Chapter 49: Get a marriage certificate

Originally intending to have a good conversation with Aunt Mei, Liang Shu did not expect such a turn of events.

With her own matters to attend to, and feeling slightly calmer, she said to Aunt Mei, "Please prepare dinner."

Aunt Mei took all the ingredients to the kitchen, while Liang Shu lowered her head, flipping through her phone. Ten minutes later, she went to Aunt Mei's room.

Jiang Jiucheng had just closed the door and was playing a melodious and gentle Huangmei tune on an old phonograph. It was Aunt Mei's voice.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he suddenly opened his eyes from the rocking chair, and upon seeing Liang Shu, a look of fear swept over his face once again. "You... you..."

Liang Shu couldn't be bothered with him, not even bothering to look at him. "Get out!"

Jiang Jiucheng hurriedly left.

Taking her household registration book, Liang Shu tucked it into her coat pocket and started to leave. When she reached the living room, she took out a poorly made jade bracelet from her bag and placed it on the table. She then called out to the person in the kitchen, "Aunt Mei, I'm leaving."

When Aunt Mei emerged from the kitchen, Liang Shu's figure was already gone, leaving only Jiang Jiucheng sitting leisurely on the sofa, playing with his smoking apparatus.

Seeing her come out, Jiang Jiucheng glanced at her and said, "The thing on the table, she left it for you."

Aunt Mei came forward, put the jade bracelet back on her wrist, and looked at Jiang Jiucheng with a touch of sadness in her heart. This jade bracelet was originally a gift from Jiang Jiucheng to her. At that time, Jiang Jiucheng was not as idle as he is now. He was working in a mechanical factory, saving some money that month, and took her hand to buy it from a jewelry store.

But now, he seems to have forgotten all of that.

Liang Shu put her household registration book in her bag as soon as she stepped out. It was dinner time, so she went into a noodle shop on the street, ordered a bowl of noodles, finished it, and then took a taxi back home.

After getting off the taxi, she bought two suitcases near her home.

...

Early the next morning, Liang Shu packed all her belongings into the suitcases, filling three of them completely.

It was Ji Chen who came to pick her up.

Liang Shu knew that at this time, Gu Hansheng was probably guarding the hospital, so she didn't ask much.

The driver came upstairs and picked up two of her suitcases, leaving only one behind.

She didn't expect Ji Chen to carry it for her, so she reached out on her own, but Ji Chen's hand was faster than hers. He had already picked up the suitcase and looked at her. "Miss Liang, we can set off now."

Liang Shu looked at Ji Chen carrying the suitcase downstairs, a hint of amusement in her mouth.

Before, he hated her so much that he directly gave her a plane ticket. Now, he could respectfully call her Miss Liang.

Too bad—

Liang Shu walked downstairs leaning on the railing. Unfortunately, he should change his address to Mrs. Gu very soon.

They went straight to the hospital.

When Liang Shu saw Gu Hansheng, he was smoking again.

This man's addiction to cigarettes seemed particularly strong, as he almost always had one in hand.

She walked over and looked at him. "When is the surgery for that person scheduled?"

The man turned his head to glare at her. "Are you in a hurry?"

Liang Shu shook her head. "I just thought, the sooner we start, the sooner it will end, and you can also feel relieved sooner, isn't it?"

"I thought it was you who could feel relieved sooner, after all—"

Gu Hansheng removed the cigarette from his lips, squinted, and suddenly asked her, "Did you bring the household registration book?"

Liang Shu nodded. "I did."

Unexpectedly, the next moment, he leaned forward, embraced her, and then lowered his head to seal her lips with a sudden, fervent kiss.

But Liang Shu was overwhelmed by the smell of smoke, and she frowned. "Could you smoke less in the future?"

He let go of her, handed her a filter, and placed it between her lips, evading her question. "Very sweet."

What?

Liang Shu furrowed her brows, but before Gu Hansheng could reply, she only realized that his large hand was naturally holding hers, leading her to the other end of the corridor.

This was the first time Gu Hansheng had held her hand.

The warmth and heat from his large hand seeped into her bloodstream.

