Chapter 75 Mrs. Meng, over here (getting the marriage certificate)...
Meng Yanxi knew that Jin Zhao and Jin Wenyi had met.
He knew everything about her. Aside from her emotions, Jin Zhao didn't hide anything from him. Even her emotions weren't intentionally concealed; it was just that she'd been alone for so many years and had become accustomed to internalizing all her feelings. After all, she had no close family around, and saying too much would only make her sound like a broken record.
Fortunately, Meng Yanxi is perceptive and can understand her most of the time. However, sometimes she is too concerned about gains and losses, which makes her lack confidence.
For example, right now, he didn't know how Jin Zhao and Jin Wenyi's conversation was going, and he felt a kind of restless tension.
Luo Heng watched the spectacle from the sidelines and made a sarcastic remark: "I know, it's like when I was a kid, after a parent-teacher conference, my dad was called into the teacher's office alone."
Meng Yanxi stared at him blankly.
Luo Heng: "...Never mind what I said."
He brought shame upon himself by comparing Meng Yanxi's commendation ceremony to his own criticism ceremony.
However, putting aside her student days, Meng Yanxi has lived for twenty-seven years and has always been incredibly thick-skinned and bursting with self-confidence. She has almost never been as insecure as she is now.
To test whether Jin Zhao was angry, Meng Yanxi sent her a message: 【I'm done here, shall I come pick you up?】
This message naturally went unanswered and received no reply.
Meng Yanxi became even more nervous.
Jin Zhao didn't reply to his messages. He analyzed the situation calmly yet not calmly, and there were two possibilities: one was that the truth had come out and she was indeed angry with him; the other was that her phone was on silent and she hadn't seen the messages.
He thought it was most likely the second possibility, since Jin Zhao's phone was often on silent. But he couldn't rule out the first possibility either.
If it's really the first case, then I'm in trouble. I don't know if I'll be able to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow.
He sat calmly on the sofa, but inside he felt a sense of unease, as if he had been caught off guard and his plans had backfired.
Luo Heng couldn't see his inner thoughts, only his calm and collected exterior. He gave him a thumbs up with heartfelt admiration: "As expected of you, doing so many bad things behind the scenes, and now that it's about to be exposed, you're still so calm and collected. If I were you, I would want to bite 1119's tail right now."
Nearby, 1119, who had just returned to Shanshui City, was spinning around by the curtains, biting its own tail, whether it was happy to be back with its parents or unhappy about having to learn English with its mother again.
Luo Heng brought 1119 back today. Because of the name, Lawyer Luo insisted that the cat was destined to be his son from three lifetimes ago. He had taken his godson to live with him for two months a while ago, and Meng Yanxi had urged him two or three times before Luo Heng reluctantly brought him back.
Meng Yanxi glanced at him indifferently, then suddenly got up and walked towards the dining table.
The vase on the dining table was filled with flowers, which Jin Zhao had bought on his way home from school. He took out a red rose from it and twirled it in his hand.
Luo Heng chatted idly with him from the side, saying, "I just don't understand you. You've already got the paternity report, why not just throw it in Jin Wenhui's face and let him see the green field on his head and the good son he's raising for someone else? It would save you time and effort, wouldn't it? Why go through all this trouble?"
Meng Yanxi leaned casually against the dining table, her long fingers plucking a rose petal.
The rose petals, soft and delicate like velvet, were plucked off without hesitation and placed on the dining table.
The odd number means Lingling is angry with him.
She plucked another petal.
Even numbers mean Lingling didn't see the message.
Meng Yanxi has been able to multitask since she was a child. While counting flower petals, she could also ask Luo Heng a pointed question: "When you were in the bottom of your class and your dad was called to the teacher's office, what was your thought process?"
Caught off guard by this sudden attack, Luo Heng, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelled, "Meng Yanxi, can't you speak properly? So what if I'm at the bottom of the class? I'm still at the bottom of Class A! 38th in the grade! I'm older than you in undergraduate studies, and we're even alumni!"
Meng Yanxi ignored Lawyer Luo's emotions and continued expressionlessly, "You will never regret slacking off in class. You will only be annoyed by the teacher exposing your past mistakes. You still remember the chemistry teacher's name, not because you have a good memory, but because the chemistry teacher exposed your past mistakes the most. I bet now when you talk about being bad at chemistry, you will also mention the chemistry teacher, as if he was the one who caused you to be bad at chemistry."
Luo Heng: "..."
Luo Heng felt guilty at first, then realized something was wrong and protested, "No, Meng Yanxi, I'm not as petty as you make me out to be, am I?"
Meng Yanxi glanced at him: "It's not that you're a villain, it's just human nature. That's how people are. They only shout slogans about right and wrong loudly when it doesn't concern them. Once their own interests are involved, they become blind to right and wrong. You're already considered a person with a decent sense of morality, and you still act like this, let alone others."
Luo Heng: "What do you mean I have a decent sense of morality? I have a very high sense of morality!"
Meng Yanxi slowly and deliberately plucked the flower petals.
Odd number, even number, odd number...
