Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 93

Ran Lin couldn’t stop his tears from falling, but they were abruptly halted by his partner’s acceleration.

Sniffling, he removed Lu Yiyao’s hand from his face and took another look at the house. His vision was slightly foggy from the tears, making everything seem as if it were behind a layer of mist, ethereally beautiful.

Lu Yiyao let go of his embrace and instead took his hand. “Let me show you around.”

Ran Lin allowed himself to be led, exploring every corner of the house as if on an adventure. They started with the first floor and then moved to the second, visiting the living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, guest rooms, study… and finally, a home theater.

Ran Lin was astonished by the huge screen, clearly soundproof walls, and the surround sound system. He walked around the room several times before turning to Lu Yiyao with a laugh and disbelief. “So you’ve brought a mini cinema home…”

Lu Yiyao leaned against the doorframe. “I have a similar room in my apartment. Whenever I want to learn acting skills from the masters, I play their films on loop here. It’s very effective.” He paused for a moment and then smiled at Ran Lin. “Now it’s your turn to learn here.”

Ran Lin, tickled by the idea, was almost tempted to start watching a movie right then and there. His eyes caught the gramophone in the corner, and he walked over to examine it, realizing it was not just for show but actually functional. He looked questioningly at Lu Yiyao. “You listen to vinyl records while watching movies?”

“After watching, you’ll want to digest and absorb,” Lu Yiyao said. “Playing music helps with thinking.”

Ran Lin glanced at the gramophone and then back at his partner, imagining him after watching a movie, starting the gramophone, and lying on the sofa in contemplation…

All that for acting skills! One could simply practice in front of a bathroom mirror. Why the need for such pretentiousness!

“Which room did you like?” Lu Yiyao suddenly asked.

Ran Lin, shifting his gaze from the gramophone, looked puzzled at his partner standing in the doorway.

“The bedrooms we just saw,” Lu Yiyao clarified. “Which one did you like?”

Ran Lin tilted his head, recalling the tour. Each bedroom was beautiful, each with its own main color theme and corresponding style of bed and cabinets, making some feel fresh, others warm, some richly retro, and others simply serene.

“The blue one.” Ran Lin had a personal preference for colors. “The Mediterranean style one.”

“Okay.” Lu Yiyao straightened up and moved away from the doorframe. “Go wait in the room. I’ll call you when the bath is ready.”

Ran Lin was momentarily stunned, then caught on to the implication. “You’re moving through this process a bit too smoothly, aren’t you?”

Lu Yiyao, halfway out the door, turned back and said with a serious tone, “Ever since that time I fell asleep in the hotel, I’ve engraved the process deep in my soul.”

Ran Lin sensed a deep sorrow under his boyfriend’s resolute voice.

……

After two years of anticipation, Ran Lin thought he was in for a rock concert, but what he got was a jazz session. But jazz was great too.

Relaxed and lazy, Ran Lin looked around the room bathed in tranquil ocean blue and thought, just like his relationship with Lu Yiyao, there was no need for dramatics—a gentle, pleasant rhythm and flow was enough.

Soon, Lu Yiyao’s call from downstairs indicated the bath was ready. Ran Lin got up and went downstairs, only to find his partner missing. Puzzled, he walked into the bathroom.

The exhaust fan was off, filling the room with a steamy haze. Behind the mist, Lu Yiyao was sitting in a water-filled bathtub, smiling at him with his eyes.

Ran Lin had fantasized about sharing a bath, the close physical contact in a confined space… But Lu Yiyao’s circular bathtub was so large it felt more like a bathing hall!

“Are you just going to watch me?” Lu Yiyao asked softly with a hint of grievance, as if saying, ‘I’m already like this. How can you just stand there?’

Of course, Ran Lin couldn’t just stand there. All the nights he had imagined with Lu Yiyao were filled with tension, haste, and the fear of being interrupted. But when it actually happened, it was solid, warm, and romantic, surpassing all his fantasies.

It was Lu Yiyao who led him into such a night. Without his knowledge, his partner had quietly done so much, prepared for so long.

