“Our equipment here isn’t the most advanced. The latest pregnancy testing devices can even pinpoint the exact time of conception,” the middle-aged doctor said as he glanced at the test results, casually chatting with Cheng Jin. “Your body seems to be in good condition, and the baby is stable, with no abnormalities. However, just to be safe, you should come back tomorrow for a more thorough check-up.”

“Oh…” Cheng Jin’s mind was in complete disarray, barely absorbing half of what the doctor was saying. Cheng Xu, on the other hand, remained calm. He asked, “Is there anything we should avoid, like certain foods or activities? And, can we visit the hot springs?”

“It’s best to avoid hot springs,” the doctor advised seriously. “As for everything else, drinking just nutritional soups won’t be enough. You should aim for more balanced, nutritious meals. If you face any difficulties, you can visit the community office for welfare support. You’re new residents here, right? I haven’t seen you before.”

Cheng Xu nodded. “Yes, we moved here just over a month ago.”

“That explains it,” the doctor smiled warmly. “We have good welfare for pregnant women here. You should apply for fresh, nutritious food deliveries, and all hospital expenses during pregnancy and childbirth are covered.”

“Wow, that’s great,” Cheng Xu replied.

The doctor glanced at them curiously. “May I ask, what’s your relationship?”

“We’re brothers.”

The doctor’s expression turned a bit complicated. “And his partner?”

Cheng Jin panicked for a moment, but Cheng Xu remained composed and calmly replied, “He doesn’t know yet, so it’ll take some time for him to come around.”

“Oh, well, he’ll need to be informed soon. You’ll need his signature during the birth,” the doctor reminded them.

After thanking the doctor and nurse, Cheng Xu helped his younger brother out of the hospital. As the cold wind hit him, Cheng Jin felt more clear-headed. He noticed his hands were trembling. Looking at his brother, he couldn’t help but panic. “Brother…”

“We’ll talk when we get home,” Cheng Xu said.

When they arrived home, Cheng Zheng was already there, sitting by the fire, reading a book. He was brewing tea gifted by a neighbor, filling the house with a pleasant aroma. Noticing his two younger brothers arriving together, he looked puzzled. “Where did you two go so late?”

Cheng Jin was about to respond, but Cheng Xu spoke first. “We ran out of seasoning, so we went to the store.”

“Did you get it?”

“They were out of stock.”

Cheng Zheng pouted, grumbling, “That’s the downside of living here. There’s so little available, and everything is hard to get.”

“True, the economy here isn’t great,” Cheng Xu replied lightly.

After some casual conversation, Cheng Xu took Cheng Jin upstairs. Once in his room, Cheng Jin finally asked, “Brother, why did you lie to Dad? Aren’t we going to tell him about this?”

“I want to wait until you’ve made your decision,” Cheng Xu replied. “Otherwise, I’m afraid Dad’s attitude might influence you.”

“Dad’s attitude?”

“Don’t you think Dad has gotten used to life here? He goes out and comes back happy every day, as if he plans to settle down here for good. Besides, he doesn’t like Lu Tao. Once he knows about this, his only advice will be to find another man to marry.” Cheng Xu’s voice softened. “You’ve never had a strong will, and I’m worried Dad’s opinion might push you into a decision that goes against your heart.”

Cheng Jin gave a bitter smile. “Yeah, I’ve never been strong-willed…” He sat down, slowly removing his hat and patting away the melted snow. “But I don’t want to trap him with a child for life.” He sighed, remembering his past mistakes. If he could go back, he wouldn’t have forced that marriage. He would have tried to win Lu Tao’s affection, and if that failed, he would have stepped back instead of taking what wasn’t his.

“It’s been seven years. I’ve forced him for too long.”

Cheng Xu gently patted his head. After a long pause, he suggested, “Then find someone for a fake marriage.”

Cheng Jin blinked in surprise. “A fake marriage? Is that even possible?”

“It’s possible,” Cheng Xu assured him. “Since the law was passed, providing fake marriage services has become an underground business. It’s illegal, of course, but as long as both parties sign a private agreement, who’s going to find out?”

Cheng Jin, who had resigned himself to marrying just anyone, felt a glimmer of hope. “Really? Is it easy to find someone?”

Cheng Xu smiled. “I’ll handle it. You just stay home and rest.”

Relieved by his brother’s words, Cheng Jin quickly nodded.

Cheng Xu moved swiftly. A week later, he returned with a stranger. By then, Cheng Jin had already told their father about the pregnancy. As expected, their father was completely against reconciling with Lu Tao, advising Cheng Jin to find a local man instead. When he heard about the fake marriage, he didn’t oppose it and even supported the idea. “We can raise the child ourselves. At least this way, we’ll have a descendant in the Cheng family.”

The man Cheng Xu brought was a local. He entered timidly, his face red from the cold, almost with a runny nose. When he saw Cheng Jin, he froze for a moment before offering a shy smile. Cheng Jin quickly poured him some hot tea and gave him the warmest seat by the fire. The young man sat down nervously and, after a sip of tea, stammered, “H-hi.”

