Marriage Certificate

Time flew by swiftly.

Only one week remained until the wedding ceremony.

By now, Yanshan City had entered the heart of autumn. The maple trees blazed crimson, their fiery hues stretching endlessly along the asphalt roads.

Ancient ginkgo trees rustled softly in the wind.

Golden waves of wheat began to be harvested.

Xu Xi gazed at this withering spectacle of life—its final, dazzling brilliance—and lingered in contemplation for a long while.

"Seven more days..."

"Time to sort through my things."

He closed the window, shutting out the autumn chill, and turned back toward his bedroom in the courtyard.

The furnishings in the room remained exactly as they had been when he first moved in years ago.

Untouched by dust, untouched by time.

Outside, autumn leaves drifted soundlessly to the ground. The sunlight between autumn and winter was especially sharp, casting a pale glow over his hands.

Xu Xi sat down and began removing the accessories he wore.

A bracelet—the Eternal Teardrop.

A necklace—the Crown of the Supreme.

A red cord—the Stardust of Mortal Earth.

A brooch—the Companion Starflower.

A ring—the Everlasting Vow.

In the early days of obtaining the Life Simulator, when Xu Xi was still weak, these gifts from the Supreme had ensured his safety in the real world.

But as the years passed, Xu Xi himself ascended to the Supreme. He no longer needed their protection.

Now, he wore them more as keepsakes.

With the wedding approaching, he decided to remove them and store them away for the time being.

"For the wedding, it wouldn’t suit the atmosphere to wear too many ornate accessories. I’ll put them aside and bring them out again afterward."

"Hmm... might as well clean them too."

Sitting at the table, Xu Xi took a clean cloth and carefully wiped each of the five items.

His fingers pressed the fabric in slow, circular motions.

With meticulous care, he polished every minute crevice.

"Am I overdoing it?" he mused, looking at the neatly arranged accessories, their surfaces gleaming with the unmistakable radiance of Supreme power.

Dust-repelling was merely one of their most trivial effects.

"Now, time to store them."

Where to put them?

Xu Xi glanced around the room, his eyes eventually settling on the display cabinet.

The wooden cabinet had glass doors, its interior divided into multiple compartments, each holding a special memento.

The swirling grain of the wood bore the unique markings of time.

With a soft click, he opened the cabinet door and checked the available space in each section.

He nodded.

"Plenty of room. They’ll fit just fine."

Following the order in which the girls had entered his life, Xu Xi placed each Supreme accessory into its corresponding compartment alongside their respective keepsakes.

A sugar jar with the teardrop bracelet.

A magic wand with the necklace.

A paper flower with the red cord.

An identification plate with the brooch.

A grimoire with the ring.

"Has it really been so long since my first simulation?"

"Even Servia’s simulation... feels like ages ago now."

Xu Xi raised his hand, pausing midair before gently brushing his fingers over each deeply cherished memento.

At some point, the fierce competition among the girls for the best spot in the cabinet had faded from his daily life.

They had reached a consensus, arranging themselves in the order they had met Xu Xi in the simulations:

Little Sister > Witch > Noblewoman > Mechanical Maid > Hero.

"A strange melancholy settled over me," Xu Xi murmured as he softly closed the cabinet door.

The clear glass still allowed him to see every item inside—and the faint reflection of his own face.

A face that carried both youthful vitality and the calm wisdom of maturity.

Knock—knock—

"Master, may I come in?" Ailei’s gentle voice accompanied the rhythmic rapping at the door.

"Please, enter," Xu Xi replied.

The door opened, and the first thing that met his gaze was a pair of shimmering silver-blue eyes.

Their owner bowed slightly—graceful, poised, and beautiful.

She was less a dutiful maid and more a wife playfully dressed as one.

"Master," Ailei approached the table by the window and began arranging the dishes from her tray.

"Today’s lunch, along with the Dragon’s Blood Herb tonic."

The steaming dishes were meticulously arranged—succulent shrimp, tender meats, all glistening with delicate sauces, their aromas subtle yet inviting.

But the most striking was the crimson-hued tonic.

"Thank you, Ailei."

Xu Xi took his seat and began savoring the meal, offering deliberate praise under her expectant gaze.

A stubborn autumn breeze squeezed through the window’s cracks, whispering faintly in their ears.

"Trouble? Ailei doesn’t think so," the girl replied, sitting across from him with a soft smile—one far removed from the mechanical expressions of her past.

"After all—"

"I am Master’s official wife."

Slowly, deliberately, she produced a small red booklet from her person.

Its cover was firm, its color vivid, and stamped upon it in neat characters were the words:

Marriage Certificate.

That had been about a month ago.

When Xu Xi and Ailei visited the civil affairs office, the process had been startlingly swift.

They had barely submitted their application, their names unspoken, when the red booklet was already handed to them through the window.

The others were present too.

But unlike Ailei.

They only realized the importance of the matter after catching a glimpse of the marriage certificate Ailei had unintentionally revealed.

"Master, what are you thinking about?"

Ailei noticed Xu Xi's momentary distraction.

"Nothing much."

Xu Xi waved his hand with a smile. "I just suddenly remembered that after the Spiritual Energy Revival, the laws in the country were amended to allow multiple spouses."

"Otherwise, I might have been guilty of bigamy."

With that, Xu Xi began savoring the lunch Ailei had brought.

A balanced meal of meat and vegetables, nutritious and well-portioned, along with a warm bowl of nourishing soup—Xu Xi was thoroughly satisfied.

"Ailei, by now, you must be capable of making true 'glowing cuisine,' right?"

"Not quite yet, Master."

The machine maid was eager.

She told Xu Xi she had a strong premonition that her culinary skills would reach new heights once the wedding was over.

When that time came, Ailei would invite Xu Xi to a grand feast.

"Haha, is that so? Then I’ll be looking forward to it."

Xu Xi eagerly anticipated that day, waiting to witness Ailei’s further growth.

With tender eyes, he watched her precious transformation—like a silkworm emerging from its cocoon.

"Master energy replenishment is required."

After lunch, Ailei cleared the dishes but soon returned to Xu Xi’s room.

With practiced ease, she leaned back—

Perfectly, precisely, right into Xu Xi’s embrace.

Her arms wrapped around his body.

And in a murmur, she whispered words only the two of them could hear.

"Master, shall we watch the stars together tonight? Or perhaps the new romance film that just came out?"

"Master, after the wedding, where would you like to go for our honeymoon?"

"To ensure your safety, I recommend not straying more than 1 centimeter away from Ailei."

"Rest assured, Master. Ailei will take care of all your needs—clothing, food, shelter, and travel."