Marriage certificate photos

"Are you really going to get married?"

Dai Lan sat cross-legged on the sofa, asking with a serious expression.

Wu Jiangyuan looked puzzled. "What, did you think I was joking before?"

Dai Lan immediately looked at a loss for words. "But you never said it would be this soon."

"Don't you really hate that Pei family heir?"

Wu Jiangyuan shrugged. "It's hard to defy your parents' wishes."

Something seemed to occur to Dai Lan, and his expression shifted several times. "It's too scary back here. I want to go home."

Wu Jiangyuan glanced at the clock. There were still two hours until the agreed time.

"All right, you. Get some rest."

He walked away.

Dai Lan called him back. "Hey, Wu Jiangyuan, let me ask you something."

Wu Jiangyuan turned his head. "Go on."

"...Well, um..."

Dai Lan struggled to get the words out. After hesitating for a long while, he asked, "I remember you said you slept with Pei Jinghe, right?"

Wu Jiangyuan: "..."

He smiled faintly, a blade hidden in his smile. "What are you getting at?"

"I just wanted to ask." Dai Lan's face was practically scrunching up.

"After sleeping with someone you hate, if you still have to see them, is there a more dignified way to deal with it?"

Wu Jiangyuan's gaze turned teasing. "There is."

Dai Lan's eyes instantly lit up. "What is it?"

"Get married." Wu Jiangyuan drawled, "Isn't that what I'm doing?"

Then he abruptly changed tack. "Who did you sleep with?"

"..." Dai Lan's eyes darted away, and he immediately lay down as though nothing had happened. "No one. I was just curious."

"I'm going to sleep. Good night. Have fun getting your marriage registered."

With that, he buried his head in a pillow and played dead.

Wu Jiangyuan snorted. He would deal with this brat when he got back.

Only after returning to his room did he see the message Pei Jinghe had sent half an hour earlier.

The guy with the sour face who was asking for a beating: [I'm leaving now.]

Wu Jiangyuan replied with an OK hand gesture.

He put down his phone, went to the bathroom to wash up, and came back out.

Looking at the suit laid at the foot of his bed, he wondered, It's just a marriage certificate photo. There's no need to go overboard, right?

Pei Jinghe probably won't go overboard either, right?

Wu Jiangyuan recalled the pink suit he had worn yesterday and ultimately decided to spruce himself up.

The man would look ridiculously handsome even in a garbage bag. I can't let myself look like a vagrant next to him.

Fully dressed in formal attire and with everything he needed packed, Wu Jiangyuan looked at himself in the mirror with satisfaction.

Before leaving, his gaze fell on the little gift box. He hesitated, then walked over and slipped it into his pocket.

Dai Lan was already fast asleep and knew nothing of his departure.

Timing his arrival, Wu Jiangyuan went to the underground garage and spotted Pei Jinghe's car.

The first thing he saw was that eye-catching splash of pink.

He opened the car door and got in.

First, he looked Pei Jinghe over.

He seemed a little more handsome than yesterday. Maybe it was because he had styled his hair?

Pei Jinghe's gaze lingered on him for quite a while before flicking to his hand.

He lowered his eyes, concealing a fleeting trace of disappointment.

"Did you bring everything?" he asked quietly.

Wu Jiangyuan said, "Yes. Let's go."

He discreetly glanced at Pei Jinghe's hand on the steering wheel.

On that well-defined hand was a ring matching the one he had received last night.

Something tugged faintly at Wu Jiangyuan's heartstrings, and he rested his hand over his pocket.

The ring box was inside.

Throughout the drive, neither of them took the initiative to bring up the rings, in tacit agreement.

Propping up his chin, Wu Jiangyuan asked casually, "You wore that outfit all day today?"

Pei Jinghe said, "Yes."

"Didn't you scare your secretary?"

Wu Jiangyuan could already imagine how shocking it must have been for Pei Jinghe's subordinates to see him dressed like this at the office.

Their usually unsmiling boss showing up in pink would definitely give them plenty to whisper about.

Pei Jinghe hesitated before saying, "She complimented me all day."

Wu Jiangyuan teased with a laugh, "Looks like your secretary really values her job."

