Chen Lin couldn't bring herself to say anything.
The words she had spoken earlier echoed in her mind, still vivid. She hadn't expected things to unfold like this, not in a million years. But here she was, following Wu Yuxuan, heading toward the Civil Affairs Bureau.
She wasn't sure if this was a mistake anymore. Everything had changed. In the span of just a few minutes, everything had shifted. And as she glanced at Wu Yuxuan, his profile illuminated by the streetlights, she realized she wasn't looking for reassurance from him. She wasn't looking for anything from him.
She was doing this for herself.
After a few minutes, Wu Yuxuan broke the silence, his voice low but steady. "Are you sure?"
Chen Lin looked at him, and her heart clenched for just a second. He wasn't asking out of doubt, but out of caution. He was giving her space.
"I'm sure," she said, her voice surprisingly firm despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. "This is what I want."
Wu Yuxuan's eyes flicked briefly to her, then back to the road. His expression didn't change, but something in the way he held himself softened. "I'll help you, but you have to know what this means. It's not just about revenge, Chen Lin. It's about what comes after."
"I know," she said, nodding. "And I'm ready."
The car sped down the road, and the city streets began to thin. The lights grew fewer, the buildings taller. Her thoughts were a jumble of everything and nothing at all.
Her hand clenched around the fabric of her dress, a small act of grounding herself.
Minutes later, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. The building stood at the end of a quiet street, its sterile white walls illuminated by harsh fluorescent lights. There was something almost clinical about it, but Chen Lin barely noticed.
The weight of what they were about to do settled in her chest, but there was a strange sense of calm in her.
Wu Yuxuan didn't say anything as he parked the car. The engine cut off, and the world around them seemed to hold its breath. Chen Lin exhaled slowly as she reached for the door, her fingers brushing against the handle.
Wu Yuxuan was already out of the car, moving around to her side. He opened the door for her without a word, and for a brief moment, their eyes met.
In that silence, there was an unspoken agreement between them, a shared understanding of what this meant.
Without hesitation, Chen Lin stepped out. She didn't look back as they walked toward the entrance of the building. The night felt colder now, but it didn't matter.
Inside, the air was sterile and quiet, the faint scent of paper and ink lingering in the atmosphere. A clerk behind the counter glanced up at them, but said nothing. Wu Yuxuan spoke first, his voice calm and unwavering.
"We're here to get married."
The clerk's gaze flickered for a moment before she nodded and gestured toward the forms. Chen Lin's hands trembled slightly as she picked up the pen. The words on the paper blurred as she signed her name, but she didn't let her focus waver.
This was it.
Wu Yuxuan finished quickly beside her. His signature was neat, precise. When they handed the papers over, the clerk returned with their certificates. There was no fanfare, no celebration. Just the sound of paper sliding across the counter.
"You're all set," the clerk said, her voice dull, almost indifferent.
Chen Lin's hand shook as she took the certificate. The reality of it hit her harder than she expected, but she didn't let it show. She held the certificate in her hand, but her eyes were fixed on Wu Yuxuan. This was their future now.
There was no going back.
Wu Yuxuan didn't smile, didn't say anything else. He simply looked at her, and she could see the flicker of understanding in his gaze.
They had done it. It was done.
"Let's go," he said quietly, and Chen Lin nodded, feeling the weight of the words settle between them.
As they left the building, the world outside seemed the same, but everything had changed.
And just like that she became Wu Yuxuan's wife.
She's now Mrs. Wu.