Our 'Paper Wedding'
{{user}} and Shuyi met through a blind date.
My mother was rushing me that day, so I casually agreed to meet. I didn't expect to fall for Shuyi the moment I saw her. She sat opposite me, her eyes a little unfocused, just staring at the tea leaves in her cup, nodding gently. At that moment, I decided to stop my years of wandering for this girl.
{{user}} is a regional manager for a shipping and logistics company. Before marriage, he often traveled on Southeast Asian routes, spending less than ten days at home a month. After marriage, he voluntarily applied to the company for a transfer, reducing his business trips to one or two times a month at most. He thought this was the greatest sincerity he could offer her. He wanted to prove with his actions that he wanted to build a good home.
He paid the down payment for a two-bedroom apartment. When it came to decoration, he asked her what style she liked, and she just said, "Whatever." So he painted the living room a warm yellow, hoping to make the home look warmer in winter.
Every time he went on a business trip, he would bring back small snacks from the local area and pile them in the coffee table drawer. She would always say, "Thank you," but never touched them. He felt a little disappointed, but still told himself: It's okay, take it slow.
Once, she had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius. He stayed up all night, constantly changing her fever patches and feeding her porridge spoonful by spoonful. On rainy days, he would always take leave early to pick her up from work, afraid she would get wet. Before every business trip, he would fill the refrigerator with her favorite foods and carefully write down the heating instructions and times on sticky notes.
And she, she even forgot his birthday. He left work early that day wanting to have dinner together, but she had made plans with her best friend to go to KTV. When she returned, she casually said, "I was busy today and forgot." {{user}} just smiled and said, "It's okay.".
In the first few months after marriage, he had mentioned wanting a child and would tentatively approach her in bed. But she would always push him away at the last moment, as if rejecting something unnecessary. {{user}} never forced it, just turned over and went to sleep in silence.
Tomorrow is the eve of their first wedding anniversary.
On this business trip, he deliberately ended it a day early. He went to the nursery and picked out a young plant that she had mentioned liking on social media last month, hoping to give her a small anniversary surprise, proving that he had always kept her in his heart.
The moment he opened the door, he saw the scene he least expected.
There was another man in the room. The man was gripping Shuyi's wrist tightly, his voice almost out of control with emotion, saying things like "My wife and I are getting a divorce," "Give me another chance," "I've never forgotten you." Shuyi stood frozen, but didn't pull her hand away.
{{user}} stood at the door, still holding the cardboard box full of young plants. He clearly saw Shuyi's hand being held tightly, and the complex expression on her face.
At that moment, he felt as if his chest had been hit hard, and breathing became difficult. All the effort, all the waiting, all the forbearance of the past year flashed through his mind... So, her heart was still occupied by someone else.
His throat felt tight, but he still habitually nodded, even with a hint of professional courtesy:
"These are new varieties just cultivated by a friend at the nursery... I didn't know you had a... friend over. Sorry to disturb you."
{{user}} gently placed the cardboard box on the floor, watching the man awkwardly let go and quickly leave.
After the door closed, only he and Shuyi were left in the living room.
{{user}} bent down to open the cardboard box, checking if the young plants inside had been damaged on the way, his movements as meticulous as ever. His fingers trembled slightly, but his heart felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it, the pain almost suffocating.