Chapter 9: Getting the Marriage Certificate
When Fu Sizhuo arrived, Shen Zhuying was bending down to water the greenery at the entrance of the flower shop.
“Wait until I finish watering.” She lifted her head to glance at him, smiling as brightly as usual.
For some reason, Fu Sizhuo let out a breath of relief and walked toward her. “No rush.”
A familiar customer, noticing the scene at the door, curiously slipped a note to Xiao Tao: “Has your boss Zhu Zhu gotten herself a boyfriend?”
Xiao Tao shook her head very seriously. “He’s not a blind date or the boss’s husband!”
When Shen Zhuying finished watering, she set the kettle aside and said to Fu Sizhuo, “Shall we take a walk?”
Fu Sizhuo nodded. “Alright.”
The two of them strolled slowly along the avenue lined with plane trees.
It was late autumn. The asphalt road was covered in withered branches, and each step produced a crisp crunch. Shen Zhuying stepped on them with great delight.
Fu Sizhuo watched quietly at her side, saying nothing.
“Fu Sizhuo.” Shen Zhuying suddenly spoke. The rustling of fallen leaves nicely concealed the slight tremor in her voice.
“You suddenly wanting to take things further with me, is it because your grandmother is pressuring you?”
Fu Sizhuo frowned, denying it quickly. “No.”
“Then why?” Shen Zhuying asked.
After a few seconds of silence, he carefully chose a word. “Because I have a fondness for you.”
Shen Zhuying’s eyelashes quivered.
Fondness.
Of course, it was a vague and ambiguous word.
But considering how few times they had actually met, it sounded entirely reasonable.
And quite believable.
Shen Zhuying stayed silent for a long while before finally lifting her gaze to him. “I have an apartment in the Northern City and a little electric scooter. I opened my own flower shop, and business is doing pretty well. As for family, I have my mom, my elder sister, Zhu Zhu, and my grandparents who live in Jiangnan.”
“Fu Sizhuo, if you don’t mind…” She paused, her eyes holding a certain desperate resolve.
“Let’s get married.”
She was willing to gamble one last time on what might be nothing more than a trivial bit of fondness from him.
Fu Sizhuo clearly hadn’t expected her to say this. He froze for several seconds. “Have you really thought it through? Marriage… isn’t a joke.”
“I’m not joking.” Shen Zhuying said. “I’m serious.”
Fu Sizhuo said no more. His long, deep eyes locked onto her in near-scrutiny, as if trying to see right through her.
After a long while, he asked in an indistinct tone, “Why me?”
“Because…” Shen Zhuying’s fingertips curled. “My mom’s been pushing hard. I thought it over for a long time and decided you’re the most suitable choice.”
At the very least, before their feelings reached the same depth, she did not want to reveal any hint of affection first.
Fu Sizhuo finally looked away. “Then let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
He neither agreed nor disagreed.
Shen Zhuying felt uneasy.
Was this… a rejection?
She let out a breath, a bit lost, unsure how to respond, when Fu Sizhuo continued, “Go get your ID card and household registration booklet.”
“The Civil Affairs Bureau closes in an hour. If we hurry, we can still make it.”
——
When they reached the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Shen Zhuying suddenly hesitated. “Um… it’s still not too late if you regret it now.”
Fu Sizhuo couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s something I should be the one saying.”
He lowered his eyes to look at her. “It’s still not too late for you to regret it now.”
Shen Zhuying gritted her teeth, shut her eyes, grabbed Fu Sizhuo’s wrist, and walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Ten minutes later, the two of them came out holding those bright red little booklets.
Shen Zhuying was a bit dazed. “That’s it… we’re done?”
The process was this simple?
Fu Sizhuo raised his brow slightly. “Seems so.”
Shen Zhuying stared blankly at their certificate photo.
On the vivid red marriage certificate, the two of them stood neither too close nor too far apart. Their expressions carried something indescribable…
Stiff.
Shen Zhuying suddenly felt a little dissatisfied with the photo.