Luo Heng calmed himself down, thought for a moment, and asked, "So you don't want Jin Wenhui to blame Jin Zhao for the disgrace of Green Grassland? But you did all these bad things, not Jin Zhao. What does it have to do with Jin Zhao?"
Meng Yanxi: "Jin Zhao is my wife. Does it make a difference whether I did it or she did it?"
Luo Heng's teeth ached from the way he called her "wife." He clicked his tongue in disdain: "Look at how smug you are! We haven't even registered our marriage yet, have we? Besides, you sent the results anonymously, how would anyone know it was you?"
Meng Yanxi didn't say a word, looking at him like he was an idiot.
Luo Heng touched his nose: "That's true. No one else would care whether Jin Wenhui's child is his biological child. But Meng Yanxi, you've never cared whether people like you or hate you. I bet you wouldn't care for Jin Zhao either. Why are you suddenly so hesitant?"
Meng Yanxi plucked the last rose petal from her finger.
Singular.
Meng Yanxi: "..."
Oh no, my wife is really angry.
He frowned, feeling a bit of a headache. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a single red rose in the vase, and on a whim, he pulled it out and continued counting.
Even numbers, odd numbers, even numbers...
With her mood calming down and her patience improving, Meng Yanxi said calmly, "Jin Zhaohui will take it to heart."
She has never felt secure about the future. She imagines that years from now, when the Jin family mentions the shameful fact that Jin Wenhui is raising someone else's child, they might even casually curse Jin Zhao. Even if it's not her fault at all, just because of the paternity report he submitted, the Jin family will curse Jin Zhao every time they curse Lin Yao. Even if she doesn't care on the surface, she can imagine how sad she will feel inside.
She has already experienced enough sadness in her life; he will only protect her.
"Besides, these kinds of things only get interesting when the person involved personally exposes the truth to them. Any third party's revelation only alleviates the shame due to the presence of misplaced anger." Meng Yanxi glanced at Luo Heng. "It's like if you get the lowest score in a test, the teacher talking to your dad actually reduces your psychological burden, which is why you can consistently sit at the bottom. But if your test paper came to life and slapped you in the face, humiliating you to your face, you might have already worked harder."
Luo Heng: "..."
Holy crap! What incredible good fortune I must have accumulated in my past life to be brothers with you in this one!
After poking a nerve with Attorney Luo, Meng Yanxi casually asked, "How's the divorce case going?"
It's just that Luo Heng is easygoing and doesn't hold it against him. Instead, she addresses the issue directly: "The divorce is inevitable. Catching his wife in bed with a young college student in such a passionate and exciting scene is unbearable for any man, especially when the man sues him afterwards. The current situation is that Jin Wenhui values his son highly and insists on custody. Lin Yao is also holding on tightly. She has suffered a lot during childbirth over the years and is unlikely to give up her son. Lin Yao's problem is that she wants both her son and money, so she hasn't revealed the truth to provoke Jin Wenhui yet."
Meng Yanxi fiddled with the flower petals, saying confidently, "It'll be ready soon."
Luo Heng nodded: "That's right. Jin Wenhui is selfish by nature. He will do anything to take his son back. If he provokes Lin Yao, she will confront him in the face and say it out loud in no time."
"That'll be quite a show." Meng Yanxi's lips curled up.
Even numbers, odd numbers.
Meng Yanxi's smile froze on the spot.
There are no more roses in the vase.
Meng Yanxi: "..."
Meng Yanxi picked up her car keys and went out.
Why did he suddenly leave while we were talking? Luo Heng asked, "Where are you going?"
Meng Yanxi: "Buy flowers."
Luo Heng: "?"
Luo Heng: "Wait, I'll go with you. I have something for you."
In the underground parking garage, Luo Heng took a brown paper file folder from the car and handed it to Meng Yanxi.
Meng Yanxi glanced at it but didn't answer.
Luo Heng awkwardly touched his nose: "Well, don't blame me for being nosy, this is what Uncle Meng asked me to give you. He asked me to draft a prenuptial agreement for you."
Meng Yanxi raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "Since you've already recognized 1119 as your son, why don't you also recognize your Uncle Meng as your father?"
Luo Heng's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Is it...is it okay?"
Meng Yanxi curled her lips slightly, then turned and walked towards her car.
Luo Heng chased after him with the brown paper bag, quickly grabbed Meng Yanxi's car door as he was about to close it, and shoved the prenuptial agreement into his arms.
"Brother, I'm sorry. But your dad is my provider, practically my father. I'll give you the things, and I'll consider it done what Uncle Meng asked me to do. You decide whether you want to fool your dad or your wife. I can't help you with the rest."
After saying that, Luo Heng ran off like a rabbit.
Meng Yanxi sat alone in the car for a while, then picked up the file folder and slowly opened it.
Luo Heng may seem unreliable, but he is indeed highly skilled in his profession. The prenuptial agreement he drafted was watertight, and each clause seemed quite humane. In reality, his wife wouldn't get any benefit from it.
