The fluorescent lights of the marriage registry cast a stark, almost surreal glow on the room, giving it an air of solemnity.
Li Hao and Liling sat side by side, filling out the necessary forms. The clerk, a middle-aged woman with a kind but professional demeanour, guided them through the process with practised ease.
Li Hao signed his name with a confident flourish, his expression calm and resolute. He glanced at Liling, reassurance in his eyes as he handed her the pen.
Liling took the pen, her fingers brushing against Li Hao's briefly.
She wasn't hesitant, but as she looked at the marriage certificate in front of her, a wave of emotions washed over her. Her life had changed so drastically, so quickly, all because of Li Hao.
She had never imagined herself getting married, had barely dated anyone, and now here she was, about to sign a marriage certificate.
It all felt like a scene straight out of a romance novel, but it was now her reality.
She signed her name. As the pen lifted from the paper, she felt a surprising sense of peace settle over her. Maybe this was where she was meant to be all along.
The clerk took the certificate from them, carefully stamped it with a final seal, and returned it with warm congratulations. "You are now officially married," she said with genuine joy in her voice, her eyes crinkling at the corners with a smile.
Liling looked at Li Hao, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared understanding. They were both now legally bound to each other.
Husband and Wife.
********************************
~ Li Corporation: Liling's Office
LIling stared out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying the rare sense of calm she could feel.
It had already been two weeks since they had signed their marriage certificate, and her life had settled into a new routine. Xu Ming was out of the hospital and was now living with them. Even though they still spoke to each other, she couldn't deny the subtle tension between them.
She let out a resigned sigh as she got up. " Bye Ru", she said as she grabbed her bag.
"Wait, you're leaving without me again ?", She had a dejected expression on and Liling felt a pang of guilt,
"I'm sorry, but I just need to be somewhere"
"Fine". She turned away from Liling. This was happening more frequently now. Usually, Liling would drop her off, but now, it felt like Liling couldn't be bothered with her.
Steeling herself against the guilt, she walked out of her office and into the questioning stares of her other colleagues. Their glares had become more piercing, some even bordering malicious.
Since Zhao Mei's first visit that day, she had made herself more present at the company. She would always make a show of having lunch with Li Hao and presented their relationship as more than it was.
This had caused a major uproar within the company, and rumours that they were dating had started to surface.
This caused people to question Liling's relationship with him, and they had even labelled her the mistress.
She scoffed internally. If anyone was the mistress in this so-called "love triangle", it certainly wasn't her.
She stepped out of the elevator and into the car park, locating Li Hao's car easily. He was already standing there, leaning casually as he typed on his phone.
She observed his stoic demeanour, a sharp contrast to his usual mannerisms. For some reason, she thought he looked sad.
She got closer, and he finally spotted her, a playful smile slowly brightening his handsome features.
"Ready to go?" he asked, opening the car door for her.
She nodded sliding into the passenger seat. "Let's get this over with"
They were visiting his family the following day, and she had told him she wouldn't be visiting them empty-handed. So a trip to the mall was put in place.
He chuckled in response strapping himself into the driver's seat. "But you're the one who insisted on getting them gifts"
Yeah, but that didn't mean she enjoyed the process. She could never understand what women enjoyed about shopping. She had always found it so tiring.
"You could at least pretend to be excited"
"No, not interested"
The drive to the mall was filled with the usual city traffic, and Li Hao kept up a steady stream of light-hearted chatter. Liling listened quietly, occasionally responding with a brief comment or a nod.
She found his playful personality somewhat exhausting at times, but she had grown accustomed to it over the past two weeks. She tolerated him, and there was a certain peace in their coexistence.
She just hoped it would stay that way. Peaceful.
They arrived at the mall, parked the car, and walked in together.
The vibrant atmosphere welcomed them. The bustling crowds, colourful displays, and lively background music created a dynamic environment. Liling felt a pang of discomfort at the crowd but steeled herself for the task ahead.
They wandered through the various shops, browsing items and discussing potential gifts.
His enthusiasm was infectious, and Liling found herself almost enjoying the process. He would pick up an item, make a humorous comment, and she would respond with a wry smile.
After multiple visits to different shops, they finally settled on an intricately embroidered silk scarf, designer perfume, and jewellery pieces for his mother and sister.
There was just one last thing to get.
Their last stop was a shop that specialized in traditional Chinese crafts. It was filled with beautiful, intricately designed items, each one a testament to the artistry of its maker.
She went in and walked straight to the counter to pick up the gift she had gotten custom-made a few days ago.
It was a chess set with hand-crafted jade pieces and vintage wooden board, packaged in a box.
She stared at the box fondly, a hint of sadness crossing her features.
As soon as she learnt of his father's love for the game, she knew exactly what she would get him.
It reminded her of her own father. He had taught her the rules of the game and they would play every evening during the weekend. Just the both of them.
She recalled how the wind would caress her skin as they sat outside underneath the gazebo. She enjoyed the sound of the rustling trees, birds retiring for the day and the little 'thump' sound the chess pieces made as they were moved across the board.
What she would give to go back to that time. A much simpler time. Without a care in the world.
Li Hao noticed the forlorn look in her eyes. Gently placing his hands on her shoulder, he asked, "Are you okay?"
She shook herself out of her reverie withdrawing from his touch. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get going"
He sighed as he watched her begin to walk away. He understood their relationship wasn't the most conventional, but he had hoped that by now she wouldn't be as closed off.
With their shopping trip officially over, they returned to the car and drove back home, a noiseless silence between them.
****************************
The evening sun had dipped below the horizon, signalling the end of the day.
Between getting home from the mall, and right then, they had dinner, watched half a movie and got ready for bed.
Liling was almost ready to call it a night. She had just finished wrapping the gifts and sat up on her bed enjoying the silence and the warm embrace of the covers.
She sighed as she got off the bed. She needed to kiss Little Bun goodnight and have the conversation that had been nagging at her with her little brother.
She made her way to his room and accomplished her mission, even receiving a kiss in return before leaving.
As she stood in front of her brother's door, she sucked in a deep breath before knocking and peeking her head through slightly. It was now or never.
"Hey Xiao Ming, can we talk?" He was sat on his bed reading and looked away noticing his sister's unplanned arrival.
"There's nothing to talk about Liling". He dropped his book and lay down facing away from her, completely uninterested in the conversation.
She walked straight in now, standing at the side of his bed and staring down at him, unamused by his attitude.
"Can you just hear me out"
"I'm tired, can we just leave it"
"No" her voice was firmer this time, she had made up he mind to have the conversation, so they would. "We can't keep pretending everything is fine"
He stayed silent so she continued,
"Look, I'm sorry for the way I behaved the last time we spoke. I was just....worried"
"About what?", he snapped, frustration bubbling to the surface, when would she stop seeing him as a little kid? He was already 19 for flip's sake!
She flinched at his tone and shut her eyes trying to dissipate her anger. A futile task, as she couldn't keep it out of her next words. "What do mean about what? About everything. You're my brother, the only family I have left. I have the right to worry"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hello, author here
Unfortunately, I won't be able to upload the next chapter today.
So I will be uploading two chapters on Sunday.
Sorry and
Bye~~
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