At the factory, Fei Ni had been trying to contain her excitement, but the moment she saw Fang Muyang, she could no longer hide it.
Normally, she would immediately hop onto the back seat of his bicycle upon seeing him, but today she seemed to have forgotten about going home. Instead, she stood at the factory gate, telling Fang Muyang about the emotional journey of receiving her admission letter. As she spoke, she kept looking up at him. She had always found Fang Muyang handsome, but today he seemed even more pleasing to the eye. With him there, she had no mind to notice how the sky looked or how the clouds drifted. Every word she spoke was light and cheerful, so lively that it hardly seemed like her.
Others in the factory who saw the person opposite Fei Ni, even if they didn’t know him, could guess he was her husband. Even those insensitive to matters of the heart could discern the emotion in Fei Ni’s gaze—the person across from her was either her husband or her lover, and in this clear, moral world, no one would dare to look so openly at a lover. Such a gaze might have seemed overly sentimental coming from someone else, but Fei Ni was young and beautiful in a dignified way, and the person she was looking at was a clean-cut, handsome young man. To those who didn’t know them, it might have seemed like a film crew was shooting a scene at the factory gate.
If it weren’t for a workshop colleague greeting her, Fei Ni would have almost forgotten she was standing at the factory entrance. She smiled at her colleague and then climbed onto the bicycle’s back seat. On the way home, she reflected on her behavior at the gate and felt a wave of embarrassment, blushing at the mere memory. She wanted to wrap her arms around Fang Muyang, but since it wasn’t completely dark yet, she could only keep her hands properly gripping the back of the seat.
The two went out to eat, and Fei Ni displayed an uncharacteristic generosity, ordering so many dishes that Fang Muyang had to stop her, saying it was enough. When the food arrived, she didn’t eat but simply watched Fang Muyang. Noticing her gaze, he looked up at her, and they locked eyes. Fei Ni couldn’t hold back a smile, her joy spilling from her eyes. With other people around, she thought it was silly to order food and just stare at each other without eating, and she’d be too embarrassed if anyone noticed. She lowered her head, urging Fang Muyang to eat quickly, continuously serving him food, but then she couldn’t help looking at him again.
Fang Muyang looked up at Fei Ni with a smile. “Am I really that good-looking?”
Fei Ni lowered her head again, picked up a bite of food, and put it in her mouth.
Only when she bit into it did she realize she had eaten a red chili pepper. It was extremely spicy, bringing tears to her eyes. Fang Muyang asked her what was wrong.
Fei Ni didn’t speak, her eyes just reddening.
If it weren’t for her lips growing even redder, Fang Muyang might have thought she was crying from happiness. He quickly asked for water for her to drink.
Fei Ni took small sips of water while Fang Muyang smiled, looking at her lips. Feeling shy, she lowered her head again.
Fang Muyang had never seen Fei Ni so happy before, like a child during a holiday.
He rode his bicycle home with Fei Ni, pedaling fast as if someone were chasing them. With no one on the streets at night, Fei Ni held onto Fang Muyang without restraint, gripping him so tightly it almost hurt, like a child with their first doll, unwilling to let go.
Fei Ni was glad Fang Muyang was in front and couldn’t see her silly grin—only the moon could witness it.
Fei Ni specially bought chocolates from the Friendship Store to share with her workshop colleagues. They remarked on her generosity, saying that others only handed out assorted candies when they got married. Because Sister Liu had always looked out for her, Fei Ni gave her a separate packet of chocolates.The hat factory had new leadership, and the new leaders encouraged employees to take the college entrance exams. Workers who got into university not only had their names featured on the blackboard but were also repeatedly announced over the broadcast system, with Wang Xiaoman as the announcer. Although Wang Xiaoman wasn’t particularly close to Fei Ni, she often brought Fei Ni up in conversations, mentioning that her former close neighbor had been admitted to a certain university, as if sharing in the honor.
