After the Bankrupt Heiress Married into a Rich Family - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Getting the License

“Wedding candy, have some candy, share the joy.”

Early Friday morning, Mingzhu got up and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were no longer swollen, and her original beauty had returned. She tilted her head, brushed her hair back, and beamed at her reflection. Her eyes sparkled with life, and her smile was radiant—looking a thousand times more beautiful than Rong Zhao. Regardless of whether it was true, that was what she chose to believe.

Mingzhu was finally ready to get the marriage license. she urged Rong Zhao to go take the photos for the certificate, but she was fastidious about the quality. Fearing the DMV-style photos might be unflattering, she insisted on going to a professional studio. Miss Mingzhu could not tolerate the existence of an ugly photo of herself.

While Rong Zhao was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, Mingzhu paced back and forth behind her like a Taoist nun chanting sutras, muttering incessantly, “A photo lasts a lifetime, you know.”

“A lifetime photo should be beautiful, you know.”

“A whole lifetime… a lifetime.”

It sounded like she was casting a spell on Rong Zhao.

Rong Zhao slowly rinsed her mouth, wiped her face, and stopped the redhead from chanting further: “I get it. I’ll have the secretary pick us up. We’ll go take the photos first.”

In Mingzhu’s eyes, Rong Zhao—who was currently wearing a sexy silk nightgown—suddenly transformed into a holy Bodhisattva. She lunged forward and hugged her: “Rongrong, you’re the best!”

Rong Zhao subtly caught the scent of Mingzhu’s hair. It was rose, not her usual jasmine. She made a mental note to switch Mingzhu’s bath products back to her preferred jasmine scent.

Sensing the silence, Mingzhu moved to look at Rong Zhao, but Rong Zhao gently pushed her away: “Do you need to call a makeup artist?”

Mingzhu looked at the two of them in the mirror. She was naturally beautiful, but Rong Zhao… Rong Zhao had a better fate. It was as if she had bribed the Department of Appearances before birth. Her features were cold as frost and bright as winter stars. Yet, Mingzhu could tell that with just a touch of powder and red lipstick, she would become incredibly stunning. Cold, she was icy; vibrant, she was scorching. Though, Mingzhu had never seen the “scorching” side of her yet.

“No need,” Mingzhu thought selfishly. Better keep Rong Zhao looking cold so she doesn’t outshine me. “Just light makeup as usual. Natural and harmonious.”

Rong Zhao caught the slight twitch at the corner of Mingzhu’s mouth, like a child nursing a secret grudge: “You can wear red lipstick. It doesn’t have to be ‘harmonious,’ as long as it’s pretty.”

As soon as she said it, the corners of Mingzhu’s mouth curled upward, lively and charming.

Mingzhu was delighted and tried to lunge at Rong Zhao again, but was stopped by a warning glance.

Once they were dressed and ready to leave, the driver in the front and the secretary in the passenger seat quickly got out to open the doors. They were well-trained and kept their eyes strictly ahead.

Rong Zhao got into the car, glanced at Miss Mingzhu—whose makeup was exceptionally exquisite and who was wearing a broad smile—and said while buckling her seatbelt, “Sister Xiang, Secretary Qian, let me introduce you. This is Mingzhu.”

The two turned around, and Mingzhu smiled.

The driver wore a black leather jacket. She looked cool and stoic when silent, but had lovely dimples when she spoke: “Good morning, Miss Mingzhu. I’m Xiang Xi, thirty years old. I’ve practiced martial arts since I was a kid and drove a taxi for two years. I know every corner of Jiangyue City for food and fun. Just let me know if you need anything.”

Mingzhu thought this was perfect. With Sister Xiang around, her social life would be much easier.

The secretary wore a professional suit and held a Rong-Tech stylus and digital notebook. Her hair was pulled back elegantly, and she had a gentle smile: “Good morning, Miss Mingzhu. I’m Qian Meiyi. I’ve been President Rong’s secretary since she returned to the country. Please let me know your needs at any time, and I will record them.”

For a moment, Mingzhu had the illusion that she truly was Rong Zhao’s cherished wife. The experience was far too good. It was only the first day, and she already felt reluctant to ever divorce Rong Zhao.

