Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

Shen Yu'an did not wake up the next day.

The light filtering through the curtains changed from light gray to warm white and then to light gold.

When Xize woke up in the morning, he glanced at him and saw that he was asleep. At noon, Xize went into the bedroom to check on him twice. He was still curled up in the blankets, barely moving, except for turning over once and then turning back over.

The milk by the bedside was changed from a cold glass to a warm glass, and the glass remained untouched.

In the afternoon, Xize sat on a chair by the bed looking at his phone, occasionally glancing up at the person on the bed.

Shen Yu'an's face was turned to the side in the pillow, the blanket pulled up to his chin, only his eyebrows and eyelids were visible.

His breathing was even, and his lips were slightly parted, as if he were in a deep sleep.

He stirred slightly in the evening. Xize put down his phone and saw Shen Yu'an's eyelids twitch, his eyelashes fluttered twice, but he didn't open them.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, his voice soft and hoarse: "...What time is it?"

Xize glanced out the window; it was already getting dark. "Six o'clock."

Shen Yu'an did not reply.

His eyelids closed again, as if the brief moment of clarity he had felt was quickly suppressed by drowsiness.

His finger twitched slightly along the edge of the blanket, then stopped moving.

Xize stood up, walked to the bedside, and reached out to touch his forehead.

His temperature was normal, and his breathing was steady. He bent down and gently touched the top of Shen Yu'an's head, pulled the blanket up to cover his exposed shoulders, and then went back to his chair to continue sitting.

Shen Yu'an woke up once that night.

Around 10 o'clock, he opened his eyes and saw that only a bedside lamp was on in the bedroom. Xize was sitting on a chair next to him with a book beside him.

Shen Yu'an looked at him for a few seconds, and Xize noticed that he was awake. He closed the book and sat down by the bed.

Are you hungry?

Shen Yu'an shook his head, then nodded.

He didn't know if he was hungry or not; he just felt heavy all over, as if he had sunk into a deep place and hadn't yet regained his strength.

Xize reached out and helped him sit up, handing him the warm glass of milk from the bedside table.

Shen Yu'an lowered his head, took two sips, and then put the cup down.

Shen Yu'an blinked, then slowly leaned back against the headboard, her fingers gripping the corner of the blanket.

His lower abdomen was still a little sore, and his back was also sore, but it was much better than last night.

"You've been here all this time?"

Xize didn't answer yes or no, but simply reached out and tucked the hair that was hanging down his face behind his ear: "Sleep a little longer."

Shen Yu'an leaned back against the pillow, turned to his side, and stretched his hand out from under the covers to rest on the edge of the bed. Xize's hand grasped his fingers, his thumb slowly rubbing against the back of his fingers.

Shen Yu'an kept her eyes closed and said softly, "Wake up tomorrow."

Xize didn't loosen his grip: "Yeah, tomorrow."

Shen Yu'an's breathing gradually calmed down.

His fingers were still resting on Xize's palm, and he didn't say anything more.

The bedroom fell silent again, the light from the bedside lamp falling on the profile of his face, his eyelashes casting a small, faint shadow under his eyes.

Xize sat on the edge of the bed, waiting until he was completely asleep before letting go, pulling the blanket back up, and then turning off the bedside lamp.

Night had fallen in London outside the window, and a sliver of streetlight shone through the gap in the curtains, casting its light at the foot of the bed. The dark sheets had been changed; they were clean and wrinkle-free.

Shen Yu'an curled up in the blankets, her breathing steady and long. Xize sat in the darkness for a while longer, then stood up, walked to the window, and drew the curtains shut.

Only a sliver of corridor light shone through the crack in the door, falling on the dark carpet like a thin golden thread, without waking the person in bed.

Three days after the grand wedding, Shen Yu'an and Xize went to the registry office.

Several months ago, Xize took Shen Yu'an to the Ministry of the Interior to give a notice.

At that time, Shen Yu'an didn't quite understand the process, so Xize explained it to him: When getting married in the UK, foreigners and locals must register in advance, and the Home Office has a maximum review period of seventy days before a legally binding signing ceremony can be held.

Shen Yu'an was filling out a form at the registration desk when, as his pen glided across the paper, he turned to Xize and asked, "When did you look this up?" Xize replied, "I looked it up the day after the proposal."

Shen Yu'an lowered his head and continued filling out the form without asking any more questions.

The registration area that day was small. After verifying their identity information, the staff had them sign a declaration form and said they would be notified when the review was complete.

