ACMS 27

Chapter 27: Marriage Certificate in Hand

“Wasn’t it a company benefit?”

“Of course it was! The boss said so, so it must be!”

Judy, under Shen Hechuan’s deadly gaze, had her soul almost leave her body. She put on a robotic smile and said, “Of course it was a company benefit! Our company has great benefits. I’ll make sure to give Xiao Man my Lego too!”

Qiao Le: “…” Now she’s just babbling.

“I’ll leave you two to cultivate your feelings, hahahaha,” Judy quickly retreated, deeming self-preservation most important.

Even though she said that, Qiao Le already knew everything. He had guessed that Shen Hechuan said it was a company benefit to avoid putting any burden on him.

“Company benefit.” Qiao Le looked at Shen Hechuan and repeated the words he had said when he gave the Lego, “There’s no child at home to use it, and it was just taking up space, right?”

“Yeah, company benefit.” Shen Hechuan lied smoothly, “There’ll be more next time.”

Qiao Le couldn’t help but laugh.

He exchanged a look with Shen Hechuan, then turned his head away to laugh more, only stopping when he had laughed enough. “Xiao Man, big brother needs to work. Come over and play with Uncle Shen. He said he’ll bring you more Legos next time.”

Plop!

Hearing about the new Legos, Xiao Man’s little lightbulb went off in his head. He stopped playing with the Rubik’s cube, hurried over, and asked, “Really? Uncle Shen!”

Shen Hechuan still had plenty of Lego in the car. “Really.”

“Yay!” Xiao Man was ecstatic. “Thank you, Uncle Shen! Then I’ll come play ‘Ludo’ with you!”

He quickly climbed down from the stool and ran to the lounge to get a Ludo set, then clumsily climbed back up.

Shen Hechuan saw that the stool was too high for him and warned, “Be careful.”

Xiao Man had climbed on the tall stools of the bar many times, and he quickly hopped back up, placing the Ludo set in front of Shen Hechuan. “Let’s play together. Big brother needs to work, so we won’t disturb him.”

The Ludo box had the words “Qiao Man” written on it in a crooked, somewhat untidy handwriting—probably written by Xiao Man himself.

Shen Hechuan glanced toward Qiao Le, who was skillfully mixing drinks.

The uniform at “A Drink to Unwind” looked very similar to those at Might Bar—white shirts and dress pants, a classic black-and-white combination. The overall look was neat and crisp.

To make it easier to work, Qiao Le had rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, revealing slender but well-toned arms, every inch perfectly proportioned.

“Uncle Shen?”

Xiao Man’s voice broke Shen Hechuan’s attention. He returned his gaze and started playing Ludo with Xiao Man.

He didn’t have much experience with children, but Xiao Man was so well-behaved and cute that he didn’t feel repelled. He even found himself growing fond of him.

The night passed with everyone playing until closing time.

Shen Hechuan waited for Qiao Le to finish work. Xiao Man had already fallen asleep, and Shen Hechuan carried him to the car. Qiao Le followed in and left his electric scooter at the store.

The chauffeur drove them to the curb outside the neighborhood. As Qiao Le was about to get out and carry the still-sleeping Xiao Man, Shen Hechuan, stepping out of the passenger seat, said, “Let me do it.”

He bent down to carefully lift Xiao Man out. The little guy, having played late with everyone, was now sleeping soundly and had found a comfortable spot to rest his head on Shen Hechuan’s shoulder.

“I’ll walk you both in,” Shen Hechuan said to Qiao Le. “Is that okay? Are your parents home?”

It was no surprise that Shen Hechuan asked this. Even though they had known each other for a while, Qiao Le had never mentioned anything about his family situation, not even during their discussion about the marriage contract.

Qiao Le picked up Xiao Man’s shoes. “It’s fine. It’s just Xiao Man and me at home.”

He led Shen Hechuan down the alley. Normally, he would ride his electric scooter straight to the entrance, but Shen Hechuan’s car was too big to fit in.

