Chapter 101: The Wedding (Part 2)

Chapter 101: The Wedding (Part 2)

After securing the last place in a game, a disheartened Chen Bai was led away by his friends.

As he walked, he complained that his buddies weren't being good friends at all, not even letting him win a little.

On a day like today, it should have been customary to let him triumph, even if it was a fake victory.

The friends had only heard each other's names before and didn't know each other well, but after one round of the game, they became thoroughly acquainted. They even united in their stance, waving their hands and saying that precisely because they were friends, they wouldn't let him win.

A heartbroken Chen Bai was taken away, forgetting his jacket. It was his considerate neighbor who picked it up for him.

Chen Yiwan was lost in the crowd, still getting his head patted and fed meat jerky, completely unaware that his father and father figure had left.

The driver took them not back to the manor, but to their home in the city center.

In the car, the sore loser continued to analyze his most heartbreaking game of the day. His conclusion was that it was purely bad luck; no amount of strategy could fill the gaping hole that was his misfortune.

He bumped into the person next to him, then complained about how strangely hard their body was. He started to lament that his head hurt now and demanded compensation.

An utterly unreasonable person, he drank his juice as if it were fake alcohol.

The bump hadn't been forceful, and the pain wasn't significant, but Xu Sinian played along. He touched the smooth forehead, where there wasn't even a hint of redness, and pretended to caress it gently, asking softly, "Does it still hurt?"

Having put on enough of a show, Chen Yibai said it didn't hurt anymore.

An unreasonable but easily appeased person, Xu Sinian chuckled.

It would take some time to reach the city. The sore loser pulled out his phone, planning to play a couple more rounds. Tonight, when they returned, they would have a decisive battle with Ludo.

But upon seeing the time on his phone, he finally realized what day it was.

Firstly, it was the beginning of the month. Secondly, it was his wedding day. And thirdly, it was the night of his wedding.

Apart from sneaking out of high school to work, the most outrageous thing he had ever done was to take the initiative to kiss someone. Now, it seemed he would finally have to start considering something more practical.

He subtly shifted to the side, leaning against the chair with his phone. He quickly opened the search engine and began typing.

"..."

The light from the phone illuminated his face, his pupils moving up and down as he browsed the screen. Slowly, his fingers pressed against his lips, and he began to ponder deeply.

Time was running out for his contemplation.

The road that usually got congested at night was unusually clear today, allowing them to smoothly arrive at the building.

Chen Moubai, unusually, didn't jump out of the car. Instead, he slowly got out at half speed, seemingly paying extra attention to safety tonight.

Holding his good neighbor's hand as they went upstairs, his mind raced at an unprecedented pace. The person beside him glanced at him.

In the elevator, there was a "click," the door opened, and the lights came on.

Entering the familiar space, while his good neighbor went to the bedroom to put down the jacket, Chen Moubai immediately ran to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine that he occasionally used for cooking. He effortlessly opened it and grabbed a glass.

Squinting, he tilted the wine bottle as if conducting a titration experiment, watching the wine slowly drip two drops into the glass, a thin layer that didn't even cover the bottom.

When Xu Sinian returned, he saw him placing the wine bottle on the table.

Knowing what he was going to say, Chen Bai preemptively waved his hand, saying, "Just two drops, won't get me drunk."

He said, "I'm just boosting my courage."

Acting first and explaining later, he didn't wait for anyone to speak before gulping down the two drops of wine that barely moistened his mouth.

With the courage of a dog, he felt that under normal circumstances, there were some things he probably wouldn't dare to try.

Understanding why he had been quiet during the journey, Xu Sinian lowered his eyebrows and said, "If you're scared, you don't have to force yourself. Let's sleep in a..."

His remaining words were sealed by the warmth of a kiss, his neck tightly embraced.

With his dog courage fully loaded, Chen Bai made his move.

—After mustering courage for so long, he dared to take the initiative to kiss someone.

He wasn't usually proactive, and his movements were awkward. Tilting his head to reach his partner's neck was tiring, and within two minutes of taking the initiative, he couldn't resist wanting to let go and rest.

His waist had already been supported without him noticing, and now he couldn't retreat.

Just as he caught his breath, the scorching touch pressed down again.

The pressure on his body gradually increased. His hand, which he was about to lower, landed on the shoulder, unconsciously gripping the shirt.

Deprived of breath, his limbs gradually weakened. When they briefly parted, his breathing was completely disrupted. His hand slid down the shirt, leaving behind a wrinkled white fabric.

Still trying to regain his breath, the pressure on his body intensified, lifting him off the ground and carrying him to the bedroom.

