CH 8.5

“Don’t worry about it! If it’s wrong, then it’s wrong. I’ll still type it up for you!”

The girl simply could not bear to see her idol lose face like this. Grabbing the form back, she began click-clacking on the keyboard, entering the information into her computer. At the end, she picked up a red booklet, stuffed it into the machine, and began printing.

Making use of this gap of time when things were printing, she stared fixedly at Chu Jian.

Chu Jian was feeling flustered from her stares. And then, she was caught off guard, for the instant that girl opened her mouth, a long string of words spoken in an extremely low voice came firing out without so much as a breath in between. “I am representing the, to date, 23,490,781 fans and giving our sincerest blessings of happiness to you. Don’t think that it’s just twenty-something million. We’re all genuine, tried-and-true fans, not ones that were bought to bolster numbers.” She gasped in a breath, then continued, “Even though, amongst our fan numbers, there are quite a few who are the girlfriend-wannabe type, you have to trust us that the most valuable assets in Baby Jian’s family are his ‘birth-mom[1]’ fans. That’s right, birth-mom fans. I know you don’t hang out in fan circles so you must not know what birth-mom fans are. It means, if he likes it then we’ll like it, too. So don’t be scared. Even if you guys are having this sudden, flash marriage, we still won’t think anything of it. Baby Jian’s age is already getting up there, so isn’t it a bigger problem if he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

Listening in a dazed stupor to all of this, Chu Jian frantically threw glances at Jian Bianlin, who was waiting off to the side for the marriage certificate to finish printing.

It was apparent, though, that he was more concerned with that legal document.

“It’s done,” he prompted the girl.

“Huh? Okay, okay.” The girl pulled out the completed booklet, stuffed the other one in, and continued the printing process. Then she turned back to Chu Jian. After several times of wanting to speak but then swallowing her words, in the end, she was still unable to set her mind at ease, so she lowered her voice even more until the words were at a near whisper this time and only Chu Jian could hear her. “His waist was injured before from dancing, and it’s still not very good. He can’t eat spicy foods because he’s allergic. He likes little animals, especially dogs. Supposedly, he has a very old, big dog at home. He grew up in a single-parent family and lives with his dad. Back then, even though he won the singing competition, the recorded-music market was in a slump. Good thing his agent had a good eye and could spot a true treasure. So, you absolutely must not offend his agent. Everything else is easy and can be discussed…” When she finished saying all this, she drew in a heavy, ragged breath. There was simply too much that she wanted to say. All those words, though, consolidated to become her one, final sentence: “Congratulations on your new marriage.”

The metal seal pressed down. The marriage certificate booklets were handed over. The girl’s eyes were red as she watched Jian Bianlin and Chu Jian leave. “My Baby has finally been married off. Why is it I’m not the bride? …”

When Jian Bianlin was leaving with Chu Jian, there were quite a few students gathered at the main doors. It happened to be winter break for students right now. Somebody, perhaps a staff member at the Civil Affairs Bureau or maybe one of those other couples who were also getting married, had posted on their “Moments” page in WeChat[2], and excitement had erupted. Some of the students who attended school nearby had recognized this place and rushed over—

Jian Bianlin got into the vehicle. When Chu Jian had just steadied herself in her seat, he had already pulled off his jacket and covered her face with it.

Then, with a step on the accelerator, they left.

Only after the car came to a stop did Chu Jian dare pull the jacket down.

Her gaze took in the sight of Jian Bianlin holding those two marriage certificate booklets in his hand. It was obvious the two booklets were practically identical, but he had still opened both and was looking them over carefully.

“Let’s go upstairs first.” Chu Jian still did not really dare look at those two marriage certificates.

So, just like that, they had registered their marriage?

Jian Bianlin lifted his eyes slightly, the love in them so deep and tender as he passed his gaze up and down over her face.

“……” Chu Jian pushed open her door and stepped out of the car.

