The fluorescent lights of the marriage registry cast a stark, almost surreal glow on the room, giving it an air of solemnity.
Li Hao and Liling sat side by side, filling out the necessary forms. The clerk, a middle-aged woman with a kind but professional demeanour, guided them through the process with practised ease.
Li Hao signed his name with a confident flourish, his expression calm and resolute. He glanced at Liling, reassurance in his eyes as he handed her the pen.
Liling took the pen, her fingers brushing against Li Hao's briefly.
She wasn't hesitant, but as she looked at the marriage certificate in front of her, a wave of emotions washed over her. Her life had changed so drastically, so quickly, all because of Li Hao.
She had never imagined herself getting married, had barely dated anyone, and now here she was, about to sign a marriage certificate.
It all felt like a scene straight out of a romance novel, but it was now her reality.
She signed her name. As the pen lifted from the paper, she felt a surprising sense of peace settle over her. Maybe this was where she was meant to be all along.
The clerk took the certificate from them, carefully stamped it with a final seal, and returned it with warm congratulations. "You are now officially married," she said with genuine joy in her voice, her eyes crinkling at the corners with a smile.
Liling looked at Li Hao, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared understanding. They were both now legally bound to each other.
Husband and Wife.
********************************
~ Li Corporation: Liling's Office
LIling stared out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying the rare sense of calm she could feel.
It had already been two weeks since they had signed their marriage certificate, and her life had settled into a new routine. Xu Ming was out of the hospital and was now living with them. Even though they still spoke to each other, she couldn't deny the subtle tension between them.
She let out a resigned sigh as she got up. " Bye Ru", she said as she grabbed her bag.
"Wait, you're leaving without me again ?", She had a dejected expression on and Liling felt a pang of guilt,
"I'm sorry, but I just need to be somewhere"
"Fine". She turned away from Liling. This was happening more frequently now. Usually, Liling would drop her off, but now, it felt like Liling couldn't be bothered with her.
Steeling herself against the guilt, she walked out of her office and into the questioning stares of her other colleagues. Their glares had become more piercing, some even bordering malicious.
Since Zhao Mei's first visit that day, she had made herself more present at the company. She would always make a show of having lunch with Li Hao and presented their relationship as more than it was.
This had caused a major uproar within the company, and rumours that they were dating had started to surface.
This caused people to question Liling's relationship with him, and they had even labelled her the mistress.
She scoffed internally. If anyone was the mistress in this so-called "love triangle", it certainly wasn't her.
She stepped out of the elevator and into the car park, locating Li Hao's car easily. He was already standing there, leaning casually as he typed on his phone.
She observed his stoic demeanour, a sharp contrast to his usual mannerisms. For some reason, she thought he looked sad.
She got closer, and he finally spotted her, a playful smile slowly brightening his handsome features.
"Ready to go?" he asked, opening the car door for her.
She nodded sliding into the passenger seat. "Let's get this over with"
They were visiting his family the following day, and she had told him she wouldn't be visiting them empty-handed. So a trip to the mall was put in place.
He chuckled in response strapping himself into the driver's seat. "But you're the one who insisted on getting them gifts"
Yeah, but that didn't mean she enjoyed the process. She could never understand what women enjoyed about shopping. She had always found it so tiring.
"You could at least pretend to be excited"
"No, not interested"
The drive to the mall was filled with the usual city traffic, and Li Hao kept up a steady stream of light-hearted chatter. Liling listened quietly, occasionally responding with a brief comment or a nod.
She found his playful personality somewhat exhausting at times, but she had grown accustomed to it over the past two weeks. She tolerated him, and there was a certain peace in their coexistence.
She just hoped it would stay that way. Peaceful.