Chapter 97: Chapter 97 “Lu Zhishi.”…

Chapter 97

"Lu Zhishi..."

As Lu Zhishi had previously mentioned, the original engagement party was rescheduled as a proposal. A month later, with the arrival of spring and warmer weather, the wedding would take place.

The betrothal gifts had been exchanged, and the proposal made—all that remained was to await the wedding day.

Speaking of the betrothal gifts, Lu Zhishi’s thick love letter had been sent along with them, though he wondered if Chi Chen had noticed it.

The two scrolls of wedding vows were to be prominently displayed in the center of the wedding hall on the big day. Lu Zhishi had penned them stroke by stroke, with more care than he gave to calligraphy practice. They remained in his room, awaiting their journey to the wedding venue.

He hadn't yet seen Chi Chen's wedding vows, but Lu Zhishi had already looked through the two albums Chi Chen had sent.

One was a record of their relationship, and the other a collection of personal sketches of Lu Zhishi. Each page featured words written by Chi Chen—some everyday thoughts, others tender declarations of love.

Lu Zhishi was ecstatic, hugging the two thick albums as he flopped onto the bed, flipping through them repeatedly. He puckered his lips, kissing the wedding ring on his ring finger twice.

Chi Chen’s artistic skill was remarkable; with just a few simple strokes, he could capture Lu Zhishi’s features—his upturned lips, bright peach-blossom eyes, and subtly curly hair.

Lu Zhishi’s own drawing skills were modest. He wasn’t adept at sketching or oil painting; he could only draw cute chibi characters.

Rolling over to sit up, he searched around but couldn’t find a suitable sketchbook. Lu Zhishi then went to Lu Zhiyu’s room, rummaged through it, and found a brand-new, unused sketchbook before scurrying back to his own room, delighted.

Lu Zhiyu, who was video chatting in bed, was speechless.

Back in his room, Lu Zhishi picked up his colored pens and carefully began to draw, sketching two chibi characters and then adding two chubby pieces of cheese beside them.

—The Cheese Couple.

His sketches might not rival Chi Chen’s, but his chubby little figures were undeniably charming. Both "Fat Cheese" and "Fat Chen" looked remarkably lively.

The one with big, curved eyes was Lu Zhishi, while the one with a calm expression and a faint smile at the corners of his lips was Chi Chen. The young couple held hands, dressed in black suits, with a black tea rose pinned to their chests.

One might easily mistake it for a wedding license photo.

Looking left and right, he nodded in satisfaction, snapped a photo, and sent it to Chi Chen. Lu Zhishi continued drawing, filling page after page with various types of chubby couple illustrations.

"Ding—"

It was his phone’s message alert. Lu Zhishi picked it up, and sure enough, it was from Chi Chen.

It was a voice message. Lu Zhishi tapped to play it, bringing the phone closer to his ear. Chi Chen’s clear, magnetic voice resonated: "So cute. Fat Cheese is cute, and the person is cute too."

"Thanks for the compliment! You’re adorable too!"

After sending that, Lu Zhishi chuckled to himself. On the other end of the phone, Chi Chen’s heart softened, and a smile unconsciously curved his lips.

Glancing at the stack of documents on his desk, Chi Chen pressed his lips together, replied to Lu Zhishi’s message, and picked up his pen to continue working overtime.

"Wait for me a moment."

That was all Chi Chen sent. Without even guessing, Lu Zhishi knew he was busy with overtime. Lu Zhishi replied with a kissing emoji and, after a moment’s thought, added a comforting pat-on-the-shoulder emoji.

He continued drawing chibi characters, intending to give the sketchbook to Chi Chen on their wedding day. There was no other way—the sketchbook was too thick, and it would take a while to fill it completely.

After drawing for about half an hour, Chi Chen video-called. Lu Zhishi answered, adjusted his phone’s camera, and faced Chi Chen closely through the screen.

Almost two weeks had passed since the Lantern Festival proposal, but every time Lu Zhishi saw Chi Chen, he couldn’t help but giggle. His happiness was infectious, even making Chi Chen chuckle softly.

