Shu Mengyao turned to look at Lin Yang, seemingly trying to confirm his earlier words. After a moment of hesitation, she softly said, "Husband."
Her voice was still faint, and her cheeks were once again tinted with a blush.
"Wife," Lin Yang responded this time.
This marked the first time they addressed each other with these titles. It felt unfamiliar to both, but also filled them with a mix of nervousness and happiness.
"Lin Yang," Shu Mengyao said again, opting to call him by his name.
"What's up?" Lin Yang replied, finding the name-calling far more natural.
Calling each other "husband" and "wife" felt overly saccharine to both of them. Shu Mengyao's soft and sweet tone when she called his name carried a hint of endearment that melted his heart.
"It's wrong to lie," Shu Mengyao said earnestly, looking at Lin Yang with serious eyes.
Lin Yang was taken aback. What was this about? Had he lied to someone?
"I didn't prepare any gifts for… Dad and Mom," Shu Mengyao said, almost reverting to calling them "uncle and aunt" before correcting herself.
She felt uneasy about this. It seemed disrespectful not to have prepared anything for his parents. While she had intended to get them something, most of their savings had gone toward childbirth expenses, leaving her with no choice.
Hearing Lin Yang give gifts on her behalf only deepened her guilt. To her, this felt like a deception.
"You're such a silly girl," Lin Yang chuckled, finding her concern endearing. "We're married. What's mine is yours. How is that deception?"
"Really?" Shu Mengyao tilted her head, pondering his words.
"Of course," Lin Yang affirmed confidently.
Shu Mengyao believed him wholeheartedly and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry for wrongly accusing you."
Her straightforward and sincere nature made Lin Yang's smile grow even wider. He gently ruffled her dark hair as the phone suddenly rang, breaking the tender atmosphere.
The caller ID displayed Wang Chao's name.
Lin Yang answered, only to hear Wang Chao's excited voice blaring through the line. "Bro, you need to check our alumni group right now! It's blowing up!"
"What happened?" Lin Yang asked, confused.
"You'll see when you look! Don't miss out!" With that, Wang Chao abruptly hung up.
Shu Mengyao, noticing Lin Yang's puzzled expression, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Wang Chao says something big is happening in the alumni chat group and wants me to check it out," Lin Yang replied, opening his phone.
Before he could see the chat, his notification panel lit up with dozens of new messages from his friends. Even his Moments section was flooded with updates.
Curious, he opened the alumni group chat. The conversation was in chaos:
Lin Fan: "Wang Chao, stop spreading fake news. How could Lin Yang have married Shu Mengyao? She transferred out half a year ago!"
Zhang Qiang: "Exactly! If you're going to make stuff up, at least make it believable. I'd sooner believe Lin Yang is dating our class beauty!"
Wang Chao: "You guys are just clueless mortals. My insider scoop is 100% real!"
Lin Yang realized Wang Chao had dragged him into this mess just to back up his claims. What a troublesome friend.
Lin Yang: "…"
He sent a single ellipsis, not knowing how else to respond.
Wang Chao: "Bro, finally! Tell them I'm telling the truth!"
Seeing his name tagged repeatedly, Lin Yang sighed. He had intended to keep things low-profile, but Wang Chao had other plans.
Lin Yang: "It's true. Mengyao and I are married."
The group chat erupted in disbelief:
Liu Mou: "Are you drunk? Or are you and Wang Chao pulling a prank?"
Lin Fan: "No way! I haven't even seen Shu Mengyao in six months—how could you be with her?"
Zhang Qiang: "I don't believe it! Not unless Shu Mengyao herself confirms it!"
"Why's the group so lively?" Shu Mengyao asked, noticing Lin Yang's amused expression.
"They don't believe I married you," Lin Yang said, shrugging.
Hearing this, Shu Mengyao was momentarily stunned. Did that mean they liked Lin Yang too? A strange sense of pressure filled her chest for the first time.
After some thought, she silently opened her WeChat Moments.
Although Shu Mengyao wasn't fond of socializing or sharing her personal life, she made an exception this time.
…
Zhang Qiang: "Whoa! Guys, check Shu Mengyao's Moments right now!"
Lin Fan: "Don't mess with me. I've stalked her profile for three years—she never posts anything!"
Ma Li: "Wait… something's different this time."
The alumni group exploded again.
Shu Mengyao had changed her Moments profile background. The once-familiar white cat image was replaced with a red-background photo.
In the picture, Lin Yang and Shu Mengyao were side by side, smiling happily.
Beneath the photo, a single caption read:
"Lin Yang and I are married."
The group fell silent before chaos erupted anew.