The weather was exceptionally clear, with the most splendid spring unfolding outside.
Since marriage certificates had to be processed in the registered domicile of one party, and both Pei Chuan and Bei Yao were registered in City B, they had to return there. Their flight departed at one o’clock, and by three, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau in City C.
Pei Chuan’s hand trembled slightly as he filled out the Marriage Application Form. He turned his head to look at Bei Yao. She was writing with great focus, her long lashes lowered and her soft bangs framing her forehead. Pei Chuan couldn’t see the expression on her face.
He averted his gaze.
After completing the application form, they had to take a photo.
“Yes, sir, you should smile a little. Marriage is a joyous occasion.”
Unconsciously, Pei Chuan’s eyes softened with a gentle smile, and the camera captured that moment forever. Bei Yao didn’t know that this was the first time in Pei Chuan’s life he had faced a camera with a heart full of anticipation.
That year, marriage registration still cost nine yuan.
After the photo session, every newlywed couple had to undergo a physical examination. Not far away was the local maternity and child health hospital, where they would separately undergo urological and gynecological check-ups to assess their suitability for future pregnancies.
Even at this stage, Bei Yao still felt a sense of unreality.
Wasn’t this just a date? How did it turn into marriage?
Moreover, the topic of gynecological and urological examinations made the young girl feel somewhat shy.
She was exceptionally beautiful, standing out among the newlywed couples. She looked particularly young, evoking a sense of tenderness in others.
When Bei Yao walked out, her face flushed, Pei Chuan had already finished his examination.
He wasn’t exactly embarrassed, but such examinations inevitably stirred one’s emotions.
With no issues found, all that remained was the final stamping.
The staff member handling the stamp was a middle-aged woman in red. Holding the seal, she smiled and said, “Congratulations on your marriage. May you remain united in heart and grow old together.”
Pei Chuan nodded, watching intently as she stamped the certificates.
Bei Yao whispered, “Thank you.”
The staff member found it amusing. One of the newlyweds was staring so intently at her seal, as if afraid she might not stamp it or that something unexpected might happen. The girl looked very young and strikingly beautiful, more bashful than the average bride. A simple blessing made her eyes sparkle. The staff member chuckled inwardly, thinking what an adorably sweet young wife she was.
With two bright red stamps, the marriage certificates were officially issued.
With everything settled, Pei Chuan turned his face away, not daring to let her see the overwhelming joy spreading uncontrollably in his eyes.
Holding the two red booklets, Bei Yao opened one to look at the photo inside.
Her smile was sweet, like the gentle breeze of March, her eyes twinkling with starlight.
She curiously poked at Pei Chuan’s image in the photo and said, “You look really good when you smile like this.”
Some things, no matter how deeply hidden, are ultimately betrayed by a single photo, escaping through the tenderness in one’s eyes.
Pei Chuan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. “You… still have to go back to school for classes. Let me keep the marriage certificates.”
She nodded and handed both booklets to him.
Bei Yao had always felt that marriage was something far off in the future. Even now, it felt unreal. With such a simple little booklet, were they really husband and wife now?
Their identities had changed in an instant.
A strange feeling, like that of a young bride, stirred in her heart.
Pei Chuan carefully put away the marriage certificates and asked, “Do you have classes this afternoon?”
Bei Yao nodded, staring into his eyes as she said blankly, “Should I go back to class now?”
Pei Chuan’s eyes were dark and intense. “How about taking the day off? We… should hold the wedding.” His body tensed as he spoke, and seeing her stunned expression, he pressed his lips together before adding, “Having a wedding will make Jiang Huaqiong believe it more.”
Bei Yao: “…Oh, I see.”She obediently took leave from school.
It was usually quite easy to get approval for leave from university advisors. When the advisor asked for the reason, the gentle breeze brushed against her face but couldn't disperse the warmth within. She said, "Getting married."
"..."
The leave was approved.
Bei Yao looked at Pei Chuan and finally came to her senses. Everything had happened too quickly, and only now did she have time to think - the plane tickets were expensive, Pei Chuan's house was outrageously expensive, and the wedding seemed like it would cost quite a lot!
He had just gotten out of prison. Previously, she had been afraid of making him feel sensitive and hadn't asked about his job. He had married her mainly to protect her. Could all the money have been borrowed from Jin Ziyang?
