Chapter 112 (Final Chapter)
Yan Shuang opened her mouth, wanting to tell him that she would never need him again.
However, just as she was about to speak, the harmonious atmosphere at the wedding was abruptly shattered.
The bride, He Yuezhi, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, was inexplicably furious, her cheeks flushed red. She fiercely lifted the hem of her trailing dress with one hand, while clutching a silver dinner knife in the other. Her face was red with anger, her eyes blazing, and she was chasing after the groom, Zhou Dongxun, without any regard for her image.
This sudden, dramatic scene instantly drew everyone's attention.
Yan Shuang's words were abruptly interrupted by this unexpected turn of events, and she instinctively turned her head to look.
"Zhou Dongxun! You bastard! You stop right there! If I don't make a hole in your body today, I'll change my surname to yours!" He Yuezhi's voice was both angry and anxious, completely lacking her usual elegant demeanor.
Zhou Dongxun looked helpless and exasperated, nimbly dodging the attacks. "Zhizhi! Honey, calm down! There are so many people here! Ouch... my goodness! That's a real knife! Put it down!"
His suit and tuxedo were slightly disheveled, and his bow tie was crooked, making him look rather embarrassed.
The surrounding guests seemed unfazed by the scene, simply smiling and making way for the two childhood sweethearts to put on a full-blown fight.
Just as He Yuezhi was chasing too fast, her high heels accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt, causing her to stumble and fall forward with a cry of surprise.
Zhou Dongxun's expression suddenly changed, and almost reflexively he turned around, stretched out his long arm, and steadily pulled He Yuezhi, who was about to fall to the ground, into his arms.
"Ugh!" He Yuezhi crashed into his solid chest, and the knife in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".
Zhou Dongxun held her tightly, looking down anxiously at her, his tone filled with undisguised worry and reproach: "Why are you running! What if you fall? Does it hurt? I told you not to chase after me!"
He Yuezhi froze in his arms for a second, then seemed even angrier, and punched him hard: "Mind your own business! Let me go!" But the strength of her struggle was obviously much weaker.
Zhou Dongxun didn't let go; instead, he held her even tighter, as if afraid she'd pick up the knife again if he let go. He muttered, "Alright, alright, I was wrong, okay? You can chop it again when we get back, chop it all you want. Now, just be a good girl and get married..."
Yan Shuang's gaze lingered on the noisy newlyweds who instinctively protected each other in times of crisis, a complex tenderness rising at the corners of her lips.
Shangqiu Zhu lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Are you envious?"
He thought she was envious of the public display of love symbolized by the grand wedding, or the seemingly lively and extraordinary form of love.
Yan Shuang gently shook her head, withdrawing her gaze from Zhou Dongxun and He Yuezhi. She did not respond immediately, but instead brought the topic back to his earlier heavy words.
He was afraid she didn't need him.
Yan Shuang raised her hand and covered his hand around her waist, gazing at the distant cityscape.
"Shangqiu Zhu, for a long time, I kept thinking that maybe I did something unforgivable in my past life, so that in this life, I seem to be destined not to be loved properly. My parents' love is conditional, and my sister seems to hate me naturally. At that time, I really had a hard time not doubting myself. I doubted whether fate was fair, and I doubted whether there is really any unreserved affection in this world."
Her voice was very soft, almost melting into the cool breeze.
This matter once weighed heavily on her, and she never said such things to anyone.
As Shangqiu Zhu listened, the arm around her waist unconsciously tightened.
He wished he could travel through time to embrace that helpless little girl, hold her in his arms, and shield her from all the storms and hardships of the past.
Yan Shuang felt his increased pressure and the silent heartache he conveyed, and she forced a gentle smile to appear on her lips.
She gently shook her head and told him it was okay, that all of that was in the past. There was no resentment in her tone, only a sense of relief and acceptance after going through so much.
“And then…” She raised her eyes, her clear gaze meeting his deep eyes, where a torrent of heartache surged within them, “You came.”
"You were there for me during that time, which felt like a stolen moment but illuminated my entire life. Even though you later chose to send me away, I... was indeed very sad. But I will no longer fall into endless self-doubt like I used to. I will no longer ask myself such silly questions as whether I deserve it."
She smiled and gripped his slightly trembling hand even tighter.
"Shangqiu Zhu, the love you gave me is the most thorough negation and answer to all my self-doubts. You made all my past grievances and anxieties seem insignificant."
A smile always played on her lips, a smile filled with boundless emotion and happiness.
The love you give me is so wonderful.
It was so good that it was silent yet omnipresent. So good that even when she was completely unaware, she was still steadily supported for three years.
It was so good that when she looks back now, she feels that she was ridiculously stupid in the past, and so lucky that she wants to cry.
