Chapter 5 – The newlyweds parted ways on the spot

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As an honor student, Xie Chenyu had always been “steady” since childhood, preferring to plan everything meticulously. A few days prior, he had discussed this particular wedding segment with Song Yan.

His plan was for the two of them to slowly lean toward each other in front of everyone. Then, Song Yan would pretend to notice the cameras and crowd below, shyly turning away. Xie Chenyu would then step up and slightly turn to shield him, leaning in for a misaligned kiss.

 From the audience’s perspective, it would look like a tender kiss in the neck, embodying shyness, sweetness, and beauty.

Song Yan, after hearing this, had looked disgusted: “My head will be resting on your shoulder, right?”

Xie Chenyu imagined the scene: “Possibly.”

Song Yan immediately looked even more disgusted.

Seeing his reluctance, and considering that a wedding was a special day and this “love-struck” person was easily swayed by emotion, Xie Chenyu hesitated. 

They went online to check typical wedding scripts and found that not all weddings included a kiss. The officiant could easily wrap up the ceremony after the ring exchange with some blessing words.

To be safe, they decided to cut the kissing segment. But somehow, something had gone wrong.

There was no use figuring out who added the line back in now.

The officiant had already said it. All the guests were watching. No time to delay.

The two newlyweds exchanged a silent glance.

The next moment, Xie Chenyu cupped Song Yan’s face with both hands, and Song Yan closed his eyes the instant Xie Chenyu raised his hands.

This was the second plan Xie Chenyu had casually suggested after being met with Song Yan’s disgust: pretending to kiss by cupping the cheeks. 

However, they had quickly forgotten about it once they realized they could abolish the segment entirely. Now, they both instinctively chose this path, opting for a quick solution since the first plan was too troublesome.

Xie Chenyu briefly thought, This love-brained actually had the same idea as me, as he leaned in tenderly, tilting his head close.

The downside of this method was that even with hands and arms blocking the view, they had to get very close to make it look convincing.

Song Yan, with his eyes closed, felt their breaths intertwine, even experiencing a fleeting illusion of being truly kissed. But then, the warmth quickly moved away.

He opened his eyes.

Applause erupted, cheers rose in waves, the officiant passionately recited blessings, and flower petals fluttered through the air.

Xie Chenyu remained deeply affectionate, releasing his hands and feeling a surge of anxiety—he, too, had had the fleeting illusion of a real kiss and was worried this love-brained person might break character.

Song Yan’s acting was still on point, returning a sweet gaze.

The two silently exchanged glances again, and remembering their synchronized action in that emergency, they genuinely thought: This collaborator is good.

The newlyweds passed that hurdle without a hitch and moved on to the next part of the ceremony.

No more issues arose afterward. They returned to their room to change into a second set of outfits and were finally free to move around.

Given the Xie family’s status, they didn’t need to toast at every table. All they had to do was greet the important guests and their respective family and friends.

Song Yan hadn’t invited any classmates, just Old Master Qin and the rest of the Song family.

Xie Chenyu had already met that side of the family before the wedding, and he could tell that Song Yan’s cousin had some thoughts about him. Of course, it was also possible he simply liked stealing his cousin’s sweetheart—who it was didn’t matter.

He had always ignored people like that. He stayed by Song Yan’s side and warned him, “Watch out for your cousin. He doesn’t have good intentions toward you.”

Song Yan obediently replied, “My grandpa said the same thing a few days ago. He told me to stay away from him.”

Xie Chenyu, for his partner’s sake, showed some concern: “Had past grievances?”

Song Yan said, “No.”

His cousin simply couldn’t stand to see him doing well. He was innocent: “We haven’t seen each other in years, so I don’t know why he hates me.”

Xie Chenyu secretly thought it might really be a habit of snatching people.

Oh, or perhaps a guilty conscience, not wanting the victim to recover… Xie Chenyu recalled the Song family’s affairs and turned to look at Song Yan.

Song Yan instantly became a little wary.

Some people had a thing for pure and pitiful white-lotus types. He didn’t know if Xie Chenyu was one of them.

