Chapter 88

Chapter 88

But the rings arriving is a story for later; for now, let’s rewind to the moment they first got together.

Newly-confessed couples are naturally inseparable, and since neither of them had to go out that day, they spent every moment glued to each other.

In the afternoon, when Li Yanchuan had to handle some work temporarily, Song Nian stayed with him in the study, quietly playing on his phone while lying on the couch.

The night before had been exhausting, so as he was playing, his eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, a thin blanket had been draped over him, and his head was resting on Li Yanchuan’s thigh.

Li Yanchuan had somehow moved from the desk chair to the couch, wrapping one arm around Song Nian’s shoulder while quietly keeping him company, and using his other hand to work on a tablet.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one who wanted to be attached at the hip all the time.

At that thought, Song Nian smiled and nestled contently into the man’s embrace.

That evening, the two went to the home theater and casually picked a movie to watch.

It was a romance film. In the past, Li Yanchuan would have dismissed such movies as meaningless and a waste of time. But now, with his heart opening up for the first time and the one he loved most by his side, he actually kind of enjoyed it.

Perhaps, with Song Nian beside him, nothing would ever feel boring.

However, neither of them knew what happened in the second half of the movie.

Because they were still kissing when the credits rolled.

The dim lighting made the atmosphere hazy. One glance was enough to ignite the chemistry between them, and they ended up tumbling onto the couch, nearly losing control.

Mindful that Song Nian hadn’t fully recovered yet, Li Yanchuan forced himself to hit the brakes.

Song Nian, lying beneath him, panted heavily, looking up with dazed eyes, his face flushed. He clearly understood why the other had stopped.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before both shyly looked away, like awkward teenagers experiencing their first love.

“Uh, maybe we should go to sleep?”

Song Nian cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to change the subject.

“Mm.”

Li Yanchuan’s ears reddened faintly as he replied, trying to act calm.

Standing in the second-floor hallway, both were blushing slightly. They awkwardly said goodnight and retreated to their respective rooms.

It wasn’t until the door was shut, and he leaned against it to calm down, that Song Nian suddenly realized something important.

That is, now that they had confessed their feelings and were already legally married, why were they still sleeping separately?

Both had been too shy during their goodnights to think of it, automatically went back to their own rooms, just like before.

Scratching his head in frustration, Song Nian couldn’t stand the idea of spending the first night apart. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind and strode over to the bed to grab his pillow.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Li Yanchuan had also realized the same. He paced restlessly, annoyed that he hadn’t acted in time to stop Song Nian from going back to his room.

If he knocked on the door to call him over now, it would seem too obvious.

But sleeping apart left an empty, unsatisfied feeling in his chest.

The man, usually so decisive and resolute, now found himself caught in indecision.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided and spun around, ready to go find him.

But just as he opened the door, he saw Song Nian standing right outside, their eyes meeting.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Both were startled.

Song Nian, who had still been working up his courage, hadn’t expected the door to open so suddenly.

His hand, raised to knock, froze midair, his other arm clutching a pillow. Without having thought of what to say, he forced himself to say:

“Oh, you’re still awake too—what a coincidence!”

“I was just thinking… tonight, shouldn’t we sleep in the same bed?”

As if embarrassed, he buried his face in the pillow, blinking rapidly, leaving only his sparkling eyes visible to see what he thought.

Hearing this, Li Yanchuan was momentarily stunned, realizing he had the same thought.

“My pleasure.”

He smiled, took the pillow from Song Nian’s hand, and pulled him into the bedroom.

Thus, they set up two pillows on opposite sides of the large bed. They lay facing each other, their eyes seeing only each other.

“Should we turn off the light first?”

Uncomfortable under the intense gaze, Song Nian shyly burrowed deeper into the covers, leaving only his sparkling eyes visible.

“Alright.”

Li Yanchuan agreed, but instead of getting up, he opened his arms to Song Nian.

The meaning was unmistakable.

Understanding the invitation, Song Nian blinked slowly, then grinned goofily as he wriggled into the familiar embrace.

After finding a comfortable spot in the arms he’d missed, Song Nian’s eyes crinkled into happy crescents as he tilted his head up and pressed a kiss to the other’s chin.

Li Yanchuan, his eyes smiling, placed a gentle kiss on top of Song Nian’s soft, fluffy hair.

They exchanged a sweet and tender goodnight kiss.

As the lights went out, the master bedroom fell into darkness and silence, with only pale moonlight streaming across the floor.

After bidding each other goodnight once more, they lay down, but neither could easily drift off.

In the faint moonlight, Song Nian lay stiffly, too nervous to move a muscle.

And beside him, Li Yanchuan was no better—his palms were sweaty, his body tense and rigid.

It wasn’t the first time they had slept together, yet both were so awkward and shy, like awkward teenagers, all nervous and tense.

Perhaps that was the magic of love—making even the sharpest people become silly.

Having held the same position for too long, Song Nian's limbs were slightly numb. He tried to shift discreetly, and as he moved, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye—and there, under the moonlight, he saw those clear, bright eyes.

Those eyes were staring straight at him, unblinking.

"Honey, you, you're still awake too?"

He ventured to ask.

Found out, Li Yanchuan coughed awkwardly, lowered his eyes, hiding them behind his lashes, and admitted:

"Yeah, a little nervous."

Having said that, he tightened his arms, holding the man in his arms a bit closer, as if embarrassed.

Thinking he was the only one too nervous to sleep, only to find the other was in the same boat, Song Nian laughed and said:

"What a coincidence. Me too."

