The car was enveloped in silence.
He hadn’t turned on any music or switched on the radio. Only the faintest hum of the air conditioning system and the gradually receding morning cityscape outside the window filled the space.
Wen Yan sat upright, her hands resting on her knees, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
She could keenly sense the presence of the man beside her—the steady arm controlling the steering wheel, his even breathing, the faint, cool scent that emanated from him.
This kind of solitary confinement in a closed space felt far more direct and subtle than their previous encounter across the round table in the private room at “Lanting.”
She didn’t know what to say.
So she chose silence.
Li Yanzhou seemed to have no intention of starting a conversation either.
He focused intently on the road ahead, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror, his profile appearing sharp and austere in the morning light.
The car glided smoothly through the morning rush-hour traffic. Sunlight streamed through the windshield, illuminating the interior with a warm, bright glow.
Wen Yan maintained her proper posture, her eyes fixed on the road stretching endlessly ahead. Yet, the corner of her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the driver’s seat.
From this angle, Li Yanzhou’s profile was so clear in the morning light that it seemed almost sharp.
His tall, straight nose, defined jawline, and slightly pursed thin lips. Sunlight danced at the tips of his thick eyelashes, casting delicate shadows.
He watched the road ahead with concentration, his brow relaxed, his expression somewhat more serene than she had ever seen in any financial report or business setting.
She had to admit that, even under the most critical and objective scrutiny, Li Yanzhou was… too handsome.
Not the kind of delicate, gentle beauty, but a striking, commanding handsomeness.
Beneath the cold, hard lines lay flawless facial proportions and bone structure.
She had seen his photos before and knew he was famously good-looking.
But photos were static. Across magazines or screens, that sense of cold distance was the first impression, overshadowing the impact of his appearance itself.
Now, he was within arm’s reach, in this enclosed space with just the two of them. Her heart, uncontrollably, skipped a beat.
Immediately, a faint sense of annoyance and wariness washed over her. Wen Yan, what are you thinking?
She quickly averted her gaze, forcing herself to look at the fleeting street scenes outside the window, trying to banish that untimely moment of “appreciation” from her mind.
Wen Yan’s fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the clutch purse on her lap.
Just then, the car came to a gentle stop at a red light.
Li Yanzhou seemed to have noticed her earlier glance. He turned his head and looked at her.
“What are you looking at?” he asked, his voice low but exceptionally clear in the quiet car.
His gaze was calm, his deep eyes like two pools of unfathomably cold water.
Wen Yan’s heart skipped again, but she maintained her composure on the surface, even deliberately infusing her tone with just the right amount of indifference and detachment. “Nothing, just looking at the road signs. It seems we’re almost there.”
She casually pointed toward a blurry road sign ahead.
Li Yanzhou glanced in the direction she indicated and gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” but his gaze didn’t immediately shift away. It remained fixed on her face, as if verifying the truth in her words.
The gaze was not intense, yet it carried an invisible pressure, making her feel as though her earlier secretive “appreciation” had been laid bare.
Wen Yan instinctively straightened her back, meeting his gaze, and tried not to let her eyes waver in the slightest.
The traffic light turned green.
Li Yanzhou finally withdrew his gaze, looking ahead once more as he smoothly started the car. His movements were fluid and natural, as if the brief conversation and exchange of glances had never happened.
But Wen Yan felt the air inside the car had grown even more stifling than before.
His question, “What were you looking at?” and that calm, final glance were like a tiny thorn, pricking at her heart.
She couldn’t afford to let her mind wander at such an inappropriate time again.
Wen Yan turned her gaze to the window, casting aside all unwarranted thoughts along with the fleeting scenery outside.
The car eventually turned onto a quiet, tidy street lined with plane trees, coming to a gentle stop in front of the solemn building of the Xijing City Civil Affairs Bureau Marriage Registration Office.
The time was exactly ten past nine.
Li Yanzhou turned off the engine and unfastened his seatbelt.
“We’re here,” he said, turning slightly to look at Wen Yan.
“Mm,” Wen Yan replied, unfastening her own seatbelt and picking up her handbag.
Almost simultaneously, they pushed open their car doors and stepped out.
Wen Yan stood beside the car, watching as Li Yanzhou locked it, walked around the front, and approached her.
His steps were steady, the hem of his trench coat swaying gently with his movements.
He stopped beside her, and the two stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
He didn’t reach out to hold her hand like other couples might, nor did he stand too close, maintaining just the right amount of distance between them.
Yet, simply standing together, his tall stature and stern demeanor were enough to draw many eyes.
