Chapter 6: She just left like that?
The staff pushed two forms in front of them and pointed to the place where signatures were required: "Please sign here to confirm."
Huo Yanli picked up his pen, the tip landing on the paper. He paused, glancing at Song Zhiyi beside him.
She was already signing her name. Without any hesitation, her pen moved swiftly, and the three characters "Song Zhiyi" landed neatly and elegantly in the designated spot. After signing, she put down her pen and waited quietly.
Huo Yanli took a deep breath and signed his name.
The sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper was exceptionally clear at that moment.
"Congratulations to you both." The staff member handed them two marriage certificates with a professional smile. "Wishing you a happy marriage."
Two red certificates lay in their hands.
Huo Yanli stared at the small certificate in his hand, feeling somewhat dazed. This... he was married? To a woman he'd only known for less than half an hour?
He subconsciously looked at Song Zhiyi.
She had already placed the marriage certificate into the transparent file folder, neatly arranged alongside her household registration booklet and ID card. Then, she glanced at her watch.
“Mr. Huo.” She looked up at him.
Huo Yanli waited. He waited for her reaction—perhaps her first tentative question after feigning calm, perhaps her first request after receiving the title of "Mrs. Huo," perhaps... any scenario he could foresee.
Song Zhiyi's gaze was calm, even carrying a hint of apology due to the time constraints.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “my flight is at 11:30, so I need to arrive at the airport an hour early to complete the formalities and security check.”
She paused, then spoke steadily and clearly: "So I have to go back to the department now. If there's anything I can do to assist you, please contact me. I'll have Uncle Chen give you my work email and phone number later."
Huo Yanli was completely stunned.
Ji Yun and the other two were also stunned.
Song Zhiyi had already picked up her briefcase and nodded slightly to Huo Yanli: "Well then, I'll be going now, goodbye."
After saying that, she really turned and left.
Her pace remained unhurried, her back ramrod straight as she walked towards the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Morning light streamed through the glass doors, falling softly on the shoulders of her white shirt.
"Wait—" Huo Yanli said subconsciously, but he didn't know what he wanted her to wait for.
Song Zhiyi paused at the doorway and glanced back at him. Her gaze remained calm and unwavering, as if she had simply completed a routine handover.
“Oh, right,” she added as if suddenly remembering something, “I have no objection to the five-year agreement and all the conditions you just mentioned. Let’s do it your way.”
Then, she pushed open the door and went out.
The figure disappeared into the sunlight outside the door.
An eerie silence filled the lobby of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Huo Yanli stood there, still clutching the brand-new marriage certificate in his hand. The red cover was almost burning hot.
Ji Yun opened her mouth, and it took her a while to find her voice: "...She just left like that?"
Zhou Mubai pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses filled with complex emotions: "The flight is at 11:30... which means she's going abroad immediately after getting her marriage certificate?"
Shen Yu glanced at his watch, his voice calm but tinged with disbelief: "From the moment I came in to the moment I left, it took less than twenty minutes. After signing the papers and saying 'okay,' I rushed to catch my flight."
Huo Yanli remained silent.
The scene kept replaying in his mind—the way she calmly signed the document, the way she looked at the time, the way she said "I'm sorry, I have to go," and finally that calm "goodbye."
There was no joy, no expectation, no calculation, not even the slightest basic emotional fluctuation.
It's like... she really just came to sign a contract, and once she's done, her task is complete, and she can move on to the next thing.
None of the scenarios he had envisioned came to pass.
She gave him the most unexpected response in the simplest way: indifference.
Ji Yun walked over, patted Huo Yanli on the shoulder, and said in a strange tone, "Brother, your wedding is... I've lived for almost thirty years and this is the first time I've seen a bride like this."
Zhou Mubai pondered for a moment and said, "There are two possibilities. Either she really doesn't care about this marriage at all and is just doing it to complete a mission. Or..." He paused, "her level is much higher than we imagined."
Shen Yu looked at Huo Yanli: "Will you still send me my monthly living expenses?"
Huo Yanli finally moved. He stuffed the marriage certificate into his suit pocket, the movement somewhat rough.
"Hit her." He uttered the word, his voice cold. "As agreed. I want to see how long she can remain 'calm'."
As he spoke, he strode towards the door, saying, "Let's go."
Ji Yun and the other two followed behind him, exchanging glances.
This scene completely deviated from everyone's expectations from the very beginning.
The woman in the white shirt and black trousers who left calmly was like a pebble thrown into a lake.
The ripples have only just begun to spread.
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