Chapter 154 Newlyweds

Chapter 154: Newlyweds

A large red "Double Happiness" character adorned the wood-carved glass window. On the semicircular table before it, beside a vase of fresh flowers, sat plates of red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds. The room had been freshly decorated—nearly every ornament was vividly red, and even the bed was draped in deep-red sheets, duvet, and pillows.

Two identical pairs of red slippers, roughly the same size, rested side by side on the floor beside the bed. On the deep-red bedding, Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo—fresh from their bath and dressed in matching red pajamas—nestled against the headboard, holding each other close.

They’d both drunk too much that evening, and it was already very late. Though they’d washed up, neither felt sleepy. Instead, they held each other, resting while savoring the moment—tonight was their wedding banquet, an exceptionally special and meaningful night.

Jiang Luo couldn’t help but smile as he reminisced.

Hmm?

Huo Zongzhuo opened his eyes, saw Jiang Luo smiling beside him, and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Jiang Luo, eyes still closed, shifted his legs slightly. A tipsy, blissful smile spread across his face as he murmured, “How did you come up with the idea of holding our wedding under the guise of a birthday celebration?”

It wasn’t a question—it was praise for Huo Zongzhuo.

Huo Zongzhuo’s lips curved into a smile. “I said I was going to marry you.”

Jiang Luo chuckled again, resting his head on Huo Zongzhuo’s shoulder, lost in happiness. He began to sing softly:

“I love you

Can’t help but love you, baby

Say you love me too

I love you

Never want to, baby

Lose you…”

Huo Zongzhuo hummed along, his hand gently patting Jiang Luo’s arm.

“You know,” Jiang Luo suddenly brought up Xue Zhizhong, “this person holds a somewhat unique significance for me—which is why I’ve kept him around these past two years.”

“Hmm.” Huo Zongzhuo acknowledged he was listening.

Jiang Luo continued, “He was the only one who knew about our relationship from very early on.”

“He never cared whether we were gay—regardless of the benefits or advantages you and I could offer him.”

“He never looked down on same-sex relationships.”

“He even went out of his way to please both of us—finding things we liked and arranging for you to give them to me, or me to you.”

“Opportunistic,” Huo Zongzhuo remarked succinctly.

Over two years ago, by a twist of fate, Jiang Luo finally learned the truth about what had happened the night he and Huo Zongzhuo first got together—and Xue Zhizhong’s role in it.

Back then, Xue Zhizhong’s “Oriental No. 1” had vanished for unknown reasons, and his company teetered on bankruptcy due to poor management. His wife had even divorced him.

It was Jiang Luo who gave Xue Zhizhong a chance to start over.

Over the past two years, Xue Zhizhong had remained loyal and obedient at Jiang Luo’s side—almost to the point of devotion.

Huo Zongzhuo had never liked Xue Zhizhong, but since Jiang Luo wanted to keep him around, Huo Zongzhuo had refrained from saying much.

Tonight, Huo Zongzhuo finally understood why Jiang Luo had reached out to help Xue Zhizhong back then.

Huo Zongzhuo said, “From now on, that person won’t hold any special significance anymore.”

They had held their wedding banquet, publicly declaring their relationship to the world—and even wore matching wedding rings.

After tonight, everyone would know Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo were a couple, life partners.

Huo Zongzhuo kissed Jiang Luo. “I should have arranged all this earlier.”

“Before, I always thought societal norms wouldn’t accept our relationship—so it wasn’t suitable to make it public.”

“I was afraid of the negative impact.”

“Too many worries only made things worse—and that incident from that night happened.”

Jiang Luo kissed him back. “It’s not your fault. Your concerns were valid. No one would have easily gone public in your position.”

He kissed Huo Zongzhuo’s cheek again, speaking with deep tenderness, “Thank you. You gave me the most unforgettable wedding of my life.”

He added, “I love you, Huo Zongzhuo.”

Huo Zongzhuo gazed at him with equal affection. “I should be the one thanking you. You came into my life and gave me the best lover—and the most beautiful love.”

Forehead to forehead, he whispered, “I love you too.”

They shared a long, passionate kiss.

When the kiss ended, Huo Zongzhuo murmured softly, “Still up for it?”