The place where Qiao Le lived was called a “community,” but in reality, it was just a typical rental house. The landlords of the area had simply given it a name to sound more appealing.

To make it convenient for the tenants, the rental houses on both sides had porch lights that illuminated the alley without interfering with walking paths.

The stairs of the building where Qiao Le lived were a bit narrow, making it difficult for two adults to walk side by side. The light in the hallway had been broken for a couple of days, and the landlord had yet to fix it.

Qiao Le walked ahead, using his phone as a flashlight, and lowered his voice to Shen Hechuan, “Be careful.”

“Mm.” Shen Hechuan steadily held Xiao Man and followed behind him.

They reached the fourth floor, and Qiao Le took out his keys to open the door.

It was already past two in the morning. The old rental building wasn’t very soundproof, and in order not to disturb the other tenants, Qiao Le tried his best to move quietly, but the stainless steel security door still made a creaking noise.

After opening the door, Qiao Le turned on the lights inside, stepped aside to let Shen Hechuan in, and then closed the door.

Shen Hechuan was still holding Xiao Man and stood at the door, asking, “Do you need to change shoes?”

“No need, I don’t have slippers in your size,” Qiao Le replied as he changed into his own slippers and reached out to take Xiao Man. “I’ll do it.”

Shen Hechuan said, “It’s fine. I’ll carry him to the room.”

“Okay.”

Qiao Le led him to the bedroom he shared with Xiao Man and asked Shen Hechuan to place Xiao Man on the bed. The little one stayed asleep the whole time, and as soon as he touched the bed, he instinctively grabbed his stuffed Psyduck and continued to sleep.

Qiao Le fetched some pajamas to change Xiao Man into. He could wash him tomorrow, but after a day out, he still needed to change clothes.

While changing, Xiao Man opened his eyes, mumbled big brother, and immediately turned his head to sleep again, clearly exhausted.

After coming out of the room, Qiao Le closed the door, and Shen Hechuan said, “Can you get me a glass of water?”

“Of course,” Qiao Le said, pulling out a chair for him to sit on before going to find a cup.

Shen Hechuan wasn’t actually thirsty. He just wanted to stay a little longer. He didn’t sit down but instead stood still, casually inspecting Qiao Le’s living space.

It was a very ordinary one-bedroom apartment—small rooms, a kitchen connected to a balcony, and a tiny bathroom.

Though the apartment was small, it was neat and clean. The toys for the child were well-organized in boxes, not scattered around.

On the walls were certificates Xiao Man had earned at kindergarten, as well as his childlike drawings. On a three-tier shelf below, there were children’s picture books and storybooks.

In this little living room, about two-thirds of the space was filled with Xiao Man’s belongings, including a small desk that belonged to him.

Shen Hechuan’s gaze fell on a photo frame on the desk. It was a picture of Qiao Le and Xiao Man, probably taken at an amusement park. Both of them were smiling joyfully.

Next to the desk, a foam carpet was laid out on the floor, and on it was the Lego set he had given Xiao Man.

The small living room was easy to survey in one glance.

Shen Hechuan confirmed one thing: there was no trace of Qiao Le’s parents having ever lived here.

When Qiao Le returned with the water, he noticed Shen Hechuan was looking at the Lego on the floor and said, “Xiao Man puts it together every time he comes back, but since we don’t stay home long, he only gets a little done.”

“We don’t stay home long,” Shen Hechuan caught the key point in his words. “Does Xiao Man go to work with you every day?”

“Yeah,” Qiao Le handed him the water. “Otherwise, I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone at home. At the bar, everyone helps take care of him.”

Shen Hechuan understood now why, the last time they went home together, Qiao Le had to ask Fang Jiaxu to help take care of Xiao Man. It was because there was no one else at home.

“Do you take care of Xiao Man by yourself? What about your parents?” Shen Hechuan asked directly, no longer using subtle hints. “Didn’t they live with you?”

