ADMPT: 3

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Chapter 3

The words were phrased tactfully. After all, most ordinary people found it difficult to speak bluntly about the death of a loved one.

Furthermore, Jiang Ciyu had only agreed to this marriage alliance for Old Master Jiang's sake, which showed just how important his grandfather was to him.

They would divorce as soon as he was no longer needed to play the part of a devoted couple in front of Old Master Jiang.

—Exactly what he wanted.

Jiang Ciyu: "During this period, I'll help resolve the issues with the Chu family's company."

Chu Li's eyes curved slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

Chu Li's first impression of Jiang Ciyu was very good. He was a serious and responsible partner.

Soon after, Jiang Ciyu handed over the contract that had already been drafted earlier, along with a pen.

The Chu family had long since confirmed the contents of the contract. After checking it over, Chu Li signed his name without hesitation.

Jiang Ciyu's gaze swept over Chu Li's clearly well-practiced handwriting, then he asked, "Is it convenient to register the marriage today?"

Chu Li froze for a second before hurriedly realizing why Jiang Ciyu had asked this. Registering the marriage required taking photos, and he hadn't shown his full face since they met.

Chu Li immediately pulled his mask down slightly, revealing the half of his face that had been carefully hidden. The sickly look from the past two days was already gone.

The mask got caught at his chin, making his face appear even slimmer. Clearly possessing stunningly alluring features, he nonetheless inexplicably gave off a sense that stirred protective instincts.

"It's convenient. I'm just wearing a mask because I'm worried about infecting Mr. Jiang. I brought my ID card and household register booklet."

Jiang Ciyu's first impression of Chu Li was that he was beautiful. Beautiful to the point of being somewhat androgynous, like a genderless spirit or a BJD doll that could be styled however one pleased.

Yet his tone wasn't soft at all, but had a clean and clear male voice. Once he spoke, there was no longer any confusion about his gender.

Such beauty surely lacked no admirers, appealing to both men and women alike. After all, outstanding looks were a strength in themselves.

People inevitably felt a desire to look more closely at beautiful things, and Jiang Ciyu was no exception.

But he wasn't someone with poor self-control, nor did he want blurred boundaries with a contractual partner. He simply nodded and stood up. "Let's go."

It was also a good thing. At the very least, when his grandfather asked in the future what he liked about Chu Li, he could answer cleanly and decisively that he's good-looking.

No one would doubt this answer.

Chu Li put his mask back on and took the VIP elevator with Jiang Ciyu straight down to the parking garage, where a driver opened the car door for them.

In the car, Chu Li sent his parents a message, informing them that they were going to register the marriage. Everything progressed very smoothly.

Jiang Ciyu knew that Chu Li's parents were still in the private room next door. After obtaining the certificate, he would send him back here to return home with his family.

The Civil Affairs Bureau was about a fifteen-minute drive away. After messaging his parents, Chu Li, having nothing to do, took the neatly folded agreement out of his pocket, turned it over to the back, where Jiang Ciyu's personal profile was listed, and began silently memorizing it line by line.

Doesn't like vinegar, doesn't like sour food, doesn't like mustard…

Likes fish, likes seafood, likes the seaside…

It felt as though Chu Li hadn't memorized anything this seriously since graduating from senior high school, especially something filled with dense text across an entire page and lacking any logical pattern. There was, however, a certain novelty to it.

Just as Chu Li was deeply engrossed in his memorization, Jiang Ciyu spoke up out of the blue: "Write up a profile of yourself for me tonight."

Chu Li paused a bit, then nodded. "Alright."

This really was the fastest and most convenient way for them to get to know each other.

Jiang Ciyu continued, "I have several properties in the Imperial Capital. Based on the locations of your studio and my company, Longchuan Garden is the most suitable."

The first clause of the agreement was cohabitation. After obtaining the marriage certificate, it was only natural for both parties to live together.

As for the two of them, calling it cohabitation was less accurate than calling it a shared living arrangement.

Chu Li nodded. "That works."

He knew Longchuan Garden. The location was prime real estate where every inch was worth a fortune. It was much closer to his studio than his own home, and moving rent-free meant that no matter how he looked at it, he was getting the better end of the deal.

Jiang Ciyu: "Move in before next Wednesday."

He was giving Chu Li time to recover from his illness.

Chu Li: "No problem."

Next was the second clause.

Jiang Ciyu: "Also, switch to a more intimate form of address. Start getting used to it now so as not to slip up in front of Grandpa. You can call me…"

Chu Li didn't hesitate: "Hubby."

Jiang Ciyu: "..."

It was around two or three in the afternoon, and the car was brightly lit. Chu Li watched as Jiang Ciyu's ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, his eyes darkening and his lips tightening.