“Turn around,” Ran Lin heard himself say. Lu Yiyao gave a reluctant look but eventually complied.

The water rippled softly with gentle sounds. Ran Lin quickly stripped and entered the water.

As soon as he got in, Ran Lin felt the warmth rush from his feet to the rest of his body, first shivering, then enveloped in a comfortable and secure warmth.

Hearing the splash, Lu Yiyao turned back around. By the time Ran Lin was fully immersed, Lu Yiyao had already drawn close, gently pressing him against the side of the bathtub and kissing him.

Lu Yiyao’s kiss was tender. Ran Lin closed his eyes, feeling both his body and soul melting.

After a while, Lu Yiyao softly broke the kiss and started planting smaller kisses on his chin, neck, and before Ran Lin realized it, he was already being held in Lu Yiyao’s arms.

Ran Lin’s entire body softened, with one particular area remaining tensely hard.

Lu Yiyao was the same, as Ran Lin could clearly feel him pressing against him.

But after the kiss, Lu Yiyao simply held him quietly, motionless. Ran Lin leaned into him and murmured, “Shall we start…”

“It’s okay.” Lu Yiyao rubbed his head with his chin. “I’ve waited two years already. I can wait a bit longer, till we’re back in the bedroom.”

Ran Lin thought about the disparity in willpower between them and surrendered.

“But I can’t wait any longer…”

With that, he turned around and took the initiative, splashing water everywhere in the tub.

Limited by space, the two didn’t really have full physical contact but used their hands to comfort each other.

After reaching their peaks in a flurry, they finally managed to calm down and have a proper bath.

Ran Lin felt so comfortable that he didn’t even want to move his fingers. Lu Yiyao, still full of energy, half dragged and half carried him out of the bathtub and under the showerhead.

“Close your eyes.” The somewhat muffled voice of Lu Yiyao reached his ears. Still foggy-brained, Ran Lin obediently closed his eyes, feeling the continuous flow of the shower washing over him from head to toe, the warmth enveloping him.

Suddenly, the shower was turned off. Ran Lin wanted to open his eyes but remembered his partner’s instruction and continued to stand obediently. Soon, he felt a pair of hands rubbing his hair, not too hard nor too soft, comfortably with a cool touch of shampoo.

His partner was washing his hair for him. With his eyes closed, Ran Lin couldn’t help but secretly smile…

Wait.

Ran Lin sniffed a couple of times, recognizing the scent…

The shower turned back on, and Ran Lin cooperated by lowering his head to let the water rinse off the foam. When he finally could open his eyes, he indeed saw the familiar shampoo bottle and exclaimed in surprise, “This is the one I endorsed…”

“It’s pretty good,” Lu Yiyao replied, taking some more to start washing his own hair.

Ran Lin asked, “Have you been using this all along?”

“Uh-huh,” Lu Yiyao muttered, massaging his scalp.

Ran Lin frowned. “But I remember when I started endorsing it, we weren’t together yet…”

Splash.

Very conveniently, his boyfriend turned the shower on again.

…Suspicious indeed!

But Lu Yiyao didn’t give Ran Lin another chance to seek the truth. After quickly finishing their shower, he carried Ran Lin back to the room.

After that, Ran Lin was completely submerged in the blue ocean of their room, tossed by the waves and forgetting all about his previous suspicions.

Lu Yiyao had made thorough preparations and patiently waited until Ran Lin was completely relaxed before making his move.

Initially, Ran Lin was grateful for the lack of pain, only experiencing a sense of fulfillment.

But when Lu Yiyao came for the third time, Ran Lin finally understood the saying, “short pain is better than long pain*”…

*It’s an idiom that refers to it’s better to endure brief, intense discomfort and deal with the problem immediately rather than prolonging the agony over an extended period of time. Basically, deal with it quickly rather than letting it drag out. || In this context, well… Lu Yiyao prefers dragging it out (if you know what I mean).

