The small box, less than half the size of a fist, was a cube with intricate patterns, and the other party spoke in a slightly formal tone.
Tong Zhao's gaze froze, a guess forming in her mind: "This is..."
"The ring," Shan Song said softly. "I've been thinking of getting you a new one. It's pointless to go through all that pretense at the wedding, so let's not wait until then. Right now, on the cruise ship, the scenery is quite nice, why don't you try it on?"
Tong Zhao felt the sea breeze and birdsong fading away. As if his limbs were not under his control, he mechanically obeyed the command and reached out his hand, watching Shan Song solemnly slip the ring, which was almost the same color as the ocean in the sunlight, onto his ring finger.
Do you like it?
As Tong Zhao looked at it, his eyes sparkled with a light that was even more captivating than the gemstones. He pouted, wanting to laugh and cry at the same time: "I think I like it a little more now."
Shan Song reached out his thumb and rubbed the corner of his eye: "Yeah, me too."
In the past twenty years, Shan Song had never experienced what it felt like to say goodbye to someone with reluctance. Today, he had the opportunity to taste it for the first time. It was a bit bittersweet. Tong Zhao was like a kitten waiting for him to go out hunting, hiding on the deck and secretly watching his back.
It gave him an urge to immediately turn around, put him in his pocket, and take him away.
Fortunately, it was just an impulse. As Shan Song walked, he looked at his phone, his fingers constantly swiping, but his thoughts were not on the screen at all. He thought about Tong Zhao's beautiful eyes with watery light, and what kind of reasonable excuse he could find to leave without arousing suspicion.
After much deliberation, Shan Song's pupils gradually focused back onto the screen.
The screen displays a dialog box that was just sent.
Qi Changzhou: You beast!
[Qi Changzhou: Do you know how difficult it is for me to make a phone call?]
Qi Changzhou: [Images][Images]
Dan Song chuckled: Good brother, you've come at just the right time.
[Shan Song: I'm coming to find you, the usual place.]
According to Yuan Yamin's design, the cruise ship part that Tong Zhao was most looking forward to was used to hold the party the night before the wedding. The cruise ship sailed around the island at a slow speed, starting from the predetermined starting point and eventually returning to the original point.
The formal ceremony didn't start until the next day, so the two family heads only made a token appearance at the party on the evening of the first day, leaving the rest to the young people to have fun.
Tong Zhao hadn't seen Shan Song by the time they reached the boarding ship that day, which made him a little anxious. Fortunately, Shan Song used the same trick again, and another small note landed in Tong Zhao's palm: [12th floor, bar, the spot we've been to before—Shan Song.]
Tong Zhao slowly exhaled, lightly tracing Shan Song's name with his fingertips. It was the kind of name that could put one's mind at ease just by looking at it. A smile finally appeared on his face. This must be the magical power of the little note.
Tong Zhao slowly avoided the unfamiliar faces. These men and women, who were either business elites or second-generation rich kids, gathered together and talked loudly. Inevitably, their conversation touched on the main characters of today's wedding, namely him and Shan Song.
Especially since there weren't many elders on the cruise ship who could keep them in check, and even if there were, they wouldn't participate in their entertainment activities, the words that reached Tong Zhao's ears were inevitably much sharper and more jarring than those on the day of the engagement banquet.
Even though Tong Zhao tried to keep a low profile, some people who had seen him at his engagement party still recognized him. Some of them went too far, making no attempt to hide their mockery and ridicule as he passed by, belittling his background or his undesirable marriage.
Tong Zhao intended to walk around these people by sticking close to the wall, but unexpectedly, he was stopped by a lecherous rich kid. The man's voice was greasy, his eyes were provocative, and his lecherous appearance was exactly the kind of person Tong Zhao had seen most often in his acting career.
Seeing him look over, the man made a lewd digging motion with his hand: "When Shan Song is done playing with you, you can come with me?"
Before he could speak, a sneer came from the side: "Haven't you heard that people already have sugar daddies? It's not your turn yet?"
"Maybe it'll be 'on the wheel'?"
Everyone burst into laughter, but Tong Zhao's face turned pale instantly. His voice trembled, and he forced a contemptuous smile: "Even if I'm not good enough, I'm still a member of the Qin family and a marriage partner of the Zhou family. Are you worthy? Do you dare?"
The smiles of the group opposite them gradually faded. Although they stopped uttering those mocking and vulgar words, their expressions and postures still revealed their disdain.
Tong Zhao also seemed to have exhausted all his strength. Seeing that they had calmed down, he hurriedly fled the scene.