So he started planting a preemptive seed, wearing a smile but speaking pitifully: “These people are too complicated. I miss Brother Gangzi.”

Xie Chenyu immediately swallowed the comforting words he was about to utter.

At such a vulnerable moment, he absolutely couldn’t try to assert his presence, lest he cause trouble. Anyway, Old Master Qin was aware of the situation, so he wouldn’t say too much, merely empathizing: “Same here.”

He felt it wasn’t enough, adding, “My wedding with Elizabeth will definitely be grander and more romantic than this one.”

Song Yan followed the topic: “My wedding with Big Brother Gang will be very simple, and not as romantic.”

But he sounded content. “It’ll be held in the countryside. Only close friends and family will be invited. People there are kind… big cities don’t suit me.”

On this day that was supposed to tug at the heartstrings, the newly wedded plastic couple brought out their “white moonlight” lovers to show off, stabilizing their resolve and settling their minds.

The two walked to where Old Master Qin was, and Song Yan sat down beside him.

Song Shuo happened to be nearby and, seeing the situation, approached with concern: “You must be exhausted, quick, drink some water.”

He placed a cup in front of Song Yan, pulled out a chair, and smiled politely at Xie Chenyu. “Third Young Master, you should take a break too.”

Xie Chenyu declined, “No need. I’ve got things to do.”

He affectionately squeezed Song Yan’s shoulder: “You eat something, I’ll go have a few drinks with them over there, and I’ll be back for you shortly.”

Song Yan looked up at him. “Don’t drink too much.”

Xie Chenyu smiled and agreed. After greeting Old Master Qin, he left.

Song Shuo was left there awkwardly, fed a mouthful of dog food, and after forcing a few lines of small talk with Song Yan, left shortly after too.

Old Master Qin and Song Yan didn’t even raise an eyebrow, not bothering with him at all. Old Master Qin saw his grandson quietly eating and moved Song Shuo’s abandoned cup aside, getting a fresh glass of water.

“When your birthday comes, your father’s will goes into effect,” Old Master Qin said, looking at him. “You really planning to sell all the shares?”

Song Yan swallowed his food, his expression calm: “That’s no longer my father’s Song Corporation.”

Old Master Qin understood then that he still had no interest in running the company. He didn’t try to talk him out of it and simply asked, “Does Chenyu know about this?”

Song Yan said, “I haven’t told him yet.”

But for this kind of contractual marriage, it didn’t seem necessary to tell him.

He instinctively scanned the crowd and easily spotted Xie Chenyu.

There was no other reason; his formal wear and appearance were too striking, not to mention the equally handsome man standing beside him. 

Song Yan had met him before the wedding; it was Xie Chenyu’s maternal uncle, Di Xun.

He was a very famous painter, and it was said that Xie Chenyu’s painting skills came from him.

Besides being an artist, Di Xun was also a formidable investor—rarely suffering losses, making him someone everyone wanted to connect with.

Song Yan looked at the two of them, his thoughts gradually diverging to a matter he hadn’t been able to figure out recently.

All the Di family members he had met these past few days were very capable, and their relationship with Xie Chenyu was very close. With the Di family as a powerful backing, Xie Chenyu could even openly defy the Xie family. So, why would he agree to marry?

Di Xun wanted to know the same thing.

Xie Chenyu had been raised by the Di family. The moment he returned to the Xie family and was immediately pushed into a marriage alliance, their first reaction was anger.

But soon, news came back with two pieces of information: “99% compatibility match” and “Xie Chenyu personally agreed.” Only then did they accept it.

Then, just as the good news was spreading from the Di family, Xie Chenyu contacted his closest family members and confessed it was all an act. Their emotions had been a rollercoaster.

Di Xun waited until his nephew finished a round of toasts and then pulled him aside to a quieter place.

Guests passing by couldn’t help but glance at them. People always said nephews took after uncles, and these two looked 60–70% alike. The difference was that Xie Chenyu had a refined, elegant air, while Di Xun had blue eyes and a somewhat melancholic vibe, which suited his identity as a painter very well.

The two found a spot under a tree.

