Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Getting the Marriage Certificate The moment those words fell, the air went silent. Lin Meiyan looked up in shock, and for a moment, she even thought she had misheard. "What did you say?" Yu Jianghai looked down at her, repeating in a low, hoarse voice, "I won't marry anyone. I'll only be a Ruzhui. Do you want me?" Lin Meiyan felt as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Yu Jianghai." She tried to break free from his grip, but his hand was like an iron clamp, holding her firmly in place. Unable to break free, she gave up. "Yu Jianghai, do you even know what you're saying?" Yu Jianghai's eyes were rimmed with red. He said, "I do." "So, will you choose me?" Lin Meiyan thought he was joking with her. She said flatly, "You need to understand that I'm doing Zhaozhui. Your Yu family is vast and powerful. My little Linji temple can't hold a great Buddha like you." Yu Jianghai was silent. Lin Meiyan said softly, "Even if you agree, your father won't." Before she could finish, Yu Jianghai suddenly cut her off. "What if he agrees?" "Yanyan, what if he agrees?" Lin Meiyan was stunned. She didn't speak for a moment, then finally said, "We'll talk about it later." There was a hint of dismissiveness in her tone. Because she knew that Father Yu would never agree. The reason she had been able to leave so smoothly back then had a lot to do with Father Yu. "If he agrees, then you agree too." Yu Jianghai was persistent. He had to have an answer. But Lin Meiyan couldn't give him that answer. After a long pause, she said, "Yu Jianghai, I'm doing Zhaozhui." "Zhaozhui." She had never in her life imagined Yu Jianghai becoming a Zhaozhui. For the Yu family, Yu Jianghai was the only male heir for three generations. Father Yu valued him more than his own life. She couldn't even be the Yu family's daughter-in-law. Let alone bringing Yu Jianghai into the Lin family as a live-in son-in-law. Yu Jianghai said nothing. Instead, he stared at her fixedly, then pulled her hand and walked out. Lin Meiyan tried to struggle. "What are you doing? Yu Jianghai, let go of me." Yu Jianghai didn't let go. He just pulled her out of the Jiangda faculty staff cafeteria. "Since you don't believe what I say, then I'll go do it." "Do what?" Lin Meiyan asked in a fluster, but this time Yu Jianghai didn't answer. As soon as they came out, Secretary Shen was waiting outside. He was still talking with He Wenbin. By this point, he was already getting impatient. Because he had seen too many people like He Wenbin who wanted to curry favor. Fortunately, his boss had come out. Secretary Shen was just about to go up and greet him. But then he saw Yu Jianghai pulling Lin Meiyan out together. The words "boss" hadn't even left his mouth. The next second, Yu Jianghai shoved Lin Meiyan into the car. Just as he was about to get in, Yu Jianghai turned back and cast a cold, sharp glance at He Wenbin. That look seemed to say: You? You think you're worthy of competing with me for a woman? Any man could understand that look, and He Wenbin was no exception. He didn't understand why the president of Jianghai Dicai, the lofty Senior Yu, had walked away holding Lin Meiyan's hand. And why he had looked at him with such an expression. At that moment, He Wenbin even forgot to flatter Secretary Shen. He just looked over in confusion. Of course, a guess had formed in his mind, but he didn't dare to believe it himself. Secretary Shen patted him on the shoulder. "Comrade He, you still don't know, do you?" "Know what?" "Our boss wants to be Youth Lin's Ruzhui, but Youth Lin hasn't agreed yet." At this point, he said meaningfully, "Comrade He, you don't know how lucky you are." "Then again, that's right. If you knew how lucky you were, where would there be any room for my boss?" What did that mean? Was it what he thought it meant? Unfortunately, Secretary Shen didn't intend to explain further. He chased after the car, shouting wildly, "Boss! Boss! Wait for me!" The car drove away. What was he supposed to do now? Unfortunately, Yu Jianghai, who was driving, didn't hear him. Inside the car, he had pushed the speed almost to the limit. Lin