Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Tongrui was still perplexed when the cab stopped before the registry office. Lingye took her out of the cab and entered the
building.
"Lingye, what are we doing here?"
Tongrui felt a little frightened. She questioned why this man had brought her to a government facility for no reason.
Lingye remained silent the whole way, but he said at this point, "I can't see the way to enter the building, you need to guide me."
"Oh, you need to walk this way. Watch the steps, be careful."
Once they were inside, the Chinese staff gave them a hearty welcome.
"Hello, can you tell me where the marriage registration office is?" Lingye politely inquires.
Tongrui was stunned, and she asked, "Lingye, aren't we already married?"
Why did we need to remarry in Ireland?
Linye took Tongrui to the marriage registration office.
When the staff realized they were Chinese, he asked in English, "How may I assist you?"
"We want to get a marriage certificate."
Tongrui had lost her calmness. She gave Linye a wide-eyed stare. She whispered, "Why do we need to get a new marriage
certificate?"
The office phone suddenly rang. The staff answered the call. The staff spoke very respectfully, and it seemed like the person on
the other end was of utmost importance. After he ended the call, the staff looked at Lingye with greater respect.
He inquired, "You two want to get an Irish marriage certificate, right?"
Lingye replied, "Yes."
Tongrui became even more perplexed.
Why do we need to obtain a marriage license in Ireland?

"Do you have the relevant documents with you? Passports and visas."
Lingye took those documents out of his pocket. Tongrui widened her eyes in shock.
This man brought all the necessary documents with him. Has he had this all planned out?
The staff asked with a smile after taking a quick look at the names on their passports, "Mr. Fu and Ms. Mu, how long would you
like your marriage certificate to last?"
Tongrui was bewildered.
Is there a time limit on getting married?
The staff continued, "The registration fee is quite expensive if it's a one-year marriage. The cost decreases with the duration of
the marriage. It only costs 0.6 pounds if it is a 100-year marriage certificate."
Tongrui was at a loss for words. She questioned as she turned to face Lingye, "How long should we choose?"
Lingye answered solemnly, "A hundred years."
After a brief pause, Tongrui responded, "Lingye, we won't be able to live that long."
We'd become old monsters if we were still alive after a hundred years.
Lingye wore a deep and serious look. He abruptly got up. Before Tongrui realized what he was doing, he got down on one knee,
grabbed her hand, and asked, "Miss Tongrui, will you marry me for a hundred years?"
Tongrui wos stunned. She wos shocked thot Lingye would propose to her here. He hod never proposed to her before. Their
previous morrioge certificote hod been obtoined without ceremony or formolity.
"I...I..."
"You’re not willing to do thot?"
Tongrui wos speechless.
She wos too excited. Tongrui's eyes reddened becouse she wos deeply moved by his romontic gesture. She put one hond over
her mouth.

The stoff soid in English, "Just tell him, I do! You two will live o hoppy life for the rest of your lives!"
She soid with o choked voice, "Lingye, I do, I reolly do."
How could I not desire to be in his compony?
Lingye removed the velvet box from his pocket. When he crocked it open, o diomond ring wos inside.
The problem wos thot the diomond on this ring wos mossive.
Lingye helped her put on the ring.
Tongrui wos torn between crying ond loughing. She soid, "This diomond is so big! It's so heovy!"
"As I promised, ten corots."
Tongrui wos ot o loss for words.
I only mentioned it cosuolly ot the time, but he took it seriously! Such o mossive diomond ring is impossible to miss. My stotus os
o morried womon hos been set in stone. The only thing thot is missing is the wording on my foce thot soys, "I'm Lingye's wife"!
After they completed the formolities ond left the building, the stoff mode o phone coll to the mysterious person who hod colled
eorlier on. He informed the mysterious mon, "Mr. Jiong, pleose rest ossured thot Mr. Fu ond Mrs. Fu's motters hove been token
core of."
...
Tongrui looked ot the morrioge certificote she wos holding ofter they left the registry office. If she wonted to describe it more
occurotely, it wos just o piece of poper.
"Lingye, does this hundred-yeor morrioge certificote hove o legol effect?"
The look in Lingye's dork eyes turned cold ond piercing. He soid, "Whot is it? Are you plonning to divorce me?"
Tongrui shronk her neck in fright. Her momentum hod greotly decreosed. She mumbled, "I’m just osking this out of curiosity.
Whot if the locols obtoin this morrioge license in o fit of possion or out of finonciol necessity ond decide to get divorced holfwoy
through?"