Jiang Luo smiled and suggested, “Want to make this wedding night even more unforgettable?”

As he spoke, Jiang Luo raised his hand and began unbuttoning Huo Zongzhuo’s pajamas—starting from the top button and working steadily downward.

Once finished, he began kissing his way down from the man’s chin—neck, Adam’s apple, shoulders, chest—moving steadily lower.

Huo Zongzhuo looked down and saw Jiang Luo’s red lips gently and slowly envelop him, gradually taking him deeper.

At the same time, Jiang Luo’s eyes lifted—his beautiful face and the corners of his eyes suffused with a honey-like, melting desire.

Huo Zongzhuo closed his eyes, tilting his head back with pleasure, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

…

The next morning, Jiang Luo—still in his deep-red pajamas—sat in the outer living room, fiddling with a blue-patterned velvet brocade box.

He opened the lid to reveal a set of purple clay teaware inside.

Not well-versed in purple clay ware, Jiang Luo asked Huo Zongzhuo, “Was this a gift from someone?”

“Hmm.”

Huo Zongzhuo emerged from the inner room, walked to the sofa, bent down, and kissed Jiang Luo on the cheek, explaining, "It came from Beijing, a congratulatory gift for our wedding."

Jiang Luo knew that person—Huo Zongzhuo had taken him to Beijing to meet the man before, in a courtyard house on the alley facing Pudu Temple. He was a man nearing 60, with great dignity and presence.

Huo Zongzhuo didn't say explicitly, but Jiang Luo guessed that the other party must be a high-ranking official from Beijing.

This time, for their wedding banquet, the other party couldn’t attend or make a public appearance, so they sent a set of purple clay teaware instead.

Jiang Luo closed the lid of the brocade box: "We should keep this safe. Who knows, I might need to ask him for a favor someday."

Huo Zongzhuo kissed Jiang Luo’s lips again: "That won’t happen. With me here, I'd never let things get to the point where you'd need to ask for favors with this."

"You never know."

Jiang Luo was joking. He reached up to touch Huo Zongzhuo’s face and sniffed the air, "Did you shave? You smell good."

A few days later, Jiang Luo was back at the company, looking so well-rested that people joked he must have eaten the "Monk Tang longevity meat."

Everyone in the company knew that he and Huo Zongzhuo, the CEO of Zhikun (the company downstairs), had recently returned to Suzhou to hold their wedding reception. Some were shocked, others impressed. When discussed privately, everyone agreed that the two men were truly bold bosses, daring to break through societal prejudices hand in hand, and that they were clearly truly in love, and so on.

Everyone also noticed that Jiang Luo was wearing a ring on his ring finger.

After chatting with employees from Zhikun downstairs, they learned that CEO Huo was wearing one too, in the exact same style. So the two bosses were really acting like a proper married couple.

When wedding chocolates and red envelopes with money were distributed throughout both companies, all employees had only one thought: This marriage is wonderful! Absolutely perfect!

In the Haicheng business community, the story of Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo holding their wedding banquet alongside a birthday celebration became a favorite topic of conversation—with both sets of parents happily in attendance, the banquet was full of guests, and they defied societal prejudices. It was truly a joyous occasion and a heartwarming story.

Meanwhile, gifts from Jiang Luo and Huo Zongzhuo as a couple were also sent to the Zhao family.

This was the first time in many years that Jiang Luo had reached out to them.

Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan were very happy.

Huang Bingbing chimed in, "We should thank CEO Huo. If he hadn’t reminded us to attend the wedding banquet, Jiang Luo’s attitude wouldn’t have changed."

She analyzed, "Actually, Jiang Luo is really quite tender-hearted. He knows clearly how others treat him and whether they are good to him."

"Dad, Mom, just don't worry. As long as you accept Jiang Luo from the bottom of your hearts, him coming home is just a matter of time."

She also said to Zhao Shuo, "It really takes a real brother to let bygones be bygones and send gifts like this."

"And Jiang Luo prepares gifts for Yanyan every year, never missing a year."

"Yanyan used to have one uncle, now she has another, and both so impressive."

"When Jiang Luo comes home in the future, Yanyan will have two uncles to love her. How wonderful."

Hearing this, the Zhao family found this comforting and felt greatly comforted.