Meiyan gripped the seatbelt tightly with both hands. She turned back and asked, "Yu Jianghai, where are you taking me?" Yu Jianghai's jaw was clenched tight. He didn't turn around, nor did he answer. He just drove in silence. Twenty minutes later. Yu Jianghai pulled up in front of the civil affairs office. He turned back to look at Lin Meiyan. "You bring your household register. I'll do the Ruzhui on the spot." Lin Meiyan: "..." Lin Meiyan was silent for a moment too. At that moment, Lin Meiyan realized that Yu Jianghai was truly serious about becoming a Ruzhui. He wasn't joking with her. Lin Meiyan rarely found herself at a loss for words. Yu Jianghai leaned against the car door, tall and elegant, waiting quietly. After a long while, when he still hadn't received an answer from Lin Meiyan, he gazed at her and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Lin Meiyan, I would never joke with you about something like this." From the moment he saw Lin Meiyan sitting with another man at a matchmaking meeting, Yu Jianghai had thought: he had gone mad. This was the love he had guarded for so many years, waited for so many years, and searched for so many years. How could he possibly watch her marry someone else? Lin Meiyan looked at the stubborn Yu Jianghai, feeling a headache coming on. Yu Jianghai had already walked up to her and taken her bag. Sure enough, he found the household register inside Lin Meiyan's bag. The moment he saw it, Yu Jianghai's eyes darkened, carrying even a hint of indescribable anger. "You already planned to get the marriage certificate before coming to this blind date?" Why else would she have brought the household register? Lin Meiyan said nothing. She was angry—angry that Yu Jianghai had gone through her things without her permission. Seeing her reaction, Yu Jianghai understood everything. His voice was low. "You don't need to find another man for Ruzhui. Because the only man who can be Ruzhui is me." Lin Meiyan wanted to retort. But Yu Jianghai suddenly said, "Yanyan, you'd rather find Qiaoqiao a stepfather than come to me, her biological father?" Stepfather and biological father—those words struck Lin Meiyan's heart like nails. She clutched her bag and choked out, "Yu Jianghai." "There's no man in this world who could treat Qiaoqiao better than I can." That one sentence instantly shook Lin Meiyan's resolve. Yes, any man would be picky about her and Qiaoqiao's circumstances. Only the man before her wouldn't. Only he wouldn't. He was Qiaoqiao's biological father. He would treat Qiaoqiao well. He was one of the few men in this world who would genuinely care for Qiaoqiao. Lin Meiyan wavered in that instant, and Yu Jianghai seized the opportunity. He took her hand directly and led her to the civil affairs office. They arrived at just the right time—the office closed in ten minutes. The staff had already been packing up, but when they saw people walk in, they stopped what they were doing. "Divorce?" The first word out of their mouths was divorce. Yu Jianghai's expression soured. "Marriage." Now it was the staff member's turn to be surprised. This was the first time she'd seen a couple getting married look worse than couples getting divorced—even people getting divorced didn't have faces as grim as these two. "Marriage?" The staff member deliberately asked Lin Meiyan, "You're not being coerced, are you?" How was Lin Meiyan supposed to answer that? She shook her head, her delicate face pale. Yu Jianghai reacted faster than she did—or perhaps he was worried she might change her mind in that moment of hesitation. Without any pause, he handed over both household registers. "Comrade, we're here to get our marriage certificate. We're in a hurry." The staff member looked at them for a moment, confirmed that Lin Meiyan wasn't being coerced, and then took the household registers to examine them carefully. "Yu Jianghai?" "Mm." "Lin Meiyan?" "Mm." "Voluntarily entering into marriage?" Yu Jianghai glanced at Lin Meiyan, then said, "Voluntarily entering into marriage." He paused, then added, "I'm Ruzhui." "Will that be shown on the marriage certificate?" The staff member, who had been about to stamp the