Chapter 36: “Without Sticking Out the Tongue.”

This weekend, they were going to pick out wedding dresses.

After lunch, the driver was already waiting at the door.

Once in the car, Jiang Yao received some so-called explosive gossip from Chen Yiqi. After reading it, his expression shifted from disdain to slight surprise.

“I heard that that idiot Li Ruizhi got involved in some underworld activities and got caught. Even his lackeys have been punished. I wonder which big shot they offended.” Jiang Yao paused and looked at the man beside him, who had his eyes closed, resting. “Was it you?”

Duan Zhuxian responded with a nonchalant “Hmm,” not bothering to hide it.

Jiang Yao was puzzled. “From high school until now, he’s spread so many rumors about you, and you never touched him. Why did you suddenly have the time to swat flies now?”

During their school days, Duan Zhuxian was proud and arrogant, never putting someone like Li Ruizhi in his eyes. Now, as the highly respected and infinitely glorious Mr. Duan, he had even less reason to waste time on a small fry.

Duan Zhuxian opened his eyes. “Did he spread rumors about me before?”

Jiang Yao froze, feeling something was amiss.

Sure enough, Duan Zhuxian’s gaze turned to him, and the next second, he spoke with a hint of a smile, “How do you know? Do you care about me a lot?”

Jiang Yao quickly averted his gaze and casually said, “The whole school knew about it. You were the only one unaware.”

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow slightly. “Really? Then I’ll just randomly ask an old classmate and see if they knew.”

He then made a show of reaching for his phone, but Jiang Yao swiftly pressed it down.

“Are you bored out of your mind?” Jiang Yao glared at Duan Zhuxian. “What makes you think I’d care about you? I was just curious to see who else found you a thorn in their side.”

Duan Zhuxian chuckled softly, leaving it unclear whether he believed Jiang Yao or not. After a moment, he said, “A while ago, Li Ruizhi and his gang blocked you at the bar.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes widened. “You knew about that night?”

“Hmm.” The curve at Duan Zhuxian’s lips straightened. “That group of thugs planned a gang fight, so sending them in is just doing a public service.”

These words sounded calm and emotionless in Jiang Yao’s ears, but when he accidentally caught a glimpse of the coldness in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

“Group fight, my ass. I took on that group of weaklings all by myself.” Jiang Yao corrected him seriously, then asked, “From what I see, Li Ruizhi’s current charges aren’t that severe. He’ll probably be out in a few months.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “I have more evidence of his other crimes. We’ll take our time with it.”

Jiang Yao understood. Duan Zhuxian planned to torment Li Ruizhi bit by bit, leaving him in constant fear.

He hummed a couple of times.

Duan Zhuxian was still as insidious and ruthless as ever.

But this time, Jiang Yao found it oddly satisfying.

The corners of Jiang Yao’s lips curled up.

Luckily, Duan Zhuxian didn’t know that the reason he couldn’t resist hitting those guys was that they insulted Duan Zhuxian, and he couldn’t stand it… Otherwise, where would his pride be?

Jiang Yao crossed his arms and said, “Doing good deeds anonymously doesn’t serve as a warning to others. If people want to spread rumors about you, they’ll keep doing it.”

“Isn’t that what you’re for?” Duan Zhuxian’s eyes showed a hint of amusement. “You were so angry that night, fighting for me and warning them on my behalf. I’m sure they’ve spread the word by now.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

Duan Zhuxian actually knew everything that happened that night and kept it all to himself, casually hiding it in his heart. All this time, who knows how he’s been thinking about it…

So devious!

“Don’t overthink it, I was just doing the right thing.”

Throwing out this gruff line, and before the burning sensation on his face could rise, Jiang Yao quickly turned his head to look out the window.

He rolled down the window to cool off.

When the car arrived at their destination, Jiang Yao saw his mother, Yuan Li, standing amid the golden fallen leaves, waiting for them.

After getting out of the car, Duan Zhuxian nodded slightly at Yuan Li. “Mom.”