She said softly, "The wedding doesn't matter, we just need to go through the motions."
She needed to check if she still had any savings... She couldn't let Pei Chuan shoulder all the "debt" alone.
Pei Chuan's eyes darkened slightly. He lowered his gaze, hiding the disappointment in his heart: "Mm."
So she didn't want many people to know.
No matter how the wedding was held, Bei Yao would definitely have to leave from her family home.
Pei Chuan first took her home. The wedding date hadn't been chosen yet, and they needed to ask Zhao Zhilan and the others for their opinions. When the two went to Bei Yao's home, Bei Yao was much more nervous than Pei Chuan.
She knew her mother's temper well - her mother couldn't possibly like Pei Chuan. She stood on tiptoe and whispered, "My mother has a sharp tongue but a kind heart. If she says anything unpleasant, please don't mind it."
His ear tingled from her whisper, and his heart softened in response: "Mm."
This time, Zhao Zhilan opened the door. After the incident with Huo Xu, neither Zhao Zhilan nor Bei Licai had jobs. Even little Bei Jun didn't dare go to school and could only stay at home.
Seeing Pei Chuan bring her daughter home, and thinking they had probably already registered their marriage, Zhao Zhilan restrained herself repeatedly: "Come in."
Her attitude was cold and indifferent, but it was understandable.
While she was dissatisfied with her son-in-law, her daughter was her treasure.
Zhao Zhilan asked Bei Yao, "What would you like to eat tonight? Mom will cook for you."
Bei Yao asked Pei Chuan, "This is your first time eating at my home, right? What would you like? My mother is a great cook."
Pei Chuan didn't need to look to know about Zhao Zhilan's murderous gaze, but he felt somewhat warm inside: "I'll eat whatever you eat."
Bei Yao thought for a moment: "Then let's have chopped chili fish and mapo tofu? Later, I'll go grocery shopping with Mom."
Seeing Bei Yao so partial to Pei Chuan, Zhao Zhilan felt uncomfortable, snorted, and went into the kitchen.
Bei Licai sat on the sofa and didn't speak to Pei Chuan either.
Pei Chuan said to Bei Yao, "Watch TV, I'll go help Aunt Zhao."
She blinked. He said in a low voice, "Be good, we need to make her somewhat happy."
Saying this, he actually went into the kitchen.
Zhao Zhilan just couldn't swallow her anger. The marriage was registered, and her daughter probably didn't know that this guy had threatened her parents. Zhao Zhilan couldn't say anything now, as telling might only make her daughter feel worse.
Zhao Zhilan: "What are you coming in here for?"
Pei Chuan rolled up his sleeves and started washing vegetables. The man's forearms were sturdy, immersed in cold water. He said, "Aunt Zhao, let me cook."
Zhao Zhilan couldn't help herself: "Hmph!"
She went out without refusing, pulling Bei Yao and saying, "There aren't many ingredients in the kitchen, let's go grocery shopping."
Bei Jun wanted to follow too. Zhao Zhilan said, "You stay home, no following!"
Pei Chuan frowned.His mind was sharp; Zhao Zhilan didn’t want Bei Jun to tag along, which surely meant she had something to say to Bei Yao. His hands paused in the cold water, his dark eyes calm and still.
Bei Yao held her mother’s arm as they walked. The market wasn’t far from the neighborhood.
Along the way, Zhao Zhilan asked quietly, “Did you get the marriage certificate?”
Bei Yao nodded. Outside, dusk had fallen, the setting sun casting a unique tranquility.
Zhao Zhilan hadn’t slept well these past few days. She asked Bei Yao, “You know about Huo Xu’s situation, don’t you? Did you marry Pei Chuan willingly?”
“Yes, I know. Pei Chuan didn’t force me. I think marrying him is quite nice.”
Zhao Zhilan couldn’t resist tapping her daughter’s forehead. “You silly girl, ‘quite nice, quite nice’—what’s so nice about someone like him?”
Bei Yao covered her forehead. “I think everything about him is nice.”
Zhao Zhilan said, “Your father and I had no choice but to agree to this marriage, but Yaoyao, there are some things I must tell you.”
