Off to the Civil Affairs Bureau!

After washing up in the cozy morning, the two walked side by side into the kitchen to make a simple fried rice.

Two servings of fried rice with shrimp, served with warm milk, exuded an enticing aroma on the sun-drenched table.

Perhaps because I had something important on my mind, I usually eat breakfast slowly, but today I was surprisingly efficient.

Aemeath chewed with bulging cheeks, quickly finishing off the fried rice on her plate.

"Gulp..."

Aemeath picked up the glass, swallowed the last sip of milk, and then stuck out her pink tongue to lick the remaining milk foam around her lips.

She pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth, then suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed on the wall clock in the living room.

The hour hand was quietly approaching nine o'clock, and the minute hand was slowly drawing closer to the hour.

"A-Yan!"

Aemeath suddenly raised her voice, her eyes flashing with undisguised urgency. She braced her hands on the edge of the table and leaned forward slightly.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yan was slowly clearing away the tableware in front of him when he heard her urgent voice. He immediately stopped what he was doing and responded gently.

"Look at the time!" Aemeath pointed to the wall clock, her voice as clear as a summer wind chime. "It's almost nine o'clock! The Civil Affairs Bureau must be open by now!"

As she spoke, she impatiently stood up from her chair and bounced around a couple of times.

"Let's hurry up and change our clothes so we can get ready to go out! If we're late, the line will definitely be long!"

Looking at her adorable, flustered appearance, Lu Yan took out a tissue to dry his hands, stood up unhurriedly, a gentle smile on his lips, and nodded in agreement:

"Okay. You go pick out some clothes first, I'll tidy up this place and then come over."

"Don't bother tidying up, we can do it after we get the marriage certificate~" Aemeath grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the bedroom without saying another word. "Today is a big day, we can't waste a single second, come on, come on, I'm going to do your hair and makeup myself today!"

Lu Yan smiled helplessly and let her pull him into the bedroom.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Aemeath released Lu Yan's hand and walked straight to the large wardrobe.

She flung open the wardrobe door, put her hands behind her back, bent slightly, and scrutinized the shirts and trousers with a critical eye.

"A-Yan, don't move yet. I'm in charge of your styling today!" Aemeath turned around and made a pause gesture to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan crossed his arms and leaned against the bedroom doorframe, watching her busy figure in front of the wardrobe with a leisurely air, his eyes full of indulgence. "Okay, I'll do whatever my wife says today."

Hearing the term "wife" made Aemeath pause slightly as she rummaged through her clothes, and a blush crept up her ears.

But she quickly regained her composure and continued to carefully select from Lu Yan's relatively monochromatic row of clothes.

"Since it's such a formal occasion as getting our marriage certificate, I naturally have to dress smartly and conspicuously." Aemeath muttered to herself as she took a suit from the hanger.

She turned around, held the clothes up in front of Lu Yan, looked him up and down, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Look, wear this today!" Aemeath's tone was full of confidence, her eyes shining with anticipation. "This outfit is exceptionally well-tailored; you'll definitely look amazing in it. Hurry up and change so I can see you!"

Lu Yan obediently took the clothes, and seeing Aemeath's expectant look, he couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair. "Yes, ma'am, my stylist."

In order not to disturb Lu Yan while he was changing, Aemeath consciously turned around and walked towards her wardrobe.

A soft rustling sound of fabric came from behind her, Aemeath's heart inexplicably quickened with the slightest sound.

"I've changed."

Not long after, Lu Yan's deep and pleasant voice came from behind.

Aemeath turned around abruptly, and the moment her gaze fell on Lu Yan, her large eyes involuntarily widened slightly, a hint of amazement flashing in them.

The suit perfectly accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

He was already handsome and tall, and now, wearing a suit, he looked even more energetic. The gentle and cool temperament between his brows was further enhanced by the composure and charm of a mature man.

"Wow~~" Aemeath couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, giving a thumbs up. "A-Yan, you're so handsome today it's almost unfair! I'm worried that when we get to the marriage registry, other girls will be staring at you."

Lu Yan was amused by her straightforward praise, which was tinged with a hint of jealousy. He strode over to her and gently pinched her soft cheek with his long, slender fingers.

"Don't worry, you're the only one in my eyes. I don't care what others think." Lu Yan's voice was deep and magnetic. "But you, if you don't change your clothes soon, we'll really have to wait in a long line."

