After Getting Married to My Obsessive Older Sister - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Early Saturday morning, Chu Yiqiao was pulled out of the warm blanket by Tan Ze. She sat up groggily, her eyes slowly following Tan Ze’s movements, her hair sticking up, and her expression blank.

She was actually awake; her mind was just slow due to another matter.

Today was Saturday, the day of her and Tan Ze’s pre-marital check-up.

“Time to get up.” Tan Ze walked to the bedside, unable to resist pressing Chu Yiqiao’s cheek. She was smiling, and the usual coldness around her was softened, emanating a lover’s tenderness from her very core.

Chu Yiqiao looked up at Tan Ze, finding it difficult to recall what her sister was like before they started dating. Maybe she had always been this gentle.

The hospital for the check-up wasn’t far from their residence. It had a dedicated department, and because it was the last holiday before the May Day break, there were a lot of people for the check-up.

Tan Ze took their ID cards to collect their appointment slips. Chu Yiqiao, holding the sandwich she couldn’t eat yet, found a spot to guard their bags.

She couldn’t sit still for more than a few minutes, feeling like her butt was being pricked with needles. Chu Yiqiao sent Tan Ze a Pitiful emoji. Ten minutes later, Chu Yiqiao used WeChat’s location sharing to find Tan Ze and lined up with her.

“Sister…”

Tan Ze didn’t laugh at how clingy Chu Yiqiao was this time. She took Chu Yiqiao’s hand and pulled her closer.

Chu Yiqiao was a little embarrassed at first, but she looked around, found that most people were in the same state as them, and relaxed.

The check-up process wasn’t complicated. After drawing blood, they could eat. Chu Yiqiao was already dizzy from hunger. She took a big bite of the sandwich, blissfully transforming into a little hamster.

Tan Ze, who was right behind Chu Yiqiao, had just finished having her blood drawn. She rolled up her loose long sleeve, revealing her smoothly toned forearm, and held a cotton swab over the puncture site with her other hand.

Chu Yiqiao offered the bitten sandwich to Tan Ze. Tan Ze lowered her head and naturally ate from the indentation Chu Yiqiao had made.

Chu Yiqiao suddenly burst out laughing. Tan Ze looked at her with puffed cheeks.

Chu Yiqiao said: “We had couples in my high school class, and they would eat bread ‘you take a bite, I take a bite.’ I couldn’t understand it at all back then.”

“So you can understand it when you make me eat your leftovers?” Tan Ze swallowed the sandwich in her mouth and retorted.

Chu Yiqiao was shocked: “Sister, when did I ever make you eat my leftovers!”

Tan Ze’s face was cold, and she casually rattled off seven or eight instances of the two of them eating out and Chu Yiqiao pushing unfinished food toward her.

“You always give it to me when you can’t finish it.” Tan Ze herself didn’t realize how resentful her tone sounded.

Chu Yiqiao’s world crumbled upon hearing this: “That’s not leftovers! I saved that for you!”

In that light, it did seem to make some sense.

Every time Chu Yiqiao left a balanced amount, Tan Ze had thought she cared about her appearance so much that she even ensured the aesthetic of her plate.

Chu Yiqiao looked at Tan Ze, feeling wronged: “Because you always seem to eat a lot, Sister. I was afraid you wouldn’t be full…”

“I’m not a pig,” Tan Ze replied, thinking the pig was actually the person in front of her.

Having said that, Tan Ze seemed to change the subject, pulling a tissue from her pocket and placing it in Chu Yiqiao’s hand: “You have crumbs on your mouth. Wipe it.”

Chu Yiqiao didn’t take it. She tilted her face up, as if asking for a kiss: “Thank you, Sister.”

Tan Ze didn’t move.

Chu Yiqiao tried again: “Thank you, Wife.”

Tan Ze still wiped her mouth.

Next was the CT scan. Because of this, Chu Yiqiao had clung to Tan Ze while changing this morning, asking her to check her. She stripped naked and spun around in front of Tan Ze. Tan Ze felt dizzy and ended up just putting clothes directly over Chu Yiqiao’s head.

The people ahead went in one by one. The nurse walked down the line, reiterating the precautions, such as people with heart bypasses couldn’t have it, and to follow the doctor’s instructions inside, reminding them to take off jewelry beforehand.

This reminded Chu Yiqiao. She quickly looked down and took off the ring on her ring finger.

Then, the bracelet.

Chu Yiqiao raised her wrist, which was bare. Only then did she remember that her sister had taken the bracelet off this morning, saying she had noticed one of the surrounding gems had come loose and needed to be sent back to the jeweler for repair.

