Chapter 100 (End of Chapter 100)
Fang Xin had just dried his hair and was about to go to bed when he saw Jing Yitong suddenly sit up in bed.
He was startled by Jing Yitong's sudden movement: "What?"
Jing Yitong gripped his phone, his mind racing. After a long pause, he stiffly turned his head and called out, "Xin Gu."
"Hmm?" Fang Xingu sat on the edge of the bed and noticed that Jing Yitong's expression was absent and not quite right. He frowned worriedly and leaned over to stroke Jing Yitong's cheek. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Jing Yitong's emotions were hard to describe. He just stared straight into Fang Xingu's eyes, as if trying to hear Fang Xingu's silent monologue through his eyes.
After a long while, he finally made up his mind and asked, "Can I see your Weibo side account... I mean, on your phone?"
Fang Xingu was stunned for a moment, and finally understood the reason why Jing Yitong had made such a series of strange moves just now—why Jing Yitong, who clearly knew his Weibo account, still said these words, and even wanted to use his phone to look at his Weibo alternate account?
It must be because Jing Yitong has already discovered that he has hidden more than two hundred Weibo posts.
Although she knew she couldn't hide it from him, Fang Xingu still looked embarrassed: "You know?"
Jing Yitong said with a hint of disappointment, "I'm sorry, I only just realized it. So, may I take a look?"
Fang Xin was still a little hesitant: "Are you sure you want to see it?"
Jing Yitong nodded seriously, stretched out his arm and pulled Fang Xingu into his arms, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sure. I really want to know what you wrote in those 221 Weibo posts that you hid, and what role I played in them."
Fang Xin nestled against Jing Yitong's warm chest, hearing her own heart beating strongly.
What did he write in his more than two hundred hidden Weibo posts?
Undoubtedly, it was filled with longing and affection for Jing Yitong. If these memories weren't so precious, Fang Xingu should have deleted them completely before publicly revealing his Weibo side account, leaving no trace.
But he really couldn't bear to delete those Weibo posts, because those posts were not just paragraphs of text, but also testaments to his feelings.
Even though he is now with Jing Yitong, and even though those bittersweet memories are not pleasant, for Fang Xingu, anything related to Jing Yitong is naturally very precious.
Just looking at those words reminded Fang Xin of his feelings for Jing Yitong at different ages and stages.
But should we really show it to Jing Yitong?
A relationship that takes seven or eight years to blossom from unrequited love is ultimately different from one that develops naturally. His winding river had been flowing outside the city for many years, yet he never dared to knock on the city gates until Jing Yitong opened them to him. Only then did he dare to feign modesty and flow into the city he had long coveted.
Such a secret crush is bound to be filled with bitterness and distress, which makes Fang Xin hesitate. He is unsure whether to open his heart to Jing Yitong, because he is worried that Jing Yitong will feel a sense of rejection when faced with this somewhat heavy affection.
Moreover, he had seen too many stories of people who confided in others, only to become the tools others used to harm them.
Fang Xingu is not an honest person. He is very guarded and very few people can get into his heart. Even when facing Jing Yitong, Fang Xingu always reserved a small piece of territory that belonged entirely to himself and did not reveal it to Jing Yitong.
But is such "retention" really the right thing to do?
Fang Xin knew that honesty was very important in a relationship, especially since Jing Yitong seemed to sometimes overthink and let his "reservations" affect his mood.
Most importantly, this is Jing Yitong, not someone else.
Fang Xin remained nestled in Jing Yitong's arms. At that moment, he heard not only his own heartbeat but also Jing Yitong's. The frequencies of their heartbeats gradually synchronized, just like their feelings, which, though different, ultimately reached the same point and resonated in unison.
It seemed like a long time had passed, or perhaps only a few minutes, before Fang Xingu, nestled in Jing Yitong's arms, finally made a move. He reached for his phone on the bedside table, opened Weibo, switched to his alternate Weibo account, and handed it to Jing Yitong, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "Take a look."
Jing Yitong took a deep breath: "Okay."
He took the phone and scrolled down through Weibo, finally finding the content about himself that he had hoped to see on Fang Xin's Weibo.
"We're actually together? It's so blissful, like a dream. I'm so immersed in this dream that I don't want to wake up..."
