Chapter 75 Registering the Marriage
Tan Zheng playfully pressed the milk carton against Song Ni's face. Startled by the cold, she instinctively leaned back, almost falling into the arms of the man who had just approached her. Tan Zheng's eyes narrowed, and he quickly reached out to pull Song Ni into his embrace.
"Don't you have any warm ones?" she asked, her body thin and chilled from standing in the wind for so long. She desperately wanted something warm to drink.
Tan Zheng felt the coldness of Song Ni's hands and his brows furrowed. "Then don't drink it," he said, reaching to toss the milk into the trash. Song Ni, however, quickly snatched it away. "But I'm thirsty, I'll make do."
Hearing this, Tan Zheng raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Miss Song, the eldest daughter of the Song family, also makes do?"
Song Ni paused her action of inserting the straw, took a large sip to moisten her lips, and then looked up at Tan Zheng. "Miss Song, the eldest daughter of the Song family doesn't make do, but Mrs. Tan has to learn to make do."
Tan Zheng: ...This little girl was indirectly accusing him of not taking good care of her.
Seeing that Song Ni's lips were no longer dry, Tan Zheng took the milk back from her. "This much is enough. I'll take you to eat something hot later."
Song Ni shrugged, showing no objection. Their private conversation naturally scared away the man who had tried to chat her up earlier. Of course, it was unclear how much of that was due to Tan Zheng's intimidating demeanor.
After waiting for nearly an hour, it was finally their turn. The moment they sat down, Song Ni couldn't help but shiver. She leaned close to Tan Zheng's ear and whispered, "I wish I hadn't experienced queuing." If they had arranged everything beforehand and come to get their marriage certificates, it would have been so much faster.
The nervousness she had initially overlooked had vanished completely. She had no energy to think about anything else, only wishing to sign the papers, take the photos, and then eat something hot as soon as possible.
Tan Zheng was wearing a white shirt today, a rare sight. Even in a white shirt, a man like him couldn't hide his arrogant aura. Of the four characters "斯文败类" (refined scoundrel), he only embodied "scoundrel."
Song Ni playfully pinched his arm. "When we take photos, at least smile." She didn't want it to look like she was forcing Tan Zheng into this marriage.
Tan Zheng had always disliked cameras. His brows were always furrowed, his eyes impatient, and combined with his tall stature, he had completely intimidated the photographer today. Such a handsome person, yet so frightening. Song Ni didn't want the man in her wedding photos to look like he was about to pick a fight.
"Show your teeth, smile, can't you?"
Tan Zheng: ...Showing his teeth and smiling? Wouldn't that make him look like a silly deer? Seeing his knitted brows, Song Ni knew it wouldn't be easy. Tan Zheng could smile; he just wouldn't smile for a camera. She had to find a way to relax him.
Song Ni placed her still-cold hand on Tan Zheng's brow, gently smoothing it out, and then moved down to pull up the corners of his mouth. Her original intention was to help him relax his facial muscles, but seeing Tan Zheng's face appear somewhat comical under her touch, she couldn't help but laugh. His reluctant expression was precisely like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
Song Ni's makeup today was meticulously applied. When she smiled, her eyes always drew people's attention, though it was usually the case. But today, Tan Zheng saw a trace of tenderness in her eyes. He wasn't sure if it was because of the makeup, but the word "tender" felt exceptionally precious when applied to Song Ni. And... at the moment they were getting their marriage certificates. With that thought, a hint of pampering mingled with the helplessness in his eyes. How could this little girl's hands still be so cold?
He gently took Song Ni's hand from his face, attempting to warm her up with his own body heat. They really couldn't delay any longer; if they did, Song Ni might get foolishly cold. Perhaps it was Song Ni's gesture, or perhaps it was the tenderness in her eyes, but when they took the photo, Tan Zheng was no longer so stiff. He finally smiled.
Song Ni gazed at the photo on their marriage certificates. She was smiling brightly, and the man beside her, while not exactly beaming, looked harmonious next to her. To achieve this much, she was quite satisfied. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of the certificate, sighing, "I never expected to get married like this."
Tan Zheng's arm circled her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. As he watched her put on the ring again, the corner of his lips curved. "As you wished, Mrs. Tan."
Song Ni raised an eyebrow, noticing the exceptionally dazzling ring under the sunlight. She immediately remembered her words on the day they bought the ring. She had said she liked the title "Mrs. Tan." But she hadn't said that she cared about the "Tan" in "Mrs. Tan" – it was Tan Zheng's Tan.
"I didn't expect us to look quite good together in photos, huh? Wow, our first photo together is a wedding photo?" It felt quite novel. Song Ni looked up, raising her eyebrows and smiling at Tan Zheng, who was holding her.
Tan Zheng's heart stirred. He took Song Ni's phone and, before she could react, quickly snapped a photo. Then he placed the phone back in her hand. "The second one." Song Ni lowered her head and glanced at it; it was quite good.
"So, where are we going next?" Tan Zheng merely patted her waist, remaining silent. Song Ni didn't ask further, following him with complete trust.
As the car drove up the mountain, Song Ni squinted at the increasingly warm and dazzling sunlight. "You're not taking me for a picnic, are you?"
Hearing her, the man turned his head to look at her. "Something like that."
Song Ni: ...What kind of person brings their new wife for a mountain picnic on their first day of marriage? But it was this unconventionality that made him interesting.
When they reached the mountaintop and saw the people already busy, Song Ni smiled again. She wasn't particularly fond of various elaborate venues; instead, she preferred places where she could chat and drink with friends. Qin Yang was there, Cheng Ling was there, Lu Fang was there, Lu Hao Ting was there, and even her brother was there. She retracted her earlier thought; Tan Zheng's choice was indeed excellent. She loved nothing more than to be with people close to her, feeling the breeze, basking in the sun, eating meat, drinking wine, and chatting.
So, Song Ni abandoned her new husband and ran towards the group. The wind blew strongly, lifting and then dropping her hair. Tan Zheng watched her from behind, hands in his pockets, following her at a leisurely pace.
Song Jing was the first to notice them. Seeing Song Ni running towards him with a smile, he also broke into a smile. "Run slower! The ground up here isn't even, and there are small stones everywhere."
Song Ni stopped in front of Song Jing. "Don't you have to go to the company today?" Song Jing reached out, tucked a strand of hair from her face behind her ear, and playfully nudged her nose. "Thanks to you, I get to rest today. Dad's gone to work."
Seeing the difference in Song Ni's makeup today, Song Jing felt a rush of emotion. In such a short time, his sister seemed to have grown up considerably. Now, she was a wife. Thinking of this, Song Jing looked behind Song Ni. His gaze met Tan Zheng's as he slowly approached. The latter nodded at him, and his eyes fell back on Song Ni, filled with an unexpected tenderness. Song Jing's eyebrows moved slightly. His choice seemed to have been the right one.
Song Ni: Refined scoundrel, you only embody the scoundrel part.
Tan Zheng: Being refined doesn't work on you.
(End of this chapter)