Everyone at the hat factory knew Fei Ni had gotten into college—and a prestigious one at that.
The cafeteria staff always gave her an extra scoop of food, carefully draining the broth to make each serving substantial. One cook’s child was taking the college entrance exam that year and wanted to borrow Fei Ni’s notes.
Fei Ma was overjoyed. With her eldest son, younger daughter, and son-in-law all admitted to university, her happiness overflowed—not just on her face but in every conversation while shopping or cooking. She only wished more people knew the good news. She had always regretted not holding a wedding banquet for Fei Ni, and now she saw the perfect opportunity to host an admission celebration. When Fei Ting found out, he quickly excused himself, telling his mother, "Don’t include me as a light bulb. I’d be happy to help organize a wedding banquet for my younger sister, though." Fei Ma promptly decided to hold a wedding banquet for her daughter and son-in-law before the semester began.
Fei Ni wasn’t entirely on board—having been married for over a year, a second wedding banquet felt odd. But since her mother had brought it up, she knew it meant a lot to her and didn’t want to spoil her excitement. She shared her mother’s decision with Fang Muyang, who surprisingly supported it.
"I’d love for everyone to know we’re married, and it’s a chance for your colleagues and relatives to get to know me," he said. He was tired of being called "Section Chief Ye"—even once was too much.
Fang Muyang took charge of organizing the banquet. He contacted a head chef and kitchen assistants. The chef, an old acquaintance of his, had just retired and rarely took on private events. He only agreed because Fang Muyang asked, even though it was an outdoor setup. Not only did the chef do it as a favor, but he also wanted to make Fang Muyang proud, even suggesting "Steamed Cabbage in Supreme Broth" for the menu. Fang Muyang advised against such technically demanding dishes, including any requiring intricate carving, and proposed a menu of homestyle dishes instead. The chef scoffed, "You need me for this?" Fang Muyang replied, "The simpler the dish, the more it showcases your skill." The chef nodded, "You know what you’re talking about."
Once the guest list was finalized, Fang Muyang began preparing the invitations. On each one, he sketched simple drawings of himself and Fei Ni in different poses, showcasing his creative versatility. He then asked Fei Ni to write the text. Fei Ni couldn’t help but laugh at his lively, almost cheeky drawings. To balance their playful tone, she wrote in a very formal script. While each invitation featured a unique illustration, her handwriting was so consistent it looked printed, with uniform spacing between characters.After sending out the invitations, Fang Muyang began decorating the wedding room. He bought red paper, and Fei Ni cut out double happiness characters based on the designs he drew. After finishing the characters, she also cut silhouettes of the two of them according to his drawings. Fang Muyang had originally planned to ask someone else to help with the cutting, but Fei Ni insisted she could do it herself. Understanding her lack of experience in paper-cutting, he drew rough sketches, yet the essence of both was captured. Each of the three silhouettes was unique, and in the last one, the love in Fei Ni's eyes for Fang Muyang was simply impossible to conceal—whereas in daily life, she was quite good at hiding it.
Fei Ni told Fang Muyang that the one where her feelings were too obvious should be hung in the bedroom, as it would be embarrassing for others to see.
Initially, Fei Ni had said they shouldn't hold a banquet, but once they decided to, she prepared for their wedding feast as seriously as if she were studying for the college entrance exam, leaving no room for carelessness.
The wedding banquet was held in their small courtyard, with both sets of parents attending. The segment for the parents' speeches wasn't supposed to be long, but Old Fang single-handedly doubled the duration, prolonging the guests' wait.
Old Fang had now regained his former status, with many people asking him to speak, though he usually didn't want to. The admiration from outsiders led him to mistakenly believe that his son also loved listening to his words.
Old Fang didn't mention any flaws of his wayward son at all, only emphasizing how well-suited his son and daughter-in-law were, while also sharing his hopes for their future. At emotional moments, Old Fang's eyes reddened, as if he were only now marrying off his son.