Coupled with Wen Yan’s striking appearance and elegant attire, as well as the low-key yet undeniably refined black Maybach parked nearby, the pair instantly became the most eye-catching focal point at the entrance.
“Let’s go,” Li Yanzhou’s voice sounded beside her, low and calm.
“Alright,” Wen Yan responded, straightening her back.
Together, they took their first steps up the stairs leading to the marriage registration office.
The sunlight stretched their shadows, briefly overlapping before quickly parting ways again.
Ahead lay the door that would soon alter their legal relationship.
Behind her was the life she was about to leave behind.
They didn’t join the queue at the regular counters but instead walked directly toward a separate area marked with a sign reading “Appointment Services.”
A middle-aged woman in uniform, who appeared to be in charge, was already waiting there. Upon seeing them, she immediately offered a practiced, warm smile.
“Mr. Li, Miss Wen, this way, please. All the documents have been prepared for you. Please review the information here first, and then we’ll proceed with the photo,” the woman guided them into a quiet, small room.
Staff members were already waiting inside. Li Yanzhou and Wen Yan took their seats at the designated spots and began reviewing the printed application forms. The contents were basic information—name, ID number, registered address…
Wen Yan went through each item, her fingertips growing slightly cold.
Li Yanzhou reviewed the form quickly, then picked up a pen and signed his name decisively in the required spaces.
His handwriting was bold and forceful, carrying an undeniable sharpness, much like the man himself.
Wen Yan took a deep breath, picked up the pen, and signed her name in the corresponding space.
The nib glided across the paper, emitting a faint rustling sound that seemed unusually clear to her ears, as if marking the starting line of an unknown journey.
“Alright, please come over here for the photo,” the staff member guided them to a simple red backdrop in the corner of the room.
A photo. A marriage photo.
Wen Yan stood before the backdrop, her body slightly stiff.
Li Yanzhou stood beside her. The distance between them was closer than before, and she could clearly catch the crisp scent of cedar emanating from him.
The photographer was a young man who seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere between this “newlywed couple.” He tried to lighten the mood: “Could you two move a little closer? Yes… sir, you can lean slightly toward the lady… Good, now smile, make it natural…”
Li Yanzhou followed the instruction, leaning slightly toward her, but the movement was minimal.
His face showed no expression, and only when the photographer asked him to “smile” did he tug the corner of his mouth ever so slightly—a movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
Wen Yan also tried to force a smile, but her facial muscles seemed uncooperative.
What was ultimately captured in the lens was likely a face that was calm to the point of seriousness, with complex emotions in the eyes, paired with an expressionless, stern face whose gaze was only slightly more focused than usual.
“Alright, that’s good,” the photographer seemed to give up on trying to elicit “happiness” from them and quickly pressed the shutter.
The photo was printed out shortly after—two side-by-side, red-background half-length portraits.
In the photo, the man was handsome and upright yet cold, while the woman was elegant and graceful yet distant.
They looked less like a newlywed couple and more like two reluctant, high-achieving professionals forced to pose for an official photo.
The staff member pasted the photos onto the application form and had them press their fingerprints.
“All the paperwork is complete. Please wait a moment, and we’ll prepare your marriage certificates right away,” the woman in charge said with a smile before taking the documents and stepping out.
Wen Yan stared at the red residue on her fingertip, suddenly feeling thirsty and absurd.
She had really, just like that, “married” herself off. To a man who was almost a complete stranger.
She instinctively glanced at Li Yanzhou beside her.
What was he thinking? Did he, like her, feel as though all of this was a bizarre dream?
He seemed to notice her gaze and turned his head. Their eyes met briefly in the air.
“Do you need water?” he suddenly asked, breaking the silence, his voice still steady.
Wen Yan was taken aback for a moment before shaking her head. “No, thank you.”
He gave an almost imperceptible nod and said nothing more.
Soon, the woman in charge returned with two bright red booklets, wearing a standard congratulatory smile. “Mr. Li, Miss Wen, congratulations! These are your marriage certificates. Please keep them safe. Wishing you a happy marriage and a lifetime of togetherness!”
Li Yanzhou reached out and took the two marriage certificates. After a glance, he handed one of them to Wen Yan.
Wen Yan accepted it. The gilded characters “Marriage Certificate” on the cover shimmered faintly under the light.
She opened it. Inside was the photo of their “apparent harmony but hidden discord,” along with their basic information and the date that took effect from today.
She had become Li Yanzhou’s legal wife.
He had become her legal husband.
That’s all.
“Thank you,” Li Yanzhou said to the staff member with a slight nod, his tone polite yet distant.
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome! Take care, you two!”