Su Jingming hesitated for a long time before signing his name. Wen Yan’s words were slowly eroding his logic.
This man was giving him all of his savings.
Su Jingming’s fingertips trembled slightly, and the corner of the medical record he was holding was unconsciously crumpled into folds.
Wen Yan always chose these moments to display his inexhaustible patience. He tilted his head to kiss the corner of Su Jingming’s eye, his voice low and heavy as he spoke unhurriedly into his ear, "What’s wrong, Dr. Su?"
There was a hint of playfulness in his tone, a touch of teasing.
He was asking despite already knowing the answer.
He was always like this.
Su Jingming’s lips pressed into a thin line. He relaxed his fingers slightly; he had been gripping so hard his fingertips were numb.
"Aren't you afraid that once I sign, I'll run away?" Su Jingming feigned a light tone. "This is quite a significant fortune."
Wen Yan hummed in response. "Where else could you possibly run to now?"
*I am right here; where else could you go?*
Su Jingming was momentarily stunned. He was right—where else could he go? After a few seconds of silence, he said in a muffled voice, "I wouldn't have the heart to run."
Ultimately, under Wen Yan’s persistent offensive, Su Jingming signed his name with a shaking wrist.
Wen Yan looked over the contract with great satisfaction. On the final page, his gaze lingered for a long time.
Seeing him look so happy after selling himself out so completely, Su Jingming couldn't help but ask, "Then how are you going to pay the mortgage in the future?"
Wen Yan placed the contract into the safe beneath the desk and answered without looking up, "Mm, my salary."
Su Jingming didn't know exactly how much Wen Yan’s salary was. He rubbed his earlobe with his fingers and said unnaturally, "In the future, I’ll support the household, and you’ll pay the mortgage."
Hearing this, Wen Yan paused. He looked up with a smile and hooked his finger under Su Jingming’s chin. "Like I said, you’re very virtuous." Before Su Jingming could react, Wen Yan leaned in and kissed him roughly.
The suddenly wealthy Dr. Su didn't experience much change in his daily life. Every day, he still saw patients when he should, ate when he should, and slept with a certain someone when he should.
Life was comfortable, and both his career and personal life were on the right track.
Even when Ren Wei saw Su Jingming again, he couldn't help but remark, "Su Jingming, your face is glowing and you look radiant. One look and I can tell life is treating you well."
Su Jingming didn't answer. It wasn't as if Ren Wei’s head hadn't been full of nonsense for a long time.
Ren Wei added, "When are you getting the certificate? I'm waiting for the wedding banquet."
"We already got it," Su Jingming replied casually, his eyes half-lidded.
"Oh, you got it..." Ren Wei didn't process it at first. "WHAT?!! You damn well kept another secret from your brother! You kept your high school romance a secret, you kept your reconciliation with your ex a secret, and now you even kept getting married a secret? One day when you have a kid, are you going to wait until they're an adult to tell your brother???"
Su Jingming wrinkled his nose. "That won't happen."
Ren Wei grunted and nodded, slapping his thigh. "When did you get it? Is it still nine-fifty to get the certificate these days?"
"The price went up; it's twelve yuan. As for when... the day before yesterday."
The day after Wen Yan brought Su Jingming back from the Wen family home, they rushed to register their marriage.
Before Su Jingming could even process it, he had the red booklets in his hand, and the blessings of Wen Yan’s father and mother were ringing incessantly in his ears.
Father Wen had patted Su Jingming on the shoulder: "Xiao Su, I’m entrusting Wen Yan to you from now on."
"???"
Mother Wen’s eyes were red, as if her own daughter were being married off. Her gaze remained fixed on the red booklets in their hands. "Live well together from now on. Communicate properly. It’s best not to fight, and certainly, don't get physical."
"???"
Wen Miao had specifically taken leave from school just to watch them get their certificates. "Brother, Brother Jingming, may you have a harmonious union for a hundred years! Give birth to a healthy... wait, you guys can't give birth."
"..."
Wen Yan, meanwhile, held Su Jingming close and said calmly, "Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom. You too, Miaomiao."
Even now, Su Jingming felt like he was in a daze.
He had gone to the Wen house for a meal with a heart full of trepidation, only for Wen Yan’s parents to be so warm that he lost his bearings. It felt as if the events of those years ago were nothing but a long dream.