Midway, he extinguished the cigarette on the trash can. Liang Shu looked up at him and asked, "What are we doing now?"

Gu Hansheng's face was as usual, with slightly sharp facial contours, a hint of darkness beneath his eyelids, like distant dark clouds under gloomy weather.

He swallowed. "Drawing blood to save lives."

Liang Shu thought, at this moment, Gu Hansheng's eyes must all be ice, too thick to melt.

She was drained of 1,300cc of blood, feeling somewhat exhausted. The moment the needle was removed, Liang Shu fainted.

The man beside her caught her, and his cold eyes looked towards the doctor. The doctor in a white coat was still holding the blood bag, startled by his sudden stare, causing his body and hands to tremble to varying degrees.

Gu Hansheng's thin lips split open with three words, "Be careful."

The doctor nodded repeatedly, and then he heard him ask, "How is she? Wasn't it said that this amount is fine?"

"It should be fine. It's not too extreme. You don't need to worry too much."

"Okay."

Gu Hansheng carried her to the bed to rest. Just as he laid her down, the woman with closed eyes suddenly grabbed his clothes. He lowered his head and saw slender, pale fingers grasping his waist.

He looked at Liang Shu, who still had her eyes closed. Her face was pale, but her lips were surprisingly colorful. He didn't hear what she said clearly.

So he leaned closer, his slightly cool ear almost touching her lips, only to hear her say, "Don't forget our agreement, whatever happens."

A hint of softness appeared in Gu Hansheng's eyes and corners of his mouth. He tucked her hand under the blanket, looked at the harsh cold wind outside the window, and said gently, "When you wake up, we'll register."

...

Liang Shu woke up at noon.

Dizzy, weak, and nauseous, she felt all kinds of discomfort. Her body wasn't feeling very well.

But waking up, she found herself in a lonely hospital room, with no one around. Outside the window, the biting cold wind raged, and all around was quiet.

This feeling, she felt like she had been abandoned.

The bed then pulled a nurse and asked, "Excuse me, has the surgery for the patient who needs panda blood been completed?"

This patient's situation is quite special, residing in the most esteemed VIP ward, known to almost everyone here.

Upon hearing this, she shook her head. "That patient's surgery is scheduled for the afternoon."

Liang Shu breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "What time is it now?"

"It's eleven o'clock."

Liang Shu took her bag to find Gu Hansheng. Since she didn't know where he was, she called him. He answered, and Liang Shu asked, "Where are you?"

There was silence for two seconds before he replied, "Wait for me in the ward."

Liang Shu shook her head. "I'm waiting for you near your car in the parking lot. Come find me."

"Okay."

Liang Shu took the elevator to the parking lot and waited for a full ten minutes before Gu Hansheng arrived.

But he wasn't alone; Gu Hansheng was accompanied by Ji Chen and Shi Qing.

Shi Qing held documents and kept flipping through them as she walked, reading them aloud to the people around her. Gu Hansheng frowned slightly, appearing attentive.

Liang Shu was originally crouching on the ground. When she saw them coming, she stood up, but due to severe cerebral hypoxia, her whole body staggered.

Fortunately, Gu Hansheng caught her in time, his palm holding her icy hand, furrowing his brows. "Why are your hands so cold?"

Liang Shu looked at the secretary and assistant standing behind him, shaking her head. "Are you very busy?"

Ji Chen promptly opened the car door. Gu Hansheng helped Liang Shu into the car first. "I'm okay."

Once everyone was inside, Liang Shu opened her eyes again and turned to Gu Hansheng. "Do you know where we're going?"

Gu Hansheng smiled. "Of course."

At this time, the Civil Affairs Bureau should be closed.

But Gu Hansheng's errand was easy.

Liang Shu was escorted throughout the process. Finally, as she looked at the red booklet in her hand, her heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. She flipped it open and saw tears welling up in her eyes.

She had finally become the wife of a prominent family.

Shi Qing handed over a cup of hot water. Gu Hansheng took it, then handed it to Liang Shu. Seeing her not taking it, Gu Hansheng leaned down slightly to look at her. "What's wrong?"

