Thus, the word “marriage” immediately fell from its lofty pedestal.
Both Duan Xiubo and Luo Ding began to prepare for their weddingwith a natural attitude. Of course, Duan Xiubo, who had been looking forward to this wedding for much longer, put in more effort.
Wedding rings, attire, the ceremony, flower girls…
As each essential element was added to the agenda, Duan Xiubo suddenly realized that many of these things weren’t suitable for them.
First, the wedding rings. Whether it was him or Luo Ding, suddenly wearing a ring on their ring finger overnight would undoubtedly become the focus of various newspapers and magazines. Although Duan Xiubo had been appearing less frequently in public recently, his status as a top-tier male star in the country hadn’t diminished at all, almost on par with Luo Ding. The title of “mobile headline” had simply shifted from being monopolized by one person to being shared by two. The quantity had increased, but the quality hadn’t dropped.
As the pair with the longest-running rumors of a same-sex relationship in the country, even some more reputable magazines now used ambiguous language to tease the two during interviews. Fans had gone from squealing with delight at any hint of sweetness between them to now simply exchanging knowing smiles whenever they saw the two together. It seemed as though everything had been silently acknowledged by the official channels.
But in reality, neither Luo Ding nor Duan Xiubo had ever responded to such pairing rumors over the years.
If the official stance hadn’t dampened the enthusiasm of CP fans, what would happen if concrete evidence of their relationship were to surface? Wouldn’t it cause an uproar?
The key was that Duan Xiubo wasn’t sure whether such news turning from rumors to fact would have a more positive or negative impact on Luo Ding.
He didn’t dare to gamble.
Then there were the wedding attire and the ceremony itself. No matter how much they tried to innovate, there wasn’t much they could do. The guest list was particularly troubling. Their social circles had already overlapped, and the number of friends they both trusted enough to invite to the wedding was truly limited.
Adding to that, neither of them had family to invite. Looking at the sparse list of potential attendees, Duan Xiubo could almost imagine the desolate scene at the wedding.
An empty lawn or church, where conversations echoed. A towering champagne fountain that would never be emptied, turning the wedding into an intimate gathering of close friends.
“Ah…” He groaned, resting his head on the table, his face pressed against a few samples of the wedding invitations. The pale yellow cardstock exuded a retro ink fragrance, with delicate black vines traced along the edges. A lily bloomed in the upper right corner, symbolizing a happy marriage. The invitations were written in both Chinese and English. Having attended private schools since childhood, Duan Xiubo had excellent penmanship and had personally written the invitations, filled with a beautiful dream for the wedding.
Unfortunately, the number of invitations that might actually be used could be counted on one hand.
Duan Xiubo was lost in thought when Luo Ding entered the room, hanging his coat on the rack. The cat emerged from behind the cabinet, its tail held high, and gracefully circled Luo Ding’s legs.
“Kitty,” Luo Ding crouched down and picked up the cat. The adult cat was several times larger than it had been as a kitten, its body soft and plump. Despite being a domestic cat, Duan Xiubo had managed to feed it into resembling a Garfield. In Luo Ding’s opinion, Duan Xiubo wasn’t suited to having children. Like with the cat, he wanted to feed it ten times a day. He was too doting with small creatures.
The cat rubbed against Luo Ding’s chin, letting out a drawn-out “Meow~”
Luo Ding stood in the entryway, his gaze falling on the man sitting on the floor in the living room, his head resting on the coffee table. Luo Ding raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with Daddy?”
The cat: “Meow~”
Luo Ding looked down into its shiny black eyes and smiled. He bent down to place the cat back on the floor and quietly approached Duan Xiubo.
Duan Xiubo had known it was Luo Ding as soon as he heard the door close, but he was feeling too down to greet him. He kept his head buried in the pile of cards on the table.
Luo Ding didn’t ask. He picked up an invitation and glanced at it, clearly sensing the effort Duan Xiubo had put into it. He then crouched down and leaned against Duan Xiubo’s broad shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Duan Xiubo shook his head sullenly.
On one side of the coffee table was a nearly untouched stack of cards, at least a hundred thick. On the table were scattered opened invitation sets, only about eight or nine.