Once they were out of sight, he concealed his panicked expression, lowered his lips, and lightly kicked the colorful ribbons on the ground. These people only knew how to bully him; when it came to actually bringing out real people, they were all cowards.
No wonder Shan Song always felt that he would be bullied; he could tell that these people kept their mouths shut in front of him.
Tong Zhao shook his head to stop thinking about it and, following Shan Song's directions, groped his way toward the bar.
...
Shan Song deliberately entered the venue with Qi Changzhou, making a point of circling around Zhou Muyuan to make sure he had a gloomy expression and left before going to the place he had arranged to meet Tong Zhao.
"You're going around in circles like this, where's your little omega? Aren't you going to go pick him up?"
Dan Song mixed himself a drink, took a sip, and said, "He'll be here in a bit."
"You want someone to come find you? Did I hear you right? You can't get along with an omega like this!" Qi Changzhou feigned surprise and casually added, "Give me a drink too!"
"You talk as if you've ever dated an omega."
"..."
Shan Song quickly pushed a glass of wine in front of him, hoping that the man could be quiet for a while longer.
These past few days, Shan Song has been really bothered by Qi Changzhou. Qi Changzhou's words are as dense as if he had just come out of the primeval forest and encountered his own kind of savage. He used to be a pretty steady Alpha, so how did he become so pent up after staying in the military region for a few years?
As expected, Qi Changzhou didn't stay quiet for long before putting on a suspicious expression again.
"You don't mean you don't want me to see you, do you?"
"Tell me how you tricked that little kid?"
"..." Shan Song couldn't take it anymore: "How did you become an officer?"
"You just don't understand..."
Dan Song ignored the man's nonsense, took another sip of wine, and looked toward the entrance.
A moment later, he said, "They're here."
"Where? Where? Let me see." Qi Changzhou stopped talking and turned around abruptly.
Tong Zhao walked along the corridor and found fewer and fewer people. He didn't know if the place was being cleared out or what. When he finally arrived, he saw that there were only two people at the bar.
Now he didn't even need to look for her; he noticed Shan Song at first glance.
To Shan Song's left sat an unfamiliar man in a black suit. The man was very burly, with a resolute face and regular features. He casually placed one hand on Shan Song's shoulder, suggesting a close relationship. At that moment, he was staring intently in Shan Song's direction.
He has a very upright appearance, which is completely different from Shan Song's style, but they look very harmonious when they sit together.
This person must be... Qi Changzhou?
Tong Zhao thought of the name that Shan Song had mentioned a few times before.
He walked over, went around to the other side of Shansong, nodded politely to the other person, and waited for Shansong to introduce him.
“He is Qi Changzhou,” Shan Song said, taking Tong Zhao’s hand.
"Hello, I am Tong Zhao."
"Hello, I've heard so much about you." Qi Changzhou laughed heartily.
"If you don't mind, call me 'brother' like Shan Song does. My family is missing an omega brother."
"Brother Qi!" Tong Zhao called out cheerfully, then suddenly looked back at Shan Song.
Dan Song looked at him helplessly and smiled: "He's younger than me."
"..."
With his thick eyebrows and big eyes, how can he not trust people at all? Birds of a feather flock together, they all share the same perverse tastes. Tong Zhao secretly glanced at Shan Song.
Shan Song raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes seeming to say: You're so stupid to believe everything people say.
He wasn't on guard because Qi Changzhou was Shan Song's friend, so you can't blame him for that, right?
Qi Changzhou chuckled, pounding the table beside him: "No wonder you managed to marry a wife with such a wicked heart, you must have cheated her, right? Come on, little Tong Zhao, let me install an anti-fraud app for you, don't believe Shan Song's nonsense."
Shan Song rolled his eyes at him, then pulled Tong Zhao over to sit on a high stool next to him: "He's been locked up for too long, and he's only just been released, so..." Shan Song pointed to his head and shook his head.
Tong Zhao expressed her understanding and looked at Qi Changzhou with pity.
After a while, Tong Zhao asked curiously, "Why are there so few people here? Did you arrange this?"
“You’ll have to ask him.” Dan Song gestured with his chin toward Qi Changzhou.
"Yes, I did it." Qi Changzhou raised his head, as proud as a rooster about to crow.
"..."
This behavior seemed completely out of place on his upright face; Tong Zhao still thought Shan Song was more normal.
Shan Song also gave Qi Changzhou a disdainful look: "His status is special now, so it's normal for others to avoid him."
"oh."
"Why do you seem a little unhappy? What happened?" Shan Song asked, observing Tong Zhao's expression.
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