Chapter 30: World One [End]

According to the initial agreement, Shang Siyu would officially marry Jing Ke after three years together.

Happy times seemed to pass exceptionally fast. These three years felt like a fleeting moment, arriving silently before Shang Siyu could even react.

Jing Ke was a very meticulous person. She clearly remembered that Shang Siyu had said she was willing to try being together on that night, after they had both showered and dried their hair.

So, three years later on this very day, she patiently waited for Shang Siyu to finish her shower and helped her dry her hair before bringing up the matter of marriage.

“The three years are up. Little Yu, are you willing to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?” Jing Ke’s words were still direct and passionate, just like her gaze.

Her amber eyes appeared exceptionally bright under the warm yellow light, and the unconcealable love and anticipation within them surged forth.

“I am willing. I am very willing to marry you.” Shang Siyu was much more candid than she had been three years ago, answering with a smile, “I thought you might have forgotten, since you didn’t mention it until now.”

“I have carefully noted down every word you’ve said. I won’t forget.” The smile on Jing Ke’s face deepened, her eyes growing even brighter. “Then shall we get married tomorrow and start preparing the wedding?”

“I’m perfectly willing, but things aren’t that open domestically. We can’t get a marriage license, but we can designate each other as our legal guardian with power of attorney.” Shang Siyu leaned forward and kissed the corner of Jing Ke’s mouth. “This way, when I grow old, you’ll have the right to be involved in my life.”

“If we can’t get a license domestically, we can go abroad. The country where I studied recognizes same-sex marriage.” Jing Ke said, clasping Shang Siyu’s right hand.

“I want to have a marriage certificate with you, to make you my lawful wife,” Jing Ke articulated each word deliberately, her expression extremely serious.

“New Life Technology’s business has already expanded overseas. After we get the license, when filling out certain information abroad, we will be listed as married,” Jing Ke said. “This way, when people ask about our relationship, I can openly say you are my wife.”

Hearing the hint of jealousy in Jing Ke’s words, Shang Siyu couldn’t help recalling a business trip experience from a month ago.

The two had encountered an exceptionally enthusiastic blond man at a technology exhibition. He was smitten with Shang Siyu at first sight and devoted himself to charming her throughout the event. Even after learning that Jing Ke was Shang Siyu’s girlfriend, he didn’t completely give up.

Instead, he handed Shang Siyu his business card, stating she could contact him when she was single, and that he was willing to wait patiently for a beautiful Eastern lady.

This had upset Jing Ke for quite a while, prompting her to bite a ring of marks around Shang Siyu’s neck that very night – clearly an act of staking her claim.

Pulling her stray thoughts back, Shang Siyu nodded, “Okay, then let’s buy the plane tickets tomorrow. Our visas haven’t expired, so we can fly directly.”

“Good, buy tickets for tomorrow afternoon!” Jing Ke said, cupping Shang Siyu’s face in her hands, expressing her love with direct action.

Why an afternoon flight? Because they naturally couldn’t get up in the morning.

The anniversary of being together for three years had to be a bit more interesting than the first anniversary of meeting, right?

–

Getting the license was simple, but holding the wedding was not so straightforward.

Booking the venue, choosing the wedding dress, and writing the invitations – every step required considerable time and effort.

Fortunately, they had enough money to save time and effort on the process. After the self-taught Jing Ke calculated their birthdates from their ID cards, she set the wedding date for March 22nd of the following year.

Jing Ke and Shang Siyu being a couple was something they hadn’t flaunted but hadn’t deliberately concealed either. Therefore, many in the industry who had collaboration with New Life Technology were well aware of their relationship.

Upon receiving the invitation, they all expressed they would bring their families and offered many pleasantries wishing the couple a long and lasting union.

Secretary Lou, who was still in her term, also received an invitation. Seeing that the two were braving societal judgment to hold a wedding, she brought her secretary and appeared punctually at the wedding venue, offering a gift and her blessings.

The burdens of society would sooner or later be taken up by the current young generation. Perhaps by then, marriage between same-sex couples would become a commonplace matter.

Jing Ke and Shang Siyu’s wedding process leaned more towards the Western style. When the officiant recited the wedding vows, they both said “I do” without a moment’s hesitation.

The kiss after exchanging rings was also forthright. They didn’t break it off quickly just because many people were watching, but instead shared a deep French kiss.

“I never imagined Junior Sister would be married while I’m still single,” sighed Senior Sister Mei, seated in the audience. Her hands were nearly red from clapping.

“When they toss the bouquet later, if you want to find someone, you can try to catch it,” Professor Lin, sitting beside her, remarked calmly.

Professor Lin, who intended to pursue research for life, was actually single, but she had no interest in a partner, regardless of gender. She simply felt she didn’t need one and would likely remain single forever.

“Okay, I’ll try! Maybe my fated one is right here!” Encouraged by her teacher’s words, Senior Sister Mei was suddenly full of confidence.

Seeing Jing Ke and Shang Siyu toss the bouquet together, Senior Sister Mei bolted forward with an eagerness that couldn’t be overstated.

