RITM - 38

“Don’t overthink it. No one actually wants to be in a marital relationship with you. It’s just that adding this layer of protection will ensure no one dares to target you again.”

Although it was only a formality to obtain the marriage certificate, once married, there would be an official record—a lifelong mark. Could such a serious matter really be handled so carelessly? Luo Wei felt momentarily confused but couldn’t come up with a proper excuse to decline, so she tried to stall: “What about Ni Lei?”

She saw him smile at her as if she were a child, and suddenly realized how naive her question sounded. He Yingze was not someone Ni Lei could ever fully control. When Ni Lei had posted that Weibo update, it was only after much shy prodding that he reluctantly agreed—and even then, he hadn’t let her show her face. Luo Wei understood now: no matter how much Ni Lei appeared like a princess on the surface, deep down, her feelings for him were no different from those of other women. This kind of love was deeply flawed, akin to mares seeking out the most testosterone-driven stallions in horse racing—just to have children with his genes, they were willing to compete fiercely for him. They didn’t need love, didn’t need marriage, and could even peacefully share him with others. Forget demanding his loyalty—even if he spent a little more time with Ni Lei, she would feel as though she were basking in sweet rain.

After raising the issue, He Yingze remained clear-headed, as if he found nothing absurd about it: “I’ve thought it through. The person behind this is connected to Su Jiannian. Yesterday, someone followed him and discovered your new address. So, it shouldn’t take long to identify who’s responsible. Once everything is resolved, we can annul the marriage certificate.”

“Wait, I have a question. Even if it’s just a formality, once we have a marital history, it will affect both of us when we look for partners in the future…”

“Do you think, between the two of us, who would suffer more from being labeled as ‘divorced and on clearance’?”

She thought about it: transforming from a “young unmarried girl” to a “young divorced woman,” versus turning a “single domineering CEO” into a “divorced remarried CEO.” Clearly, the latter change was far more drastic and harder to bear. She looked at him helplessly: “Obviously, it’s you. So why go through all this? I know you’re doing this for my sake, but isn’t there another way to solve this problem?”

“Do you want to die?”

Luo Wei lowered her head to think, then looked up with shining eyes, full of anticipation: “Yes.”

“...Get out of the car.”

In the end, he kicked her out of the car. Chang Feng, sitting in the front seat, couldn’t help but turn around, hesitating before calling out softly, “Sixth Brother,” but He Yingze cut him off before he could continue: “I know what I’m doing.”

After He Yingze got out of the car, Chang Feng sighed deeply: “Sigh, Sixth Brother has completely fallen into this situation.”

Lu Xiren also sighed: “Let him be. After all, Luo Wei was his first love. Look at how, even after all these years apart, he hasn’t been able to let her go. He’s always kept track of her, making sure she doesn’t suffer even the slightest bit of grievance, as if she had no parents to rely on… Now that she’s right in front of him, he’ll be even less at ease. If anything were to happen to Luo Wei, who knows if he’d sink into depression again. Worrying about her is one thing, but I’m afraid he might lose control.”

“You should trust him. His self-control is strong. Back then, if I hadn’t mistakenly arrested the wrong person, he wouldn’t have even appeared in front of her. Sixth Brother won’t let personal emotions interfere with important matters. Don’t worry.” Chang Feng turned his head, surprised, and added, “The fact that you’re speaking normally shows just how worried you are about him.”

“Stupid and ignorant people, stop glaring at me like Otto Dix in his self-portrait, okay?”

He Yingze was highly efficient. Filling out forms and submitting documents took only a few minutes. The registrar was a young woman with a friendly demeanor. Seeing how well-matched He Yingze and Luo Wei appeared—handsome and talented, beautiful and graceful—she couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances at them. After entering their information into the computer, she stamped the red marriage certificate and handed it to them with a smile: “Congratulations! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.”

Luo Wei stared at the floor, her ears burning red. He Yingze, on the other hand, calmly accepted the certificate. Just as they were about to leave, the registrar pointed to a room inside and asked: “Would you like to go in for a photo while holding your marriage certificate and taking an oath?”

Luo Wei glanced inside and saw a group of newlyweds reciting their vows. After finishing, the groom wrapped his arm around the bride’s waist and kissed her forehead. But without even looking inside, He Yingze flatly replied: “No.”

Hearing his decisive rejection, the registrar gave Luo Wei a sympathetic glance before continuing with a smile: “You’re right. The two of you have a four-year age gap, and your zodiac signs are very compatible. According to astrology, this is a ‘triad harmony,’ a perfect match indeed.”

This time, He Yingze didn’t even bother responding. He simply took the certificate and walked out.

The registrar was left speechless, giving Luo Wei a puzzled look. Luo Wei, however, wasn’t bothered by others’ opinions and simply smiled, explaining that he was just like that. But after turning away, she sighed in disappointment. Somehow, the marriage registration process felt simpler than she had imagined—and more emotionally complicated. She followed behind He Yingze, flipping through the marriage certificate. On the first page, the official stamp confirmed: “Marriage application approved in accordance with the Marriage Law. This certificate is hereby issued.” On the second page, the left side listed the certificate holder’s name (Luo Wei), the marriage registration number, and the date, while the right side displayed their joint photo taken during the registration. Below it were their details: “Name: He Yingze, Gender: Male, Date of Birth: …” and “Name: Luo Wei, Gender: Female, Date of Birth: …,” followed by their ID numbers. Looking at their very real information, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unreality. Glancing at their photo, He Yingze still looked as disinterested in photos as he had been in childhood, his brow slightly furrowed, exuding impatience. Even though she was extremely nervous, she managed a bright smile, revealing a small fang, though her smile lacked confidence. Unlike other couples who naturally leaned close to each other in their registration photos, there was a noticeable distance between them, as if two individual passport photos had been awkwardly Photoshopped together.

