Chapter 154 - Extra 1 Part 1 Wedding Day
"Married?"
Qi Jing turned his head, the shock in his eyes quickly turning to surprise as
Shen Yan gave a slight nod.
"Really?" he asked with a smile as he threw the jacket he had just taken off
onto the sofa, and not in a hurry to hang it up yet. Instead he leaned over
and gently embraced Shen Yan, who was sitting on the sofa, from behind, and
together they looked at the invitation they had received today. Seeing the
large "double happiness (囍)" character on the cover, he couldn’t help but
exclaim, "Those two have been dragging their feet for so long, even I was
getting anxious for them. Finally, it’s happening—congrats, congrats."
"Mhm." Shen Yan smiled faintly, naturally lifting his hand to grasp the one
wrapped around his chest.
Their ring fingers came into contact with one another and the two silver bands
clinked softly, emitting a bright and gentle gleam.
It was in the second year of them putting those rings on their fingers when
Yang Jie’s good news arrived with a bright red wedding invitation.
Yang Jie, who had always been clueless about romance, and Little Stammer, who
stumbled over her words even when confessing, had worried the bunch of them to
no end. After much effort, they finally got them together, but Little Stammer
had a stubborn father who couldn't bear to marry off his daughter. He kept
trying to get in their way, to stop them from talking about marriage.
Fortunately, Yang Jie was someone who grew more determined with each setback,
and after a few years of convincing, he had finally managed to get his future
father-in-law to relent, finally obtaining his marriage certificate with
Little Stammer.
Now, all that was left was to hold a wedding banquet—
"As the bride lives in Beijing, Two had also moved his job there. After their
wedding, they would probably officially settle down there." Qi Jing lazily
bowed his head, leading it on Shen Yan’s shoulder. "If the banquet is in
Beijing… We can go back and have a look, hmm?"
After his internship ended, they also wrapped up their three-year life in
Beijing and returned to their provincial city.
As Qi Jing's career as a TV host was just starting out, he couldn’t afford to
slack off and invested the bulk of his time into it. As such, there were only
a few days in the year when he could travel around, so he hadn't had the
chance to visit the place where he had worked and studied for three years to
reminisce about his time there.
Although he did keep in contact with everyone and they would usually chat
online, face-to-face interactions were still different—more lively and
intimate.
"It’s been a year since we’ve been back; it would be nice to take this
opportunity to catch up with everyone."
Shen Yan obviously shared the same thought.
+++++
The night before their departure, Qing Jing took out his suitcase, opened the
wardrobe, and began packing the clothes he would wear for the banquet in
Beijing the next day.
Ever since he started hosting his own program, he's had to wear suits
virtually every day. As such, his wardrobe had gradually accumulated several
different styles and he just needed to choose which one would be most suitable
for attending a wedding. Anyway, "married men" like them didn't have to take
on the role of groomsmen so they could freely choose their attire without
consulting the groom in advance…
His hand paused suddenly, stopping as he went through the hangers.
He remembered another wedding he attended a few years ago.
Back then, he had just started working. He was renting an apartment alone in
the provincial city, working hard to save money for a future car and house,
and living very frugally. The only expensive suit he owned was one he didn't
bear to wear outside of work, so it looked very new. But when he wore that
suit to emcee that man's wedding, that man complained that his outfit
was too stiff and did not highlight his role as the host, asking why he hadn’t
discussed it with him beforehand… the man complained that his dress was too
formal and did not highlight the identity of the emcee, and asked him why he
didn't discuss it with himself in advance... Thinking back now, it was almost
laughable.
After the wedding, he threw away the suit, along with the wrinkled and dirty
shirt ruined by tears.
Qi Jing's eyes twitched slightly as the corner of his lips raised to form a
self-mocking smile.
Since then, he never attended anyone's wedding again. A wedding shouldn’t be
attended with the same mindset as a funeral, nor should one force a smile when
their heart is filled with shards of glass—only when he had completely moved
on from the past could he truly enjoy a joyous wedding from the bottom of his
heart.
"What's wrong?"
Perhaps it was because his movements were paused for too long, a soft inquiry
came from behind.
At the same time Qi Jing came back to his senses, his brows unconsciously
relaxed, and his expression softened as if comforted by the voice.
If there were still shards of glass in his heart, then the words of the person
behind him would surely be the most practical and gentle little broom,
sweeping every corner of his heart clean, not leaving a single shard behind.
He couldn't help but smile at that thought. Then with the intuition he'd
developed from years of living together. reached back to find the other’s
hands and gently guided them around his waist.
"It's nothing. Just thought of an old piece of clothing I threw away." And the
man I threw away with it.
He answered lazily with a smile.
Not sure if Shen Yan understood what he meant, as the man simply acknowledged
with a soft "mhm" and did not press further, instead habitually leaning in to
kiss his ear.
"I'm sure tomorrow will be extra lively and joyous," Qi Jing said,
intertwining his fingers with Shen Yan’s, his voice cheerful, "We'll have to
put in more effort to dress sharply to support him."
Shen Yan smiled faintly, "Then it’s up to you. I only have one set of clothes
that's suitable, so I don’t have much choice."
