Chapter 152 Let’s Get Married

Chapter 152: Will You Marry Me?

The New Year came right on time.

On New Year's Eve, Yi Sizhe indeed brought Zhuang Yao home.

Jian Ye and Yi Siyu had already coordinated beforehand, playing dumb.

Yu Xinran and Yi Xiangcheng also had their suspicions, though they were surprised that the person turned out to be Zhuang Yao—a child they were familiar with.

Only the second son, Yi Siyuan, was completely clueless. He thought Zhuang Yao had nowhere to go for the New Year, and Brother Zhe had brought him home out of pity.

But at the dinner table, Yi Sizhe solemnly introduced Zhuang Yao’s identity to everyone and explained their current relationship.

"We're dating. From now on, there’ll be an extra seat at the table."

"Pfft—cough, cough!" Yi Siyuan spat out his water and choked.

His eyes went wide as saucers. "Brother, you and Zhuang Yao are together?! You’re serious? He… you… you like men?"

Yi Siyuan had never realized his eldest brother was gay. In his impression, Brother Zhe had never shown interest in romance, but deep down, he’d always assumed he was straight.

Xiao Yu was already out and proud—how could even Brother Zhe…?

And both of them had swept their younger brothers off their feet! How sneaky!

"Siyuan, don’t be rude," Yi Xiangcheng said sternly.

This was Zhuang Yao’s first time visiting as Yi Sizhe’s partner, and the second son’s reaction was too much—it was impolite to a guest.

Yi Siyuan immediately realized his expression had been too exaggerated and quickly composed himself. "Sorry, Brother Zhuang Yao, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… you guys hid it so well!"

Zhuang Yao wasn’t bothered at all. Instead, he laughed. "Brother Zhe and I planned to surprise you all. Sorry for keeping it a secret for so long—I could barely keep it in!"

He even winked at Jian Ye beside him: *Well? Shocked, aren’t you?*

Jian Ye nodded in agreement: *Yes, yes. All’s well that ends well—took you long enough!*

Of course, he was happy for his good friend, who was now with the person he loved.

Especially since the person Zhuang Yao loved was now also part of his family. Once Zhuang Yao married into the Yi family, they’d be even closer.

Jian Ye gently nudged Zhuang Yao with his elbow. "After the New Year, just go tie the knot. What kind of wedding do you want? I’ve got ideas."

"Cough, cough…" Zhuang Yao was stunned by Jian Ye’s bold idea.

"We’ve only been dating for less than a month!"

"I know, so what? You’ve had a crush on him for years. Brother Siyu and I eloped the day after we met."

Jian Ye’s tone carried a smug tone, leaving Zhuang Yao speechless.

He couldn’t even remember when he first started liking Yi Sizhe. Maybe it was before he even understood what "liking" someone meant—the roots had been there all along…

Four years abroad, over a year back home, and five years had passed since his first confession to Yi Sizhe got shot down.

In those five years, his feelings for this man hadn’t faded—instead, they had only gotten stronger, sprouting against all odds.

Marrying Yi Sizhe was a dream come true.

He was ready to go get married anytime, as long as the other person said the word. He would willingly place his name on the same household register, tying them together for good.

Jian Ye saw Zhuang Yao lost in thought and already knew the answer.

Ugh, couldn’t these two just be honest with each other for once?

Why were they still so shy even after getting together?

Guess it was up to him, the romance guru, to step in.

That night, the group of young people gathered in the backyard of the Yi family mansion to light fireworks.

Jian Ye and Yi Siyu pulled the second brother aside, giving the lovebirds some private space.

"Hey, I mean… did you really have to do this?" Yi Siyuan said helplessly.

Now he was the only single one left in the family, and he had also realized what his eldest brother had been doing that day when he wasn’t at the company… The surprise he imagined—his brother secretly preparing a birthday gift for him—was gone.

Instead, he got a harsh reality check.

"Big brother is 31, it’s not easy for him to find someone. Can’t you take a hint, second bro?" Yi Siyu mercilessly teased.

"Second brother, Zhuang Yao has had it hard. He’s been secretly in love with big brother for years, and now his dream has finally come true. I want them to get married on the spot. Setting them up is the least I can do," Jian Ye said.

Yi Siyuan: "..."

Hey, second bro’s feelings matter too! Have some pity on me! I want to get married on the spot too!

Meanwhile, in the darkness on the other side, Zhuang Yao held a lit sparkler, smiling as he looked at Yi Sizhe beside him. "Haven’t touched these since I was a kid. Nostalgic."

"Haven’t played with them since growing up?"

"Not after my parents split up. They each have their own families now, and I didn’t want to be in the way. I used to think spending New Year’s alone was nice—peaceful. But now..."

Zhuang Yao took Yi Sizhe’s hand. "I have you. Everything’s perfect with you here."

Yi Sizhe was deeply moved. As the sparkler in Zhuang Yao’s hand burned out, he lit another one for him.

Caught up in the moment, he couldn’t help but lower his head and kiss the young man’s forehead, then trail down—tenderly kissing Zhuang Yao’s beautiful eyes, the delicate tip of his nose, and finally his warm lips.

Sparklers scattered on the ground, still burning, while the two in the middle seemed to forget time and place, lost in each other.

They didn’t know how long they kissed—until fireworks burst in the distant sky, and Zhuang Yao was out of breath before the man finally released him.

With fireworks crackling overhead, Zhuang Yao’s head spun, his face flushed as he faintly heard the man before him say—

"Marry me."

Stunned, it took him a second to react before his eyes widened suddenly.

Thinking he’d heard wrong, he asked, "What?"

"A Yao, marry me."

"..."

Sometimes, love for someone happens in an instant. When you like someone, you just do. When you love them, that’s it.