Mingzhu liked these two women, who seemed much easier to get along with than Rong Zhao. “Nice to meet you, Sister Xiang, Secretary Qian. I’ll be in your care from now on.”

The two exchanged pleasantries, and Mingzhu chatted with them casually throughout the ride. Knowing President Rong preferred silence, the two were a bit anxious, but fortunately, Rong Zhao never interrupted them.

At the photography studio, the camera-shy Rong Zhao cooperated with Mingzhu to take a set of ten photos. To Rong Zhao, they all looked the same, but Mingzhu offered a thorough analysis.

“In this one, the corners of your mouth are slightly up, but your eyes look unnatural. In this one, there’s a hint of a smile in your eyes, but the mouth is stiff. This one is very pretty, your expression and eyes are full of love, but why are your shoulders so far from me? You’re not relaxed. Why are you so stiff taking a wedding photo with me? This one is alright—I look beautiful, and you look okay too.”

I look beautiful, and you look okay too.

Rong Zhao: “Just pick the one where you look beautiful.”

Finally, Mingzhu chose the one where their expressions, smiles, and poses were most balanced: “Let’s go with this one then, okay?”

After all, it was a wedding photo. If it really was going to last a lifetime, it had to be one where both she and Rong Zhao looked good.

Rong Zhao took a look and was also satisfied: “This works.”

At ten o’clock, they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, took a number, queued up, and signed the registration forms with their thumbprints. Soon, it was their turn.

Rong Zhao walked toward the window with the documents first. Mingzhu turned back and reached out to Secretary Qian: “Secretary Qian, you have the prenuptial agreement, right? Give it to me, I’ll sign it.”

Secretary Qian lowered her head and rummaged through her bag, her movements becoming increasingly frantic.

Mingzhu sensed something was wrong: “What’s the matter?”

Secretary Qian looked up, face full of panic: “Miss Mingzhu, President Rong, the prenuptial agreement seems to have been mixed in with yesterday’s files. I didn’t bring it.”

Mingzhu: “?”

She had some cars and properties under her name, but those were bought by her parents, and they had the receipts as evidence, so she didn’t feel the need to list them specifically. She didn’t have much in savings, so she had told Rong Zhao she didn’t need to write anything on her end and let Rong Zhao’s lawyers handle it as they saw fit.

Rong Zhao, already seated at the window handing over their IDs, looked back and said, “It’s fine, then we won’t need it. It didn’t need to be brought here anyway. Mingzhu, come sit. I have to get to work after we get the license.”

She meant she was in a hurry and couldn’t waste more time.

Mingzhu immediately trotted over, sat down, and whispered worriedly to Rong Zhao, “Rongrong, are we really not signing a prenuptial agreement? Are you sure? Isn’t this a bit reckless?”

Mingzhu had never been married and didn’t realize that property agreements can be signed both before and after marriage—the only difference is the name. She thought a “prenuptial” agreement had to be signed before the wedding.

Rong Zhao: “It’s fine. My personal salary is low; everything is in a trust. Even if you suddenly turned ‘dark’ and tried to take my money, you wouldn’t get much.”

“…”

What a way to put it.

“Who’s turning ‘dark’?” Mingzhu pouted and whispered. “My values are sound and my personality isn’t twisted. I’m perfectly fine.”

A faint smile flickered deep in Rong Zhao’s eyes.

Xiang Xi leaned over and whispered to Secretary Qian: “I’ve never seen you make a mistake. Did you really forget it?”

Secretary Qian thought to herself: President Rong never wrote one in the first place. She had simply been told that no matter what agreement Mingzhu asked for—prenuptial or postnuptial—she was to say it wasn’t in her bag.

Secretary Qian gave a slight shake of her head. Xiang Xi understood. Simultaneously, the two of them deduced in their hearts that Miss Mingzhu must have been President Rong’s girlfriend while she was studying abroad. They must have broken up before she returned, but after the recent chaos in the Ming family, President Rong, out of pity or love, chased her back. President Rong was basically using her entire fortune as a betrothal gift—and if she won the succession battle, it would be the entire Rong-Tech Group. Therefore, they had to make sure Miss Mingzhu was kept happy!

