Chapter 2. What is a hopeless lover?
Song Huai and Bai Xiao's wedding took place as scheduled a month later.
The Bai family has been a powerful clan in the south for many years, while the Song family has been a rising star that has developed rapidly in recent years. The marriage between the Bai and Song families naturally attracted much attention. The wedding was a grand affair, with a huge sum of money spent and many prominent figures invited.
Before the wedding began, Song Huai was in the dressing room, doing his final touches on his look, striving to ensure that his clothes were wrinkle-free. He quietly looked at himself in the mirror, dressed in his magnificent attire, his eyes showing a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Song Huai recalled a piano piece he had learned as a child, "Wedding in a Dream." As a boy, he was puzzled as to why a piece describing a wedding could be so sorrowful. Shouldn't a wedding be a time of happiness and joy? His teacher explained that the wedding in the piece was merely a dream, and that the piece was about hopeless lovers. He pressed for details: what did "hopeless lovers" mean? His teacher didn't answer at the time, but simply patted his head gently and smiled without saying a word.
Now, Song Huai finally understands the true meaning of it all, but it's too late—he is about to "marry" the man he has loved for many years, and he can't even say "I love you" to him.
At first listen, one does not understand the meaning of the song; upon listening again, one becomes a character in the song.
--
As the solemn wedding march began, Bai Xiao and Song Huai, dressed in black and white suits respectively, slowly entered the hall to the music.
From the venue to the decorations, every light and every bouquet was meticulously prepared. The guests looked at them with blessings, envy, and expectations. Countless cameras were pointed at them, ready to record this wedding of the century, as if they were truly in love.
This is Song Huai's wedding, yet this isn't Song Huai's wedding. The one who should be marrying Bai Xiao isn't Song Huai, but Song Boyu.
Song Huai felt like a despicable and shameless man, a cuckoo in the nest, stealing his brother's lover. He even had to admit that a sliver of secret joy lingered in his heart—if it weren't for his brother's death, this day would never have come. He had committed a heinous crime, and he could only hope that his brother in the afterlife could forgive him.
"Mr. Bai Xiao, whether in riches or poverty, in health or sickness, in beauty or fading, in good times or bad, will you take Mr. Song Huai to be your husband, to love him forever, to be faithful to him until death do you part?"
"I do." Even though he could clearly see the unwavering look in the man's eyes, and even though he knew these words didn't come from his heart, Song Huai's heart still skipped a beat when he heard those three words.
"Mr. Song Huai, whether in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in beauty or fading, in good times or bad, will you take Mr. Bai Xiao to be your husband, to love him forever, to be faithful to him until death do you part?"
"I...do." Song Huai choked back tears. He was marrying the man he had longed for countless times in his midnight dreams, a man he had desperately desired but could never have. He lowered his head, to hide the tears that streamed down his face, and also to escape Bai Xiao's cold gaze—he truly didn't want to see that look again. That look constantly reminded him that Bai Xiao had always loved Song Boyu, and that his marriage to him was merely a temporary measure. Even so, he greedily wanted to deceive himself temporarily, to pretend that the past didn't exist, to pretend that he and Bai Xiao were a truly loving couple, currently completing their wedding ceremony amidst everyone's blessings.
Applause erupted, and the ceremony was complete.
Song Huai and Bai Xiao officially entered into marriage from that point on.
--
After the wedding, Song Huai returned to their bridal chamber. Yes, only Song Huai was there; Bai Xiao had vanished without a trace after the ceremony. The driver dropped Song Huai off at the villa and left. When Song Huai asked him about Bai Xiao's whereabouts, he only received a cold reply: "I'm sorry, Mr. Song, I have no right to disclose the young master's whereabouts. You can ask him yourself." Helpless, Song Huai could only walk into the villa alone.
Song Huai lived alone in the villa. Bai Xiao preferred quiet and only hired a maid to clean it every week. There were no outsiders here on weekdays. He looked around. The whole house was decorated in cool colors and had a very stylish decor, but the whole house exuded a cold atmosphere—just like their marriage.
Song Huai sat down on the sofa. Although he knew that the chances of Bai Xiao returning tonight were slim, he still held a sliver of hope. He just hoped that he could see his husband on his wedding night, the man he had longed for for many years.
After an unknown amount of time, Song Huai's stomach began to ache. He was a premature baby and had always been in poor health. When he was 15, a bout of influenza nearly took his life. Furthermore, due to his frequent immersion in composing music, his irregular sleep schedule and diet had led to a long-standing stomach ailment. Song Huai couldn't help but think of his younger brother, Song Boyu. When he had stomach pains, Song Boyu was always by his side. At that time, Song Boyu had already taken over company affairs, but he still made time in his busy schedule to personally cook porridge for Song Huai and never forgot to make sure he ate on time every day. For those few years, his stomach improved significantly under Song Boyu's care. But then tragedy struck; Song Boyu tragically passed away. During that dark period, he had no time to pay attention to his health, and over time, his stomach ailment began to worsen.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, the clock hand pointed to midnight, and the sound of the door opening finally rang out; Bai Xiao was back.
