IJLHTW - 79

The night before getting their marriage certificate, even Huo Ci, who had become sleepy due to pregnancy, tossed and turned in bed several times. Until a low voice echoed in the darkness, “Can’t sleep?”

Huo Ci was startled. She hadn’t realized he was awake either. “You almost scared me.”

Yi Zechen reached out and held her in his arms, chuckling deeply, “Sorry, you kept moving around. Can’t sleep?”

“You weren’t sleeping either, were you?” Huo Ci didn’t want him to laugh at her, so she retorted.

Yi Zechen, however, was more direct than her: “Because I’m happy.”

Huo Ci: “...” Mr. Yi, you’re making me seem so insincere.

Yi Zechen lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, chuckling, “I’m just too happy, that’s why I can’t sleep.”

“Me too,” Huo Ci reached out and hugged his waist, nuzzling against his chest.

The night was so long and filled with anticipation. Neither of them slept much; instead, they kept chatting. There was no specific topic; they just talked about whatever came to mind. In fact, Huo Ci used to be a sweet baby when she was little, a well-behaved and pretty girl with a gentle personality. She was a girl her parents could always trust, right up until high school.

In contrast, Yi Zechen had a bunch of fearless friends around him, who seemed eager to stir up trouble.

Huo Ci’s voice became softer and softer until she finally fell asleep quietly in his arms. Yi Zechen chuckled softly, holding her close.

In the quiet, dark room, her steady, light breathing filled his ears.

Now, all of this was the best he could ever have.

________________________________________

When Huo Ci woke up, she didn’t see Yi Zechen, as usual. She reached for her phone on the nightstand and saw it was only 7:30, still quite early.

She still got up to wash and get ready. When choosing clothes, she thought for a moment and picked a clean white shirt and a bright red short skirt.

When Yi Zechen turned around, he saw the person at the kitchen doorway, standing there gracefully. Beneath the short skirt, her long, glowing white legs were straight and well-proportioned.

After Huo Ci became pregnant, her clothes were loose and comfortable. Dressing up like this suddenly made her look excessively beautiful.

After breakfast, Yi Zechen went to change. When he came out, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, with a watch on his wrist and no other adornments, this simple outfit still made him appear exceptionally refined and handsome.

Huo Ci looked at his clothes, a slight curve on her lips: “Matching outfits.”

Yi Zechen glanced at her, correcting: “They’re a married couple.”

When they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, there were already many people sitting in the hall waiting. However, they had a special接待 (receptionist) who took them directly to a quiet room.

Actually, the procedure for getting the certificate was not complicated, especially when the two received their little red marriage certificate book. Huo Ci asked in surprise, “Is that it?”

The staff member next to them smiled and softly said, “Couples who come to get married usually take a photo downstairs. Would the two of you like to?”

This wasn’t mandatory, just for keepsake.

Huo Ci nodded, and even Yi Zechen was amenable to her wishes. When they stood in front of the backdrop, and the photographer opposite them took their picture, Huo Ci suddenly asked, “Do we look a bit silly like this?”

“No,” the man beside her denied.

When she got the photo, she realized it did look a bit silly.

But she didn’t expect Yi Zechen to actually post the photo on WeChat Moments.

“My Mrs. Yi.”

She sat in the passenger seat, turning to look at the man driving, smiling faintly.

What she didn’t know was that Yi Zechen’s WeChat Moments had already exploded. Actually, he didn’t have many friends. Those who could add his WeChat were either people he’d known since childhood or classmates from university and his time studying abroad in the UK. However, he had never posted on Moments before.

No one expected to receive such a huge shock first thing in the morning.

The first to comment was Han Jingyang. He sent three consecutive messages: The first was: ???

The second: You really got married?!

The third: Congratulations, Zechen.

Huo Ci was still holding her phone, agonizing over what to post. After all, her WeChat had many business partners. Editors-in-chief of various magazines and advertisers—once she posted it on Moments, the news of their marriage would quickly spread.

“Can we tell people about our marriage?” Huo Ci hesitated a little. After all, these days, Yi Zechen was in the eye of the storm, and she didn’t want others to use her to sensationalize news about him again.

Just then, the traffic light turned red, and the car stopped. He turned his head and looked at her calmly: “Is there a reason not to tell others?”