After wearing it for so long, Chu Yiqiao felt a bit uneasy without it, as if her wrist suddenly felt lighter, and she felt light and airy, like a balloon, not grounded. Fortunately, she still had her ring.

Tan Ze was unaware of Chu Yiqiao’s thoughts. Chu Yiqiao’s number was called immediately. Chu Yiqiao solemnly placed the removed ring in Tan Ze’s palm.

The door to the CT scan room slowly closed. Tan Ze looked down, quietly gazing at the slightly smaller plain ring in her palm.

Tan Ze tried to put it on, but it caught on the second joint of her ring finger and wouldn’t go down. It was loose on her pinky finger. She didn’t know how Chu Yiqiao managed to wear it.

Soon, Chu Yiqiao came out, an expression of relief on her face. “It’s so cold inside…”

The first thing she did when she reached Tan Ze was to ask for her ring back, and only then did she put on her jacket.

Tan Ze followed Chu Yiqiao’s lead and placed the ring in her palm.

Chu Yiqiao eagerly put it on. It fit perfectly on her thumb.

“Wow, Sister’s hand is so big.” Chu Yiqiao exclaimed, as if it was the first time she realized Tan Ze’s hand was bigger than hers, then she hugged Tan Ze’s jacket and went to find a seat.

It was busy on Saturday, and people were sitting on both sides of the seat. A girl with a high ponytail sat next to Chu Yiqiao, also holding a jacket but without a ring on her hand.

As soon as Chu Yiqiao sat down, the girl leaned over, looked at the two rings on Chu Yiqiao’s hand, then looked at Chu Yiqiao’s face, and asked, “Are you here for a pre-marital check-up too? You look so young.”

“Mm,” Chu Yiqiao was still a little unaccustomed to such familiarity. She shifted slightly to the side and nodded: “After all, we got engaged.”

The girl became curious: “How did it happen? I’m so curious! I’m here with my sister, and I’ve heard her story so many times!”

Chu Yiqiao thought for a few seconds and felt there was nothing she couldn’t say. She wasn’t truly naive. She deliberately omitted her relationship with Tan Ze, only talking about the fireworks and the proposal.

“I thought it was a misunderstanding at first,” Chu Yiqiao could still feel a deep sense of emotion thinking back to that night. “But when I saw the fireworks, I knew. My wife proposed too.”

The smile on the girl’s face grew from shallow to deep, and then from deep to shallow when Chu Yiqiao mentioned the fireworks.

“Excuse me, were those fireworks near the Guomao area?”

Chu Yiqiao recalled and nodded.

“What’s wrong?”

The girl’s previously relaxed and natural expression was now completely gone. She looked at Chu Yiqiao, hesitating to speak.

She and her roommate had gone to watch the fireworks on the evening of April 23rd. It was clearly the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Guomao Plaza opening, not, as the person in front of her claimed, something her “wife” specially commissioned for a proposal.

“Nothing,” the girl suddenly pulled out her phone and said abruptly, “I feel like we hit it off. Want to add each other as friends?”

Chu Yiqiao clearly hesitated.

The other girl quickly added: “Even if it’s just to stay connected!”

“Okay,” Chu Yiqiao took out her phone. With a “beep,” her personal profile popped up.

When Tan Ze came out, this was the scene she saw. She slowly walked over, sensing a strong look of hostility, but chose to ignore it.

Chu Yiqiao had noticed Tan Ze the moment she emerged. She put her phone away and put the ring, warmed by her body temperature, back onto Tan Ze’s ring finger.

Tan Ze: “Have you decided what you want for lunch?”

Chu Yiqiao nodded enthusiastically: “I saw so many places! They all looked especially delicious.”

As she left, Chu Yiqiao waved to her new friend: “Bye-bye! I wish your sister a happy marriage too.”

The girl with the high ponytail nodded at Chu Yiqiao, nervously avoiding Tan Ze’s gaze.

On the morning of their marriage registration day, Tan Ze drove Chu Yiqiao to a temple in Yanjing that was rumored to be particularly effective.

Since it was a Wednesday, 9 AM on a weekday, the area at the foot of the mountain wasn’t too crowded. The temple was halfway up the mountain. Chu Yiqiao hadn’t expected to continue hiking with Tan Ze after returning to Yanjing. Coupled with the fact that they were about to go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs to get their marriage certificate, she was buzzing with excitement.

However, the excitement was quickly defeated by physical exhaustion. As before, Tan Ze gave Chu Yiqiao water, pulling her arm to help her to the temple entrance.

The mountainside was lush with vegetation. Trees several people wide bore signs marking them as national ancient trees. The dense, sun-blocking green canopy made the temple itself look more ancient. Every breath was a mix of grass and sandalwood.