On the night they got their certificates, Su Jingming sat by the bed, staring blankly at the marriage license. Wen Yan came out of the shower drying his hair. Seeing Su Jingming in a daze, he sat down quietly beside him and took the marriage license from his hands.
In the photo on the license, the two of them were wearing white shirts. Wen Yan was smiling brilliantly, while Su Jingming’s smile was more bashful in comparison.
Wen Yan clicked his tongue. "I have to say, this photo turned out quite well."
"Mm." Su Jingming saw that his hair wasn't dry yet and the towel was draped over his shoulder. He took over the towel, knelt half-beside Wen Yan, and continued drying his hair for him.
Wen Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You've been looking at this all day. What is it?"
Su Jingming’s hands didn't stop. After a moment of silence, he said, "It just feels... a bit unreal."
How long had it been since he returned? To reconcile with Wen Yan and get married so quickly—it had all happened so fast.
Wen Yan closed the marriage license and tossed it aside. He reached out and took Su Jingming’s left hand. The ring on his ring finger shone brightly under the light. He lowered his head to kiss the finger, his tongue tracing the shape of the knuckle with ill intent.
Su Jingming was startled and tried to pull his hand back, but Wen Yan used a bit of force and pulled him into his embrace.
The faint, fresh scent of body wash rushed into Su Jingming’s nose like a wild thing, spreading through his entire body, leaving no corner untouched.
Su Jingming’s body instantly went soft. Just this much was enough to make him lose his defenses.
Wen Yan chuckled softly and asked him, "What would make it feel real?"
"I can't say."
Wen Yan’s eyes darkened. His hand suddenly reached restlessly into Su Jingming’s pajamas. Before Su Jingming’s brain could react, he was pinned beneath Wen Yan.
Their breaths became rapid and intertwined, the air they exhaled eroding their logic bit by bit.
Until a string in his mind snapped, Wen Yan’s lips moved from Su Jingming’s eyes to the tip of his nose, then to the corner of his mouth, slowly descending.
Fragmented kisses intertwined in the dark night, and suggestive, suppressed sounds drifted through the evening air. Wave after wave surged with the wind, climbing to the highest peak before slowly falling into the clouds.
Wen Yan used his finger to wipe away Su Jingming’s tears. His own eyes were rimmed with red as he whispered, "Does it feel real now?"
Su Jingming didn't answer him. Wen Yan leaned down and bit his earlobe with some force. Su Jingming hissed as he sucked in a breath of cold air, his weak hands pressing against Wen Yan’s chest, lacking the strength to push him away.
Wen Yan let go of his ear and used one hand to press Su Jingming’s palm firmly against his own left chest. Amidst the sticky sweat, the rhythmic beating of his heart transmitted through the palm. Heavy breaths dispersed by his ear as he called out using the nickname from their youth: "Little Hero, I love you."
"I love you too."
As Su Jingming recalled this, an unnatural flush rose to his ears and cheeks. Ren Wei gave him a look that said "I understand, I get it" as he scanned Su Jingming up and down.
Su Jingming instinctively grabbed the water glass on the table and took a large gulp, coughing twice.
"The wedding banquet... we'll hold it after the New Year."
Ren Wei gave a long, drawn-out "Oh." Seeing Su Jingming’s life going so well, many of the doubts in Ren Wei’s heart were laid to rest. He stretched lazily and asked nonchalantly, "For your wedding, is your mother coming?"
Su Jingming paused. Yesterday, he had sent Cheng Hui a photo of the marriage certificate.
Cheng Hui had only replied coldly: *Happy wedding.*
She said nothing more.
Suddenly, Su Jingming said, "This is good enough."
He wouldn't ask for more.
Every parent has a different way of loving their children.
Children have no right to choose or interfere with the methods their parents use to love them.
Only one thing remains eternal: parents love their children.
Perhaps the first ten or so years of his life had been too bitter, and he had swallowed all his resentment and dissatisfaction.
Su Jingming hadn't known that a smooth and steady life could be so comforting. And the person who gave him all of this was Wen Yan.
If time could rewind a few years back to the first year of high school, Su Jingming would certainly take that first step to approach Wen Yan—to approach the boy who gave him warmth and pulled him out of the abyss.
As the end of the year drew closer, Lawyer Wen’s workload became increasingly hectic, while Su Jingming gradually found himself with more free time. When Mother Wen had nothing to do, she would find Su Jingming and take him and Wen Miao out to buy things for the wedding.