certificate, froze mid-motion, nearly dropping the stamp from her hand. "You're Ruzhui?" Her gaze swept over Yu Jianghai's face again and again, clearly puzzled as to why such a handsome, wealthy-looking man would choose to be Ruzhui. Yu Jianghai gave a cold "Mm." The staff member's expression turned complicated. "You're not being coerced, are you?" Just three minutes ago, she had asked Lin Meiyan the same question. Yu Jianghai said, "No." He frowned, impatience already creeping onto his face. "Hurry up." Seeing that he didn't appear to be coerced, she quickly processed the marriage certificate. Three minutes later, two fresh certificates were issued. One in Lin Meiyan's hand, one in Yu Jianghai's. Lin Meiyan held the certificate, still unable to process what had happened, while Yu Jianghai had already pulled her out of the office. When she appeared at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau, looking up at the azure sky, the bright red marriage certificate in her hand felt scorching hot. From the moment Yu Jianghai had appeared at her blind date to now, getting the certificate—only half an hour had passed. She was married. And she had married Yu Jianghai. Lin Meiyan felt dazed, as if none of this were real. Yu Jianghai watched her in silence. He stood beside her, his expression cold and his tone sour. "We're already married and certified. It's too late for you to back out now." —He would never divorce her in this lifetime. Never! Unless he died! Otherwise, he would never let Lin Meiyan leave his side again. Lin Meiyan clutched the freshly issued marriage certificate. After a long moment, she said softly, "Yu Jianghai." "I wanted to get the certificate with you when I was twenty." Twenty-year-old Lin Meiyan had once suggested to Yu Jianghai that they secretly go get a marriage certificate together. But Yu Jianghai had refused. No matter how much she begged, he wouldn't agree. He never budged, no matter what. Hearing this, Yu Jianghai's expression froze slightly. He murmured, "I was wrong before." Even the lofty Yu Jianghai could make mistakes. Lin Meiyan shook her head. What she actually wanted to say was that the twenty-year-old Lin Meiyan had wanted to get the marriage certificate, but the twenty-nine-year-old Lin Meiyan had never thought about getting one with Yu Jianghai. For her, all of this felt like a dream. Really, just like a dream. From the blind date, to getting the certificate, and now to Yu Jianghai standing before her. Yu Jianghai had known her for sixteen years—how could he not recognize the expression on her face? Since after she turned twenty, Lin Meiyan had never thought about marrying him again. At the thought of this, Yu Jianghai's expression darkened a few shades. He spoke as if staking his claim, "Lin Meiyan, we've gotten the certificate—we're legally married." "And I've even done Ruzhui. In this life, I'm yours in life, and yours in death." —Don't you dare think about shaking me off again! Lin Meiyan glanced at Yu Jianghai, whose words were almost cutting, but she said nothing. At this point, even if she wanted to shake him off, it would be difficult. Yu Jianghai didn't get his answer, but he wasn't anxious either. He rubbed the marriage certificate, with only one thought: there was plenty of time ahead. He strolled over to the black sedan, took the initiative to open the passenger door, stood beside it, and looked at Lin Meiyan. Though the two hadn't spoken, Lin Meiyan knew what he meant. She paused for a moment, then lifted the hem of her skirt and got in. From the civil affairs office to Linji was another half-hour drive, and she didn't say a word the entire way. Of course, neither did Yu Jianghai. Both of their gazes were vaguely fixed on that red marriage certificate. Clearly, it wasn't just Lin Meiyan who was stunned—Yu Jianghai was about the same. The car sped along until it reached the entrance of Linji. Lin Meiyan got out with a troubled heart, forgetting even her bag and the marriage certificate. She didn't notice at all. Yu Jianghai didn't seem to remind her either. He quietly picked up her things and followed behind her—not too close, not too far—but with just a lift