Chapter 61 Prelude to Getting the Marriage Certificate: What if I don't have a household registration booklet tomorrow...?
"Whoosh—" A cleaning staff member pushed a cleaning cart past at the end of the corridor, and Zhu Liushuang's eardrums vibrated. The wheels rhythmically rubbed against the floor, and with a rumbling sound, the smell of disinfectant mixed with the smell of rust filled her nostrils. She nervously licked her lips, only to realize that she had bitten her lower lip.
Her lips moved slightly, and she managed to utter a single, strained "okay." Her gaze hastily darted away from his aloof and cold expression, all traces of her earlier fearless demeanor gone.
All of this, in He Ming's eyes, became the best proof that she had "fled in panic." He gave her a sharp look, his tone distant: "Regretful? If it was just a momentary impulse... I can pretend nothing happened."
How could she regret it? She just... wasn't ready to respond to him yet.
Zhu Liushuang looked up urgently, hearing her own trembling voice like a taut string: "No...no, senior! I just..."
Her knuckles turned bluish-white from the exertion, and she tried to explain, "Tomorrow is Monday, and we have a morning meeting at work. I... I can't get away. I might have to wait until the afternoon to... come out."
He Ming's Adam's apple bobbed, and his expression returned to normal: "See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Remember to bring your household registration book."
Zhu Liushuang nodded haphazardly, her eyes unsure of where to look.
The blinding sunlight pierced through the glass window, shining on her tense face. "Thump—thump—" Her chest was suddenly filled with joy, as the tireless, frolicking hummingbird flapped its wings, gently brushing against her heart.
Her long eyelashes trembled, and Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but press her hand to her chest. She was afraid that if she stayed for even a second longer, he would see through her disguise.
So, forcing herself to remain calm, she bid him farewell: "Well... I won't bother you any longer today, senior. I hope Dr. Xie wakes up soon. Let's... keep in touch via WeChat if needed. See you tomorrow."
As she spoke, she backed away, and after receiving his response, she quickly turned around and jogged towards the elevator.
Behind her, the man's frosty gaze lingered on her. Zhu Liushuang dared not turn around, but her intuition told her that he had not yet left.
His ghostly image flickered on the cold white tiles. She ran forward until He Ming's shadow became increasingly blurry and finally disappeared completely from her sight.
Zhu Liushuang suddenly stopped and hesitated for a few seconds before slowly turning around.
In the empty and desolate corridor, sunlight shattered on the floor.
Zhu Liushuang glanced at the end of the corridor with slight disappointment, then lowered her head to send a WeChat message to He Ming.
[Senior, I brought you some homemade shumai and fruit tea. I left them on the last row of chairs in the rest area. It's in a blue insulated bag, please remember to take it.]
More than an hour later, He Ming replied to the WeChat message. He only sent a picture of an insulated bag, without a single word.
At that moment, Zhu Liushuang was furtively rummaging through drawers and cabinets in her mother's bedroom, looking for the household registration booklet. To avoid being noticed, she didn't even dare to turn on the air conditioner.
I searched for a long time but couldn't find it, though my short-sleeved shirt was soaked with sweat.
Zhu Liushuang was discouraged. She sat cross-legged on the wooden floor and fanned herself with her hand. Sweat rolled down her forehead and dripped onto her trouser legs.
If I don't have a household registration booklet, how can I get my marriage certificate tomorrow?
If I ask my mother for the household registration booklet for no reason, she will definitely become suspicious.
What should I do? Zhu Liushuang's face scrunched up in a bitter expression.
"Clang—" The security gate was opened, and without a doubt, it was Gu Chunling who had returned. She immediately stood up from the ground and tiptoed out of the bedroom before her mother entered the house. She picked up the mop lying on the wall and absentmindedly began to mop the floor.
"Mom—you're back?" Zhu Liushuang greeted as soon as the wooden door opened.
Gu Chunling looked up in surprise: "Didn't you go to the hospital to visit Dr. Xie? How come you're home so soon?"