Luo Heng wouldn't be this ruthless to his old classmate; it's clear this was all Meng Shixu's doing.
Meng Yanxi curled her lip, put the agreement into a file folder, and tossed it onto the passenger seat.
A few seconds later, he picked it up again, got out of the car, and entered the elevator.
There was a paper shredder in the study. Meng Yanxi had just picked up the first page and put it in when her phone rang.
Meng Shixu called.
As Meng Yanxi fed the paper into the shredder page by page, she calmly and nonchalantly lied to Meng Shixu on the phone.
"What are you worrying about? The person hasn't even accepted the proposal yet, and you've already drafted the prenuptial agreement for me. You're just making money off Attorney Luo for nothing!"
"What's that sound? It's the sound of a paper shredder. The girl's already angry with me, what's the point of me having a prenuptial agreement? Would it just trigger her painful memories?"
"Dad, I have a feeling that what you've done will ruin your big surprise. You'll regret it."
Meng Shixu cursed at him a couple of times on the phone, and Meng Yanxi's side also broke down.
I had just hung up the phone with Meng Shixu when my phone rang.
Zhao Zhao Mu Mu: [I didn't check my phone just now. I'm done here too. Want to have dinner together tonight?]
Meng Yanxi's eyes lit up.
Before leaving in high spirits, someone casually swept all the rose petals on the dining table into the trash can.
Not accurate at all.
*
The 27th, a homophone for "beloved wife," was a good day for Meng Yanxi to register their marriage.
When Jin Zhao woke up in the morning, Meng Yanxi was already dressed and had even fed the cat. Jin Zhao thought she had overslept, but when she checked the time, it was only a little past seven o'clock.
She asked, "Why are you up so early?"
Meng Yanxi said thoughtfully, "I learned a word when I was a student."
Jin Zhao, bewildered by his sudden shift to a storytelling manner, asked, "What?"
"A long night can lead to many unforeseen events."
Meng Yanxi said, "To avoid having too many dreams, I barely slept last night."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Even though he and Jin Zhao had agreed to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate today, Meng Yanxi still felt inexplicably nervous. This made him even more confused as to why Jin Zhao seemed so calm and slept so soundly last night.
At times like this, he never reflects on how badly he treated her last night, making her so tired and sleeping so soundly.
In his brief dream, Jin's family caused trouble one moment, and Meng Shixu appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau with a prenuptial agreement, driving Jin Zhao away. He woke up still shaken and promptly blocked Meng Shixu.
Later, in the time before dawn, he sat alone on the sofa, watching the sky outside gradually brighten from pitch black until it was fully light.
On a sweltering summer morning, the sun was already blazing, the cicadas were just awakening, their chirping carrying the heatwave. A breeze swept through the sycamore leaves, scattering dappled sunlight onto the steps of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
None of the chaotic accidents in my dream happened. The whole process of getting the marriage certificate was surprisingly smooth. Filling out forms, taking photos, registering... in less than 30 minutes, I had two warm red certificates in my hands.
The moment the stamp was affixed, it was as if all uncertainty settled in that instant. All anxieties vanished, and everything became certain and perfectly legitimate.
Meng Yanxi held the two red marriage certificates tightly in one hand and had his arm around his wife in the other, with a wide smile on his face.
It wasn't until he stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau and the scorching sun hit his face that he realized what was happening. He told Jin Zhao to wait for him in the lobby while he went to the parking lot across the street to get the car.
Jin Zhao didn't leave until five minutes later.
Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, traffic was heavy. A black Maybach was parked on the side of the road. The window was rolled down, and a handsome man in a white shirt leaned against the seat with a slight smile. He looked spirited and youthful.
As soon as she came out, he saw her, and she saw him at the same time.
Their eyes met briefly, piercing through the noise.
The surrounding area was bustling with people, fireworks were lively, the wind rustled the plane tree leaves along the roadside, and scattered golden light and shadow.
Jin Zhao's heart stirred, and he suddenly remembered how the two of them first met in their second year of high school.
It was also a sweltering summer like this.
In the early morning, the boy was catching up on sleep at her desk. His tall frame was curled up in the limited space of the desk and chair, his shoulder blades slightly protruding, one elbow resting on the table, his bent wrist naturally draped behind his head. His fingers were long, falling into his short, jet-black hair, vaguely revealing a section of his cold, sharp jawline.
Outside the window, the sun climbed over the top of the sycamore tree, and golden sunlight slanted down onto his hair, giving his cool and noble appearance a soft glow.
Awakened by her call, the boy looked up from his arms, his beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with weariness, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"
Time flies, and ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Ahead, the man in the car waved the red marriage certificate in his hand at her and called out from afar, "Mrs. Meng, over here!"
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Author's Note: Finally finished writing the marriage certificate scene! I spent so much effort creating the atmosphere in this last paragraph; it took me an hour and a half to write 800 words. If this were a college entrance exam essay, I'd be doomed… The little dumpling will be back in the next chapter! Remember how adorable he was in "Rich Man"? Such a chubby, clever, and mischievous baby that makes you want to take a bite!
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