of his head, he could see her figure. Not a similar figure, not a familiar one, and not the kind where you greet someone with joy only to realize it isn't her. That kind of elation followed by disappointment—Yu Jianghai had experienced it countless times over the past five years. He followed her quietly like that, his gaze dark and clinging, not leaving her for a single second. The moment Lin Meiyan returned to Linji, Gu Kaihua, who had been dozing at the entrance, noticed her. He immediately sprang up like a leaping carp. "Yanyan, how did it go?" "How did the blind date go?" It was two in the afternoon, and Linji's customers had long since left. The whole place was empty, in a closed-up state. Only the cicadas on the plane tree outside were chirping away, making quite a racket. Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together without answering, then pushed aside the curtain and came in. Gu Kaihua sensed something was off. He immediately flung a towel over his shoulder, not forgetting to give himself a vigorous wipe of sweat, and hurried over to press further. "What's wrong?" Lin Meiyan walked dazedly to the counter of Linji and murmured, "Uncle, I got married." Gu Kaihua froze for a moment, then burst into a wave of joy. "What? You got married?" "That's great news! It means today's blind date must have caught your eye, suited your taste." Otherwise, how could she meet him in the morning and marry him by the afternoon? Lin Meiyan looked up and said faintly, "I got married, but the person I married isn't the blind date from this morning." "Huh?" Gu Kaihua felt like he hadn't been hearing Chinese. "Yanyan, your uncle doesn't know any foreign languages either. How about you say that again in Chinese for me?" What was this gibberish? Couldn't understand it, not at all. "What my mom means is that she got married, but the person she married isn't Uncle He." Uncle He was her mom's blind date from this morning—assuming Qiaoqiao hadn't misheard. This time, it wasn't just Gu Kaihua who understood—Ye Qiuju understood too. She had been terribly sleepy, but upon hearing this, her drowsiness vanished instantly. "Yanyan, your marriage partner isn't He Wenbin? Then who is it?" Before Lin Meiyan could answer, Ye Qiuju had already formed a bad guess. "Don't tell me you actually went under the overpass and found a beggar to do Ruzhui?" Other than that, she really couldn't think of any faster way to do Ruzhui. Qiaoqiao also opened her mouth wide, saying sheepishly, "I don't want a beggar to be my dad." Gu Kaihua was about the same. "How could a beggar be worthy of you? Yanyan, don't do something you'll regret just because you're anxious to get married!" His big belly puffed up with anger, looking exactly like a toad practicing qigong. Lin Meiyan smiled bitterly. "Uncle, where did your minds go? How could I find a beggar to do Ruzhui?" "Then who did you find to do Ruzhui?" Gu Kaihua blurted out almost instinctively. Lin Meiyan opened her mouth, not knowing how to answer him. Just then, Yu Jianghai came in from behind. One hand held her bag. The other hand held a marriage certificate. He walked in against the light, his voice low and husky. "Yanyan, you forgot your marriage certificate." The air fell silent for a moment. No, it was more accurate to say it was absolutely dead silent. For a brief moment, the cicadas chirping outside the door were especially loud and annoying. Yet everyone inside the Linji house felt as if they had gone deaf. "What?" Gu Kaihua murmured, "President Yu, what did you just say?" Yu Jianghai didn't answer. Instead, he swept through the room like a gust of wind and walked up to Lin Meiyan—or rather, stopped right in front of her. In front of everyone, he held out the freshly printed marriage certificate. His voice was soft, yet loud enough for all to hear. "You dropped your marriage certificate." This time, everyone saw it clearly. The names written on the red marriage certificate were none other than Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai. Before Lin Meiyan's face could grow hotter, Gu Kaihua's shriek came first. "Ahhhh!" "What?" "President Yu, you and our Yanyan are married?" Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment. He raised his head and casually corrected, "Ruzhui." "I married into Yanyan's family." He said it with absolute smoothness—no hanging his head, no wounded pride, nothing but calm. As if he were simply remarking that the weather was nice today. The air fell silent once again. Gu Kaihua thought he had misheard. Subconsciously, he exchanged a glance with Ye Qiuju, and both saw the shock in each other's eyes. That's right. Then it was true! Yu Jianghai had married into Lin Meiyan's family. The boss of Jianghai Dicai had married into the Linji boss Lin Meiyan's family. That was truly unbelievable. Before the adults could react, Qiaoqiao looked up at Yu Jianghai and suddenly blurted out, "Does that mean you're my daddy now?" Her deadbeat dad seemed to have been replaced before he even showed up. Hearing this, Yu Jianghai deliberately crouched down to meet Qiaoqiao's eyes. "That's right. I'm your daddy now." Qiaoqiao's expression was a bit strange. She wasn't the naive little girl who had just returned anymore—she knew who Yu Jianghai was. After all, he was the boss of Jianghai Dicai. Someone like him—even if she called him her godfather, she'd feel like she was getting the better end of the deal. So Qiaoqiao didn't hesitate for even a second. Hesitating even one second would be disrespecting the money. "Daddy!" That cry of "daddy" was more earnest than anyone else's. It stunned everyone in the room. Gu Kaihua secretly gave Qiaoqiao a thumbs-up. How decisive was that? When it came down to it, you had to latch onto the strongest leg. She was way quicker than him. Ye Qiuju was also very satisfied. She had privately gone through her own list—Comrade He, Comrade Jiang, Comrade Li—none of those blind date candidates could compare to Yu Jianghai. Only Lin Meiyan's face felt a little warm, along with a hint of embarrassment. She hadn't expected her Qiaoqiao to accept his role as daddy so easily. Then again, it made sense. After all, Qiaoqiao had wanted a daddy for a long time. Yu Jianghai glanced at her subtly. Their eyes met, and Lin Meiyan instinctively looked away. It was simply that Yu Jianghai's gaze was too intense. Yu Jianghai didn't mind. He was now a man with a marriage certificate in hand. Even if Lin Meiyan avoided him or hid from him, it didn't matter. They were already legally married. At that thought, Yu Jianghai grew even more composed. He took off his watch and handed it to her. "Daddy came too suddenly today. I didn't bring you a gift or a red envelope." "Take daddy's watch for now. You can use it to time your classes every day, okay?" Qiaoqiao didn't dare accept the watch. Yu Jianghai's watch was a Rolex—those things were incredibly expensive. She instinctively looked at Lin Meiyan. When Lin Meiyan didn't say anything, Qiaoqiao made the decision herself. "Daddy, I can't take your watch." She pushed it back. "This is too valuable. If I wear it and lose it, I'd be heartbroken." A watch worth tens of thousands of yuan in the hands of a four-year-old was no different from a child parading down the street with a gold brick. Yu Jianghai hadn't expected her to think that far. "It's a gift for you. Even if you lose it, it doesn't matter." He crouched down and fastened the oversized watch onto Qiaoqiao's slender wrist. It didn't fit well—that was Qiaoqiao's first thought. This gift didn't seem meant for her. It seemed meant for her mother. Qiaoqiao instinctively looked up at her mother, and sure enough, she caught a hint of discomfort on Lin Meiyan's face. Qiaoqiao suddenly spoke up. "Uncle, this watch is too big. Let my mom wear it." That hit the bullseye for Yu Jianghai. He smoothly took the oversized watch off Qiaoqiao's wrist, turned around, and walked over to Lin Meiyan with the watch in hand. "This watch doesn't fit a child." Lin Meiyan knew this was Yu Jianghai's gift to Qiaoqiao. Since the child had already accepted it, she naturally wouldn't refuse. "Give it to me. I'll keep it for her." Rarely had she been so straightforward. Yu Jianghai said, "You wear it for her. You'll be driving her to and from school every day anyway." It was mid-August, and there was