Could it be… No, impossible! They had only been together once! Tao Yu’s eyes flew open in horror.
Yue Linze looked displeased: “What are you thinking now?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Tao Yu laughed awkwardly, leaning back with a lot on her mind.
Seeing she wouldn’t tell him anything, Yue Linze’s face darkened further, but thinking about the upcoming event, he said nothing.
Two people arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau without speaking, and they routinely took photos and began processing documents with their ID cards and household registers, with no interaction between them, looking even worse than a couple just going through the motions.
“Sir, if you’re having any difficulties, we can help you call the police,” said the elderly woman at the counter.
Tao Yu went to get a cup of water, and when she returned, she heard the kind-hearted aunt speaking to Yue Linze. She twitched her mouth, thinking that even if it were a legal violation, it should be Yue Linze’s problem with her.
Yue Linze saw her return and immediately asked, “Are you feeling better?”
Tao Yu paused and nodded. She thought she had hidden her condition well, but she was discovered. The elderly woman stopped talking when Tao Yu returned and helped them complete the paperwork, handing them two certificates.
Tao Yu held the bright red booklet, suddenly feeling complex emotions. She glanced at Yue Linze and noticed his eyes were slightly reddened, which startled her: “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing,” Yue Linze turned away and left with the booklet.
Tao Yu was stunned, remembering his “crybaby city lord” attribute, couldn’t help but laugh, then felt embarrassed and followed him out.
Outside, she saw Yue Linze standing in the hall, watching other newlywed couples taking photos. He stood straight like a lonely tree, and even holding their marriage certificate couldn’t diminish the sense of solitude around him.
Seeing this scene, Tao Yu was unexpectedly moved. Her past guilt of fraud surged geometrically, making her already guilty heart even more uncomfortable.
Yue Linze stood motionless for a long time, until the young couple awkwardly lowered their phones, as if looking through them at a life he envied.
Though Tao Yu couldn’t see his face, she could sense his mood, feeling increasingly sad until she felt suffocated. She deliberately coughed, shattering Yue Linze’s solitary world.