Tan Ze scanned a code and bought a bundle of incense, giving half to Chu Yiqiao. As she led her inside, she gave instructions, such as remembering to make a wish and only bowing three times.

Chu Yiqiao found it hard to listen to her sister for long; her attention was becoming even more scattered.

“Sister, how do you know so much?”

Tan Ze glanced at Chu Yiqiao and answered truthfully: “I just learned yesterday.”

Tan Ze still considered herself an atheist. Burning incense was merely a practical measure, especially since Chu Yiqiao seemed to be a firm believer.

Chu Yiqiao nodded, copying Tan Ze’s posture to light her incense. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard Tan Ze’s voice.

“Do you know what you’re going to wish for?” Tan Ze’s features became blurred behind the misty smoke.

In the completely Eastern setting, Tan Ze’s exotic gray-blue eyes stood out even more.

Chu Yiqiao blinked: “Loving you for ten thousand years.”

Tan Ze gave up on correcting her. Ten thousand years was impossible. The first time Chu Yiqiao said that, she had already asked Zhao Jingxing to look for pharmaceutical companies, but not one partner said they could achieve that goal in a lifetime.

Tsk, technology still wasn’t advanced enough. The CEO of a technology company mused.

She was glad she asked.

Tan Ze clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and wished: Chu Yiqiao is always happy and joyful.

She thought for a few seconds, opened her eyes, and saw Chu Yiqiao still with her eyes closed. Her long, curled eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her fair cheek. Her lips were pursed, her faith seeming incredibly devout.

Tan Ze closed her eyes again, and wished: To love Chu Yiqiao for ten thousand years.

If she were a deity, she would grant Chu Yiqiao’s wish.

Tan Ze figured it couldn’t hurt to tag along.

Not many people registered for marriage on a weekday at the Bureau of Civil Affairs. The red characters above the hall changed every ten minutes on average. Chu Yiqiao held the two-inch photo they took a few days ago. Tan Ze had been so nervous taking the picture that she failed several times, yet the final result turned out quite nice.

She rubbed the spot where their arms touched in the photo. She sat more and more crookedly, slowly leaning against Tan Ze.

Chu Yiqiao and Tan Ze hadn’t taken many photos together. In the photo, her sister was smiling very gently, and she was smiling too. Chu Yiqiao secretly rated this photo as the most beautiful photo in the world in her heart.

She secretly asked herself, If you were a passerby, how would you evaluate it?

Chu Yiqiao exaggeratedly exclaimed in her fantasy: Oh my goodness! They are so perfect for each other!

She successfully made herself laugh again.

Tan Ze carefully withdrew the photo from Chu Yiqiao’s hand.

Soon, their number was called. The actual registration process wasn’t as romantic or dramatic as Chu Yiqiao had imagined: sitting with her sister, signing the three forms presented to them.

Chu Yiqiao was determined to read carefully this time. She wrote the words “I have read and understood the above content” stroke by stroke. In the end, her hand trembled, and the last vertical stroke of the character “Qiao” was particularly long.

The staff was preparing the marriage certificates. Chu Yiqiao exhaled a long breath and slumped in the chair, suddenly realizing she was covered in sweat.

She turned her head, and Tan Ze’s forehead was also covered in tiny beads of sweat.

“Wife,” Chu Yiqiao whispered to Tan Ze.

Tan Ze seemed to not respond, and then seemed to respond. Her lips moved slightly, and she seemed to form the “l” and “p” shapes for “laopo” (Wife), but she didn’t actually say it aloud.

It was hard to believe they were actually married.

They walked into that door as sister and sister.

They walked out of that door as wife and wife.

They were truly married.

Tan Ze had already discussed having the wedding in the second half of the year with Chu Yiqiao. They still had many things to prepare in the meantime: location, format, reception… Chu Yiqiao nodded in agreement and started searching for “gorgeous weddings” that very night.

So, when Tan Ze noticed the Bureau of Civil Affairs offered a vow ceremony service, perhaps out of a sense of compensation, she unhesitatingly booked the highest-tier package.

The ceremony hall, designed to resemble a chapel, had a high ceiling. The bright outdoor sunlight streamed through the regularly cut glass panels above, forming a slanted beam of light in the air.

Although it wasn’t their turn yet, Chu Yiqiao secretly peeked through the door crack and excitedly turned back to look at Tan Ze repeatedly.

“I can’t do it! I’m so nervous, Sister,” Chu Yiqiao told Tan Ze, patting her chest.

