Chapter 15: Go Big or Go Home

Wen Zhixian set down her glass. “So, should we get the marriage certificate today?”

Saying those words felt surreal. Not long ago, she had been discussing marriage with someone else, but now everything had changed so drastically.

“I brought my ID and household registration booklet,” Qi Yanjing replied. He had prepared them before leaving this morning.

“Alright, give me a moment.” She stood up and went to the closet to pick out some clothes.

She had never been this impulsive or rebellious before, and this time, she was leaving herself no way out.

Logically, it would make sense to date first, but she was tired of the idea of dating. If she was going to play, she might as well play big.

When she came back out, she was wearing a white dress that perfectly accentuated her slender waist.

She rushed out of the closet and said to him, “Just wait a little longer.”

Then she hurried into the bedroom again.

While she was gone, Qi Yanjing stood up, swept the floor, and tidied up the table.

Just as he finished cleaning, Wen Zhixian came out of the bedroom with her hair tied back in a ponytail.

His gaze stopped on her, his footsteps halting. She had applied makeup, her hair slightly curled and tied in a fishtail braid, giving off a French vibe. Just standing there, she commanded attention.

Wen Zhixian lowered her hands, walked over to Qi Yanjing, and looked up at him. “Mr. Qi, are we ready?”

Meeting her gaze, he said, “You look beautiful.”

A smile appeared on her face as she stuffed the household registration booklet into her bag. It had been with her parents, initially for her planned marriage with Gu Yuchen. They likely expected her to surprise them with wedding news. Things didn’t work out with Gu, but at least the booklet was still coming in handy.

“Let’s go.” She changed her shoes and left with Qi Yanjing.

Qi Yanjing wondered if his earlier compliment had been too casual. In his mind, he thought she was breathtaking, a true beauty, but all he managed to say was, “You look beautiful”—such a simple remark…

Wen Zhixian bent down slightly to pick up the umbrella.

“Let me,” Qi Yanjing said, taking the umbrella from her hand as they entered the elevator.

In the elevator, his fingers brushed against hers, and once they stepped out, he naturally held her hand. Her hand felt soft.

Wen Zhixian felt his warm hand enveloping hers. Standing beside him, she caught the faint scent of wood on him, a calming presence.

“The rain stopped,” she said, pleasantly surprised. She had been worried it might mess up her hair, but now the sun was shining.

Qi Yanjing’s Hongqi car was parked on the side of the road. She got into the passenger seat and noticed his household registration booklet sitting on the center console.

On the way to the Civil Affairs Bureau, Wen Zhixian’s mood remained calm.

He parked the car in front of the bureau, but before he could speak, Miss Wen asked seriously, “Are you really sure you won’t regret this?”

Qi Yanjing was momentarily taken aback. Wasn’t that supposed to be his line? Nonetheless, he responded, “No regrets. I’m following my feelings. If I didn’t make this decision, I’d probably regret it for a long time. I need to try, and I won’t let myself live with any regrets.”

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? All they could do was seize the present.

His words acted as a catalyst, erasing any lingering doubts she had.

Just as she was about to open the car door, Qi Yanjing gently grabbed her arm.

Even with a light touch, her arm felt incredibly slender to him.

“What is it?” she asked, puzzled.

Qi Yanjing retrieved a ring box from the back seat. “I’m not sure if you’ll like this one. If you don’t, we can go pick a different one this afternoon.”

She suddenly remembered that getting married meant buying rings. Opening the ring box, she saw two rings inside—his was simple and elegant, while hers was more intricate, with a main diamond over one carat, designed in a beautiful three-layered structure.

This diamond seemed a bit smaller than the ring she had previously picked out. Back then, she had thought it was a bit too large and eye-catching, but Gu Yuchen had casually mentioned that a smaller one wouldn’t look good. So, they had chosen a much larger ring, a seven-figure Harry Winston, which was quite expensive, only for him to throw it in the trash.

But it was his to throw away, so it was only right.

“I like it a lot, thank you.”

Qi Yanjing took out the ring and gently slid it onto her ring finger—it fit perfectly.

With the ring now on, Qi Yanjing asked her again before they went inside the Civil Affairs Bureau, “Once we go in, there’s no turning back.”

Wen Zhixian squeezed his hand in return and confidently stepped into the bureau with him.

…

She was incredibly calm when they walked in, but once the paperwork was stamped and she came out holding the little red marriage certificate, she suddenly felt overwhelmed.

Standing at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she stared at the certificate in her hand, dumbfounded. Her legs felt weak, and she leaned softly against Qi Yanjing.

“Are you alright?” Qi Yanjing noticed her standing frozen, not thinking she was having regrets since she had been so composed earlier.

He wrapped an arm around her, and she looked up at him from where she rested against his shoulder. In just ten short minutes, it felt like she had been in a dream, and now she was married…

Luckily, the groom was easy on the eyes.

“I…”

Qi Yanjing could feel her body stiffen. “Are you regretting it?”

She took several deep breaths to calm herself down, but still felt a bit restless. “I just suddenly realized we got married. How am I supposed to explain this to my parents?”

“I’ll visit them this afternoon,” he replied, understanding that it was proper to formally visit her family after getting married.

She quickly grabbed Qi Yanjing’s arm. “No, no, no. Let’s keep it a secret for now.”

The thing was, she hadn’t figured out how to tell her parents yet. They had just recently resolved their issues, and if they found out she impulsively married a man she barely knew, they’d think she was acting out of spite. They would feel guilty and might even blame Mr. Qi.

Qi Yanjing frowned slightly. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Wen Zhixian changed the subject, asking, “Do your parents know? Should I meet them first?”

“They don’t know yet, but I’ll tell them.”

Only after getting the certificate did she realize how many things she hadn’t considered—she had really gone all out this time.

She looked seriously at Qi Yanjing and asked, “Are your parents easy to get along with? They won’t dislike me, will they?”

If there were any family conflicts, she would be in for another big headache.

Qi Yanjing smiled, reassuring her, “They won’t. Plus, we don’t live together, and they’ll like you.”

His parents often subtly hinted that he should get a girlfriend. Now that he was married, and with someone he genuinely liked, they wouldn’t have anything to complain about.

“You said it.”

He nodded. “Yes, I said it. I promise.”

Hearing that, Wen Zhixian finally relaxed a bit.

“Mr. Qi, maybe you should let go first…” she said, clearing her throat to mask her embarrassment.

She was still leaning against Qi Yanjing, and his arm was wrapped around her waist.

Qi Yanjing let go of her and said, “Let’s get in the car.”

Once in the car, Wen Zhixian glanced at the route and asked, “Where are we going now?”