554. The Couple
Fill in forms, review, take photos, swear an oath…
By the time they stepped out of the civil affairs bureau, Ning Chu hadn’t stopped smiling, babbling excitedly the whole way.
“That was so fast! Less than half an hour!”
“Are you really considering a premarital checkup? Are you worried about me or was there something messy in your past?”
“Come on, you were just a little innocent before college~”
Ning Chu chirped like a sparrow beside him, while Wen Yang gazed out at the bright sunshine beyond the doors, feeling his heart suddenly calm even amid the joy.
He gently took his wife’s hand, wrapping it in his palm and unconsciously squeezing a bit tighter.
“What’s wrong?”
“Suddenly feeling the weight of responsibility,” he said, lowering his head to look at her lovely face. “From now on, you’re mine. There’s no going back.”
“Isn’t that a bit backwards?”
Ning Chu tugged on Wen Yang’s arm as they stepped down the stairs, leaving the shade of the eaves and stepping into the golden sunlight.
She soaked in the warmth of the sun and the heat from Wen Yang’s palm, her emotions settling down, and she looked up at the tall figure beside her, her eyes brimming with affection.
“Wen Yang…”
“It’s time to change how you address me.”
“Hubby… I’m not really used to it.”
She paused, tucked some hair behind her ear, lowered her head, and quietly asked, “Doesn’t it feel kind of strange?”
“Like nothing’s really changed; it’s just one more ID card, yet it feels like… like…”
She trailed off, but Wen Yang understood her meaning: “Like we’ve become unstoppable?”
“About right?”
Wen Yang gently pulled Ning Chu in closer, as if embracing the whole world, gazing at the straight path ahead and whispering, “It feels like we have family now, and suddenly I have this solid confidence that everything ahead isn’t a big deal.”
Pressure, burdens, responsibilities—they were like mountains pressing down on him.
Yet surprisingly, he didn’t feel lost or afraid; rather, he was filled with motivation to move forward, as if a support had been added to his shoulders, a new heart beating in his chest.
Having felt a little insecure due to the absence of family when he was young, he now confidently thought that as long as Ning Chu was by his side, nothing ahead could stand in his way.
He felt like he had matured a lot in that moment, as if he had truly become an adult, truly become a man.
“Let’s go explore! Hubby~”
Ning Chu mischievously pitch her voice higher at the end, looking up to see Wen Yang staring at her face, his gaze full of possessiveness as if it could devour her.
Feeling all warm and fuzzy, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her red lips against Wen Yang’s.
Right there on the street, with her thin skin, Ning Chu merely brushed her lips against his and felt as if she’d been shocked, immediately lowering her head, her face reddening like a ripe cherry.
“I even brought out my mom’s VIP card…”
“Didn’t I already not feed you well last night?”
“It’s not like it’s a meal! Just because we had dinner yesterday, doesn’t mean we can’t eat today!”
Ning Chu tugged Wen Yang’s hand, bouncing toward a couple’s hotel that she and her mother frequented, her mood light as a feather, dancing on tiptoes like an elf.
“It’s a pity we don’t have a house yet; we still need a home,” Wen Yang lamented as his plans were thrown off course. “I was hoping to bring you into the house in style; now look, we don’t even have a wedding.”
“With me around, isn’t it your home already?”
“Fair point.”
“I don’t mind at all~”
He laughed teasingly, “Just remember, when you argue with me later, don’t throw this in my face.”
“Am I the kind of person who brings up old grudges?”
Ning Chu poked Wen Yang’s waist in dissatisfaction.
The morning sun wasn’t too hot; a gentle breeze swept across the street.
Hand in hand with Wen Yang, she strolled leisurely under the shade of greenery, her mouth working nonstop.
“Hubby, Hubby~ When do you think we should have kids? Maybe after we buy a house? But I’ve heard it hurts, and I’m kind of scared.”
“Hubby, Hubby~ I want to travel north and play in the snow!”
“Let’s buy a large flat in the future, just like Lily’s! Huge, with a floor-to-ceiling window to enjoy the night view!”
Wen Yang kept nodding, taking in every word Ning Chu said, storing it in his mind.
“If you’re afraid of pain, then don’t have kids. Besides, we’ve got no throne to inherit.”
His gaze always inadvertently landed on Ning Chu, and for a moment, he seemed to see that delicate young boy from years ago. He clearly remembered Ning Chu fainting in the bathroom, her legs covered in bl**d, and her crushed spirit when she thought of escaping.
He couldn’t quite pinpoint when he first started liking her. Maybe it was the first time she cared about him, or perhaps it was when he saw her blush from jealousy…
Regardless, that former college roommate had now become his companion for life.
“Wife.”
“What’s up?”
Ning Chu tilted her head back, her lightly made-up face still rosy, her curious peach blossom eyes sparkling. The corners of her eyes always held a hint of blush, making her look both playful and alluring.
“Nothing, just thought I’d call you that to get used to it.”
“Honestly, it sounds a bit weird.”
She shook her head, clearly troubled, her long ponytail swaying with it: “It just feels like it makes me sound old.”
“How about calling you ‘the Mrs.’?”
“Sure, I guess. I’ll get used to it.”
The path beneath them should have seemed long, but with Wen Yang holding his wife’s hand, it felt like they’d just distractedly wandered to the entrance of the couple’s hotel.
“What about my mom’s card…” Ning Chu furrowed her brow, searching through his bag for the VIP card, saying, “My mom once ran off without handling things at home, stole the household registration to marry him.”
“Now she’s in my grandparents’ position. I wonder how she feels… must be quite amusing…”
Wen Yang hesitated to joke about his mother-in-law: “Might not be good, though?”
“She probably can’t wait to see me mess up, thinking I’d be crying back to her in a few years after you dump me.”
“Not happening.”
“Exactly. Even if I have kids, I won’t go back begging for forgiveness.” Ning Chu found the card, smiling as she asked, “Isn’t that just like my mom? Raising kids all on her own?”
Wen Yang pretended to be annoyed, lightly tapping her forehead: “You really don’t think I can handle this?”
“It hurts!”
“Don’t worry, even if I starve, I’ll make sure you have something to eat.”
“I was just joking!”
Ning Chu pouted, rubbing her forehead before strutting straight into the hotel.
But as they reached the front desk, her mood shifted entirely. A bit shy, she awkwardly pushed the membership card into Wen Yang’s hand: “You go.”
“Now that we’re legally married, what’s there to be shy about going to a couple’s hotel?”
“Just go!”