Jiang Yao: ?

How does this guy call her “Mom” more smoothly than he do?

Feeling indignant, Jiang Yao strode forward, about to speak, but then heard Duan Zhuxian ask his mother, “Have you been busy lately? How’s the company doing?”

“The funding issue is resolved, so it can basically operate normally now. We just need to settle things with the government.” Yuan Li patted Duan Zhuxian’s back, her face showing appreciation. “It’s all thanks to you helping out behind the scenes during this time. You’ve worked hard.”

Duan Zhuxian replied, “We’re all family. It’s my duty.”

Yuan Li and Duan Zhuxian talked about the company all the way, with Yuan Li seriously listening to Duan Zhuxian’s advice as if he were a younger generation, never losing the smile on her face.

Jiang Yao walked behind the two, unable to get a word in edgewise.

He had never seen his usually stern and unsmiling mother so genuinely happy.

As they exited the parking lot, a dedicated staff member led them to the VIP room.

A few minutes later, models wearing the latest seasonal designs came out one by one, parading before them. Initially, Jiang Yao treated it like a fashion show, but soon he grew bored.

He was never interested in formal attire, and now everything seemed the same to him, except for the color differences.

The manager attending to them enthusiastically recommended, “This black one is elegant… The blue one looks good too, suits your skin tone… The white satin set is the highlight, designed by a top designer, handmade with unique patterns symbolizing uniqueness, perfect for a wedding…”

Jiang Yao felt his head about to explode from all the chatter. He flopped onto the sofa, deciding to give up. “Mom, you choose for me.”

Yuan Li, knowing her son’s impatience, didn’t force him to continue looking at the clothes and made the decisions herself.

Jiang Yao nestled into the sofa, with his eyelids half-closed. Through the slits of his eyes, he watched Duan Zhuxian talking with the manager. He couldn’t understand where Duan Zhuxian got all this patience from. He asked about the fabric, the craftsmanship, the designer, and even the design concept, personally involved and proactive, showing no sign of feeling like a sacrificial lamb in a business marriage.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Jiang Yao heard a vague voice by his ear: “Wake up.”

His eyelashes fluttered, but he didn’t respond.

The next second, a hand slipped under his shirt and pinched his waist, slowly and teasingly.

He opened his eyes abruptly, instantly awake, and instinctively looked around. His mom was far away, still choosing clothes.

Luckily, she didn’t see.

Jiang Yao raised his eyes, glaring upward, and mouthed the word “beast.”

Duan Zhuxian raised an eyebrow, seemingly accepting the title without a care.

Yuan Li walked over and pointed to a white suit, saying, “This set looks good. You two should try it on together.”

A moment later, Jiang Yao was the first to come out of the fitting room, his steps lazy as if he were still half-asleep. The neat and elegant suit jacket was draped casually over him, unbuttoned, and the sides hanging open, highlighting his slim and wiry waist.

As Jiang Yao was adjusting his undershirt, the door to the fitting room opposite opened, and a long leg wrapped in white trousers stepped out.

He paused and looked up.

In contrast to his own careless attire, Duan Zhuxian had buttoned his shirt all the way to the top. His broad shoulders and long legs filled out the suit perfectly, making it look particularly sharp.

In the all-white suit, Duan Zhuxian looked somewhat emotionless, his features reflecting a cold, ascetic air, as if illuminated by ice and snow.

For a moment, he overlapped with the aloof teenager Jiang Yao remembered from years ago, who used to glance down inadvertently from the second-floor corridor.

But it was just a fleeting sense of déjà vu. Jiang Yao quickly snapped out of it and said to Duan Zhuxian, “You’re so slow.”

They walked one after the other into the VIP room, drawing the wide-eyed stares of several staff members along the way.

Even though working in such a high-end place meant they often encountered people of status and looks, seeing two such handsome men together was a rare sight.

Standing in front of the mirror, Jiang Yao looked at the two men side by side and felt a bit awkward.

