A Morning Light Promise

The next morning, the hustle and bustle of the old town courtyards gradually awakened with the rising sun.

On the persimmon tree outside the window, several early-rising sparrows were chirping incessantly.

The bright morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains, quietly illuminating the lingering darkness and allure of the night in the bedroom.

On the bed, Aemeath turned over.

My bones felt like they had been disassembled and reassembled, giving off a languid, sore feeling.

She groggily reached out, instinctively groping for her lower body, but found nothing.

Lu Yan, who was pinned down by her, had already gotten up, leaving only a trace of warmth on the sheets.

Aemeath rubbed her sleepy eyes and slowly sat up from under the covers.

The large white quilt slipped down her shoulders, revealing the men's cotton T-shirt she was wearing, which was obviously a size too big Lu Yan had taken it out of the closet and put it on her after they had been up until late last night.

She lowered her head, her gaze naturally falling on her left hand.

The morning light shone perfectly on her ring finger, and the forget-me-not ring, set against her fair skin, shimmered with a subtle yet incredibly reassuring luster.

Looking at this ring, the heart-pounding scenes from last night flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

From kneeling down to exchange rings, to being lifted up in his arms, to those deep kisses and tender moments under the dim lamplight...

In a flash, Aemeath's face turned bright red, even the droopy ahoge on her head straightened with embarrassment.

"Woke up?"

Just then, the bedroom door, which was half-open, was gently pushed open.

Lu Yan, dressed in gray loungewear with an apron tied around his waist, stood smiling at the door, holding a cup of warm honey water in his hand.

His hair, freshly washed and not yet fully dried, lay softly on his forehead. His gaze, as he looked at the disheveled Aemeath on the bed, was so tender it seemed to melt honey.

"A-Yan ~" Aemeath's voice still carried the soft, sweet tone of last night.

She sniffed; a rich aroma of food was seeping into the bedroom through the crack in the door.

"It smells so good! You've made breakfast!"

"Hmm, I didn't wake you because you were sleeping so soundly." Lu Yan walked to the bedside, sat down naturally on the edge of the bed, and held the honey water in his hand to her lips. "Drink some warm water to soothe your throat first. Last night... cough, I feel like you strained your voice a bit last night."

Upon hearing this, Aemeath's already rosy cheeks instantly turned as red as ripe tomatoes.

She glared at Lu Yan with her big, watery eyes, snatched the water glass from him, and yelled, "You big idiot! You still dare to talk back! Didn't you make me do this?!"

Lu Yan chuckled softly. He reached out and gently brushed the long hair that had fallen across her face, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe, causing her to flinch slightly.

"Okay~ I won't say anything more. Hurry up and get up and wash up. I bought the soup dumplings from that store before, and there's also some freshly made congee with preserved egg and lean pork. It'll get cold if we don't eat it soon."

Upon hearing that the food was getting cold, Aemeath's shyness vanished instantly.

She threw off the covers, wearing Lu Yan's oversized T-shirt, and without even bothering to put on slippers and underwear, immediately ran to the bathroom.

Lu Yan watched her energetic back, shook his head helplessly, took out a pair of pink panties from the drawer, grabbed a pair of slippers from the floor, and followed her. "Put your shoes on and these on!"

Ten minutes later, the two sat side by side at the dining table in the living room.

The morning light shone on the dining table, illuminating the steaming soup dumplings, the golden and crispy fried dough sticks, and two bowls of congee with preserved egg and lean pork.

It was just an ordinary breakfast, but in this small courtyard where the newly engaged couple had just established their relationship, there was an indescribable sweetness.

Aemeath sat in the chair, her long, shapely legs swinging happily in the air, occasionally brushing against Lu Yan's feet.

She held chopsticks in her hand, and the ring on her left ring finger occasionally flashed with a faint light as she moved.

She picked up a plump, white soup dumpling, carefully bit a small hole in it, and gently sucked the soup inside.

"Hoo hoo... It's so hot, but it tastes so good!" Aemeath for breath as the food burned her, making a satisfied sound.

Lu Yan sat opposite her, holding a white porcelain spoon, slowly stirring the porridge in his bowl.

His gaze almost never left Aemeath cheeks were bulging from eating.

