After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Happy Marriage Registration

The next morning, after her first lecture, An Ning dashed downstairs amid her roommates’ curious and gossip-filled stares, rented a shared bike, and pedaled towards the East Gate of Yunda University.

The morning sun wasn’t too hot yet, and the summer breeze rustled the girl’s soft hair and lifted the hem of her white shirt. The long-limbed girl raced down the wide tree-lined path, looking like a cover model for a youth magazine, turning heads all along the way.

Arriving at the East Gate, An Ning locked the bike, walked toward the entrance, and sent a message to Mu Yan.

I’m not jealous: Ms. Mu, I’m here.

As always, the reply was instant.

MY: Across the street, light blue SUV.

Instinctively, An Ning looked across the road and saw a large, low-key SUV parked under the shade of a tree. She didn’t recognize the brand, but the rare, soft blue color made it look like a limited edition.

An Ning actually liked these kinds of tall, rugged vehicles. They had a sort of mechanical charm and could handle all kinds of terrain. But putting this kind of car next to Mu Yan felt completely mismatched—like a sickly poet wielding an enormous battle spear.

There were already a few students coming and going through the gate. As An Ning walked across the road, she overheard two students chatting.

“This must be a limited edition, right? The color looks amazing.”

“Pretty? Sure. That’s money. Limited editions from that brand easily go for over ten million.”

Unfortunately, she walked too fast and missed the rest of the conversation.

“Why is that car parked at our school gate?”

“Heh, what else? Some rich old guy picking up his little sweetheart, obviously.”

An Ning opened the car door and was immediately hit by a faint, sweet fragrance—exactly like the one she’d smelled in her dream that night.

Why does someone like Ms. Mu smell so sweet?

Her ears turned red at the thought. Feeling guilty, she glanced at the person beside her, only to see Mu Yan resting her hand on the armrest, gazing out the window at the tree-lined road, lost in thought.

She still looked the same—detached, tired, and distant. Even her side profile was so strikingly beautiful it took one’s breath away.

Mu Yan was like a fashion magazine cover.

She, too, wore a white shirt today, but even just from the fabric, it was clear her shirt alone could probably buy a whole car’s worth of An Ning’s clothes.

Neither of them spoke on the way there. An Ning, who had mentally prepared herself, actually felt more relaxed this time. There was a kind of “whatever happens, happens” attitude now. She stared at Mu Yan’s wristwatch for a long time, her gaze following the sweep of the hands like a cat hypnotized by the ticking.

Monday wasn’t a peak time for marriage registrations. The square in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau was mostly empty, giving it a rather deserted feel.

Upon entering the service hall, they received excellent service. The young woman in charge of registration wore a standard professional smile, but her eyes darted constantly between the two of them.

It wasn’t surprising. Although same-s3x marriage was now legal, heterosexual couples still made up the vast majority. Out of ten couples, you’d be lucky to see one same-s3x pair—especially one this good-looking.

Having come this far, An Ning felt calm, even somewhat composed.

She filled out the forms as requested, and the staff processed their registration quickly. Then, with a warm smile and a hint of curiosity, she directed them to the marriage photo booth.

“You two really make a great couple! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!”

A great couple? An Ning, who was getting married just for academic credit, sneaked a glance at the woman’s slender back.

Despite always appearing tired, Mu Yan’s posture was perfectly straight.

But she was so thin. Not exactly short, but she gave off a fragile, delicate impression.

Mu Yan probably needed someone strong to protect her, right?

An Ning definitely wasn’t good enough for that. She tried to imagine someone worthy of Mu Yan, but her romance-free brain only came up with leading men from idol dramas.

But those guys were so full of themselves, they’d probably be shut down by Mu Yan before finishing a single sentence.

The thought made An Ning laugh out loud. Ahead of her, Mu Yan suddenly stopped and glanced back.

An Ning quickly wiped the grin off her face and caught up to her, entering the photo room together.

“Before we take the photo, please recite your vows,” a cheerful staff member said, pointing to a wall of text in the room.

An Ning looked up and immediately felt a wave of dread.

“For richer or poorer, I will never leave or forsake you…”

Of course, the wall displayed vows about everlasting love and undying commitment—what else would be etched into the photo booth of a marriage office?

They were beautiful words, sure. But she and Mu Yan weren’t actually in love.

An Ning didn’t mind, but what about Mu Yan?

She hesitated but couldn’t say anything, so she forced a stiff smile.

“Can we skip the vows?” Mu Yan asked the staff member, noticing the girl’s awkward expression.

An Ning looked at her in confusion, seeing only her calm profile.

“It’s not mandatory…” the staff member said uncertainly, glancing between the attractive but clearly distant pair. Technically, vows weren’t required—but what couple didn’t take this chance to express their love?

“Then let’s just take the photo,” Mu Yan cut him off and walked straight to the camera setup.

So Mu Yan didn’t want to do it either…

An Ning sighed in relief but also felt strangely uncomfortable. She stepped forward to stand beside Mu Yan.

The photographer glanced at the screen and gestured at An Ning.

“Hey, fix your shirt collar, it’s all wrinkled. It won’t look good in the photo.”

“Oh! Okay!” An Ning looked down to find her left collar curled up—probably from rushing to class earlier. She started smoothing it out, but the soft fabric and tangled seam made it tough. After half a minute, it still wasn’t straightened, and she was starting to sweat.

She heard Mu Yan sigh beside her and suddenly panicked, afraid the woman was about to scold her.

Then she felt something cool brush against the back of her neck. An Ning flinched—but froze as soon as she heard Mu Yan’s calm voice.

