Today was considered a good day.
Many people were getting married. At least, the line for marriage certificates was longer than the one for divorces. Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou arrived around the same time and also had to queue. Though more than a year had passed, not much had changed here. The biggest difference, perhaps, was that it was still crowded. Couples left the building as husbands and wives after receiving two red certificates; others left as exes, parting ways after returning those same certificates.
The most familiar strangers — such is life.
Wen Yang stood tall in her high heels, graceful and poised. She and Fu Xingzhou followed the process step by step: taking photos, filling out forms, reading the vows. Then, at the bottom, they signed their names and exchanged the forms. Fu Xingzhou handed the completed documents to the staff member.
The staff took the papers and glanced at them — not because they were recognized, but simply because the two of them were so striking. A perfect pair — handsome and beautiful, well-matched and seemingly destined for each other.
Two red booklets were handed over.
Fu Xingzhou said thank you, took them, and gently guided Wen Yang to the side. Jiang Yue collected their personal documents — ID cards, household registration books, and so on. Wen Yang took one of the marriage certificates, flipped it open as she followed Fu Xingzhou’s steps.
Sunlight poured in from outside, falling at their feet. On the marriage certificate, she smiled like a blooming flower, and he smiled faintly. Though his smile was subtle, it was visible. Just like that, the two of them were officially married.
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He could sense the subtle change in President Fu — a gentleness that surfaced only when he was with his wife.
After receiving the marriage certificate,
A black car drove them to the old residence. Grandma and Qiu Pei were waiting for them there for lunch. Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou got out of the car and walked in. Qiu Pei stood up with a loud “Oh!” and said, “Where’s the certificate? Let me see.”
Wen Yang smiled and handed her both booklets.
Qiu Pei immediately opened them. At a glance, she saw the photo of the handsome man and beautiful woman and said, “So lovely! Now you two are officially on duty. Yangyang, make sure you keep an eye on your husband!”
Wen Yang’s ears turned slightly red. She glanced at Fu Xingzhou and said, “I’ll do my best.”
Qiu Pei laughed heartily.
Fu Xingzhou poured her a glass of water and handed it to her with a smile. Wen Yang took it and drank. The old lady also came over to look at the marriage certificate. The brand-new, still-warm booklet was flipped over and over in her hands. She said, “Yangyang is still the prettiest.”
Qiu Pei leaned in, resting on the old lady’s chair. “Mhm, good thing Xingzhou didn’t have his usual poker face.”
The old lady said, “Why would he? It’s rare for him to even smile.”
Wen Yang sat on the sofa and looked over at Fu Xingzhou, who was on the phone nearby. She leaned over and whispered, “The photographer kept asking him to smile, over and over.”
Qiu Pei clicked her tongue twice. “Still, it’s rare that I can see a bit of warmth from him in a photo.”
Wen Yang smiled faintly.
She felt it, too.
The old lady said, “He wasn’t always so cold and distant. It’s only in the past few years that he’s become like that.”
Qiu Pei shrugged and didn’t say anything more.
The Fu Xingzhou of his twenties had a personality. He was somewhat nonchalant, always carrying a bit of youthful flair. But after taking over Qingzhou Group, that youthful vibe gradually disappeared, replaced by a more subdued, inscrutable presence. Everyone goes through phases of growth, and Fu Xingzhou’s transformation was quiet and subtle. Before they knew it, he had already become so mature and steady.
Qiu Pei had lived abroad for many years. During her struggle with depression, whenever she woke up in a hospital bed, the first person she saw was Fu Xingzhou standing calmly in front of the doctor, listening carefully, asking how much longer treatment would be needed, how effective psychological interventions would be. He never complained, never revealed any negative emotions. He just kept seeking solutions with determination.
Even to this day,
Fu Xingzhou had never once asked, Why aren’t you better yet?
Not once.
He understood and respected why she had become this way. She herself had never fully walked out of the darkness. But looking back now, she realized Fu Xingzhou had already taken on so many burdens silently.
Now, things were better.
There was someone by his side — someone to lean on emotionally.
When Qiu Pei thought of that, she didn’t feel quite so guilty anymore.
After lunch,
Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou were forced to stay overnight by Grandma. Fu Xingzhou had work in the afternoon and left for the office. Wen Yang stayed behind in the small living room, working on her sketches on her laptop.
Qiu Pei brought out a plate of fruit and handed it to Wen Yang, watching her draw.
Grandma went for her afternoon nap.
Qiu Pei really enjoyed watching Wen Yang sketch. She looked so adorable while drawing, always wearing her clear glasses and pausing now and then in thought.
That afternoon,
was peaceful and pleasant.
When Grandma woke up, she came over to the sofa, flipping through the guest list for the upcoming wedding. Some old friends were on it — all within the range of people to be invited. Around dinnertime, Fu Xingzhou returned right on schedule.
