Chapter 8: A Flash Marriage for a Roof Over Their Heads—He Was Even Ready with the Rings

When Shao Ye woke up the next morning, his head pounded like a drum, the remnants of a fever still lingering. But seeing Lu Zhanxing sitting by his side, steadfast and calm, settled him like a rock sinking into still waters.

“You’re awake. Eat something,” Lu Zhanxing said, his voice steady but soft, as if coaxing a skittish animal. He carefully propped Shao Ye up against the headboard, cradling him as if he might fall apart at any moment, and handed him a bowl of steaming porridge.

The aroma rose in wispy tendrils, curling through the chilly, sterile hotel room like a small miracle of warmth.

Shao Ye accepted the bowl, his gaze flickering around the unfamiliar surroundings. “Where are we?” he asked, his voice scratchy and uncertain.

“A hotel,” Lu Zhanxing replied, reaching out to press a cool hand to Shao Ye’s forehead, his brow furrowed with worry. “You had a fever again. There aren’t any proper hospitals nearby, but at least it’s broken now.”

Shao Ye frowned, a spoonful of porridge hovering halfway to his lips. “Where’d you get the money for a hotel?”

The warmth of the porridge flowed down his throat into his stomach, gradually restoring some strength to his body.

Lu Zhanxing’s reply was unruffled, almost casual. “I found some change in that little metal box you dug up from the rubble.”

At that, Shao Ye stiffened, his pulse quickening. The box. He scrambled to locate it, only for Lu Zhanxing to calmly retrieve it from a drawer and place it in his hands. “Relax. Everything else is still there,” he said, his tone unflappable.

Shao Ye opened the box with the care of a man disarming a bomb, pulling out a small crystal ball that he cradled with reverence before setting it aside. Then came the documents—certificates, contracts, and more—each inspected with painstaking precision.

The rental agreement he dismissed with a scoff—it was worthless now. But the engineering and programming certificates? Those were gold. He clung to the hope that they could be his ticket out of this mess.

But the money? The so-called “little bit of change” Lu Zhanxing had mentioned? Gone. Not a single coin remained. Just like that, Shao Ye was back to square one, broke and beaten down by life’s relentless grind.

His sigh was heavy, resignation laced with exhaustion, as reality once again bared its teeth.

A sharp knock at the door shattered the moment. “Your room’s up. Pay up or clear out!” barked the hotel manager from the hallway.

Lu Zhanxing hesitated, his expression betraying a flicker of unease. Before he could respond, Shao Ye took over, stepping out to face the manager. “We’re leaving by noon,” he said curtly, his tone clipped but resolute.

That single night at the hotel had drained what little they had left. The rest? Spent on medicine to bring down Shao Ye’s fever. In the wasteland district, Shao Ye had learned the hard way to never get sick—illness was a luxury reserved for the rich.

Here, healthcare came at a brutal cost. Without insurance, most people gambled on survival.

A fever? Suffer through it.

Something treatable for under 30 credits? Wait until it worsened before seeing a doctor.

Anything above that? Pray for a miracle.

Lu Zhanxing, though, had spent it all without hesitation.

For him.

Shao Ye felt the sting of guilt, tempered by an uncomfortable truth: to Lu Zhanxing, half-noble that he was, money was just paper. To Shao Ye, it was survival itself. But what right did he have to complain when it had all been spent saving him?

Once they left the hotel, the question of where to go loomed large. Shao Ye racked his brain, desperation gnawing at him, when he overheard something that sparked like flint against stone.

The government, in a bid to boost marriage and birth rates, had rolled out a new policy: couples who registered their marriage could receive a public rental apartment. Stay childless, and the lease was free for three years. Have a child within that time, and the rent would be waived for the next decade.

For Shao Ye, it was a no-brainer. Free housing. No strings attached—at least for three years. His eyes lit up, his weariness replaced with a flicker of hope.

He spun around, nearly tripping over himself in his haste, and grabbed Lu Zhanxing’s arm. “Lu-ge,” he said, voice pitched with a mix of determination and urgency. “Let’s get married.”

Lu Zhanxing froze on the spot, his mind a blank slate. He stared dumbfounded at Shao Ye, his eyes brimming with shock and confusion.

Seeing that expression, Shao Ye immediately realized what he'd just said and panicked. He hurried to explain, desperate to avoid any misunderstandings. "Lu-ge, don’t get the wrong idea, okay? I’m not actually trying to get married, and I definitely don’t like men. It’s just a way to apply for public housing—you get what I mean, right?"

Honestly, Lu Zhanxing couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could anyone reduce marriage to a mere transaction?

For a cramped public rental unit barely big enough to turn around in, Shao Ye was ready to fake a marriage with someone who had no connection to him. Lu Zhanxing frowned slightly, his gaze tinged with incomprehension.

But Shao Ye? He was practically bouncing with joy, as if his bright future was already within reach. "Lucky for us, the Alliance laws allow Beta-Beta marriages! We’ll get you a fresh new identity, and we can grab our marriage certificate while we’re at it. Then we’re set to apply for that sweet public housing. Thank the heavens, huh? Haha!"

“Beta?” Lu Zhanxing asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Shao Ye took a moment to explain patiently. Apparently, after hitting adulthood, he hadn’t shown any signs of secondary differentiation. Dust Town Zone didn’t have the tech for precise testing, so people relied on observable traits to classify second genders. As a result, his records in the Dust Town Zone labeled him a Beta. It wasn’t until a blood-based DNA test during a sweeping Alliance military raid that Shao Ye found out he was actually a rare, top-tier Omega.

Looking at Lu Zhanxing’s blank expression, Shao Ye felt a little uneasy. He worried Lu Zhanxing might refuse, but he also knew he couldn’t force him.

