Even though they exchanged their wedding anniversary gifts, the two still couldn’t immediately go home for any activities that wouldn’t pass censorship.
Because Chu Tingyun was hurt, and it was quite serious.
As Yan Xun was helping him to the changing room to take off his skates, he noticed that Chu Tingyun’s ankle had already swollen significantly, and his knee was badly bruised, a large purplish-red area that looked alarming.
So, in the end, they had to make a trip to the hospital.
Yan Xun couldn’t help but feel that the two of them had a karmic connection with hospitals. In the four years since they’d known each other, they had taken turns going to the hospital more times than Yan Xun had in his entire previous twenty years combined.
“Chu Tingyun, you knew you were going to fall, didn’t you?”
When Yan Xun said this, it was in a tone of certainty.
He had seen a video of Chu Tingyun’s performance from back then and knew that today’s routine had several differences from the competition, probably because of the physical limitations that forced him to lower the difficulty of many moves.
But the last combination jump clearly hadn’t been adjusted, which is why he fell so badly.
“It wasn’t guaranteed. What if I had performed exceptionally well?”
Even as he was being wheeled out of the hospital, Chu Tingyun still cracked jokes. Of course, he knew he’d likely fall, and he had prepared for it, but he hadn’t expected to hurt his ankle as badly. The doctor said he shouldn’t expect to walk on it for at least two weeks.
But this wasn’t really considered a serious injury. Chu Tingyun had suffered worse injuries in his youth, far worse. But now that there were no more competitions, he wasn’t too worried about it. He could just rest and recover.
“Exceptional performance?”
Yan Xun was truly angry.
“You call this exceptional performance?!”
“… I was actually planning to lower the difficulty, but I just couldn’t hold back at the last moment.”
Chu Tingyun’s voice grew softer, and he didn’t argue anymore.
He had wanted to show Yan Xun the most impressive version of himself, the way he used to be. But fate had other plans. By the time they met, he was already well past his prime. When he was twenty, he could still manage a 3A with training. Now, it was completely out of reach.
As his body’s abilities declined, along with age and increasing height, no amount of time or training could fight off these natural changes.
As Chu Tingyun thought about this, he couldn’t help but reflect that when he turns forty, Yan Xun will still be in his early thirties. When he’s in his fifties, Yan Xun will just be in his forties…
They already had a disparity in their physical abilities, and as time goes on, wouldn’t the gap just get bigger?
…This was going to be a problem.
For the first time, Chu Tingyun felt deeply frustrated by the age gap between him and Yan Xun. He decided that as soon as his injury healed, he would immediately put fitness and health on his agenda.
The more Yan Xun listened, the angrier he became. Every time he wanted to pin Chu Tingyun down and give him a good beating, the man always happened to be injured, so he’d have to let it slide, and then Chu Tingyun would just repeat his behavior.
After thinking for a while, Yan Xun pulled out his phone and started buying things.
Chu Tingyun craned his neck to look, “What are you buying?”
“Supplements, for you to take.”
Chu Tingyun was surprised that Yan Xun had let go of his anger so quickly.
“Hmm? You’re being so nice to me?”
Yan Xun glanced at him and smiled, “Of course.”
At that moment, Chu Tingyun sensed something was off with Yan Xun’s smile. And when they sat down to dinner back home, he realized his punishment had arrived.
Yan Xun started preparing all sorts of herbal dishes—nutritious, but not tasty. Dishes that Chu Tingyun disliked and were never served before were now staples at their table.
Chu Tingyun: “…Xun Xun, can I skip these?”
The answer was, of course, no.
So Chu Tingyun endured the tasteless meals and regretted it deeply.
Even though he was injured, he still had to go to work. During his recovery, Yan Xun completely took over the driver’s role, digging him out of bed on time every morning and sending him to work, not allowing a moment of laziness.
Chu Tingyun: “…”
This was too much.
After more than two weeks of this, Chu Tingyun could no longer bear the herbal meals and the constant nutritious dishes he hated.
Not only because he couldn’t stomach them anymore, but because in those two weeks, Yan Xun’s cooking had made him gain three pounds.
Eating unpleasant food every day, working hard every day, and still gaining weight—what could be more tragic?
Resolving never to go through this again, the moment Chu Tingyun could walk, he immediately fled to his parents’ house to mooch some meals.
