“Okay.”

Chu Lai cupped Cen Wei’s face, looked into his eyes, and felt a little embarrassed, slightly turning his head. “But I don’t have the strength.”

His voice still had the hoarseness of a lingering cold. Although the fever had subsided, he didn’t have much appetite. Earlier, when they were eating, Liu Yuan noticed it and could only urge Chu Lai to drink more soup.

Cen Wei said, “Then rest early.”

He placed his palm against Chu Lai’s forehead and softly asked, “How about I carry you to bed?”

These words sounded like coaxing a child. Chu Lai chuckled, “Which kind of ‘sleep’ are we talking about?”

He still remembered Cen Wei’s words from that day about carrying him while walking, and unexpectedly, it happened sooner than he thought. Chu Lai felt that the more he acted like this, the more Cen Wei would see him as a beast. Carrying him up, Cen Wei said helplessly, “Do I seem like that kind of person?”

“You look like you’re about to doze off.”

Chu Lai blinked, “Really?”

In his view, there was only Cen Wei. From this angle, it felt as if the whole world had narrowed down to just the person in front of him. Chu Lai couldn’t help but reach out to touch Cen Wei’s chin.

Cen Wei responded, “Don’t touch.”

Chu Lai said, “You weren’t saying that last night in the middle of the night.”

Even Cen Wei had a sense of shame. He pretended to look straight ahead, coughing slightly to appear more serious. “You were the one who made the first move.”

Chu Lai hummed in agreement, “And then you grabbed my hand and moved it downward.”

From the moment Chu Lai first met Cen Wei, he felt this person had a knack for speaking ambiguously. Unexpectedly, Chu Lai was now the one complaining that Cen Wei’s words had too many double meanings.

It seemed like being around someone too long can rub off on you.

Cen Wei lowered his head slightly and kissed Chu Lai’s forehead, as if surrendering.

Chu Lai asked, “Do you really not want to?”

Cen Wei replied, “You just said ‘I don’t have the strength’, how can I want it?”

His voice carried a hint of amusement. “Tomorrow, there’s still a ton of pre-wedding stuff to do. Weddings are so complicated; you need to rest well.”

Chu Lai nodded. Cen Wei then asked, “Do you want a bath? I can carry you straight to the bathroom.”

His apartment wasn’t like the layout of the Cen family villa, so carrying a grown man wasn’t too much of a burden, especially since Chu Lai was naturally slim. He could even take an extra lap around the place, like coaxing a child.

Chu Lai asked, “And what about you?”

Cen Wei smiled but didn’t answer, the silence turning into a breath of ambiguity. Chu Lai said, “Alright, you can join too.”

“I don’t want to,” Cen Wei refused instead, “I’m not confident in my self-control.”

Chu Lai then said, “How about you carry me for another lap, okay?”

Cen Wei remembered when Chu Lai had feverishly called him “dad” and asked, “Did your dad carry you like this when you were young?”

Chu Lai replied, “What are you thinking? My dad was the kind of person…”

His father had passed away so long ago that Chu Lai’s memories of his face had grown hazy. He only remembered his voice and the way he felt.

“He was tall and thin, not much of a talker. He wouldn’t even hold my hand when he picked me up from school.”

“At most… he’d correct my posture when teaching me to carve wood.”

This was completely different from what Cen Wei had imagined. “I thought…”

Chu Lai interrupted, “Only you would hold me like this every day.”

Cen Wei said, “So what’s Mr. Chu’s satisfaction rating?”

He hadn’t forgotten his trial version. In reality, Chu Lai was just being stubborn, but his agreement was the same as acceptance. The apartment, with no dog around, was eerily quiet, so quiet that the sound of kisses was the only thing audible.

After the kiss, Chu Lai jumped out of Cen Wei’s arms, slowly walking into the bathroom, but not before tossing a rhetorical question back at him: “What do you think?”

Cen Wei had never received such a resounding kiss before. He couldn’t stop smiling as he touched the cheek that had been kissed by Chu Lai, thinking to himself: Marriage is really great.

The next day, the Cen family sent a car to pick up Yu Ruimei, and both Chu Lai and Cen Wei returned to the Cen family house.

Chu Lai initially thought the Cen family would arrange for a hotel, but to his surprise, Xuan Rongqing had Yu Ruimei stay directly at the Cen family home.

