Chapter 86: End of Main Text

Chapter 86 End of Main Story

Shen Junlan's head was still spinning when Huo Yanchi pulled him onto the bed.

He lay sideways in Huo Yanchi’s embrace, his soft fingertips tracing Huo Yanchi’s waist as he responded intermittently to Huo Yanchi’s questions.

A sliver of silver light streamed through the gap in the curtains, illuminating Shen Junlan’s profile and reflecting in Huo Yanchi’s eyes, making him appear ethereal, like a banished immortal.

“Xiao Yezi, what makes you feel like our successful proposal isn't real, prompting you to confirm it with me again and again?”

“Let me think…” Shen Junlan scratched his chin, pondering for a long time before summarizing it in one sentence: “Is there really any difference between us proposing or not, or whether we even have this ceremony?”

After all, they had always slept in the same bed, never having a chance to be apart. He simply couldn't experience the joy others felt after a successful proposal—or the joy of being proposed to.

“Hmm?” Huo Yanchi raised his hand to cover Shen Junlan’s mouth, narrowing his eyes in warning. “Xiao Yezi, that’s a dangerous thought. Sleeping in separate rooms is absolutely out of the question—you can put that idea to rest right now.”

“Mhm.”

Shen Junlan sighed, stroking the ring on Huo Yanchi’s finger. It was only when he touched the ring that he felt a subtle, distinct difference.

As his thoughts drifted, Shen Junlan was suddenly pressed beneath Huo Yanchi. Their eyes met, and an intense, intimate energy spread throughout the room.

A calloused hand slid across Shen Junlan’s cheek, Huo Yanchi’s middle finger pausing on his soft lips, gently tracing them.

Those were dreamy eyes, filled with Shen Junlan’s reflection.

“Xiao Yezi, you’re more captivating than ever today. I never expected you to prepare a proposal bouquet. Being with me must be pretty tough—I’m always insecure and get jealous easily. Yet my Xiao Yezi always tolerates me unconditionally. So good—you deserve a kiss as a reward.”

Huo Yanchi’s kiss was brief, leaving Shen Junlan only enough time to catch his distinct scent. A tingling sensation rose from the base of Shen Junlan’s spine, and he unconsciously pursed his lips.

Under an overly intense gaze, Huo Yanchi’s hand moved downward, stopping at Shen Junlan’s waist and edging under his clothes bit by bit.

“Xiao Yezi, call me ‘husband’—then it’ll truly sink in.”

He had longed for that title for so long. No matter how intense things had gotten before, Huo Yanchi had never worked up the nerve to ask Shen Junlan to say it.

It was a term that, even in his dreams, he regretted not hearing. Shen Junlan curled up softly in his arms, sweetly calling him “husband”—a beautiful dream.

Shen Junlan’s lips parted slightly, his breathing quickening. Huo Yanchi’s words were like a hammer, gently striking Shen Junlan’s fragile nerves, stirring him up unbearably.

“Good wife, please, say it just once, just once, okay?”

Feather-light kisses trailed from Shen Junlan’s lips to his Adam’s apple. Huo Yanchi’s tongue licked and nibbled, leaving faint marks on the bobbing throat.

A muffled groan seemed to encourage him. Damp kisses covered Shen Junlan’s entire neck as Huo Yanchi gripped his wrist, his teeth grazing the delicate skin.

“Good wife, your favorite tentacles are here. Want to play?”

Huo Yanchi kissed away the tear at the corner of Shen Junlan’s eye. Shen Junlan restrained himself, closing his eyes slightly, but his fingers unconsciously hooked around the tip of a small tentacle.

Huo Yanchi was quite mischievous.

But the little tentacles were truly adorable.

Shen Junlan held the tentacle, its texture like the world’s finest stress ball. He secretly opened one eye, smirking as he watched Huo Yanchi’s reddening earlobe.

His Huo Yanchi was adorably clumsy. Every time Shen Junlan squeezed a tentacle, Huo Yanchi trembled uncontrollably. The contrast between his crimson ears and his serious expression was impossibly cute.

“Hey—”

Shen Junlan’s hand closed on empty air. Typical Huo Yanchi, being stingy, he pulled back all the tentacles after Shen Junlan had only kissed two.

“Brother, you can’t do this. I haven’t shared the love evenly—the little tentacles will be sad.”

Huo Yanchi snorted coldly and pointed to his own lips. “Where’s the equal attention? What about here?”

