo. But because his mother was sick for the past two years, they used up all the family’s savings, so now that he’s sick, there’s no money for treatment."

"If it’s brought under control now, he should be curable. I’ve already spoken with the hospital. I’ll be covering his medical expenses, and they’ll use the best imported medicine. So, he’s not going to die."

"Really?"

Mia Kane’s eyes lit up. Adrian Preston’s image seemed to grow even taller in her mind.

The little boy didn’t understand the first part, but he understood the end: he wasn’t going to die.

He looked at Adrian Preston, overwhelmed with excitement.

"Big sister was right! You really can catch ghosts! You’re good friends with King Yama, and you told him to let me go, right?"

"Alright, alright... stop talking..."

Mia Kane was mortified.

Adrian Preston shot her a look, then squatted down and patted the boy’s head.

"Mm, I had a word with him. He’s going to let you live a good, long life."

"Thank you, big sister! Thank you, Police Uncle!"

"I’m not a police officer anymore. Besides, she and I are a couple. You call her ’big sister’ but you call me ’uncle’—what’s the logic in that? Call me ’big brother’."

"Okay, Police Uncle."

Hearing that, Mia Kane burst out laughing.

Adrian Preston was also a bit helpless.

"Police Uncle, big sister, can I take a picture with you guys?"

"You can take a picture, but you can’t wear this anymore. Big sister is mine."

He took the red flower off the little boy’s chest. "This... consider it a thank-you gift. Give it to me."

"Okay, Police Uncle."

After Adrian Preston took it, Mia Kane was about to remove the red flower from her own chest, but he stopped her. Then, he pinned the "Groom" flower onto his own chest. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Let’s take the picture now."

His gaze, tender yet powerful, was fixed on her.