"Are you married?" Ye Xin's beautiful eyes fixed on Yang Chen, her flickering gaze filled with an inexplicable longing.
"Uh..." Yang Chen felt a bit uncomfortable under Ye Xin's gaze, "No."
"Do you have a girlfriend then?" Ye Xin pressed on.
A figure flashed through Yang Chen's mind, but he didn't know how that person was doing now.
"Not really."
"Alright then!" Ye Xin didn't bother to explore the meaning of 'not really' in Yang Chen's statement and said directly, "Let's get married then!"
"What?" Yang Chen's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Ye Xin. Are girls nowadays really this bold?
They'd only known each other for less than half a day!
"Isn't this a bit rushed?" Yang Chen found it hard to accept.
"Rushed?" Ye Xin counted on her delicate fingers and said, "We've known each other since we were born. I often went to your house during summer and winter breaks. We even slept in the same bed as kids. Even though you went to the orphanage early on, we knew each other before. So, this isn't a flash marriage!"
"But..." Yang Chen hesitated. Something felt off; was he being forced into marriage?
"But what?" Ye Xin pouted, "Are you going to ignore the wishes of Grandpa Yang and my grandpa? You were the one who held my hand and told me you'd protect me for life!"
As she spoke, Ye Xin's teary eyes fixed on Yang Chen, looking so pitiful that no man could resist.
Yang Chen was left speechless.
"This is the hope of the older generation, and it's what I want now. From the first time I saw you on the plane, I believed that love truly exists in this world, as does love at first sight. You are my Prince Charming, and you're bound to protect me for a lifetime, right?" Ye Xin looked at Yang Chen with pleading eyes, appearing pitiful.
Cold sweat formed on Yang Chen's forehead.
He was convinced that this woman had undergone professional training. She seemed perfectly at ease transitioning between different roles, not awkward at all. If he hadn't seen her single-handedly taking on two A-grade mercenary guards, Yang Chen might have actually believed her words.
Yang Chen thought for a moment and said, "Shouldn't we get to know each other better first?"
"No need! Let's go get the marriage certificate now!" Ye Xin said excitedly, with such an expression that it was as if Yang Chen had already agreed to marry her.
The few people nearby drinking coffee overheard this commotion and looked on enviously.
They couldn't understand what Yang Chen was thinking, being pursued by such a beautiful woman and still hesitating. What was on his mind? If it were them, they'd be happy even if it meant living ten years less!
Seeing Yang Chen's silence, Ye Xin said, "Do I have to take out the marriage contract for you to agree to marry me?"
"..." Yang Chen's eyes widened. He couldn't believe Ye Xin really had a marriage contract.
Ye Xin directly pulled out a worn, yellowed envelope from her bag and handed it to Yang Chen.
As he touched the envelope, Yang Chen could already tell it was genuine, as this type of envelope was commonly used during that era.
He pulled out a piece of letter paper and an old, yellowed photo.
The photo showed two children, both cute and delicate-looking, their genders indistinguishable. Yang Chen could distinctly see that one of them was himself, and the other should be Ye Xin.
Opening the letter, it revealed Yang Chen's name and birth details.
It was at that moment Yang Chen discovered his birthday was not July 17 on the Gregorian calendar, but August 17 on the lunar calendar, the day before the Upper Happiness Festival.
The other person was Ye Xin, with her birth details, showing her birthday as August 18, a day after Yang Chen's.
From the handwriting and material, Yang Chen couldn't find any discrepancies.
After putting the envelope away, he heard Ye Xin ask, "Do you believe it now?"
Yang Chen didn't answer, but he was convinced, at least partly.
"Then let's go get the certificate!" Ye Xin grabbed Yang Chen, threw a hundred yuan on the table, and left the café.
Ye Xin fearlessly hailed a taxi, pushed Yang Chen inside, and told the driver, "To the registration office!"
"Oh!" The driver glanced at Ye Xin through the rearview mirror, full of envy, "Young man, heading to get a marriage certificate? What good fortune!"
Yang Chen smiled. If he could win over such a beautiful wife, it would indeed be a great gain.
At the registration office, there were quite a few people waiting to get certified. After their batch was done, it was just in time for the oath ceremony.
Each of them received a paper and swore an oath in a room facing the bright national flag.
"I, Yang Chen!"
"I, Ye Xin!"
Yang Chen felt a strange sensation, similar to the feeling of taking an oath when joining the Guard.
"Take you, Ye Xin, to be my wife!"
"Marry you, Yang Chen, to be my husband!"
Ye Xin blushed. Though she could mischievously call Yang Chen "husband," this was a sacred and solemn place, preventing her from pretending nothing was happening.
"I promise you that from this day forward, whether in prosperity or adversity, in wealth or poverty, in health or illness, I will love and cherish you until the end of time. I pledge to remain forever faithful to you."
"I promise you that from this day forward, whether in prosperity or adversity, in wealth or poverty, in health or illness, I will love and cherish you until the end of time. I pledge to remain forever faithful to you."
Yang Chen had a feeling that his fate with Ye Xin was somehow destined to be intertwined.
"Today, we will jointly shoulder the legal responsibilities and obligations of marriage: to respect our parents, educate our children, honor and love each other, abide by the law. Henceforth, whether in poverty or wealth, in health or sickness, we will share our hardships and joys, loving and cherishing each other."
The two exchanged a glance, and everyone around began kissing.
Yang Chen's lips curled upwards, and he opened his arms, pulling Ye Xin into an embrace.
No one could deny that with Ye Xin's curvy figure, she felt like a delicate bird nestling in his arms.
Ye Xin struggled briefly before contentedly resting in Yang Chen's embrace.
Yang Chen whispered in Ye Xin's ear, "Wife, everyone's kissing. Shouldn't we kiss too?"
"Don't even think about it!" Ye Xin bit her lip softly.
She was still holding onto her first kiss!
"Then it seems like you don't really wish to marry me," Yang Chen smirked with a teasing tone.
Ye Xin explained, "That's not it. We've got the certificate, of course I want to marry you. It's just that accepting someone takes time, we haven't seen each other in over twenty years, we need some time to adjust!"
"Oh, that's fair, but shouldn't we take care of this first?" Yang Chen chuckled mischievously.
Suddenly, Ye Xin had a bad feeling, "What, what?"
Yang Chen lifted Ye Xin in his arms.
Ye Xin let out a startled scream, instinctively preparing to fight back but quickly remembered this wasn't a battlefield, it was the registration office!
Everyone's eyes turned to them, filled with envy and jealousy.
Ye Xin blushed deep red, burying her head in Yang Chen's chest, whispering, "Put me down quickly!"
Yang Chen grinned wickedly, "Wife, let's consummate our marriage first!"