Yu Ruimei was downstairs chatting with the Cen family and confirming the details for the next day’s events.

Cen Wei, knowing the relationship between Chu Lai and Yu Ruimei, specifically came upstairs to explain things to Chu Lai.

After dinner, Chu Lai hid in the study to play a game, though it was unclear which level of his rhythm game he was stuck on. Even the music from the game was loud enough that Cen Wei could almost sing along.

The tall man paced back and forth in the study, and even though Chu Lai was absorbed in his game, it was hard for him not to notice. He looked up slightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”

It was cold outside, and Chu Lai, who still hadn’t fully recovered from his cold, wore a turtleneck sweater. No one knew that the skin on his neck and collarbones was covered in love marks, evidence of their earlier passion.

Perhaps due to that last kiss being too intense, Chu Lai had been refraining from kissing Cen Wei too much lately, keeping his lips in a relatively normal state.

Unfortunately, the soon-to-be-married man was now completely enamored, so much so that he had to avert his gaze after merely looking at him. He was like a pure-hearted virgin trapped in the body of a mature man.

Cen Wei said, “I booked a hotel for your mom.”

Chu Lai understood, “I’m not angry.”

He also knew that when it came to things about him, Cen Wei was always extra careful. This feeling of being cherished stirred a sense of closeness within him. Chu Lai put his phone aside and stretched out his hand towards Cen Wei. “Hug.”

As his biological mother, Yu Ruimei had come alone.

This wedding banquet wasn’t just about marriage; it also involved some business dealings for the Cen family. There would be company introductions and such, so the event would take a bit longer. However, adding a mother’s blessings into the mix wouldn’t hurt. Currently, the parents were downstairs revising the speech.

Chu Lai recalled how, back when he was young, his mom would always push the responsibility of attending parent-teacher conferences onto his dad. He sighed and said, “I just feel like I’m putting her in a tough spot. She goes blank whenever she’s up there.”

Yu Ruimei’s enthusiasm was quite different from Xuan Rongqing’s. Cen Wei still remembered that big pot of braised chicken feet she had made, and said, “Then should we cancel?”

Chu Lai wrapped his arms around Cen Wei’s waist, snuggling into his embrace. “No need, we’re not in the spotlight anyway. We just need to wait backstage until it’s time to exchange rings, right?”

He had completely skipped over all the earlier steps, remembering only the part where he had to make an appearance.

Cen Wei could already imagine what Chu Lai would be doing tomorrow—most likely playing on his phone backstage.

Cen Wei hummed, “Okay.”

Tomorrow was the wedding, but Chu Lai still didn’t feel it. Neither he nor Cen Wei had really participated in any of the wedding preparations, so at this moment, it felt like the night before a final exam when you’re cramming.

The young man resting in his arms looked up and asked, “Are you nervous?”

Cen Wei replied, “A little.”

Chu Lai felt it was strange, and softly said, “That’s weird.”

The curtains in the study were drawn, and outside, the sky was overcast. The weather forecast predicted light snow tomorrow, which Xuan Rongqing loved, saying a snow-covered wedding would be so romantic.

However, you can’t put heat packs inside a suit. Chu Lai’s cold hadn’t fully gone away, and his voice still carried a nasal tone. Hearing this, Cen Wei pulled him closer, wrapping him tighter in his arms. “Weird how?”

Chu Lai said, “I’m going to marry you.”

Cen Wei thought for a moment, then jokingly said, “If you’re still not happy about it, we can just continue with the terms of the contract, but…”

Before he could finish, Chu Lai, who was resting in his arms, bit down on his collarbone through his shirt.

Cen Wei hissed in pain. Chu Lai said, “That’s not what I meant.”

He raised his eyes to look at the man holding him. “I haven’t even said ‘I like you’ out loud yet. Don’t you want to hear it?”

Chu Lai’s last relationship had been long and followed the usual steps, to the point where it felt more like a job.

Confessing was like a job interview, agreeing to date was like getting the offer, and when his partner cheated, there was no arbitration for that.

Now, in this new relationship, the steps had been completely scrambled, even reversed. Chu Lai stared at Cen Wei without realizing the stubbornness in his gaze.

There was anticipation, but also hesitation.

It was something he was born with, this fear of losing what he had.

