Chapter 173: Class Reunion

After the meal, Li Aiguo urged Tao Ming and Su Nanxing to go and complete their remarriage procedures. Helplessly, Tao Ming followed Su Nanxing out of the door. Standing at the corner of the staircase, she gritted her teeth in annoyance: "Why do we have to go do the paperwork right now?"

Su Nanxing took out their divorce certificates and the household registration book: "I got everything ready last night."

Tao Ming snatched the divorce certificates from his hand, flipped through them, and realized it was her own copy. She gritted her teeth again: "Where did you find this?"

"You've always liked to keep your important items in the wardrobe. It wasn't hard to find." Su Nanxing recalled how he had searched the wardrobe while Tao Ming was washing up last night, and sure enough, he found the required documents in a drawer.

Tao Ming dangled the divorce certificate in her hand and shook it: "Can we not go? Do the two of us really need this?"

"Wife, don't you love me?" Su Nanxing immediately dropped his expression, his voice sounding genuinely dejected.

Thinking to herself that it was just a certificate after all, Tao Ming reached out, grabbed Su Nanxing's hand, and walked downstairs with him: "Fine, let's go, let's go."

The corners of Su Nanxing's lips curled upward, though his voice remained low and mournful: "Wife, do you not love me anymore?"

Tao Ming stopped in her tracks, turned around, wrapped her arms around Su Nanxing's neck, leaned in, and gently pressed her lips against his. She kissed him for nearly a full minute before pulling back: "Did you feel that?"

Inside, Su Nanxing was ecstatic, but he kept a straight face: "Wife, I'm scared. I feel so insecure."

Tao Ming poked Su Nanxing's chest with her finger: "Doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Su Nanxing caught Tao Ming's finger, struggling to suppress a smile: "I'm really scared. You've been keeping me at arm's length lately."

Tao Ming frowned and tried to retrace her recent behavior. Had she? Surely not?

Su Nanxing was not about to let Tao Ming figure it out: "Wife, I want to hear your promise, too."

Only then did Tao Ming understand what he was driving at. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, her face flushing crimson.

Su Nanxing pulled Tao Ming into his embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder: "Wife, you can whisper it."

"I..." Tao Ming mustered up her courage, her voice no louder than a mosquito's hum: "I'm willing to spend the rest of my life with you."

Not hearing the exact phrase he wanted, Su Nanxing let a hint of a sob creep into his voice: "Wife, are you only staying with me out of pity?"

Tao Ming fell silent.

After waiting for a few minutes with no response from Tao Ming, Su Nanxing grew anxious. He lifted his head from her shoulder, looked straight into her eyes, and saw her stony expression, his heart skipping a beat in panic: "Wife?"

Tao Ming smiled, pinched his cheek, and said with a mock-ferocious glare: "If there's something specific you want to hear, just say it directly instead of beating around the bush."

Realizing his little trick had been exposed, Su Nanxing broke into a cheeky grin and replied, "I want to hear it every single day."

"In your dreams." Tao Ming turned on her heel and walked away.

Su Nanxing hugged Tao Ming from behind: "Wife, you were like that last night, yet you still refused to say you love me. I really am scared."

Recalling last night's events, Tao Ming's face turned even redder, and she shifted from embarrassment to anger: "Are we going or not? If not, I'm going home."

Su Nanxing turned Tao Ming around to face him and gently pecked her lips: "I love you."

Tao Ming closed her eyes: "I love you too."

...

The two of them took their photos, made copies of various documents, and walked into the marriage registration office once again.

Recognizing them as a couple returning to remarry, the registration clerk beamed from ear to ear, and the paperwork was completed in no time.

The moment the official seal was stamped onto their new marriage certificate, Tao Ming felt an intangible connection forge itself once more between her and Su Nanxing, leaving her feeling deeply intrigued.

Upon stepping out of the marriage registration office, Su Nanxing found a secluded spot and burned their old, voided divorce certificates into ashes.

Amused, Tao Ming asked, "Why did you burn them? We could have kept them as a souvenir!"

"Divorcing you was the single biggest regret of my life!" Su Nanxing tossed the ashes into a trash can, feeling as though even the smog in the air tasted sweet.

