Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The two walked side by side, slowly advancing along the red carpet as the guests looked on, until they reached the stage.

Under the officiant's guidance, the wedding proceeded step by step.

"Mr. Song, do you take Mr. Li to be your lawfully wedded partner, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to never leave him, to be faithful forever?"

"I do."

In response to the officiant's question, Song Nian gave a shy smile, lowered his gaze bashfully, and answered in a voice that was soft but clear.

There was no hesitation, no delay at all.

"Then, Mr. Li, do you take Mr. Song to be your lawfully wedded partner?"

Next, the same question came to Li Yanchuan.

In sharp contrast to Song Nian’s eagerness, Li Yanchuan remained silent in the face of the question.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, his calm gaze fell upon him, deep as the ocean, making it impossible to read what he was thinking at that moment.

Just as Song Nian began to think he would stay silent forever, the man across from him finally reacted.

In a tone as flat as still water, he said indifferently:

"I do."

There was no emotion in his voice, calm and cold, as if he were mechanically completing some task.

But it was still better than refusing to answer.

Having completed that step, the officiant breathed a sigh of relief and moved on to the next:

"Next, please exchange rings."

As his words fell, the flower girls and ring bearers carried a velvet ring box onto the stage.

The children, unaware of the wedding's complexities, stared at the couple with clear, bright eyes full of good wishes.

Faced with such pure wishes, Song Nian smiled shyly, feeling a little embarrassed.

After all, he and Li Yanchuan were not a conventional couple. There was no love between them, only a marriage of convenience based on mutual benefit. Facing such untainted good wishes left him at a loss.

He carefully picked up one of the rings, blinked, and looked at the man across from him.

Li Yanchuan, however, sat still, his lips pursed in deep thought, making no move to extend his hand.

Just as Song Nian thought he might refuse, the man in the wheelchair finally moved, slowly raising his hand.

Seeing this, Song Nian’s eyes lit up, like a puppy that had just been rewarded, his invisible tail wagging at full speed.

After placing the ring on Li Yanchuan’s finger, it was his turn.

Unlike the other’s slow movements, Song Nian had already extended his hand eagerly before Li Yanchuan even picked up the ring, looking at him with anticipation.

He acted as if he couldn’t wait, even giving his hand a little shake, silently urging him on.

Li Yanchuan: …

He mechanically picked up the ring, slipped it onto the man’s ring finger, and completed the process simply and roughly.

Song Nian lowered his head to inspect the ring closely.

There was no doubt—the ring was just a last-minute purchase for the wedding.

Unlike true couples in love, who would go to the trouble to measure sizes and carefully select styles.

The design was generic: a silver band set with a large diamond, lacking in creativity. It was a very common plain ring, the only obvious thing being its high price.

Moreover, it was slightly too large, not fully fitting the circumference of his ring finger, clearly not made to his size.

But that was fine. A marriage alliance that came with an ideal husband and a free diamond as big as a pigeon's egg—this was already a very good deal.

Content, Song Nian looked at the ring on his finger, then at Li Yanchuan across from him, completely satisfied.

"You may now kiss."

When the officiant’s words reached him, the bright smile on his face froze instantly.

—He had been too quick to celebrate; he had almost forgotten this part.

He turned his head stiffly, staring at the officiant in shock.

The officiant, for his part, was equally nervous, stammering through the announcement of this step while wiping cold sweat from his brow.

Because he, too, knew how awkward the kissing part would be in today’s wedding, but there was no way to skip it—otherwise, it would surely become a topic of gossip.

But what if the two grooms refused to go along with it and the atmosphere turned awkward?

The officiant watched the two grooms nervously, his mind racing to come up with strategies.

Since the officiant had already made the announcement, Song Nian found himself in a dilemma: he couldn’t kiss, but he couldn’t refuse either.

With so many guests below watching with eager anticipation for drama, if he refused to kiss, wouldn’t he be publicly embarrassing Li Yanchuan?

In the original story, the protagonist had done exactly that—stood as still as a pine during the wedding kiss, showing no intention of kissing.

That had made the scene extremely awkward, leading everyone to believe he was deliberately resisting and putting Li Yanchuan in a difficult position.

But if he actually went through with it, how would Li Yanchuan react?

Would he anger him and speed up his darkening?

It was a lose-lose situation.

Recalling the tragic fate of the original protagonist, Song Nian gulped, carefully looked up at the man across from him.

Li Yanchuan still sat quietly in his wheelchair, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

A gentle breeze blew through, stirring his hair. The sunlight came from behind him, casting his figure into silhouette, his eyelashes forming fine shadows that cast over his deep eyes.

All his emotions were hidden away, as if he had voluntarily put up a protective barrier, cutting himself off from the outside world and rejecting anyone who came near.

Though he sat upright, in the direct sunlight, Li Yanchuan’s skin showed a sickly pallor, almost like porcelain, fragile and breakable.

In a daze, Song Nian suddenly had a strange impression.

An impression that Li Yanchuan was like summer foam—wavering, weak, and about to break at the slightest breeze.