"Huh? Huh? Huh? His arranged marriage partner is me??? Then what was I doing all this time without any real suffering? [smile]"
"It feels like I've been set up. On the first day of recording, I met the person I least wanted to see. But come to think of it, this is actually the first time we've shared the stage. Oh well, let's just enjoy the moment."
...
"It seemed like we were going to meet on the red carpet, but this person backed out as soon as they heard I was going. What does that mean? Do they really not want to see me? [sigh]"
"I hate unrequited love. I've suffered enough from unrequited love in my life."
"It was my first time standing on a concert stage, but the person I most wanted to sing for wasn't there. If he were in the audience, I would be willing to write many, many songs for him."
...
"He said he was the Samoyed's dad, and I asked what my role was. He said, 'Then of course you're the puppy's mom.' Sigh, people who are honest with themselves always speak without thinking. Although I don't want to be the mom, I do want to have a spousal relationship with him that exists between 'parents'... Forget it, why talk about this? I'll just be the older brother and experience what it's like to be an older brother."
"It would be hard for such a small dog to survive in the snow, especially with an injured leg. But it's so cute, all white and fluffy, and it looks so pitiful when it looks up at me. But I don't support bringing the dog home. We're still students; can we really take good care of this little life?"
"He went home for the New Year, that's great, we even saw the snow together. It's rare for it to snow in Jiangcheng, and even rarer for it to have any snow accumulation. The last time it snowed heavily was ten years ago, I think. Time flies so fast. Ten years ago I dared to walk openly beside him, but ten years later I only dare to steal glances at his back."
...
"The workload in my senior year of high school is getting busier and busier, but why is it that whenever I have a moment of quiet, all I can think about is him?"
"I haven't seen my brother in a long time. Is his training in Beijing going well? My aunt and uncle don't give him any money. Will he run out of money? The art exam must be very tiring and tough. I want to go see him."
"My brother is actually preparing to take the art exam [confused]. Why did he never tell me? And why did he leave in such a hurry? We were supposed to go skiing together for a few days. In the end, did he just leave me alone in a foreign country?"
Jing Yitong grew increasingly alarmed as he read on. Although Fang Xingu never explicitly stated who "he" referred to in these writings, Jing Yitong knew at a glance that the person was himself. Moreover, Jing Yitong also sensed from these blog posts that Fang Xingu indeed harbored feelings for him, which could even be traced back to before Fang Xingu's college entrance examination.
In other words, the "person Fang Xin Gu and Xu Subo liked" at the time did indeed refer to him.
Jing Yi felt a little dizzy at the same time. If that was the case, then how long had they missed each other all these years?
Jing Yitong was still unsettled when Fang Xin slipped something else into his hand—the letter he had sent back from Antarctica.
Fang Xingu's eyes softened: "Well, I've shown you Weibo, so you should see this letter too."
Jing Yitong took the letter. At first, he didn't even realize that his hands were trembling. It wasn't until he tried several times and failed to take the letter out of the envelope that he took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and shakily pulled the letter out of the envelope.
Jing Yitong,
Seeing this letter is like meeting you in person.
By the time you read this letter, we should have already left Antarctica and returned to the normal course of life.
Thank you for your constant companionship. I was destined to be a drifting, adrift ship, forever searching for a harbor to dock in. But you existed, and for a time I thought you were my Murmansk harbor.
But then I realized that only stranded ships remain docked forever, while I will set sail again tomorrow to embark on a new journey—because the meaning of life is to wander, not to find a harbor.
Fang Xin Gu
Jing Yitong felt his eyes sting and swell. He knew all too well how painful it was to have a crush on someone, and he also understood the strong desire to give up that Fang Xin Gu had in this letter.
What were Fang Xin's feelings as he wrote this letter that day outside the Penguin Post Office in Antarctica, amidst the swirling snow?
Jing Yitong could no longer control his emotions. He hugged Fang Xingu tightly, as if he wanted to embed the person in his arms into his own bones and blood, so that the two of them would become one. He asked in a low voice, "How long has it been?"
It was a seemingly random question, but Fang Xin Gu understood Jing Yi Tong's meaning—how long had this affection lasted?