Tan Ze, with their two marriage certificates tucked in her pocket, slowly rubbed them. Usually eloquent, she could only squeeze out three words of comfort at this moment: “Don’t be nervous.”

Chu Yiqiao nodded: “Mhm! Not nervous, not nervous!”

Tan Ze looked at Chu Yiqiao’s fluttering eyes and suddenly wanted to kiss her. Just as she leaned her head closer, Chu Yiqiao suddenly stood on her tiptoes: “No! I need to go to the bathroom first!”

“Sister, wait for me!” She ran off.

Tan Ze remained where she was. With Chu Yiqiao gone, she could finally openly and repeatedly admire their marriage certificate.

She had truly underestimated the power of this small, single certificate. With the certificate and the prayers made at the renowned temple, Tan Ze’s heart had never been more peaceful. She felt she had briefly touched happiness.

On the other side, Chu Yiqiao walked to the sink, cupped some water, and splashed it directly onto her face. She looked up at the person in the mirror, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity for the first time.

Black mid-length hair, almond-shaped eyes, long eyelashes, light brown eyes, and slightly upturned lips.

Chu Yiqiao, is that you?

You are married!

The person you’re looking at now isn’t just Chu Yiqiao, but Tan Ze’s partner, the person who will sign her surgery forms in the future.

Chu Yiqiao unconsciously stood at attention, patted her face in the mirror, and let out a long breath.

“I do.” The Chu Yiqiao in the mirror spoke, quietly rehearsing: “I do.”

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

Never mind. Check the phone first.

Chu Yiqiao slowly walked back, opening WeChat to harass her two friends in turn. Bei Tong replied robotically, “Happy wedding.” Yan Yuanjing was completely offline.

She exited the WeChat interface and suddenly noticed a red dot appearing beneath the pinned chat. The profile picture was a grinning golden retriever—the girl she had met during the check-up a few days ago.

“I asked many people, and in the end, I decided I had to let you know.”

[[Image] [Image]]

Chu Yiqiao was baffled.

What is it? That an 8-year age gap is the best for a couple? I already know that.

She clicked open the image, which was a screenshot of a news report.

“Guomao 10th Anniversary Celebration Fireworks Show on April 23rd! These are the best spots to watch! Quickly call your friends to check them out!”

Chu Yiqiao clicked in and read the entire article.

So that was it.

÷: “I know”

÷: “Thank you”

÷: “I’m busy with something right now, I’ll chat later”

Tan Ze sat on the long bench outside the ceremony hall, secretly looking at their marriage photo multiple times. Until she heard familiar footsteps, Tan Ze turned her head, only to see Chu Yiqiao run toward her the moment she saw her, plunging into Tan Ze’s arms and rubbing her face against Tan Ze’s shirt.

“Chu Yiqiao, you’re wrinkling my shirt,” Tan Ze said with a slight smile, carefully putting away the marriage certificate and kissing Chu Yiqiao’s forehead.

“Wife, wife, wife, wife,” Chu Yiqiao took a deep breath and called out many times. Her warm breath traveled through the thin fabric, warming Tan Ze’s heart.

Very quietly, she responded: “Wife.”

The next second, she suddenly increased her volume, as if to cover up the small reply.

“I think it’s our turn now,” Tan Ze said, taking Chu Yiqiao’s hand and walking toward the entrance. She turned back: “Are you ready?”

Chu Yiqiao looked at the upward curve of Tan Ze’s lips and nodded.

The highest-tier service was indeed different. The officiant was dressed formally. The red carpet leading to the vow stand was strewn with rose petals, accompanied by a single veil and a small bouquet of roses.

Mindful of the past rose incident, Tan Ze accepted the roses. The veil was placed on Chu Yiqiao’s head, making her look even more ethereal in the sunlight.

Officiant: “Do you take this woman to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

Tan Ze’s eyes sparkled: “I do.”

Chu Yiqiao did not miss the fleeting glint in Tan Ze’s eyes this time. She thought back to the night of the proposal, realizing only now how many details she remembered.

The flash of surprise in her sister’s eyes after she said “I do!,” the slight trembling of her fingers when putting the ring on her, the soul-melting tenderness when they kissed and made love afterward.

Chu Yiqiao looked at Tan Ze. She didn’t cry at this moment; her gaze was brighter and more resolute than ever.

Officiant: “And do you…”

Chu Yiqiao spoke before the officiant’s words landed: “I accept you to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death separates us.”

Officiant: “I now pronounce you spouses!”

Tan Ze embraced Chu Yiqiao.

In this moment, Tan Ze finally temporarily discarded the swirling thoughts in her mind. She thought of nothing but kissing her.

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