Qiao Le looked at him, and Shen Hechuan continued, “Do we need to inform them when we get married? After all, it’s not a small matter, and there’s the household register…”

“No need,” Qiao Le shook his head. “The household register is with me.”

Shen Hechuan paused, a thought flashing through his mind. Before he could think further, Qiao Le continued, “My dad passed away, and my mom left when Xiao Man was two. So, there’s no need to tell them. I can make decisions on my own.”

Since they were getting married anyway, Qiao Le no longer hid the truth from him: “There’s no one else in my family, just me and Xiao Man.”

Although Shen Hechuan had vaguely suspected it earlier, hearing Qiao Le say it out loud still left him stunned.

He finally understood why Qiao Le was constantly working, why he would skip a meal just to earn a little tip—because he needed to support himself and his younger brother.

“So, when you said last time that your mom wanted to talk to my family about the bride price, that might not be possible,” Qiao Le said apologetically. “But we’re not really getting married, so the bride price can be forgotten. After all, you’ve already given me so much money.”

As he spoke, a troubled expression appeared on his face. “But with my situation, I don’t know if your parents will be disappointed when they find out…”

“They won’t.”

Shen Hechuan interrupted him, speaking with certainty. “They’ll only feel sorry for you, think you’re great, and praise you for taking such good care of both yourself and Xiao Man.”

Qiao Le’s ears warmed from the compliment, and he waved it off. “It’s not that impressive. Xiao Man is very well-behaved, doesn’t cause me any trouble, and can even help with things.”

As he spoke, his tone became proud again, clearly happy about how mature his younger brother was.

Shen Hechuan had only seen Xiao Man twice, but he had a good impression of him. The child was indeed polite and well-behaved.

“You’ve taught him well. You both are great.”

“Eh, eh,” Qiao Le feigned shyness, covering his face briefly before letting go. He looked at Shen Hechuan playfully and said, “No matter how much you praise me, I won’t give you a discount. We agreed on ten million, so it’s ten million.”

Shen Hechuan hadn’t thought about offering a discount and even felt that he hadn’t given enough.

But hearing Qiao Le say this, he teased, “So there’s no friendship price this time?”

Qiao Le replied, “I can give you a positive review and cashback.”

They both laughed at that.

“By the way, the Lego set you gave Xiao Man is too big,” Qiao Le pointed at the Lego set on the floor. “I don’t have space for it here. I’ll have to declutter to make room.”

Shen Hechuan said, “I have space.”

“Mm?” Qiao Le didn’t quite get it. “What do you mean?”

“I have space to put it,” Shen Hechuan clarified. “You’ve been to my place. It’s big, and there’s a separate room where Xiao Man can put his Legos.”

Qiao Le was surprised. “Ah, you mean I should move into your place?”

“Move to Linjiang Complex, not to my parents’ place.”

Shen Hechuan carefully chose his words, worried that it might hurt Qiao Le’s pride. “With my mom’s personality, after we get married, she’ll probably come over to my place often. If we don’t live together, it could be too obvious…”

Qiao Le nodded understandingly. “That’s fine. My place is too small, so it’s unrealistic for you to move in here. I’ll clean up and move over when I can.”

Shen Hechuan was relieved when Qiao Le agreed so easily. He hadn’t worried about things going in that direction and felt at ease. “Okay.”

He glanced at the time. It was already three in the morning.

“I’ll head back now,” he said to Qiao Le. “Let’s have lunch together tomorrow. I’ll bring the cobtract.”

Qiao Le had no objections. “Sounds good.”

He walked Shen Hechuan to the door. “Be careful on the way. Let me know when you get home.”

“Mm. You should sleep early. Don’t wait up for me.” Shen Hechuan’s gaze softened. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

After Shen Hechuan left and went downstairs, Qiao Le closed the door, then absentmindedly touched his ears, which were strangely warm.