“Mom, your cooking is amazing, as good as a professional chef’s.”
“Really? Then eat more.”
Xie Fengjun was so pleased with his praise that the Ye family dinner table was always filled with delicious food. Sometimes, when she was too busy with work, Ye Cunshan would take over the kitchen and cook for Chu Tingyun.
Both his parents were excellent cooks, and sometimes Chu Tingyun didn’t want to leave. But that was just a fleeting thought, as he ultimately knew that a world for two was far more important than good food.
Once Chu Tingyun fully recovered, Yan Xun’s dietary punishment finally came to an end. When the herbal dishes disappeared from their dinner table, Chu Tingyun nearly cried tears of joy.
Yan Xun asked him, “Will you do it again?”
“No.”
Chu Tingyun shook his head firmly.
“Never!”
Yan Xun was very satisfied with his attitude but still gave him a warning in advance.
“But if it happens again, it won’t just be herbal meals. I’ll prescribe you two packs of Chinese medicine, with extra huanglian (Coptis).”
Chu Tingyun: “…”
He held back for a long time, then finally said in protest:
“Xun Xun, you have such a cruel heart.”
“Mm.”
Yan Xun pulled down the man’s hand that was resting on his chest.
“As long as you know.”
“……”
After Chu Tingyun recovered, it was almost time for the New Year. This year, the two of them spent it at the Ye family home.
Perhaps to make them feel more comfortable, Ye Cunshan and his wife did not invite any relatives or friends. It was just a family celebration.
They wrote couplets, cut paper decorations for the windows, and ate a reunion dinner together. Both Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun received red envelopes.
Additionally, Yan Xun also began discussing with his parents about holding a proper wedding.
“At the time of our marriage, both of us were busy, and for various reasons, we didn’t have a ceremony. Now we want to make up for it.”
“That’s great!”
His parents were naturally delighted, as this meant they could make up for the regret of not attending their son’s wedding back then.
The wedding was scheduled for early March, just as spring was beginning.
They had originally gotten married at the end of the year when there were many misunderstandings between them, and it was also the coldest time. So this time, they chose to hold the wedding at the beginning of the year, when spring was warming up.
After the reunion dinner, Yan Xun and Chu Tingyun returned to their home.
Close to midnight, Yan Xun called Lin Ran to wish him a happy New Year.
“Lin Ran, what are your plans for the future?”
“Maybe… I’ll stay in Nancheng for a few years.”
Lin Ran had to stay to take care of his mother. After intentionally provoking Shen Su that day, her mental state had worsened.
Yan Xun asked him, “I heard you quit your job at the publishing house? Are you now writing full-time?”
“Mm… more or less.”
Lin Ran’s pseudonym had been exposed by Jiang Jingshu in the hospital, so now, in addition to following Zhou Ze’s fan forum, Yan Xun had also downloaded a novel app to follow Lin Ran’s author updates.
He discovered that Lin Ran’s first novel was published back in 2013.
“So you started writing in high school?”
“……Mm.”
At that time, due to his illness and his father’s sudden death without life insurance, the family was in debt, and life was tough.
Outside of studying, Lin Ran began making money online, such as doing gaming tasks for others, selling gaming items, and ghostwriting novels. Later, he didn’t want to ghostwrite anymore and decided to write his own book, which was when Jiang Jingshu discovered his pseudonym.
Yan Xun asked, “And later, you didn’t choose to retake the college entrance exam because of writing?”
“Sort of.”
Lin Ran studied liberal arts, and while his grades weren’t stellar, they were decent enough. With some effort, it wasn’t impossible for him to get into a 985 university. But that year, during the college entrance exams, there was a heavy rainstorm in Nancheng, and their house, being in a low-lying area, was flooded nearly a meter deep.
Yan Xun was afraid of water, so he couldn’t take his brother to the exam. His mother took him, but there was an accident on the way, causing him to underperform in the exam, only getting into a second-tier university.
As for why he didn’t retake the exam—
Lin Ran was very clear about his own situation. Even if he retook the exam and got into a good university, it wasn’t likely he’d find a great job afterwards, so there was no point wasting the time.
When the results came out, he chose a local university with dorm elevators and an easy major. He planned to just get a degree while focusing the rest of his time on writing and earning royalties.
After writing for ten years, he’s now had some success, enough to support his mother and himself.