By the time she reached the third floor, Jian Bianlin had caught up to her with large strides. Taking advantage of this moment when the stairwell was empty of other people, he circled one arm around her under her arms and slid his other arm under her legs, sweeping her up off the ground so that she lay across his arms. Then, he strode swiftly up to the fourth floor and, fishing around with his hand for the key, opened the metal door to his home.

When Jian Bianlin’s father left, he had temporarily boarded that large family dog at a kennel, so there was now not a sound in the home.

Jian Bianlin carried her into his room. Fortunately, his dad was always hoping that he would come home so would frequently change the bedding. They could at least manage for the moment and take a short nap here. With his own hands, he removed both of their shoes, then picked her up and placed her on the bed. Nestling his cheek tightly against the exposed skin at the nape of Chu Jian’s neck, he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes.

Sleepy. Exhausted. He had finally completed that one, most important thing.

Outside, the tempest waves could be crashing to the sky, but regardless of how great the uproar was on the internet, it did not matter to him. Chu Jian detected that the breathing that was brushing against the back of her neck had gradually grown steady. Falling into the rhythm of his breaths, she also dozed off.

When she awoke again, it was past seven in the evening.

Chu Jian had been roused by hunger. As she slipped out from his arms, she surmised that Uncle Jian would have emptied the refrigerator before he left, so she did not bother rummaging through it. Feeling around in his pocket for the key, she thought that she would go downstairs and make do by getting a couple of dishes of takeout to eat. But as she felt and felt, she ended up pulling out those two little red booklets.

From the instant they received them, he had held on tightly to them, as if he was afraid they might become lost. In fact, only now did she, one of the interested parties, get to even touch them… The feel of the embossed seal on the photograph was very novel. For several minutes, she looked those booklets over and over. She discovered that her behavior right now was similar to Jian Bianlin’s earlier in the car—ridiculously silly.

So, she set them back.

Moving softly, she slipped out the door, and then the first thing she did was call Tong Fei.

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!” This was the first sentence that spouted from Tong Fei the instant she answered the call. “I didn’t even dare call you ’cause I was scared that I would disturb your wedding night. But it’s like there are a hundred claws scratching at my heart! Jian Bianlin and Xie Bin, those two sure have their own ideas on how to do things. Just like that, and now you guys are married and it’s made public? That’s like a slap in the face for that big-mouth agent of Ruan Xi’s. I’m guessing he’s probably gone to the hospital to get an IV for it.”

In the dark corridor, Chu Jian stamped her feet. The lights turned on.

Chu Jian’s heart was hammering so furiously it was about to burst through her chest, and she could not remain calm any longer. Dazedly, she asked, “Wha? … It’s been made public?”

Jian Bianlin had acted like nothing at all had occurred, sleeping away the entire afternoon. She had even been thinking that after he woke up, she should ask him what they should do, since, after all, they had been photographed and the stir they had caused was quite big…

“You don’t know?! Holy crap, your Jian Bianlin absolutely does not know the meaning of the word ‘romantic,’ does he? This earthshattering piece of news was released, and he didn’t even embellish it a bit and tell you all about it? Just hang on a sec. Don’t hang up. You’re getting something in WeChat.”

Tong Fei sent over two screenshots.

They were announcements that had been released simultaneously by both Jian Bianlin’s production studio and his company. The content of both was the same—a photograph accompanied by a short row of words. It was an old photograph, their very first one together, taken on Jian Bianlin’s sixth birthday, when Chu Jian’s mom had brought him and Chu Jian to a photography studio.

Chu Jian was smiling like a big red apple as she sprawled on Jian Bianlin’s back, and Jian Bianlin, with an expression that declared he was doing it utterly unwillingly, was piggybacking her. Neither was looking at the camera, as if they were in their own little world and had completely forgotten about the photographer who was holding the camera.

These words were below the photograph:

Jian Bianlin and Mrs. Jian have known each other since childhood. Today, they have become husband and wife. Congratulations on their new marriage.

How did he manage to dig this photo out?

Chu Jian’s palms were tingly. Her eardrums were buzzing from her fierce heartbeat. She zoomed in madly on that photograph. No matter how she looked at it, she just looked unattractive back then.