……

Ran Lin hadn’t had such a sound sleep in a long time. No intruders disturbed his dreams, only a sea of his favorite light blue, carrying a tempting fragrance, warm and comfortable.

His eyelashes fluttered twice before he slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight streaming in from the window tinted the room a lighter shade of blue.

“Good morning.” A cheerful greeting reached his ears.

Ran Lin turned slightly to the right and saw his partner propping up his head with his arm, watching him with a satisfied, refreshed look.

“Morning.” Ran Lin tried to turn and lie face-to-face with Lu Yiyao, but as soon as he moved, he felt sore all over.

Lu Yiyao seemed to chuckle.

The next second, he suddenly lifted the covers and dove in, swiftly pouncing on Ran Lin and popping his head out from under the covers on Ran Lin’s chest.

“No way!” Ran Lin sternly refused.

Lu Yiyao couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t say we’re going again.”

Ran Lin didn’t speak, just kept looking at his partner on his chest, his gaze indicating that he should reconsider his position. But Lu Yiyao relaxed instead, laying his entire weight on Ran Lin like a human blanket. “Let me lie down for a while…”

Ran Lin rolled his eyes, but after a few seconds, he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around his partner’s head.

“After you sign the contract, move in and live with me here,” Lu Yiyao said gently.

“No, I’ll buy another villa next door and be your neighbor,” Ran Lin replied, feeling somewhat extravagant for the first time. “How much is this villa?”

“…million,” Lu Yiyao replied.

“Hm?” Ran Lin urged.

Lu Yiyao lifted his head slightly, his voice clearer this time.

Ran Lin finally heard it clearly and nodded earnestly, staring into his partner’s eyes. “Let’s discuss if I can get a higher salary for my first film after I join your company…”

Lu Yiyao laughed out loud, kissing him spontaneously. A single look can spark a fire in the throes of passion, much less a kiss. So they cuddled for a while longer before Lu Yiyao got out of bed, put on clothes, and said he’d make breakfast.

Watching his partner leave the bedroom with a tender gaze, Ran Lin grimaced as he got up, feeling sore but finding a set of home wear laid out on the nightstand. He put it on, appreciating its softness and comfort, especially since it fit perfectly.

Ran Lin remembered, if not mistaken, the set Lu Yiyao had worn when he got out of bed looked identical to his, except for the color.

Getting up, the soreness was quite intense at first, but it eased after moving around a bit, thanks to Lu Yiyao’s utmost tenderness.

Descending to the living room, Ran Lin caught a faint whiff of coffee. Following the scent to the kitchen, he hesitated as he sensed not just coffee but also soy milk.

As he was about to peek at what his partner in matching home wear was concocting, Lu Yiyao turned around with a small tray in hand.

It wasn’t soy-flavored coffee but simply a cup of coffee, a cup of soy milk, a simple sandwich, and two soft buns.

Who was eating what was evident.

Ran Lin was curious about when it had all been prepared, as there was hardly a few minutes’ gap between him and Lu Yiyao coming downstairs. The only explanation was that Teacher Lu had gotten up earlier, prepared everything, and then went back to bed to wait for him to wake up.

It was nearing noon.

But for both of them, this was still breakfast.

Ran Lin had no schedule today, and Boss Lu had also skipped work, stealing a day of leisure for themselves.

“My followers have reached 17 million…” Lying on the couch, enjoying the afternoon sun, Ran Lin casually scrolled through Weibo and then discovered the surprise. “Last time I checked, it was only 14 million.”

“That was long ago.” Lu Yiyao pulled him into his embrace, lazily yawning. “With <Chronicles of Winter> and <Dyeing Fire> being released back to back, you’re at the height of popularity right now.”

“It’s just a phase.” Ran Lin saw through it. Once <Dyeing Fire> was out of theaters and new movies and TV shows came along, the focus would shift to someone else.

“It’s enough for a phase,” Lu Yiyao said. “You’re not one to chase fame with gimmicks, right? You just want to act well. You should go for quality, not quantity, nor do you need to be in the public eye every day of the year. As long as you ensure that every work you put out is of high quality and that your name becomes synonymous with good work, you’ll have succeeded.”