Mingzhu and Rong Zhao successfully obtained the license. Mingzhu held it in her hands like a treasure. She looked up and noticed that Sister Xiang and Secretary Qian were looking at her with even more fervor.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, congratulations!”

Mingzhu smiled brightly and pulled two large handfuls of candy from her bag: “Wedding candy, have some candy, share the joy.”

She gave one to Rong Zhao as well. She figured Rong Zhao probably didn’t like sweets, so a symbolic one was enough.

Rong Zhao: “…Where did this come from?” Since Mingzhu moved in, there were desserts at home, but never candy.

Mingzhu hugged Rong Zhao’s arm, beaming: “I got them from Auntie Fan. She bought them for her granddaughter, so I borrowed some. Once you give me a supplementary card, I’ll buy more candy to pay her back.”

Rong Zhao: “…”

The little wallet is hinting for me to put money in it.

Rong Zhao took Mingzhu to set up a supplementary credit card. Once finished, she drove Mingzhu back to Rongguang Tianjing. As they approached the house, Rong Zhao glanced at Mingzhu’s mouth, which hadn’t stopped smiling the whole way. She raised the privacy screen between the front and back seats and held her hand under Mingzhu’s chin: “Miss Bai, close your mouth, you’re about to drool.”

Mingzhu could tell Rong Zhao was teasing her, but she didn’t care. She pushed Rong Zhao’s hand away and leaned in close, whispering, “Rongrong, I finally know what it feels like for a meat pie to fall from the sky.”

“And how does it feel?”

“Fragrant. And it makes me dizzy.”

“Mhm. Just don’t overeat.”

“…”

Mingzhu pulled back, ignored Rong Zhao, and went back to being happy.

Rong Zhao’s primary card had an unlimited limit; the supplementary card given to Mingzhu had a limit of 100,000. This meant she could spend 100,000 a month. While this didn’t compare to the allowance her parents used to give her, this was genuine, “unearned” income.

“Adjust the window on your side, I need to change,” Rong Zhao suddenly said.

This car was Rong-Tech’s new executive model released this year. It was Mingzhu’s first time in it, and she hadn’t explored all the features: “How do I adjust it?”

Rong Zhao taught Mingzhu the hand gestures, and the window instantly became opaque privacy glass.

Mingzhu: “…”

Electric vehicles were becoming more high-tech by the day. After returning to the country, Miss Mingzhu—who used to drive sports cars abroad—felt more and more like she was out of the loop.

While Mingzhu was immersed in her surprise at the new tech, she suddenly felt a flash of white light from her side. The light was moving, slowly and elegantly.

Mingzhu stole a glance from the corner of her eye. Rong Zhao had taken off her white shirt just like that, wearing only a nude-colored bra underneath. Her chest was well-supported, her skin was white as snow and tender as water, looking as though it would leave a red mark at the slightest touch.

Mingzhu almost blurted out, “Could you tell me before you take your clothes off next time?” but then she remembered Rong Zhao had just said she was going to change. Besides, they were both girls; there was nothing she hadn’t seen before. Mingzhu tried her best to look unbothered and looked down at the marriage certificate.

Rong Zhao’s work shirt and jacket were hanging nearby. she put on a fresh white shirt, casually pulled her long hair out from under the collar, and said, “Mingzhu, help me lift the seatbelt.”

“What?”

Mingzhu looked up. The seatbelt was pressing against Rong Zhao, making it inconvenient to do up her buttons. Because the executive car was so large, Mingzhu had to awkwardly stretch her arm and lean over to pull the belt away. Looking down at Rong Zhao’s legs, she asked, “Do you have a dinner engagement tonight?”

“No. I’m coming home straight after work.”

Mingzhu, who had only asked casually: “…”

On second thought, they had gotten their license today. It would be strange if they didn’t eat together; the housekeeper might get suspicious. Rong Zhao had probably considered this.

“…Then I’ll wait for you for dinner.”

Rong Zhao unhurriedly did up her buttons from the bottom up: “Mhm.”