She had lost her baby teeth at a relatively early age, and in this photograph, she was even missing one of her front teeth.

In short, she was just especially ugly…

She could faintly make out Tong Fei’s voice and realized that the call had not been hung up yet. When she picked up her phone again, Tong Fei was still continuing with her long-winded prattling. “… Anyhow, you’re just darn lucky. Out of the several young, male actors that are hot right now, Jian Bianlin’s fans are the most protective of him. His official fan group’s account and admins are really awesome, and their ability to control situations is amazing. When you search the hot, trending topics, all that comes up are just congratulations to the newlyweds, and all the comments are wishing happiness and blessing. Be prepared that you’re going to be on the hot, trending topics list for the next few days. There was never even any news about him having a girlfriend before, and now all of a sudden, the status is ‘legal husband and wife.’ I’m guessing that the whole time while the admins of his official fan group account are controlling the direction of the discussions, they are also feeling as if their hearts are dripping blood…”

Chu Jian followed the staircase and headed downstairs, slipping several times along the way and nearly falling.

While she listened to Tong Fei’s lively ramblings, all the neighbours whom she encountered along the way and who had also heard the news from the people this afternoon beamingly stared at Chu Jian talking on the phone, looking at her like they would a new bride. This caused her to not dare stray too far, and she only walked to the nearest little eatery, buying two takeout boxes of fried rice and chow mein before returning home again.

When she stepped through the door, Jian Bianlin was still sleeping.

Chu Jian set the takeout boxes in the living room. Walking into the bedroom, she leaned over and patted him. “It’s time to eat. You haven’t eaten for the entire day. Aren’t you hungry?” Something tightened around her waist. He had wrapped an arm around it. The sky and the ground seemed to spin before her eyes, and then she tumbled into the quilt—beneath him.

“Just now, I didn’t see you and I thought… us getting married was just a wonderful dream.”

“Still dreaming? Everyone in the whole country knows…” Chu Jian muttered, “You didn’t even choose a nicer picture. Isn’t the one from my eighth birthday nice and pretty?”

Jian Bianlin: “They’re both nice.”

Chu Jian: “……”

Jian Bianlin: “Say who I am.”

Chu Jian: “Jian Bianlin?”

Jian Bianlin: “Call me Hubby.”

Chu Jian: “……”

The lamps were not turned on in the bedroom, and his back was to the lights in the living room. He lay on his side beside her, his right arm on the bed supporting himself and his cheek propped in his hand. With a deep look in his eyes, he gazed at her, waiting. Patiently waiting.

Chu Jian pressed her lips together tightly. She tried several times to say it. No, she couldn’t. She couldn’t open her mouth and make the word come out…

Suddenly, there was the notification sound of a WeChat message from her mobile phone.

“I’m going to check my WeChat!” Thank you, Lord.

Chu Jian cleverly slipped off from the end of the bed and escaped from there. Finding her mobile phone on the sofa, she tapped open the message. It was from Tong Fei.

Oh right, oh right, I forgot to show you this. This is even more awesome.

It was another screenshot taken from Weibo.

She opened it. It was Xie Bin’s forward of their company’s Weibo post that gave the official announcement of the happy news. As before, it was only a short string of words:

Beautiful scenery is the view from the peak after climbing the mountain. True love is the love of your life whom you have waited for and who is now yours.

[1]亲妈 “qin ma.” The literal translation is “biological/birth mother” In modern slang, describing someone as being a “biological mother” is saying that that person treats you like you’re her own child and will be kind and loving and take your best interests to heart (as opposed to a stepmother, who, like the stereotypical evil stepmother of stories, does not care about you since you weren’t born of her and may even harm you).

[2] In WeChat, the “Moments” page or 朋友圈 (which literally means “social circle”), as it is called in Chinese, is a page on your profile that your contacts can see. It is a reverse-chronologically organized Facebook-like page where you can share “moments” with your contacts, such as thoughts, photos, videos, etc.