“It’s been more than eight years, right? I can’t say exactly when, because I don’t know when I started to like you,” Fang Xingu hugged him back, her voice muffled. “Actually, I wanted to give up when I was writing this letter, but luckily you didn’t give up on me and have stayed by my side all this time.”
A wave of bitterness washed over Jing Yitong, and she earnestly promised him, "I will never give up on you or leave you."
Fang Xingu chuckled softly, "I know."
Before Fang Xingu could even feel relieved that he had finally revealed the secret he had kept in his heart for so many years, Jing Yitong suddenly said, "Do you know why I suddenly wanted to take the art exam back then?"
He was momentarily caught off guard by Jing Yitong's abrupt shift in thought, wondering why he had suddenly veered to this topic when the two were deep in affection. He asked, "Why?"
Jing Yitong pondered for a moment, then confessed, "Because at that time I realized that I seemed to have fallen for you. I felt like I was going crazy, that I actually fell for my own brother. So I cowardly went to take the art exam, wanting to get away from you and clear my head."
Fang Xin was truly stunned. He didn't understand what Jing Yitong was saying for a long time, and his brain had completely stopped working: "...Huh?"
Jing Yitong released Fang Xingu, but his hands were still on Fang Xingu's shoulders. When their eyes met, he saw that Fang Xingu's face was full of confusion, so he told him again in a straightforward and solemn manner: "Xingu, I want to say that I have liked you for a long time, even longer than you have liked me. It has been ten years since you started high school."
It took Fang Xingu quite a while to finally understand the meaning behind Jing Yitong's words. He was trembling with fear – Jing Yitong also liked me, and had liked me for ten years.
The two gazed at each other silently for a long time. After a moment, Jing Yitong saw two lines of tears suddenly fall from Fang Xingu's eyes. The beautiful tears fell drop by drop down Fang Xingu's cheeks, leaving two wet and shiny marks.
Jing Yitong immediately panicked, quickly wiping away Fang Xingu's tears with his thumb, and tenderly kissed the corner of his eye: "Why are you crying?"
Fang Xin buried his head in Jing Yitong's shoulder: "You're not lying to me?"
Jing Yitong hugged him and patted his back soothingly, saying, "Of course not. How can you fake liking someone?"
Fang Xin's voice choked with emotion: "...Are we both sick?"
The two had liked each other for eight years, but they finally got together this year. What were they doing in the years before that?
Fang Xin thought that it was even possible that while he was suffering terribly from unrequited love, Jing Yitong was also agonizing over unrequited love for him.
Jing Yitong found it both funny and sad: "There is a problem. It's all my fault for being too timid back then. If I had been braver and confessed to you directly when I realized I liked you, maybe we wouldn't have wasted so many years."
Fang Xingu finally recovered. He sniffed and even had the mind to tell a lame joke: "Then forget it. I didn't like you back in the first year of high school. If you had confessed to me back then, wouldn't you have scared me away? Maybe I wouldn't have realized that I liked you later."
Jing Yitong: ?
Jing Yitong chuckled and precisely pinched Fang Xingu's cheek with his other hand: "No, you are only allowed to like me in this life."
“How can you be so domineering?” Fang Xin clung to his brother, slowly laughing as he began to imagine when he should confess to truly change the course of the story. “You should confess to me after I graduate from high school. I think that’s the most suitable time.”
Jing Yitong remained strangely silent for a moment: "I was originally planning to confess my feelings to you."
"Huh? Then why didn't you say that in the end?"
"It was during the bar incident. After I chased you to the bar, I heard you say that you were Xu Subo's boyfriend..."
Fang Xingu shuddered. Almost at the same moment Jing Yitong said those words, he figured out the logic behind it: "So you misunderstood my relationship with Su Bo back then, thought you were heartbroken, and left in a daze, even rushing to the film set right away?"
Jing Yitong covered his forehead: "Yes."
Fang Xingu closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "Do you know what I originally wanted to say to you those few days?"
Jing Yitong had a bad feeling: "What?"
“I wanted to confess to you too, but before I could say anything, you ran away…” Fang Xingu said helplessly when recalling the past. “Later, I wondered several times why you suddenly left, and even suspected that you found out I liked you, so you ran away in a hurry.”
