Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi closed her eyes and pinched herself hard before her brain recovered from the massive bomb Huo Shaoheng dropped. Inhaling deeply, she mustered the courage to ask Huo Shaoheng, “But I don’t love you anymore. How can we marry without love?” She knew there was a reason behind everyone’s marriages, and for her it was a simple reason of wanting to marry the person she loved.
“There’s no contradiction. We can marry first and then fall in love.” Huo Shaoheng’s voice was baritone and even, so it was very comforting.
“But what if we can’t love each other in the end?” Gu Nianzhi was troubled. “Even if we can divorce in three years, that also means that I’ll go from a perfectly normal unmarried girl to a young divorcee! Huo Shaoheng, I’ll only be 22 in three years. Do you think that’s fair to me?” Although Gu Nianzhi was young and had lived with Huo Shaoheng on the Special Operations Forces base for a long time, thus lacking experience with society, she had grown up with the internet and didn’t need to physically participate in order to be part of society. She learned computer skills from Zhao Liangze at a young age and had been online on social media such as various major forums and weibos for a long time, so she had the idea that society was much more stringent towards women. In three years, Huo Shaoheng would still be a desirable bachelor, even if he divorced. He might even be more sought after… But what about her? Her value would be on a steep decline.
Huo Shaoheng smiled faintly as he continued to tempt Gu Nianzhi. His voice became even more magnetic. The devil in his heart opened up its wings to enclose her in its feathers. “Don’t worry. Our marriage will be kept confidential. There is a special organizational department responsible for specialized marriage registrations. Our marriage information will be filed confidentially, and there will be no external records. No one else will know about it until you are fully willing to marry me. If we divorce in the future, I guarantee that this marriage will not be part of your personal record. As long as you agree, you can still write ‘unmarried’ on any forms you fill out. Think about it carefully. We can break up as long as you agree.”
From now on, she would no longer be his girlfriend, and he would no longer be her boyfriend. From now on, she was only his wife, and he was only her husband. How wonderful would that be? However, Gu Nianzhi heard a different meaning in the words. Raising a brow, she glanced at Huo Shaoheng. “You want to have… a secret marriage?”
“No, I don’t want that. If you agree, we can have a publicized wedding today. We can invite all the guests here immediately. Our wedding would be even grander than the Prime Minister’s inauguration today.” Huo Shaoheng leaned forward, moved closer to Gu Nianzhi’s ear, and whispered, “Did you know that when I was in the United States, I had already planned the schedule for our wedding?” No matter what surprises occurred, nothing would stop him from marrying her, even if the surprise was Gu Nianzhi herself.
Gu Nianzhi was completely shocked. She looked at Huo Shaoheng blankly and was so conflicted, she didn’t know what to say. Should she trust him? Should she publicize the wedding? Gu Nianzhi had a clear answer already; she didn’t want to announce it. She never planned to get married, so why she would randomly announce it?
Huo Shaoheng seemed to completely understand what she was thinking and asked keenly, “Nianzhi, are you willing to announce it? I already said that all the decision making power rests with you. I only want to have a fair chance of pursuing you.” He would gamble everything he had for this one chance.
Now it was Gu Nianzhi who hesitated. Was she willing to get married? Of course she didn’t want to marry him, but she was trapped by his words. What would he do if she insisted on rejecting him? Suddenly, Gu Nianzhi realized she didn’t know Huo Shaoheng that well, after all. She originally thought he had a strong and proud nature, so he would never drag things out or beg a woman without any principles. But his current actions completely overturned her understanding of him.
Gu Nianzhi was completely confused. All the things Huo Shaoheng did for her flashed through her mind. His neglect and the emotional pain he inflicted on her also replayed in her mind. Two opposing feelings waged a war in her mind. One moment, the positive feelings overpowered her and told her to stop hesitating and agree to his request. The next moment, the negative feelings took control and asked her to throw a fit, flip the table, and walk out. She was done with this! Unable to make her mind in that moment, Gu Nianzhi fell into a long silence.
Huo Shaoheng looked at her and slowly reached out his right hand to grab her hand. He was still holding the pen he tried to stuff into her hand. It was a Cartier platinum pen he had specially customized for her for their big day. The slim and exquisite pen felt as smooth as silk in her grip, and there was a small heart on the top of the pen cap. It was a whole three-carat, flawless diamond cut into a heart shape, and the middle was micro engraved with the words, “Nianzhi is the only one in my heart” in floral calligraphy. It could only be read with a magnifying glass. The entire design was sleek and streamlined, and the exquisite personal details were hidden within the subtle luxury. The conference doors opened quietly, and the leader of the Special Operations Forces Disciplinary Committee, Zhou Qiyuan, and Chen Lie walked in with smiles. They closed the door silently. Huo Shaoheng whispered in Gu Nianzhi’s ear, “Here, sign it.”