Chu Li blinked rapidly.

…No way? Just a title, and he's shy already?

He had seen photos and videos of Jiang Ciyu released by the media. Under the spotlight, with countless eyes fixed on him, he calmly and methodically answered reporters' sharp questions, his presence powerful and fully in control.

Since their first meeting today, he had always been the one taking the lead, with Chu Li merely cooperating and following along.

And yet now, just the word Hubby had unexpectedly left him speechless, his ears flushed red.

Was he really this pure-hearted?

Jiang Ciyu grew a little uncomfortable under his gaze. He averted his eyes and looked out the window. In the end, he didn't correct the form of address, only giving a muffled hmm in tacit acceptance.

Once the marriage certificate was obtained, they were legally married men. Between legally married men, calling him hubby was only natural, and he had no reason to refuse.

From Chu Li's angle, he could only see that one ear was still burning red. He felt a strange urge to lean over and see if his face was red too.

But Chu Li still restrained himself. After all, it was their first meeting, and they weren't that close yet.

Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The two relative strangers stepped out of the car one after the other and, under the staff's guidance, smoothly completed the marriage registration process.

In the red booklet, Jiang Ciyu's ears in the photo were still flushed. This was solely because Chu Li had insisted on calling him Hubby several more times throughout the registration process.

In the front-facing shot, a few stray strands of hair by his ear happened to block it, so it wasn't quite as noticeable.

Chu Li noticed his awkwardness, but didn't tone down. It wasn't that he was intentionally bullying him. After all, it was Jiang Ciyu himself who had proposed acting as a devoted couple in front of his grandfather. He needed to get used to such an affectionate form of address sooner rather than later.

Of course, watching this person who was clearly shy yet trying his best to maintain a straight face was also rather amusing.

Jiang Ciyu couldn't bring himself to use such terms and only called him Little Li in a polite, formal manner.

Once they were back in the car, Jiang Ciyu had Chu Li take out his marriage certificate and said. "I'll take a photo to send to Grandpa."

Chu Li obediently complied, handing over the red booklet.

Just as Jiang Ciyu was about to take the red booklet, he noticed that Chu Li hadn't let go.

The small marriage certificate was clutched between their hands.

Chu Li's fingers were slender and fair, like fine mutton-fat jade. Jiang Ciyu's hands were larger, with sensually defined knuckles, and when placed beside Chu Li's, they looked incredibly dominant.

Meeting Jiang Ciyu's puzzled gaze, Chu Li asked, "Aren't you going to take a photo to send to Grandpa?"

Jiang Ciyu gave a low hmm, not understanding his meaning.

He was going to take a photo. He needed to send a shot of both marriage certificates to his grandfather. But how was he supposed to do that if Chu Li wouldn't hand the other one over?

Chu Li: "..."

Chu Li took the initiative to guide Jiang Ciyu's hand onto his marriage certificate, then brought his own copy close so the camera could easily frame both certificates and their hands together.

Chu Li lifted his eyes, his voice carrying a faint trace of helplessness. "Alright, take it."

Jiang Ciyu finally understood what he meant. He realized that a photo like this would be much more convincing for his grandfather. Pressing his lips together, he remained silent and cooperated, picking up his phone to open the camera.

"Have you never been in a relationship, Mr. Jiang?" Chu Li's voice suddenly rang out. This time, he didn't address Jiang Ciyu as hubby.

Jiang Ciyu's hand jerked. Click. The photo was a blur.

"No. Not interested." His lips thinned, his voice sounding defensive. As if trying to cover his tracks, he quickly tapped the shutter twice more until he finally captured a clear shot.

A small curve formed at the corner of Chu Li’s mouth.

No wonder he was so pure-hearted. Just hearing hubby was enough to make his ears burn, and he didn't even know how to stage a simple photo for his elder.

That contract was likely drafted by an assistant or someone like that. Otherwise, why would a requirement like add each other on WeChat even be in there?

But the not interested part was likely true.

After all, Jiang Ciyu was already twenty-eight and had never been in a relationship. The media hadn't managed to catch even a hint of a scandal, and he was rumored to be a workaholic who was indifferent to romance. Perhaps… he was just cold-natured?

Chu-succubus-Li didn't understand, but he respected it.

Seeing Jiang Ciyu open the chat with his grandfather and send the photo they had just taken, Chu Li proactively pulled up his WeChat QR code and held it out to him, fulfilling the clause in the contract to add each other on WeChat.

Jiang Ciyu scanned the code and froze.

Chu Li's WeChat avatar… was a tiny, slightly curled pink tentacle.

It was a color very similar to his own.

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