Fate played one joke after another on them. When the two checked their accounts, they found that so many things didn't add up. Amidst the absurdity, Jing Yitong pressed on and asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time: "So why were you so hot and cold towards me when we were recording 'The World Is So Big'?"
Fang Xingu lowered his eyes awkwardly, feeling guilty, and said, "The news I heard at the time was that you were going to marry someone else, so I..."
Jing Yitong looked as if he had been struck by lightning: "Who spread this false information! I set up this marriage alliance to marry you and tie you down!"
Fang Xin Gu: ?
Fang Xingu took a step back, looking at Jing Yitong in shock: "Was this marriage a scheme you deliberately set up?"
Jing Yitong completely gave up and revealed all his secrets: "Yes... but I'm not exactly lying to you! To resolve my family's crisis, we do need your family's help. Marriage is the most stable way to bind our relationship, but I only like you and only want to marry you, so my marriage partner will only be you."
Fang Xingu narrowed his eyes: "What if I don't agree to the marriage in the end, and my family doesn't help your family either?"
Jing Yitong blinked and then squeezed his palm in a flattering way: "Then my family will give up this part of the business. In fact, my family company has been transforming in recent years, and the business scope has been expanding. Even if one tail is cut off, there are still eight."
Fang Xingu pulled his hand away and slapped him on the back, both amused and annoyed: "You think you're right? You even tried to set me up."
Jing Yitong, shameless as ever, leaned in and took his hand again, sincerely asking, "Now that you know the truth behind this 'arranged marriage,' are you still willing to marry me?"
Fang Xingu tried to keep a straight face and act serious, but he broke down after a few seconds. He squeezed Jing Yitong's hand back and said, "I'm willing, I've always been very willing."
This time, the two looked at each other and smiled. Jing Yitong hugged him with some regret: "It's still such a pity. We've missed so many years, and time has been wasted."
Fang Xin rested her chin on his shoulder: "But as we went our separate ways, we both became better versions of ourselves, and we became more aware of the weight of this relationship and the importance of each other, right?"
Jing Yitong smiled and said, "You're right."
Life is about moving forward; there's no need to dwell on past regrets. Perhaps every experience has its inherent meaning. These missed years have made them more mature and made them realize how hard-won this relationship was.
What they need to do now is to fully appreciate the present moment and enjoy every moment of being physically and mentally connected with each other.
After finally revealing their deepest secrets to each other without reservation, Fang Xingu and Jing Yitong became even closer. After recording the remastered version of "Please Listen to His Defendant", the two went abroad together for almost a month before returning.
By the end of September, Fang Xin began preparing for the tour, and Jing Yitong also began preparing to join a new group.
By mid-October, after a series of thunderstorms, the temperature dropped sharply, and Jiangcheng officially entered autumn. Even the air was filled with a damp atmosphere. Fang Xingu and Jing Yitong finally decided to complete a major life event that they had both been looking forward to for a long time.
That day, Fang Xin stood in the entryway of his home, checking his bag to make sure there were no missing documents or certificates—ID card, household registration book, and a headshot photo. No problem, everything was ready.
He had just zipped up his backpack when he heard Jing Yitong calling him from outside: "Xin Gu, are you done?"
Fang Xin walked out of the gate. Most of the trees in the courtyard had turned golden and fiery red, and Jing Yitong was waiting for him under a maple forest with dew-laden leaves.
Fang Xingu paused for a few seconds, smelling the scent of autumn and also sensing Jing Yitong's fragrance.
When Jing Yitong heard the door open, he looked up at him. The moment he saw Fang Xingu's figure, he smiled and waved vigorously at Fang Xingu.
Fang Xingu slung her bag over her shoulder and rushed towards Jing Yitong, throwing herself into his arms with a pure smile: "I'm here!"
Jing Yitong smiled and caught him: "Are you ready to step into a new stage of life with me?"
Fang Xingu grabbed Jing Yitong's hand and pressed it to his heart. Thump, thump, that was the sound of his heartbeat. He looked into Jing Yitong's eyes and said, "Did you hear that? It says it's been ready for a long time."