"Oh—Dr. Xie hasn't woken up yet, so there's no point in me staying there. I just chatted with my senior for a bit and then came back," Zhu Liushuang replied with an awkward smile, tightening her grip slightly.
Gu Chunling walked inside carrying a plastic bag: "These are the few bunches of Shanghai bok choy that were left over from the morning market. The owner said she'd give them to me. The outer leaves are wilted, but I can still eat them after picking them off."
"The proprietress is very polite; she brings us vegetables every few days," Zhu Liushuang chimed in.
“Mom just mopped the floor yesterday, it’s not dirty… Look at you, all sweaty, aren’t you hot?” Gu Chunling snatched the mop from her daughter’s hand and turned to press the switch on the wall. “The lights aren’t on, it’s so dark and uncomfortable to look at… I heard from your Aunt Qiu that their house in the city center is already being renovated, it’s over 170 square meters and even has an attic, it’s really impressive.”
Gu Chunling sighed as she looked at her old living room. When she turned to look at her daughter, her eyes were filled with guilt: "It's my fault for not being capable. If you could marry into a good family in the future, you wouldn't have to squeeze into this shabby house with me!"
Although the Zhu family's apartment wasn't large, it had two bedrooms and two living rooms. Aside from being a bit dark, it was alright. Zhu Liushuang was used to living there and didn't find anything wrong with it. She completely ignored Gu Chunling's nagging, treating it as nothing more than water off a duck's back.
However, while Gu Chunling was rambling on, she came up with an excuse to get the household registration book.
Zhu Liushuang straightened her clothes and composed herself. When she looked up again, there was no trace of guilt on her face. She walked to the dining table, picked up a water glass, took a sip, and mumbled, "Mom, the community called me yesterday and said there's news about the shared elevator. Construction will start in the first half of next year, and we need to submit our household registration certificates."
"Household registration booklet?" Gu Chunling asked in surprise, "Why do you need a household registration booklet to fix an elevator?"
"Cough cough—" Zhu Liushuang almost choked. She stared at the floor and said evasively, "The community must have a use for collecting household registration books. Anyway, they'll return them after they're done..."
"Why haven't I heard anyone mention this?" Gu Chunling muttered as she walked towards the bedroom.
Zhu Liushuang continued to deceive her: "What's there to talk about with such a small matter? Mom—you should hurry up and give it to me so they can return it to us sooner."
"Okay, okay!"
She stood outside the bedroom, peering through the crack in the door to see what was happening inside. She saw her mother take a key, walk to the low cabinet at the far east end, squat down, open the drawer closest to the wall, and take out a crimson household registration booklet from a locked metal box.
No wonder I couldn't find it; it was hidden so well! Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but mutter to herself.
She leaned against the doorframe, waiting for her mother to come out with the household registration booklet after packing her things, and deliberately teased, "Mom—you hid the household registration booklet so well, are you afraid someone will steal it?"
Gu Chunling slapped her daughter's hand off her shoulder: "The household registration book, Mom's bankbook, and the property certificate are all kept together, so of course we have to hide them well... Here, if you're free this afternoon, take them to the community center and fill out an anti-fraud questionnaire while you're at it. I heard that you can get a box of eggs for participating in the quiz."
"Okay, I guarantee I'll get the eggs back for you!" Zhu Liushuang waved the household registration book in her hand, her smile almost overflowing.
Gu Chunling looked at her daughter's beaming face with suspicion and muttered, "Can she be this happy just because she got an egg?"
Overjoyed, Zhu Liushuang instantly stopped smiling. She quietly tucked her household registration book behind her back and scratched her head to make amends: "Well... of course! A carton of eggs costs ten or twenty yuan!"
Gu Chunling's hand paused as she closed the door, forcing a smile as she said, "That's true, it saves money." In a corner where her daughter couldn't see, her eyes gradually dimmed, and all her helplessness finally turned into a deep sigh.