He sounded so jealous it made Shen Junlan’s eyes ache. Shen Junlan wrapped his arms around Huo Yanchi’s neck in a placating gesture, gently kissing his downturned lips.

“Wife, let me make this clear: if you don’t say it, I won’t be able to calm down. It’s up to you.”

Shen Junlan flushed with embarrassment. He tightened his arms slightly, avoiding Huo Yanchi’s expectant gaze, and whispered, “Husband.”

Even though the word was barely audible, Huo Yanchi’s lips curled into an uncontrollable smile. He covered Shen Junlan’s soft lips with his own, coaxing him to say it again and again.

“Xiao Yezi, say you love me.”

Lost in passion, Huo Yanchi behaved unlike his usual self, kissing him with fierce desperation, his movements growing more intense.

“Husband, I love you so, so much.”

Straightforward and sincere, without hesitation or shyness.

When it came to making Huo Yanchi happy, Shen Junlan had never hesitated for even a second.

In Huo Yanchi’s social media post, a pair of tightly clasped hands showed simple yet stunningly beautiful matching rings. The crocheted bouquet was Huo Yanchi’s Clivia, its leaves etched with Huo Yanchi’s name and adorned with tiny words: “Mine.”

Lin Hang: Wow, so the proposal was a success! Congrats, Huo Yanchi—you’re blessed again.

Huo Yanchi: The flowers were crocheted by Xiao Yezi. Aren’t they pretty?

Lin Hang: Pretty, pretty, pretty! Geez, you’re always bragging. This is something for the two of you to cherish—why post it for everyone to see? Do you need to announce it to the whole world?

Huo Yanchi: Thanks for reminding me. I’m going to post it on every social media platform.

Lin Hang: Huh?

Lin Hang: Are you even human? Get out of here—

Huo Yanchi gazed at Shen Junlan’s sleeping face and stayed up late to post on every platform. He wanted to tell the whole world that he had successfully proposed to his beloved Xiao Yezi.

“Goodnight, wife.”

***

Work matters gradually stabilized. Huo Yanchi went from being overwhelmed to handling two companies effortlessly.

“President Huo, these are Xiao Zhang’s wedding sweets. Xiao Zhang also wanted to invite you to his wedding, but it’s in his hometown, so he asked me to check if you’d be able to attend.”

Huo Yanchi glanced at the sweets, tapped the desk, and said thoughtfully, “Since it’s in his hometown, I won’t be able to make it. Please prepare a monetary gift in a red envelope for him on my behalf.”

“Of course, I’ll take care of it right away.”

“Zhao Qi, wait a moment.” Huo Yanchi handed an A4 sheet to Zhao Qi, frowning in frustration.

Zhao Qi’s heart skipped a beat—had something gone wrong with a project?

“President Huo, what is this?”

The page was filled with numbers. He could read them, but they made no sense to him.

“These are a few dates I’ve picked. Which one do you think is best? I want to officially register our marriage with Xiao Yezi. Also, prepare some wedding sweets—we’ll need a lot. Have the shop package them and deliver them to the company. Everyone should get one.”

"For the company's middle and senior management, prepare an extra gift—like jewelry or cosmetics for the women, and shopping cards for the men. Put together a list and get back to me on the cost."

Huo Yanchi flipped through the calendar over and over, having already ruled out all the inauspicious dates. Only two days remained that were considered auspicious for everything.

"Boss Huo, why don’t you talk it over directly with Xiao Lan? Any day is a good day for registering your marriage."

"Oh." Huo Yanchi lowered his gaze, feeling strangely nervous. Even negotiating billion-dollar contracts had never made him feel as jittery as this moment.

[Huo Yanchi: Bro, which day works best?]

[Liu Qishan: Are you and Xiao Lan planning a wedding?]

[Huo Yanchi: No, we just want to register first. The wedding can’t be rushed—there’s a lot to prepare, and we don’t have enough time this year.]

[Liu Qishan: I ran the numbers. The 12th seems average, but you two can carry it.]

With Huo Yanchi’s status, any day would be a good day.

[Huo Yanchi: Okay!]

On an otherwise ordinary day, Huo Yanchi prepared their custom-made suits and woke Shen Junlan from his sleep with a sleepy, lingering kiss.

"Baby, time to get up. We need to get our marriage registered before noon."

Shen Junlan jolted a little and sluggishly dragged himself out of bed.