In countless silent days and nights when he dared not confide his feelings, Fang Xin had poured all his emotions into his heart, with only his heartbeat silently expressing his love. Now, he understood that Jing Yitong felt the same way.
Sure enough, Jing Yitong leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips: "I know."
A heartbeat is proof that you love me, and it's also proof that I love you.
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Author's Note: Chapter 100, the main story is complete! I'll take a few days off to start writing side stories. Currently, I plan to write about the marriage registration, going public with the family, and the past events surrounding picking up the baby. Readers who are interested are welcome to come back and read them later! [Sprinkling flowers]
There will be random red envelopes for leaving comments in this chapter (I'll send them out when I get back after a few days of rest [please]).
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Finally, here's a pre-order for a contemporary BL novel. Feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested!
"Mr. Xie, how could you fall in love with a body double!"
A seemingly respectable but actually ruthless and controlling top (Xie Sui) × A hedonistic, reborn bottom who doesn't care what kind of play you play as long as he's happy (Lu Mingwei)
(Main character is the receiver; the text and title are still being worked on.)
.
Ever since he hired a new assistant, Xie Sui has noticed that the way his colleagues look at him has changed.
Every day as he walks around the company, he can hear the employees whispering amongst themselves, even though they think it's being discreet.
"How could President Xie find a substitute for President Lu to keep by his side?"
"This stand-in looks so much like President Lu, from appearance to personality. Could this be a scam?"
"I really misjudged President Xie. President Lu has only been gone for a few years and he can't hold back anymore? No, it's been eight years."
"Sigh, men really are all fickle."
Xie Sui turned a deaf ear and only showed great care for the "stand-in" assistant.
Not only did he let the stand-in move into his home, but he also personally took care of the stand-in's daily life. He even became so infatuated with love that he wanted to give his shares to the stand-in.
Upon hearing the news, Mingsheng employees erupted in a shrill outcry: "President Xie, how could you fall in love with a body double!"
Mingsheng is President Lu's life's work, and now you actually want to use Mingsheng to curry favor with the substitute? How can you face President Lu?
Xie Sui stubbornly insisted: "Stop arguing, I can tell whether he's a stand-in or not."
staff:……
Oh no, Ming Sheng is really doomed now!
.
In his previous life, Lu Mingwei worked diligently for the company, but died of illness at the age of twenty-eight, only to be met with countless cries of "Heaven is jealous of talent" at his funeral.
When Lu Mingwei opened his eyes again, he found himself eight years in the future.
This time, he was reborn as a penniless man who looked very similar to his original self. However, he was unloved by his parents, owed a huge amount of money to loan sharks, and was even coerced and lured by his creditors to become someone else's substitute.
Creditor: "As long as you infiltrate Mingsheng Group and become Xie Sui's stand-in for Lu Mingwei, stealing Mingsheng's internal secrets, our debt will be wiped clean."
Lu Mingwei: ?
Mingsheng, isn't that my company?
Xie Sui, isn't that my student?
Lu Mingwei... isn't that just me?!
Lu Mingwei is not suitable as a typical stand-in.
But he definitely wants to see how outrageous it is that someone would infiltrate his own company and act as his student's double. :)
.
In order to find out the details of the creditors, Lu Mingwei disguised herself and rejoined Mingsheng, becoming Xie Sui's assistant.
However, Lu Mingwei believed he knew Xie Sui very well and thought that Xie Sui would never be deceived by the so-called "stand-in" trap.
However, upon returning to Mingsheng, Lu Mingwei discovered that Xie Sui's attitude towards him, his "stand-in," was becoming increasingly strange.
She not only tricked him into living with her at home, but also took care of his food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and even tried to lure him into bed.
Lu Mingwei fell into deep thought: Something's not right. Does Xie Sui want to sleep with the substitute or with me?
Lu Mingwei sensed something was wrong and packed her bags, preparing to flee Xie Sui's house that very night.
As soon as he opened the door with his suitcase, he was blocked at the door by Xie Sui, who looked like a ghost.
Xie Sui looked at him with a gloomy expression: "Teacher, are you going to leave me alone again?"
Lu Mingwei's Adam's apple bobbed. Before he could even think about when he had been exposed, he felt a chill creep up his back.
Wait... so Xie Sui wants to sleep with me? ???
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