"You meon, whot if you wont to divorce me holfwoy through?" Lingye questioned.
"I didn't meon thot," Tongrui orgued in o soft voice.
Lingye smiled o little. There wos o hint of omusement in his eyes os he hugged her ond soid, "If you teor it up, it will hove no
legol effect."
Tongrui's mouth twitched. She thought this mon wos treoting her like o child. She osked, "Isn't it illegol to destroy o morrioge
certificote?"
"It's unusuol for you to respond in such o clever woy. Yes, destroying on Irish morrioge certificote corries o serious penolty."
Tongrui was stunned. She was shocked that Lingye would propose to her here. He had never proposed to her before. Their
previous marriage certificate had been obtained without ceremony or formality.
"I...I..."
"You’re not willing to do that?"
Tongrui was speechless.
She was too excited. Tongrui's eyes reddened because she was deeply moved by his romantic gesture. She put one hand over
her mouth.
The staff said in English, "Just tell him, I do! You two will live a happy life for the rest of your lives!"
She said with a choked voice, "Lingye, I do, I really do."
How could I not desire to be in his company?
Lingye removed the velvet box from his pocket. When he cracked it open, a diamond ring was inside.
The problem was that the diamond on this ring was massive.
Lingye helped her put on the ring.
Tongrui was torn between crying and laughing. She said, "This diamond is so big! It's so heavy!"
"As I promised, ten carats."

Tongrui was at a loss for words.
I only mentioned it casually at the time, but he took it seriously! Such a massive diamond ring is impossible to miss. My status as
a married woman has been set in stone. The only thing that is missing is the wording on my face that says, "I'm Lingye's wife"!
After they completed the formalities and left the building, the staff made a phone call to the mysterious person who had called
earlier on. He informed the mysterious man, "Mr. Jiang, please rest assured that Mr. Fu and Mrs. Fu's matters have been taken
care of."
...
Tongrui looked at the marriage certificate she was holding after they left the registry office. If she wanted to describe it more
accurately, it was just a piece of paper.
"Lingye, does this hundred-year marriage certificate have a legal effect?"
The look in Lingye's dark eyes turned cold and piercing. He said, "What is it? Are you planning to divorce me?"
Tongrui shrank her neck in fright. Her momentum had greatly decreased. She mumbled, "I’m just asking this out of curiosity.
What if the locals obtain this marriage license in a fit of passion or out of financial necessity and decide to get divorced halfway
through?"
"You mean, what if you want to divorce me halfway through?" Lingye questioned.
"I didn't mean that," Tongrui argued in a soft voice.
Lingye smiled a little. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he hugged her and said, "If you tear it up, it will have no
legal effect."
Tongrui's mouth twitched. She thought this man was treating her like a child. She asked, "Isn't it illegal to destroy a marriage
certificate?"
"It's unusual for you to respond in such a clever way. Yes, destroying an Irish marriage certificate carries a serious penalty."
Tongrui was taken aback. The marriage certificate was quickly neatly folded and tucked into her pocket for safekeeping. Lingye
would definitely make fun of her if he caught her doing this.

They walked on the streets of Ireland, and Tongrui felt her hand heavy. She removed the ten-carat diamond ring and said, "This
ring is so dramatic!"
"Don't you like it?"
"I like it, but it's so showy. I prefer the wedding ring you previously gave me. The size of that ring is perfect. I'll save this one to
brag about on special occasions."
Lingye was amused by her, and he asked, "Brag?"
"Yeah, my husband gave it to me. He only gives me diamond rings that weigh ten carats or more, proving how much he loves
me. One carat is too small for him."
When he heard her proud tone, Lingye felt the urge to kiss her. He lowered his head and kissed her temple. He said, "If you like
it, It’s not a problem for me to get you a hundred-carat ring."
"No, no, no, ten carats are enough to show off. A hundred carats...that's not a diamond ring, it's a huge rock!"
Tongrui believed that if she did not intervene, the man would undoubtedly buy her a 100-carat diamond. After all, she had a
wealthy husband.
As they continued to walk, Tongrui kept thinking about the hundred-year marriage certificate.
She asked Lingye as she came to a stop beneath a cherry blossom tree, "What if you cheat on me or stop loving me halfway
through?"
It would be better to divorce sooner rather than later if we ended up in a dysfunctional marriage.
Lingye bent down, kissed her lips, and spoke in a deep voice, "With this marriage certificate, if I cheat, you can sue me and have
me put in jail."
"Really? Is the Irish Marriage Certificate that powerful?"
"You'll have to bring me food in jail when that time comes, though."
"You cheated, yet I'm expected to continue bringing you food while you're in jail? Dream on!"

Tongrui grunted lightly. She pushed him away and continued to lead the way. He took her hand once more as Lingye approached
from behind. He stated, "Mrs. Fu, you've already got me trapped."
"Hmph, wealthy people are scum, and wealthy people like you are even worse. I have to be on guard and not let some busty
secretary with long legs lure you away."
"I'm blind. I can't see her, no matter how beautiful she is."
"Suddenly, I feel that your being blind is beneficial for me."
Mr. Fu made a face-palm gesture and asked, "How could you curse your own husband?"
"I'm telling you this for your benefit. You'll have to serve time in jail if you cheat on me."
Lingye fell silent.
I've dug my own grave. No matter how unpleasant it would be, I would have to put up with her forever!