Ran Lin was captivated by the future Lu Yiyao depicted. “Can I really do it?”

“We’ll try together.” Lu Yiyao tightened his embrace.

……

In the last few days of April, <Dyeing Fire> and <Split Moon> were taken off the screens one after the other. <Dyeing Fire> ultimately broke 400 million in box office, which was a resounding success compared to its production cost. No one was happier than the investors and director He Guan, who held a celebration party the day after the movies were taken down.

Ran Lin, who had been “vacationing” at Lu Yiyao’s villa for over a week, had to rush back to resume work. Unexpectedly, after days of not seeing each other, his agent Wang Xi, like pulling a magic trick, presented him with a small pile of scripts—at least six or seven of them—on their way home after the celebration party.

“Are these all for me?” Ran Lin carefully held the scripts, a bit uncertain.

“These are the ones I’ve screened and found decent.” Wang Xi turned from the passenger seat and said, “There are more in my office, but also a lot of duds.”

Ran Lin: “But I’m about to break my contract with Dream Without Limits soon…”

Wang Xi: “I’m not asking you to sign now. Just take a look first. If you find something suitable, we can talk after the contract termination.”

“Ran Ge, you’ve made it,” Liu Wanwan said proudly. “Before, you were looking for scripts, but now scripts are looking for you.”

“And you don’t need to audition,” Wang Xi added. “For these scripts in your hand, as long as you nod, the producers will immediately confirm you.”

Ran Lin was about to speak when Wang Xi changed the topic. “But the more this is the case, the more cautious you need to be.”

Ran Lin looked at his agent.

Wang Xi slowly continued, “Your current popularity, all that fame, it’s built upon <Sword of Fallen Flowers>, <Chronicles of Winter>, and <Dyeing Fire>. Popularity and reputation are hard to build but easy to destroy. One bad drama can do it.”

Ran Lin was starting to grasp what she meant.

Indeed, Wang Xi pointed out. “<The Legend of Lantern Blossoms> will air in July, so the next project you pick after that is crucial. The audience might forgive a sudden misstep, but they won’t tolerate consecutive failures. If the project after <The Legend of Lantern Blossoms> is also subpar, all the effort you put into <<Sword of Fallen Flowers>, <Chronicles of Winter>, and <Dyeing Fire> will mostly go down the drain.”

Ran Lin: “Audiences only look forward.”

Wang Xi nodded. “Exactly, so never let yourself be associated with trashy or rushed projects.”

Ran Lin looked at the scripts in his lap, pondered for a moment, and then looked up, feeling a bit guilty. “Xi Jie, I’ll probably be working on a project prepared by Lu Yiyao’s side next.”

Wang Xi didn’t expect Lu Yiyao to act so quickly. “Is everything ready?”

“The script is still being polished,” Ran Lin said, “but everything else is almost ready. We should start filming by October.”

……

Wang Xi didn’t probe any further into Ran Lin’s plans. She could see Ran Lin’s trust in Lu Yiyao. After all, he was going to sign with his company, so she didn’t want to give an impression of doubting Lu Yiyao with her questions.

To say doubt might not be accurate, but she indeed wasn’t very confident in Lu Yiyao’s capabilities. Acting, being a star, an idol—Lu Yiyao was unquestionable, but making a TV series was a different story, especially since he was a novice.

So, from that day onwards, she used her connections to deeply understand the status of Lu Yiyao’s project. The information she received was astonishing—Lu Yiyao had assembled a movie-level production team!

The person who informed her bluntly said Lu Yiyao was clearly aiming to make a name for his company, not necessarily to profit from this project. However, it was also predicted that as long as nothing went wrong, the project would definitely be a hit, maybe even a blockbuster. Because while the project sought movie-level team quality, it was operated by experienced industry veterans well-versed in TV rules. That meant Lu Yiyao had clearly distinguished between quality and operation, and with ample funding at hand for the project, it’d be surprising if it didn’t succeed.