“Don’t move.”

Her fingers, slender and soft, quickly and skillfully adjusted An Ning’s collar.

“Turn around.”

An Ning obeyed instinctively. Facing Mu Yan, she lowered her head slightly, catching sight of the woman’s fluttering lashes and elegant nose.

She was beautiful—more beautiful than anyone she’d ever seen.

In the few seconds An Ning stared, Mu Yan had finished adjusting her collar. She placed her hands on An Ning’s shoulders and turned her back toward the camera.

“We’re ready,” she told the photographer.

Everyone in the room, including the photographer, now wore amused, doting smiles. The staff member who had asked them to swear vows began wondering if they had skipped it just for fun or dramatic effect.

The photographer took two shots, frowned slightly, and turned to An Ning.

“Relax your body, kid. You look like a wax statue.”

An Ning nodded hard—making herself even stiffer.

He turned to Mu Yan.

“And you, can you smile a little more? I can’t even tell if you’re smiling.”

Mu Yan: “…Alright.”

The photographer then gestured between them.

“Closer together. This is a wedding photo, not a passport picture.”

An Ning was flustered. Relaxing—she could try. But how close was too close?

Before she could figure it out, a slender arm slid around her waist. She could even feel the slight warmth through her thin clothes.

Mu Yan leaned in almost fully against her, and An Ning caught that sweet scent again.

She suddenly felt thirsty and quietly swallowed. A random article from their school group chat popped into her mind:

“A person’s natural scent can stir desire…”

Why am I thinking of a marketing article right now?

Annoyed, she shook her head—but the motion made her relax. A natural smile appeared on her face.

The photographer finally captured a shot he was satisfied with and gave them a thumbs up.

“Done.”

And then the person in her arms seemed to kick her away like a startled bunny.

Well… actually, it was more like a gentle push. An Ning didn’t even budge.

She instinctively turned to Mu Yan, but the woman was now looking to the side—not even showing her full face.

Too bad An Ning had good eyesight—and Mu Yan’s skin was far too fair.

She swore she wasn’t trying to peek—but she definitely saw the tips of Mu Yan’s ears turn red.

It was understandable. After all, Mu Yan had initiated the hug. She didn’t seem like the kind of person who did that often—probably just not used to it.

But… was embarrassment contagious? Why was her own face burning too?

Soon, their marriage certificate was ready.

Back in the car, An Ning sat staring at the little red booklet. Her gaze was fixed on the photo inside.

They were standing close together. She had a silly smile, and the other woman’s eyes curved into a gentle smile An Ning had never seen before.

She looked at the photo, then at the woman beside her—expressionless, driving.

Her heart dipped a little.

“What are you looking at?” Mu Yan noticed her gaze.

“Nothing. I just thought… you look really nice when you smile,” An Ning mumbled.

Then she realized what she’d said, slapped a hand over her mouth, and added quickly, “I mean, that’s not what I meant—well, it is, but…”

While she stumbled over her words, Mu Yan gave her a sidelong glance.

“Put the certificate away. Don’t you need it for your credits?”

“Oh, right.” An Ning tucked the certificate into her bag. After spending the day with Mu Yan, she realized she wasn’t as scared of her anymore.

More accurately, even someone as slow as her could tell now—Mu Yan was actually… quite gentle with her.

But why had she been so afraid of her at first?

She still didn’t know.

By the time they reached the school gates, it was nearly noon. An Ning got out of the car and thanked Mu Yan, who merely waved her hand in a tired gesture.

As An Ning crossed the road, she turned back for one last glance. The pale blue SUV was still parked in the same spot, oddly lonely amidst the crowd.

Suddenly, her parting “thank you” felt too plain. It was the day they got married—even if it was fake, it felt too careless.

She wanted to go back and say something more—but had no idea what to say. Just then, she spotted a milk tea shop by the school entrance.

Mu Yan had turned away after watching An Ning walk off. She didn’t know when she’d see her again. Acting on jealousy and coming up with such a ridiculous excuse to get married—did she plan to keep shamelessly clinging to her?

An Ning did just fine without her. This farce was entirely born from her own selfish desire.

She stared at the dappled sunlight on the car hood, at the energetic students outside, and felt whatever warmth she had left slowly drain away. She began to rot again, from the inside out.

Where to next? Back to the studio? But she knew she couldn’t paint anything worthwhile now.

Without love, without hate—without even genuine pain—art became nothing more than technique, no matter how skillful. It lacked soul.

She felt like a squeezed-out tube of toothpaste—habitually pressed, but empty.

Pressing a finger to her throbbing forehead, she decided to sit in the car a little longer.

Knock, knock. The sound at the window made her frown. She turned—and there was the tall, round-faced girl, holding two cups of milk tea with a proud grin. She knocked again.

Mu Yan: “…”

She unlocked the car and rolled down the window.

“Here, Ms. Mu—milk tea.” An Ning didn’t try to get in. Relying on her long arms, she simply handed it over, smiling brighter than the milk tea in her hands. “Happy registration day to us!”

Mu Yan slowly gripped the cup. Warmth spread across her palm.

She lowered her head and let out a soft chuckle before coolly telling the dazed girl,

“Alright, go eat lunch. Don’t you have class first period this afternoon?”

“Oh, right.” The girl nodded obediently and turned to leave—this time, without looking back.

Only after her figure vanished from sight did Mu Yan leisurely insert the straw and take a sip.

The flavor was overwhelmingly sweet, almost cloying.

She wrinkled her nose.

Too sweet.

…But still, kind of good.