Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The police siren outside sounded twice and then stopped.

Police officers from two local police stations, clutching their individual police gear, hurriedly pushed open the glass door and rushed into the lobby. Their shoes slipped on the white powder covering the floor, nearly causing them to fall flat on their faces.

The senior police officer in charge quickly steadied the form-filling station next to him.

He looked up at the shivering "white-faced snowman" on the ground. His mind went blank for a moment, and he couldn't quite grasp the point.

"What... what happened? We weren't notified about the fire drill?" The veteran police officer sniffed.

A strong, acrid smell of chemical powder hit him right in the head, making him sneeze twice.

The rich kid on the ground opened his mouth, wanting to curse.

The moment his lips touched hers, powder entered his throat. He suddenly sneezed violently, expelling a large cloud of white smoke that covered his face.

"Arrest him! Are you blind... Achoo!"

The rich kid rubbed his eyes haphazardly with the back of his hand, tears mixing with whitewash to form a muddy mess. "He sprayed me with a fire extinguisher! My dad works at the building materials market..."

The veteran police officer ignored him.

My gaze followed the white dust on the ground to the side. I saw a man in a white shirt standing about half a meter away.

Then I saw clearly the traffic violation ticket with an official seal pasted on the rich kid's forehead.

A chill ran down the back of the veteran police officer's body, and his calves began to ache.

He quickly stood up straight and tucked the walkie-talkie in his hand into his belt.

He strode up to Lu Jingyan, put his legs together, and straightened his back.

"Director Lu." The old policeman's voice was low, revealing a cautious reverence.

"We received a report from the command center that someone was using illegal equipment to disrupt order here. We've come to pick them up."

Lu Jingyan stuffed the carbon pen in his hand back into his shirt pocket.

"Take him away. Fifteen days. Confiscated illegal equipment."

His tone was calm and unpretentious, as if he were handing over a routine electric bicycle theft case. "Investigate where he bought his goods from the black market. Have the criminal investigation team follow up."

The veteran police officer nodded repeatedly.

He turned around and waved to the young auxiliary police officer behind him. "Get the handcuffs! Get him in the car! Are we waiting for his dad to bring the food?"

The auxiliary police officer pounced on him and quickly twisted the rich kid's hands behind his back.

The silver bracelet clicked. They dragged and pulled the shivering, snotty-nosed queue-cutting maniac out of the hall.

The police car outside started up and drove away, its tires crunching over the speed bumps.

Order was restored in the hall.

The cleaning lady came over with a big broom and a wet mop, huffing and puffing as she scrubbed the floor.

The wet mop rubbed against the non-slip tiles, making a whooshing sound. The pungent smell of dust was gradually suppressed, replaced by the astringent smell of disinfectant.

The newlyweds in line all behaved themselves at this moment.

The line was straighter than if it had been measured with a ruler. No one dared to speak loudly; even whispers were hushed into breaths.

Dozens of eyes kept glancing at Lu Jingyan, their gazes filled with barely concealed fervor and fear.

Su Xiaoxiao patted the dust off the hem of her clothes.

She held the household registration booklet in her hand, her palms covered in slippery, sweaty sweat.

Lu Jingyan turned around. With long strides, he walked back to the form-filling area next to the ticket machine.

"It's our turn." He looked down at her.

Su Xiaoxiao swallowed hard and quickly followed.

The clerk was a woman nearing fifty. She wore red-rimmed reading glasses and sat behind a glass partition.

She had just witnessed the one-sided "physical reduction attack" outside.

The older woman's hand was trembling slightly as she held her ID card.

The scanner's red light swept across the document, and with a "beep," the printer began feeding paper, making a soft hissing sound.

"Um... could you please fill out both forms? Please sign and leave your fingerprint in the bottom right corner."

The older woman handed two sheets of paper through the gap under the window. There was also a red inkpad box next to them.

Su Xiaoxiao picked up the ballpoint pen that was attached to the spring rope on the table.

When she types, her fingers fly across the keyboard, creating afterimages.

Now, holding this two-yuan plastic pen, my fingers are so stiff they won't obey my commands.

The pen tip landed on the "Applicant" column.

As soon as the first stroke of the character "苏" (Su) was about to land, his wrist trembled, and a long black mark was drawn out.

"oops……"

She bit her lower lip in anxiety. A distinct blush rose to her cheeks, and even the tip of her nose was sweating.

"I...I've written something wrong. Could you please give me another one?"

The older sister quickly pulled out a new form and handed it over.

"Don't panic, don't panic. Young lady, it's normal for your hands to shake on such a joyous day."

Lu Jingyan stood to her left.

He picked up another pen and leaned forward slightly.

