Getting Married – Part 1
Tuesday, continued …
Having received Anna’s reassurances, Hou Yi stood up and helped Anna off the bench. Once Anna was on her feet, he checked his watch and realized that it was approaching 3:30 PM. When he had originally planned to get his marriage certificate with Yang Lin, he had made a booking at the Civil Administration Bureau so that the process could be filmed. He knew it was important to keep that appointment; the footage of their ceremony would likely be useful in the future.
He looked at Anna and said, “I hate to rush, but I had a booking at 3:30 PM at the Civil Administration Bureau for the marriage certificate. We should use it rather than let it go to waste.”
Anna simply nodded. Hou Yi offered his arm to Anna, and she took it without hesitation. Together, they walked to the corner and into the Plaza in front of the Civil Administration Bureau. They carefully scanned the area but couldn’t see Lu Jinhu or Yang Lin, so they continued walking across the Plaza towards the Civil Administration Bureau.
As they neared the door, it was opened for them by a man in a navy uniform who motioned for them to enter. The officer appeared to want to speak to Hou Yi, but he simply shook his head, clearly indicating that he did not want to engage in conversation. This brief exchange made it clear to everyone that Hou Yi preferred to avoid any distractions.
Once inside, Anna noticed that almost all eyes in the building were on her, making her reluctant to let go of Hou Yi’s arm. Hou Yi bent down and whispered in her ear, “We need to go to the appointments desk. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Hou Yi hoped that his actions, in being close to Anna and sharing a private moment, would convey intimacy and love to everyone observing. He noticed a faint blush coming to Anna’s cheeks, a subtle indication of their private communication amidst a sea of onlookers.
Anna caught on to what Hou Yi was doing—creating a message to the world at large, while keeping their communication intimate and private. Despite the anxiety of the moment, she knew she needed to follow through with the plan. She slipped her hand from his arm and interlaced her fingers with his, allowing him to bring her hand to his lips for a brief kiss.
Anna looked Hou Yi in the eye and simply nodded. Her heart was still trying to catch up with the whirlwind of the past hour—moving from planning a life with a man she thought she knew to agreeing to marry a stranger. Despite this, she felt ready for whatever the future held; it couldn’t be worse than what she had just experienced.
With Anna’s nod, she and Hou Yi continued across the entrance hall towards the desk marked for booked appointments. They approached the desk, and Hou Yi looked at the woman manning the counter, saying, “I am Hou Yi and I have an appointment booked to get a marriage certificate. My fiancée is from Australia.”
The woman in the blue uniform behind the desk was shocked, unable to believe that CEO Hou Yi was there to obtain a marriage certificate with a foreigner. Anna noticed the surprised look initially but dismissed it quickly—anyone who saw Hou Yi would recognize him as handsome and wish they were in her place. Anna then pushed aside any thoughts of doubt—working in a place where marriage certificates were issued required professionalism, not gossip. What did the look mean, if not mere curiosity? Anna handed over her passport and her paperwork from the embassy as requested.
“CEO Hou, Miss, please sit down over there,” the woman directed them, pointing towards some seats a little to the left of the desk. “I will go and locate Official Song, hand him these documents, and he will meet with you to finalize all the formalities.” With that, she turned and disappeared through a door behind her.
Hou Yi led Anna to the indicated seats, where they sat to wait.
