Hello, Comrade. I'm Here to Marry You!

He rarely heard anyone use the word "husband."

The people around him all called their partners by their names.

The word felt a little too intimate.

But when Xie Huaizheng heard Su Zhaozhao say it, he wasn’t averse to it at all. Instead, it sent a pleasant, tingling itch straight to his heart.

He couldn’t help but grasp Su Zhaozhao’s shoulders, leaning in to gaze down at the young woman before him.

"Say it again," Xie Huaizheng rasped, his coarse fingers unable to resist stroking Su Zhaozhao’s tender cheek.

"Husband, husband, husband," Su Zhaozhao said, smiling up at Xie Huaizheng. "We may not have our marriage certificate yet, but we’re going tomorrow. What else would I call you?"

Besides, no one else was around, and Su Zhaozhao was brazen enough to feel she could say it as she pleased.

’But this is strange. Why does Xie Huaizheng want me to say it again?’

’His expression is a little odd, too. Does he find it strange?’

Su Zhaozhao had no idea that at this very moment, Xie Huaizheng’s heart was pounding wildly, as if it were about to leap from his chest.

The young woman’s voice, clear and sweet, pierced his heart and seemed to sear a brand upon his very soul.

His heart pounded like a drum; he could practically hear the frantic rhythm in his ears.

This was yet another new experience.

Xie Huaizheng couldn’t resist leaning into Su Zhaozhao, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Zhaozhao, I really like it when you call me that," Xie Huaizheng told Su Zhaozhao, his voice husky.

Then he cupped her chin and continued to kiss her.

He kissed her deeply, savoring the sweetness of her lips, never getting enough. His hand on her waist held her tight as he stroked her back.

The young woman’s body was so soft, and her scent washed over him, teasing his self-control to the brink of collapse.

He felt himself losing control.

...

Xie Huaizheng held Su Zhaozhao, his eyes a deep sea of desire.

"I’ll take you back."

Su Zhaozhao nodded, looking up at Xie Huaizheng, her eyes glistening alluringly.

It lent a seductive charm to the corners of her eyes.

Xie Huaizheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The desire he had just barely managed to suppress flared up again in that instant.

But he knew he had something more important to do.

He had to take Su Zhaozhao back first.

Before he left, Xie Huaizheng told Su Zhaozhao, "Remember to lock your door after you do your laundry and take a shower."

"Is there a problem?"

’She’s so perceptive. I just mention it, and she already senses something is wrong.’

Xie Huaizheng shook his head. "Just worried you might be in danger."

"Okay."

The door to her room closed, and Xie Huaizheng turned and headed downstairs.

His expression instantly turned stern and cold, a hostile glint flashing in his eyes.

Earlier, when he had been out to eat with Su Zhaozhao and Huang Jiqin, he had felt a persistent stare on them from behind.

The person’s gaze was anything but friendly.

He had glanced back out of the corner of his eye and seen the silhouette of a woman.

He hadn’t sought her out immediately, as it would have disturbed Huang Jiqin and Su Zhaozhao.

But now, Xie Huaizheng walked up to the front desk. "Have any new people arrived recently?" he asked Yu Huijun.

"A few people are here visiting family. Why?" Yu Huijun asked, looking at Xie Huaizheng curiously.

"Let me see the list of recent check-ins."

Yu Huijun took the guest registration list from a drawer and handed it to Xie Huaizheng.

She didn’t really know what Xie Huaizheng was planning, but she knew he was a soldier. If he wanted the list, he certainly had his reasons.

Xie Huaizheng opened the list and scanned the recent arrivals.

The list included the guest’s name, age, occupation, and reason for their stay.

Xie Huaizheng’s eyes scanned the page and immediately locked onto one name: Gu Qingran, female, 21 years old, a student at Yun City University, here to see Dr. Lin Shumo at the military hospital.

The gender and age roughly matched.

’And she’s here to see Lin Shumo. That explains the way she was looking at us earlier.’

Xie Huaizheng’s thin lips pressed into a firm line as his eyes narrowed. ’Gu Qingran.’

He turned and left.

’From the looks of it, she doesn’t seem like the type who’d try to harm or kill Su Zhaozhao for money. In that case, I can wait until after we’ve taken care of things tomorrow to deal with her.’

Su Zhaozhao was completely oblivious to all this. She was still lost in the thought of going to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Xie Huaizheng to get their marriage certificate tomorrow.

The process for getting a marriage certificate in this era wasn’t much different from modern times. They needed their household registration booklets, their identification cards, the "Certificate of Marriage Registration for Military Personnel" from Xie Huaizheng’s unit, and a photo of the two of them together. With all that, they could go register their marriage.

Su Zhaozhao made a point to apply the spiritual spring water to her face like a mask, then followed up with various face creams, lotions, and so on, slathering them on her skin.

She couldn’t afford to be careless for such a major event.

Afterward, Su Zhaozhao went to her closet to pick out an outfit.

By now, the supplies in her personal dimension had become quite abundant.

Perhaps because she had been in this world for some time, the walk-in closet had expanded significantly.

Stepping inside, she could see a dazzling array of all kinds of clothes.

There were even evening gowns.

’But I’m just going to register our marriage. There’s no need to dress up like that.’

Su Zhaozhao finally chose a white dress.

The pure, pristine color was a popular choice for getting marriage licenses back in modern times, and it was a color she personally loved.

She planned to wear her hair in a side braid, accented with a red hair tie.

’Since we’re getting married, it should be a bit more festive.’

After considering her options, Su Zhaozhao decided this was the most fitting choice.

Finally, she fell onto the bed and drifted off to sleep.

’Perhaps now,’ she thought, ’I’ll finally be able to escape my fate as the villainess.’

Early the next morning, Xie Huaizheng had already driven over to pick up Su Zhaozhao.

Huang Jiqin was up as well, having deliberately changed into a wine-red outfit.

When she saw Su Zhaozhao in her white dress, she frowned. "Zhaozhao, today is a joyous occasion! Why are you dressed so plainly? If I had known, we should have gone shopping for some nicer clothes yesterday."

Not that Huang Jiqin didn’t think Su Zhaozhao looked drop-dead gorgeous in it.

The girl was so naturally beautiful she would look good even in a burlap sack.

But being a rather traditional person, she still felt it was better to wear something more colorful on such a festive occasion.

"It’s fine, Mom. Zhaozhao’s white dress goes well with my outfit," Xie Huaizheng said, gesturing to his own clothes.

He was wearing a white shirt, and standing next to Su Zhaozhao, their outfits were indeed a perfect match.

Huang Jiqin didn’t press the issue. ’Oh, forget it. It’s the younger generation getting married, not me. Why am I making such a fuss?’

"Let’s go then."

Huang Jiqin took Su Zhaozhao by the hand and got into Xie Huaizheng’s car. The three of them then set off for the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The Civil Affairs Bureau was located downtown, and the entire registration process was not at all complicated.

Soon, two bright red booklets were handed to Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng.

Su Zhaozhao looked at their photo in the certificate. Her smile was radiant and sweet. Xie Huaizheng’s lips were pressed together, and though he wasn’t openly smiling, the tenderness in his gaze and the faint hint of a smile were impossible to hide.