"Not asleep yet?"

Lu Zhishi glanced at the time on his phone—it was five minutes to nine. He looked at Chi Chen and said, "I was drawing earlier and lost track of time. I’ll sleep soon."

"Mm, the chubby figures you drew are very cute. But it’s time to sleep now—you can continue tomorrow."

"Okay." Lu Zhishi finished the last few strokes, tidied his desk, and took his phone to wash up. "Tomorrow, let’s try on our wedding outfits. They were custom-made and delivered a while ago, but we haven’t tried them on yet."

"Alright, I’ll finish work early tomorrow and come pick you up."

"If I finish early, I’ll come pick you up and bring you flowers." Lu Zhishi put on his soft Baby Cheese headband, brushed his teeth, and squeezed out cleanser to lather up his face.

"Okay..." Chi Chen sounded distracted, his fingers unconsciously taking screenshot after screenshot.

Saving them to his Cheese album, he stared intently at Lu Zhishi’s eyelashes, nose, cheeks, and lips. That wasn’t enough—he even gazed at Lu Zhishi’s foam-covered chin.

No wonder they were a married couple—one an openly adoring Cheese, the other a secretly admiring Fat Chen. A perfect match made in heaven.

Lu Zhishi washed and scrubbed for a long time, rinsed off the foam, wiped his face, and left the bathroom with his phone. Looking down, he noticed Chi Chen seemed to be spacing out.

"What’s wrong?"

Chi Chen snapped back to attention. "Nothing."

Lu Zhishi’s face looked even more beautiful after washing—like a fresh-faced Cheese. Chi Chen took another screenshot.

"Chi Chen?"

Lu Zhishi lay down in bed, holding a plush rabbit in one hand and his phone in the other, lying on his side as he looked at the distracted Chi Chen on the screen.

Chi Chen responded, "I’m here."

"Are you done with work?"

"Yes."

"Have you showered yet?"

After asking, Lu Zhishi felt it was a silly question—Chi Chen was still wearing a white shirt.

Chi Chen: "Not yet..."

Lu Zhishi rolled onto his back, held the phone up, and said to Chi Chen, "Then go take a shower. After that, rest early. I’ll wait for you."

Lu Zhishi looked lovely from this angle too. Chi Chen took another screenshot and stood up. "I’ll go now. No need to wait for me—you should sleep first."

Chi Chen didn’t take his phone into the bathroom, probably leaving it propped on the bed. From Lu Zhishi’s perspective, all he could see was a neatly made bed with pillows and blankets.

But he could faintly hear the sound of water from the bathroom. Did Chi Chen not lock the bathroom door? The sound was so soothing. Lu Zhishi closed his eyes, thinking he probably wouldn’t be able to stay awake until Chi Chen came out...

After showering and drying his hair, Chi Chen came out, picked up his phone, and saw that his lover on the other side of the screen had already fallen asleep, breathing softly and steadily, long eyelashes casting shadows.

He logged into the smart system in Lu Zhishi’s room, turned off the main light, switched on the night light, closed the curtains, and adjusted the room temperature to an ideal sleeping temperature before logging out.

Gently stroking Lu Zhishi’s cheek on the screen, Chi Chen took one last screenshot, lowered his head to press his nose against the phone, and whispered softly, "Good night, Baby Cheese..."

Lu Zhishi slept dreamlessly through the night, waking up refreshed and energetic.

Yawning and stretching, he picked up his phone to check if Chi Chen was still there, only to meet Chi Chen’s smiling eyes on the screen.

Lu Zhishi quickly put down his phone, smoothed his hair to tidy it, and only after fixing himself up did he pick up the phone again to look at Chi Chen.

Chi Chen's smile deepened around his eyes and brow. "Once you've washed up, come downstairs to eat."

"You're in the living room downstairs?" Lu Zhishi leaned in for a closer look and recognized the familiar sofa behind Chi Chen—it was indeed from the Lu family.

"Mm," he nodded.

Lu Zhiyu's voice came through the phone: "He came early in the morning."