After dinner, Qiu Pei brought out a deck of cards and invited Wen Yang and Grandma to play Dou Dizhu. Fu Xingzhou was working in the small living room. Wen Yang sat next to him, holding a handful of cards and leaning against his arm, trying to shield them from Qiu Pei’s view.
Qiu Pei leaned over and said, “Yangyang, I’ve still got a big card. Watch out!”
Wen Yang chuckled, “I know, just play your card first.”
Qiu Pei saw she couldn’t force out the cards in Wen Yang’s hand and glanced at the old lady. The old lady, wearing her reading glasses, remained as steady as a mountain and casually laid down a 3, passing the turn to Wen Yang.
Qiu Pei protested helplessly, “Grandma, Wen Yang is the landlord!”
The old lady adjusted her glasses and said, “I forgot for a moment.”
Wen Yang grinned and laid down her cards, blocking Qiu Pei.
Qiu Pei threw up her hands. “No way to play.”
Wen Yang laughed.
Fu Xingzhou pulled her by the waist, worried that her gloating might make her fall.
Wen Yang showed him her hand. “Pretty good?”
Fu Xingzhou glanced over and chuckled softly. “Pretty. Looks like you’re going to win again.”
“Of course.”
Wen Yang straightened up and played her cards.
Qiu Pei had no way out.
The old lady never resisted at all.
Wen Yang won a few more candies.
The housekeeper brought out a plate of fruit and placed it on the table. From the kitchen, she watched from afar. She rarely saw the old house this lively and warm. Qiu Pei was seldom home, and Young Master Xingzhou spent most of the year in Hong Kong. The old lady usually stayed alone, reading or browsing the newspaper. Though she seemed content on her own, deep down she always hoped her son and grandchildren would come back.
Moments like this—playing cards seriously with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law—were a first.
That night—
Wen Yang and Fu Xingzhou went upstairs to his master bedroom. She grabbed her pajamas and went to shower. Afterward, she sat down with her laptop to revise her drafts. The submission deadline was approaching quickly.
Fu Xingzhou also showered and came out, sitting behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. Glancing down, he asked, “How much is left?”
“Just a bit. Yu Qing sent me some new ideas today. She wants to move the wash area, so I’m thinking of redesigning that too. It can’t look bare.”
Fu Xingzhou gave a soft “mm” and said, “Sounds good.”
Later, Wen Yang leaned in his arms, sketching while Fu Xingzhou looked through emails and wedding design concepts sent by Muse. Since she was busy, he didn’t rush her to choose. Instead, he saved all the designs one by one, planning to show her once she was free.
The deadline for the “Flower House” competition in South City came quickly. Wen Yang and Yu Qing submitted theirs in the final two days. Afterward, both felt relieved. Wen Yang reorganized the studio’s pending design orders and began preparing for them. But before that, the wedding style and theme had been finalized.
Muse had gone all-in for this wedding, and the communication had been incredibly smooth.
They had even conducted thorough background checks. Some flower sourcing was entrusted to Yiyan, forming a one-third collaboration. When Wen Yang found out—
Yiyan also released a personnel update:
Yu Zhan was appointed Vice President of Yiyan.
When Wen Yang saw the announcement, she paused slightly, but she was too busy to dwell on it. Meanwhile, Zhu Yun and Wen Li had arrived in South City, along with other relatives attending the wedding.
Fu Xingzhou had arranged for people to pick them up.
All hotels under his company were opened for the relatives, and only the best accommodations and amenities were used.
On the wedding day:
It was mid-August—
The hottest time of year, and also close to Wen Yang’s birthday. So, the wedding was held indoors. The hall was decorated primarily in silver and light blue, accented with pink and apricot tones.
It looked elegant and beautiful, adorned with fresh flowers from South City.
The theme: “Eternal Love.”
Wen Yang had been on the move since early morning—from stepping out to entering the bridal lounge, there wasn’t a moment of rest. Yu Qing was her maid of honor, and Tao Li plus some cousins from Nanan were her bridesmaids.
Everyone had their own makeup artist.
Wen Yang was parched. Yu Qing brought her a glass of cold juice, wiped off her lipstick with a wet wipe, and held the straw to her lips. Wen Yang downed the drink in one go.
Yu Qing sighed, “Don’t drink so much! Sis, what if you need to use the bathroom later?”
Wen Yang was wearing a white, off-the-shoulder mermaid-style wedding gown adorned with begonia flowers. She looked up and said, “One cup should be fine, right?”
Yu Qing lifted her dress and said, “But what if it’s not?”
Tao Li squeezed in and said, “Then a few of us will go with Sister Wen and help hold the dress.”
Yu Qing glanced at her. “Do you know how expensive this dress is? If it gets even a little wet or stained, that’s a disaster.”
Tao Li cleared her throat, “But we can’t let Sister Wen die of thirst either.”
Wen Yang laughed. “Exactly. My lips are so dry.”
Yu Qing glanced at Wen Yang’s lips—plump and rosy, nowhere near dry—but thirst was uncomfortable. She relented, “Alright, alright, just hold it in now. Endure it until the dress change for the toast.”