Cheng Jin smiled. “Hello.” He quickly brought out some freshly baked cookies, and the boy’s eyes lit up at the sight of them. After hesitating, he carefully took one and ate it as if it were a rare treat.

Cheng Xu removed his thick coat and introduced him, “His name is Ma Yuan. He’s a pipe worker from the next town, and he just reached marriageable age this year.”

“Eighteen? That’s so young!” Cheng Jin exclaimed.

“I-I’m not that young. I can legally get married!” Ma Yuan hurriedly said, his face anxious as if afraid Cheng Jin wouldn’t approve.

Cheng Jin didn’t want to embarrass him, so he said nothing more. Cheng Xu continued, “For someone who’s been married before, the marriage application process is stricter. But for him, it’ll be easier. Plus, he’s agreed that after you give birth, and the baby is six months old, you’ll file for divorce. You won’t have to live together, and he’ll only need to show up when necessary. He’s also willing to sign a private agreement.”

Ma Yuan nodded eagerly. “Yes, I won’t cause any trouble. You can count on that.”

Fake marriages come with risks: the other party might refuse to divorce, ask for more money, or misbehave during the marriage. Legal action might not always resolve the issue favorably.

But Cheng Jin trusted his brother’s judgment and said, “Alright, I believe you.”

While Cheng Xu drafted the private agreement, Cheng Jin and Ma Yuan sat together. Cheng Jin noticed Ma Yuan eyeing the remaining cookies and said, “Go ahead, eat them all. It’s fine.”

“Th-thank you,” Ma Yuan stammered. Instead of taking more, he asked, “Could I take two home for my mom and sister? My sister’s never had anything like this.”

Cheng Jin felt a pang of sympathy. Smiling softly, he said, “I’ll pack some for you. Go ahead and enjoy these.”

Ma Yuan finally ate more cookies, quickly devouring them as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Cheng Jin, noticing his shabby clothes, realized the boy’s family must be struggling. The thought of Ma Yuan selling his first marriage for money pained him.

When Cheng Xu finished the agreement, Ma Yuan signed it and asked, “When do we register the marriage?”

“Tomorrow,” Cheng Xu replied.

“O-okay.”

Cheng Jin was surprised. “So soon?”

“You’re already showing a little. The sooner, the better,” Cheng Xu explained.

Cheng Jin had no objections. Before Ma Yuan left, Cheng Jin handed him a package of cookies and a sweater. Seeing Ma Yuan’s confusion, Cheng Jin smiled. “I knitted this for my dad, but it ended up too small. You can have it.”

“Really? It looks so warm…” Ma Yuan marveled but was too shy to accept it at first.

“Try it on. It’s cold outside, and this will keep you warm.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Ma Yuan said, overjoyed. He put on the sweater, and to Cheng Jin’s surprise, the dark gray color suited him, making him look a bit more handsome.

After Ma Yuan left, Cheng Jin asked his brother about the cost of the fake marriage. Learning that it was quite low, Cheng Jin felt guilty. Sensing this, Cheng Xu playfully pinched his cheek. “Save your sympathy. We don’t earn much either. Once things improve, we can help him out.”

Cheng Jin nodded and remarked, “This planet… it’s really poor.”

“That’s why I’m working hard to help it grow,” Cheng Xu replied.

With the fake marriage settled, Cheng Jin still felt uneasy. But whenever doubts crept in, he pushed them aside. Reminding himself that this was the best decision, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Cheng Xu took him to the city center’s registration office. Ma Yuan was already waiting there. On this geothermal planet, marriage registrations were still done manually, unlike on the Imperial Planet where everything was processed online. After a short wait, they were seated at the registration window.

After confirming their intent to register for marriage, the staff asked for Ma Yuan’s ID number. Every human has a unique ID number, valid from birth until deactivation upon death.

“Just turned eighteen? You seem eager,” the staff teased, smiling. The locals were straightforward and didn’t suspect anything about the nature of the marriage.

Ma Yuan blushed, unable to say much.

The staff then turned to Cheng Jin. “Your ID number, please.”

Cheng Jin recited the number, watching the staff enter it into the system. As the familiar keystrokes echoed, memories of registering his first marriage with Lu Tao flooded back, tightening his chest. He quickly forced himself to let go of those thoughts.

That wasn’t a happy memory. Dwelling on it would only bring more pain.

Now that he thought about it, apart from the time influenced by the toxin, there weren’t many truly happy moments with Lu Tao.

Letting go was the best choice.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Jin waited to hear “registration complete.” Instead, the staff looked at the screen with surprise. After a few seconds, they glanced up at Cheng Jin with a strange expression. “Mr. Cheng, you can’t register for marriage.”

“What? Why?” Cheng Jin was confused, fearing their fake marriage had been exposed.

The staff turned the screen toward him. “According to our records, your current marriage is still active. To marry Mr. Ma, you’ll need to file for a divorce first.”

“Still active?” Cheng Jin stared at the screen in disbelief. His heart pounded as he saw the name “Lu Tao” listed under the spouse column. His voice trembled. “There must be a mistake. I definitely filed for divorce… Given my situation, there’s no way it could’ve been denied…”