Liang Shu pursed her lips, closed the red booklet, and then slipped it into her pocket. "I don't look good in the photos. It's a bit disappointing."

"But there won't be a second photoshoot."

Liang Shu nodded. "Well, I am still very beautiful."

As they descended the stairs, Liang Shu didn't notice Gu Hansheng's hand for support. She misstepped, but Shi Qing caught her and whispered, "Madam, be careful. It rained a bit this morning, and the ground is slippery. Watch your step."

She grabbed Gu Hansheng's arm, and at that moment, she truly felt that she was Mrs. Gu.

Ji Chen had already brought the car over. Shi Qing opened the door for them, but Liang Shu shook her head. "I know you're busy, and you still have official matters to attend to this afternoon... for the patient's surgery. I'll just take a taxi back by myself."

In the chilly wind, Liang Shu's disheveled hair was blown by the wind, her eyes seemed moist as if immersed in water, softening inexplicably, and he said, "I'll drop you off at Zero Mansion first."

Liang Shu insisted, "You really don't have to."

"Please, just listen to me."

Liang Shu might not know, but the other two did: Gu Hansheng was indeed busy. Although he knew he couldn't get away with important matters today, Shi Qing still had to bring all the important documents to the hospital.

Finally, it was Ji Chen's suggestion, "Sir, let me take Madam back first, and you and Shi Qing can go to the hospital."

On the way to the hospital, Shi Qing and Gu Hansheng might still need to discuss official matters.

Gu Hansheng looked at Liang Shu for a moment, then asked her, "Can you get back by yourself?"

Liang Shu nodded, then reached into his coat pocket, took out his red booklet, and placed it with hers, before tucking it back in her pocket. She looked at him and said, "Mr. Gu, I'll keep your marriage certificate safe for you."

Gu Hansheng accompanied her, instructing Ji Chen to drive carefully.

Liang Shu waved to him through the car window. As the figure in the rearview mirror grew smaller, Liang Shu leaned back in the back seat, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she was already at Zero Mansion.

"Madam... Madam, please wake up. It's cold in the car, and it's uncomfortable to sleep like this. You'll catch a cold..."

Liang Shu seemed to be dozing off, so Qu An called out softly several times, but to no avail.

Seeing that Liang Shu couldn't be awakened, Qu An frowned and looked at Ji Chen, looking helpless. "Assistant Ji, what should we do?"

Ji Chen gazed at the woman leaning against the back of the seat, her eyes tightly shut. She was breathing shallowly, her face as pale as paper, clearly not in good condition.

Qu An's heart first panicked, saying, "Perhaps it's better to call the sir. It's the first day of their marriage..."

Ji Chen said, "Let's not panic for now."

With that, he bowed and leaned halfway into the car, "Madam..."

...

When Liang Shu opened her eyes, she saw Qu An's face, which was tense and furrowed. She rubbed her head and listened to Qu An saying beside her, "You're finally awake. It's too cold here. Let's go inside."

She nodded, "Okay."

After taking a few steps, she caught a glimpse of Ji Chen still standing on the side. Liang Shu turned back and nodded at him, "Assistant Ji, you go find him."

Ji Chen nodded, standing by the car until Liang Shu's figure gradually disappeared from his sight before driving away again.

Inside the house, Qu An immediately ordered someone to bring hot soup. "Madam, you're freezing. Have some hot soup to warm up. This was specially ordered by the sir."

Liang Shu couldn't bring herself to drink anything, feeling nauseous and dizzy. She didn't even look at the bowl of soup, supporting herself on the sofa as she stood up. "I'll go upstairs to rest for a while. Don't disturb me."

Qu An looked at the soup with difficulty, and Liang Shu's tone turned somewhat cold, "If I don't drink, you won't be able to fulfill your duty, right?"

"No, it's just that... the sir specifically ordered this to replenish your qi and blood..."

Liang Shu understood; this was a gift given to her after having her blood drawn.

She would drink it.

One bowl of soup, emptied.