Even though Shao Ye wasn’t planning on dating or marrying anyone until he found his little sister, what if Lu Zhanxing met someone and wanted to get married?

Would tying him into this sham arrangement be unfair?

“Lu-ge,” Shao Ye began, his voice lower, tinged with defeat. “If you’re not comfortable with this, or you don’t want to live with me, that’s fine. I’ll think of something else.” His tone dropped further, the flicker of hope in his eyes dimming to resignation.

But then, Lu Zhanxing suddenly grabbed Shao Ye’s hand, his voice quick and firm. “It’s not that I’m unwilling. I’m not uncomfortable with it, either.”

Shao Ye lit up instantly, his excitement bubbling over. “Great, then it’s settled!”

In the Dust Town Zone, a slum teeming with homeless drifters, chaos was the norm. Every year, countless people went missing, died from disease, or were wiped out by pirate raids.

The result? Identity records were a mess, and enforcement was lax.

Registering a new identity was laughably easy. Shao Ye told the staff he was a distant relative who’d gone bankrupt and had no choice but to live here. They didn’t press for details and handed over the new IDs in no time.

With their IDs in hand, they turned and walked straight into the civil registry to get married.

In the Dust Town Zone, weddings were a rarity. Most people here couldn’t scrape together enough for a ceremony. Without the public housing policy, barely anyone would bother showing up to register.

The locals weren’t exactly romantics. Most were illiterate, and commitment was fleeting at best. Couples moved in together if they clicked and split up the second they didn’t—it was just how things worked. Shao Ye didn’t have a clue about what the actual marriage registration process involved.

He thought they’d just sign some papers, get a certificate, and call it a day. But no, the overly enthusiastic civil registry had cooked up a little marriage ceremony, complete with complimentary wedding photos.

The officiant stood by, reciting an overly flowery blessing, then smiled and asked if they were willing to become spouses.

Spouses?

Who’s the husband, and who’s the wife?

Shao Ye, for one, had no intention of being anyone’s wife—not even in name. The very idea rubbed him the wrong way.

Testing the waters, he smirked and asked, “Lu-ge, are you willing to be my wife?”

Golden eyes rippled like sunlight skimming across a placid lake as Lu Zhanxing cast his gaze downward. His long lashes cast delicate shadows on his face, veiling the emotions buried in his stare. The quiet intensity was palpable, a storm brewing beneath a composed surface.

“I do, your husband is willing.” He murmured, voice low, smooth, and tinged with a barely perceptible trace of joy, like a secret he savored alone.

Shao Ye froze. For a moment, his thoughts blanked, then flooded with a wave of disbelief. 'Seriously?' he groaned inwardly. But, considering this was Lu-ge, the man he couldn’t quite bring himself to challenge, Shao Ye reluctantly let it slide. 'Fine, just this once.#

The officiant interjected with practiced cheer. “Now, it’s time to exchange rings.”

And that’s when it hit Shao Ye like a truck—he’d forgotten the damn rings. First marriage ever, and he’d botched it. Guilt twisted in his chest, an unwelcome companion to his already frazzled nerves.

He quickly shook his head, attempting to dismiss the growing sense of failure. 'Fake wedding, remember? Stop acting like it’s a big deal. It’s just for the housing registration.' He sneered at his own misplaced sincerity.

But before he could spiral any further, Lu Zhanxing slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of wedding bands.

“What the—” Shao Ye’s eyes went wide. “When the hell did you prepare those?”

“Long ago,” Lu Zhanxing replied, his tone maddeningly calm.

Without missing a beat, he slid one ring onto his own finger, then reached for Shao Ye’s hand. His movements were careful, deliberate, as though handling something priceless.

The silver band settled onto Shao Ye’s ring finger—a minimalist design, free of frills or embellishments. In the sunlight, its polished edge gleamed faintly. It was simple, understated, and annoyingly… perfect.

It suited him to a T.

Shao Ye’s daze was interrupted by the officiant’s amused smile. “You know, most couples getting registered lately are here just for public housing benefits. It’s rare to see such genuine affection. You two really are a lovely match—wishing you a lifetime of happiness and lots of kids!”

Both men froze.

The irony hit like a slap. 'Genuine affection?' Shao Ye wanted to laugh—or scream. They were also here for the public housing scheme. Where the hell had the guy gotten “true love” from?

“And now,” the officiant continued, voice brimming with encouragement, “time for the final step. Kiss.”

Shao Ye felt his soul leave his body. 'Kiss?' His mind reeled, and panic spread like wildfire.

His first kiss, guarded over two lifetimes, was about to be sacrificed… for an apartment?

With a man, no less?

His stomach churned as internal protest erupted. Hell no, no way—

Lu Zhanxing didn’t move either, though there was something unreadable in his golden eyes.

Was that… anticipation?

Shao Ye’s chest tightened. 'Don’t look at me like that, man. I’m straight. I’m straight—' His inner mantra was cut short by the magnetic pull of those eyes, impossible to resist. He squeezed his eyes shut, his final defense. If he couldn’t see it, it wasn’t happening.

“Aww, looks like your wife is shy. Be a man—make the first move!” The officiant gave Lu Zhanxing a playful shove.

Then it happened. Warmth pressed against Shao Ye’s lips, soft and fleeting yet enough to send shockwaves through his body. His entire frame locked up as his mind went blank. Somewhere in the background, a camera clicked, immortalizing the moment.

By the time they stumbled out of the civil affairs bureau, Shao Ye’s brain was still fogged over, his steps wobbly and unsteady.

“Congratulations!” A staff member handed him the neatly packaged marriage certificate.

Still running on autopilot, Shao Ye accepted it, muttering a dazed, “Thanks,” before wandering off. The weight of what just happened settled on him only after he left.