Cen Wei said, “Of course I want to hear it.”

His hand pressed against Chu Lai’s back. The young man, who didn’t like wearing many layers, was only wearing a thin sweater, and the warmth of Cen Wei’s palm seemed to transfer through the fabric. Just that small touch made Chu Lai squint in comfort.

When it came to saying sweet words, they both had a way of avoiding it romantically, but in return, they were sincere when they finally spoke openly.

Chu Lai said, “Right now, I only have eyes for you.”

“And,” he paused, “I’m really happy with my life now.”

Cen Wei asked, “What kind of life?”

Chu Lai said, “One with hugs.”

Cen Wei guessed what he meant and smiled, the corners of his lips lifting. “And then?”

“Going to work on time every day, sometimes being a little late getting off. Playing new games, going to eat at the restaurants we like on weekends, and taking the dog to the park.”

Cen Wei asked, “Couldn’t you do all that before?”

Chu Lai shook his head. “The feeling wasn’t the same.”

He confessed, “Being with you makes me really happy.”

Chu Lai continued, “The only downside is that it seems we don’t get to eat together very often.”

“You’re way busier than I am.”

He added, “It’s not that I’m asking you to…”

Before he could finish, Cen Wei said, “You can ask.”

“You can even insist that we have to eat together.”

Chu Lai was surprised. “Really?”

Cen Wei said, “Eating together isn’t that hard to arrange. My schedule isn’t fixed.”

“Except for necessary business trips, I can make it happen. But recently, I’ve been…”

“The new project’s been keeping me too busy. I feel like I can’t catch my breath.”

Chu Lai patted his back. “Then let me help you relax.”

His voice carried a smile. Cen Wei said, “I’ll keep my promises to you. We can have dinner together at night.”

“You wanted shacha beef, right? Should we go now?”

Chu Lai blinked. “Now?”

Cen Wei said, “It’s technically still our wedding leave.”

That sounded a bit odd, so he corrected himself, “Anyway, there’s nothing left for us to do, right?”

Xuan Rongqing couldn’t wait to worry about them. Even Cen Jianxun had joined in on the task of checking the guest list, reading out names with his reading glasses on.

Downstairs, it was bustling with activity. When Cen Wei and Chu Lai walked down, Grandma Hong asked, “Where are you going? Dinner’s almost ready.”

Chu Lai felt a rare sense of guilt.

It had been a while since anyone had monitored his whereabouts. He lived with his grandma in high school, and because of financial issues, they hardly ate out. This moment felt like a flashback to when he was younger, back in elementary school on a Saturday. Yu Ruimei would make ribs with Grandma in the afternoon, while Chu Lai wanted a roujiamo, so his dad would take him out.

But Cen Wei wasn’t his dad.

Sensing the shift in Chu Lai’s expression, Cen Wei didn’t call him out on it. Instead, he said, “We’re going on a date.”

Chu Lai looked at him, and Cen Wei gave his hand a small shake, signaling him to play along.

Chu Lai murmured, “We’re just going for a walk.”

Cen Jianxun said, “Going on a date the day before your wedding, huh?”

Cen Wei asked, “Is that not allowed?”

Holding hands, the two of them descended the stairs. In Yu Ruimei’s eyes, they made a great match. She never expected the family to be this good.

Chu Lai stayed close to Cen Wei’s side, his gaze filled with affection.

Other kids would make a fuss when they wanted something they liked, but Chu Lai would just quietly glance at it, exercising restraint. Even if he could afford it, he’d pretend he wasn’t that interested.

Yu Ruimei used to envy more lively kids. Her husband had reassured her not to worry—quiet kids have people who love them too, because everyone has their own treasure.

Now, the person who treasured Chu Lai had appeared.

Cen Jianxun said, “Alright, go on, then.”

Taking advantage of the moment, Cen Wei said, “Then we won’t be back for dinner.”

Grandma Hong gave an exasperated sigh. “What do you mean? I made soup! You two should at least have a bowl before you go.”

Exchanging glances, neither of them could refuse, so after finishing their soup, they both felt too full to even get in the car. Instead, they opted to walk hand in hand to the neighborhood exit.

Chu Lai asked, “Shouldn’t we take the car?”

He looked at the map, “It’s not that far. The subway… but you’re not used to taking it, are you?”