Tao Ming pulled out a wet wipe, cleaned the soot off Su Nanxing's hands, and said, "Let's go."

"Wife, shouldn't we celebrate?" Su Nanxing floated a new idea.

Tao Ming nodded: "Alright, how should we celebrate?"

Su Nanxing opened the rear car door: "Shall we try it in the car?"

"Try what?" Tao Ming was completely baffled.

Su Nanxing wiggled his eyebrows: "I heard it's quite thrilling."

Rolling her eyes, Tao Ming gave Su Nanxing a light kick, walked over to the driver's side, opened the door, and got in.

Su Nanxing thought to himself that sooner or later, he would definitely make Tao Ming try it.

The car started. Seeing the route they were taking, Su Nanxing asked with a puzzled look, "Where are we going?"

"There are a few furniture and building materials malls around here. We need to buy some things."

Just as her voice trailed off, Tao Ming's phone rang.

She pulled out her phone and handed it to Su Nanxing: "You answer it."

Glancing at the name flashing on the screen, Su Nanxing answered: "Hello, Liu Jing, my wife is driving right now."

Hearing this, Tao Ming instructed, "Put it on speaker."

Su Nanxing obediently switched to speakerphone, and Tao Ming's voice carried a smile: "What made you think of calling me?"

Liu Jing's voice came through the phone: "What kind of talk is that? How could I ever forget you!"

"Fine, fine, my mistake. What's up?"

Excitement was palpable in Liu Jing's voice: "Are you free for New Year's Day?"

"New Year's Day? What for?"

"A college alumni reunion! You didn't make it last time."

Tao Ming hesitated. Last time, having just relocated from Shanghai, she simply hadn't had the energy to travel back, so she skipped it.

Su Nanxing, who had once attended a small gathering between Tao Ming and her college roommates, asked, "Is this a gathering for just your dorm?"

"This time it's the fifteen-year graduation anniversary reunion for the entire major. A lot of people from both classes are coming. I'm in charge of contacting the girls from our dorm." Liu Jing paused for a moment before continuing, "Everyone in our dorm has already agreed to go. You're the only one left."

Tao Ming felt a wave of hesitation. A reunion for the entire major? There was a decent chance Zhang Chi would be there. How awkward would that encounter be?

Noticing Tao Ming's subtle expression, Su Nanxing asked, "Wife, don't you want to go? A fifteen-year anniversary is very meaningful."

Liu Jing chimed in as well: "Your husband is right, you should come."

With a chuckle, Su Nanxing asked, "Can family members attend?"

"Of course! Come along, and bring the child too. I haven't met them yet."

Tao Ming sighed inwardly. It had been so long since they broke up; it probably didn't matter anymore. If they wanted to go, she would go. "Alright," she said aloud, "I'll definitely be there."

Delighted, Liu Jing said, "I've booked my flight for the 30th. Arrive early so we can hang out beforehand."

"Got it, I'll buy my tickets as soon as possible."

After hanging up, Su Nanxing asked, "I noticed you were hesitating earlier. Why?"

Thinking that he would find out sooner or later anyway, Tao Ming decided to be straight with him: "My first boyfriend is from the same major, different class. I'm worried he might go."

Never expecting that to be the reason, Su Nanxing thought for a moment and replied, "That's all the more reason to go. You're married to me now. Think how much you'd regret it if you didn't go rub it in his face."

Tao Ming laughed in disbelief: "Rub it in his face for what? There's no need for that."

"Wife, it is extremely, vitally, and absolutely necessary! I simply must go thank that blind predecessor of yours. If he hadn't given you up, how could I ever have married you?" Su Nanxing was firmly set on showing off.

Noticing they had arrived at their destination, Tao Ming parked the car in a space, gestured for Su Nanxing to lean in closer, and gave him a light peck on the lips: "The two of us were destined to be together. Sooner or later, he would have had to step aside."

Su Nanxing was in high spirits: "Wife, kiss me again."

Tao Ming grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart: "My heart is beating so fast."

Su Nanxing gave a gentle squeeze: "Well, you're the one who told me to touch it."

Scrambling backward in a hurry, Tao Ming blurted out, "I must have lost my mind!"