Di Xun swirled his wine glass and asked, “How exactly did your grandfather get you to agree?”

Xie Chenyu said, “I told you, I lost a bet.”

Di Xun didn’t believe it.

He’d raised this nephew himself and knew his personality like the back of his hand. There was definitely more to the story.

Xie Chenyu didn’t want him to pry, so he started another topic: “Why’d you stir up trouble with the officiant?”

He had already found out that it was Di Xun who had changed the script for the officiant.

He said, “I remember telling you the truth.”

Di Xun smiled and took a sip of wine: “A wedding without a kiss isn’t perfect.”

Of course, he knew his nephew could handle the situation. If he couldn’t even manage such a small matter, then Di Xun would have raised him for nothing all these years.

However, this was just one factor. He added, “Mainly, it’s because your little friend’s acting is quite good; I wanted to tease him.”

Xie Chenyu gave him a suspicious look.

His uncle definitely had a mischievous streak, but not just anyone could catch his interest. Even if Song Yan was just a fake boyfriend, Di Xun treating him this specially meant he was genuinely interested in Song Yan and seemed to have some inexplicable goodwill towards him.

Di Xun met his gaze and asked with a smile, “Before you agreed, didn’t you first learn about the little friend’s background?”

Xie Chenyu said, “I did.”

Song Yan’s father had been the former head of the Song family, and his mother was a well-known jewelry designer.

The Qin family had once dominated the jewelry industry with a prestigious brand. After Song Yan’s mother married into the Song family, Old Master Qin saw how capable the couple was and handed over full control.

The couple, one managing the company and the other designing jewelry, both had strong momentum. Song Yan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and was pampered by his entire family from a young age.

Unfortunately, their good fortune didn’t last. When he was eight, both his parents died in a spaceship accident. When the news reached him, he was so distraught that he fainted and was diagnosed with Pheromone Deficiency Syndrome.

At the height of the Song family’s power, both heads perished at once, leaving no will behind. All that remained was a sickly young Omega and Old Master Qin, who had long since stepped away from the family’s internal power structure. Though they were first in line for inheritance, plenty of Song relatives from the second and third lines were eyeing the inheritance. No one knows exactly what happened after that, but eventually Old Master Qin took Song Yan to the countryside.

The company was carved up by the remaining Song family members. In the end, the current head came out on top and brought the Song Corporation to where it stands today.

Di Xun listened to his narration and commented, “Hmm, everything you found is correct.”

Xie Chenyu asked, “Nothing to add?”

Di Xun said, “No.”

Xie Chenyu then knew he couldn’t get any more information out of him and decided to investigate again when he had time.

After chatting a little longer, he went to find Song Yan. Meeting the gaze of this love-brain who was looking his way, he suddenly thought—if the Song couple hadn’t died back then, Song Yan probably wouldn’t have turned out this quiet. So what kind of personality would he have had?

Song Yan watched him approach and happily said, “You’re back.”

Xie Chenyu snapped back to attention: “Mm, are you full?”

Song Yan nodded obediently.

Xie Chenyu said, “I’ll take you to meet a few people.”

Song Yan then cooperatively followed him around.

By evening, the newlywed couple saw off the guests, took a shuttle to the port, and prepared to head off for their honeymoon.

Inside the master bedroom of the private ship, both of them finally dropped the day’s act. Their expressions were full of excitement—because they were about to see their “white moonlight”!

Song Yan asked, “Can we trust the crew on board?”

Xie Chenyu replied, “Yes.”

Song Yan was half-skeptical: “Anyway, if something goes wrong, it’s your fault.”

Xie Chenyu said, “Provided you don’t expose us. Remember the agreement, manage your own lover well.”

Song Yan said, “You don’t have to tell me, I’ll definitely protect my brother Gangzi!”

Xie Chenyu added, “And no bothering each other during the honeymoon.”

Song Yan chimed in: “Each to their own peace.”

—Perfect.

They looked at each other and silently offered the most sincere blessings: Wishing you both a smooth romance and a fun time.

The spaceship left Imperial Capital Star and entered the space station.

After agreeing on a time to meet, the newlyweds parted ways on the spot.