Taking in his smiling eyes, Pei Jinghe sighed silently.

"I thought you would wear it."

Wu Jiangyuan hadn't expected him to ask so directly and froze.

He turned toward the scenery flashing past outside the window and spoke in an offhand tone.

"Rings are supposed to be put on by each other. Putting it on yourself doesn't mean anything."

Pei Jinghe said nothing.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

At that moment, the platinum ring seemed a little ridiculous.

Yes, it didn't mean anything right now.

Silence fell inside the car.

Wu Jiangyuan pressed his lips together as he looked out the window.

The Civil Affairs Bureau building slowly came into view.

"We're here."

The car stopped. Pei Jinghe unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door first.

Wu Jiangyuan didn't hurry to get out. Instead, he took the little gift box from his pocket.

He glanced up at Pei Jinghe, who stood outside with his back to him, then lowered his eyes and opened the box.

He slipped the ring onto his own ring finger.

Only then did he get out and walk over to Pei Jinghe, the fingers of his ring-bearing hand curling awkwardly.

"Let's go in, then."

Pei Jinghe looked straight ahead and didn't notice his little movement.

The two entered the Civil Affairs Bureau building.

The photographer taking their marriage certificate photos was a man with ideas of his own.

"You two handsome gentlemen can move a little closer together."

Wu Jiangyuan gave him a strange look.

Didn't a marriage certificate photo just need their two heads in the shot?

It wasn't any different from an ID photo.

The photographer didn't think so.

It was rare to encounter a pair of husbands whose looks appealed to him so much, and he was delighted.

Such handsome faces would be utterly wasted on a stiff photo.

He directed Wu Jiangyuan, "Now, the handsome gentleman in the dark blue suit, move a little closer to your partner."

"And the handsome gentleman in the pink suit, please put your arm around your husband's shoulders."

Under the photographer's expectant gaze, Wu Jiangyuan moved closer to Pei Jinghe until their shoulders touched.

Pei Jinghe also did as instructed and put his arm around his shoulders.

But no matter how the photographer shot them, it didn't feel right. After a moment's thought, he said to Pei Jinghe, "Sir, sorry for the trouble, but could you smile?"

Pei Jinghe: "."

He glanced sideways at Wu Jiangyuan, who was looking at the photographer with a disgruntled expression.

A hint of amusement crossed Pei Jinghe's eyes, but in this situation, he couldn't lift the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, he didn't know how to smile.

The photographer kept patiently encouraging him. "On a day as wonderful as registering your marriage, it only means something if we preserve a heartfelt smile forever."

Wu Jiangyuan turned to Pei Jinghe and saw that his face was still expressionless.

He clicked his tongue softly. "Can't you even fake it?"

Pei Jinghe looked troubled. "I can't fake the kind of smile he's talking about."

Wu Jiangyuan gave a dry laugh, hooked a hand around his tie, and tugged him closer. Lifting his chin slightly, he teased with a smile.

"You can't even fake a smile? Pei Jinghe, pack up and go home."

A starry glint flashed in the corner of Pei Jinghe's eye, and he followed it to the hand gripping his tie.

That specially customized blue diamond ring was on his ring finger.

He froze for an instant. After the surprise came an indescribable joy, and he reached up to take Wu Jiangyuan's wrist.

Pei Jinghe's expression softened, and the corners of his mouth rose without his even realizing it.

Click-

At that very moment, the photographer pressed the shutter.

Bewildered, Wu Jiangyuan instinctively looked at the photographer.

Click-

Another click.

The photographer took another shot of them and said excitedly,

"This is absolutely perfect!"

Wu Jiangyuan: "?"

What's so perfect? What happened?

The marriage certificate photos were soon printed.

Looking at the final photo, Wu Jiangyuan was at a loss for words.

In the photo, he was gripping Pei Jinghe's collar, looking rather dazed as he faced the camera.

Beside him, Pei Jinghe's eyes were smiling, and the camera had perfectly captured the doting look on his face.

One was making trouble, and the other was smiling.

The photo's atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.

And on their visible hands, two blue diamond rings sparkled.