Luo Ding more or less understood what Duan Xiubo was worried about. Over the past few days, Duan Xiubo had been excitedly discussing wedding details with him in bed. A sky full of fireworks, a long red carpet, the most luxurious wedding car, a beach wedding, and so on. Duan Xiubo had the ability to turn ordinary scenes into utopias. He wasn’t mature enough, but this was precisely what Luo Ding admired most about him.
Luo Ding also knew that many of the things Duan Xiubo envisioned probably couldn’t come true.
Like these invitations. Counting the people they could invite, domestically, there were Yuan Bing, Mi Rui, Wu Fangyuan, Gu Yaxing—just four. Maybe they could add Ji Jiahe. Others like Pan Yiming and Wu Yuan, although Luo Ding had always been sincere in his interactions with them, people inevitably had their own selfishness. There was always a difference between friends and close friends.
For instance, Pan Yiming had once agreed to let her company use the scandal between the two of them to promote her new album without informing Luo Ding. Although this had happened many years ago, Luo Ding’s trust had taken a hit since then.
Very few people were allowed to interfere in his and Duan Xiubo’s lives..
As for abroad, Duan Xiubo might have some friends, like the old man who had reportedly helped him a lot since he left home. But there certainly weren’t many.
Duan Xiubo must be disappointed.
But Luo Ding couldn’t comfort him on this. He could only pat him, hoping to lessen Duan Xiubo’s expectations for the wedding.
In Luo Ding’s view, the fact that the two of them could live together peacefully was already the most precious treasure worth cherishing.
“Luo Xiaoding…” Duan Xiubo murmured Luo Ding’s name, his brows furrowed with visible disappointment between his brows. He pulled Luo Ding into his arms. Though the position wasn’t comfortable, Luo Ding obediently leaned into his embrace. “Hmm?”
Duan Xiubo reached for Luo Ding’s arm, sliding down to grasp his wrist and lifting it before his eyes. Luo Ding’s slender, fair fingers were bare.
He rubbed Luo Ding’s ring finger, opening his mouth but not knowing where to start.
He knew that if he brought up wearing wedding rings, Luo Ding would agree. But Duan Xiubo didn’t want to take advantage of Luo Ding’s tolerance to make such a coercive request.
Seeing that Duan Xiubo had called his name but then fell silent, Luo Ding looked up at him, following his gaze to his own fingers. He was momentarily stunned.
“Maybe we should postpone the wedding for now?”
It took Duan Xiubo a couple of seconds to understand Luo Ding’s meaning. He blinked, his eyes blank.
Luo Ding said, “Rather than worrying so much, why not delay it for a while? This isn’t something that can be done overnight, right? Let’s go get the marriage certificate first.”
Duan Xiubo was even more disappointed. “What about the wedding?”
“We’ll wait,” Luo Ding ruffled his hair, his tone calm. “There’s no rush anyway.”
At the end of November, Luo Ding was once again nominated for the Feilin Film Festival and the European International Film Festival. The two took advantage of their trip to Europe to make a detour to Switzerland.
This was where Duan Xiubo was registered, while Luo Ding was a foreigner. Fortunately, in capitalist countries, using money to solve problems has become an open and explicit rule. They did not need to obtain any domestic certificates, they received the documents legally recognizing them as a family within half an hour of sitting in the office’s waiting room.
Duan Xiubo was still in a daze, holding the thick stack of papers. Luo Ding’s smiling photo was attached to the top right corner of the documents. The brief English words were understandable individually, but when combined, they made him feel confused.
From now on, Luo Ding was his “partner.”
In December, Europe was bitterly cold, with heavy snow falling on the streets. Although it was a small country, the streets were sparsely populated due to the low population.
Two tall men, bundled in thick windbreakers, walked side by side down the street.
Luo Ding looked around and saw that there were few people around him and the cars parked on both sides of the road were also different from those in China.This was where Duan Xiubo had grown up.
Duan Xiubo said, “When I left here, I thought I’d never come back. I didn’t buy a house, so we’ll have to stay in a hotel.”
Luo Ding slipped his hand into Duan Xiubo’s pocket, smiling. “There are flights anyway. Let’s leave early. In winter, there’s probably not much to do here besides skiing.”
Upon learning of Duan Xiubo’s arrival, Duan Wanqing immediately sprang into action, but he was still a step too late. Standing at the departure gate, he watched the plane roar into the sky through the transparent glass, the veins on the hand gripping his cane bulging.