“It looks like a couple’s outfit. Feels weird,” Jiang Yao muttered.

He wasn’t ready to wear matching outfits with Duan Zhuxian.

“We’ve worn matching clothes before,” Duan Zhuxian said flatly.

Jiang Yao looked at him, pointing to himself. “Me, wearing the same as you? You must be joking.”

Considering Duan Zhuxian’s wardrobe of blacks, whites, grays, and browns, there wasn’t a single item Jiang Yao liked. Besides, given their previously mutual dislike, they would always do the opposite of each other, making matching outfits impossible.

Duan Zhuxian said, “High school.”

Jiang Yao was silent for a while before saying, “Did you ask the other students for their opinion before wearing the school uniform as a couple’s outfit?”

Duan Zhuxian glanced at him and then turned to walk towards his mother and the manager, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

Watching Duan Zhuxian’s back, Jiang Yao felt a strange sense of being dismissed.

He inexplicably tugged at his collar, and a memory suddenly flashing in his mind.

In the spring of their first year of high school, the school held a group public welfare activity.

Both Jiang Yao’s class and Duan Zhuxian’s class were assigned to assist with farming tasks. After the work in the field was finished, everyone returned to their accommodations, but Jiang Yao, as the team leader, was responsible for wrapping up and was the last to leave.

It had rained recently, making the field paths wet and slippery. As it was getting dark, he worried about his visibility and instinctively quickened his pace. As a result, he didn’t see the path clearly and stepped into wet cow dung, falling into a muddy puddle.

He tried to get up several times without success, cursing under his breath as sharp pain radiated from his ankle.

At that moment, a pair of long legs clad in black school trousers suddenly appeared in front of him.

He grimaced and looked up, meeting a pair of dark eyes. Because of the backlight, he couldn’t discern the emotion in them.

Damn it, Duan Zhuxian really picked the worst time to show up!

That was his first reaction in his disheveled state..

The next second, Duan Zhuxian bent down and extended a hand, pulling him out of the mud. Dirty water splashed onto Duan Zhuxian’s clean school uniform jacket, but he didn’t even blink.

“Can you walk?” Duan Zhuxian asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Yao said stubbornly, trying to walk forward but nearly falling again, and saved only by Duan Zhuxian’s steady hold.

Without a word, Duan Zhuxian crouched down and carried him on his back.

Jiang Yao was startled as his chest suddenly collided with the slightly thin back of the young man.

Being carried by his rival—what kind of situation was this?

He resisted, struggling a bit.

“Don’t move,” Duan Zhuxian said firmly, his voice not loud but decisive. His grip on Jiang Yao’s legs tightened.

Jiang Yao pursed his lips, afraid that Duan Zhuxian might drop him, so he stopped resisting.

Jiang Yao’s school uniform jacket was soaked from the muddy puddle. As the early spring wind blew past, it felt like cold metal clinging to his skin, making him shiver.

Duan Zhuxian turned his head and asked, “Cold?“

Jiang Yao stubbornly replied, “No.”

But then he let out a huge sneeze.

Passing by a convenience store, Duan Zhuxian put Jiang Yao down and walked into the store. A few minutes later, he came out with two identical blue windbreakers. The material wasn’t great, but they radiated warmth.

Duan Zhuxian’s school jacket was also soaked, so they both changed into the dry, thick windbreakers on the spot. Duan Zhuxian then continued carrying Jiang Yao and walked the entire muddy village road.

After the event, Jiang Yao took the dirty, low-quality windbreaker home, washed it clean, and hung it at the back of his wardrobe, mixing it in with his branded clothes.

Later, when he and Duan Zhuxian had a falling out, he saw the windbreaker in his wardrobe again one day and was so angry he wanted to throw it away. But when he got to the trash can, he hesitated.

A minute later, he crumpled the windbreaker into a ball and stuffed it at the bottom of his junk box.