What should a wedding between two men look like?
Mother Wen thought that since it was her son’s wedding, it certainly couldn't be lacking.
She dragged the two "children" straight to the largest wedding planning company in Liang City.
The receptionist, seeing this pair of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, immediately pulled out the latest wedding packages.
"You two really are a match made in heaven. Our company has launched many new plans, many of which are very suitable for young people today." The receptionist gave a formulaic smile, not yet having flipped to the plan she intended to introduce.
Mother Wen waved her hand. "Miss, you've misunderstood. That's my daughter. The ones getting married are my son and... my daughter-in-law."
Wen Miao, who was drinking water, stiffened and nearly spat it out. She guiltily moved the glass away and looked at Su Jingming, who had a solemn expression.
Su Jingming was shocked by Mother Wen’s use of "daughter-in-law." However, having seen much of the world, he steadied his mind and gave the receptionist a slight smile.
The receptionist finally understood. She smiled apologetically and brought over a new set of plans. "Since it's a wedding for two gentlemen, we have many options to choose from..."
Su Jingming lowered his eyes slightly. His fingers suddenly felt itchy. Seeing Mother Wen discussing the wedding plans so seriously with the receptionist, waves of warmth flowed through his heart.
In a trance, Su Jingming saw Mother Wen’s hand resting on her knee trembling slightly. He was momentarily stunned, and his eyes dimmed a few shades.
Wen Miao took advantage of the gap in the conversation between Mother Wen and the receptionist to lean over and chat with Su Jingming.
"Actually, if you two had just held on a bit longer back then, you wouldn't have missed all these years," Wen Miao said. "In the beginning, during that period when my brother changed so much, my parents were actually thinking about relenting. But they were probably conflicted. You know my brother; once he makes a decision, he goes all in. Like when you were framed and forced to withdraw from the competition—my brother withdrew almost without hesitation. Later, he and Song Yifei went to find the people who framed you and drank with them all night just to get the truth out of them."
Su Jingming froze.
Wen Miao continued, "That's why I said, if you had held on back then, with my brother’s personality, he definitely wouldn't have let you go in the end. But it's fine now; you came back after all. Otherwise, I really don't know if my brother would have ended up growing old alone."
Wen Miao’s words had long since finished, but Su Jingming couldn't say a single word in response. He could only hear the soft voices of Mother Wen and the receptionist.
Wen Miao didn't notice Su Jingming’s abnormality. "Sigh, it was that night of drinking all night that gave him that stomach problem. He only slowly recovered during the winter break. Luckily, it wasn't anything major."
"..." Su Jingming swallowed hard. "He never told me."
"How could he tell you?" Wen Miao said. "A person like my brother wouldn't say that to you. Besides, that whole thing started because of me, so how could he bring it up? To this day, my parents don't know I almost had an accident in that alley. Speaking of which, if I had just listened to my brother and hadn't taken that path..."
"If you hadn't taken that path, how would I have met him?" Su Jingming interrupted softly before Wen Miao could finish.
If she hadn't taken that path, and if he hadn't gone to save Wen Miao, the intersection between Su Jingming and Wen Yan would have only been in an exam hall—one in front, one behind.
Doing the right thing at the right time, and meeting the right person.
Su Jingming smiled at Wen Miao. "It’s a good thing I stepped in that day."
And it was also a good thing that Wen Yan moved toward him later.
They had come so close to missing each other.
Everything was just right.
Before Wen Miao could process the meaning behind Su Jingming’s smile, Mother Wen turned around and asked Su Jingming with a smile, "Xiao Su, do you like this plan? Wen Yan said you really like Ultraman. They have a similar theme here; do you want to have a themed wedding?"
Su Jingming hadn't yet pulled himself away from Wen Miao’s words. He instinctively replied, "Okay."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 红本本 | Red booklets | Refers to the Chinese marriage certificate, which is a small red book. |
| 贤惠 | Virtuous | Usually used for a traditional, dutiful wife; used here playfully. |
| 小英雄 | Little Hero | Wen Yan's nickname for Su Jingming, referencing when they first met. |
| 凉城 | Liang City | The name of the city where the story takes place. |
| 奥特曼 | Ultraman | The Japanese superhero; Su Jingming's childhood interest. |
| 儿媳 | Daughter-in-law | Used by Mother Wen to refer to Su Jingming, showing her acceptance. |