"Coming right down!"

Lu Zhishi ended the video call, tossed the covers aside hurriedly, and got out of bed. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, changed clothes, and, thinking about going out later, slipped on his shoes too.

The whole process took less than ten minutes. Lu Zhishi bounded down the stairs two at a time, even jumped down the last few steps.

Lu Zhiyu: "..."

Chi Chen: "..."

Lu Zhiyu gave a tight smile. "At your age, still wanting to taste the feather duster, huh? You could've just said so."

With that, he actually stood up, intending to fetch the Lu family heirloom feather duster hanging on the wall.

Lu Zhishi dashed over swiftly, snatched the feather duster first, and darted into the dining room in a flash. "Alright, I’m going to eat now. No one disturb Fatty Cheese."

Lu Zhiyu: "…………"

Chi Chen chuckled, stood up, and carried a plate of fruit to the dining room, sitting opposite Lu Zhishi to watch him eat.

Lu Zhiyu: "?"

Lu Zhiyu: "...You just spoil him."

"Naturally," Chi Chen replied, then turned to Lu Zhishi and said, "You have long legs, but jumping down the stairs like that is a bit dangerous. Don't do that again."

Chi Chen praised his long legs!

Lu Zhishi unconsciously straightened his back, lifted his chin slightly, and nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

Lu Zhiyu: "..."

The six dots conveyed everything he wanted to say.

A steaming, fragrant bowl of chicken noodle soup was quickly finished by Lu Zhishi, who also drank a cup of warm milk handed to him by Chi Chen, ate a few grapes, and finally let out a satisfied burp, marking the end of breakfast.

The young couple bid farewell to Lu Zhiyu and headed out hand in hand, sticking together as sweetly as two pieces of cheese.

Lu Zhiyu was puzzled. "Where are you going?"

Lu Zhishi said, "For a fitting."

"?" Lu Zhiyu was even more confused. "Didn’t you already try them on?"

Everyone’s wedding outfits were custom-made by domestic and international fashion masters and delivered. Lu Zhishi and Chi Chen’s were no exception—they had tried them on half a year ago. With the wedding date approaching, all eighteen sets of their wedding outfits were already placed in the wedding venue on the island.

Could there be outfits that hadn’t arrived yet?

Lu Zhishi rubbed his cheek. "We custom-ordered two more sets to make it a nice round number."

Lu Zhiyu: "..."

Lu Zhiyu: "...Just go."

They set off in Chi Chen’s black sedan. On the way, the couple got out to buy two bouquets of black tea roses, then got back in the car hand in hand and headed to the high-end formalwear boutique.

The staff confirmed their identities and escorted them to the private VIP suite upstairs, where they brought out the two sets of grooms' outfits that had been delivered two days prior.

Lu Zhishi fell in love at first sight. "These are beautiful!"

They were having a Western-style wedding, but the outfits included both Western suits and traditional Chinese wedding attire, each with its own charm, and Lu Zhishi loved them all.

These two sets were Chinese-style xiuhe outfits, identical in design and clearly a perfect match.

Xiuhe outfit designs typically feature a short jacket over a long gown, with clean, elegant lines that accentuate the figure.

The main color scheme was red and gold, with vibrant red as the dominant background, complemented by gold thread embroidery that outlined intricate patterns and lines, exuding opulence.

Lu Zhishi circled the outfits, leaning in for a closer look. The details were exquisite.

The mandarin collar design, paired with traditional frog buttons, highlighted the Chinese aesthetic. The front placket and cuffs were embroidered with black tea rose patterns. Upon closer inspection, every embroidery on the outfits was of black tea roses—even the collar and closures featured the same motif.

Lu Zhishi’s heart beat faster. Black tea roses were the flower that represented his and Chi Chen’s love. Wearing these outfits was no different from declaring their affection. He couldn’t wait to try them on.

"Let’s wear these. We’ll wear these for the wedding too." Lu Zhishi tugged at Chi Chen’s sleeve, urging him to look, his fondness for the outfits shining brightly in his peach-blossom eyes.