And the son he was "marrying off" appeared to have no attachment, eagerly looking forward to starting his new life.
Fang Muyang had just declared his married status to everyone, yet he was about to live as if he were single again.
Fei Ni's school was far from their current residence, while Fang Muyang was close by and could return home anytime.
Fang Muyang suggested that Fei Ni stay at his parents' house, which was near her school, so he could visit her frequently. If she lived on campus, they would only see each other on weekends. After some thought, Fei Ni said she should at least live in the dormitory for the first year.
Since Fei Ni was so firm, Fang Muyang had to agree. He then went to buy things for her dorm life, gathering so much that the bicycle couldn't carry it all. Old Fang, who didn't even use his dedicated car for work, offered to hire a car to take Fei Ni to school this time. Fei Ni thought that would be too conspicuous and insisted on using Fang Muyang's bicycle as the only designated mode of transport.
The day before school started, Fang Muyang rode his bicycle to take Fei Ni to register.
He first brought her to the dormitory. All of Fei Ni's roommates had already arrived, leaving her as the last one. There were other married female students in the dorm, but she was the only one who brought her husband to help set up the bed. Fang Muyang took care of everything Fei Ni needed to do, so she could only watch from the side. Remembering she had chocolate in her bag, she proactively shared it with everyone.
Her roommates guessed that Fei Ni was around twenty years old, and Fang Muyang was probably about the same age. Though they didn't look alike, both were attractive, and getting married seemed a bit young for them—they must be siblings. Seeing how considerate he was, they assumed he was her older brother.
One girl said to Fei Ni, "I really envy you for having such a brother." Handsome and thoughtful.
Fei Ni had to clarify Fang Muyang's identity herself: "He's my husband."
Thus, even before classes started, everyone in Fei Ni's dorm knew she was married, that her husband was named Fang Muyang, and that he treated her very well—even making her bed for her.Fang Muyang had brought so many things for Fei Ni that after settling her in, he returned home to fetch the remaining luggage bags. Just as he rode his bicycle to the entrance of Fei Ni's school, he was stopped by a reporter.
The reporter mistook Fang Muyang for a new student at the school, and since he appeared spirited and confident—fitting the reporter's preconceived image of an interviewee—he stopped Fang Muyang, who was on his way to the girls' dormitory, and asked him to share his thoughts on being admitted.
Fang Muyang told the reporter that he wasn't a student at the school; his wife was, and he was there to deliver some things to her.
He pointed behind the reporter, "My wife is right over there."
The reporter turned and saw a beautiful girl smiling, with the school gate as her backdrop. To him, it was a smile full of hope, and he quickly captured it with his camera. Today was truly lucky—he had the front-page photo, effortlessly obtained.
Fei Ni had earlier told her roommate she wanted to take a stroll downstairs, but in reality, she was waiting for Fang Muyang. When she noticed someone taking photos, she was momentarily startled. The surprise didn't last long, though; as Fang Muyang approached, her smile returned.
The reporter came over and introduced himself. He was a journalist from a major newspaper and wanted to conduct an exclusive interview with Fei Ni.
The next day's newspaper proved the reporter hadn't lied. Fei Ni appeared on the front page as a vibrant, hopeful university freshman, her smile strikingly prominent. The report also mentioned her husband, who would soon be studying at the Art Academy. However, her husband only occupied half a line; the rest detailed her previous longing to take the college entrance exam and her aspirations for the future. Most people who saw the newspaper didn't know her husband's name, only how exceptional this girl was.
Fei Ni's name even reached the Art Academy. On the day Fang Muyang reported there, he overheard students around him speculating about which new student was Fei Ni's husband, with answers varying widely. Someone, clever enough, even included him as one of the candidates.
As Fang Muyang walked along the path, listening to the suggestions around him, Xu Hui came running toward him, waving an envelope, "Fang Muyang, your painting passed the preliminary selection for the art exhibition!"
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