Wen Yang nodded obediently. “Okay, okay.”
She was so sweet, it melted away any irritation.
Music began to play outside—it was almost time.
Yu Qing went to check the schedule.
Wen Yang signaled Tao Li to bring more juice. “Just two more sips, then I’ll stop.” Tao Li obediently brought it over. Wen Yang licked her lips and quenched her thirst, then picked up her phone to check her email.
But accidentally saw an unread text.
It was from a week ago.
Just from the preview, seeing her name addressed, she already had a good guess who it was from. She opened it.
Sender: Cheng Yanyu.
Despite deleting everything related to him—every form of contact—he still somehow got her new number and sent this one message:
Wen Yang, I’m sorry. I don’t think I ever properly apologized to you.
I kept thinking that if I stayed away from you, if you stopped crying, it’d be enough.
I was a coward. I couldn’t face what I had done.
You must really regret ever loving someone like me.
Those five years… I’m grateful you stayed by me, loved me. That gave me the strength to move forward.
But I let you down.
I let down those five years of love, and I failed this marriage.
Whether you believe it or not, my love for you was always real. “I’m sorry.”
Wen Yang.
Wen Yang held her phone, staring at the message for a long time. Eventually, she deleted it.
At the same time, she noticed another email in her inbox—Cheng Yanyu had stepped down from his position of power at Yiyan, and had left his shares to her.
Wen Yang looked at the message in her inbox.
No wonder he had promoted Yu Zhan earlier. Yu Zhan was essentially taking over his role. As for whether Cheng Yanyu truly loved her—she knew the answer very well. What she hated was that even though he loved her, he was still capable of doing what he did. That kind of love became cheap and worthless.
The bridal lounge was full of cheerful commotion. Yu Qing returned with the others, and Wen Yang put away her phone.
Yu Qing came over and said, “Touch up your makeup—your lipstick especially. You didn’t sneak another drink, did you?”
Wen Yang looked up and shook her head.
Yu Qing clicked her tongue twice, glanced at the now-empty glass on the table, and decided to let it go. She touched up Wen Yang’s makeup and then tugged on her dress. “Let’s go. Your husband is waiting for you.”
Wen Yang’s eyes curved into a smile. She stood up, lifted the hem of her gown, and headed toward the door.
At the entrance to the hall, Wen Li stood waiting, dressed in a formal suit. Wen Yang linked her arm with his. Wen Li patted her hand and, to the sound of music, walked her onto the aisle runway.
At the end of the aisle, Fu Xingzhou stood waiting. Wen Yang smiled, released her father’s arm, and picked up her skirt to walk toward him.
Everyone was stunned.
This wasn’t part of the process—bride, why are you running over by yourself?
Indeed.
Fu Xingzhou froze for a second, then quickly stepped forward to meet her.
Wen Yang looked up at him. “Fu Xingzhou.”
“Yeah?”
“I messed up the order of the ceremony.”
Fu Xingzhou’s voice was clear and gentle. “It’s okay.”
Sansukini: This novel is giving me butterflies. So sweet and thoughtful.
Cheng Yanyu’s apology is too hypocritical. You’re sorry for Wen Yang, you let go because you don’t want to see her cry, but you still decided to pursue the relationship with Li Man.
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May this kind of love never find me. Tchiip
I mean he said he loves her but he still keep going on the cheating road. . . Is that love….? Hypocrisy is real.
The fact that he waited so long before realising that he was in the wrong shows a bit of his personality. . he is a coward not responsible. Divorce is the right decision
He is hypocrite. Thanks for the Ko-fi. I really appreciate it.
Cheng yanyu is a coward, just like what he said. He knew he wss wrong, regret it and can’t turn back time but he doesn’t want to really admit it.
Hence he want to push through it anyway. He made already oen mistake and he thought he should at least doesn’t hurt the other one more, who still gives him a chance => Li Man.
He refused to acknowledge that Li Man wasn’t innocent at all, and she was infact even the one who manipulate him into believign that what they had was love when in reality she only wanted to sleep with him.
Even when he finally noticed how vain Li Man is, he somehow still insisted to go through it just to convince himself that he’s still somehow a responsible man like he once was.
After FXZ’s visit, he finally was forced to see his total failure as a man. Yuyan was His and Wen Yan’s baby, it’s rithless to force one of them go of course..Wen Yan is also attached to the company even if she’s not physically involved..but since they can’t jave anything to do with each others anymore, one of them must go.
The thing is…Wen yan was never at fault, so why must she be the one to give up the company?
So…if he really regrets his mistake and loves her…then leaving it to Wen Yan is actually really the least that he could do to make it up to her.
He should just go somewhere else with the money and start life a new with a good lesson for the future.
He’s intelligent and have already connections…he can always build something new somewhere else..and it would be better for his mental health anyway to not see Wen Yan that much.
He would never be able to move on if he stayed.