But Liang Shu also vomited half of it. In the bathroom, Qu An handed her a dry towel. Liang Shu wiped her mouth while walking out, still hearing Qu An muttering behind her, "If I had known, I would never have asked you to drink it. Who knew it would be so uncomfortable."

Later, as Liang Shu went upstairs, she didn't let Qu An support her. She walked alongside her.

At the corner of the staircase, someone hurriedly came down from upstairs, not noticing Liang Shu at the corner, and collided with her. Given Liang Shu's current physical condition, she was pushed several steps backward. At the edge of the stairs going down, Liang Shu stopped, feeling the railing hitting her lower back.

She felt dizzy for a moment and hadn't had a chance to see who the person in front of her was when she heard the person apologize, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Qu An supported Liang Shu, reprimanding the person with a stern face, "Qi Zhen, why are you so careless? Can you afford the consequences if anything happens to Madam?"

Qi Zhen was still holding files. Upon hearing this, he bowed to Liang Shu, but there was no hint of apology on his face. Instead, he said, "Assistant Ji has returned. He said the sir urgently needs a document. I was just about to fetch it for him and didn't pay attention..."

Liang Shu recovered and glanced at him before walking away without saying a word.

Qu An was about to follow, but Liang Shu halted her steps. "You don't need to accompany me. Go downstairs and get busy."

"Understood."

Entering the bedroom, Liang Shu lay on the bed but found sleep elusive. Her head felt heavy, yet her mind was remarkably clear.

She murmured to herself, "November 15th..."

This date was unforgettable; there was no way she could forget it.

...

At three thirty in the afternoon, Liang Shu got dressed and went downstairs.

Seeing Liang Shu's attire, Qu An couldn't help but ask, "Madam, are you going out?"

Liang Shu nodded. "Yes."

She was dressed in black, looking slender and dignified, completely different from her sickly appearance at noon.

At this moment, Liang Shu was radiant.

She reapplied her makeup, painting her lips a particularly vibrant red. However, her gaze remained cold and clear.

Qu An didn't ask where she was going but remarked, "Let me arrange for the driver..."

"No need. I'll take a taxi."

It wasn't appropriate for Mrs. Gu Han Sheng to take a taxi.

Liang Shu headed to the door, her expression cold. Qu An followed behind, and Liang Shu stopped at the doorway, turning to look at her. "Qu An, apart from the sir, you're the most authoritative here when it comes to matters concerning the lady, right?"

"Naturally."

"Good."

Qu An watched as Liang Shu's slender figure gradually disappeared through the ornate iron gate of the mansion. Behind her, Qi Zhen approached Qu An, speaking without warmth, "It's only been a few days, and she's already putting on airs as the lady. Who knows where this Mrs. Gu suddenly came from... She was weak at noon, how come she's suddenly so lively now?"

That was a rather acerbic remark.

Qu An turned to glare at Qi Zhen, her expression serious. "This isn't something we can judge. She is Mrs. Gu, and naturally, we must all respect and protect her. Don't make such comments again in the future. If the sir hears about it, you'll be in trouble."

"Just because the sir brought her here, how does she suddenly become Mrs. Gu?"

"They got married today, as the sir personally instructed," Qu An said, then gave Qi Zhen another cold glance. "The incident with Ah Yun wasn't captured clearly on the surveillance, but if the sir decides to investigate, you won't escape blame. Mrs. Gu wouldn't want things to escalate, so let's let this matter pass. And in the future, don't have any ulterior motives."

Qu An finished speaking and walked away. Qi Zhen caught up, "I don't have any ulterior motives. I wouldn't dare to target her. I'm just worried about Ah Yun..."

Seeing Qu An's silence, Qi Zhen continued, "Do you know Ah Yun is going to be sent away?"

"Ah Yun injured Mrs. Gu Han Sheng, so it's understandable."

Qi Zhen stood in place, watching Qu An's retreating figure, his face contorted in a way he hadn't even realized.

...

Liang Shu added extra money on the ride-hailing app to get a car to come over here for pickup. The driver was initially reluctant, but seeing the generous payment, he didn't mind.

Once in the car, Liang Shu gave an address. "Please go to the suburban cemetery."

