Chapter 911: Civil Affairs Bureau

When Lin Dongxue arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, she was surprised by the crowd. She regretted not choosing a non-rest day to come. Chen Shi said, “Since we’re here, let’s wait in line. Getting a photo and a stamp won’t take long.”

“There’s no sense of ceremony at all. It’s far from what I imagined,” Lin Dongxue said, somewhat disappointed. The two sat in the waiting area with their number slips. “Do you have all the documents?”

“Household registration, ID card, all here.”

“Double-check them.”

Lin Dongxue took Chen Shi’s ID card, which had just been issued, and the name on it was still Chen Shi.

Glancing at the ID and then at Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue teased, “I feel like I got the short end of the stick. Song Lang seems more handsome.”

“Not just more handsome, but too handsome. It’s troublesome being so good-looking.”

“Haha, you don’t have that trouble anymore.”

“How’s my brother doing at the political department?”

“He’s adapting well to the new job, but he complains to me that office work can be too leisurely sometimes. He wants to return to the Second Team.”

“Forget about it. This new team leader of mine won’t let him come back.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Chen Shi sighed, “being idolized like a single man in his thirties is a lot of pressure! When he had just gotten out of the hospital, still wrapped in bandages, he came to see me. He talked for an entire afternoon about being kept in the dark and four years of lovesickness. I almost went crazy.”

“Do you know how he woke up?”

“Tell me.”

“The day after Zhou Xiao’s arrest, the second day you were arrested, I was very upset. I went to see my brother, and to his unconscious self, I said, ‘Brother, Lao Chen is like Song Lang. Wake up!’ Suddenly his eyelids started twitching, his heart rate sped up. Doctors and nurses rushed in like crazy, checking this and that. They told me his consciousness had returned. It was a medical miracle!”

“My goodness, you’re not kidding me, right?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you,” Lin Dongxue reflected emotionally. “He missed you so much. It’s a good thing he’s a brother, not a sister.”

Understanding this remark, Chen Shi smiled knowingly. At that moment, a couple nearby was arguing loudly, drawing everyone’s attention in the hall.

Lin Dongxue commented, “They’re arguing even before getting married. What will it be like after they tie the knot?”

“How many times have we argued?”

Lin Dongxue counted on her fingers, “One, two, three, four, five… It’s always your fault!”

“Always my fault?”

“I hope after we get married, you’ll treat me better. Think before you speak. Scientists say the part of a woman’s brain controlling emotional pain is three times larger than in men, so women are prone to emotional outbursts. You must know how to comfort.”

“Got it, my lady!”

The arguing couple seemed to realize they were causing a scene and quieted down, possibly reconciling on their own.

Reflecting on this, Lin Dongxue said, “Married couples are like happy enemies. They fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. Of course, sometimes it’s in bed.”

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Lin Dongxue suddenly looked at Chen Shi, who was looking at her. They often found themselves inexplicably locking eyes and bursting into laughter, as they did now. Chen Shi asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

“In five minutes, we’ll be legally married. You can make a phone call or something now to settle any loose ends.”

“You’re imagining things. What loose ends could I possibly have? Equality between men and women. If you want to make a call, you can.”

“I probably don’t need to.”

“Do you see me as such a libertine?”

“Yes, you always seem unserious. Especially as a team leader now, shouldn’t you be saying things like ‘just solve the case’ or ‘I don’t care whose fault it is as long as it’s my people’? The Second Team might be led astray. Watch the influence, Captain Chen.”

Chen Shi smiled awkwardly, “I’m really not good at leadership, but I’m improving. During Song Lang’s tenure as captain, he was even more… But I have to be honest, during Song Lang’s time, our team’s case-solving rate was exceptionally high. Every year, police from other cities came to study. We were the elite of the entire public security system.”

“Confident in your talents… Why do you always say ‘Song Lang’ and never ‘me before’?”

“Maybe I subconsciously feel that Song Lang is already someone else. Chen Shi belongs to the present, belongs to you.”

Unexpectedly, this romantic remark made Lin Dongxue blush. She said, “As a captain, you should still pay a little more attention. Seriously, sometimes I worry for you.”

“I’ve told the chief. My tenure as captain is temporary. As soon as a person with both virtue and talent appears, I’ll step aside.”

“Please pay attention to me, understood?” Lin Dongxue emphasized, frowning.

“Yes yes, my lady.”

Suddenly, the hall became lively as the man who had just been arguing began physically assaulting the woman, pulling her hair and slapping her, saying, “You want trouble, you’ll get it. Damn woman, you have to marry me today.”

“Oh no, they’re fighting! Go stop them, Captain.”

“No, I won’t interfere. Shouldn’t domestic disputes be handled by the criminal police? Besides, this criminal police officer is off duty today,” Chen Shi said firmly.

“If you won’t go, I will. That poor woman!”

“You can’t meddle in other people’s affairs, especially between husband and wife.”

The couple in question was ahead of them in line and were called in to finalize their marriage certificate. Five minutes later, they came out, holding their bright red documents. Despite the woman’s swollen face, she had a radiant smile. They asked a young man to take a photo of them holding their certificates, both brimming with happiness.

Lin Dongxue was too surprised to speak. Chen Shi offered his opinion, “Conflicts between spouses are just temporary disputes. No one is absolutely right or wrong.”

“Domestic violence is definitely not okay!”

“Of course, absolutely no physical violence.”

“The next one will be us! How exciting!”

“I finally tricked you into marrying me!”

“Haha, after we finish eating grilled fish, we’ll go to the place I rented and move in.”

“What do you mean ‘after we finish eating grilled fish’? It’s perfectly logical.”

“We’re getting married today. Isn’t celebrating with grilled fish appropriate? What else do you want to eat?” Lin Dongxue argued confidently.

Chen Shi laughed and leaned in, “Before your lips get red and swollen from the spice, let me kiss you a few more times.”

“B54!”

Hearing the announcement, the affectionate couple quickly separated and rushed towards the wedding hall…