My wrist rests on the form-filling table. The pen tip touches the paper, moving smoothly and effortlessly. The black ink shines through the paper, each stroke neat and precise.

Without the slightest pause.

After he finished filling out his own form, he turned to look at her.

Su Xiaoxiao was still struggling with the second form. Her name was written correctly, but she had filled in the wrong digit in her ID number, and she was frantically trying to black out the mistake with the tip of her pen.

Lu Jingyan didn't urge her.

He put down his pen and leaned closer to her.

The two were shoulder to shoulder.

His scent, a mixture of clean fabric softener and a faint tobacco fragrance, enveloped me.

"Write slowly."

Lu Jingyan's voice was low and resonant, hushed in his throat. "Don't rush. There's enough time."

Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath.

My chest heaved. I finally finished filling in the last line.

He dipped his thumb in red ink and pressed it firmly onto the name.

The fingerprints are clearly imprinted on the paper.

Two forms are submitted to the window.

The lady at the counter checked it carefully.

He opened the drawer and took out two small, dark red notebooks covered with the national emblem.

She took out two bright red photos of the two of them. They had just been taken inside the house. In the photos, Lu Jingyan had that stiff yet reassuring smile on his lips.

The older sister pasted the photo into the frame inside the page.

He reached for the heavy cast iron embossing machine next to him.

The noise in the hall seemed to be blocked out at that moment.

Lu Jingyan's gaze passed over the glass partition and fixed intently on the old-fashioned mechanical device.

The older sister inserted the red booklet into the slot. She aligned it.

He gripped the black iron lever with his right hand and pressed his wrist down.

"Click".

A crisp metallic clang.

The steel needle pierced through the thick cardboard. The paper fibers were squeezed and deformed by this brute force.

The uneven outlines of the five-pointed star and the ears of wheat are vividly imprinted on the edges of the photo.

"Click".

A second sound. The other book was also stamped with the steel seal.

The older woman took the two marriage certificates out of the machine. She flipped through them, looked at them, and nodded in satisfaction.

It was handed out through the window.

Congratulations to you both! You're now a legally married couple. May you grow old together in happiness.

Lu Jingyan reached out and took it.

The red faux leather cover has a slightly rough, grainy texture. The gold lettering on it reflects light subtly.

These two cardboard boxes together weigh less than two ounces.

But the moment he held it in his hand, the muscles in his wrist tensed up suddenly.

Feel the raised and recessed edges of the stamp with your fingertips.

This weight was heavier than the more than 100-pound antimatter rotary machine gun he carried on his shoulder. It was even more substantial than the thick stacks of life imprisonment sentences he had signed.

This is a contract. This is a responsibility.

It is the most ordinary bond in the world, yet it is absolutely protected by the highest legal code.

Su Xiaoxiao stood to the side.

She reached out to take the book that belonged to her.

Lu Jingyan didn't give it to her.

He held the two certificates and pulled his wrist back.

With his left hand, he unbuttoned the second plastic button below the collar of his white shirt. The fabric was torn open.

He stacked the two red books together and carefully slipped them into the inside pocket of his shirt, which was pressed against his left breast.

The cardboard, separated by a thin layer of cotton cloth, was attached to the skin of the heart.

With each heartbeat, a warm sensation was felt.

Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment.

"Hey? Why did you take mine too?" she protested softly.

Important documents. Keep them in a centralized location.

Lu Jingyan buttoned his shirt back up and straightened his collar.

He turned his head and looked at the girl with a ponytail next to him.

The blush on her cheeks hadn't faded yet. A few stray hairs on her forehead were stuck together with sweat.

Those clear, big eyes revealed a hint of nervousness, but also an overflowing happiness.

Lu Jingyan didn't say anything more.

He turned around and strode towards the gate.

Walk out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The afternoon sun, around three or four o'clock, slanted down onto the steps, making people squint.

The traffic on the road was still honking its horns.

There was a cart selling grilled cold noodles nearby, sizzling as it spread eggs. Steam rose from the noodles.

Su Xiaoxiao followed beside him.

The flat shoes on my feet stepped on the cement steps.

She kept her head down, still brooding over the fact that her documents had been confiscated.

"Director Lu, you're being completely unreasonable. Those are my legal documents, what right do you have to take away my right to possess them...?"

She didn't finish her sentence.

A large, dry hand reached out from the side.

His fingers precisely slipped between her half-clenched fist. Then he closed his fingers.

Hold on tight.

The pressure was so strong that her finger bones ached slightly.

Su Xiaoxiao's voice caught in her throat.

She looked up.

Lu Jingyan took her hand and said in a deep, gentle voice, "From today onwards, you are Mrs. Lu, protected by the Civil Code." Su Xiaoxiao blushed and clung tightly to his arm.