As for Zhao Mingshi, he drank himself into a stupor for two days.

Because he suddenly realized one thing: no matter how hard he tried, no matter how successful he became, it seemed he could never measure up to Jiang Luo.

When did this "inability to catch up" actually begin?

Zhao Mingshi used his programmer's brain to running through scenarios and found that he had actually never caught up at all.

Not even from birth—he was already behind Jiang Luo.

Zhao Mingshi felt completely defeated.

He couldn’t help but compare himself to Jiang Luo; he simply couldn't help himself.

He had to compete, in everything, but he just always came up short. That long-familiar feeling of resentment quickly crept back into his heart.

He thought, why!? Why!?

There was a full 18-year gap between him and Jiang Luo. He was still a college student, while Jiang Luo was just a dropout.

Why could Jiang Luo live so well now?

Why!?

Just because he’s good-looking?

Just because he gets fucked and found a capable man?!

Why!!!

That day, Zhao Mingshi finally sobered up, cleaned himself up, and pulled himself together, only to receive a phone call from Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo said on the phone, "Do you want to know the truth about the mix-up back then?"

What?

Zhao Mingshi was stunned.

The truth?

What truth?

When Zhao Mingshi arrived and entered the private room, he was shocked to find Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan there as well.

He walked in, looked up, and realized the room was divided by a screen, with people clearly on the other side.

He nodded slightly to Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan. Remembering how the couple had been chatting and laughing with others at Jiang Luo’s wedding banquet, he felt uncomfortable and didn’t approach them, instead sitting at the opposite end of the round table.

Sitting down, Zhao Mingshi checked his watch, puzzled about why Jiang Luo had asked them all here and what he intended to do.

What did he mean by "the truth about the mix-up"?

On the other side of the screen, Jiang Luo sat quietly at the round table, a cup of tea in front of him. He had taken a few sips, clearly waiting for someone.

Soon, the door opened, and the figure who entered was none other than Zhang Xiangping.

Zhang Xiangping came alone; Jiang Jianmin wasn’t with her.

Entering, Jiang Luo gestured for her to sit. Zhang Xiangping plopped down at the opposite end of the table and snapped, "What do you want with me?"

"You won’t give me money, and you won’t let me be a leader at your factory. What’s the point of meeting?"

On the other side of the screen, Su Lan, Zhao Guangyuan, and Zhao Mingshi heard every word clearly.

"What do you want from me?!" Zhang Xiangping’s tone was aggressive.

Jiang Luo looked at her and spoke unhurriedly, "All these years, I’ve been thinking about one thing."

"As your son, for eighteen years, why have you treated me nothing like a biological mother treats her own son all these years?"

"I’ve thought about it for a long time."

In his previous life.

Zhang Xiangping glared: "Oh, I raised you, and now you say things like this?"

Zhang Xiangping never had a kind word to say, snapping: "What, you think you grew up eating shit? Haven’t I been good to you?"

Jiang Luo seemed patient: "Good, you say?"

"When I was three or four, in winter, I had no winter coat. My hands were covered with frostbite from the cold. If Wang Chuang’s mother hadn’t taken pity on me and given me Wang Chuang’s hand-me-downs, I probably would have frozen to death long ago."

"Yeah, frozen to death," Zhang Xiangping rolled her eyes and said, "If you had really frozen to death, would you be here talking to me now? Would you be a big boss?"

"Ungrateful wretch!"

Jiang Luo ignored her and continued: "Since I was little, whenever you and Jiang Jianmin went to work and weren’t home, all I got was a key. You wouldn't even leave me plain rice, let alone any dishes."

"I could only eat at Wang Chuang’s house."

"Yeah, sure."

Zhang Xiangping: "I fed you scraps while others fed you gold—that’s why you’re a big boss now."

Jiang Luo: "At least when I was little, Jiang Jianmin would show concern when I was sick, carry me to the hospital, and say I was his precious son."

"But you…"

Jiang Luo changed tack: "One day it suddenly occurred to me—could it be that you knew from the very beginning that I wasn’t your son? Is that why you felt so free to treat me so poorly?"

Zhang Xiangping paused. On the other side of the screen, Zhao Guangyuan, Su Lan, and Zhao Mingshi all showed expressions of shock.

What?

What does that mean?