"Oh right! My clothes!"

Aemeath cried out in surprise and quickly turned around to rush to her wardrobe.

"You go out first, you go out first, I need to change my clothes too. Don't peek, okay? I'm going to give you a scare." Aemeath said, pushing Lu Yan's shoulder and shooing him towards the bedroom door.

Lu Yan smiled, raised his hands in surrender, and obediently left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

After closing the bedroom door, Aemeath took a deep breath and carefully took out the outfit she had already thought of the night before from the deepest part of the wardrobe.

Ten minutes later.

"A-Yan, I'm all changed!"

As the bedroom door was gently pulled open, Aemeath's clear voice rang out in the hallway.

Lu Yan, who was sitting on the living room sofa checking various documents, looked up when he heard the sound. The moment his gaze fell on the corridor, his breath involuntarily stopped for a beat.

The Aemeath before him made his heart flutter.

She wore a white and pink short-sleeved dress. The pure white background was adorned with soft light pink floral patterns, and the neckline featured a delicate small lapel design.

The length of her skirt was just right, stopping just above her knees, swaying slightly as she walked, making her look light and lively.

A light pink bow was tied around her slender waist, perfectly outlining her excellent figure and adding a touch of playful girlishness.

Looking down, Aemeath was wearing a pair of over-the-knee black stockings that hugged her straight and shapely legs, and on her feet were a pair of extremely delicate black leather shoes.

This classic clash of black and white adds a touch of captivating charm to the originally sweet style.

What Lu Yan couldn't take his eyes off was her hairstyle.

She changed to the hairstyle she had when they first met, tying her hair up in a neat high ponytail that hung down her back. The wispy hair on both sides made her look full of youthful energy.

"How about it?"

Aemeath walked up to Lu Yan in her little leather shoes, lifted her skirt slightly with both hands, and twirled gracefully in place.

Her skirt traced a graceful arc in mid-air, and she tilted her head slightly, her high ponytail swinging in a lively arc with her movement.

Her bright golden eyes gazed at Lu Yan, a sweet smile playing on her lips as always, "Is it pretty?"

Lu Yan stopped what he was doing completely, stood up, and stared intently at the girl who was about to become his wife.

"Very, very beautiful."

Lu Yan took a step forward, reached out and put his arm around her waist, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Little Aemeath, you look so beautiful today that I don't even want to take you out. I just want to keep you at home."

She reached out and wrapped her arms around Lu Yan's neck, pouting coquettishly, "Hmph~ That won't do. Today is the day we get our marriage certificate, we have to go out. Did you bring all the documents?"

Lu Yan released her, walked to the coffee table, picked up the document bag specifically used to store identification documents, and carefully checked them.

"Our household registration booklet, our ID cards, and the red-background photos we took yesterday are all here." Lu Yan patted the file folder and carefully placed it into his bag. "All ready."

As if to encourage herself, Aemeath waved her little fist, "Alright! Let's go!"

The two smiled at each other, held hands, and walked out of the house side by side.

The blazing sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees lining the street, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow.

The distance from their home to the Civil Affairs Bureau wasn't too far, but the couple chose to take a taxi to avoid ruining their carefully prepared look under the scorching sun.

In the back seat of the taxi, Aemeath seemed particularly excited. She would occasionally turn her head to look at the scenery outside the window, or look down and fidget with their clasped hands.

"A-Yan, do you think when we get to the Civil Affairs Bureau, the staff will ask us some strange questions, like why we want to get married?"

Lu Yan sat in the car, holding her hand tightly, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand, and replied with a gentle smile, "No, they process so many couples every day. As long as the documents are complete, the process is very quick."

"What if my hand shakes when I sign and I write my name terribly?"

Aemeath raised a new concern, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked troubled. "That'll be recorded in the files."

"It won't look bad." Lu Yan turned his head, his deep eyes reflecting her nervous yet adorable expression.

"No matter how you write it, it will be the best in my eyes. And with me here, your hand won't shake."

Lu Yan's calm and resolute words were like a shot of adrenaline, gradually soothing the subtle anxiety in Aemeath's heart.

The car drove smoothly through the city streets and soon came to a stop outside the Civil Affairs Bureau.