Wang Xi didn’t know if Ran Lin was aware of these details. If he was, it meant he had good judgment. If not, and he was merely trusting a friend, then it was destiny shaped by character.

While Wang Xi was concerned about the future of her soon-to-be former artist, Ran Lin was getting ready to attend the wedding of his boyfriend’s friend—Huo Yuntao was getting married.

The wedding was set for a Saturday in early May. As his contract termination neared, Dream Without Limits no longer scheduled any activities for Ran Lin, so from May onwards, he was completely free. The wedding day was sunny and pleasant, with a gentle breeze. Ran Lin got ready early, invitation in hand, and drove to the venue.

According to Lu Yiyao, it was a lawn wedding, with most guests being business partners and acquaintances of the Huo and Lin families. There weren’t many friends of Huo Yuntao and Lin Panxi, especially Huo Yuntao, who could count his friends on one hand, including Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao.

Both the Huo and Lin families were prestigious, and Ran Lin anticipated a grand wedding but still underestimated its magnificence. The lawn was teeming with people, most mingling and socializing, making it hard to distinguish anyone.

Fortunately, someone guided him to a seat with a name tag once they knew he was a friend of Huo Yuntao. Once seated, Ran Lin dared not wander and simply observed his surroundings. Unlike him, most guests were engaged in conversation on the adjacent open ground. With the wedding not yet started, only a pianist was playing on the garden stage. Ran Lin’s seat in the third row was quite upfront, likely specially arranged by Huo Yuntao.

As Lu Yiyao was the best man, he wasn’t around yet, probably busy welcoming the bride with his buddy. Not wanting to disturb him, Ran Lin relaxed in his chair, admiring the rare, clear blue sky.

Clouds floated by, white and soft like candy. Just looking at them felt sweet. Weddings indeed made people feel happy, Ran Lin thought leisurely in the gentle spring breeze.

Ding dong.

A WeChat notification sound broke his reverie.

Ran Lin took out his phone to see a short video from his partner. In the video, Huo Yuntao was facing the camera, saying, “Brother, I’m about to break through the door. Cheer me on!”

Ran Lin laughed out loud and immediately replied with a voice message, “Go for it!”

There was no response from the other end, probably because his lover was busy breaking down the door.

Suddenly, a voice from behind startled him. “Teacher From Sanya?”

Ran Lin jolted and instinctively turned off his phone before turning around, only to see Ding Kai smiling broadly.

“Why so nervous? You’ve been so discreet.” Ding Kai casually sat down in the fourth row behind Ran Lin, offset by one seat so that when Ran Lin turned back, he faced him directly.

Ran Lin wasn’t sure if Ding Kai was supposed to sit there or had just come over to chat, but he quickly caught the teasing tone regarding the change of his WeChat nickname.

Ran Lin could counter most things, but this one was a clear shot. “At least it’s more thoughtful than 1111.”

Ding Kai looked unjustly accused. “I didn’t change it. That account always had that nickname.”

Ran Lin corrected himself, “Sorry, I thought you changed your nickname to add me. Turns out you just used an alternate account.”

Ding Kai: “……”

Ran Lin expected Ding Kai to come up with a bunch of excuses, not just to concede. Just as he wondered why this “forthrightness” didn’t fit Ding Kai’s style, he heard him say, “It’s risky out there in the world. What if you got annoyed and shared screenshots?”

Ran Lin rolled his eyes. “Even if you used your real name, I could post WeChat screenshots claiming they’re yours, and you could say I fabricated them since you’ve never sent a voice message.”

“Are you resenting that fact?” Ding Kai’s tone teasingly rose.

Ran Lin glared at him. “You’re overthinking.”

“Who’s the Teacher From Sanya?” Ding Kai suddenly circled back to the previous question without warning.

Ran Lin thought he had diverted from this topic and was caught off guard for a moment.

Ding Kai laughed and confidently uttered a name. “Lu Yiyao.”

His voice was so soft it dispersed with the wind. Ran Lin neither confirmed nor denied; he just looked at him calmly.