Slipping an arm around Lu Zhishi’s waist, Chi Chen chuckled. "Then we’ll wear these."

Chi Chen followed Lu Zhishi, looking over the traditional outfits carefully before nodding in satisfaction. They were indeed beautiful.

In truth, all their wedding outfits featured black tea rose patterns, but perhaps none were as prominent as these two. After all, these were the most captivating.

Lu Zhishi took his outfit and went into the changing room, while Chi Chen took his own and entered another.

Eager to see Lu Zhishi in the outfit as soon as possible, Chi Chen changed quickly and waited outside Lu Zhishi’s changing room, not even bothering to check his own reflection in the mirror.

Standing before the door, the groom-to-be felt both nervous and expectant. When the door opened, a specially designed beaded curtain parted, and Chi Chen’s breath caught as he stared intently at his beloved.

Slender, fair fingers pushed aside the beads, revealing a face more vibrant than black tea roses. Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes were brimming with laughter, lifting to meet his own narrow, deep-set gaze.

Time seemed to stand still. Separated by just two steps, the couple faced each other, their eyes curved with smiles, their affection unmistakable.

Lu Zhishi spun around in front of him, tilting his head up to look at Chi Chen. "What do you think? Do I look good?"

Chi Chen stared into his eyes without blinking and nodded. "Beautiful."

"You haven’t even looked yet." Lu Zhishi spun around again. "I meant the outfit. Is it nice?"

Finally, Chi Chen shifted his gaze to the wedding outfit on Lu Zhishi, nodded again, and met his eyes. "Beautiful."

Lu Zhishi led him to the full-length mirror, standing side by side, hand in hand.

In identical outfits, the strikingly handsome couple smiled, as if posing for their wedding photo.

"Let’s go get our marriage license, wearing these. I’ll call my dad."

Squeezing Chi Chen’s hand, Lu Zhishi grew more enamored the longer he looked at their reflection in the mirror. Pulling out his phone, he checked the calendar—it was an auspicious day for marriage and registration. Heaven was on their side!

Without delay, they completed the paperwork for the outfits, and Lu Zhishi dragged Chi Chen back to the car, speeding toward the villa area to fetch their household registration documents.

Kneeling in the master bedroom of the Lu residence, Lu Zhishi faced the family register and called Lu Ting'an. "Daddy, I want to get our marriage license today. Please, please!"

"..."

Lu Tingan fell silent for a long time on the other end, with faint noises, but Lu Zhishi couldn’t make out what it was.

About two minutes later, Lu Tingan said helplessly, "Go ahead."

"Love you, Daddy!" Lu Zhishi made two loud kissing sounds into the phone, sending an air kiss to his little father, so overjoyed that his kissing sounds cracked.

Lu Tingan chuckled softly, "I love you too, Fat Cheese."

After hanging up with Lu Tingan, Lu Zhishi called Song Qinian. As soon as the call connected, he exclaimed, "Daddy, I’m going to register my marriage today, right now—is that okay? Please, please!"

"..."

Song Qinian hadn’t even spoken yet when he heard the news, nearly had a shock and felt faint.

After taking several deep breaths and pausing for almost a minute, Song Qinian finally asked, "Is it really that urgent?"

"Dad, I just want to go today. It’s an auspicious day."

Song Qinian was also resigned, hesitating and sighing repeatedly. After a long pause, he finally relented, "Then go ahead."

"Love you, Daddy! Smack—"

Song Qinian laughed happily, "I love you too, Fat Cheese."

After hanging up, Lu Zhishi also told his grandparents that he was going to register his marriage today. Though it was a bit sudden, the elders supported his decision.

When Lu Zhiyu received his younger brother’s call, he was initially happy, but upon hearing the reason, he nearly fainted from shock. Why did Stinky Cheese (his nickname) suddenly decide to register his marriage today?!

After informing his family and receiving their approval, Lu Zhishi rushed downstairs excitedly with the family register. Chi Chen was waiting for him at the entrance of the Lu family villa. Hearing the noise, he turned around to look.