Why did it feel like saying goodbye to a boyfriend?

Realizing what he was thinking, he quickly shook his head and slapped his own face. He immediately tried to reframe his thoughts: “Stay focused, stay focused. You’re not really in a relationship; this is a marriage of convenience.”

But it really felt like being in a relationship.

A quiet voice whispered in his mind, and the words seemed to hook everything that had happened tonight. It played in his head like a movie, replaying everything that had taken place.

He thought of how Shen Hechuan called him “Lele,” thought of the two of them smiling at each other, thought of how Shen Hechuan praised the drink he mixed as delicious.

All he could think about was Shen Hechuan—everything about him tonight.

He must’ve been possessed.

Qiao Le cursed under his breath. Realizing that self-brainwashing wasn’t working, he decided to just take a cold shower to calm down.

—

On the other side, Shen Hechuan got in the car and gave the chauffeur the address of the Complex. Then he closed his eyes to rest.

When he returned and was riding the elevator up, he sent a message to Qiao Le saying he had arrived home.

[Qiao Lelele: Got it! Good night!]

[Qiao Lelele: Little bear lifts blanket to sleep.jpg]

[Shen: Good night.]

After sending the message, Shen Hechuan edited Qiao Le’s WeChat name, deleting the first two words and leaving only “Lele.”

The elevator doors opened, and Shen Hechuan entered his home.

He casually set his car keys down at the entrance, opened the shoe cabinet, and bent down to take out his slippers. His eyes unintentionally swept past the little bear slippers that Qiao Le had worn last time—and stopped.

Qiao Le had taken a picture of those slippers, saying he wanted to find the same pair for Qiao Man. Shen Hechuan wondered if he’d found them yet.

He took out the slippers and snapped a photo. He opened WeChat and was about to send it, but when he glanced at the time in the corner of the screen, he decided against it and put the slippers back.

Changing shoes, he walked into the house, glancing around the living room as he moved.

Too empty.

He hadn’t felt that way when living alone, but now that Qiao Le and his brother were moving in, he figured he needed to buy some new things.

—

The next morning, the first person awake was Judy, who received a message from Shen Hechuan asking her to purchase some home items for an adult and a child—preferably within the next couple of days.

Judy had drunk quite a bit the night before and stayed up late, so normally she wouldn’t be up this early. But the mess she made with her words last night weighed on her mind, and the moment she lay down, she had a chaotic string of wild, inappropriate dreams.

She dreamed of asking Qiao Le for his WeChat right in front of Shen Hechuan, then secretly inviting him out for drinks, and finally being fired.

She woke up dizzy and panicked, but the instant she saw Shen Hechuan’s message, she shot upright in bed.

Most people might be annoyed to get a message from their boss on a day off, but she was ecstatic—it meant she hadn’t been fired!

Most importantly, the final three words of his message were: Counts as overtime.

Counts as overtime?

Well then, no more sleep for me!

She immediately called Shen Hechuan and asked what kind of items he needed. Shen Hechuan told her to shop as if furnishing a new home and have everything delivered to the Linjiang Complex.

Judy instantly understood—“adult” and “child” clearly referred to Qiao Le and Qiao Man.

And “deliver to Linjiang Complex” meant—they were going to live together!

This was about her boss’s future happiness!

“Understood!” Judy responded with vigor. “I’ll take care of it right away!”

“Wait,” Shen Hechuan stopped her. “One more thing.”

“Yes, go ahead,” Judy said, fully attentive.

“I sent it to you on WeChat.”

Judy put the call on speaker and opened the message: it was a picture of—yellow, kawaii-style little bear slippers?

“Ask the brand if they have a children’s version in the same style, for a five-year-old,” Shen Hechuan said. “Also, buy more of the same LEGO set from last time. Other toys, you can choose.”

“Got it, President Shen.” Judy hesitated a little before asking, “What about Mr. Qiao? Aside from daily necessities, should I prepare any other gifts?”