"Since neither of us can sleep, how about you sing me a lullaby to lull me to sleep?"

Nuzzling against the man's chest like a kitten, he proposed half-jokingly, half-beggingly.

"But I'm not very good at singing."

Hearing this, a flicker of awkwardness crossed Li Yanchuan's face.

Yet unable to resist Song Nian's coaxing, and unable to refuse Song Nian anything, after a moment of silence, he had to clear his throat and start.

He hummed a tune in a deep, husky voice. When he finished the song, Song Nian's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, his face full of surprise.

A few seconds of silence, and then he burst out laughing without restraint:

"Hahahahaha! Honey, I can't believe I just found out you're tone-deaf!"

And it was the kind where not even a single note in a lullaby was on key.

So his earlier admission about being tone-deaf wasn't modesty—it was a statement of fact.

Exposed, Li Yanchuan showed a rare flush of embarrassment, burying his face in the crook of the man's neck and biting down in retaliation.

"Hahaha, that tickles, be gentle."

Laughing uncontrollably, Song Nian's tears nearly came out, letting his tone-deaf lover "retaliate" as he wished.

This little incident dispelled all their earlier tension. As they looked at each other, their eyes were filled with smiles.

Another 'goodnight,' followed by a goodnight kiss, and finally the two closed their eyes, falling asleep in a trusting, relaxed hold.

When Song Nian woke up the next morning, Li Yanchuan's eyes were still shut.

He shifted slightly and felt his lover's arm wrapped around his upper body, his thighs even clamping down over Song Nian's legs.

It was clearly a tight, possessive hold.

And coincidentally, such an inseparable hug made Song Nian feel very at ease.

He lifted his head, kissed the man's lips, and then settled back into his embrace.

The morning light was faint, spring was just beginning to bloom, and for a long time to come, the weather would be beautiful and sunny.

————

Ever since the film won awards and officially premiered in theaters, Song Nian's popularity had skyrocketed, and his fame had taken a qualitative leap.

On the day of the premiere, Li Yanchuan had his assistant reserve the entire theater and arranged for the whole company to watch the film.

With his striking looks and superb acting skills, Song Nian instantly became a popular rising star. Invitations flooded in like snowflakes. Even after the company had vetted them, there was still a large batch of high-quality offers waiting to be chosen.

This also meant he was unusually busy lately. Besides coordinating the film's promotion, there were many other tasks, and his schedule was packed solid.

They were a newlywed couple, yet except for the first few days, they were often apart more than together.

Sometimes when Song Nian was busy and didn't check his phone, he couldn't get in touch with Li Yanchuan or even reply to his messages promptly.

He was a bit worried at first, afraid that Li Yanchuan would feel insecure or fall into negative emotions because of this. But later he discovered that the man didn't seem to have much of a reaction.

Once, after a shoot, he found five missed calls on his phone. Panicked, he immediately called back, anxiously trying to gauge the man's mood, ready to console him.

But to his surprise, Li Yanchuan on the other end was perfectly calm, his tone flat, as if he hadn't taken it to heart at all.

That made Song Nian faintly feel that something was off.

He thought that, given Li Yanchuan's personality, there would at least be some jealousy or possessiveness. But in reality, it wasn't the case.

Logically, this was a good thing—it meant Li Yanchuan was no longer pathologically possessive and obsessive over him.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel vaguely dissatisfied.

"Bro, have you seen the latest endorsement ad? As soon as it came out, the comments section blew up, everyone's praising you."

Xiao Sun's sudden words broke Song Nian's train of thought.

He pulled out his phone and tapped on the brand's official endorsement post.

Admittedly, the set of photos was indeed very well done. The comments were flooded with screaming fangirl comments, but besides compliments on his looks, there were even bold confessions calling him 'husband' in the comments.

"These, these fans... they're so... passionate?"

Choosing his words carefully, Song Nian hadn't expected to have self-proclaimed 'wife' fans.

Wasn't it an open secret that he was already married? What if Li Yanchuan saw this? Would he get jealous?

"Some fans are just like that, bro. If you mind it, I'll ask someone to delete them later."

After Song Nian agreed, Xiao Sun reminded him:

"Oh, right, don't forget about the crew dinner tonight."

"Okay, but please drop me off home first."

As a key cast member, such dinners were usually a must. Song Nian planned to go home and tell Li Yanchuan first.

When he got home, Li Yanchuan was in the study upstairs. He quietly pushed the door open, poking his head inside.

"You're back?"

Seeing this, Li Yanchuan subtly put his phone away and looked at the man at the door.

Song Nian grinned, calling him 'honey' in a soft voice, and mentioned the dinner that evening.

After saying that, he observed his reaction.

He hadn't eaten at home in days and had thought Li Yanchuan would surely be jealous, but to his surprise, the guy just nodded calmly.

After saying "Go ahead," he lowered his head and continued working.

That's all the reaction he got?

Song Nian was the one caught off guard, but he hid it. He muttered something and sheepishly slipped out.

What he didn't know was that the second the study door shut, Li Yanchuan's calm expression crumbled into a frown.

The pen in his hand remained still for a long time, the nib blotting a huge ink stain on the white paper, jarringly obvious.

He frowned, and the pent-up emotions flooded over him like a wave.

The next moment, the pen was tossed aside, and he crumpled the smooth paper in his fist without a second thought.

Li Yanchuan let out a heavy sigh, slumped back in his chair, and rubbed his face in irritation.

The veins on his forehead popped out, like he was barely holding something back.