His head sank into the soft pillow, his nose filled with a familiar scent. His tousled hair was scattered on the white pillowcase. His eyes hadn't fully opened when he sank into the shadows again.

A large, hot hand slipped between his head and the pillow, sinking into his hair. He was lifted up to endure the onslaught of an overheated kiss.

It was a bit hot.

When they temporarily separated and he found his breath again, every exhalation felt like burning hot air. Chen Bai's eyes were half-open, his eyelashes wet from the tears that had overflowed from the corners of his eyes. Reaching out, he tried to undo his tie.

Lacking strength, it didn't look like he was untying his tie, but rather scratching it. The strange heat in his body continued to rise, and he finally managed to utter, "Xu Sinian, help me undo this."

He thought he sounded normal, but only when he heard himself speak did he realize how hoarse his voice was, unable to suppress a tremble.

The person above him responded, "Okay."

Fingers with distinct knuckles landed on the knot of the tie, effortlessly untying it in two swift motions.

The tie was pulled away from the collar, producing a rustling sound as the fabric brushed against itself.

Unbuttoning the tie wasn't enough to cool down; Comrade Old Xu, ever considerate, encountered the disheveled shirt's buttons and asked, "Do these need to be undone too?"

It was rather thoughtful of him; the man lying on the bed muttered a thank you.

The man bent his head to unfasten the buttons while the person lying down reached for the tie that had been set aside, slowly fumbling with it in both hands.

Halfway through unbuttoning, cold, pale skin was exposed to the air, hidden beneath the thin shirt. As Xu Sinian continued his actions, the sleeve of his own shirt was gently tugged.

It was a light pull, but he felt it, so he lifted his eyes.

"…"

In just an instant, his dark pupils constricted sharply.

The person whose entire body was sunk into the soft bed had used the tie to tie a bow around his neck during the previous silence.

Because he had learned how to wrap bouquets and gifts before, the bow he tied was beautiful, its shape standard, but because he lacked the strength to tighten it, it hung loosely, always at risk of coming undone.

Without anything else to practice on, he bound the bow onto himself using the same technique one would use to wrap a gift.

Despite not having practiced for years, his technique remained proficient, and he was pleased with the bow he had tied, half-opening his eyes to smile slightly as he said, "Isn't it nice?"

The contrast between the bright red tie and the pale skin was striking; the slender neck looked more fragile than the loose bow, easily catching the eye. Xu Sinian lowered his gaze, answering earnestly, "Very nice."

He extended his hand to help tighten the bow made from the tie, ensuring it wouldn't come undone no matter how much movement there was.

His efforts were praised and cherished, and Chen Moubai smiled.

Then he quickly found he couldn't smile anymore.

The bow was indeed very tight, refusing to come undone no matter how much he rubbed against the sheets or trembled buried in the pillow.

Pale fingers unconsciously gripped the edges of the sheets, the tips turning white, then rapidly reddening upon release.

The white sheets were crumpled and released, leaving deep creases where they had been tightly held, yet the bow remained intact.

Sweat at his temples was wiped away, and tears that seeped out were kissed away. In an instant, he couldn't distinguish whether the sensation was pain or something else, and Chen Bai couldn't help but make a sound. Later, he vaguely felt that the sound didn't belong to him, as if he had just finished crying, so he bit his finger hard to hold back.

The hand he bit into was removed by someone: "It's alright, there's no one else here."

Xu Sinian lowered his head to kiss his faint brows and eyes, whispering, "I want to hear your voice."

This was the longest, most exhausting night Chen Moubai, who was accustomed to staying up late, had ever endured, even more taxing than an all-night live stream.

"…"

When he woke up the next day, his eyes hadn't opened yet, but the person lying in bed instinctively reached out to grab something.

There was no familiar furry texture, but it was still quite large, big enough for him to hug, so he directly reached over, his legs following suit, and told Chen Yiwan to remember not to take off his own sweater next time.

Then he fell asleep again.

When Chen Moubai woke up again, the sun had already moved from one side to the other.

He once again instinctively reached for the good pup he had grabbed in his sleep, but this time he missed.

Not finding what he sought, he opened his eyes. The room's floor-to-ceiling window curtains were drawn, so the sunlight wasn't particularly blinding, only faintly illuminating the floor and a corner of the sheet.

His mistake was stretching lazily when his mind wasn't fully awake yet. His hand had barely reached halfway into the air when his entire body froze, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath.

Soreness, always present after waking up. It wasn't the intense pain of being woken up by Chen Yiwan stepping on him, but rather a pervasive ache that seeped into every muscle of his body.

A lingering, thread-like sensation that refused to dissipate.