“You don’t have any connections with Huo Yuntao. The one who really does is him,” Ding Kai continued without pressing further but changed the subject. “I just found out Lu Yiyao started a company. I apologize for my earlier comments. That was foolish of me. I want to apologize to you here.”

Ran Lin flashed a look of confusion.

Ding Kai, catching it, shrugged and explained further, “I mean when I said not to find an artist because it’s like walking near a river, you’ll eventually get your shoes wet. You should’ve reminded me then.”

“Remind you of what?” Lu Yiyao’s voice came from another direction.

Startled, Ran Lin quickly turned from looking back at Ding Kai to the right side, seeing Lu Yiyao already close by, as if out of nowhere.

Ding Kai leaned back in his chair, looking up at Lu Yiyao, who had now appeared beside Ran Lin in the third row, casually saying, “Remind me that he’s not just finding an artist but a boss, and he’s about to sign with him.”

Lu Yiyao didn’t speak, just looked down at Ding Kai, trying to discern his intention. However, he failed. Ding Kai’s annoyingly inscrutable smile gave nothing away.

“Ran Lin must have shared all my less than glorious deeds with you,” Ding Kai said, not hiding anything, perhaps thinking everyone was already on the same page, or maybe because he wasn’t a public figure and didn’t need to be as cautious as Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao.

Lu Yiyao shrugged, pulled a chair next to Ran Lin, and sat down, facing Ding Kai. Ran Lin moved his chair to sit beside Lu Yiyao, facing Ding Kai together.

Ding Kai slightly frowned, feeling slightly disadvantaged, as if he were being double-teamed. Lu Yiyao also frowned slightly, firstly not expecting to encounter Ding Kai here as the Huo family’s focus isn’t on the entertainment industry, and secondly, he’s always been unclear about this uninvited guest’s depths.

Ding Kai guessed that Ran Lin had shared the harassment incident with Lu Yiyao, but he probably didn’t guess that after hearing it, Lu Yiyao had used all available resources to investigate him.

Not afraid of a thief stealing, but afraid of a thief thinking about it, he needed to understand what kind of thief he was dealing with. But the results were surprising—Ding Kai hadn’t dated or supported anyone in the industry, male or female. The only blemish was once trying to meet Ran Lin as an investor through an agent. But whether he’s gay remains uncertain, according to the investigators.

When Lu Yiyao sent people to investigate, he didn’t reveal any details, and the only conclusive information he got back was already known to him. The results were frustrating. Ding Kai is either gay or bisexual; there’s no doubt about it. Otherwise, why would he keep bothering Ran Lin unless it’s just for amusement? But apart from harassing his partner, this man appears to be clean, leaving Lu Yiyao unsure how to judge him.

However, he hadn’t shared these findings with Ran Lin.

Ideally, Ran Lin wouldn’t remember there’s such a person at all. It would be better that way.

Seeing the united front of the two across from him and with no one else around, Ding Kai decided to lay it out. “Let me clarify: I’m not trying to stir trouble, just offering an objective opinion. If it’s true love, it’s probably best not to turn it into a superior-subordinate relationship. Think about it, when one person becomes another’s boss, can the feelings of the one who becomes the employee, or the one who’s financially supported, remain independent?”

“One doesn’t need permission to give their wife the best,” Lu Yiyao retorted, clearly at his limit.

“It’s not about who’s supporting whom. It’s about two people who love each other striving together.” Ran Lin nearly spoke at the same time.

Both were defending their stance, and simultaneously, they blurred the subject, making it clear to Ding Kai what they were referring to, but outsiders would only think they were discussing relationship matters unrelated to themselves.

The moment their words fell, they paused and smiled at each other.

“…” Ding Kai felt as if he’d been hit by a hidden weapon.

Ran Lin turned his gaze back to Ding Kai. “Independence isn’t about the form, but the mindset. Like those you support, you’re not in the same company—no explicit relationship, does that make them independent?”

Ding Kai looked baffled; who had he supported?