As she was lost in thought, he pulled the marriage certificate from her hands: “Give it to me to keep.”

“Alright.”

“Don’t overthink it. This certificate doesn’t mean anything.”

“Alright.”

“What’s wrong?” He leaned closer, startled as he noticed her tears. “Why are you crying?”

“It’s nothing. Maybe I used my phone too much yesterday, and my eyes hurt.” She quickly avoided his gaze, waving her hand dismissively and wiping away her tears. To him, this might just be a strategy written on paper, something that would eventually be undone. But for her, this was her first marriage—and it was with someone she loved. Even if there was no love between them, it was still him. It was still He Yingze.

Only now did she realize how low her expectations had fallen. So low that as long as it was him, it was enough.

Did she have the right to mock the pitiful women who secretly admired him? What made her any different from them?

---

At ten o’clock on Saturday morning, Xie Xinqi and a group of friends changed into bikinis and gathered on the rooftop of her villa to get manicures, swim, and take photos. One of them was a rookie model, standing 178 cm tall, and no one wanted to appear in the same photo with her. Xie Xinqi held up her camera, frowning as she waved her hand: “Come on, everyone move closer. What are you afraid of?”

The young ladies chattered nervously, refusing to take a picture with the tall model. Xie Xinqi handed her camera to a nearby girl, running her fingers through her hair and striking a dramatic pose: “You’re all cowards. What’s so scary about taking a picture with a tall girl? Let Teacher Xie show you how to subtly defeat your opponent without leaving a trace.” Wrapping a towel around her waist, she walked over, leaning at a 45-degree angle against the model’s shoulder. With one hand resting on the model’s arm and the other holding the towel like a dress hem, she lifted one leg elegantly. Her smile was sweet and adorable, but her tone was firm: “Snap.”

When the instant photo developed, all the girls gasped in awe. In the picture, Xie Xinqi looked charming and delicate, while the model, despite her confident stance with legs apart and hands on hips, appeared stiff and masculine.

“Get it?” Xie Xinqi sipped her drink lazily. “Cross your arms, tilt your head, twist your waist, and stay lively. A long-legged goddess instantly turns into a guy.”

“Xinqi, you’re amazing! But what if there’s a girl shorter than me who’s also prettier? She’d already look cuter without doing any of these poses. What should I do then?”

“That’s easy. You, come here.” She beckoned to a short, cute-looking girl.

Once the girl approached, Xie Xinqi struck the same pose as the model earlier—one hand on her hip, legs crossed, posing like a magazine cover shoot: “Snap.” Then, just before the camera clicked, she quickly placed her other hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder, tilted her chin slightly upward, and smiled seductively. In the resulting photo, the cute girl instantly looked like an awkward child. The other girls clasped their faces in admiration. Xie Xinqi shrugged: “No matter how cute you are, once a taller girl puts her hand on your shoulder, you’re immediately reduced to your original form.”

“Wow, Xinqi, I’m short. What if I use your method to take a picture with a tall girl, and she uses the same method on me? How do I counter that?”

“If you’re all this scheming, why bother competing for attention? There’s no man who can handle either of you. You two should just be together.”

At this remark, Su Jiannian, who had been quietly reading in the corner, burst out laughing. Xie Xinqi raised an eyebrow at him: “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Su Jiannian chuckled, shaking his head before returning his attention to his book.

“Oh, Xinqi, look at us, all busy taking our own pictures and forgetting about your boyfriend. Go keep him company.”

Xie Xinqi put her sunglasses back on and sauntered over to Su Jiannian, crouching down beside him: “What? Do you have any objections to what I said?”

Su Jiannian placed the book on his lap and turned toward her with an unusually serious posture: “I just think what you said isn’t entirely accurate.”

“Why?” Her eyebrows lifted slightly above her sunglasses.

“These photos make you look the most beautiful not because of any specific pose you struck.” He gently removed her sunglasses and gazed into her bright, lively eyes for a moment before smiling softly: “It’s because you are already the most beautiful.”

“Because I suit shiny things, so I myself am a shining person, right?”

His smile grew even gentler: “No one suits jewelry more than you. And no one is more suited to being a good wife than you.”

He was no longer aware of whether this was fair to anyone else. All he could think about were the lonely memories from his childhood. Back then, there was a little girl who had given him a sparkling marble under the sunlight, her eyes bright and full of life, her smile revealing a small fang. Those childlike eyes now overlapped with the pair in front of him. What Luo Wei hadn’t given him, what he had never been fortunate enough to receive, what she had turned away from with radiant features, he had yearned for countless sleepless nights… Suddenly, he pulled Xie Xinqi into an embrace.

“What—what are you doing!” This sudden display of affection made her blush uncontrollably. “Stop it! I’m hungry. Go make me breakfast.”