Looking back now, Yan Xun realized how little he had known about Lin Ran. But there was no point in dwelling on the past, so he asked:
“Are you free in March? Chu Tingyun and I are holding a wedding ceremony, and I’ve sent you an invitation.”
“……”
Lin Ran hadn’t expected Yan Xun to hold a wedding, let alone that he would specifically send him an invitation.
“I’m free.”
—The call ended there.
On the other side, Chu Tingyun received a New Year’s call from Jiang Jingshu. This year, she didn’t go back to the Jiang family, instead renting a place on her own to spend the holiday.
Jiang Shenghai had called her, but Jingshu still didn’t go back.
“Since… that incident, he has actually been much nicer to me and started to care more, but it’s too late.”
“Brother, I still resent him a lot. I don’t want to go back and see him.”
So, this New Year’s Eve, Jiang Shenghai spent it alone in the vast villa.
When Chu Tingyun heard about this, he regretted not installing a camera in the Jiang family living room, so he could have enjoyed watching the old man in his lonely, pitiful state, full of regret.
After chatting for a bit, Chu Tingyun also told her about the wedding.
“I’ll send you an invitation then.”
Jingshu’s voice instantly brightened up: “Great! I’ll definitely come!!”
—The New Year ended just like that.
In early March, the Chen family’s company went bankrupt and was liquidated, and the court also issued its verdict.
Chen Bing was found guilty of tax evasion, illegal land use, misappropriating bank loans, bribery, and other offenses, and was sentenced to ten years in prison, with all assets confiscated and fines imposed.
Chen Tengxiao, who at sixteen had intentionally sabotaged Lin Ran’s father’s motorcycle, leading to his fatal accident, as well as coercing others to falsely accuse Li Rong of rape, illegally detaining Jiang Jingshu, and stabbing Lin Ran, was sentenced to thirteen years.
Jiang Yuheng, for two counts of attempted murder and being the mastermind behind illegal detention and kidnapping, was sentenced to ten years. Chen Wanqing, being only an accomplice and not the mastermind, was sentenced to three years.
With all the truth revealed, everything was finally settled.
Yan Xun went to the police station to pick up Li Rong, and then visited Lin Ran’s father’s grave to tell him the news.
“Dad, you can rest in peace now.”
After saying this, he felt as though something in his heart had slowly settled down, and then disappeared, like the wind, silent and untraceable.
After returning to the capital, the first thing Yan Xun did was sign up for the most expensive, best swimming lessons. After about two weeks, he could paddle around in the shallow end.
This move shocked not only Chu Tingyun, but also Zhou Ze, who called to ask what was going on.
“Nothing much, just wanted to completely eliminate this weakness.”
Yan Xun didn’t explain further, but instead asked him,
“Big star, you didn’t have time to come to my house to hang out, but surely you’ll have time for my wedding?”
“Of course!”
Zhou Ze couldn’t wait to fly over.
Yan Xun had been telling Zhou Ze to come visit for a while.
But Zhou Ze had too many commitments over the New Year, and Chu Tingyun was recovering, while Gu Shanqing was even busier since Xinghen went public. No one had time.
Until they said they were holding a wedding. Zhou Ze cleared several engagements to make sure he could be Yan Xun’s groomsman.
“I saw the wedding location. You’re planning to hold it on a small island?”
“Mm, yes.”
Yan Xun nodded, but after agreeing, there was silence from Zhou Ze’s end for a while. Curious, Yan Xun asked:
“What’s wrong?”
“Yan Xun…”
At this moment, Zhou Ze had mixed feelings.
“Did you learn to swim just so you could have the wedding on the island with Chu Tingyun?”
Nearly ten years of psychological trauma, overcome just like that???
The power of love is truly incredible.
Zhou Ze was deeply moved.
Turns out being a hopeless romantic has this kind of effect?!
Yan Xun: “……”
Actually, that wasn’t the case.
Zhou Ze sighed.
“Well, whether it’s being a hopeless romantic or not, you’re locked in with Chu Tingyun for life now. Don’t ever get divorced. If you feel like it, think of me.”
Yan Xun didn’t know where Zhou Ze’s thoughts were going again,
“Why should I think of you?”
“……Because I signed a sell-out contract with Chu Tingyun’s company.”
Zhou Ze had only recently found this out: the biggest shareholder in his new company turned out to be Chu Tingyun.