The young couple smiled at each other. Lu Zhishi threw himself into Chi Chen’s arms, and Chi Chen opened his arms to catch him.

It was a simple yet warm day. Lu Zhishi and Chi Chen registered their marriage, dressed in traditional Chinese wedding attire (xiuhefu) embroidered with black tea rose patterns. Smiling brightly, the newlyweds faced the camera.

...

In mid-March, early spring, just as the weather warmed slightly, it was an exceptionally auspicious day specially chosen by a master—perfect for marriage.

The entire island was filled with black tea roses. The church bells rang, echoing across the island. It was the day of Lu Zhishi and Chi Chen’s wedding.

"Nervous, nervous, nervous—" This was already the umpteenth time Lu Zhishi paced back and forth around the room, muttering the same words over and over.

Lu Zhiyu pulled him back, tidied his hair, and wiped the light sweat from his forehead. "Why are you nervous? Weren’t you the one shouting yesterday that you definitely wouldn’t be nervous or cry?"

"I, I..." Lu Zhishi turned around and started pacing again, muttering, "Nervous, nervous, nervous..."

Lu Zhiyu sighed.

Zhao Xiaoxing patted Lu Zhishi’s shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t be nervous. Think about Brother Chen—don’t you want to see him soon? Aren’t you happy and excited to see Brother Chen in his wedding suit?"

Lu Zhishi thought about it and realized it was true. More than nervous, he wanted to see Chi Chen. Seeing Chi Chen would make him happy!

Seeing him relax, Lu Zhiyu took a sip of water, patted Lu Zhishi’s shoulder, and squeezed Zhao Xiaoxing’s hand before stepping out to check on how Chi Chen was doing.

Lying flat on the vibrant red bed, Lu Zhishi’s heartbeat quickened, and before he knew it, he was nervous again.

He took a deep breath and turned to look at Zhao Xiaoxing. "Is the wedding about to start?"

Walking over to straighten his messy wedding suit, Zhao Xiaoxing nodded. "Almost."

Lu Zhishi continued taking deep breaths, sitting up and pacing again.

The entire top floor was reserved for the newlyweds. In Lu Zhishi’s room, only he and Zhao Xiaoxing were present—one the groom, the other the only groomsman.

The auspicious moment was set for 5:08 PM.

At 4:30 PM, Lu Tingan and Song Qinian arrived, along with his grandparents. Friends and relatives were also there to celebrate with him.

Gently stroking his son’s hair, Lu Tingan blinked, the corners of his eyes moist.

Lu Zhishi, holding a bouquet of black tea roses, tilted his head and nuzzled into his palm, whispered, "Daddy."

Song Qinian leaned down to help Lu Zhishi rise from the edge of the bed. "Let’s go."

Lu Zhiyu’s eyes were slightly red, as were Zhao Xiaoxing’s. They stood on either side of Lu Zhishi, half a step behind him, following him out of the room.

Outside the room, Chi Chen stood waiting with a bouquet of black tea roses. Dressed in a custom-fitted wedding suit, a fresh black tea rose adorned his chest pocket, matching the one on Lu Zhishi’s suit.

The moment Lu Zhishi saw him, a smile spread across his lips. Without thinking, he reached out and took Chi Chen’s hand, their fingers intertwining as they smiled at each other.

They turned around and bowed together to the elders and dear ones of the Lu and Chi families.

Seeing their gesture, not a single elder or guest behind them was moved to tears. They turned away, wiping their eyes, overjoyed at the couple’s happiness yet emotional at the realization that their child, younger brother, or friend had grown up and was now marrying.

Holding Chi Chen’s hand, Lu Zhishi looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

Chi Chen smiled, though the corners of his eyes were red. Lu Zhishi also smiled, his eyes welling up with tears.

Hand in hand, they walked down the red carpet strewn with rose petals. Exiting the hotel, they followed the long red carpet toward the church. A helicopter flew overhead, showering countless black tea rose petals across the sky.

The newlyweds exchanged bouquets, their hands clasped tightly together as they walked slowly forward, soft smiles on their faces. Behind them were their family and friends.