He took a breath, a slight sound, but footsteps sounded outside the room, and someone wearing an apron walked down the hallway, asking, "Are you awake?"

Still maintaining the position of stretching, his hand paused in mid-air for a moment before finally lowering. Chen Moubai yawned, saying, "I'm awake."

His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken for centuries, or as if he had talked nonstop for centuries.

Sleeping until the afternoon, he was completely rested. He propped himself up on the bed, intending to get up and wash up, but upon looking down, he realized that yesterday's shirt had somehow been replaced by pajamas, and his body felt dry and fresh.

They were still his usual puppy pajamas.

Apart from the soreness, he didn't notice any abnormalities at the moment. He lifted his foot to step out of bed, but as he stood up, he realized something was amiss, managing to steady himself in time.

…It felt like he had spent the night helping several college students cheat on their one-kilometer run.

The person standing by the door approached, and he raised his hand to stop him: "I can stand steadily."

He had swayed slightly due to getting up too quickly, but although his legs were weak, he could stand. He went to the bathroom to wash up.

After washing up quickly, he sat down at the dining table just as swiftly, collapsing onto it once seated.

With a slight "click," a water cup with a puppy face, which he often used, appeared in front of him. He squinted his eyes, taking a sip from the cup.

Warm water, with a sweet and bitter taste, caused his eyes to open a little wider as he lifted his head.

Xu Sinian returned to the kitchen, bringing over the porridge that had cooled slightly, meeting his gaze as he said, "Throat-soothing tea."

"…"

As if recalling something, the person holding the water cup subconsciously touched his throat.

He didn't feel his throat, but he first touched something that seemed off.

The texture of the fabric was smooth to the touch. Feeling perplexed, he looked down and saw the bright red tie around his neck.

"…"

All the memories, both appropriate and inappropriate, flooded back to him in the silent moment as he slowly rubbed his face.

Alcohol certainly emboldened one, but he hadn't expected it to have such an effect.

It was hard to fathom what had been going through his mind last night.

His ears flushed slowly, and after wiping his face, he reached for the tie around his neck, intent on eradicating the evidence immediately.

However, sensing someone's gaze, he lifted his eyes and met the stare of a certain good neighbor standing nearby.

In a brief yet seemingly endless two seconds of eye contact, he inexplicably understood the emotion in the other's eyes. His brows furrowed sharply before he finally asked, "…Reluctant?"

Then, he watched as the person nodded and said, "It looks very nice."

—They actually admitted it!

His brows twitched repeatedly as he alternated his gaze between the tie and the person's dark pupils, ultimately deciding with a wave of his hand, "If you're reluctant, then keep it."

He wasn't leaving the house today; an extra piece of cloth wouldn't be missed. If they truly liked it, there was no harm in keeping it.

The bow tie remained tied.

After a busy night, Master Chen enjoyed the porridge cooked by Comrade Old Xu.

No one in Old Xu's family had any talent for cooking, evident from Little Xu's previous disastrous attempts in the kitchen.

After so much practice, this older brother of Little Xu had evolved from being able to cook simple meals to specializing in porridge.

It wasn't particularly delicious, but it was guaranteed to be healthy and safe to eat.

His intuition told him that returning to bed might not be suitable for the day, so after eating, Master Chen chose to lie on the sofa instead.

His personal backrest, having washed the dishes, came over and sat beside him, replacing the pillow.

Leaning against the person, he checked messages from his agent on his phone.

His agent had sent him messages that morning, guessing that he had still been asleep at the time. He was instructed to reply when he woke up and post a couple of photos from yesterday.

There were quite a few photos from yesterday. The planning team had their own photographer, and among the wedding guests, there were also several photographers who had already sent all the photos over last night.

Scrolling through the photos slowly, Master Chen, who had been laughing throughout the event, slightly widened his eyes. "What an amazing photographer."

Putting aside other considerations for the moment, these photographers had managed to capture the scene of everyone laughing in a strangely solemn manner, making it appear as if everything had been perfectly serious.

It was a matter of split-second timing; their ability to capture moments was extraordinary.

The earlier part of the photo series consisted of relatively serious shots, while the later ones showed him laughing uncontrollably, unable to maintain a serious expression.

Selecting two of the earlier photos, he moved his phone slightly to the side so that his good backrest could see them as well. "These two are great; they make me look especially serious and dignified."

His good backrest smiled and agreed.

With these carefully chosen photos, he logged into his account.

When his agent instructed him to post two photos, he did just that, not adding an extra image or word.

"Chen Yibai: [Image] [Image]"

Netizens seemed to live online, as messages started popping up almost immediately after he posted, causing the previously unattended red notifications to rapidly increase.