When he first learned that Huo Yanchi had set a date, Shen Junlan had remained quite calm. But after a night, his nerves became more obvious.

Like a taut string ready to snap any moment, both he and Huo Yanchi tacitly avoided mentioning it again. The night before, after they’d been intimate, Shen Junlan pressed a hand over his racing heart, so sure he was already standing at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau, which left him unable to sleep well all night.

"Huo Yanchi, should I put on some makeup?"

"No need. My Xiao Yezi is already so handsome—what do you need makeup for? You’re perfect just like this—clean and fresh."

Shen Junlan became like a spinning top, pacing around nervously in one spot.

Thud.

He walked right into Huo Yanchi’s arms. He wet his lips, about to speak, when Huo Yanchi cut him off with a gesture, pressing Shen Junlan’s ear against his chest. He could hear Huo Yanchi’s heart pounding loud and clear.

"Xiao Yezi, I feel the same way you do. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid."

Their clasped hands were sweaty. Shen Junlan stared into Huo Yanchi’s eyes and suddenly relaxed. This was Huo Yanchi, after all. What was there to fear about registering their marriage?

There weren’t many people at the civil affairs bureau. They hadn’t looked up any tips beforehand, simply followed the instructions at the entrance: turned in their paperwork, took photos, and waited for the staff to review everything.

Shen Junlan stared intently at the photo on the marriage certificate, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. Their hands were tightly clasped behind their backs. Huo Yanchi said, "Xiao Yezi, you can’t see it in the picture, but you know it’s there. I have to hold your hand to feel sure."

In front of the camera, Shen Junlan’s mouth curled into a sweet smile. All his nervousness and anxiety vanished the moment Huo Yanchi took his hand.

"Good, now move a little closer. Perfect, very natural."

Shen Junlan whispered Huo Yanchi’s name in his mind, tacking on a silent "I love you."

He couldn’t remember where he’d read it, but he’d once heard that if you say "I love you" during the marriage photo, it means you’ll be together for a long, long time. When you love someone, even superstitions feel full of love.

The staff took their documents, looked over their info, and smiled at them.

"Let me confirm one last time: You are entering this marriage voluntarily. No matter what happens in the future, you will brave it together and stand by each other no matter what."

"We are certain."

Huo Yanchi placed his hand over Shen Junlan’s. With a click, a seal was pressed on the photo, symbolizing that their love now had an extra layer of protection.

No matter what challenges lay ahead, he would never let go of Shen Junlan’s hand.

Leaving the civil affairs bureau, Shen Junlan’s head was still spinning.

"Xiao Yezi, look up."

Against the blue sky, a heart-shaped cloud appeared. Standing beneath it, they took a beautiful photo together.

Shen Junlan beamed, tilting his head to kiss Huo Yanchi’s cheek.

"Huo Yanchi, happy marriage."

"Shen Junlan, happy marriage."

It was the first time Huo Yanchi had called him by his full name—Shen Junlan—full of tender, overflowing love.

The first person Shen Junlan saw when he opened his eyes would be the one he would love for the rest of his life.

A light drizzle began to fall over the capital. Huo Yanchi’s large trench coat wrapped around Shen Junlan as he walked slowly, Huo Yanchi murmuring into the wind, "Xiao Yezi, it feels like I’ve loved you for many, many years."

Starting from a few scattered leaves.

Shen Junlan: "Then, Huo Yanchi, please continue to love me for many, many more years."

Huo Yanchi: "As you wish."

Autumn leaves, swept up by the wind, paved a path to happiness—one that seemed to stretch on forever. Hand in hand, Huo Yanchi and Shen Junlan would walk forward, steadfast and joyful, forever.

Love blooms endlessly, never ceasing.

-----------------------

Author’s Note: Dear readers, after much deliberation, I felt it was best to end the main story here. Xiao Yezi and Mr. Huo have many, many years ahead and will continue to be happy together.

Thank you so much for your unwavering support. The rhythm was disrupted right after the story went premium due to my studies, and then I had to pause updates for nearly a month due to illness and hospitalization. I’m deeply grateful to every reader who stayed with me until the end—I love you all very, very much.

There will be more sweet side stories to come, including the story of Liu Qishan that many of you have asked about. I hope you all stay happy, healthy, and that everything goes smoothly for you. [Cheers][Cheers][Cheers][Heart][Heart][Heart][Laugh][Laugh][Laugh]

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