After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The next day, at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs.

In the 1980s, the Civil Affairs Bureau's lobby carried a faint smell of Lysol, mixed with the musty odor of old wooden tables and chairs. The walls were painted snow-white, yet traces of water seeped through the corners. A few couples sat on benches, dressed in brand-new Dacron shirts or Zhongshan suits. Most of the women wore two braids, their faces beaming with undisguised joy, yet also bearing a hint of apprehension in the presence of a government agency.

Gu Zheng and Ye Zhen sat side by side on a bench against the wall.

The air was quiet, with only the rustling of papers being turned over at the window in the distance and the ticking of the clock, gently stimulating everyone's senses.

Gu Zheng seemed somewhat restless. He was wearing a brand-new uniform today, the epaulets reflecting a blinding light in the sunlight streaming in from the high window. From the moment he sat down, he hadn't been still. First, he straightened his back, making sure his military posture was impeccable, then he subconsciously reached out to smooth out non-existent wrinkles on his military trousers. After a while, he unconsciously rubbed his resolute chin with his fingertips, making sure there wasn't a single stubble.

This was a level of anxiety he had never felt when he led his team deep behind enemy lines and was besieged for three days and three nights.

His peripheral vision remained fixed on Ye Zhen beside him.

Ye Zhen's calmness seemed out of place in her surroundings. She took out an English medical journal with a slightly curled cover from her faded canvas bag. Sitting upright with her head slightly lowered, she quietly began to read, using the light streaming in from the window. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath her eyes, and her focused expression made it seem as if she wasn't there to complete a procedure that would determine the course of her life, but simply waiting in the waiting area outside the operating room for a highly complex surgery to begin.

This woman always has the ability to create a space of absolute calm for herself under any circumstances.

Looking at her completely absorbed expression, Gu Zheng felt a mix of love and annoyance. He subtly moved closer to her, his broad shoulders almost touching hers.

She didn't react.

He coughed heavily again.

She still didn't react, she just turned the page.

Gu Zheng's patience ran out. He reached out and snatched the book from her hand.

Ye Zhen finally raised her head, her clear eyes showing displeasure at being disturbed. Her gaze shifted from his face to the journal in his hand: "My book."

"Today, you can only have eyes for me." Gu Zheng didn't look at her, and directly stuffed the journal, which he considered more of an eyesore than a codebook, into his briefcase. His tone was heavy, carrying an unyielding command.

Ye Zhen frowned slightly: "You're preventing me from reading the latest issue of The Lancet."

"From now on, I'll be your 'Lancet'." Gu Zheng laughed instead of getting angry when he heard the name. He suddenly leaned closer to her, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. He lowered his voice, his warm breath brushing against her ear, "Study wherever you want. Dissect whatever you want, it's up to you. I promise I won't resist."

As he spoke, his warm breath tickled her earlobes; his unique masculine scent, carrying the aroma of soap and sunshine, forcefully penetrated her breath. Ye Zhen's cheeks flushed slightly. She turned her face away, looking at the "Marriage Law Publicity" poster on the other wall, ignoring him. This man always had the ability to use the most irreverent words to utter the most heart-fluttering sweet nothings.

"Next pair, Gu Zheng and Ye Zhen," a middle-aged woman wearing glasses called out from the window, her voice ringing out clearly in the empty hall.

Gu Zheng's eyes lit up instantly. He stood up almost immediately, grabbed Ye Zhen's hand before she could react, his palm burning hot, and pulled her over in a long stride.

The process was quick: filling out forms, reviewing them, and presenting the letter of introduction from the military. Gu Zheng signed his name with a flourish, each stroke powerful and forceful. Ye Zhen's handwriting, on the other hand, was neat and strong, each stroke precise and steady, just like when she made incisions on the operating table.

Finally, we took photos.

The two sat side by side in front of a faded red curtain. The photographer, an elderly man with gray hair and wearing arm sleeves, peeked out from behind his old-fashioned camera and, somewhat disgruntled, directed through the lens: "Comrade, move closer! Yes, touch! A wedding is a joyous occasion, be more affectionate!"

Gu Zheng obediently moved closer to Ye Zhen, then wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him in an irresistible manner.

Ye Zhen's body stiffened slightly. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, she could clearly feel the muscle lines in his arms and the burning heat emanating from his palms.

The experienced photographer was still calling out from behind the viewfinder: "Ladies, smile! Look at the camera, yes, be happy!"

Happy? Ye Zhen tried hard to move the muscles in her face and force a timely smile, but her cheeks were stiff and wouldn't obey her commands. Her entire life was built on reason and logic, and this kind of "happiness" that required performance left her feeling lost.

Just then, she felt a heat on her cheek.

Gu Zheng suddenly turned his head, and before she could react, a warm and soft kiss was quickly placed on her lips.

The touch was like a feather, carrying an electric current, gently falling and separating upon contact.

Ye Zhen's eyes widened instantly. All her composure and rationality shattered in that moment, leaving her mind blank. She could smell his cool, refreshing scent so close to her, and feel the lingering dry warmth of his lips.

"Snap!"

The crisp click of the old-fashioned camera's shutter captured that moment forever.

The photos were developed quickly, still smelling of the chemicals.

In the photo, Gu Zheng's face is turned to the side, his eyes brimming with triumph, an irrepressible smile, and a tenderness that could drown one. Beside him, Ye Zhen's face shows undisguised astonishment and a hint of embarrassment. Her usually clear and cool eyes seem to have been rippled by a hot pebble, creating vivid and striking waves.

This is probably the most vibrant and sensual wedding photo ever taken by this civil affairs bureau.

The clerk in charge of stamping was an unmarried young woman. She looked at the small black and white photo, her face turning bright red. She secretly glanced at the tall and straight Gu Zheng, and then pressed the stamp down heavily with a "bang" and a strange force.

The red ink left a clear circular mark on the photograph.

At that moment, Gu Zheng gripped Ye Zhen's hand tightly.

Two brand-new marriage certificates with bright red covers were handed to them.

Stepping out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the three o'clock afternoon sun was a bit dazzling. Ye Zhen subconsciously squinted.

Gu Zheng held her tightly with one hand, and with the other hand he held the two red marriage certificates, looking at them over and over, his mouth never closing in a grin. He stared at Ye Zhen's vivid expression of shyness and annoyance in the photo again and again, laughing like a child who had finally received his favorite toy, his shoulders swaying.

Ye Zhen felt uncomfortable under his gaze and wanted to pull her hand back.

Gu Zheng gripped her even tighter, his slender fingers weaving through hers, forming an interlocking grip that gave her no chance to break free.

He stopped and, standing on the bustling street, waved their clasped hands. In the sunlight, their intertwined fingers were empty; there was nothing there.

"Mrs. Gu," he suddenly spoke, emphasizing each word with a tender, solemn tone, "do you see, is something still missing?"

His gaze passed over the endless stream of bicycles and the occasional passing yellow taxi, landing on the towering department store across the street, touted as the premier building in Beijing. The large red characters "Serve the People" on the building's wall gleamed in the sunlight.