DLRAS Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Show a bright and moving smile.

Hearing that they had come to get married, the server complimented them on how well-matched they were, adding that Las Vegas would be a wonderful place suited for them.

Huo Niansheng opened the suitcase and began pulling things out. Chen Wengang sat at the head of the bed, flipping through the tourist guidebook included in the room.

Las Vegas—a massive international metropolis nestled on the edge of the desert. Its economic foundation lay in the gaming industry, but it didn’t end there; it was a capital of entertainment as well as a capital of marriage. The Las Vegas Strip gathered a vast array of hotels, casinos, and resorts. Here, crowds cheered, drank fine wine, and exposed voluptuous figures beneath eccentric costumes, with neon colored lights flashing ceaselessly through every night of revelry.

It had already been night when they arrived, but this city that never sleeps does not rest.

The towering Ferris wheel turned slowly, vehicles flowed in an endless stream, and the artificial lighting remained forever brilliant, flickering and changing in infinite variations.

This city held no loneliness, only a grand and endless carnival. She resembled a beauty draped in a fantasy woven from light and shadow. With strands of metal and plastic braided into her hair, she stepped onto a magnificent, extravagant stage for the sole purpose of letting ordinary folk forget the sorrows of mundane life.

It was only when Chen Wengang slid open the floor-to-ceiling window, letting the sight of the city’s brilliant lights reflect in his eyes, that a sense of grounded reassurance finally settled in his heart.

He didn’t notice Huo Niansheng watching him from the side.

Those brilliant, radiant night views reflected in Chen Wengang’s eyes first before settling into Huo Niansheng’s heart—taking root, spreading out, hooking into the flesh with sharp thorns, and being watered by lifeblood until they finally bloomed into a thriving rose.

Huo Niansheng walked over, half-squatting by the edge of the bed. “Is anything troubling you?”

Chen Wengang shook his head, offering him a gentle smile. “No, why do you ask?”

Huo Niansheng placed his right hand against his face. His palm was dry, his light calluses brushing against the delicate skin. “You don’t seem very expectant. Ever since boarding the plane, you haven’t spoken much. Other people are overjoyed when they get married, so why do you look like you’re eloping?”

Chen Wengang closed the guidebook and held his hand. “No, I am expectant. I have been expecting this for many years.”

Huo Niansheng’s other hand moved to his face as well, gently cradling his cheeks with both hands.

Chen Wengang pulled him up firmly.

Huo Niansheng used the momentum to throw himself onto the bed, pressing over him with both hands bracing the mattress beside his ears, enveloping him in his masculine aura.

Chen Wengang’s eyes were filled entirely with his lover, his heart pounding wildly, to the point that he didn’t care much even when his words became unchosen. Of course he was expectant; how could he not be? It was just that everything happening right now was too good, too seamless, making him afraid to be overly happy.

Like a beautiful dream—if one pushes too hard and carries the dream to its absolute end, the person will inevitably have to wake up.

All past pain and longing seemed to replay at a rapid fast-forward speed, the frames blurry and mingled with static.

The sound of rushing blood drummed in Chen Wengang’s ears, yet his emotions remained fractured, deadly calm.

Huo Niansheng teased him: “Counting generously, you’ve known me for less than a year. Whom exactly were you expecting to marry?”

For a single split second, Chen Wengang almost wanted to stop hiding anything from him. “Let me tell you a secret before we get married.”

Huo Niansheng gave him a deep, profoundly meaningful look. “Mm, what kind of secret?”

Chen Wengang confessed right next to his ear, “I fell in love with you back when you didn’t even know it.”

Because of this sentence, a spark nearly set off a raging fire—beginning as a playful interrogation, testing and counting through every single past encounter they had shared. Chen Wengang wrapped his arms around Huo Niansheng’s neck, simply refusing to confess further. The punitive gestures shifted in nature, blending into shallow kisses that gradually grew difficult to part from, abandoning all reservations. For a brief moment, Huo Niansheng wanted to tear off his clothes and never let him leave the bed again.

Ultimately, he still reined himself in at the edge of the cliff. “Alright, let’s not delay official business. We have plenty of time ahead; there’s no rush to do everything today.”

“When are we returning?”