less than half a month until Qiaoqiao's school started. He seemed to give Lin Meiyan no chance to refuse, as he picked up her fair wrist and smoothly fastened the watch onto it. Lin Meiyan's wrist was slender and pale, and the silver Rolex looked beautiful on her. Before Lin Meiyan could react, Yu Jianghai had already buttoned up his shirt. He looked up and said, "Done." "Keep it for the child for now." At this point, if Lin Meiyan refused again, it would seem unreasonable. She said nothing. Yu Jianghai didn't seem surprised. He turned to Gu Kaihua and Ye Qiuju and called out, "Uncle, Auntie." "Today, Yanyan and I got our marriage certificate in a bit of a hurry. Tomorrow, I will come for a formal visit, and I hope you elders will take good care of us then." Gu Kaihua patted his big belly and said with a chuckle, "Sure, sure." Ye Qiuju tugged at him, and only then did Gu Kaihua rein in his smile. "President Yu, I've had my eye on you and our Yanyan from the very start." "A perfect match, a couple made in heaven." He said this as if he hadn't been the one to look down on Yu Jianghai in the first place. Yu Jianghai enjoyed hearing such words. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Uncle." "But since we're family now, calling me President Yu is too formal. Just call me Jianghai." Gu Kaihua rubbed his hands together, his plump face full of modesty, though his words were anything but. "How could I, how could I dare?" "Jianghai." Yu Jianghai replied humbly, "Then I'll come find you tomorrow." He was very polite. At least in front of Lin Meiyan's family, he didn't put on the airs of the boss of Jianghai Dicai. Instead, he seemed more approachable. Gu Kaihua nodded with a smile. Yu Jianghai was about to leave, but before he did, he said to Lin Meiyan, "Yanyan, wait for me to come by tomorrow." Come by to do what? They both knew very well. Getting the marriage certificate today was unexpected for both of them, and neither had been prepared for it. Lin Meiyan gave a soft "mm" in response. After Yu Jianghai left, she was immediately surrounded by Gu Kaihua and the others. "Yanyan, Yanyan, how did this happen?" "Yeah, what's going on?" "Wasn't Auntie Wu supposed to set you up with someone? That man's surname was He. How did you end up getting a marriage certificate with Yu Jianghai instead?" "No, wait—how did you end up letting Yu Jianghai become a Ruzhui?" Even Gu Kaihua himself couldn't believe it. Lin Meiyan didn't know where to begin. Qiaoqiao went to pour her a glass of mung bean water. "Mommy, drink this first, then talk." Lin Meiyan held the cup and took a sip. A cool, sweet taste filled her mouth, instantly refreshing her a bit. "Where should I start?" "Let me think." "Let's start with my blind date with He Wenbin. We were getting along well at first, but later when I said I wouldn't marry but would only take in a Ruzhui, He Wenbin turned hostile. After that—" Lin Meiyan lowered her eyes, her eyelids trembling slightly. Her skin was so fair that the bluish-purple veins were clearly visible. "After that, Yu Jianghai came. He said he wanted to be a Ruzhui." "He said he wanted to be a Ruzhui, and you just agreed?" Lin Meiyan shook her head. "I didn't agree." "Then how did you two get the marriage certificate?" How was Lin Meiyan supposed to answer that? She herself was still in a daze. From the blind date, to the argument, to getting the certificate at the civil affairs office—it all felt like a dream. Seeing that she couldn't answer, Ye Qiuju tugged at Gu Kaihua and said, "Yanyan, go get some rest." "You still have business to tend to tonight. If you don't rest well, you won't have the energy later." Lin Meiyan fled the scene. She went to her bed, pulled open the blanket, and buried herself under it, rolling back and forth like a pancake being flipped in a pan. Downstairs, Gu Kaihua wasn't done asking. He felt a bit unsatisfied. "Wife, I hadn't finished asking. Why did you let Yanyan leave?" The key information hadn't been revealed yet. Ye Qiuju said, "Couldn't you see that Yanyan didn't want to talk about it? What's the use of prying? Anyway, she and Yu Jianghai have their marriage certificate now, and he's