The girls’ gazes still involuntarily drifted toward Shen Xichuan.
Unable to resist, they quietly followed him.
They watched as the man stopped at the entrance of the nearby residential compound.
Soon after, a woman with delicate features and an elegant, cool demeanor emerged from inside.
The girls froze momentarily.
At that moment, Shen Xichuan faintly curved his lips and stepped forward to meet her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting so long,” Xu Jialan said with a hint of apology.
The man came to a stop before her. “Professor Xu.”
Xu Jialan looked at him in confusion.
Shen Xichuan glanced at his wristwatch. “I’ll let you be polite for just half an hour more.”
Xu Jialan wore a puzzled expression: “?”
Shen Xichuan didn’t explain but instead asked, “Did you bring all the necessary documents?”
“Yes, I have them all,” Xu Jialan nodded.
“Then let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Xu Jialan nodded and walked alongside him. When she lifted her gaze, she accidentally met the eyes of the girls not far away.
She froze for a few seconds.
Shen Xichuan, standing beside her, followed her line of sight. After just a glance, he looked away.
He spoke up voluntarily, “Someone just asked for my WeChat.”
Hearing this, Xu Jialan turned to him but remained silent.
Yet, a faint, almost imperceptible pang of jealousy flickered in her eyes.
She had long known how popular he was.
The man curved his lips. “But I didn’t give it.”
Xu Jialan was slightly taken aback and instinctively asked, “Why?”
“I told them I’m married,” he said, word by word.
Xu Jialan lifted her eyes, her bright gaze meeting his. The starlight shimmering in her eyes made his heartbeat skip for a moment.
Shen Xichuan chuckled softly. “You seem so happy to hear I said I’m married?”
Xu Jialan snapped back to reality and awkwardly averted her gaze. “I’m not.”
The faint pink tint on her earlobes was visible under the sunlight, the fine fuzz clear and delicate, making her look small and adorable.
Shen Xichuan chuckled again but didn’t call her out.
He moved to her other side, raising his hand to lightly rest on her waist, shielding her from the girls’ stares.
“Let’s get in the car, Professor Xu.”
Shen Xichuan opened the passenger door, his hand protectively placed above.
Xu Jialan glanced at him, then bent down and got in.
After closing the door, Shen Xichuan walked around to the driver’s side.
“Hungry? Have some breakfast first.”
He handed her one of the breakfast bags he had been carrying.
It contained the steamed buns and soy milk she had been craving.
The temperature was just right—not too hot to handle.
“Thank you.”
Xu Jialan took it, and as she caught the aroma of the buns, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted.
Shen Xichuan didn’t start the car but instead leaned sideways to watch her, his hand resting casually on the steering wheel.
Xu Jialan took a bite of the bun and chewed. Only when she looked up did she realize he had been staring at her.
She paused mid-chew and instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth.
There was nothing there.
“Wh-what is it?” she asked.
Shen Xichuan replied lazily, “Nothing. I just realized you look quite pretty when you eat.”
Xu Jialan: “?”
Pretty… while eating?
Was he serious?
A faint, elusive smile played on Shen Xichuan’s lips as he calmly averted his gaze, started the car, and drove away from the residential area.
It would take about twenty minutes to reach the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Since it was Tuesday, the roads were a bit congested.
Xu Jialan ate two buns and drank most of her soy milk before feeling full.
Her eyes inadvertently drifted to the center console, where another breakfast bag was placed.
It must be Shen Xichuan’s.
Had he not eaten yet?
Xu Jialan instinctively glanced at Shen Xichuan. “You… haven’t eaten breakfast yet?”
Shen Xichuan hummed in acknowledgment. “No.”
“Then you…”
The man continued, “Feed me. I’m driving, so it’s inconvenient to eat.”
His tone was completely natural.
Hearing this, Xu Jialan’s heartbeat slowed for several beats.
Was he… asking her to feed him?
She was momentarily stunned, staring at him in astonishment.
Shen Xichuan glanced at her briefly from the corner of his eye.
The corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly. “Xu Jialan, I’m hungry.”
Xu Jialan pressed her lips together and reached for the bag of breakfast.
It was the same as what she had eaten—steamed buns and soy milk.
The buns still retained a hint of warmth.
Xu Jialan’s brow twitched slightly. “They’re a bit cold.”
Shen Xichuan didn’t mind. “It’s fine. I’ll eat anything.”
There were times when he couldn’t even get a meal, so he never complained about whether food was hot or not when he had the chance to eat.
Xu Jialan looked at him, opened the bag, and held a bun up to his mouth.
Without even looking down, the man accurately took a bite.
The meat juices instantly burst across his taste buds.
“Mmm, it’s delicious.”
Xu Jialan’s lips curved slightly as she fed him another bite.
“The buns from this breakfast place are the most popular.”
Shen Xichuan glanced at her. “You like them?”
Xu Jialan hummed in agreement. “Yes.”
The man nodded. “Good.”
He didn’t specify what was good.
Xu Jialan didn’t ask either.
One feeding, the other eating—the few buns were quickly finished by Shen Xichuan.
Xu Jialan hurriedly inserted a straw into the soy milk and brought it to his lips.
“Have some soy milk.”
Shen Xichuan’s lips curved as he drank most of the cup.
Even though she had bought the unsweetened kind.
For some reason, it tasted incredibly sweet.
…
They arrived at the civil affairs bureau exactly at nine o’clock.
Both got out of the car together.
Xu Jialan lifted her head, gazing at the words “Civil Affairs Bureau” in a daze.
Shen Xichuan turned to look at her. “Now that we’re here, even if you wanted to run away from the marriage, it’s too late.”
Hearing this, Xu Jialan turned to him with a serious expression. “Who said I was going to run?”
Shen Xichuan’s thin lips lifted slightly, his right palm facing upward. “Then, come with me?”
Xu Jialan didn’t speak.
She looked at his hand and, without hesitation, placed her left hand in his.
The man held her hand, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
“Let’s go then.”
Their early arrival timing was perfect.
There weren’t many people in line.
Holding their freshly taken ID photos, they sat down to fill out the forms.
Xu Jialan stared at the photo they had just taken, lost in thought.
Perhaps because they were getting their marriage certificate, both had unconsciously worn white shirts.
In the photo, Shen Xichuan wore his usual faint smile, with a hint of added tenderness between his brows.
As for her… her brows and lips carried a smile, making it easy to see the joy in her heart.
Sitting together, they looked almost fated in their compatibility.
After finishing the forms, Shen Xichuan glanced sideways and noticed her staring at the photo.
He chuckled softly. “Finish filling out the forms and get the certificate first. You can look at it slowly later.”
His tone held an indescribable fondness.
Xu Jialan appeared very calm, humming in response. “I know.”
But that was if one ignored the faint blush coloring her earlobes.
The man’s eyes were filled with tender amusement as he quietly watched her fill out the forms with meticulous care.
The staff took their documents and verified the information.
With the thud of the official seal—
“Bang—”
The staff member handed over two marriage certificates. “Congratulations to both of you! Happy wedding!”