"You are the only person I can rely on in this world." She paused. "You were in the past, you are now, and you will always be in the future. You've sheltered me completely, so well that I can't see anyone else. How could I envy anyone else?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but each word struck his heart, and also the faint music and noise around them.
“I already have the best love in the world. Perhaps it was there even before I realized it myself, perhaps it was already there when I was still ignorant. I’ve doubted many things, but this is the one thing I’m becoming more and more certain about.” She held his hand, her fingertips gently touching her heart. “For me, Shangqiu Zhu’s love is number one. It’s the only one and the best, nothing else can compare. So don’t be afraid that I won’t need you.”
She paused, took a deep breath, and her clear eyes became moist. "I love you too."
She spoke those last few words slowly, but with extraordinary solemnity, and they struck his heart with a heavy weight.
Her confession, sentence after sentence, pierced through layers of mist, completely dispelling the last trace of uncertainty in Shangqiu Zhu's eyes.
He is used to burying all his emotions behind a mask of calm. For him, love is silent protection and unspoken action.
But at this moment, he truly realized that the words she whispered had a magic he had never imagined.
He could clearly feel his heart pounding violently at her words.
However, Yan Shuang did not stop.
Looking at the deep affection surging in his eyes, she continued softly, "Shangqiu Zhu, if there is any envy, then there is indeed a little."
She frowned slightly. "What should I do? I feel like I'm...regretting it."
"Regret?" Shangqiu Zhu repeated subconsciously, his voice slightly tense.
Yan Shuang nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, filled with longing for the newlyweds not far away. Her words were so direct that they made his heart stop: "Let's get married."
After she finished speaking, she seemed a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushed, but she still looked at him bravely and explained in a low voice, her tone filled with undisguised envy: "Seeing other people get married and be able to openly call each other husband and wife... I'm really a little envious."
"..."
Shangqiu Zhu was completely stunned.
An unprecedented wave of ecstasy swept over all his senses, leaving him momentarily unable to react.
Just yesterday, when he confessed his love by offering all his savings, she laughed and said, "You scared me to death! I thought you were going to propose!"
That coquettish tone and teasing still echo in my ears.
And at this moment, in this place filled with the noise of other people's weddings, she actually... proposed to him in such a soft and earnest tone.
That day, many of the guests noticed an unusual detail.
The usually composed and unsmiling CEO was whispering to Miss Yan beside him.
It's unclear what the girl said, but his tall frame trembled slightly.
Immediately afterward, amidst the melodious wedding music and boisterous laughter, someone clearly saw that the business tycoon's eyes suddenly redden.
A clear layer of tears quickly gathered in his deep eyes, as if they were about to burst forth, but he forcibly suppressed them, which only made him appear more emotional.
Then, amidst a chorus of astonished gazes, he completely ignored the ongoing wedding ceremony and everything around him, grabbed the girl who also had tears in her eyes but a radiant smile, and strode towards the exit of the wedding venue.
His steps were quick and steady, as if he had something extremely important to do immediately.
"Mr. Shang? Where are you going?" someone familiar with them asked in surprise.
Shangqiu Zhu seemed not to hear at all; all his attention was focused on the hand he was holding tightly, and on the girl beside him who had just given him the biggest surprise in the world.
He took Yan Shuang's hand and left the wedding venue, driving straight to the Novak office of the Los Angeles County Registry, which was the closest to the wedding site.
The atmosphere inside the car was quiet yet tense.
They didn't speak.
Any language seems pale and superfluous at this moment.
Shangqiu Zhu held Yan Shuang's hand tightly, their fingers intertwined. He turned his head and stared at her intently.
Yan Shuang also turned her head slightly to look back at him.
Then, I don't know who started it first, or perhaps it was even at the same time, but the corners of my lips couldn't help but gradually turn upwards.
A smile tinged with tears, as if from another world.
Then, another, brighter, incredibly happy smile blossomed.
Stepping into that somewhat official and simple building was a stark contrast to the luxurious and romantic atmosphere of the recent wedding.
Shangqiu Zhu held Yan Shuang tightly, using his own body to shield her from the crowd.
He speaks fluent English, has clear logic, and quickly figured out the process.
He handled the process efficiently and calmly, filling out application forms, showing his passport, and paying fees. Only his slightly sweaty hand, which was always clasped with Yan Shuang's, betrayed that his inner state was far from calm on the surface.
The staff may be used to seeing all kinds of newlyweds coming to register, but they still took a second look at this powerful, stern-faced but eager-looking Eastern man and the gentle and beautiful lady beside him.
The process proceeded methodically, but because of his efficiency, it progressed surprisingly quickly.
They didn't have time to book a specialist to officiate the ceremony, but luckily they found one who happened to be available.
In a simple, even somewhat solemn little room, there were no relatives or friends watching, no flowers or rings, only a smiling government official and the necessary legal procedures.