So now, his sugar daddy was also Chu Tingyun.
Upon learning this, Zhou Ze had been silent for a long time.
“Brother Xun, promise me. You and Chu Tingyun should live a good life together and stop talking about divorce. The main thing is, if you two ever get divorced, I don’t know who I’d go with.”
Yan Xun: “?”
Zhou Ze, unable to see his good friend’s current expression, continued talking to himself:
“Of course, in my heart, I’d definitely choose you, but now that I’ve signed a ten-year contract with Chu Tingyun’s company, if you two divorce, I’d probably be assigned to him.”
At this moment, Zhou Ze was filled with despair.
“You know, when I was a kid, my parents were always on the verge of divorce. Other relatives would always say that if my mom dared to leave, she’d never get custody of me, and I’d have to live with my jerk dad. So my mom held on until I turned 18 before she finally left.”
“But Brother Xun, I’m not asking you to make such a big sacrifice for me like my mom did. It’s just that if you ever fight with Chu Tingyun, could you spare a little thought for poor me? Even just for a second.”
Yan Xun: “……”
In that moment, he really felt that Zhou Ze was no longer just his friend, but more like his son.
Since Yan Xun had left the speakerphone on, Chu Tingyun, who had heard the entire conversation from the side, was already laughing uncontrollably.
“Hahahahahaha!!!”
That familiar laughter startled Zhou Ze.
“Damn it! Yan Xun, you turned on the speakerphone again!!!”
Chu Tingyun leaned over and said, “What, I can’t listen?”
Zhou Ze: “…Of course you can, Daddy Sponsor.”
After many years in the entertainment industry, Zhou Ze had long since become a man who could bow and rise as the situation demanded.
“But I have to go back to work now, goodbye.”
Zhou Ze quickly hung up the phone.
Chu Tingyun wasn’t angry at being hung up on; instead, he burst out laughing in Yan Xun’s arms.
“He’s so funny, Xun Xun, your friend is just…”
He paused, unable to find the right word.
Yan Xun finished for him:
“Yeah, he’s basically a single-celled organism.”
“Puahaha!”
Chu Tingyun laughed in Yan Xun’s arms for a long time, then suddenly thought of something and said to him:
“How about we make Zhou Ze the flower boy instead of the groomsman?”
Yan Xun: “…Chu Tingyun, are you seriously treating him like your son?”
Chu Tingyun didn’t answer, just kept laughing.
Of course, that was just a joke.
Because on the day of the wedding, Zhou Ze still attended as a groomsman. Not many people were invited to the wedding, just their parents and a few close friends.
Yan Xun thought Chu Tingyun wouldn’t invite Jiang Shenghai, but to his surprise, the opposite was true.
“Why not invite him? Of course, we should!”
It was clear that Chu Tingyun had thought this through well in advance.
“Even if he doesn’t want to come, I’ll have someone tie him up and drag him here!”
Back then, the old man was so against it, ranting and raving, even slapping Chu Tingyun. Now, Chu Tingyun wanted Jiang Shenghai to personally witness him and his young husband happily getting married, living together until old age.
And he would make him pay for it! Big time!
Yan Xun: “…”
Indeed, when it came to Jiang Shenghai, Chu Tingyun never took a loss.
The wedding was meticulously arranged, but the ceremony itself was simple.
After the opening, the first segment was a speech by Xie Fengjun and Ye Cunshan, representing the parents, while Jiang Shenghai was forcibly silenced by his own son, made to sit and listen.
The second segment was the exchanging of rings, with Zhou Ze standing in the middle of the couple, holding a cat, acting as both the officiant and witness.
“Mr. Yan Xun, do you promise to walk hand in hand with Mr. Chu Tingyun for the rest of your life, through the years, and…”
Up until this point, the script had been normal, but then Zhou Ze suddenly paused. He quickly glanced at Chu Tingyun, who gave him a look urging him to continue.
Zhou Ze: “…”
So, he had no choice but to keep going,
“…and promise never to mention divorce again in the future, to affectionately call him baby, Tingyun, wife, husband, and other such terms, and to never again make bad-tasting medicinal dishes, with leeks absolutely forbidden…”
Yan Xun: “…”
He quickly interrupted Zhou Ze and swiftly added:
“Yes, whether in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, I promise to stay with him until the end of my life.”
Chu Tingyun, smiling, replied, “I do too.”