No explanation needed—your heart just knows one thing: I want this person forever.

Yi Sizhe wasn’t acting on impulse. Perhaps the atmosphere was just right, or perhaps their feelings were overflowing—but at this moment, expressing the idea of marriage was his ultimate sign of respect toward Zhuang Yao.

After marriage, they would be legally recognized partners. He was not someone who made promises lightly, but once given, he would honor them without hesitation.

It was precisely because Zhuang Yao understood this about Yi Sizhe that tears instantly welled up in his eyes upon hearing those words.

He stepped forward and embraced the man, burying his face in his chest, nodding tearfully. "Okay, I do."

Once the New Year’s celebrations ended, the two returned indoors.

Jian Ye and the others had already come back earlier and were now snacking on sunflower seeds in front of the TV. Seeing Zhuang Yao's reddened eyes, they froze.

Huh? We gave them privacy, and they ended up crying?

Yu Xinran was the first to step forward, gently touching Zhuang Yao's face. "What's wrong? Did Brother Zhe bully you? Your cheeks are freezing! Come inside and warm up."

"Brother Zhe didn’t bully me, Auntie. I… I’m just overwhelmed. It’s my first time spending New Year’s Eve with so many people. It really feels like family here."

Yu Xinran smiled. "Sweetheart, now that you're here, you're part of this family too. Your place always felt so lonely—why not just move in with us?"

She would love nothing more than to have another young person in the house. She adored a lively home.

"Mom, moving in isn’t possible, but as for me… I might be moving out of the house soon."

Everyone turned to look at Yi Sizhe.

Jian Ye’s eyes lit up—whoa, now *that’s* a bombshell!

Under everyone’s gaze, Yi Sizhe laced his fingers with Zhuang Yao’s. "A Yao and I plan to officially marry right after the Spring Festival holiday."

Jian Ye was ready to cheer. Tonight, he’d called it!

Who knew what had happened between them outside? How did they come back already decided on marriage?

Xiao Zhuang, you’re amazing! You two move fast!

Yu Xinran was momentarily stunned before breaking into a radiant smile. "Good, good! Since you’ve decided, Mom’s on wedding duty! So many things need to be booked in advance."

She was particularly enthusiastic about wedding preparations—she had also helped organize many details when Yi Siyu and Jian Ye got married.

The entire family had no objections to Yi Sizhe’s decision.

The oldest was the most dependable and also the one they worried about the most. As the heir, he had shouldered the responsibilities of both the family and the corporation since childhood. Even before graduating, he had started assisting in the company, and later, work consumed his life.

His parents had once thought their eldest son might never marry. Now, not only had he brought someone home, but he was also talking about marriage—the family was thrilled, hoping he’d tie the knot right away.

This was the Yi family’s biggest event of the year, and they’d pull out all the stops!

...

The Civil Affairs Bureau’s holiday schedule aligned with national holidays, so on the very first workday after the Spring Festival break, Yi Sizhe took Zhuang Yao to get their marriage license.

Zhuang Yao adored Yi Sizhe’s "promises made, promises kept" efficiency.

After leaving the bureau, he couldn’t put the red booklet down, kept flipping through the red certificate, studying every inch of it.

As he gazed at their wedding photo, his eyes shone.

Seeing this, Yi Sizhe, rarely one to smile, beamed.

"I have an apartment right across from my company. A few days ago, I had the furniture replaced with pieces you'd like, and even cleared out a room to serve as your studio. You can move in today with just the clothes on your back."

Zhuang Yao's heart pounded, his pulse racing. "Is this... our home together?"

"Yes. From here on out, if you don’t feel like going to the studio and prefer painting at home, you can see my office through that floor-to-ceiling window."

"No way!" That's incredible!

Zhuang Yao thought to himself, who would want to go to the studio every day after moving in? Working from home while getting to see his husband—how perfect is that?

He marveled at Yi Sizhe's thoughtfulness. This man always arranged everything so meticulously and orderly, leaving him with nothing to worry about.

Life with Yi Sizhe would surely be pure bliss.

Today, he had successfully become Mr. Yi. This change in identity gave him a whole new lease on life, as if he had been reborn.

Finally... he was completely Brother Zhe's...

That afternoon, Yi Sizhe went to help him move. Knowing Zhuang Yao had many paintings at home, he instructed the movers to handle them with extra care.

When they reached a certain room, Zhuang Yao grew visibly flustered. He pushed Yi Sizhe onto the sofa and said, "Leave the rest to me. Brother Zhe, just relax for a while."

Yi Sizhe could clearly sense Zhuang Yao's nervousness but didn’t comment. He obediently sat down.

Only when Zhuang Yao went to the bathroom did he get up and head toward that room.

By then, the movers had already begun carrying out the framed paintings one by one, each covered with a cloth.

One worker’s hand slipped slightly, causing a large painting to jostle—the white cloth slid off, revealing the portrait of a devastatingly attractive man.

"Sorry, Sir, I’ll wrap it back up right away—"

"Wait."

...

Ten minutes later, Zhuang Yao came out of the bathroom feeling great. He glanced at the sofa in the living room and froze when he saw it was empty.

Oh shit!

He bolted to his studio, heart in his throat, only to find all the cloths covering the paintings had been removed.

The room was now completely laid bare—every inch of it filled with portraits of Yi Sizhe, laid bare before the man himself.

"Brother Zhe, I—" he mumbled.

"How long have you been painting these?" Yi Sizhe turned around, his gaze overflowing with love.

Zhuang Yao twisted his fingers, hesitating for a long moment before finally admitting with burning cheeks, "I did some overseas, some after returning home, and some... back when I was still in school..."

If asked when he first started these portraits, the answer would definitely be over five years ago.

Way before he found the courage to confess his feelings, he had already been pouring his heart out through these paintings.