Surrounded by bodyguards, he was bundled in thick clothing but still felt cold.
After staring at the plane that had soared into the clouds for a while, Duan Wanqing sighed softly.
A bodyguard behind him, concerned, stepped forward to support his arm. “Sir…”
Duan Wanqing waved his hand, indicating he didn’t need assistance. His once-handsome face was now covered in wrinkles. Regular beauty and skin rejuvenation treatments couldn’t stop the age spots slowly creeping across his face.
Since… several years ago, when he discovered that the stripper had deceived him, Duan Wanqing had never stopped wanting to reconcile with Duan Xiubo.
He had a vast enterprise, deep influence, and more money than he could ever spend.
People were constantly clamoring to get close to him for favors, but Duan Xiubo remained unmoved. He didn’t answer calls or respond to messages. After Duan Wanqing persuaded Yu Shaotian to relay a message, Duan Xiubo even stopped acknowledging Yu Shaotian.
But since then, his financial advisor had informed him that 10,000 euros were being deposited into his personal account every month.
Upon investigation, the source was indeed a domestic transfer.
The implication was clear. Duan Xiubo was paying him alimony, seemingly thawing the icy relationship between father and son. But undoubtedly, Duan Wanqing also knew that this was Duan Xiubo’s way of telling him that their connection ended there.
Duan Wanqing tapped his cane and took a firm step forward.
His back was straight, his hair regularly dyed black. He owned a mansion and a business that ranked among the best even among Swiss tycoons, along with a host of “good friends” ready to curry favor at a moment’s notice.
Yet even he knew that none of this could cover up one fact.
He was old.
******
Luo Ding was already a familiar face at the European Film Festival. He was doing well in Hollywood now, and if not for his reserved personality, most stars his age would be out enjoying themselves with friends.
Duan Xiubo, on the other hand, had declined many nomination invitations, some even before the films were submitted for award consideration. Since he was preparing to step back, he naturally had to gradually shift his focus behind the scenes. The glamour of the spotlight was something he had to let go of.
Luo Ding looked exceptionally good in a suit—broad shoulders, a slim waist, long legs, and well-defined, handsome and gentle facial features, with the unique mysterious temperament of an Oriental. At every similar red carpet event, he is always the most watched Asian face by foreign media. Many times he can even overshadow the gorgeous lineup of female stars and even overshadow the Western faces.
This time, however, he was attending as a special guest judge.
In another year, it would be time for the Golden Lion Awards again. Luo Ding had already won the European Film Festival twice in a row. Continuing to dominate would feel like bullying, so taking on the judging role this time had clearly reassured many nominees.
Unconsciously, he had become an undeniable focus figure in both domestic and international entertainment circles. Like Duan Xiubo a few years ago, he radiated an undeniable brilliance.
The red carpet was broadcasted, but Duan Xiubo had been following the leaked photos online.
By the time Luo Ding returned to the hotel, it was nearly midnight, and he was exhausted.
“Want to take a shower?” Duan Xiubo had already ordered room service earlier. Seeing Luo Ding’s state, he quickly got up to fetch a bathrobe from the closet.
Luo Ding shook his head and walked over to take his hand. “Come with me somewhere.”
Duan Xiubo: “What? What time is it?”
Luo Ding yawned and smiled, his eyes half-closed, looking at Duan Xiubo with a gaze that seemed to hold a pool of water. It was Duan Xiubo’s favorite look.
Just as Luo Ding couldn’t resist Duan Xiubo’s tricks, Duan Xiubo couldn’t resist this side of Luo Ding.
When he was pulled onto the plane, Duan Xiubo was still quite confused. The private jet took off in the early hours, piercing through the twilight and soaring into the clouds, heading toward an unknown destination.
Luo Ding rarely played such mysterious games, and Duan Xiubo couldn’t help but be curious. “Where are you taking me?”
Luo Ding lay down on the bed, turned over, and put on an eye mask. “Guess?”
Duan Xiubo couldn’t guess, so he also fell asleep, holding Luo Ding as he drifted into a deep slumber.
He wasn’t sure how long they flew, but in his groggy state, Duan Xiubo felt the plane land.
He sat up and tried to look out the window, but a hand stopped him from removing the blindfold.