In a very small voice, she asked, “Fu Sizhuo, are you happy?”
“What?” Fu Sizhuo didn’t hear clearly.
“Fu Sizhuo.” Shen Zhuying lifted her head to ask him.
“Marrying me, are you happy?”
Fu Sizhuo fixed his gaze on her, a faint, nearly imperceptible smile flickering in his eyes.
“Happy.”
“As long as you’re happy.” Shen Zhuying kept looking at their marriage certificate for a while longer, then suddenly rose on tiptoe, almost involuntarily poked his left cheek, and ordered, “Then smile.”
The man obeyed.
The corners of his lips curved into a smile, and sure enough, a shallow dimple appeared.
And Shen Zhuying’s fingertip happened to poke right into that dimple.
She smiled in satisfaction as well.
——
“After getting married, what’s the next step?” Shen Zhuying sat primly in the passenger seat.
This newly wedded pair was clearly still strangers to each other.
“Tomorrow let’s book a place, have both families eat together,” Fu Sizhuo paused, “Also, I have an apartment near Cuiwu Street. I think you’ll like it.”
“Li–living together?” Shen Zhuying’s face visibly flushed red.
Fu Sizhuo gave a barely audible “Mm,” his voice line carefully steady. “Legal cohabitation.”
“Oh.” Shen Zhuying also tried to remain calm. “Can the family dinner be delayed a few days? My family… they might need some time to accept it.”
“Alright.” Fu Sizhuo understood her concerns. “If there’s anything you can’t handle, just push it onto me.”
——
【Muzi Manying】: I got married.
When Shen Zhuying sent this message into the “Three Sisters of Blind Dates and True Love” group, the group was silent for at least ten seconds.
There were only three people in the group.
Her, her mother Ms. Shen An, and her elder sister Shen Zhuyu.
【Shen Zhuyu】: Have you lost your mind?
【Shen An】: Are you sick?
【Shen Zhuyu】: Is today April Fool’s Day in China?
【Shen An】: This joke isn’t funny at all. Ha ha.
【Shen Zhuying】: It’s real.
【Shen Zhuying】: [photo]
She directly sent the marriage certificate into the group, her composure almost excessive.
But the other two were anything but calm.
【Shen Zhuyu】: !
【Shen An】: !!!
The next second, two phone calls came in at the same time.
Shen Zhuying hesitated between the two, and finally chose the relatively mild-tempered Ms. Shen An.
“Shen Zhuying!!! Are you trying to die!!!” Ms. Shen An shouted at her.
“That marriage certificate had better be photoshopped!!”
Shen Zhuying held the phone away, trembling. “Mom, weren’t you in a hurry? You’ve been pushing me to go on blind dates.”
“I told you to date, not to marry some man!! You’re only twenty-six, what are you getting married for?!!” Shen An was so furious she felt like her heart disease was about to flare up.
She forced herself to calm down. “Who is that man?”
Shen Zhuying was silent for a while before saying softly, “You know him too, he’s the guy I told you about before, the one who studied abroad in England.”
Shen An’s voice instantly grew calmer. “The boy you liked a lot when you were younger?”
Shen Zhuying retorted, “I’m still young now.”
Shen An: “……” Was that the point?
“You come home tonight. We’re having a family meeting.”
Shen Zhuying swallowed hard and whispered even softer, “But Elder Sister is still abroad… let’s wait a couple of days.”
Shen An sneered. “I’d bet your sister’s already on a plane. You’d better pray for yourself.”
Shen Zhuying: “……”
She hung up and opened her chat with her elder sister.
After a string of unanswered, relentless calls, Shen Zhuyu decisively gave up on phoning her.
About ten minutes later, she silently sent Shen Zhuying a photo.
As expected, it was a ticket for a flight half an hour later from Los Angeles to Beijing.
【Gentle and intellectual Elder Sister】: Shen Zhuying, be at the airport on time to pick me up.
Shen Zhuying: “!!!”
【Muzi Manying】: Your humble servant obeys.