Suddenly, an inexplicable pang of heartache surged over him.

He still remembered that in the original novel's setting, although Li Yanchuan held great power and influence, everything he possessed and all he had endured were merely meant to pave the way for the protagonist.

His childhood trauma from his dysfunctional family made him suspicious, and others' persecution left him disabled, ultimately leading to his dark descent and death—all just to pass on his entire network and resources to the protagonist, strengthening their power.

To be blunt, this was a plot device killing.

Throughout the entire story, Li Yanchuan never acted out of malice without cause; all his suffering came from outside forces, stemming from his role as a tool.

The malice of others gradually drove him to darkness, leading to his vengeful, tragic end.

The truth is, he was a victim too.

Once a golden child who climbed to the top through his own efforts, he had now fallen from grace.

Even so, even with no one behind him, he had to put on a brave face and not show the slightest fragility.

Otherwise, the predators lurking in the shadows would pounce and tear him apart, leaving not even a bone.

Now, standing before him in the flesh, no longer just a distant story confined to words, but a vivid, living existence.

Looking at the man in front of him, Song Nian's heart ached for him.

He should have had a bright future, but due to the author's arrangement, he was forced to exit the stage prematurely, ending so hastily.

Too rushed, too unfair.

Thinking this, Song Nian clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and made up his mind.

Due to the long silence, with no one moving on stage, whispers started up from the audience below.

"Seriously, setting this up is just asking to be humiliated, isn't it?"

"Knowing Li Yanchuan, how do you think he'll treat this new spouse?"

"I'm curious to see what they'll do."

The whispers surged in like a wave of malice, heading toward the center of the stage, threatening to devour everything.

Qi Ze, sitting below, furrowed his brows and grew serious, thinking about how to break the impasse.

Meanwhile, the emcee on stage was also sweating it.

Before coming, he knew how unusual this wedding was. Seeing the two protagonists frozen like this, it seemed they were silently protesting.

He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and quickly stepped in to smooth things over, preparing to skip this part.

But before he could speak, he noticed one of them make a move.

Song Nian suddenly stepped forward, then knelt on one knee in front of Li Yanchuan.

Now at eye level with Li Yanchuan, who was in a wheelchair, he looked up, meeting the man's gaze directly.

"I'm going to kiss you now."

He blinked, his long curled lashes sweeping like little brushes.

Before the other could react, Song Nian cupped Li Yanchuan's cheeks with both hands and leaned in.

The distance between them abruptly closed, and Song Nian's figure suddenly grew larger in his eyes, gradually filling his entire field of vision.

For a moment, the murmurs and probing gazes from the audience receded like the ebbing tide, leaving behind a damp beach, as if he were the only person in the world.

Li Yanchuan's breath caught, his eyes widened, and his pupils flickered.

His hand on the wheelchair's armrest clenched, knuckles white, purple veins bulging.

That pale face came closer and closer, so near he could almost see the delicate fuzz on the skin.

Warm breath brushed against his cheek, like a feather gently brushing his skin, tickling him.

Just as Li Yanchuan thought he was about to kiss him, Song Nian suddenly tilted his head, shifting aside.

His lips brushed past the corner of the mouth at the last moment, making it feel like a real kiss had landed.

At the last second, Song Nian turned his head to fake the kiss.

This way, he could fool everyone, get through the ceremony without awkwardness, and avoid actually kissing Li Yanchuan and offending him.

It was a win-win.

When he noticed the other's lingering gaze, he blinked quickly and hummed softly, as if asking a question.

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan seemed to snap out of it.

Surprise still lingered in his mind; he hadn't expected to be distracted by a feigned kiss.

Was he mad about the audacity? Or was it regret over the last-minute turn?

Li Yanchuan chose to believe it was the former.

He wanted to slap the guy's hands away, but with everyone watching, he held back.

Seeing Li Yanchuan's slightly furrowed brow, Song Nian paused, then quickly let go.

"Sorry, I forgot."

He smiled apologetically, said sorry softly, and pulled his hands back.

His gaze swept over Li Yanchuan's hand hanging by his side—pale, with slender, elegant knuckles like creamy jade, but with a soft fingertip with a warmth that was unforgettable.

That hand looked a size smaller than his own; maybe if he held it gently, he could completely cover the back, fingers laced together.

Shocked by his own thoughts, Li Yanchuan froze, then quickly looked away to hide it, saying nothing.

Seeing that the two had actually kissed (they thought), the guests were stunned, hardly able to believe it, but they quickly recovered and offered a polite round of applause.

It wasn't genuine, but appearances had to be kept up.

Among these joyless smiles, one person's expression was especially striking.

Li Wenguang sat in his seat, his face dark, fist clenched so hard he could barely control it, teeth grinding.

Having seen the whole thing, he was convinced Song Nian had really kissed Li Yanchuan.

This was unacceptable to him.

If not for propriety, he would have stormed the stage.

Song Nian, you belong to me. How could you do that with Li Yanchuan...

He thought viciously, a sour expression on his face.