Time seemed to stand still in that moment.
Sheng Yunshu watched the expression in Sheng Qingshan’s eyes shift from confusion to a dazed state, eventually settling into a gaze of tender pity amidst the mist of her own tears. She reached out and pulled Sheng Yunshu into her embrace.
“Are you missing home?”
Pressed tightly against her skin, Sheng Yunshu closed her eyes. She did not explain, but simply repeated, “Sister, I want to marry you, and for things to get better and better.”
“I know. Aside from Sister Xi, you will never love anyone else, and you will not marry anyone else.” Sheng Yunshu’s fingertips gently brushed against the scar on Sheng Qingshan’s chest, her eyelashes damp. “I just want to occupy this position. As for anything else, I will not force it.”
Sheng Qingshan held her hand, assuming she only wanted to use this to return home, and agreed without much hesitation.
“Fine. Let us register today. I will have someone prepare the wedding, and you can ask for anything you want.”
Hearing this, Sheng Yunshu pulled back from her embrace and looked up at her. From her eyes, Sheng Yunshu could not see a single trace of improper sentiment; there was only concern and love for her.
A flash of disappointment passed, but Sheng Yunshu smiled. “There is no need for a wedding. You still have to write reports after we register. Although I am not filming now, my status and family background are both issues. I cannot solve these, so I must leave them to you.”
The woman’s attitude was casual, just as it had been countless times before. She always left Sheng Qingshan to worry about her affairs.
If this was the last time, Sheng Yunshu hoped this task would keep her busy for a while longer, so she would stop staring at that report and stop blaming herself so harshly.
Sheng Qingshan acted quickly.
They went to register after breakfast. Sheng Qingshan had arranged everything in advance. They took a special route, and from the moment they walked in until they received the certificate, it took no more than fifteen minutes.
Sheng Yunshu’s household registration had been settled by Sheng Qingshan and moved under the name of a distant relative of the Sheng family. Legally, they were fully qualified to marry.
Back in the car, Sheng Yunshu held the two tiny metal certificates, unable to put them down.
Sheng Qingshan, meanwhile, was busy dealing with internal affairs. She had her secretary compress her schedule for the week to clear two days, and she sent messages to Sheng Jiuyuan and Sheng Jiazhen, asking them to wait at home that evening as she had an announcement.
Although Sheng Yunshu had told her that life was about enjoyment and that there was no need to torture herself for a fated ending, how could Sheng Qingshan give up?
She instructed Ye Lingyun to do whatever was necessary. Any request from volunteers could be accepted, provided they were willing to participate in the project.
Medical projects of this nature were double-edged swords, regardless of success or failure. Sheng Qingshan could not participate directly. Having just started her job, she was being watched closely due to her connections with the Ji family and IFIB; she could not afford a single mistake.
She entrusted this matter to Sheng Yanzhou. It was a charitable activity conducted under the guise of conquering terminal illnesses and focusing on patient suffering. Every part of the process was public and transparent; the project was already filed, and every volunteer participating would sign a contract under the supervision of the administration.
Even if someone were to point out later that she did this out of selfish motives, both in reason and in law, she had no faults.
She was so preoccupied that she did not notice Sheng Yunshu had put away the certificates and moved to her side.
“Sister, are you going to work now?” With her chin resting on Sheng Qingshan’s shoulder, Sheng Yunshu looked at her smart device, but could see nothing.
“Yes. Let me take you home first, then I will go.” Sheng Qingshan replied to Sheng Yanzhou while reaching out to stroke her face. “Is anything uncomfortable? It is too hot today. Let us not go out, okay? If you are bored, just have them come to the house to keep you company. Do not drink too many cold beverages, and we will have dinner at home tonight.”
Sheng Yunshu did not answer. She merely rested her chin on Sheng Qingshan’s shoulder, watching her arrange everything in an orderly fashion.
“Sister.”
Sheng Yunshu took hold of the hand that was typing. In her confused gaze, Sheng Yunshu placed Sheng Qingshan’s hand on her own waist, leaned into her arms, and whispered, “Rest for a moment. There is no need to be in such a hurry. You need to rest, too.”
Sheng Qingshan’s body stiffened, but she did not stop. “It is fine. I will be done soon. If you are sleepy, just take a nap.”