Zhou Ze took out the ring box from the cat carrier.
“Alright, now the couple may exchange rings.”
And with that, the ceremony was complete.
Though the vows were a bit unusual, the guests still applauded enthusiastically.
Besides the parental speeches and ring exchange, the rest of the wedding was filled with fun activities and performances.
Gu Shanqing, however, didn’t participate at all. From the moment he saw Zhou Ze at the wedding, he realized he’d been played by Chu Tingyun. There was no long-haired beauty—this was clearly a man!!!
So throughout the entire wedding, Gu Shanqing avoided Zhou Ze like the plague, keeping as far away as possible.
But Zhou Ze didn’t notice this at all. He didn’t even know who Gu Shanqing was, because he was simply too busy. Besides being the officiant and groomsman, he also performed five acts in a row at his good friend’s wedding.
Singing, dancing, rapping, magic, drumming, and finally… a poetry recitation.
“…” A poetry recitation.
Yan Xun was truly impressed.
Chu Tingyun, on the other hand, was very happy and gave Zhou Ze a big red envelope.
The wedding started in the afternoon and went on until the evening. After all the festivities, the guests left and returned to their hotels.
Yan Xun was a little tipsy, but he had taken some hangover medicine beforehand, so he was fine. He rinsed his mouth to get rid of the alcohol smell and then pulled out the guitar he had specifically brought with him.
It was the one Zhou Ze had given him, later repaired by someone Chu Tingyun had found.
Yan Xun sat on the chair by the window in their bedroom, listening to the sound of the water from the bathroom. Chu Tingyun, having spilled wine on himself, was currently showering.
Yan Xun strummed the guitar a few times, tuning it carefully.
Clink—
The water stopped, and Chu Tingyun came out wearing a bathrobe. The collar was loose, forming a V-shape that revealed a large portion of his chest.
“I thought you were drunk. You’re going to play guitar?”
He said as he sat on the windowsill opposite Yan Xun.
His face was flushed, eyes damp, and his lazy, relaxed posture made him look like a flower branch under the sea moon, untouchable yet tempting.
“Mm.”
Yan Xun lowered his eyes and asked,
“Is there anything you’d like to hear?”
“Hmm…”
Chu Tingyun couldn’t think of anything specific for a moment, so he smiled and said,
“Anything’s fine.”
Yan Xun didn’t say anything, but his fingers began to press down on the strings.
The melody sounded vaguely familiar to Chu Tingyun, but he couldn’t place it right away. It wasn’t until Yan Xun sang the first line—
“Я бы сказал тебе, Много хорошего.”
I want to tell you about all the good things.
Chu Tingyun froze, not expecting Yan Xun to sing so many songs, but certainly not expecting it to be a Russian song.
“В тихую лунную, Ночь у костра…”
In the bright moonlit night, by the fire…
Yan Xun’s voice was beautiful—clear, deep, and rich. When he sang, there was an indescribable tenderness in his tone. He had clearly practiced for a long time, because even Chu Tingyun, a native speaker, had to admit that his pronunciation was perfect.
“И расскажу тебе, Если сумею я,”
If I can, I want to tell you—
“Как я люблю тебя,”
How much I love you.
“Тысячу раз.”
A thousand times.
The Russian folk song was short, less than two minutes long.
After listening, Chu Tingyun didn’t comment on whether it was good or not. He slowly sat up and said to Yan Xun,
“Sing that song again.”
“Alright.”
Yan Xun sang it again.
But after it ended, Chu Tingyun still wasn’t satisfied.
“Sing it one more time.”
So Yan Xun sang it again.
Over and over, many times.
Yan Xun showed no impatience. After the last time, he asked Chu Tingyun, “Do you want to hear it again?”
“…”
This time, Chu Tingyun didn’t answer. Instead, he got up, pulled Yan Xun’s guitar away, and sat on the young man’s lap.
“For the last line, say it to me in Chinese.”
Yan Xun held him, pulling him into his arms, and said, “I love you so much.”
“A thousand times…”
Before he could finish the sentence, it was swallowed by a kiss.
【Main Story Completed】
__
Author’s Note:
I didn’t include the full lyrics, as I was worried it would take up too much space. If you’re interested, little angels, you can search for guitar cover videos of the song.
The song title is this: Я бы сказал тебе много хорошего (I Want to Tell You About All the Good Things).