Shen Yu'an capped the pen and returned it to the staff member. As he walked out the door, he glanced at Xize and asked, "So, we've reported it now?"

Xize said yes. Shen Yu'an nodded without saying anything more.

The review process took nearly two months.

The efficiency of the London Home Office was neither high nor low; no one came to ask them any questions.

Shen Yu'an would sometimes forget about it, until one day when Xize came back with a letter, which he placed on the coffee table saying that the review had been passed and they could schedule a signing time.

Shen Yu'an picked up the letter and read it. It contained their names and the result of the review.

He put the letter back in the envelope and asked Xize when he planned to meet. Xize said after the wedding. Shen Yu'an agreed.

So, three days after their grand wedding, they went to the registry office.

The registration office was the same as last time I came; it wasn't big, the sign at the entrance was still dark blue, and the paint on the door frame was a bit old.

There were no flowers or decorations inside, only a table covered with a dark tablecloth and two chairs placed facing each other.

The staff member was a middle-aged woman with gray hair, wearing glasses, and had a gentle and professional demeanor.

She verified the two men's identification documents and then had them sit down on either side of the table.

"I need to verify your identity information." She pushed a document in front of Shen Yu'an. "Please check for any errors."

Shen Yu'an looked down and checked. The name and date of birth were correct, and the signature column was in the right place.

He signed it and then pushed the document to Caesar. Caesar also looked it over, signed it, and pushed the document back.

The staff member took the document, looked at it, and stamped it after confirming that the signature was complete.

Her movements were ordinary, like the most routine step in her daily work, but the sound of the stamp falling was clear, echoing briefly in the quiet room before stopping.

"Congratulations," the staff member said, then turned the signed certificate over to show the two of them.

Shen Yu'an looked down at the certificate.

His name and Caesar's name were printed side by side on the paper, with the date below.

A piece of paper, stamped and signed—it seemed far too simple compared to the elaborate ceremonies in the church. He looked at it for a few seconds, then looked up at Caesar.

"They got married with just a piece of paper."

Caesar reached out and took the certificate, glanced at it, and then placed it back on the table: "The one in the church is for everyone to see. This piece of paper is for the government."

Shen Yu'an smiled, picked up the certificate, folded it, and put it in the inside pocket of his coat, along with the letter.

The two people stood up, and the staff shook hands with them, saying, "I wish you happiness."

Shen Yu'an said thank you, and then walked out of the registration office with Xize.

The sky above the entrance was a bit brighter than when I arrived. The clouds had dispersed, and sunlight fell on the steps, illuminating the gray stone surface in a pale white light.

Shen Yu'an stood on the steps, glanced down at the corner of a piece of paper sticking out of his pocket, and then looked back at the dark blue sign on the registration desk.

"What were you thinking when you signed that document?" Shen Yu'an asked.

Xize stood beside him: "I was thinking about how your pen paused a few months ago when you were sitting at this table filling out a form."

Shen Yu'an turned her head to look at him: "You even remember this."

"Remember."

The two walked down the steps towards the parking lot. There weren't many people on the street; the leaves of the sycamore trees rustled gently in the wind, with the occasional leaf falling onto the sidewalk.

After taking a few steps, Shen Yu'an took out the certificate from his pocket, unfolded it, and looked at it again to confirm the date and the position of the name. Then he folded the certificate and put it back, and buttoned up his pocket.

"Where do you plan to put that certificate?" he asked.

"Bookshelf," said Nishizawa.

"Put it with that letter?"

"Put it together with the letter."

Shen Yu'an did not ask any further questions.

He walked beside Xize at a moderate pace, the afternoon breeze blowing from the other side of the street lifting the hem of his coat slightly.

He reached out and pressed down on the hem. When his fingers touched the edge of the pocket, he felt the outline of the paper again. He folded it twice, and the paper was stuck to the fabric.

Xize walked beside him, his hands hanging at his sides.

The backs of their hands touched, then separated, then touched again, and then Shen Yu'an's hand was grasped by Xize.

Palms pressed together, body heat mingling.

He looked down at their clasped hands, the two platinum rings pressed together, gleaming briefly in the afternoon light.

They walked down the street and got into the car.

The rows of plane trees outside the car window receded into the distance. The London afternoon was quiet and ordinary, no different from any other day.

But Shen Yu'an had an extra certificate in his pocket.

He leaned back in his seat, turning his head to look out the window. Xize's hand was still holding his, his thumb slowly rubbing against the back of his hand.

"Go back and put the certificate and letter together."

"good."

The car turned the corner, and the dark blue sign for the registration office disappeared from view.