Shen Yan indeed didn’t have many options because he only had one suit—the one
he wore when he proposed to Qi Jing in the TV studio a year ago.
"Pfft" Qi Jing laughed out loud as he asked with a raised brow, "Mr Shen,
don't tell me you're planning to only wear a suit for your own wedding or
other people's weddings?"
Shen Yan knew he was teasing him, so he calmly retorted, "Weren’t you the one
who said I look handsome in this suit?"
Hearing this, Qi Jing suddenly started turning around slowly in Shen Yan's
embrace, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then, he naturally wrapped his arm
around Shen Yan’s neck, pulling him closer and whispering against his lips,
"The truth is, if I had to choose, I'd say you look best without any clothes
on—but that’s a look only for me to see, got it?"
His voice grew more magnetic as he spoke, and he even seemingly
unintentionally brushed his lips against Shen Yan’s.
Shen Yan did not say anything, but something was clearly alight in his eyes.
But Qi Jing did not stop there. Qi Wukong didn't stop there. His fingers
slowly slid inside the back of Shen Yan’s collar, inch by inch, caressing his
nape. His index finger slipped under the red string around Shen Yan’s neck,
gently tugging on it as he dragged his finger down until it got caught on the
button at the front.
"Ah Yan."
All his previous actions seemed to lead up to those two words, everything
could be read between the lines.
As soon as those words left Qi Jing's lips, Shen Yan's hands tightened around
him, pressing Qi Jing firmly against his body as he leaned in to respond with
a passionate kiss that conveyed all the thirst those words had stirred. Qi
Jing let out a low gasp, his hands wrapping around Shen Yan as he
involuntarily leaned back. His shoulder bumped into the row of hangers behind
him, causing the wooden hangers to clatter against each other—it sounded
particularly crisp and melodious.
However, Shen Yan paused upon hearing the sound of the hangers, as if suddenly
remembering something, he stopped his actions and pulled away, breathing
heavily as he released Qi Jing's lips.
—They had an early flight to catch the next morning.
What could he do with this man? Shen Yan couldn't help but laugh as he asked
while shaking his head, "Did you do that on purpose?"
Qi Jing buried his head in Shen Yan's shoulder and giggled for a while. He
neither admitted nor denied it. Finally, he cupped Shen Yan’s face, gave him a
quick kiss on the lips, and cheerfully went back to packing.
+++++
The hotel Yang Jie booked for his wedding banquet was actually the same hotel
where the official launch event for "Order of the Sky" was held four years
ago. The reason was simple. It was where the bride and groom first met in
person, making it a memorable location for the couple. Moreover, the hotel
itself was quite upscale, and Qiu Tianyang, who knew people there, managed to
get them a special discount, making the booking process very smooth.
Qi Jing and Shen Yan took the earliest flight to Beijing on the day of the
wedding. When they exited Beijing airport, they had a good two hours before
the banquet started, so it wasn't too rushed for them.
Qiu Tianyang was initially insistent on picking them up, going on and on about
it. But because he was the emcee for the event, there were a bunch of things
that required his attention and he wouldn't be able to walk away. So, Qi Jing
called him and thanked him for his offer but they would just take the subway.
"Then I'll book the room for you guys."
Qiu Tianyang still felt bad about it, so he offered another way to host them.
The banquet would start at noon and continue all the way into the night. The
bunch of them would surely be chatting over drinks, so they will probably stay
late and it's certain they’d stay the night in Beijing—
Hearing this, Qi Jing suddenly chuckled softly into his end of the phone.
"In that case… Can you ask the hotel if the room Shen Yan and I stayed in
previously is available?"
It was still available.
The furnishings in the room had changed slightly, but the general layout was
still exactly the same as four years ago.
"Do you miss it?" Qi Jing asked as he waved the key card in his hand a little,
lightly tapping the key card on the number plate with silver numbers against a
black background on the room door, and smiled brightly at Shen Yan, who froze
slightly after seeing the room number.
After a moment, Shen Yan broke out of his surprise and smiled back, following
the other man in.
The two of them changed into their suits, freshened up a little at the
bathroom sink, and headed downstairs to the banquet hall.
The banquet had yet to begin proper but guests have already started arriving
to register at the entrance of the hall. Several hotel staff, responsible for
leading guests to their seats, stood at the start of the corridor, with smiles
on their faces as they welcomed the guests. Pink ribbons and peony paper
flowers decorated the sides of the corridor, with strings of red heart-shaped
ornaments hanging from the ceiling, creating a romantic atmosphere.
"This colour scheme really suits Little Stammer…"
Qi Jing remarked with a smile. Being surrounded by such decorations really
makes people feel a deep sense of happiness from the bottom of their hearts—
At the end of the corridor stood a white screen outlined with clusters of
lilies in a triangle, and in that triangle was a giant heart formed by
intricate patterns in green. Enclosed within the heart were the names of the
bride and groom, along with a joyous "Welcome to Our Wedding."
Qi Jing knew that this must be the reception desk. From afar he saw a man in a
black bow tie standing there, holding a silver gift box in his hand. So he
took out the red envelopes they had prepared in advance as he walked over.