Recognizing Luo Ding’s scent, Duan Xiubo didn’t hesitate to give up the struggle, a smile spreading across his face. “What are you up to?”
“Guess,” These are the two words that Luo Ding has been answering to him in a perfunctory manner all along the way.
Still blindfolded, Duan Xiubo was helped off the plane. He noticed the temperature was much warmer than in Europe, but it didn’t feel like China either. He had no idea where they were.
Walking,bumping, getting in and out of cars, he heard people speaking in heavily accented English, their conversations brief—”Ready?” “Are you going over now?” “Okay.”
Duan Xiubo grew even more curious.
He had initially thought it was some special game, but now it didn’t seem like it.
Luo Ding led him by the hand the entire time, not letting go, their fingers intertwined.
The ground beneath his feet changed from hard stone to smooth tiles, then gradually softened.
Duan Xiubo frowned in confusion. “Sand?”
“Close your eyes,” Luo Ding tugged at his ear. “Were you peeking?”
Duan Xiubo chuckled but didn’t answer. The sound of waves grew clearer, and the salty scent of the sea filled his nostrils. He couldn’t help but squint. He had a rough idea that they were by the sea.
“What are you up to…” He tightened his grip on Luo Ding’s hand, dragging his feet, unwilling to move forward. He thought he heard a faint laugh from the opposite direction of Luo Ding.
He looked over warily because he couldn’t see anything because of the blindfold.
Luo Ding stopped and spoke softly. “Figured it out yet?”
Duan Xiubo shook his head. “No.”
“Tsk.” Luo Ding seemed dissatisfied but didn’t say more. He simply ordered, “Close your eyes.”
Duan Xiubo obediently closed his eyes, feeling a gentle breeze brush past his face as the blindfold was removed.
The sunlight was intense, warming his face, making him want to bask in its glow.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Luo Ding’s smiling eyes, their dark pupils reflecting the dazzling sunlight, as if filled with a galaxy of stars.
The boundless sea was right behind him, with a long red carpet under his feet. An exquisite village house was supported on the sea, with a long winding corridor. The blue sea and silver waves were so clear that they penetrated into his heart.
Duan Xiubo hesitated for a few seconds and turned to look to the side. Two children with fair skin were standing beside him, one holding a basket, looking up at him with innocent and confused eyes.
“Hahahahaha!!!!” Yuan Bing, unable to hold back her laughter, pointed at Duan Xiubo’s confused expression, crouching on the ground and clutching her stomach as if she might roll around, completely devoid of grace.
Mi Rui, Gu Yaxing, Old Xia Rui… all familiar faces.
“This…” Duan Xiubo was momentarily at a loss, looking into Luo Ding’s eyes for answers. Then he suddenly noticed that Luo Ding had changed into a pure white suit at some point.
Before boarding the plane, Duan Xiubo had been wearing a black suit. Now, one in white and the other in black, with similar styles, he felt he had grasped the answer.
A dark-skinned staff member he didn’t recognize approached with a round bouquet of flowers.
Luo Ding took it, with a gentle smile on his face from start to finish. The way he looked down at the flowers made Duan Xiubo want to indulge in it.
Luo Ding then looked up, meeting Duan Xiubo’s eyes.
He reached into the bouquet and pulled out a silver bracelet.
He held it up to Duan Xiubo.
The bracelet is oval, flat and thin, with only a circle of vine-like veins engraved on the surface, without any decoration.
“Let’s use this as a substitute for now. In ten years, we’ll switch to rings.” Luo Ding’s voice carried a hint of a subtle tension, though his expression remained calm. “Do you want it?”
“…” Duan Xiubo was silent for a moment, staring at the bracelet. “Are you proposing to me?”
“Didn’t you already propose?” Luo Ding said. “I’m just giving you a wedding. Do you want it?”
The sea, the flowers, the sea, the flower girls, the guests. Everything he had once mentioned.
The bracelet’s smooth surface reflected the sunlight, a flash of light almost blinding Duan Xiubo.
But at least to the onlookers, especially Luo Ding, the smile on Duan Xiubo’s face was even more dazzling than the sunlight.
Author’s Note:
Overestimated myself, thought I could finish everything today.
Need to take a day off tomorrow. I guess the last chapter will be the day after tomorrow, showing the couple’s love.
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! It helps a lot ! Thank you so much ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡
