First, then, love.

The image freezes.

Against a red background.

A beautiful woman in a white suit nestled against a man's broad shoulders, her eyes and brows flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and panic.

A tough guy in a white shirt next to him.

He held the woman's waist domineeringly with one hand, his sharp brows and eyes filled with tenderness, a slight smile playing on his lips, spoiling her rotten.

A perfect wedding photo.

"Beautiful! Absolutely perfect!"

The photographer watched the playback and slapped his thigh excitedly.

"I knew this face would look absolutely magazine-worthy in photos! Here, let's get to the pictures!"

Shu Yao quickly pushed He Zheng away and stood up from the stool.

The spot on my waist where he touched me felt like it was on fire.

She didn't dare look at him.

He strode out of the photo studio with the receipt in his hand.

He Zheng slowly stood up and put one hand into his trouser pocket.

Watching her flee in disarray, the smile in his eyes deepened.

Ten minutes later.

After receiving the developed red-background photos, the two returned to window number 5.

The middle-aged woman pasted the photos onto two red certificates.

Type the keyboard to enter information.

"Gentlemen, just to confirm, is this a voluntary marriage?" the older woman asked routinely.

"voluntary."

He Zheng answered crisply and decisively, his voice resounding with conviction.

Shu Yao swallowed hard, her palms sweating.

"voluntary."

The older sister nodded and picked up the stamp verification machine next to her.

Align it with the photo on the red booklet.

"Click!"

"Click!"

Two deep, heavy thuds.

The stamp penetrates the paper, leaving an indelible mark.

This means, from a legal perspective...

They are now completely bound together, a legally married couple protected by the state.

The older sister pushed two marriage certificates, each bearing a gold-embossed national emblem, out from under the window.

Congratulations to you both! May you grow old together and have a happy marriage.

Two bright red books lay quietly on the marble countertop.

Shu Yao took a deep breath and reached out her hand.

Before my fingertips even touched the stiff cover, my fingers trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Fear, confusion, and a hint of expectation that she herself was unaware of.

Everything was mixed up together.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the red booklet.

A warm, large hand reached out from the side.

He placed his hand directly on the back of her hand, tightly enveloping her trembling, icy little hand in his burning palm.

He Zheng casually pulled the two marriage certificates toward himself and neatly put them into his palm.

He turned his head, his deep black eyes meeting Shu Yao's astonished gaze.

His voice was deep and domineering, carrying the air of finality.

"I'll keep it safe."

He Zheng finished speaking and didn't wait for Shu Yao to react.

With a flick of his wrist, he stuffed the two bright red marriage certificates directly into his trouser pocket.

The movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

Shu Yao's fingers, which had been hovering in mid-air, twitched slightly before slowly retracting.

They got their marriage certificate just like that.

She looked at the man in the white shirt in front of her and suddenly felt a little dazed.

Ten minutes ago she was a single young woman, but now her household registration book can be stamped with "married".

"Let's go." He Zheng looked down at her, his voice steady.

The two turned and walked out.

The certificate processing hall was still bustling with noise, and the electronic caller kept ringing incessantly.

The glass sensor door slides open to both sides.

Inside and outside the door, two worlds.

On an early autumn morning, the sun shone brightly, almost blindingly so. The asphalt road surface was softened by the heat, and the air was filled with distorted waves of heat. Cicadas were chirping loudly in the camphor trees by the roadside.

As soon as Shu Yao stepped out of the door, a wave of heat hit her in the face, and she instantly broke out in a thin layer of sweat.

He Zheng walked beside her.

He was so tall and broad-shouldered that he blocked the sun's rays.

A heavy shadow fell, enveloping Shu Yao completely.

The two walked side by side toward the parking lot, neither of them saying a word.

Only the crisp sound of Shu Yao's high heels clicking on the stone pavement could be heard.

Walked to the SUV.

He Zheng walked around the front of the car, went to the passenger side, and reached out to open the heavy car door.

Shu Yao stepped forward, preparing to get into the car.

As a result, He Zheng did not move aside.

