Chapter 197: 10,000-year deadline
The smell of fireworks on the top of the mountain had not yet dissipated, and rose petals were stuck to my trouser legs.
The ring on Yu Ling's ring finger, engraved with "My Home. My Dog.", still carried the warmth of Zhao Chen's palm.
Zhao Chen held her hand and walked towards the parking lot, his steps so light as if he was walking on clouds.
"That tattered agreement," he suddenly said, his voice lazily and unquestionably afterward, "I'll tear it up when I get back."
Yu Ling was looking down at the ring, admiring the tiny sparks of starlight. She paused and raised an eyebrow at him, "Tear it up? Mr. Zhao, where's the spirit of the contract?"
"Spirit?" Zhao Chen paused, turned around and faced her, his eyes blazing behind his gold-rimmed glasses. "I don't need spirit right now, I just need you." He stroked her ring finger, which was covered with a ring, and said in a domineering tone, "You are my wife, a real wife. Not just Party A or Party B on a one-year contract."
The mountain breeze ruffled Yu Ling's hair. She looked at his rare, almost childish possessiveness, and her heart was filled with sweetness, but her face was deliberately tense.
"Oh?" She drawled out her words, "Chairman Zhao, who was it that solemnly took out the 'Mutual Aid Marriage Agreement' and said 'non-interference, for a period of one year'?" She imitated his cold and distant tone perfectly.
Zhao Chen: "..." He was speechless for a rare moment, and his ears turned red suspiciously.
"To be fair," Yu Ling smiled cunningly, broke free from his hand, and rummaged through her canvas bag with a picture of an angry Shiba Inu printed on it (a "guild benefit" given by Zhao Chen), and actually took out a pen and a piece of... a note paper covered with silly and cute Shiba Inu paw prints!
"Since you proposed the old contract," she stuffed the paper and pen into Zhao Chen's hand, her chin slightly raised, like a proud little peacock, "then the new contract must be decided by me!"
Zhao Chen looked down at the childish notepaper, then at Yu Ling's sparkling, cunning eyes. His heart softened, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise. "Okay. Whatever Mrs. Zhao wants to sign? I'll sign the indenture."
"Listen!" Yu Ling cleared her throat, put her hands behind her back, and began to "read the terms" seriously:
"Party A: Zhao Chen (also known as Pancake Man, Shiba Inu President, Wangcai's Dad)"
Zhao Chen held his forehead with his hand and chuckled, "...Okay."
"Party B: Yu Ling (also known as Xinghui Chairman, Party B, and Wangcai's mother)"
Yu Ling blushed: "...The key point is at the end!"
"Contract Contents:"
"Article 1: Party A must pamper Party B unconditionally, around the clock, and in all aspects, including but not limited to cooking (same meat quantity as Wangcai), providing transportation (Shiba Inu chariot or above), warding off undesirable romantic interests (starting at Gu Qianqian's level), and providing emotional value (smiling even when Party B dislikes you)."
Zhao Chen suppressed his laughter and scribbled on a piece of paper, "Agreed. Note: Emotional value can be exchanged for 'Guild Points' to purchase a washboard."
Yu Ling glared at him and continued:
Article 2: Party B has the right to be informed of all Party A's 'guild' affairs (including but not limited to Shiba Inu Coins, Shiba Inu Airplanes, and Shiba Inu Express), the right to make comments, and the right to suggest names (e.g., Wangcai Special Service can be renamed 'Paw Patrol').
Zhao Chen paused his pen, looked up, and glared dangerously. "Change the name? Are you sure Wangcai No. 3... oh no, 'Iron Hammer', would you rather be called 'Maomao' or 'Aqi'?"
Yu Ling imagined the image of a bald hunk patrolling with a Rottweiler named "Maomao" and chuckled, "…We'll leave this for discussion! Make a note of it!"
Zhao Chen reluctantly wrote, "Agreed in principle. The naming rights need to be reviewed by the 'guild image consultant' (Wangcai Bencai)."
"Article 3: Party A may not use 'guild secrets' as an excuse to conceal from Party B any events that may cause family conflict (e.g., the sudden appearance of an ex-girlfriend, assassination threats, or the secret purchase of lunar real estate)!"
Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow. "Lunar real estate? Old Wang mentioned Mars recently..."
"Zhao! Chen!" Yu Ling stomped her feet.
"Okay, okay," Zhao Chen raised his hands in surrender and quickly wrote, "I promise to be honest. The level of honesty is like 'I gave Wangcai double the meat for his extra meal today.'"
"The last one!" Yu Ling took a deep breath, looked into Zhao Chen's eyes, and her voice suddenly became extremely serious, with a barely perceptible tremor:
"Rule Four: Love each other and never leave each other. The term is—ten thousand years."
The mountain wind seemed to be still for a moment.
Zhao Chen tightened his grip on the pen, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses were as deep as the sea, surging with strong emotions that could not be dissolved.
He looked at the girl in front of him who said she wanted to love him for ten thousand years. She had transformed from the girl in the coffee shop who was bombarded with marriage calls to the radiant chairman of Xinghui, his wife, who now stood before him.
Ten thousand years. Longer than the stars, heavier than promises.
His Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was a little hoarse: "...Ten thousand years, is that enough?"
"It has to be enough!" Yu Ling's eyes burned as she said stubbornly, "The agreement is already written! You can't go back on your word!"