Having said that, she continued tapping with her right hand while patting Sheng Yunshu, her efficiency remaining high.
Sheng Yunshu took a deep breath and grabbed her other hand as well. “This one needs to rest, too! Can you just listen to me?”
“Yunshu,” Sheng Qingshan’s voice was weary, “I still have a few messages to reply to.”
“It will not change anything if you reply later.” Sheng Yunshu buried her face in the crook of her neck, her voice muffled. “Will the sky fall?”
Sheng Qingshan said nothing.
Sheng Yunshu could feel her shoulder slightly tensed, her breathing frequency slower than an ordinary person’s, as if she were prepared to leave at any moment.
She knew Sheng Qingshan would not stop.
This woman never stopped.
It was truly a case of her not knowing how to pity herself at all.
Sheng Yunshu hugged her tightly, forcing her to close her eyes and rest with her.
Sheng Qingshan was almost completely submissive to her now. Seeing her insistence, she said no more and closed her eyes while holding her.
When Sheng Qingshan finally sent her home, Sheng Yunshu took out the two certificates, showed them off to 01, and then took a photo, intending to post an update.
But before she could, she hesitated.
She stared at the caption, deleting and editing, but in the end, she did not post it.
However, she could not suppress her excitement, so she simply sent private messages to her closest friends—those who could keep a secret.
The first was Wu Jiang.
“Sheng Yunshu: Ding ding ding! Sister, I am married!”
Wu Jiang was on vacation, and when she saw the message, she was scared out of her wits.
“Wu Jiang: ??? Ancestor, what are you doing? Who could possibly catch your eye?”
The reply was instantaneous.
“Sheng Yunshu: Hehe, guess.”
Wu Jiang’s temple throbbed.
“Wu Jiang: Sheng Yunshu, be serious! Who is it? Do I know them? How long have you known each other? What is their background? Have you done a background check? Did you sign a prenuptial agreement? You—”
Before she could finish typing, another message came.
“Sheng Yunshu: My sister.”
Wu Jiang’s fingers froze.
“Sheng Yunshu: Sheng Qingshan.”
“Sheng Yunshu: Well? Is it a surprise? Is it unexpected?”
Wu Jiang stared at the screen, unable to type a single word.
She did not know if this counted as a surprise or an accident.
“Wu Jiang: CEO Sheng, then that is fine. I wish you a hundred years of happiness!”
“Sheng Yunshu: I want to live in the moment! Enjoy every day!”
One could feel her excitement through the screen. Wu Jiang said a few more things she wanted to hear and shook her head helplessly.
She had been managing Sheng Yunshu since she was fifteen. There were some things she was not blind to, but there was no need for an outsider like her to point them out.
Besides, Sheng Yunshu’s true lineage had only been revealed recently. Regardless of how it was framed before, it was ethically and legally inappropriate.
As for whether the exposure of their relationship would bring criticism, Wu Jiang was not worried.
She believed that when Sheng Qingshan made this decision, she had already thought of a way to deal with it.
After bothering Wu Jiang, Sheng Yunshu told Shen Zhouhang about it.
“Shen Zhouhang: So fast? You got what you wanted, great actress. Which day is the wedding? I want to go and get some good fortune.”
“Sheng Yunshu: What era do you think this is? Who holds weddings anymore? It is so low-class. But if you want to give a gift, I am willing to accept it.”
“Shen Zhouhang: You want money without even giving me a sip of water? Why are you even more heartless than Ji Xi?”
“Sheng Yunshu: Likewise!”
Sheng Yunshu lay on a reclining chair, basking in the sun while eating cherries prepared by 01. After thinking for a while, she sent a message to Lu Ling.
When Lu Ling received the message, she thought Sheng Yunshu’s account had been hacked.
Under Sheng Yunshu’s repeated insistence, Lu Ling still did not believe it and made a video call directly.
When she saw the two certificates on Sheng Yunshu’s collarbone, the girl was stunned.
“Although you have no blood ties, you grew up together. You never were… why are you suddenly married?”
“Why does there have to be a ‘why’?” Sheng Yunshu changed her posture and pointed the camera at her face. In the background, 01 was diligently pitting cherries. “If I want to marry, I marry.”