Other gifts?

Shen Hechuan had thought about it. But he didn’t know Qiao Le’s preferences yet. Unlike with Qiao Man, it wasn’t so easy to pick something for him, so it would have to wait.

“No need—I’ll handle his myself.”

There was plenty of time. He would slowly get to know Qiao Le.

—

After arranging everything, Shen Hechuan called Qiao Le to ask if he had any specific requests for their agreement.

They discussed it over the phone for a bit and finalized the general terms. Qiao Le also sent him his ID number.

By noon, Shen Hechuan brought the completed contract to see Qiao Le.

Qiao Le hadn’t gone out to deliver food today—he was at home tidying up. Shen Hechuan arrived just in time for kindergarten dismissal, so the two of them picked up Qiao Man and went for lunch together.

The last time Qiao Man rode in Shen Hechuan’s car, he had fallen asleep. Today, he was excited. “Uncle Shen, your car is so big and so pretty!”

Sitting next to him, Qiao Le couldn’t help but laugh. Of course a Bentley would be big and pretty.

Last time it was a Maybach, and this time it was a Bentley—he was really getting the full “marrying into a wealthy family” experience.

Lunch was at Shiweiting, a private Cantonese restaurant.

This was the third time Shen Hechuan had made a reservation—finally, he’d managed to bring Qiao Le here.

The staff led them to a private room, and the moment they entered, Qiao Le spotted a large building block toy beside the tea table. It clashed with the antique décor of the room.

Shen Hechuan noticed his gaze and said, “For Xiao Man to play with later.”

Qiao Man pointed at himself. “Me? Me? Can I play now?”

“After we eat,” Qiao Le poked his back. “Go sit down.”

The three of them sat. Once the tea was served, the staff left.

Shen Hechuan had already ordered in advance based on Qiao Le’s preferences. He’d also arranged a kid’s meal for Qiao Man. The food arrived shortly after.

“You ordered way too much,” Qiao Le said.

“It just looks like a lot. The portions are small,” Shen Hechuan replied. “Let’s eat.”

The restaurant’s food was excellent—on par with the chefs at Shen Hechuan’s home. As soon as they finished eating, Qiao Man ran off eagerly to play with the blocks.

Shen Hechuan handed the contract to Qiao Le. “Take a look. If there’s anything you’re not happy with, we can revise it.”

Qiao Le took it and read through carefully.

The contract wasn’t long, and he finished it quickly. He realized many of the terms were in his favor. There was nothing that needed changing.

After confirming the date and amount, he said to Shen Hechuan, “No objections.”

“Then let’s sign.”

Shen Hechuan handed him a pen. The two of them signed and left their fingerprints on the agreement.

Once everything was settled, Shen Hechuan transferred the money to Qiao Le.

Qiao Le’s phone lit up where it sat nearby. A bank message popped up.

[XX Bank: Your account ending in 6221 received a deposit of 10,000,000 yuan at 13:55 on September 27. Current balance: 10,010,803.28]

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, hundred-thousands, millions, ten million—

Ten million!!

Qiao Le: “!!”

His eyes widened slightly. He picked up his phone and stared at the message, reading it over and over. Then he looked up at Shen Hechuan, who was calmly sipping his tea. “You already transferred the money?”

“Mm,” Shen Hechuan set down his cup. “Got it?”

Qiao Le nodded frantically, suddenly feeling like even the phone had gotten heavier in his hand, and his mood floated up like a balloon.

Finally, he was the one being spoiled by a rich person!

Shen Hechuan was practically his personal benefactor!

Seeing Shen Hechuan reaching for the teapot, Qiao Le quickly called out, “Wait!”

Shen Hechuan: “?”

“I’ll do it~” Qiao Le ran over and cheerfully poured him another cup. “Take your time—there’s more if you want it.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

“You bootlicker,” Shen Hechuan said with a laugh.

Qiao Le didn’t mind at all. “At your service!”