The exchange of vows was so simple it was almost hasty, yet it felt incredibly sacred because of the unmistakable intensity of their love and focus.
The commissioner smiled and announced that they were officially married, and guided them to sign their names on the documents.
Shangqiu Zhu pulled out a chair for her, then sat down beside her, signing his name with unprecedented solemnity.
Half an hour later.
The glass doors of the registration office opened again, and Shang Qiuzhu and Yan Shuang walked out hand in hand. Each of them held an important document they had just received: a legally recognized marriage license.
Yan Shuang squinted slightly to adjust to the sunlight before looking down at the light yet heavy piece of paper in her hand. Then she looked up at the man beside her who had just become her husband in law. A dizzying feeling of extreme unreality yet boundless happiness enveloped her.
Her voice held a dazed quality, as if she were just waking from a dream, as she murmured softly, "They actually... got married like that?"
On such an ordinary afternoon, in a government office in a foreign country, they accomplished one of the most important things in their lives in just half an hour.
Shangqiu Zhu lowered her head and looked at her.
Even though his gaze had been following her ever since their reunion, almost never leaving her for a moment, Shangqiu Zhu still felt she couldn't get enough of looking at her.
"Yes, we're married." He paused slightly, his gaze lingering on her face before slowly uttering that new title, one that seemed destined for her.
"Mrs. Shang."
Yan Shuang raised her eyes and met his deep and focused gaze. A soft smile spread across her lips as she responded in a clear voice.
"Yes, Mr. Shang."
The bright California sunshine shone generously on the newlyweds.
Yan Shuang looked repeatedly at their names written side by side on the paper, as well as the official yet incredibly beautiful words "husband" and "wife," and couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.
She pointed to a popular-looking bubble tea shop on the street corner, "Let's go buy a bubble tea to celebrate!"
Looking at her radiant smile, Shangqiu Zhu naturally agreed without hesitation, "Okay."
The milk tea shop was quite crowded, mostly with young people, who were queuing up in a lively atmosphere.
Shangqiu Zhu glanced around the slightly crowded store, gently put his arm around Yan Shuang's shoulder, and led her to a quieter corner. He pressed her shoulder and made her sit down. "Sit here and wait. I'll go buy it."
Yan Shuang sat down as instructed, clutching the two marriage certificates tightly in her hands, her gaze following Shang Qiuzhu's figure.
Watching him patiently stand in the line full of students, his tall and upright figure stood out in the crowd, occasionally attracting the girls around him to secretly look at him and whisper among themselves.
As Yan Shuang looked at the marriage certificate, she couldn't help but look down at it again, her fingertips gently tracing his name.
She's my husband now.
After Shangqiu Zhu finished placing her order, her phone rang. It was Zhou Dongxun.
Zhou Dongxun frowned and dialed Shang Qiuzhu's number again, this time putting it on speakerphone so that he, Du Yunchuan, and Thomas, who had come over, could listen together.
The call connected, but the background noise was a bit loud, and there seemed to be some indistinct English orders being placed.
"Qiu Zhu, where did you run off to with my sister?" Zhou Dongxun spoke first, his tone half-serious and half-joking as he interrogated her. "Come back right now! My wife is going to give her bouquet to Yan Shuang, saying she wants to pass on the joy to you two!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Shangqiu Zhu's calm and steady voice: "Buying milk tea."
Zhou Dongxun was speechless. "Why are you buying milk tea! Lao Shang, when did you develop a taste for this? Hurry up, business is more important, come back and catch the bouquet!"
Shangqiu Zhu held up her phone, and the clamor on the other end seemed to be instantly shut out into another world.
His gaze never left Yan Shuang, who was sitting in the corner.
The afternoon sun of Los Angeles poured down, and she sat there quietly, a ray of light in herself.
Just then, as if by telepathy, she raised her head, her lips curving upwards, striking straight into the softest part of his heart.
He listened to his friend's boisterous urging on the other end of the phone, but his eyes greedily captured her smile.
On the other end of the phone, Zhou Dongxun was still rambling on: "...Old Shang, are you even listening? The bouquet! The important thing is the bouquet!"
Du Yunchuan's cheering and jeers could also be faintly heard.
Shangqiu Zhu spoke into the microphone, her voice steady as usual, but a few decibels lower than before, "Yes, I'm listening."
He paused, as if responding to the questioning on the other end of the phone, or perhaps just speaking to the smiling person in front of him: "It's my wife who wants to drink it."
"Wife?" Du Yunchuan's voice trembled as if he had burned his tongue by those two words. He looked at Zhou Dongxun and Thomas with a look of disbelief, as if he was trying to confirm whether he was hallucinating.
That cold and aloof Shangqiu bamboo would actually use such a sticky, gooey nickname that only young couples would be so fond of?
And you say it so naturally?