“No rush. I’ve been a bit too busy during this recent period and neglected you a little; we might as well stay here for a few days, treating it as our honeymoon.”

They woke up early the following morning.

Huo Niansheng hummed a tune, fixing his bow tie in front of the mirror. Chen Wengang leaned against the bedpost, watching him with a smile.

Most wedding chapels offered rental formal wear, but expecting Young Master Huo to don those items was out of the question. He stepped forward to adjust Huo Niansheng’s bow tie, then retrieved his own suit from the wardrobe—having sent it down to the hotel service to be pressed the previous evening, it was perfectly smooth.

Not long after, Lawyer Zhu came knocking on the door, offering a couple of wishes for a harmonious union lasting a hundred years the moment they met.

The marriage registration office wasn’t large; one line was for filling out forms, while another was for making payments. The registration venue even thoughtfully kept its doors open until midnight. After obtaining their marriage license, they headed to the Venus Garden, successfully completing the entire ceremony under the gaze of the staff and their witness.

The rings weren’t purchased separately; they were still the same pair from before, merely taken off prior to the ceremony.

Various plants vied for brilliance within the garden. Standing amidst a vibrant display of purple and red blooms, Chen Wengang stood in a daze for a long time.

An endless stream of couples came to get married here, and another pair of newlyweds began holding their ceremony nearby, making their vows—

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

The bride smiled like a flower, the train of her wedding dress swaying before Chen Wengang’s eyes.

He looked down at the white bouquet in his hands; a quarter of an hour ago, he and Huo Niansheng had made the exact same vow.

Seeing this, Lawyer Zhu cracked a joke: “Is this crying tears of joy, or has entering the marital fortress turned your face white with fright?”

Chen Wengang snapped out of it, asking him with a smile, “How did it feel when you got married back then?”

The prominent lawyer reflected for a moment. “Tiring. We spent half a year in intense preparation—busy with this, busy with that. By the day of the wedding, I truly wasn’t thinking about anything anymore, not even the wedding night. My only thought was that the ordeal was finally over, so I wanted to see the guests off quickly and lie down to get some sleep.”

Chen Wengang laughed, “That sounds like it wasn’t romantic enough.”

Lawyer Zhu spotted his boss walking over from a distance and hissed a quiet shh: “Every couple has their own story; most of us are just ordinary folks. Actually, it’s better this way for you two—carefree, with no need to give an account to anyone, just being the masters of your own lives.”

Huo Niansheng appeared from behind, still bearing his usual playboy-esque smile and tone: “Where are we heading to have some fun?”

Lawyer Zhu had no desire to play the third wheel; he wanted to visit the Erotic Heritage Museum, and he had also reserved a car for a self-drive trip to Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Chen Wengang linked his arm through Huo Niansheng’s. “You decide. I’ll go wherever you take me.”

They walked out of the garden and hotel, stepping down the stairs.

Someone on a skateboard nearly collided into them, and Huo Niansheng intercepted them with quick reflexes. Across the street, a street performer dressed like a Gypsy was putting on a bizarre song-and-dance act, posing for photos with passersby. Huo Niansheng had even brought a camera along, insisting that Chen Wengang stand over there to take a shot.

Chen Wengang paused, feeling a bit self-conscious. “Do I really have to go?”

“If I tell you to go, you go, quick.” Huo Niansheng held the camera in one hand while wrapping his other arm around him. “We’re on our honeymoon; we have to leave some memories behind, don’t we?”

Something had indeed changed. Chen Wengang looked up to survey his surroundings; marriage held a profound meaning for everyone, without a doubt. It wasn’t merely about the legal paperwork and a ceremony; they had also sworn vows to each other. From this moment onward, he could openly proclaim that Huo Niansheng was his husband.

The fountain show was performing in front of the Bellagio, presenting a magnificent scene of prosperity before their eyes. Yet life was always a wasteland—Chen Wengang possessed deep experience regarding this, having stood in the wilderness for a very long time, walking solitarily without finding an exit in any direction.

So that was how it was—from now on, whether for better or worse, Huo Niansheng had to walk forward alongside him.

The sunlight hit the water mist, refracting into a rainbow. Beneath that stroke of color, he revealed a strikingly beautiful smile.

Huo Niansheng took his hand, leisurely strolling down the street with him, their fingers tightly intertwined.