They didn’t stay in the restaurant long since they still had to take Qiao Man back to kindergarten.

After dropping Qiao Man off, Shen Hechuan asked what plans Qiao Le had for the afternoon. Qiao Le said, “Nothing planned—was just going to go home and pack.”

Shen Hechuan replied, “Then let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau first.”

Qiao Le: “Huh?”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, and the bureau doesn’t work weekends. I might be busy next week.” Shen Hechuan checked his phone and showed it to Qiao Le. “This afternoon works.”

Qiao Le looked at the calendar and saw the words ‘Auspicious for marriage’. He was speechless.

But since the agreement was signed and the money was already in his account, getting a marriage certificate didn’t really matter anymore.

So he said, “Give me a minute—I’ll go get my ID and household registration book.”

Then he suddenly realized, “Wait, you brought yours?”

Shen Hechuan answered matter-of-factly, “I did.”

Qiao Le: “…What about the appointment?”

“Already booked.”

“…” Qiao Le had nothing more to say—he could only marvel at Shen Hechuan’s efficiency.

Clearly, this man had been traumatized by the pressure to get married.

Qiao Le went home to grab his ID and registration book, changed into something a little more formal, and headed to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Shen Hechuan.

It wasn’t the National Day holiday yet, so there weren’t many people getting registered today—both straight and same-sex couples were present.

There was a photo station for taking ID photos. The two of them took a number and got in line for a red-background shot.

The photographer was a young woman who couldn’t stop gushing about how handsome they both were, saying they looked incredibly well-matched and like a perfect couple. She praised them so much Qiao Le’s ears turned red.

After taking the photos, they went to the registration counter to have their documents reviewed, sign the papers, and leave their fingerprints.

Once the paperwork was confirmed, the official stamped their red booklets.

With their marriage certificates in hand, the photographer asked if they wanted a commemorative photo together.

Qiao Le, thinking this was just a fake marriage anyway, was about to decline. “No need, I—”

“Okay.”

Qiao Le looked up at Shen Hechuan, who had interrupted him, and asked uncertainly, “You want to take a photo together?”

“We’re already here,” Shen Hechuan said casually. “Might as well.”

The photographer chimed in too, “Yeah, since you’re here, take a few photos for the memories!”

There it was—one of the Four Famous Phrases: Since we’re already here.

Qiao Le thought about it—yeah, they were already here.

Even if they got divorced when the agreement ended, it could still count as a memory.

So he and Shen Hechuan went over to the oath-taking podium. As the photographer adjusted the lens, she said, “A little closer—closer.”

Qiao Le scooted slightly toward Shen Hechuan until their arms touched. Shen Hechuan placed a hand on his shoulder.

Click—

The shutter snapped, freezing the image in place.

After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Qiao Le got into the car and immediately opened the red booklet they had just received.

Certificate Holder: Qiao Le

Registration Date: September 27, 20XX

Marriage Certificate No.: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They really got registered?

Looking at the details inside, Qiao Le was dazed for a moment… then couldn’t help but laugh.

Hearing him suddenly laugh, Shen Hechuan asked, “What’s funny?”

“I just thought of something amusing.” Qiao Le shook the marriage certificate in his hand and said with a grin, “I used to see TV dramas with ‘The Millionaire Bride.’ Never thought I’d be a ‘Ten-Million Groom’ today.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Qiao Le closed the booklet. “But the millionaire bride’s money comes from her father-in-law. Me? This ten-million groom got the money from his husband.”

Shen Hechuan followed up, “So who gave you the money?”

“My husband, of course,” Qiao Le answered without thinking.

Shen Hechuan: “Mm.”

“…” Qiao Le froze, realizing he’d walked right into that one. He looked at Shen Hechuan in disbelief.

Shen Hechuan reached over and patted his head. “Buckle your seatbelt, Ten-Million Groom.”

Qiao Le: “…”

Shen Hechuan, you’re so shameless!!