I got hitched!

Yin Zhengchuan pinched his thigh in frustration. He had a bad habit: whenever he got nervous, excited, or angry, he could not help slipping into his dialect.

Before he left, his omega dad had reminded him over and over to speak standard Mandarin. He had even practiced his introduction over a hundred times on the way, thinking nothing could go wrong, only to slip up anyway.

"Sorry," Yin Zhengchuan said in standard Mandarin. "I... sometimes I slip into my hometown dialect without realizing it."

To his surprise, Wei Zisu smiled. "That's all right. What did you just say?"

Yin Zhengchuan repeated it in standard Mandarin. "Could we skip the engagement... and get married straight away?"

Although it was very sudden, Wei Zisu gave it serious thought and agreed.

He had never considered marriage a particularly big deal. If the government had not required it, he would not even have chosen to marry. Besides, an engagement and a marriage were not very different to him. Both were ways to comply with the regulations. If they turned out to be incompatible, whether they called off the marriage or got divorced, it was simply a necessary procedure.

He had a good impression of Yin Zhengchuan: handsome and honest, with above-average height and build. Wei Zisu was quite satisfied with choosing him as his marriage partner.

They left the meeting room and headed straight for the marriage registration desk in the main hall.

Filling out forms, taking photos, exchanging vows, and collecting their certificates took less than half an hour altogether.

Outside the civil affairs bureau, the two stood by the entrance, staring at each other.

Wei Zisu thought, He traveled all this way overnight. Should I treat him to a meal?

Yin Zhengchuan thought, Now that we're married, should I start calling him something different?

"Mr. Yin, let's have a meal together," Wei Zisu said.

Hearing him say "Mr. Yin," Yin Zhengchuan swallowed the endearment on the tip of his tongue and said, "Sure."

At the restaurant, they sat facing each other, both a little awkward about their new relationship as spouses.

Searching for something to say, Wei Zisu asked casually, "When are you heading back, Mr. Yin?"

Yin Zhengchuan thought, He's asking when I'm heading back. Does that mean he wants me to meet his parents first? Or is he planning to come home with me to meet mine? Where should we hold the wedding? Maybe we should do what Dad suggested before I left and hold one in both places. Oh, and the betrothal gift. He hasn't mentioned it, but I absolutely have to give him one...

Seeing him sitting there in a daze without speaking, Wei Zisu called to him again. "Mr. Yin?"

"Huh?" Yin Zhengchuan came back to his senses. "I can head back whenever."

It mainly depended on his schedule!

Wei Zisu nodded. "I'm joining the production tomorrow. Some scenes need reshooting. You've come such a long way, Mr. Yin, so I really should show you around, but I'm afraid I can't this time. Next time you come, I'll be sure to be a proper host."

Only then did Yin Zhengchuan realize he had been getting ahead of himself.

"Oh, that's all right," he said. "As it happens, I'm heading back tomorrow too."

"Are you going back for work? I haven't had a chance to ask-what do you do, Mr. Yin?" Wei Zisu asked.

As he recalled, the occupation field on Yin Zhengchuan's information form had seemed to be blank. The only thing Wei Zisu remembered clearly was the scent of his pheromones-mint, refreshing and invigorating.

"It's not really work," Yin Zhengchuan said. "My family grows some vegetables, and I help out."

"Do you sell what you grow yourselves?" Wei Zisu asked.

"More 'r less," Yin Zhengchuan blurted out.

"Huh?"

"More or less!" Yin Zhengchuan quickly corrected himself.

"Oh." So he was a hardworking member of the working class. Respect welled up in Wei Zisu.

Once all the dishes had arrived, neither said much as they ate, finishing the meal in silence. When Wei Zisu went to pay, he discovered that Yin Zhengchuan had already settled the bill.

He felt a little guilty. From what Yin Zhengchuan had said, his family made their living selling vegetables. This meal had cost several hundred. Who knew how many vegetables they would have to sell to earn that back?

After the meal, before heading home, Wei Zisu asked him, "Where are you staying, Mr. Yin? Let me book you a hotel!"

The man had come all this way, making several transfers, and had paid for their meal too. He had to do something in return, or he really would feel bad.

But Yin Zhengchuan said, "I've already booked a hotel."

Well, there went Wei Zisu's chance to do something for him. He politely said, "Then I'll see you another day."

With that, he was about to take a taxi home.

Yin Zhengchuan caught up in a few strides. "Mr... Mr. Wei."

Wei Zisu opened the car door and asked, "What is it?"

Holding his phone, the nearly six-foot-three alpha asked with a somewhat pitiful expression, "Could I... get your number?"

Wei Zisu: !!!

Right, they had already registered their marriage, but they still had no way to contact each other!!!

"Of course. That was careless of me. Sorry." Wei Zisu took out his phone. "Tell me your number, and I'll call you."

Delighted, Yin Zhengchuan began, "One-eight-twa, twa-eight-one-eight..."

Wei Zisu looked up at him in bewilderment.

Only then did Yin Zhengchuan realize he had spoken too quickly and slipped into his dialect again. He hastily corrected himself. "One-eight-two, two-eight-one-eight..."

Holding back a smile, Wei Zisu dialed the number and hung up once Yin Zhengchuan's phone rang. He waved his phone. "We'll keep in touch. Bye."

With that, he got into the taxi.

After Wei Zisu left, Yin Zhengchuan jumped high into the air by the roadside, clenching his fists in a gesture of triumph. "Yes!!"

Then he called his dad, speaking in his dialect, relaxed and excited. "Dad, it worked out! I got hitched!"

"The wedding banquet? We ain't settled that yet. He's busy. We'll talk once he's done."

"Oh, Dad, I'm coming home tomorrow. Yeah, I'll take our plane back. I'll get myself a taxi to the airport. Anyang? Don't even get me started. When I arrived, I stood in the airport taxi queue for over an hour. It was a right pain..."