Having reached Las Vegas, if they still failed to find entertainment, it would be entirely their own fault—

Huo Niansheng acted mischievously, stating he wanted to take Chen Wengang to places he wouldn’t normally frequent on his own.

Thus, they first went to a casino. Chen Wengang watched Huo Niansheng exchange chips and play a couple of rounds at the table. Resting his hand on the other’s shoulder, he quietly observed from the side. Huo Niansheng won a couple of small rounds and quit while he was ahead, handing the remaining chips to him: “Take them and lose them.”

Chen Wengang shook his head with a smile. “No. Stop trying to teach me bad habits.”

Huo Niansheng smiled, proceeding to take him to a bar for a drink, slipping a neatly folded tip to the server.

That banknote carried a face value of one hundred dollars. As the saying goes, a happy occasion raises a man’s spirits—Huo Niansheng had been distributing his wealth all day, handing out generous tips to everyone. The server’s eyes lit up, and before long, he brought over another cocktail, stating someone had purchased it for them.

Chen Wengang followed his gaze, spotting a handsome blond guy sitting across from them, staring at Huo Niansheng with a direct, hot intensity.

Before he could even react, he was pulled into Huo Niansheng’s embrace for a passionate kiss. Chen Wengang wrapped his arms around Huo Niansheng’s neck, his head spinning. Huo Niansheng flippantly shook his head toward the opposite side, flashing his left hand. The other party turned back with a look of regret.

“Why did you give such a large tip?”

“It wasn’t mine anyway,” Huo Niansheng toyed with his fingers.

“Then whose was it?” Chen Wengang sat on his lap.

“Won it at the casino just now. In a place like this, playing a bit to test your luck is fine, but it’s actually better to lose it all. Money won through gambling shouldn’t be kept to buy things, saving you from recalling the thrill of gambling every time you look at it in the future. Distributing it to others counts as a good deed.”

Chen Wengang leaned against his neck. “Alright, I understand.”

Huo Niansheng patted his back. If this society possessed a standard scale of measurement, the rules he operated by belonged mostly to a different system entirely. This newlywed couple consisted of two diametrically opposed types of people; that fate had forced them together was quite a strange thing indeed.

As darkness fell, Huo Niansheng also took Chen Wengang to watch an adult show. The male and female performers possessed incredibly sexy physiques, and though the performance featured nudity, the romance and sensuality stopped exactly where they should, keeping it far from vulgarity or low-class territory. The performance carried a strong sense of artistry, prompting thunderous cheers across the entire venue as hormones neared an explosion point.

Huo Niansheng turned his face to look at Chen Wengang. Chen Wengang kept his eyes glued to the stage, his expression looking as if he were watching an Italian opera.

“Not used to it?”

“Not really.”

Huo Niansheng preferred watching his reactions over watching the show. “If you truly don’t want to watch, we can leave. We might as well watch Cirque du Soleil tomorrow instead.”

Chen Wengang glanced at the audience rows ahead and behind them; there were actually many couples in the seating area. “It’s fine. Since we’re married, we might as well get into the spirit of the place.”

Once they returned to the hotel and connected to the Wi-Fi, messages finally began popping up on the phone. Chen Wengang took a glance, discovering it was Jiang Cai making a report.

The message she sent over was a voice note: “That Huo Jingsheng—he sent me a box of imported nut chocolates today.”

Chen Wengang replied: “Alright, received. Keep the candy, there’s no need to speak too much with him, just maintain a polite demeanor.”

This thread was already from ten hours ago. Jiang Cai replied instantly, placing a voice call over: “He also asked if I knew where Huo Niansheng went, but of course I didn’t say! Also, Huo Zhenfei came to ask once as well. Speaking of which, where are you guys? Why are you being so mysterious, acting like you’ve completely vanished into thin air?”

Huo Niansheng overheard from the side: “Jiang Cai? Tell her we’re handling some adult business, so children shouldn’t worry themselves.”

Jiang Cai’s brain turned remarkably fast when it came to crooked paths: “You guys are together? No way, did I interrupt you…”

Chen Wengang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, first rebuking Huo Niansheng: “You shut up.”

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Author’s Note:

The marriage vows are quoted from the most classic set of vows used in Western weddings.

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