She looked at her young daughter and continued, “Marriage isn’t like dating. When two people are together, it’s a lifetime of mundane routines. Life is far harder than outsiders imagine, and you can’t guarantee he’ll love you forever. Pei Chuan… he’s not the best choice for marriage. First, his family—his parents are divorced, and after Captain Pei’s accident, no one wanted to take him in. A child from such a background is hard to read, always overthinking, and that kind of family is just troublesome.”
“Think about it: if you marry him, he has a biological mother in front, a stepmother and stepsister behind, and a father with messy emotional ties. Even with your wedding approaching, his own mother is still nowhere to be found.”
“Second, he’s been to prison. Marrying him means you’ll face a lot of gossip. Some people are vicious with their words. And lastly… his physical condition. Because of it, others will always look at you differently. Forget about others—what about him? While he’s young, it’s manageable, but when he’s old and it’s just the two of you, are you going to slave away taking care of him?”
Bei Yao listened quietly until Zhao Zhilan finished. She gazed at the distant alley, where the bustling streets were lively, and the setting sun stretched her shadow long.
“His family being flawed doesn’t mean he is flawed, Mom. In this world, it seems victims are always treated as guilty. If he doesn’t know something, I’ll teach him. If he doesn’t understand, I’ll help him experience it. No one is born good or bad—we can’t be unfair to him just because fate has been.”
Her voice was calm. “Life is our own. If we don’t mind, others’ gossip doesn’t matter. As for his body… I understand. But Mom, you said marriage is about two people. If he cherishes me for most of my life when we’re young, shouldn’t I take care of him when we’re old?”
Her words stunned Zhao Zhilan. She had intended to caution her young, inexperienced daughter, never expecting Yaoyao to respond like this.
Touched deep down but unwilling to show it, Zhao Zhilan said, “That sounds nice. Let’s go buy groceries first.”
The elderly tofu seller had deep wrinkles lining her face, like folds.
Zhao Zhilan usually haggled when buying vegetables, but she never bargained with the granny for tofu. She always bought a little extra, too.After buying groceries, Zhao Zhilan glanced sideways at her daughter. "I can't outtalk your sharp tongue. It's easy to say nice things before actually living together, but we'll see if you regret it then." She lowered her voice, "Look at Granny Chen. Her husband is blind—how many people know the suffering she hides? She endured so much hardship when she was young, and now she still pushes her cart to sell tofu before dawn every day. Her husband can't help with anything. Don't you think that's a lifetime of misery?"
After speaking, Zhao Zhilan remembered the bank card with over five million yuan and had to stiffen her face to keep her stern expression from cracking.
Bei Yao was taken aback for a moment before softly retorting, "But Granny Chen smiles every day. Other aunties have healthy husbands, yet their faces lack smiles."
"..." Zhao Zhilan, flushed with anger, snapped, "I can't be bothered to care about you anymore!"
On their way back after shopping.
Zhao Zhilan, who claimed she "couldn't be bothered," held back her words the entire way but eventually couldn't resist: "Let me tell you, how old are you compared to me? You haven't eaten as much rice as I've eaten salt! You're still studying. What if you change your mind in a few years? You won't even have time to cry. Just talking about the basics—when you marry, you'll have to share a bed. Be honest with me, has he ever touched you?"
Bei Yao had been calmly responding earlier, but when her mother, who usually told her to protect herself, suddenly asked such a blunt question, she blushed. "N-no, he hasn't."
Zhao Zhilan took a deep breath. Hearing this answer, she finally didn't dislike Pei Chuan any more. At least he knew his limits.
Zhao Zhilan said, "Then I'll be frank too. After all, I've watched him grow up, and his character isn't much of an issue. But he's different from able-bodied people—he has physical disabilities. In your generation, chastity and purity aren't emphasized, but Mom just hopes you understand that even if you share a bed with him, you need to know your limits. How old are you now? Are you really sure you'll stay with him for life? What if you have children? If you ever want to..." She wanted to say "divorce," but held back, thinking it was an unlucky thing to mention.
Zhao Zhilan abruptly changed her words: "You need to weigh these things yourself."
Weigh... weigh them? Bei Yao didn't know why, but she suddenly remembered the large wedding bed in the Beijing apartment.
Her face flushed silently, and she almost wanted to cover her burning cheeks.
Yes, this was the only thing that made her feel a bit lost and flustered.
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