"You two, we've arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Congratulations on your marriage!" The driver stopped the car, looked at the young couple in the rearview mirror, and offered his blessings with a smile.

"Thank you, Master!" Aemeath said sweetly, her voice filled with undisguised joy.

Lu Yan paid the fare and took Aemeath's hand as they got out of the car.

As soon as I got off the bus, a solemn yet festive building came into view. Couples could be seen walking on the wide steps in front of the building.

The building before me is solemn and dignified, with the national emblem hanging above the entrance gleaming majestically in the sunlight.

"Let's go." Lu Yan took her hand tightly, and the two walked side by side toward the gate.

Upon entering the lobby of the Civil Affairs Bureau, a scent mixed with a faint fragrance and the cool air from the air conditioner immediately greets you.

The lobby was more spacious and brighter than they had imagined, with red signs and directional markers everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere.

As they had expected, a considerable number of people had already gathered in the hall.

At first glance, almost all the people there were young couples.

Some couples, dressed in suits and wedding gowns, were sitting on chairs in the waiting area, holding large bouquets of bright red roses, talking quietly, their faces beaming with happiness.

Some couples, dressed casually, were huddled together, studying the various forms on the form-filling counter, occasionally bursting into light laughter because they had filled in a word incorrectly.

There were also some couples who seemed to have just gotten their marriage certificates. The woman was holding up two brand-new red marriage certificates, while the man looked at her affectionately. The two of them were posing in various exaggerated ways in front of a self-service photo machine to commemorate the occasion.

Of course, there are also couples like Aemeath who are clearly nervous.

They held each other's hands tightly, without saying a word, just sitting quietly in the corner, their eyes constantly shifting between the service window and the call number screen.

The air was filled with a wonderfully complex mix of sweetness, excitement, anticipation, and a touch of nervousness.

Seeing the scene, Aemeath's heart, which had been calmed down in the car, suddenly started racing uncontrollably again.

She unconsciously slowed her pace.

The buzzing of the couples chatting around her and the cold electronic announcements from the queuing machine seemed amplified countless times at that moment, flooding into her ears all at once.

"Is this... the atmosphere at the Civil Affairs Bureau...?"

Aemeath swallowed hard, and she subconsciously moved closer to Lu Yan.

The little hand held by Lu Yan suddenly tightened its grip, its five fingers gripping Lu Yan's palm so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white.

Feeling the sudden increase in force from his palm, Lu Yan stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and saw Aemeath's slightly tense jawline and her eyes, which looked somewhat helpless due to nervousness.

Lu Yan didn't speak, but raised his other hand and placed it over their clasped hands.

His thumb, warm and dry, with a reassuring strength, gently and soothingly kneaded the back of Aemeath's hand.

Once, twice.

This silent physical contact is like some kind of magical tranquilizer.

Aemeath raised her head and met Lu Yan's gaze.

To her surprise, Lu Yan, who usually remained calm and composed in any situation except when she teased him, now had a look of nervousness in his usually calm eyes.

Lu Yan looked at her, and a gentle smile slowly crept onto his lips.

He lowered his head slightly, leaned close to Aemeath's ear, and whispered with a hint of self-mockery and composure:

"Little Aemeath, don't be nervous..."

Lu Yan paused, then gripped her hand tighter, his eyes filled with sincerity. "Because I'm nervous too."

This sentence was like pressing some kind of mysterious switch.

"Pfft..."

Aemeath could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

Her smile seemed to brighten the somewhat noisy air around her. Her high ponytail swayed gently with her slightly trembling shoulders as she laughed, full of girlish charm.

She grasped Lu Yan's hand in return, and even playfully scratched his palm with her fingernail.

Okay~

Aemeath tilted her head slightly, her eyes regaining their usual proud and bright light.

She looked into Lu Yan's eyes, her tone light and firm, and announced loudly:

"I'm not nervous anymore!"

Looking at her now that she had regained her vitality, Lu Yan's eyes were filled with a wide smile.

He took her hand and turned to face the service window at the very front of the hall.

"So, are you ready?"

After calming herself down, Aemeath intertwined her fingers with Lu Yan's and walked towards the window of the hall. "Ready... Let's go get our marriage certificate!"

I'm giving away a one-month subscription card. The deadline is the 12th of this month. The group is in the author's notes.

There's a meow at the end of chapter 88, even though you can't see the group number~