However, when he got closer, he realised that he actually knew this person.
"Noodles?"
Tan Zixian raised his head slightly at Qi Jing's voice and nodded in greeting
when he saw them.
Qi Jing knew that Tan Zixian would definitely come, but he didn't expect him
to show up as the person in charge of the gift money[1]. But once he thought about the fact that Qiu
Tianyang was one of the main planners of this banquet, this arrangement made
sense.
Tan Zixian was always dressed in a suit and tie and today he looked as refined
as ever. However, he kept it simple, opting for a standard suit and a bow tie
like the hotel staff instead of a guest's tie; he seemed to think of himself
as a real staff member.
However, his natural elegance was impossible to hide—
"If I didn't know you, I would have thought the hotel manager himself had come
out to greet the guests," Qi Jing joked.
"That guy said this is exactly the effect he wanted," Tan Zixian's did not
even change as he replied calmly. "He also said that the guests might pack a
little more into the red packet when they see my face."
Qi Jing silently looked at him for three seconds.
"Five, that fella…" He's too cunning.
In order not to delay the other guests from registering, Qi Jing decided to
save the chit-chat until after the wedding, so he handed over the red envelope
with a smile.
"Here, this is from both of us."
As he handed over the envelope, Tan Zixian’s suddenly caught sight of the
silver ring on Qi Jing's ring finger and he couldn't help but be slightly
taken aback. Then he swept a glance at Shen Yan, who was standing beside Qi
Jing, and sure enough—there was a matching ring on his left hand. This pair of
rings didn't exist yet when the couple bid Beijing goodbye a year ago.
He said nothing, as if he hadn’t noticed anything, and handed them the
guestbook to sign.
Just then, Qiu Tianyang walked out of the door muttering to himself while
holding several cue cards in his hand. When he looked up and saw the three of
them together, he quickly walked over to greet them, "Aiyo, when did you two
get here? Why didn’t you at least send a text?"
"We just arrived not long ago," Qi Jing said with a small chuckle, "See, we
knew you'd be busy today, so we didn’t want to disturb you~"
"I’m absolutely swamped," Qiu Tianyang groaned.
Qi Jing gave him a quick once-over and he had to admit that Qiu Tianyang was a
better emcee than he was back then; his outfit was particularly spot-on. Since
the groom had opted for a white suit and most of the groomsmen and assistants
were in black, Qiu Tianyang specifically chose a grey pinstripe waistcoat
paired with a stylishly folded pocket square. It provided him the right amount
of distinction from the two groups without stealing the spotlight, making him
the perfect host to liven up the event.
Qi Jing guessed the papers in Qiu Tianyang’s hand contained his opening speech
for later and deliberately teased the man while raising his brow, "You still
haven't memorised your lines? What an unreliable emcee."
Even Shen Yan slowly opened his mouth to rub it in. "Has he ever been
reliable?"
Unsurprisingly, Qiu Tianyang put on his classic "QAQ" expression.
Then, out of nowhere, Tan Zixian, who had been quietly listening, suddenly
kicked Qiu Tianyang hard in the shin, making him almost yelp in pain. And all
he had to say for his action was: "If you want to cry, I’ll give you a reason
to cry properly." before walking away nonchalantly to help register the other
guests.
"W-What did I do wrong?" Qiu Tianyang lamented, as he watched Tan Zixian’s
retreating figure before turning to Qi Jing and Shen Yan for sympathy.
"I don't know, but it's definitely your fault." Qi Jing replied with a small
smile.
"Mhm," Shen Yan concurred with a nod.
Qiu Tianyang looked at the harmonious couple in front of him, all miserable,
like a poor daughter-in-law who had been bullied by her wicked mother-in-law.
Qi Jing couldn't help but burst out laughing as he patted his shoulder in
consolation.
Just as Qiu Tianyang was about to continue his complaints, he paused. That's
because he noticed a glint of light from Qi Jing's retracting hand—there was a
silver band on his ring finger. As for what this ring signifies and who gave
it, it's obvious, he didn't even need to ask to know.
"Ah…" He seemed to have realised something, and fell silent for a long
while.
As his uncle, Shen Yan's father, had moved to Canada, his mother recently
applied and received approval for her family visa. She said that she would be
staying in Toronto for a year and a half and told him to visit as well when he
had the time. A while back, he mentioned to Tan Zixian that they should apply
for tourist visas together. At the time, he simply said, "Let's go on a trip
together," and Tan Zixian replied "Up to you," then showed no further
reaction.
So that kid really thought I meant a simple "vacation together"…
Well, whatever.
Qiu Tianyang lamented inwardly, but there was a hint of smile in his lowered
eyes.
Keeping it under wraps for now might be good. His reaction when the time
comes would be very interesting, won't it?
1. Traditionally, guests will give red envelopes with money inside to the couple as wedding gifts and there would be someone, family or close friend, to help keep track of the money received. Typically, the money should equate to the cost of your meal at the banquet and you may increase that amount based on how close you are to the bride or the groom to help them recoup their "losses" from organising the wedding.↩
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Thank yous!! (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great day!!
You can support me by sending some love in the comments or through the button below
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