He hadn’t thought of this earlier because, at the time, when he wore that windbreaker, his mind was particularly innocent. He just thought that although Duan Zhuxian had a cold face, he was actually pretty nice, without any ulterior motives.

Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes, following Duan Zhuxian with his gaze.

Could it be that back then, while wearing that somber expression, Duan Zhuxian was actually thinking about couple outfits, something so inappropriate for their age?

*

Today was just for trying on styles. The actual outfits would be custom-made to fit them perfectly.

Next up was choosing accessories.

Jiang Yao glanced casually at the display of cufflinks.

Duan Zhuxian asked from behind him, “What color do you like?”

Jiang Yao replied, “Red.”

Duan Zhuxian’s gaze fell on the red streak in Jiang Yao’s hair. “Why do you like red?”

“It’s festive,” Jiang Yao said offhandedly. “Is there a problem with the descendants of dragons liking red?”

After browsing the display, Jiang Yao turned back.

As he passed by Duan Zhuxian, he whispered in his ear, “Red is the most passionate color. With it around, the atmosphere isn’t so empty.”

Duan Zhuxian turned around, looking thoughtfully at Jiang Yao’s arrogant and casual figure, which inexplicably exuded a sense of loneliness.

He likes light, fears loneliness, lacks a sense of security, and listens to his parents excessively.

These were things Duan Zhuxian only discovered after they started living together. It was an unexpected side of Jiang Yao.

Calling over the accessories consultant, Duan Zhuxian said, “We’ll choose ruby cufflinks, the brighter the better.”

The consultant hesitated. “Bright red might not suit your temperament.”

“It’s fine,” Duan Zhuxian said calmly. “My husband likes it.”

*

With the wedding date approaching and everything in order, Hua Yan and Jiang Li finally released the bombshell news of their union to the media.

Besides the well-informed Chen Yiqi, Jiang Yao’s other friends were in an uproar. They never expected that the person he had been secretly keeping all this time wasn’t a beauty but Duan Zhuxian, a formidable figure!

The idea of two long-time rivals being forced into marriage conjured up images of explosive, contentious scenes.

So, a flood of gossip-laden “condolences” was sent to Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao received these messages just after he and Duan Zhuxian had finished their bedroom activities, still sweaty and being held by Duan Zhuxian.

He stretched his arm over Duan Zhuxian, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and scrolled through WeChat, his forehead throbbing.

Duan Zhuxian stroked his back and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“My buddies are asking if I’ve been hiding this because you forced me to and didn’t want people to know about our relationship,” Jiang Yao said, both annoyed and amused. “These guys really have wild imaginations, making it seem like I’m the desperate one.”

Duan Zhuxian’s lips curved into a faint, wry smile, with a mix of helplessness and relief.

He was the desperate one.

He had been waiting for the day to announce it to the world for a long time.

*

The wedding was set for the third Saturday in December. Their parents had their birthdates and times matched, and it was determined that holding the wedding on this day would ensure a lifetime of love and happiness for them both.

When Jiang Yao heard this, he almost burst out laughing.

No wonder people say superstition is unreliable. If he and Duan Zhuxian could maintain their current peaceful coexistence after marriage, that would already be quite a feat.

Early that morning, professional stylists arrived to prepare them for the wedding.

Jiang Yao had been sleepless until 2 a.m. and had slight dark circles under his eyes, looking a bit listless. The makeup artist, amazed by his good skin, applied makeup while exclaiming about it.

Probably due to some nervousness, Jiang Yao was a bit absent-minded, unusually not bantering with people. The stylist misjudged his personality and gave him an especially well-behaved look. Dressed in a white suit, he looked like a young master who hadn’t yet faced the world.

While Jiang Yao’s makeup was done, Duan Zhuxian was still in another room getting styled. Bored, Jiang Yao leaned on the makeup chair and searched for wedding videos.

The process was generally the same: under the host’s guidance, the newlyweds would hold hands, wipe away tears, and be filled with emotions.

Jiang Yao imagined the scene.

