Chapter 19: Getting the Marriage Certificate

The agreement was quickly prepared. On the way to the Civil Affairs Bureau, Tan Qingya handed it to Zhou Jianghao.

“Take a look and see if there’s anything to add.”

Every clause in the agreement prioritized Zhou Jianghao’s interests and took her needs into account, so there shouldn’t be anything she’d dislike. Tan Qingya waited patiently. In the quiet car, the only sound was the rustle of turning pages.

After a long wait, Zhou Jianghao finally looked up.

“President Tan, this agreement isn’t fair to you.”

The comment caught Tan Qingya off guard, and she blinked. “Miss Zhou, I’m a businesswoman. I never let myself come out on the losing end.”

Zhou Jianghao pressed her lips together, unconvinced by Tan Qingya’s words. After marriage, she’d gain twenty percent of the shares in Tan Corporation. That alone made the agreement feel unreal.

It would give her real influence in the company. If she allied with the wrong people, she could even pull Tan Qingya from power.

“I can’t accept this.”

The weight was too much to bear.

With her brows furrowed in stubborn determination, Zhou Jianghao stared straight at her. Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Tan Qingya nodded. “All right.”

Emboldened by how agreeable she was, Zhou Jianghao pointed tentatively at another clause. “Can we delete this one too?”

Tan Qingya glanced at it but didn’t nod this time. Instead, she looked at Zhou Jianghao with a touch of helplessness. “Miss Zhou, we can’t delete this one.”

The clause stated that anyone who betrayed the marriage would leave with nothing.

It was Tan Qingya’s promise to Zhou Jianghao—and one of her rare demands in return: absolute loyalty from her partner.

“What I mean is, I won’t interfere with you,” Zhou Jianghao said, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “If you find someone you truly like, I won’t cling. I can divorce anytime.”

“…”

This woman hadn’t even married her yet and was already planning for divorce.

Tan Qingya wasn’t pleased. Her expression darkened slightly, her tone cooling. “Marriage isn’t a game. I’m not the type to divorce on a whim.”

She emphasized the words “on a whim,” and in her serious moments, Tan Qingya exuded an intangible pressure. The air in the car grew heavy.

Little Wang spoke up at just the right moment, his voice cautious. “President Tan, we’ve arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

The tension eased a fraction. Tan Qingya got out first, then circled around to open the door for Zhou Jianghao despite her lingering irritation. As Zhou Jianghao stepped out, Tan Qingya asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to change?”

Her tone was gentler now, but her face still held traces of frustration, making it hard for anyone to speak up.

“Could we add one more clause?” Zhou Jianghao asked softly, enduring the pressure. “If one party wants a divorce, the other must agree without conditions.”

Tan Qingya was being too good to her. It left Zhou Jianghao with no confidence in herself, worried that her future self might not be able to let go.

“…”

Tan Qingya let out a huff of exasperated laughter. Was this woman’s mind fixed on divorce? Why wasn’t she thinking about building a life together after marriage?

Still, she wouldn’t cling if Zhou Jianghao wanted out. Face stern, Tan Qingya nodded. “Fine.”

Next to the Civil Affairs Bureau was a print shop. They revised the agreement, double-checked it, and signed.

Registration, health check, photos…

In under an hour, they emerged with their red marriage certificate in hand.

“Let’s head to your place first to pack your things and move them to the apartment,” Tan Qingya said. When she got no response, she glanced over to find Zhou Jianghao staring absently at the photo on the certificate.

Tan Qingya followed her gaze.

They weren’t close enough for the photo to look natural. Despite the photographer’s directions to lean in, their expressions gave them away. Zhou Jianghao was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Tan Qingya had her usual wooden face, looking dazed with drifting eyes that never quite met the camera.

They were both stunning, but the picture made them look like strangers forced together—like a melon twisted off the vine that wouldn’t be sweet.

Tan Qingya looked away and called her name. “Zhou Jianghao.”

Once Zhou Jianghao met her eyes, Tan Qingya continued, her tone firmer this time. “Move in with me.”

“Now?” Zhou Jianghao tensed.

“Now.” Tan Qingya nodded firmly. “We’re partners. We shouldn’t live apart.”

Zhou Jianghao fell silent for a long moment before speaking. “Aren’t you from the Non-Marriage Clan? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to get married?”

It felt all too real.

Tan Qingya was surprised. “We’re married now. Of course we should enjoy our married life.”

Zhou Jianghao froze, then remembered Tan Qingya once saying she had strong desires. If she married, she’d expect her wife to fulfill her wifely duties—spending every day tangled up together.

Her face flushed crimson in an instant.

Her grip tightened on the marriage certificate. The agreement gave her so much; Tan Qingya hadn’t removed the twenty percent shares clause but had changed it to ten percent.

It was still a heavy gift—and one she’d shamelessly asked for in this marriage contract.

She owed Tan Qingya so much.

If she couldn’t even be a proper wife, that would be unforgivable.

“You don’t want to?”

With no reply forthcoming, Tan Qingya guessed she’d startled Zhou Jianghao. She was about to suggest they could sleep in separate rooms for now when Zhou Jianghao suddenly looked up at her.

Her eyes shone brightly, filled with a firm resolve, as if she’d made up her mind about something.

Hm?

But Zhou Jianghao’s voice was steady. “I’m not unwilling.”

Still playing tough?

Tan Qingya’s lips curved slightly. She could already picture Zhou Jianghao flustered and awkward that evening.

This was Tan Qingya’s first time visiting Zhou Jianghao’s home in the daytime.

The stairs were still narrow and cramped, that glimpse of pale waist still there—but her mindset was different now.

Last time, she’d held back more. This time, she could indulge.

Their status had changed, so her thoughts could wander freely. Zhou Jianghao was no longer just a junior or a stranger. She was her wife.

At the thought, Tan Qingya’s eyes narrowed, her gaze lingering uncontrollably.

That waist looked slim enough to span with one hand, without a trace of excess. The line of her spine was smooth, tempting anyone to reach out and grasp it.

Zhou Jianghao stopped abruptly.

Tan Qingya’s eyes paused, then flicked upward instinctively, meeting Zhou Jianghao’s backward glance.

“Sorry.” Realizing she’d been caught, Tan Qingya pressed her lips into a smile and apologized straightforwardly.

The stairwell was dimly lit, but Tan Qingya’s eyes brimmed with warmth, making her seem utterly gentle. It was almost impossible to believe this was the same person whose gaze had been so predatory moments ago.

A person of such refinement apologized without the slightest burden, even tilting her head up to meet Zhou Jianghao’s eyes without flinching.

The one with thinner skin would always be at a disadvantage.

Zhou Jianghao broke eye contact first and continued up the stairs in stiff, smaller steps.

Seeing her hand drift to her side now and then—wanting to tug at her hem but holding back in helpless fluster—Tan Qingya let out a soft sigh. This time, she behaved and didn’t steal another glance.