At exactly 5:08 PM, they stepped into the church doors. The island’s bells rang once more, and countless rose petals drifted down from the sky—a magnificent blessing.

On both sides of the red carpet, wedding guests turned to offer their blessings, their applause thunderous and lasting.

Though he had promised not to cry, as he held Chi Chen’s hand and walked step by step down the aisle toward the priest, Lu Zhishi couldn’t hold back his tears, weeping with joy.

Chi Chen’s eyes shone with tears. He smiled, raising a hand to gently brush away the tears from the corner of Lu Zhishi’s eyes.

The priest, a white-bearded German priest, looked lovingly at the couple before him and opened the book of vows.

"Dear children, today, we gather in the presence of God. Love is the most precious gift God has given to humanity, and at this moment, this gift has taken root and blossomed in your hearts..."

The priest looked at the tall groom. "Groom, do you promise to love your partner, in joy and in sorrow, in wealth or want, in health or sickness, in youth or aging? Do you promise to always cherish him, protect him, and remain loyal to him?"

"I do." Chi Chen smiled through tears, looking at Lu Zhishi as he brushed away his tears once more. "I promise to love Lu Zhishi, in joy and in sorrow, in wealth or want, in health or sickness, in youth or aging. I will always cherish him, protect him, and remain loyal to him. I will love him forever, always sincerely, and we will always be madly in love."

The priest then turned to Lu Zhishi. "Groom, do you promise to love your partner, in joy and in sorrow, in wealth or want, in health or sickness, in youth or aging? Do you promise to always cherish him, protect him, and remain loyal to him?"

Lu Zhishi nodded emphatically, tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn’t help but raise his arm to wipe his eyes.

He said, "I promise to love Chi Chen, in joy and in sorrow, in wealth or want, in health or sickness, in youth or aging. I will always cherish him, protect him, and remain loyal to him. I will love him forever, always sincerely, and we will always be madly in love."

Below, Lu Tingan and Song Qinian absentmindedly wiped their eyes. The image of their son all grown up was most palpable at this moment.

The priest continued the prayers, "Please exchange rings now."

Zhao Qiyun stood behind Chi Chen, holding the ceremonial tray with the ring box on it.

Zhao Xiaoxing also stood behind Lu Zhishi, his lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes moist. He unconsciously sniffled, tears welling up once again.

Taking out the ring, Chi Chen lowered his head and slipped it onto Lu Zhishi’s ring finger. He lifted Lu Zhishi’s hand and then gently kissed the ring on his ring finger: "I love you, Lu Zhishi."

Lu Zhishi smiled, took the ring box from Zhao Xiaoxing, ruffled his only groomsman’s hair, and retrieved the wedding ring. Holding Chi Chen’s hand, he slipped the wedding ring onto his finger.

He, too, lowered his head and kissed the wedding ring on Chi Chen’s finger. Looking up at Chi Chen, he said with a smile, "I love you, Chi Chen."

The priest took a peach blossom branch nearby, dipped it in clear water, and gently brushed it over their heads.

"May God bless your union, may this love be as warm as the morning sun and as steadfast as a rock. Now, I pronounce you partners. May you support each other in love and walk together through life’s journey. Amen."

Thunderous applause erupted, lasting for a long time. Amid the chorus of blessings, Lu Zhishi rose on his toes and kissed Chi Chen’s lips. Chi Chen wrapped his arm around Lu Zhishi’s waist and leaned in to return the kiss.

"I love you, Lu Zhishi."

"I love you too, Chi Chen."

"Congratulations, Mr. Chi, we are married today."

"Likewise, Mr. Lu, we are married today."

The island’s bells rang once again. A helicopter flew overhead, releasing another shower of flower petals. The swirling black tea rose petals filled the sky, vibrant and brilliant, like a grand blessing.

For the decades to come, may they walk hand-in-hand into old age together, long and lasting.

Lu Zhishi, may you always be happy, joyful, and content. May all the beauty in the world find its way to you.

—The End—