Lu Ling remained silent on the other end for a long time, so long that Sheng Yunshu thought the connection had been lost.
“Lingling?”
“…I am here.” Lu Ling’s voice was dry, as if she were trying to digest unacceptable news. “Sister Yunshu, you—are you doing this voluntarily?”
Sheng Yunshu was amused by the question. “Of course, voluntarily. Who else could force me?”
“No, what I mean is—” Lu Ling bit her lip, as if she had summoned great courage to ask. “Are you marrying Sister Qingshan because you like her? Does she like you, or is it for some other reason?”
Sheng Yunshu’s smile faltered for a second.
She picked up a cherry and popped it into her mouth, mumbling, “What other reason could there be? If she were not willing, could I force her?”
Although Lu Ling felt something was wrong, since Sheng Yunshu said so, she did not pry further. “Then when do you plan to hold the wedding? I want to be a bridesmaid!”
Looking at the happy girl on the screen, Sheng Yunshu’s eyes curved as well. “No wedding. I like this new way of marriage; just one step and it is done.”
“Huh?” Lu Ling was startled. She remembered that when attending Ji Xi and Cheng Nuo’s wedding, Sheng Yunshu had said that when she married, she would have Chu Jingyun design a dress for her.
Sheng Yunshu was someone who valued ritual; Lu Ling never expected her to handle such a significant event so carelessly.
After ending the call with Lu Ling, a message from Sheng Qingshan arrived, telling her to eat lunch.
Sheng Yunshu exchanged a few playful barbs before returning inside to eat.
Throughout the process, she had been waiting for a phone call from one person.
If Lu Ling knew, Chu Jingyun must know. If Chu Jingyun knew, Ji Jingxing would know as well.
She had assumed Ji Jingxing would call immediately or come find her directly, as children her age were prone to impulsivity.
She had already made things difficult for Sheng Qingshan; she could not let a younger person invest too much thought in her—she could not give a response.
But she waited until Sheng Qingshan came to pick her up for the old family estate, and there was no movement from Ji Jingxing.
In the dining room, the family was waiting for them.
Sheng Yanzhou was wearing casual home clothes, fiddling with Shi Yun’s hand, kissing it from time to time.
Anyone could see Shi Yun’s repulsion toward Sheng Yanzhou, but for some reason, Shi Yun never resisted Sheng Yanzhou in front of others.
The abnormal dynamic was observed by the elders. Sheng Jiazhen did not care about anyone outside of her own family; even knowing what Shi Yun had suffered, to her, she was merely Sheng Yanzhou’s toy, and she would not intervene.
Sheng Jiuyuan also knew of the conflict between them, but her thoughts were similar to Sheng Jiazhen’s: as long as the interests of their own family were not harmed, nothing else mattered.
When Sheng Qingshan led Sheng Yunshu inside, everyone’s gaze turned to them.
“You are here.” Sheng Jiuyuan set down her teacup, her gaze lingering for a moment on their joined hands. “Sit down and eat. We will discuss matters after the meal.”
Sheng Qingshan did not sit down immediately. Instead, she pulled out the chair and waited for Sheng Yunshu to sit before taking her seat beside her.
This gesture fell into the eyes of Sheng Jiazhen, whose eyelids twitched, a sense of weirdness rising in her heart.
After Sheng Qingshan sat down, she swept her gaze over everyone and calmly announced:
“Yunshu and I are married. Her name has been added to the genealogy as my wife.”
Even though she had been prepared, when Sheng Qingshan actually said the words, Sheng Yunshu’s heart felt painfully fast, and she even began to experience ringing in her ears.
The table went silent for a moment.
Sheng Jiazhen was the first to object: “No! She is your sister! How can you be married?!”
Sheng Qingshan took Sheng Yunshu’s hand, her attitude firm: “We have no blood relation, and I am not asking for your opinion, Mother.”
Looking at those eyes that were so similar to her own, Sheng Jiazhen opened her mouth, but could not produce a sound.
Sheng Yanzhou knew of Sheng Yunshu’s physical condition; she could likely guess why they had married, yet she still could not understand it.
“Dragging someone down with you before you die, you really are an ingrate.”