————
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains onto the wooden floor of the bedroom, while the sounds of electric scooters coming and going could be heard from downstairs in the building.
When the alarm clock rang for the second time, Zhu Liushuang opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.
Once she came to her senses, the first thing she did was reach under her pillow. Her fingertips touched the hard cover of the household registration booklet, and her heart finally calmed down.
After returning from the community yesterday afternoon, she was in a state of anxiety, fearing that an accident would allow her mother to discover her unspeakable secret.
The alarm rang for the third time, and the phone on the bedside table kept vibrating. Zhu Liushuang picked up the phone and turned off the alarm. She subconsciously opened WeChat, but apart from a "Goodnight" message from Tian Xingyu, there were no other new messages.
She sighed softly, threw back the covers, got up, and ran barefoot to the bedroom door.
With a "snap," the door locked from the inside. She quickly ran back to the bedside, took out the household registration booklet from under the pillow, and stuffed it into the bottom of her laptop bag.
The air conditioner in the bedroom was still on, and the coolness crept up from her feet, instantly making her more alert. She and He Ming hadn't spoken since they parted ways at the hospital yesterday.
She bent down and retrieved the slippers she had accidentally kicked under the bed, put them on, and shuffled out of the bedroom.
There was a lot of commotion coming from the kitchen; it was unclear what Gu Chunling was busy with so early in the morning. Zhu Liushuang stood outside and glanced at her mother's busy figure, instantly realizing that her action of locking the door earlier had been unnecessary.
She slipped on her slippers and walked into the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror in a daze. She rubbed the toothpaste in her hand back and forth on the toothbrush for a long time, but didn't leave a single trace. But Zhu Liushuang seemed not to see it, tilted her head back, took a sip of water, and put the toothbrush in her mouth.
She suddenly stopped brushing her teeth, lowered her eyelids, unscrewed the cap, and squeezed more toothpaste onto the toothbrush.
The mirror had become fogged up, and Zhu Liushuang, while brushing her teeth, leaned closer to wipe it with her hand. Her face gradually came into focus. A fair and delicate face, with refined features and rosy lips. Only the faint dark circles under her eyes made her look somewhat tired.
She tossed and turned in bed last night, unable to sleep, so it's no surprise she had dark circles under her eyes. Luckily, the bruises weren't too deep; some concealer should do the trick.
Zhu Liushuang lowered her head to rinse her mouth, the gurgling sound of water echoing in the small bathroom.
Today is the day she and He Ming agreed to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate.
A marriage of convenience, where each party got what they wanted, was kept secret from everyone except the two of them. It sounded like a clandestine underground deal.
But for her, it marked the end of her teenage crush.
Yesterday in the hospital corridor, she said so many self-inflicted wounds and nonchalant "nonsense," but she concealed the fact that she had liked him for many years.
Because she knew that once she revealed everything, he would definitely distance himself from her.
Zhu Liushuang carefully applied a light, clean makeup to herself in front of the mirror. Instead of letting her hair fall loosely behind her head as usual, she picked out a few strands of black hair and tucked them behind her ears, weaving them together to make her neck appear longer.
After doing all that, she went back to her bedroom and picked out a white, fitted dress embroidered with subtle lace patterns to change into. Her gaze fell on the shelf next to the wardrobe, where the perfume Tian Xingyu had given her was displayed. She hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and lightly sprayed it on her wrist. Next, she stretched her scented wrist to her ear and slowly rubbed it along the skin behind her ear.
The cool, serene fragrance of winter plum blossoms filled the air, and Zhu Liushuang inexplicably felt that this scent complemented the camphor leaf-like aroma on his clothes. She took a deep sniff, as if doing so would give her enough courage.
Although, she was the only one who was anxious about getting her marriage certificate this afternoon.
But what does it matter?
She got the marriage by taking advantage of someone's vulnerability; she can't ask for more!
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Author's Note: Getting our marriage certificate tomorrow! [Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
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