Glancing at her through the rearview mirror, the driver said, "The suburb is quite far, and the road isn't easy to navigate. It'll take at least an hour to get there, and I won't be able to pick up any passengers on the way back. It's quite inconvenient."

Liang Shu wrapped her coat tightly around her and nestled in her seat, turning her head to look out the window. "Double the fare, please. Could you take me there?"

Seeing the potential for profit, the driver agreed with a smile. "Of course."

By the time they arrived, it was already past four thirty.

She wasn't feeling well; her delicate makeup couldn't conceal the pallor of her complexion, and there was a dull ache at her waist. Liang Shu had maintained a posture for too long, and now, getting out of the car, the pain became unbearable.

Seeing her discomfort, the driver got out of the car and opened the door for her. "Madam, are you unwell? This suburban cemetery is windy. Do you have someone important you wish to remember?"

Especially in the past week, the temperature in Yucheng had dropped several degrees, making the already heavy atmosphere even more gloomy.

After thanking the driver, Liang Shu ascended the hill alone.

Surrounded by nothing but the sound of the wind, she moved forward.

The howling wind swept past, tugging at the treetops like wailing ghosts.

But she wasn't afraid.

The long stone steps took Liang Shu intermittently for half an hour before she finally stopped at a gravestone halfway up the mountain.

The grayish-green gravestone depicted a warm smile of a young man, with dimples on both sides of his mouth and eyes that seemed to radiate light.

But the photo was gray.

Liang Shu reached out, her fingertips cold, and the photo felt icy.

She bowed her head silently, her tears streaming down uncontrollably. Yet, she remained calm, her voice steady as she spoke.

Looking at the person on the gravestone, she said, "A-Sheng, it's been a long time. I've come to share some good news with you. I got married."

"Remember, November 15th. Liang Shu got married."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't bring the marriage certificate for you to see." With that, Liang Shu lowered her head, her palms curling slightly. "My husband... he's tall like you."

Liang Shu looked up suddenly and smiled at the person in the photo. "Perhaps even taller than you. His eyes are deep, and when he stares at someone, it can be intimidating. But unlike you, when he looks at me, there's only warmth in my eyes. I'm not afraid."

"And also, he has a temper, carries himself with great dignity, and... he's wealthy. I can't guarantee that he'll be good to me after we're married, but I'm not afraid anymore."

"He's a lot like you in one aspect - he ignores people when he's angry."

"A-Sheng." Liang Shu suddenly squatted down, her fingers red from the cold touching the gravestone gently. She called his name tenderly, tears falling from her eyes. Liang Shu pressed her face against the icy gravestone. "Do you know? His name also has the character 'Sheng'."

"His name is Gu Han Sheng."

Thinking of the two of them taking their wedding photos, Gu Han Sheng remained serious despite the photographer's repeated attempts to get him to smile a bit. Due to Gu Han Sheng's status, the photographer dared not insist.

In the end, Liang Shu ended up smiling happily in the wedding photo, while he remained quite serious.

It was quite in line with her forced marriage situation.

Liang Shu reached into her pocket, took out her phone, and tried several times to unlock it with her trembling fingers. Finally, she managed to enter the password and pulled up the wedding photo of her and Gu Han Sheng. Then she handed the phone to the photo in front of her. "Look, I took it for you. Can you see it? Look at how happy I am in the photo, like someone without a heart or lungs."

The phone slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, Liang Shu's forehead leaning against the cold gravestone. "I'm sorry. I got married after all. Fortunately, you don't know. If you knew how much debt I owed, how would you scold me?"

"You would definitely scold me, but I also know... you couldn't bear to."

Liang Shu, with tears in her eyes, lowered her head and picked up her phone, lips trembling. "You can scold me, but you can't blame me. At that time, I was trying to save you. What else could I do? I just didn't want you to die."

"I'm sorry. You should have haunted me in my dreams. It was my fault that I killed you."

...

The young man in the photo maintained his smile no matter what, unchanged, regardless of whether Liang Shu was crying or laughing.

He was like the sun.

This was Jiang Pingsheng.