coming as a Ruzhui." "This is a done deal. None of us can change it." Gu Kaihua said, "That's true." He still sounded a bit incredulous. "So that means I'm now the uncle of the boss of Jianghai Dicai?" Who would believe that if they heard it? After Yu Jianghai left, he went straight back to Jianghai Dicai. When he arrived, Secretary Shen was already there. Clearly, he had also come back from Jiangda. And he had arrived before Yu Jianghai. The moment Secretary Shen saw Yu Jianghai, it was as if he'd seen his own father. He immediately rushed over. "Boss, you're finally back." He had been worried something had happened to his boss. Yu Jianghai loosened his collar and strode into the office, asking casually, "He Wenbin taken care of?" "All handled." Secretary Shen replied respectfully. "I spoke with him. He won't be showing up around Youth Lin anymore." Yu Jianghai gave a grunt of acknowledgment, then gave his orders. "Tomorrow I'm going to the Lin family for a formal visit. Prepare some gifts for the occasion." "Huh?" Secretary Shen couldn't quite keep up with his boss's train of thought. A visit? What visit? Was it the kind of visit he was thinking of? Yu Jianghai didn't explain further. He simply took out a little red booklet and placed it on the desk in front of Secretary Shen. "I'm married." "Huh?!" Secretary Shen even thought he had misheard. How long had he and his boss been apart? It had only been half a day at most, and his boss was already married? To whom? Yu Jianghai didn't speak, only leaning slightly forward. The three characters for "marriage certificate" in gold foil on the red cover shone so brilliantly. He gently traced his fingertip over those three characters before opening it. On the left side of the certificate was the explanatory text, and on the upper right was a wedding photo. Who else could it be but Yu Jianghai and Lin Meiyan? Secretary Shen swallowed hard, suppressing his shock. "Boss, you and Youth Lin got your marriage certificate this fast?" That speed was simply incredible. Yu Jianghai hummed in acknowledgment, lifting his chin slightly with a hint of reserve. "Not fast." It had taken him sixty-three days after reuniting with Lin Meiyan to get the certificate. His speed was already very slow, okay? Secretary Shen thought to himself, You're being modest, aren't you? Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud. He just finished examining the marriage certificate with great care, then said to Yu Jianghai very solemnly, "Boss, congratulations." There was genuine sincerity in those words. Secretary Shen had witnessed Yu Jianghai's madness over the past few years. Yu Jianghai sat in his chair and looked up at Secretary Shen. "Thank you." "Your salary will be doubled this month." The unremarkable salary increase instantly got Secretary Shen excited. "Thank you, boss." "Thank your boss for what?" Lu Qingyuan had finally finished reviewing the planning blueprints and pushed the door open. The moment he came in and saw Secretary Shen's excited expression, he couldn't help asking. Secretary Shen said joyfully, "My salary is doubled this month." Lu Qingyuan sounded a bit envious. "When will my salary get doubled too?" Before he even finished speaking, he spotted the bright red marriage certificate on the desk and froze for a moment. "Secretary Shen, you remarried?" See, even Lu Qingyuan would have thought Secretary Shen had remarried—he never would have imagined Yu Jianghai getting married. That was the reputation between the two of them. Secretary Shen, "..." Secretary Shen was speechless, okay? "Pfft, pfft, President Lu, you're the one who remarried! My wife and I have a great relationship." At that point, he glanced meaningfully at his own boss. "President Lu, did you ever consider that this might be my boss's marriage certificate?" The moment those words fell, Lu Qingyuan set the planning blueprints down on the table, almost laughing in exasperation. "Your boss's marriage certificate?" "If that's your boss's marriage certificate, I'll eat shit!" The next second, Secretary Shen opened the certificate and shoved it right in front of Lu Qingyuan's face. "President Lu, you better open