Seeing the happy expression on her face because he bought the steamed buns, Lu Yan felt as if his heart was filled with honey, so sweet it was almost cloying.

He reached out his left hand and casually wiped away the oil stains from the corner of Aemeath's mouth.

The moment his left hand reached out, Aemeath saw the ring on his ring finger.

Their hands briefly met above the table, their two rings echoing each other in the morning light.

Aemeath's smile deepened. She deliberately tapped the vinegar dish in front of her with her chopsticks, making a crisp "ding-ding" sound, and teased, "A-Yan, did you feel your left hand was heavy when you were making breakfast today?"

Lu Yan withdrew his hand, looked at the ring on his finger, and smiled slightly, "Heavy, very heavy. After all, this represents the entire life of a certain little pink cat, how could it not be heavy?"

"Haha... you have a very pleasant way of speaking~"

Aemeath picked up another soup dumpling, ready to put it in her mouth.

Just then, Lu Yan put down the porcelain spoon in his hand.

He straightened his back, and although the smile on his face did not diminish, his eyes became more serious than ever before.

He looked at Aemeath across from him, who was about to eat a soup dumpling, and spoke softly, as if discussing how nice the weather was:

"Little Aemeath, how about we go to the Civil Affairs Bureau on July 10th?"

The moment those words were spoken, time at the dinner table seemed to be paused.

Aemeath's hand froze in mid-air. Her once bright golden eyes widened suddenly, filled with surprise and astonishment.

Her mouth was slightly open as she was about to eat the steamed bun, and the plump white bun on the tip of her chopsticks hung about three centimeters from her lips, neither too high nor too low.

The morning breeze blew in through the half-open French windows, brushing the stray hairs on her forehead, but she stood like a statue, even her breath seemed to have stopped.

Wait... what did I just hear? July 10th, go to the Civil Affairs Bureau!

The Civil Affairs Bureau—that's where you get your marriage certificate! That little red book with both of your photos on it!

In other words... in just a few days, I will go from being A-Yan's fiancée to his legal and legitimate wife?!

Although we just exchanged rings last night, I thought that given A-Yan's perfectionist nature, he would definitely plan for half a year and find some auspicious day to bring it up again.

I didn't expect A-Yan to be in such a hurry!

July 10th... that's this weekend!

But... how do I take the photo for the marriage certificate?

Should I hurry up and buy a nice dress?

No, they're matching couple shirts! Should I style my hair a bit more nicely?

A-Yan's hair is getting a bit long; we need to take him to get a short, neat haircut.

Ugh! A-Yan, you big idiot! How could he say something so important like this while we were eating breakfast, in such a nonchalant tone!

Was he trying to choke me to death?!

But... but... I'm so happy~

My heart was pounding with joy, I wanted to run out into the yard and scream!

The fact that A-Yan is in such a hurry to get his marriage certificate shows that he doesn't want to wait even a second longer, right?

A multitude of frantic emotions swirled wildly in Aemeath's mind.

Her expression became incredibly varied, shifting between shock, elation, and a slight frown as if she were plotting something.

The steamed bun she was holding with her chopsticks remained suspended in mid-air.

Sitting opposite her, Lu Yan looked at her blank, unblinking expression and couldn't help but feel a little amused.

He hadn't intended to bring it up at breakfast, but he'd barely slept after their passionate encounter last night.

The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see was Aemeath kneeling before him, slipping the ring onto his finger. He longed to give her a title, to firmly place the title of wife on her head.

So when he checked the calendar this morning and found that July 10th was a rare auspicious day, he couldn't resist any longer.

Looking at his fiancée, who was still in a daze, Lu Yan reached out and gently waved his hand in front of her eyes, softening his voice as he called out again:

"Aemeath? Did you hear that? We... we're going to get our marriage certificate on July 10th."

The voice confirming again finally pulled Aemeath back from the storm in her heart.

A soft "click" sounded.

As if electrocuted, Aemeath's wrist twitched, and the soup dumpling she was holding with her chopsticks fell back into the porcelain bowl in front of her, splashing a few drops of vinegar.

But she couldn't care less about any of that.

She slammed her chopsticks on the table, and her golden eyes shone brighter than the rising sun.

She looked at Lu Yan, her expression instantly shifting from blank to ecstatic.

"Good--!"