“President Ding—”

Someone called out to Ding Kai from a distance. He reflexively turned back, recognized an acquaintance, and stood up to leave, quickly walking over to socialize.

Ran Lin felt a slight regret for not taking this opportunity to have a thorough conversation with Ding Kai and letting him give up. Lu Yiyao was mulling over Ran Lin’s last question, feeling that his lover might have some misunderstandings about Ding Kai.

But it was all good. They were beautiful misunderstandings.

“Speaking of which.” Ran Lin finally remembered to ask his partner. “How did you move so quickly? One second you were welcoming the bride, and the next, you were here?”

After asking, Ran Lin realized the timing of the video didn’t necessarily align with the actual welcoming. It could have been sent after everything was done, during a moment of downtime…

Seeing his partner’s expression, Lu Yiyao knew he didn’t need to explain and skipped that part, directly saying, “My task was just to welcome the bride, and now it’s perfectly completed. Lao Huo is already rehearsing his speech backstage.” Lu Yiyao nodded toward the stage direction.

Ran Lin had a clear view of the stage from his angle but naturally couldn’t see behind it. “Don’t you need bridesmaids and groomsmen to pass rings later?”

“No need.” Lu Yiyao sighed. “Lao Huo wants to do a magic trick himself and produce the rings.”

Ran Lin: “…Does the bride not mind?”

Lu Yiyao: “He didn’t tell Panxi. Said he wanted to surprise her.”

Ran Lin: “Didn’t you remind him it might be awkward or fall flat?”

Lu Yiyao: “Lao Huo is very confident in his magic.”

About fifteen minutes later, guests gradually took their seats, and the venue quieted down. The host began to speak, setting a warm and grand tone for the event.

As the host invited the groom to the stage, Ran Lin finally saw Huo Yuntao. His friend, usually carefree, had his hair neatly combed, wore a sharp suit, and even his expression was unusually serious.

“Getting married really changes a person,” Ran Lin muttered.

Lu Yiyao sighed, thinking it was due to nerves.

As the music flowed out, pouring over the entire lawn, Lin Panxi, arm in arm with her father, slowly approached from a distance, walking onto the stage under the blessed gaze of all the guests.

After a series of procedures, it was finally time for the exciting moment of exchanging rings. The host skillfully heightened the atmosphere to its peak.

Then, under the gaze of all the guests, the groom performed a small-scale close-up magic trick. So close that no one saw what he did, only that after two long and awkward minutes, the groom had two rings in his hand.

It was an uncomfortably long two minutes, which even the host’s attempts couldn’t salvage. However, when Lin Panxi saw the rings, her face lit up.

Ran Lin watched her radiant expression and suddenly thought perhaps Huo Yuntao anticipated the awkwardness. But what does it matter? It’s his wedding, and he just needed to make his bride happy.

The bouquet toss was a universally loved part of the wedding. Since Lin Panxi didn’t have many friends there, the host encouraged all the single ladies present to try their luck.

This call to action rallied over twenty girls under the stage. The atmosphere was lively, and when the bride tossed the bouquet, the girls scrambled for it. The winner, too excited, swung her arms, and two-thirds of the bouquet scattered like a celestial scattering of flowers.

Ran Lin’s seat happened to be in the “disaster zone”, and a rose hit him right on the head. Guests around found it amusing—some catching and some dodging—creating quite a scene.

Ran Lin caught the rose, pinching its shortened stem, looking at the petals, bemused.

“Good omen.” Lu Yiyao took the flower to play with it, noting the thorns had been removed so there was no risk of getting pricked.

Ran Lin jested, “Everyone else catches a bunch, not just a single stem.”

“It’s the same, a stem or a bunch.” Lu Yiyao placed the flower in Ran Lin’s suit pocket, decisively nodding, “Let’s settle on this.”

Ran Lin paused. “Settle what?”

The host said something, and the guests burst into enthusiastic applause.

“My magic will definitely be more spectacular than Lao Huo’s.” Amidst the thunderous applause, Ran Lin heard Lu Yiyao whisper in his ear.

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