Gu Nianzhi pursed her lips and appeared solemn as she stubbornly refused to bow down. Huo Shaoheng reached out his left arm to firmly hold her waist as he held her hand with his left hand. With a gentle push of his arm, they both bent over the conference room’s long desk. Gu Nianzhi badly wanted to reject him. Her fingers were stiff and refused to write properly. However, Huo Shaoheng held her hand gently, patiently, and stubbornly as he used unrefusable strength to hold her hand. Like an adult teaching a child how to write, they wrote down her name stroke by stroke on the wedding registration form. “Gu Nianzhi” was written beside the previously printed “Huo Shaoheng.” It looked like a perfect couple.
Clap, clap, clap! The conference room suddenly filled with the sound of applause. Gu Nianzhi snapped out of her daze and saw that there were now two more people in the conference room. Zhou Qiyuan and Chen Lie smiled and clapped as they stood in front of them. They both wore pressed military uniforms, had shaved faces, and had tidied up neatly. It was obvious that they had dressed up especially for the occasion. Huo Shaoheng let go of Gu Nianzhi’s hand and sighed obviously. His entire aura had changed. He passed the signed marriage registration form to Zhou Qiyuan. “Qiyuan, this is within your jurisdiction. Take it in for records.”
Zhou Qiyuan carefully checked all the forms to make sure all the information was correct and that the necessary identification and paperwork was inside the envelope before nodding. He took out a military stamp and solemnly stamped the administration section of the marriage registration form in red ink.
Chen Lie also came over and chuckled. “I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness.” He then signed his name on the witness line of the marriage certificate.
Zhou Qiyuan finished stamping the documents and immediately put them in an envelope to store at the confidential records office. In order to obtain this document and start all the procedures, Huo Shaoheng hadn’t stopped making preparations since midnight yesterday. Because it was during the weekend, all the relevant personnel were off, and Zhou Qiyuan had to get up in the middle of the night and run around waking people up from bed. He didn’t tell them the reason but only told them it was, “the Chief’s orders.” Combined with his absolute authority as the leader of the Disciplinary Committee, he used both soft and hard power to obtain all the necessary stamps and keys to filing cabinets.
Because Huo Shaoheng instructed that this marriage must be kept confidential, he was willing to acquiesce temporarily in order to quell Gu Nianzhi’s mental barrier. However, this had much more legal power than normal military marriages, so aside from the immediate parties of Huo Shaoheng and Gu Nianzhi, Chen Lie and Zhou Qiyuan were the only ones to know about it. General Ji would be informed shortly. When they completed the marriage procedure, Huo Shaoheng would proactively report to General Ji and also request that he keep it confidential as per confidentiality regulations.
Gu Nianzhi stared wide eyed at Zhou Qiyuan as he took the documents away, leaving only the marriage certificate and a divorce request form on the conference table. Chen Lie smiled at Gu Nianzhi. “Today is still your 19th birthday. Nianzhi, it’s your disadvantage that your wedding anniversary and birthday are on the same day.” He gave Huo Shaoheng a suggestive look, but Huo Shaoheng ignored it and picked up the two certificates on the conference table to read.
Soon after, Zhou Qiyuan returned, and he no longer carried an envelope but had a single-lens reflex camera hanging around his neck. “Here, I’ll take a wedding photo for you and put it on the wedding certificate. The procedure is complete once it’s stamped.” The typically stony faced Zhou Qiyuan had somehow made a joke.
Chen Lie stared at him in shock. “Zhou Qiyuan, so your face actually isn’t frozen?!”
Zhou Qiyuan was speechless. His smile vanished, and he completely ignored Chen Lie as he strode over to Huo Shaoheng and Gu Nianzhi, and steadily raised his camera. Huo Shaoheng rested one hand on Gu Nianzhi’s shoulder and took her in front of an empty wall in the conference room. A projection screen hung on the wall, gleaming white and clean, just like the background at the photo room in the Civil Affairs Bureau’s marriage registration office. Chen Lie’s eyes were drawn to Gu Nianzhi and Huo Shaoheng. Gu Nianzhi wore a bright red cashmere dress and appeared delicate and alluring. Huo Shaoheng was in his major general’s uniform and appeared strapping and handsome. He even wore his military cap. Standing together, they looked like a perfect couple and were very easy on the eyes.
Chen Lie smiled. “Hmm? Nianzhi, why are you wearing a bright red dress? It really looks like a wedding outfit!”
Gu Nianzhi was dumbfounded. Would Chen Lie laugh at her if she told him it was just a coincidence?! Gu Nianzhi raised her eyebrows and glared unhappily at Chen Lie.
Zhou Qiyuan spied this from behind the camera and coughed. “Your expression should be more relaxed for a wedding photo.”
Gu Nianzhi quickly scrunched up her face. Huo Shaoheng smiled at the camera as he sneakily moved one hand up Gu Nianzhi’s waist to gently press where she was the most ticklish. Gu Nianzhi was taken by surprise and instinctively smiled from the ticklishness. Zhou Qiyuan quickly clicked the shutter and immediately captured her cute and natural smile. Her expression was as alluring as a cactus flower blooming for the first time under the moon.