"It's past two in the afternoon, I've been done with lunch for a while now, and you've finally woken up, Chen Yibai?"

"What dignified photos and a dignified Bai… Although, Yibai, videos of you playing Ludo with a crowd and arguing with Qian Jin, along with your laughing fits, are already everywhere (I've said enough) (patting shoulder)"

"I recognize this place! Help, because the flowers are so beautiful and well-maintained, it used to be a popular spot for taking pictures, many friends have visited, turns out it's private property (closing eyes)"

"I forgot where I read it, but insiders revealed that the flowers were planted by Brother Xu for Yibai, and they've been growing for years (single people close their eyes peacefully)"

"Hahaha, someone listed the people who appeared in yesterday's videos, and both Qian Duqian and Qianke have introductions; it's like a real-life version of Boss Zhipin, throwing a ball can randomly hit a big boss or director for ten thousand"

…

After the wedding, the agent gave Chen Yibai a half-month break.

A month could accommodate many activities and visits to various places, but he ultimately chose to stay at home.

He and his Comrade Old Xu bought a house together, not far from their original neighborhood, still close to the city center for convenience when going out and working.

Considering that Wan would often come over to play, they specifically chose a two-story villa with a yard. It wasn't particularly large, but it was sufficient for them and spacious enough for Wan to run around.

Since selling all their properties at the age of eighteen, it had been too many years since he had a house of his own.

From room arrangements to decoration and every little detail, everything was decided by themselves. Half a month wasn't enough, and after re-entering the production set, he made nightly calls to discuss matters that hadn't been finalized yet.

From an empty shell to gradually taking on the appearance of a home, and then filling the empty rooms with furniture, until the remaining odors were blown away and the entire house was filled with fresh air, he wrapped up filming and officially began moving.

During the move, he discovered that the room with the longest sunlight exposure in the house, which was originally said to have another purpose, was now his piano room, with a piano quietly placed in the center of the room. The flowers in the yard bloomed, creating a sea of flowers visible through the window, along with the small dog's entertainment facilities hidden within.

Wan loved this place and quickly marked it as his territory during his first visit, bringing his old but still cherished little shark here to settle in.

The key to the front door already had a keychain attached, featuring Wan wearing a red bow tie.

The white fluff ball ran wildly in the yard, causing the flowers on either side to sway. Sitting by the windowsill, holding a cup of throat-soothing tea, Chen Bai leaned against the cushion that was always present behind him, trying to recall the events shortly after their initial meeting. Then, he nodded and said, "Good thing I made a couple more buns that day."

Thankfully, he happened to live in that residential building, happened to get up at two in the morning to steam buns, and then happened to encounter this neighbor on his way home from work, leading to the intersection of two lines that were once parallel.

The original neighborly brother smiled, sending ripples of tremors through his chest, as he thanked him for the two buns and asked with his head lowered, "Fancy making another movie together?"

Chen Yibai raised his eyes to look at him.

---

Time marched on, and the film industry underwent changes every year.

For instance, after collaborating with Chen Yibai once more, Xu Sinian clearly began to fade from the limelight, shifting his focus elsewhere, appearing more frequently in financial news.

Some were saddened while others rejoiced; actors who had been overshadowed by him for over a decade saw this as their chance to shine, rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Each generation bore its own shadow, and they had experienced two consecutive periods of it. After living under Xu Sinian's shadow for years, the mountain above their heads didn't vanish; it merely transformed, becoming Chen Yibai.

Young, talented, energetic, and without an inheritance to return home to, all his time was devoted to refining his craft in the industry, the more he honed it, the deeper the shadow he cast upon others.

Just as they used to avoid releasing films when Xu Sinian's movies were out, no one knew exactly when it became an unspoken rule to steer clear of Chen Yibai's releases as well.

When the man who never took off his wedding ring graced the cover of financial news, Chen Yibai was overseas, claiming an international award, his wedding band and trophy gleaming equally bright.

Few could recall that this top-tier actor, now adorned with accolades, once lived in a rented apartment in a residential building, streaming online to make ends meet, only stumbling into his path by accident when he went to unlock a set at a filming location.

He arrived alone, cloaked in despair, yet managed to carve out his own path, one strewn with flowers and applause.

Behind him was home, before him, the road ahead—destined to bask in the spotlight, ascending to the pinnacle amidst adoration.

Author's Note:

Here ends the main storyline!

See you tomorrow!

Looking back, who would have thought that when Old Xu heard Bai ask if he needed any special services, he would frown? Unexpected, wasn't it, Old Xu? (Siberian Husky grin.jpg)

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