Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Intact Marriage Certificate

Translator: 549690339

He found a paper bag, inside of which was something wrapped in kraft paper.

Old Cheng handed the bag to Shen Chi, “President Shen, Xiao Mo originally planned to give this to you in person before he left, but he was in a hurry and couldn’t find you, so he gave it to me instead. He said it was very important that I make sure it gets to you.”

Shen Chi’s chest heaved with emotion as he reached out and took it…

Peeling back layer upon layer of kraft paper, once the final layer was unfolded, inside were two intact marriage certificates.

The red marriage certificate, that color, it was piercing to the eyes.

Memories suddenly flooded in like a rushing stream; he had planned to throw the marriage certificate at her after returning from South Africa.

However, he had come back, and she had vanished…

“Xu Chaomu, have you started to hate me, Shen Chi, for a long time now? Otherwise, how could you have such a cold heart to just leave without a word?” Shen Chi murmured.

Old Cheng turned his head and caught sight of the three bold characters “Marriage Certificate,” and he was genuinely taken aback.

Shen Chi’s slender fingers traced over the cover of the marriage certificate, gently flipping it open.

Inside was a photo of him and her together.

In the photo, his lips curved upward, and she, displaying teeth white as pearls, was laughing carefree.

Shen Chi, Xu Chaomu.

All of this, it seemed like just yesterday.

Old Cheng also saw the names on the marriage certificate and exclaimed in surprise, “President Shen, is this your marriage certificate?”

“Mhm.”

“When did you get the marriage certificate? Does Chaomu know about it?”

“It was the day we went to the Civil Affairs Bureau, you should remember.”

“Ah!” Old Cheng was truly astonished, “But weren’t you and Chaomu going to terminate the adoption relationship that day? How did it turn into a marriage certificate?”

“Otherwise, who do you think I should marry?”

“President Shen, it’s a pity that Chaomu doesn’t know. She likes you so much, if she knew you got a marriage certificate with her, she would have been so happy,” Old Cheng said, resolving many doubts he had harbored. He had long felt that Shen Chi’s feelings for Xu Chaomu were out of the ordinary.

Butler Ling often quietly mentioned to him that President Shen had again served Xu Chaomu a meal; that President Shen had personally prepared several dishes Xu Chaomu liked; that Xu Chaomu was unhappy today, and President Shen had comforted her again…

“She hates me, it’s too late for anything else.”

The sparkle in Shen Chi’s gaze dimmed as he carefully wrapped the marriage certificate in kraft paper again, layer by layer.

Before wrapping it, he stared at Xu Chaomu in the photo for a long time.

He really liked to see her laugh, but what about in the future? Was he never going to see her again?

The car soon arrived at the school, students were dispersing, heading toward the school entrance in dribs and drabs.

The Maybach turned into the parking lot, and Shen Chi opened the car door and got out.

He headed straight for Classroom Four of the Second Year!

He remembered crystal clear in which row she sat, and exactly what her spot looked like.

He knew she didn’t like to study, that her desk would always be piled high with books, because it would block the teacher’s line of sight and allow her to sneakily make mischief.

In fact, he knew everything.

But it really didn’t matter to him whether she studied well or not. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

Entering the classroom, Xu Chaomu’s desk was spotless, not a speck of dust, her books also neatly stacked.

Maybe it was the alcohol that was too strong, but Shen Chi seemed to see her smiling.

“Fourth Brother, look how neatly I’ve stacked my books, don’t you want to praise me?”

“Fourth Brother, I can’t figure out this problem, oh, and I can’t do this one either. And also… this one, this one, this one, I can’t do any of them, none at all!”

“Fourth Brother… how do I handle another exam coming up… it’s absolutely exhausting… the water of the West Lake, my tears… ahhh ahhh ahhh…”

Shen Chi walked up to Xu Chaomu’s desk, his lips slowly turning upwards.

He seemed to see her again, pathetically sprawled across the desk, the picture of misery.

He stretched out his hand, instinctively wanting to stroke her head.

But when his hand came down, it touched the icy, cold surface of the desk!

Walking alongside Shen Chi, Old Cheng’s heart ached with him. He couldn’t imagine how much pain Shen Chi must be in.

Shen Chi mockingly lowered his eyes and his fingers moved to pick up the exam paper on the desk.

The exam papers were a neatly stacked pile, neatly ordered with a math paper on top.

Xu Chaomu hadn’t solved the last part of the final question, but she had written a small note: “If love lasts through time, what does it matter about the morning and the evening? Without love, even being together all day long is just like being worlds apart.”

Shen Chi’s hand that was holding the paper trembled, his heart shattered in an instant.

The atmosphere was so cold; Old Cheng had to break the silence.

“President Shen, let’s take Chaomu’s things back. And her luggage from the dorm, I’ll go get that too.”

“Okay,” Shen Chi finally snapped back to reality.

He took all her belongings, and in her drawer, he discovered a scribbled notebook.

On it, she had written his name many times.

Shen Chi, Shen Chi, Shen Chi…

Her handwriting was quite pretty, but whenever she was with him, she would deliberately make it look ugly.

Then, she’d scamper over to him: “Fourth Brother… you always say my handwriting is so ugly, what should I do? Teach me, please.”

“If it’s ugly then practice, I’m not a copybook!”

“But if you teach me by hand, it’ll be more effective than any copybook, your handwriting is so nice, it beats all the copybooks!” Every time, Xu Chaomu would become a total sycophant at this point.

At first, he would kindly teach her, hand by hand.

As a result, her writing got worse and worse.

It was only later that Shen Chi found out, she just wanted to be held by his hand.

The little thoughts of a young girl, simple and sweet.

Seeing Shen Chi lost in thought again, Old Cheng quickly helped him gather the books.

“President Shen, let’s go back. It’s getting dark, and the school is about to close.”

“Let’s go,” Shen Chi sighed and said.

He turned his head and left the classroom.

This time, her midterm exam score ranked fifth in the class, but she hadn’t waited for him…

To this day, her fate remains unknown.

Back at the Shen Family, Shen Chi placed all her books and luggage in her room.

Also, the dress she left in his room, and her high heels, he placed them carefully in her room as well.

He refused to believe that she had met with an accident. He would rather believe she had left him on purpose.

He also believed he would certainly find her.

If necessary, he would spend a lifetime searching.

Summer ends and winter arrives; soon, C City entered winter.

Half a year after Xu Chaomu’s disappearance, C City saw its first heavy snowfall of the year.

The snowflakes danced wildly in the air, straggling down like catkins. Everywhere was a vast expanse of whiteness, devoid of any color.

The birds and beasts had hidden themselves away; in the snowy weather, everything was deathly still.

The snow bent the tree branches, and with a “creak,” a bough snapped, the snow leaped up, sending out flurries of snowflakes.

The cold wind howled, cutting against people’s faces like knives, forcing its way into their collars relentlessly.