His tall frame blocked the car door between him and Shu Yao, the tip of his leather shoes touching the tip of her high heels.

They were very close.

Shu Yao paused and looked up at him.

Sunlight streamed in from behind him, gilding the edges of his neat buzz cut with a golden sheen.

His face was hidden in the shadows of the backlight, making his features appear even more deep and sharp.

"What? You're blocking the way." Shu Yao held her bag in her hand, her tone carrying a hint of unconscious defensiveness.

He Zheng remained silent.

His dark eyes stared intently at her.

My gaze traveled from the slightly upturned corners of her eyes to the straight bridge of her nose, and finally settled on her full, rosy lips.

Suddenly he lowered his head.

His tall figure loomed over her, and the aura of male hormones instantly enveloped Shu Yao.

Shu Yao's breath hitched, and alarm bells rang in her mind.

I thought he was going to do something thuggish in broad daylight.

She instinctively closed her eyes, her body stiffening.

next second.

A dry, burning hot touch landed on her forehead.

The man's breath sprayed onto the stray hairs on her forehead, feeling somewhat hot.

Instantly separate.

He Zheng straightened up and put some distance between them.

He looked at Shu Yao's suddenly opened eyes, which were filled with astonishment.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Stamp it."

Shu Yao's heart skipped a beat, and then, all the blood rushed to her cheeks.

The spot on my forehead where he kissed me felt like it was on fire, throbbing and burning.

She shoved He Zheng's hard chest muscles.

There was no progress.

"He Zheng, how unsophisticated are you!"

She forced herself to remain calm, forcing a smile as she complained, trying to hide her panic.

"Even TV dramas from the 1980s don't portray things like this anymore. Do you think this is like stamping a quarantine certificate on pork at a market?"

He Zheng looked down at her bright red ears, a smile spreading across his eyes.

"Yes," he replied, following her lead, his tone self-assured, "It passed quarantine and is mine now."

"You're insane... Get out of the way."

Shu Yao cursed.

With her head down, she crawled under his arm and quickly climbed into the passenger seat.

With a loud bang, the car door was slammed shut.

He Zheng stood outside the door, looking at the furious, blurry figure in the car window, and curled his lips into a roguish smile.

He went back to the driver's seat, opened the door, and got in.

Start the engine and turn on the air conditioning.

Cold air blew out of the vents, and the temperature inside the carriage dropped rapidly.

Shu Yao sat in the passenger seat, rummaging through her bag for a compact powder to touch up her makeup.

She sniffed and stopped.

There was a scent in the carriage, not the soapy smell he usually carried, but a cool citrus fragrance, like crushed lemon leaves mixed with cedarwood.

Refreshing, expensive.

This smell is a perfect match for the white shirt he's wearing today.

"You changed your shower gel?" Shu Yao couldn't help but blurt out.

He Zheng was steering the car out of the parking space with one hand on the steering wheel.

Upon hearing this, he didn't stop what he was doing.

I glanced at the rearview mirror.

"Hmm." His voice was flat. "Old Li recommended it, saying that you girls don't like the old smell."

Shu Yao rolled her eyes.

"This old Li seems to know a lot. You, a straight man, would actually listen to him?"

"Does it smell good?"

He Zheng ignored her sarcasm and asked her a question directly.

The car drove out of the Civil Affairs Bureau gate and merged into the main road.

Shu Yao opened the powder compact and looked at herself in the small mirror. The foundation on her forehead hadn't come off.

"It's alright, better than before," she said, her opinion contradicting her true feelings.

Actually, I think it smells absolutely wonderful.

The carriage fell silent.

The red light at the intersection came on, and the SUV slowly came to a stop.

Shu Yao tossed the powder compact back into her bag and fastened the clasp.

She turned her head and looked at He Zheng's sharply defined profile.

"He Zheng, I have a question for you."

He Zheng rested his hand on the steering wheel and tapped it lightly with his index finger.

"explain."

"The day of the blind date, and today we got our marriage certificate." Shu Yao frowned slightly, her tone serious and inquisitive. "Since your family is so dedicated, even offering a card with a million-yuan limit, why didn't your parents even show up?"