Zhou Dongxun was also stunned for a moment, but quickly remembered the task He Yuezhi had given him, and hurriedly shouted into the phone: "Wait a minute before buying any milk tea. My wife said that this bouquet must be given to Yan Shuang. You two come back right away!"
Du Yunchuan also leaned in and winked, hinting, "Yeah, keep it up, maybe next time it'll be your turn!"
They knew that Shangqiu Zhu's relationship had been difficult, so their blessing naturally carried a different meaning.
"No need," came Shangqiu Zhu's voice again.
"What do you mean you don't need it?!" Du Yunchuan exclaimed, feeling that this guy was incredibly dense and clueless. "I'm creating an opportunity for you, buddy. If you catch the bouquet, good things come in pairs. Keep it up and she'll become your real wife, right? You..."
"It's true, it's already legal."
His words were interrupted calmly by Shangqiu Zhu.
Shangqiu Zhu's voice clearly reached the three people's ears through the microphone.
A brief, deathly silence.
Du Yunchuan's eyes widened suddenly, and his mouth gaped open.
He suddenly looked at Zhou Dongxun, then at Thomas, who also looked astonished, as if he needed to confirm from their faces that what he was hearing was not a fantasy.
"Legal...?!" Du Yunchuan's voice suddenly rose. "What do you mean, legal? If I haven't lost my memory, you two just reunited the day before yesterday, and you confessed your feelings yesterday. I even had to watch over the air freight of those flowers for you. And today it's legal?"
Shangqiu Zhu on the other end of the phone seemed to chuckle very lightly, a short and pleasant laugh that was an emotion he rarely showed.
"Yes," he admitted readily.
It's a bit fast, but...
Shangqiu Zhu paused, then, in a helpless tone, dropped the final bombshell that left the three of them scorched and battered.
"My wife proposed, I had no choice."
These words, spoken as if it were the most natural thing in the world, even carrying a hint of smugness that I could only passively accept, actually revealed a hidden sense of boasting and joy that seemed to pierce through the telephone line.
Just then, the sound of a shop assistant calling out numbers came from the background.
Shangqiu Zhu seemed to reach for the drink, and in a relaxed tone, he gave his final words to the three people on the other end of the phone who were still in a state of shock: "My milk tea is ready, I'm not talking to you anymore. The bouquet," he paused, "is for someone else."
After saying that, without giving the other party any response, the call was abruptly ended.
Left alone in a corner of the wedding venue, Zhou Dongxun, Du Yunchuan, and Thomas looked at each other, holding their phones that felt like they were burning hot, their faces uniformly blank as if overwhelmed by a huge amount of information.
The air was still for a few seconds.
Du Yunchuan gasped sharply, as if he had just regained his voice, his tone distorted.
"What did he just say?! His wife... proposed?! There's no way to stop him?!"
"They...they just...made it legal?! In the short time it took to attend the wedding?!"
"Didn't Shangqiu Zhu just confess her feelings yesterday?! Huh?!"
Zhou Dongxun was also completely bewildered, subconsciously touching his chin: "My birthday... I got married, and I also managed to push their progress bar to its maximum?
Even Thomas looked surprised and shook his head: "President Shang's way of doing things... is still as decisive as ever, no, it's swift and powerful."
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the evening sunlight grew increasingly gentle.
Shangqiu Zhu inserted the straw, turned around and handed it to Yan Shuang, then reached out and wrapped her hand in his warm palm again.
“Let’s go,” he said, turning to look at her, “Let’s go back for dinner.”
The two looked at each other and smiled.
He held her hand, she held the milk tea, and they nestled together as they slowly walked towards the wedding hotel.
The sun was shining brightly, and the milk tea was slightly sweet.
The law recognizes it, and heaven and earth bear witness.
My love is near, and the future is long.
Time cruelly separated them; those self-inflicted acts of kindness, the unintentional hurts, the elusive silhouettes in the dead of night, and the mountains of despair that piled up year after year—all stood coldly between them.
Even though he could see that eternal night lay ahead, and even though they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, his love never wavered in the slightest.
In the long, slow-flowing years that followed, he still rarely expressed his love verbally, and she didn't need repeated verbal confirmation.
Their love flowed quietly in their eyes when they met, in moments when they understood each other without needing to say a word.
It settles into the ordinary days and nights.
The story ends on such an ordinary afternoon.
After all, the fulfillment that the CEO sought throughout his life was neither some grand achievement that could shake the world, nor the accumulation of wealth that could rival that of a nation.
What he sought was always this simple.
It was just an ordinary afternoon, with bright sunshine and the only girl he ever loved standing at dusk for him, asking if his porridge was warm.
May fate be lenient and spare this loving couple.
It will not hasten the graying of my hair, nor diminish my loyalty, nor allow the frost and snow to etch marks on my brow.
Time passes like a gentle veil, offering only tenderness and never separation.
(End of article)
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