Zhao Chen chuckled softly, his laughter filled with endless doting and satisfaction. He said nothing more, simply lowered his head and solemnly signed his name behind "Party A" on the notepaper covered with Shiba Inu paw prints.
The brush strokes are vigorous and powerful, and the force can be seen through the back of the paper.
Then he handed the pen to Yu Ling.
Yu Ling took the pen, her fingers trembling slightly as she wrote her name, stroke by stroke, behind "Party B." When she was done, she looked at the two names side by side, and the childish yet incredibly earnest "Ten Thousand Years" in the middle, and her nose felt sore.
"Wait!" Zhao Chen suddenly remembered something. He rummaged through the pocket of his seemingly ordinary windbreaker (which was actually connected to the "Guild" four-dimensional pocket) and pulled out... a small, round, flesh-pink ink box! There was even a cute Shiba Inu paw print on the lid!
"The contract is established," he said, opening the ink box, revealing bright red ink. "It needs to be notarized."
Yu Ling looked at the box of Shiba Inu paw prints, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Zhao Chen! How much 'guild supplies' did you stuff in your pockets before you went out?!"
"It's better to be prepared." Zhao Chen said as a matter of course. He pulled up Yu Ling's right thumb, dipped it in the ink, and then pressed it firmly under the note paper, next to Party B's signature!
A clear, bright red thumbprint.
Then, he raised his left thumb, dipped it in ink, and pressed hard next to Party A's signature!
Two bright red fingerprints, like two small hearts, beat side by side under the promise of "ten thousand years".
"We are still short of a notary." Zhao Chen put away the ink box and said seriously.
"Notary?" Yu Ling asked in confusion.
Zhao Chen didn't say anything, but just whistled in the direction of the parking lot.
"Woof! Woof woof woof!"
Wangcai Bencai shot out from the back seat of the "Guild Chariot" like an arrow! The jade dog tag worth tens of millions of dollars on its neck shone brightly, and its diamond-studded dog bowl was still dangling from its mouth!
It ran wildly all the way and landed precisely at Yu Ling's feet, wagging its tail excitedly, and the dog bowl fell to the ground with a clang.
"Wangcai," Zhao Chen squatted down and pointed to a blank space on the notepad. "Come, make a paw print. Let's notarize it."
Wangcai tilted his big head, looked at his owner, then looked at the piece of paper, with a confused look on his face, as if asking, "What are you humans doing again?"
Zhao Chen took out a small piece of premium Wagyu beef jerky from his pocket (four-dimensional pocket confirmed!) like a magic trick!
Wangcai's eyes lit up and his mouth watered!
"Click it, and the dried meat is yours." Zhao Chen shook the dried meat and pointed at the note paper.
Wangcai understood instantly! He raised one of his front paws, looked at the dried meat, then looked at where Zhao Chen pointed, and without hesitation -
“Bang!”
A genuine dog paw print, damp and stained with dirt and grass, sat perfectly beneath the two bright red fingerprints! The red ink mixed with the brown of the soil created a unique, lifelike "notarization"!
"Woof!" (Meat! Give it to me!)
Zhao Chen threw the dried meat to Wangcai with satisfaction, picked up the note paper carrying the "ten thousand years" contract, and carefully blew dry the claw marks on it.
"Okay." He stood up, folded the "contract" which was full of Shiba Inu elements, stained with mud and dog saliva, and had two human fingerprints, and put it into his inner pocket close to his heart with great care.
"Notarization complete, with the highest legal force of the Guild. For ten thousand years, even a single day or second less, Wangcai... and the legal department behind it, will pursue all responsibility to the end."
Yu Ling watched him put away the childish yet incredibly precious "contract," then looked at Wangcai, who was frantically munching on dried meat at his feet, completely oblivious to what he was doing. Her heart was filled with warmth and sweetness. She stood on tiptoe and put her arms around Zhao Chen's neck.
"Zhao Chen."
"Um?"
"Ten thousand years is too long," she whispered in his ear, her voice thick with laughter and a nasal tone, "Why don't you go home and eat first? I'm hungry. I want to eat the sweet and sour pork ribs you made, the same generous portion as Wangcai's."
Zhao Chen chuckled, his chest vibrating. He tightened his arms and lifted her up sideways!
"Ah!" Yu Ling exclaimed and quickly hugged him tightly.
"Hold on tight, Mrs. Zhao." Zhao Chen held her and strode towards the chariot with steady steps and an unprecedented ease and confidence in his voice:
"Contract Article 1: Pick-up and drop-off service, effective immediately. Goal - to get home and feed my Master."
Wangcai held the empty bowl in his mouth and watched his master walk away with his mistress, turning around in circles anxiously:
"Woof woof woof!" (Hey! We're out of jerky! Contract notarization fee! Renewal! Double!)
The setting sun stretched their shadows very long, and they snuggled tightly together. The Shiba Inu paw print contract with "10,000 years" written on it lay quietly in Zhao Chen's heart, like a warm and eternal anchor.
The romance of the Shiba Inu president may not be as noisy as pigeon eggs and the wedding of the century.
But it has fireworks on the top of the mountain, promises on sticky notes, notarization of dog paw prints, and a bowl of sweet and sour pork ribs on the way home.
And, the term is 10,000 years, Shiba Inu-style protection.
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