Bai Xiao was helped back by a stranger, who was completely drunk and staggering. Song Huai quickly came over and took Bai Xiao. When the stranger saw Song Huai, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said to Song Huai, "Hello, you must be Mr. Song. I am Bai's special assistant, Ji Xia. Bai has had a bit too much to drink, so I'll have to trouble you tonight."
Song Huai and Ji Xia helped Bai Xiao to the sofa. Then Song Huai politely said to Ji Xia, "Thank you for your hard work. Would you like some water?"
"You're too kind, Mr. Song. It's my duty. I'll be leaving now. I wish you and President Bai a happy marriage!" he said before leaving. Song Huai wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that for a moment just now, Ji Xia's gaze towards him carried a hint of hostility. However, he didn't have time to think too much about it; there was still a drunkard on the sofa waiting for him to take care of.
Song Huai was too exhausted to carry Bai Xiao to bed alone, so he had no choice but to let Bai Xiao spend the night on the sofa. Song Huai took off Bai Xiao's shoes, took a towel soaked in hot water, and wanted to give him a quick wipe. Song Huai gazed mesmerized at the face that had appeared countless times in his dreams, gently wiping Bai Xiao's delicate eyebrows and high nose with the towel. Even with the man's eyes closed, Song Huai could still recall that fleeting glimpse from years ago—that one moment that had made Song Huai unforgettable for so many years, and had made him deeply in love with Bai Xiao for just as long.
Suddenly, Bai Xiao opened her eyes and quietly looked at Song Huai. By the time Song Huai noticed, he didn't know how long Bai Xiao had been staring at him.
Song Huai exclaimed in surprise, "Bai Xiao, you're awake!" He was about to put the towel away and then go to the kitchen to get a glass of warm water. "Wait a minute, I'll get you a glass of water. There's not much left in the fridge, so I'll go to the supermarket to buy some vegetables to make a hangover soup. You might as well..." Before he could finish speaking, Bai Xiao pulled Song Huai into his arms and pressed his lips to his. At first, it was a light, fleeting kiss, but when Song Huai didn't react, he deepened the kiss more roughly. Their teeth almost collided. He held Song Huai tightly with both hands, as if afraid he would run away.
Song Huai was stunned. Overwhelmed with joy, he slowly and awkwardly began to respond to Bai Xiao's kiss.
Upon receiving the response, Bai Xiao became even more excited. He tried to unbutton Song Huai's shirt with both hands, unconsciously murmuring, "Little Fish, Little Fish..." Song Huai's eyes widened suddenly. One second he was in heaven, the next he was plunged into hell. He instinctively tried to push Bai Xiao away, but the man's strength was too great, and he couldn't break free for a while. He cried out in a sob, "Bai Xiao, look carefully at who I am..."
Upon hearing his words, Bai Xiao slowly stopped what he was doing, staring at Song Huai with a blank look in his eyes. Slowly, he seemed to finally realize that Song Boyu had died three years ago, and the man in front of him who resembled Song Boyu was his older brother, Song Huai. His eyes gradually reddened, filled with anger. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Song Huai's neck, his five fingers beginning to close.
Song Huai felt his vision slowly darken, his breathing become incredibly difficult, and he gradually felt suffocated. He had no doubt that Bai Xiao was about to kill him. For a fleeting moment, he thought that dying like this wouldn't be so bad; if he died, he could see his younger brother again. Song Huai calmly looked into Bai Xiao's hate-filled eyes and felt that this world was utterly absurd. Bai Xiao, drunk, mistook him for his deceased lover, and then tried to strangle him—he didn't know which was more ridiculous. What was even more laughable was that he had just been truly immersed in his kiss with Bai Xiao. How could he not have thought that Bai Xiao, who deeply loved his younger brother, would never have kissed him willingly? This was simply… wishful thinking.
At the same time, Song Huai's stomach pain began to sharpen, as if a thick, long stick was hitting his stomach again and again.
So be it. To die at the hands of the person I love most is, in a way, a good ending.
Song Huai closed his eyes, and at the same time, tears that had been welling up in his eyes for a long time flowed down his cheeks and onto Bai Xiao's hand...
Just when Song Huai thought he was about to be strangled to death, Bai Xiao let go of his hand.
A large amount of air rushed into his lungs, and Song Huai couldn't help but cough violently, as if he were coughing up all his internal organs. He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly stopped coughing. At this moment, a terrifying red mark appeared around his neck.
Bai Xiao's hazy, drunken eyes gradually cleared. He frowned, looking at Song Huai in disbelief, then at his own hands. Whether it was Song Huai's imagination or not, a look of near-remorse appeared on Bai Xiao's face. He gave Song Huai a deep, complex look, and the next second, he strode away, slamming the door behind him.
After Bai Xiao left, Song Huai could no longer bear the pain in his stomach. He clutched his upper abdomen tightly with both hands, slowly squatted down, and collapsed onto the cold floor, curling up into a ball.
Amid the pain, Song Huai vaguely thought that he must have seen wrong. Bai Xiao hated him so much that she wanted to strangle him to death, so why would she regret it?
Song Huai, once is enough to deceive yourself; you can't let it happen a second time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com