Cen Wei asked, “Do I not look like someone who takes the subway?”

Chu Lai nodded. “You don’t look like us regular folks at all.”

Shrugging, Cen Wei ignored Chu Lai’s protesting eyes and pulled the zipper of his lambswool coat all the way up. “You’re not ordinary.”

He cupped Chu Lai’s face and, without warning, kissed him on the lips. “Lai Lai is special.”

Chu Lai pushed his face away. “We both smell like red dates right now.”

Cen Wei laughed. “You’re such a…”

Chu Lai even felt like he was ruining the mood, looking down at his shoes. “Not very romantic, huh?”

But Cen Wei shook his head. “I still remember what Liu Yuan said when we were having dinner that day.”

“We cancel each other out—negative and negative makes positive. So, the romance just overflows.”

He pointed ahead. “Look.”

In the distance was the landmark building of the area, jokingly dubbed the “Alchemy Furnace” by netizens.

It was just the right time of day. The two people who were getting married tomorrow stood leisurely by the roadside, watching as the streetlights gradually lit up from far to near, and as the lights of the tall buildings turned on, like flowers blooming suddenly. Cen Wei said, “Seeing everyday things like this with you, it makes me really happy.”

Chu Lai hummed in agreement. “Same here. So now, we have to walk 900 meters to the subway’s Exit A, then transfer…”

Cen Wei: …

Chu Lai turned and walked off, “Isn’t the romance overflowing?”

He was clearly doing it on purpose, walking faster and faster, and then he started to run.

Cen Wei caught up to him, pulling him into his arms. “You’re too mischievous.”

Chu Lai hummed, “And yet you still like me. What do you like about me?”

There weren’t many people around, the tree shadows swaying on the sidewalk. With his arm around him, Cen Wei slowly walked forward with Chu Lai.

The CEO, who had been working overtime, now had a moment of respite, thanks to the wedding leave. It was the end of the year, and the streetlights had a festive glow. Cen Wei said, “I like that we have similar interests.”

Chu Lai replied, “But you never have time to play games with me, so that’s a hollow interest.”

His rebuttal was blunt, leaving no room for sentiment. Cen Wei chuckled. “We both like grilled green peppers.”

Chu Lai nodded, “That’s true.”

Cen Wei added, “I like the sound of your sarcastic laugh.”

Chu Lai let out a surprised “Huh,” thinking he had misheard.

“When did I ever give a sarcastic laugh?”

“The first time we met. I was sitting in the seat next to you.”

Chu Lai fell silent for a few seconds. “You were daydreaming after being dumped?”

Cen Wei sighed, “I was exhausted, having taken a connecting flight, then a car. My seat was right next to you, so…”

“It’s not something I could control.”

Chu Lai asked, “Is that all?”

“There’s more. But it’s a bit shallow.”

“I like your face.”

Chu Lai was slightly surprised. He had a pretty good sense of self-awareness. “I wouldn’t call myself handsome.”

But Cen Wei shook his head. “I am not as ordinary as Shen Quanzhang.”

Anyone overhearing this would think he was bragging, but the person he liked was Chu Lai, so this made sense.

Chu Lai liked someone who didn’t like the super rich, didn’t like someone too good-looking, and didn’t like someone too busy with work.

Cen Wei happened to fit all three categories, but he still managed to get Chu Lai to give him a chance.

“I guess, thinking about it, I’m pretty lucky.”

Chu Lai said, “I’m the lucky one.”

He really liked the atmosphere of the Cen family. Grandma Hong was kind, Xuan Rongqing was kind, and even Grandpa Cen was kind.

Fate works in mysterious ways. On the day he broke up with Shen Quanzhang, Chu Lai could never have imagined that he’d end up getting married to the man he had shared grilled green peppers with.

He also hadn’t expected that he would end up liking this man, or that he would want to get even closer to him.

Cen Wei thought Chu Lai had more to say, but when he turned, he saw Chu Lai looking at him. He said, “And there’s one more thing…”

Chu Lai asked, “What?”

To cross to the subway, they had to wait for the traffic light. It was rush hour, and the intersection was busy with cars coming and going.

Cen Wei pulled Chu Lai close, hugging him as they stood together under the city’s night sky, waiting for the light to change. “Being with you makes me feel so relaxed.”

Chu Lai replied, “Same here.”