If Duan Zhuxian were to walk towards him from the end of the red carpet, accompanied by background music, with a deep, affectionate gaze, he would definitely burst out laughing in front of all the guests.

To avoid this mishap, Jiang Yao looked up a bunch of ways to suppress laughter. His cheeks went numb from biting them, and he tried to think of the saddest moments in his life, but he still couldn’t hold it in.

“So happy to marry me?”

A deep voice suddenly fell beside his ear. Jiang Yao looked up to see Duan Zhuxian’s face close to his.

Jiang Yao’s smile froze on his lips, his pupils slightly enlarging.

Duan Zhuxian, with his naturally handsome face, unlike Jiang Yao who hadn’t slept well, had just a thin layer of light makeup. His already flawless features became even more defined. His hair was styled meticulously in an elite manner, paired with a perfectly tailored suit, exuding a composed demeanor and an impressive aura.

Jiang Yao had been quite satisfied with his own look, but now he hesitated.

Was Duan Zhuxian going to steal his limelight?

Feeling uneasy, Jiang Yao almost wished he had a magical gourd from 《Journey to the West》 to capture this captivating demon, Duan Zhuxian.

Duan Zhuxian lowered his head slightly, frowning as he stared at Jiang Yao for a while. Suddenly, he grabbed Jiang Yao’s chin and picked up a brush from the table, sweeping a layer of blush onto Jiang Yao’s overly pale cheeks.

“Damn it, you’re ruining my face!” Jiang Yao exploded, immediately grabbing a mirror. “I look like I’m drunk. It’s hideous.”

“You’re not hideous.”

Duan Zhuxian walked to the window, leaning against the bright windowsill, his posture exuding an indescribable ease and satisfaction, as if he had gotten what he wanted.

“You look especially good today.”

After speaking, Duan Zhuxian extended his hand to Jiang Yao, backlit by the sunlight.

Outside, the green trees swayed, and the sky was as blue as oil paint. Everything in the landscape seemed incredibly vivid in the sunlight.

Duan Zhuxian gazed at him, with a slight smile curving his lips, making the sunlight seem to dance around him.

As if drawn by an unseen force, Jiang Yao stood up and took a few steps toward Duan Zhuxian. When he placed his hand in Duan Zhuxian’s, his heart shamefully fluttered.

By the time he realized what was happening, he was already pulled close to Duan Zhuxian’s chest, turned and pinned against the windowsill, with Duan Zhuxian’s hands on either side of him.

This position was familiar to Jiang Yao.

Duan Zhuxian loved to corner him like this when he wanted to play forcefully.

Jiang Yao raised his eyebrows and met Duan Zhuxian’s unusually deep gaze, curious about what shocking thing he might do in broad daylight.

Jiang Yao’s lips were a bit dry. The makeup artist had applied some lip balm, making his already plump lips look even fuller. With the blush on his cheeks, he looked up at Duan Zhuxian without a hint of arrogance, his eyes clear as spring water, reflecting the barely restrained desire in Duan Zhuxian’s eyes.

Duan Zhuxian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “There’s probably going to be a kissing segment later.”

Jiang Yao was taken aback. “What? I don’t know how to…”

Duan Zhuxian said, “I know you don’t know how, so we need to practice in advance.”

Before Jiang Yao could react, a warm breath enveloped him, and his lips were gently covered by soft ones. Something moist teased his lips, not quite intruding, but making its presence known. After a few seconds, the sensation disappeared as Duan Zhuxian pulled back.

Jiang Yao stared at him, with his mouth half-open.

He was stunned.

A moment later, he pushed Duan Zhuxian away, took a few steps forward as if all his strength had been drained, and plopped back onto the chair.

His lips trembled for a while before he finally managed to stammer, “My… first kiss is gone?”

Standing beside Jiang Yao, Duan Zhuxian, with a smile in his eyes, patted the back of his head which exuded a sense of grievance, and said calmly, “Without sticking out the tongue, it can’t be called a first kiss.”

Author’s Note:

You got tricked again, baby.