“I’m just afraid the news will sensationalize you again,” Huo Ci herself didn’t mind. What she had experienced before was far more serious than the current public opinion.

Yi Zechen reached out and squeezed her hand, softly saying, “This is between us. Other people have nothing to do with us.”

Huo Ci lowered her head and smiled. Unexpectedly, he chuckled softly and said, “Besides, I married such a beautiful wife, shouldn’t I let them know?”

The green light came on, and the car restarted.

They were heading back to the compound. Xu Di knew they were getting their marriage certificate today, so she instructed Yi Zechen to come back for dinner no matter what, and even the busy Yi Huaize was repeatedly urged by her to come home.

As the car stopped at the gate, Xu Siyang rushed out from inside. Seeing Huo Ci, he acted like a big dog, circling her and persistently asking, “Marriage certificate, where’s the marriage certificate? Let me see!”

Huo Ci took it out of her bag, and he snatched it away. Yi Zechen, who had just gotten out of the car, saw this and sneered, “If you dare to damage it...”

Before he could finish, his phone rang. Xu Siyang immediately complained to Xu Di, “Big Sis, look at him, talking to me like that.”

But Xu Di was also busy looking at the freshly issued marriage certificate and simply ignored him.

Xu Siyang, whose family status had plummeted, simply couldn’t accept this sad fact.

Meanwhile, Yi Zechen, who had taken out his phone, glanced at it. This phone number hadn’t appeared for a long time. If she hadn’t called again, he would have almost forgotten her existence.

The phone rang for a while, but he still answered.

Ye Mingshi called him with a faint hope, thinking he wouldn’t answer, but surprisingly, it connected. Her heart immediately pounded violently, thump-thump, so excited that she didn’t know what to say.

Until she softly asked, “Are you married?”

“Hmm,” Yi Zechen responded softly. The reason he took Ye Mingshi’s call was out of consideration for their past acquaintance. He reminded her, “Ye Mingshi, Lu Yongxin is not a simple character. You’d best stay away from her.”

Ye Mingshi was still immersed in the huge shock of suddenly learning about his marriage until Yi Zechen said that, which greatly startled her.

She immediately denied, “What Lu Yongxin? I don’t even know her.”

Yi Zechen’s expression showed disappointment. He had never harbored feelings for Ye Mingshi beyond that of a classmate or colleague, nor had he ever given her a glimmer of hope. But even when she exposed what happened during his time with Doctors Without Borders to Lu Yongxin, Yi Zechen never blamed her.

Because he never felt he had done anything wrong.

Even if he were to do it again, he would still choose to save that person.

Just as the professor who taught him his first lesson on his first day in medical school told him, treating illnesses and saving lives is a doctor’s sacred duty.

Although she wouldn’t admit it, Yi Zechen already had evidence. While those online trolls seemed untraceable, if one truly wanted to know, it was actually quite easy. Furthermore, after the Shen Suian incident, Yi Zechen had already taken notice of this Miss Lu from the Lu family.

Although she didn’t work within Baichuntang, she was involved in media work, and creating controversy in the news was her specialty.

Since Ye Mingshi denied it, he said calmly, “Take care of yourself.”

With that, before Ye Mingshi could even react, the call was already hung up.

At this moment, Huo Ci stood at the doorway, looking back at him. Yi Zechen stepped forward, took her hand, and asked softly, “Why aren’t you going in?”

Huo Ci looked up at him: “I’m waiting for you.”

No matter what happens from now on, be it storms or rainbows, I will walk hand in hand with you.

________________________________________

Bai Yu was in his office. T&A’s stance on the leak was very firm, insisting on a thorough investigation. Although he also resented Allie for being so shortsighted, he couldn’t abandon her at this point.

Just as he was nursing a headache, his phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

He answered, and heard a somewhat familiar voice on the other end, asking, “Is this Bai Yu?”

Bai Yu felt the voice sounded incredibly familiar. As he was trying to recall who it was, the person on the other end introduced herself.

“I’m Nan Wan.”

Bai Yu froze, then immediately asked, “Why are you calling?”

“You’re looking for evidence of the leak, aren’t you? I have it. And I also know who’s harming Huo Ci,” Nan Wan’s voice sounded exceptionally dangerous, with a hint of desperate madness.

Bai Yu froze until she said, “I have only one condition: you help me arrange a meeting with Mr. Yi Zechen.”