Without hesitation, she shouted in a loud voice that was almost cracking.

The "okay" was shouted with full confidence, as if afraid that if he hesitated for even a second, Lu Yan would change his mind.

Aemeath shouted this, she jumped up from her chair, walked around the dining table, and sat down in Lu Yan's lap.

"July 10th! July 10th is great! No need to wait for later, let's do it on July 10th!" Aemeath sat on Lu Yan's lap, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, her voice trembling with excitement.

The pink ahoge (cowlick) on her head was swaying wildly like a super-powerful motor, revealing her undisguised joy.

Lu Yan quickly reached out and firmly supported her waist with both hands.

"Slow down, be careful not to bump into the corner of the table." Lu Yan's tone was full of helpless indulgence, but his arms tightened around you. "I saw you staring blankly for so long just now, and I thought you thought it was too fast and didn't want to go."

"How could I not want to! I wish I could drag you there right now, immediately, right at that moment!"

Aemeath raised her head, cupped Lu Yan's cheeks in her hands, and gave him a big kiss on the lips, making a loud "smack" sound.

After the kiss, she launched into a barrage of questions. "But A-Yan, why did you suddenly choose July 10th? Is there some special significance to that day?"

Looking at her eager expression, Lu Yan raised his hand and gently rubbed her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with excitement, and explained softly:

"I specifically checked the calendar this morning. July 10th is an auspicious day for weddings and engagements. Plus, it's a Friday, and the weather forecast says it'll be a rare sunny day. Most importantly..."

Lu Yan paused, his gaze fixed on Aemeath's eyes, and said firmly, "Most importantly, it's the closest auspicious day to today."

"I don't want to wait any longer, Little Aemeath. I don't want to wait even one more day."

Aemeath heard the words "I don't want to wait any longer," her heart clenched, and a bittersweet feeling welled up inside her.

This is her A-Yan. Although he seems like a quiet, unassuming person to outsiders, he is gentler than anyone else and wants to hold her tightly in his arms more than anyone else.

"Okay, let's go!" Aemeath sniffed, her nose stinging, and buried her face in his neck, nuzzling him tightly. "But A-Yan, if we're going to get our marriage certificate, won't we need to prepare a lot of things?"

"I saw online that white shirts look best in marriage certificate photos! Do you have any nice white shirts? If not, let's go to the mall to buy some right after dinner! We want to buy matching couple shirts!"

Once Aemeath's thoughts start jumping around, there's no stopping her. She lifted her head from Lu Yan's Lu Yan and began counting on her fingers, "And your hair! Don't you need to get a haircut? Your bangs are almost covering your eyes."

Seeing her so energetic and eager to fill the next few days with her schedule, Lu Yan couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say." Lu Yan gently took her fingers, which she was holding up one by one, and placed them into his palm. "After breakfast, we'll go to the mall to pick out a shirt. We'll get our hair trimmed this afternoon."

"And also, we need to choose a nice picture frame." Aemeath held his hand tightly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "When we get our marriage certificate, I want to put it in the prettiest frame and put it right in the middle of the TV cabinet in the living room! So that everyone who comes to visit will see it at first glance!"

"Okay, buy the biggest picture frame."

"Also, we absolutely have to get up super early on the day we get our marriage certificate! I want to be the first couple to register after the Civil Affairs Bureau opens!"

"Okay, I'll set three alarms that day to wake you up at five o'clock."

"What if you can't get up? I've been sleeping in lately..." Aemeath suddenly frowned, looking at him with some concern.

Lu Yan chuckled softly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a suggestive voice only the two of them could hear, "If you can't get up, I'll use a special method to 'wake' you up. I guarantee you won't be sleepy at all on the spot."

"Lu Yan! You big pervert!" Aemeath's face flushed red again in an instant. She raised her little fist in embarrassment and annoyance and gently punched Lu Yan's shoulder.

Seeing Aemeath and annoyed expression, Lu Yan laughed and said, "Haha, what are you thinking, you little pervert? I meant to pinch your nose to wake you up."

"Ugh... I'm not a pervert!"

"It's all your fault, A-Yan. If you didn't talk like that, would I have misunderstood? Hmph... you bad boy." After saying that, Aemeath gently bit Lu Yan's earlobe.