your eyes wide and take a good look. Whose marriage certificate is this?" When he saw that the certificate holder was Yu Jianghai, honestly, Lu Qingyuan's brain completely short-circuited for a good ten-plus seconds. Only then did he snap back to reality, taking the certificate and examining it closely again and again, as if trying to stare a flower into blooming on it. But no matter how hard he stared at it, there was only one wedding photo of Yu Jianghai and Lin Meiyan. Neither of them was smiling—in fact, they both looked rather solemn. The two of them didn't look like they were getting married; they looked like they were seeking revenge on each other. Further down, below the photo, were three characters: Certificate Holder: Yu Jianghai. Lu Qingyuan murmured, "This really is Yu Jianghai's marriage certificate." Yu Jianghai seemed to have let him look long enough, so he smoothly took the certificate back and carefully placed it in the breast pocket of his suit jacket. As if he intended to carry it with him at all times. Lu Qingyuan said helplessly, "Old Yu, what's the meaning of this?" Yu Jianghai waved the certificate in front of him. "Old Lu, I'm married." Lu Qingyuan didn't know what to say. "You suddenly getting married scared me half to death. But, do your parents know?" At that question, the smile on Yu Jianghai's face immediately faded a few degrees. "I don't need them to know about my marriage." Lu Qingyuan paused slightly, and only after a long moment said, "Congratulations." "It's just... when Uncle and Auntie find out, they probably won't be too happy." At the Yu family home in Jiangda Jiashuyuan, after Yu Jianghai left, the entire household fell quiet, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive. Yu Qingya couldn't stand it. She picked up her bag and used work as an excuse to leave. "Dad, I'll head back first." Father Yu said, "Go out and ask around—what's this about Youth Lin having a matchmaking meeting in the family compound?" Yu Qingya didn't want to ask, and she didn't want to be involved in this matter either. Just as the atmosphere in the Yu household was growing tense, a voice came from outside. "Dean Yu." If Secretary Shen were here, he would certainly recognize the man. It was none other than He Wenbin—the very person who had been on the matchmaking meeting with Lin Meiyan during the day. After being warned by Secretary Shen, He Wenbin couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his heart. So he took advantage of living in the same family compound to visit the Yu household bearing gifts. Dean Yu had some impression of He Wenbin, but not much. He frowned. "You're Xiao He?" "Yes, Dean Yu, I'm He Wenbin from logistics." He carried his gifts and stepped inside on his own initiative. "I've come to congratulate you—the Yu family is about to have a happy occasion." There was a hint of probing in those words. Sure enough, the moment he said this, Director Yu frowned slightly. "What happy occasion?" He Wenbin smiled. "Leader, you're still keeping it from us? Hasn't Senior Brother Yu's matchmaking with Lin Meiyan succeeded?" "No, it's a successful Ruzhui." "Secretary Shen told me at the time that I wasn't willing to be a Ruzhui, but his boss was." At these words, the Yu household fell silent instantly, and Father Yu's face turned ashen. Noticing his expression, He Wenbin immediately took his leave. "Director Yu, since my visit is ill-timed, I'll take my leave now." Seeing him about to leave, Father Yu called him back. "Stop. Explain the whole matter clearly." He Wenbin paused, then recounted the entire affair in full, without embellishment, sticking to the facts. When he finished, the entire Yu household fell silent once more. Father Yu's breathing grew rapid, and He Wenbin, sensing something was off, quickly left. The moment he was gone, Father Yu exploded. He swept the cups off the table, sending them shattering across the floor. "Did you all hear that?" "My son, Yu Zhenguo's son, my only son, is going to be a Ruzhui!" "And he's Ruzhui-ing into Lin Meiyan's family!" Author's Note: Yu Jianghai: Mm-hmm, yes, that's right. Ruzhui— with a proper title and status, a glorious Ruzhui.