The bridesmaids apparently had no plans to marry, so seeing Senior Sister Mei wanting the bouquet so much, they were very considerate and tacitly made way for her, allowing Senior Sister Mei to catch it smoothly.

When Senior Sister Mei rushed up, she hadn’t expected it to be so easy. Unable to check her momentum, she stumbled several steps forward after catching the bouquet, nearly crashing head-first into someone.

“Careful,” Cui Xiangxiang, who nearly got hit, reached out in time, preventing the tragedy of Senior Sister Mei falling.

“Thank you, sorry, I was running too fast just now.” Senior Sister Mei said, holding the flowers and lowering her head to apologize without even seeing who the other person was.

“It’s fine, you didn’t hit me.” Cui Xiangxiang smiled. “Your teacher is looking at you, seems like she has something for you.”

As a friend of Professor Lin, Cui Xiangxiang occasionally heard about Senior Sister Mei from her and had seen photos of the teacher and student together, so she had recognized her long ago.

“Oh, oh, I’ll go back now. Sorry about that just now.” Senior Sister Mei looked up and glanced at Cui Xiangxiang, quickly memorizing her appearance before hunching over and scurrying back to her seat.

That was close! If she had fallen, she would have made a fool of herself in front of so many people, and her yet-to-be-met fated one might have flown away too.

–

Jing Ke and Shang Siyu were both individuals with net worths exceeding a hundred million, so the wedding’s extravagance was naturally grand.

After the ceremony ended, they invited renowned local bands and singers to perform on stage, concluding with a distinctive Yue opera finale that left every guest’s face marked with lingering astonishment as they departed.

What to do after the wedding?

Go on a honeymoon, of course!

Shang Siyu hadn’t taken on much of the company’s management work; she mostly focused on product research and development and production. So, after roughly finalizing the plan for the next three months, taking a long leave wasn’t difficult for her.

The boss was going on a honeymoon – as an employee, it wasn’t easy to object.

Seeing that Cui Xiangxiang, whose workload had increased by half, had no objections, the other employees who had just received wedding favors didn’t feel comfortable complaining too much.

After all, a boss like Shang Siyu was already very generous. When increasing the workload, she also increased their salaries, ensuring their extra time and effort were duly rewarded.

–

Jing Ke had originally made a honeymoon itinerary, planning to travel abroad for the first two months to appreciate sceneries and customs in different places, then return in the third month to travel domestically for another month before the summer vacation rush.

But plans couldn’t keep up with changes. The inconveniences abroad were more numerous than expected.

Some tourist countries seemed to treat Chinese people as suckers, demanding a hefty “fee” just for handling simple boarding procedures.

This caused Jing Ke’s opinion of certain countries to plummet. The originally planned sixty-day trip was cut to just over forty days, and they flew back after the domestic May Day holiday ended.

Fortunately, the domestic scenery didn’t disappoint Jing Ke. Free from work worries, the two traveled all over the country, and on a whim, ran off to an island to experience a few days of wilderness survival.

The experience Jing Ke had accumulated two years prior finally came in handy. She built a simple shelter in half a day, knocked down a coconut, and successfully poked a hole in it.

Seeing Jing Ke skillfully reciting the names and properties of various “weeds,” Shang Siyu couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.

However, the simple shelter mostly served a decorative purpose. At night, they still slept in a proper tent.

Although it was called wilderness survival, they hadn’t omitted any necessary equipment.

And this small island with perfect internet connectivity wasn’t strictly a deserted island either. If they took a boat halfway around the island, they might even see a proper dock and a small shop operating nearby.

Frankly speaking, occasionally experiencing a relatively primitive life was quite nice.

The feeling of needing to find your own water source and food was a very interesting experience for Shang Siyu, who had always lived in modern society.

Especially the sense of achievement when she caught two plump sea fish using a simple fishing rod – it was truly so satisfying.

Shang Siyu, who usually didn’t post much on her social media, couldn’t resist pulling out a selfie stick to take several photos. She eventually added some landscape shots and posted a full nine-grid photo set.

【Senior Sister Mei: Such big fish! Did you catch them yourself, Little Yu?】

【Shang Siyu replied to Senior Sister Mei: Yes, I just caught them, planning to have them for dinner.】

【Cui Xiangxiang: Boss, don’t forget you still have a company while on your honeymoon! We’re already preparing for the mid-year meeting.】

【Shang Siyu replied to Cui Xiangxiang: Okay, Sister Cui, I’ll definitely come back once my leave is over!】

【Cui Xiangxiang: @Senior Sister Mei, and you too, didn’t you say you were very busy with experiments? How do you have time to chat? Not working seriously once Professor Lin is on a business trip?】

【Senior Sister Mei replied to Cui Xiangxiang: Xiangxiang, I was wrong, I’m putting down my phone right now, I’m going to do experiments immediately!】

【Senior Sister Mei: By the way, Little Yu, enjoy your honeymoon, and remember to bring us back specialties when you return!】

【Shang Siyu: Okay, everyone who sees this gets a share. I’ll prepare a portion for everyone who commented.】