Chapter 79 [VIP]
Less than a minute after Chenmian posted that message on WeChat Moments, red dots for likes and comments started popping up one after another.
The boy leaned on Zong Bingwen's shoulder, his fingertips idly swiping across the screen, his fair cheeks particularly vivid in the flickering light of the fireworks.
Zong Bingwen turned his head to look at his boyfriend, couldn't help but kiss his earlobe, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, Mianmian?"
"They didn't like my posts." Chen Mian turned around and looked back, her gaze sweeping over Lin Langli, then Chen Ci, and finally Chen Jinshan's face. She smiled innocently and asked loudly, "Why didn't you guys like or comment on my posts?"
He was so direct, in front of everyone, that he asked for attention from the men he had ever been involved with.
Shen Ci's face instantly darkened, his expression so intense it seemed about to drip water. He stared at Chen Mian, the anger in his eyes almost tangible: "Chen Mian, you..."
"What's wrong with me?" Shen Mian tilted her head and shrank behind Zong Bingwen, only revealing her wet eyes. "Shen Ci, why are you so fierce? You're ignoring me."
"Why should I care about you?" Shen Ci sneered, the words squeezed out through clenched teeth. "When you blocked and deleted me, why didn't you think about whether I should care about you?"
Chenmian's tone was innocent: "Really? I don't remember. Did you have your final exam before mine? I didn't see you after I finished my last exam that day."
"I saw you—" Shen Ci's tone was unpleasant and sarcastic, "Your husband was leading you out, and you didn't answer when I called you." She then looked at Zong Bingwen, who was calmly watching the two brothers bicker, "After the New Year, am I supposed to call you sister-in-law?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Chenmian raised her hand and slapped her, her reproachful tone quite obvious.
Zong Bingwen grasped the hand that Chen Mian had used to hit someone, gently enveloping it in his palm. He looked up at Chen Ci, a gentle smile playing on his lips, but his eyes held no warmth: "Just call me brother like Mianmian does." Then, his gaze turned to Lin Langli, who had been standing quietly to the side, his smile deepening, "Xiao Li, is that what everyone at home calls you? You can call me brother too."
These words, though spoken lightly, were like a slap in the face to every man present.
This is nothing more than kicking a dog when it's down. Shen Ci's eyes were fixed on Shen Mian's face with a mixture of resentment and greed. That beautiful face was currently pressed against Zong Bingwen's shoulder, and his eyes even had a hint of indifference, as if he were watching a show.
They looked so loving—Shen Mian even helped Zong Bingwen use them as examples to establish his authority—which man present didn't have a connection with Shen Mian?
What's the difference between this and forcing a concubine to toast and bow to the principal wife? Besides, they're not even considered concubines.
How can you just abandon them like that?
Shen Ci felt something burning in his chest, making his throat dry. He stared at Shen Mian, at this heartless, smiling, and charmingly foolish man who could forget everyone in the blink of an eye—why him of all people? Why couldn't he let go?
He took a deep breath, unwilling to witness this horrifying scene any longer, and turned to leave.
As Chenmian watched his retreating figure, the smile on his lips faded slightly, but quickly returned. He picked up his phone and continued scrolling through the likes and comments. When he came across a comment that seemed to have a voice, he would show it to Zong Bingwen. The two of them would lean their heads together, as intimate as little sparrows chirping in a tree in an animated film.
When a new message popped up, Shen Mian took back her phone and discovered that Shen Jinshan's "like" had quietly appeared at the top of the list without a comment, just like him—always appearing at the right time and then silently retreating to the perfect position.
Then, Shen Jinshan's voice came from behind the two of them. Shen Mian leaned against her boyfriend's chest and looked back. She saw his handsome and mature face, but his eyes were not looking at her.
"Bingwen, are you going home tonight?" Shen Jinshan asked in a calm voice.
Zong Bingwen nodded: "Go back, I'll come over again tomorrow morning." He paused for a moment, then added: "Big brother, please take good care of Mianmian tonight."
Shen Jinshan said calmly, "Shen Mian is an adult; he knows what he should do."
The meaning behind it was clear to all three people present.
A strange feeling welled up in Shen Mian's heart. Shen Jinshan actually said that he had exposed him, which was so annoying.
He also turned his face away from Shen Jinshan.
And then there's Lin Langli. Everyone present clearly knew about the relationship between the two, but Shen Mian acted like a good son of the Shen family, and Lin Langli followed suit, pretending to be completely unconcerned.
When Shen Mianjun was exiled abroad last year, he cut off all ways he could contact Shen Mian.
The previous WeChat account had also been lost. Lin Langli acted as if nothing had happened, pretending not to notice the undercurrents among the people in the space, took out his phone, and was about to add friends again with a smile.
She subconsciously looked at her boyfriend beside her.
Zong Bingwen didn't react, and Shen Mian breathed a sigh of relief. She readily let the other party scan the QR code to add her, but hesitated to accept the friend request.
It wasn't until they returned to their room that Chenmian asked Zong Bingwen how he wanted him to treat Lin Langli and how he wanted to get along with him.
What a clever and mischievous brat. Zong Bingwen looked at Chenmian, who was resting his head on his lap, casually picking at his fingertips, and sighed. He realized that he himself had been chosen by Chenmian. Otherwise, how could he have managed to control someone like him?
Holding the boy's hand, Zong Bingwen's warm palm enveloped Shen Mian's slightly cool fingertips. The man leaned down and whispered, "Then don't add him." Seeing that Shen Mian's expression remained unchanged, he lowered his voice even further, "But Mianmian, what do you plan to do about his persistent pestering?"
Would you indulge the other party without any limits?
Just like last night, she already had a boyfriend and was about to become his fiancé and then his legal husband, yet she opened the door and opened her mouth so easily—if he hadn't gone there, would she have spread her legs?
Zong Bingwen couldn't help but harbor malice.
"I don't know," Chenmian said honestly, burying her face in Zong Bingwen's palm, her voice muffled, "Brother Bingwen, you are my husband, please help me think of a way."
Zong Bingwen did not answer immediately. He looked up at the night sky, where another cluster of fireworks exploded, their brilliant light illuminating the turbulent melancholy in his eyes. After a long while, he slowly spoke: "I will talk to him after the New Year."
Chenmian raised her head, her eyes filled with doubt: "What are you talking about?"
“Let’s talk about boundaries.” Zong Bingwen lowered his head and kissed the forehead of the sleeping man. “Let’s talk about what he should do and what he shouldn’t do. Let’s talk about what identity he should have and what position he should occupy.”
His tone was calm, yet every word was clear and carried an unquestionable tone.
Shen Mian suddenly felt a chill and snuggled closer to Zong Bingwen. At that moment, he vaguely felt that the aura emanating from the usually gentle Zong Bingwen was somewhat similar to that of Shen Jinshan in his memory, as if he had returned to those dark days when he was locked in the house by Zong Bingwen.
"Would you yell at him?" Chenmian asked softly.
Zong Bingwen raised the corners of his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "How could that be? I'm a reasonable person."
Chenmian stopped speaking, only holding Zong Bingwen tightly around the waist. The fireworks continued, the lively explosions masking the unease in his heart. He secretly opened his WeChat Moments and saw that the post had over a hundred likes, with comments full of blessings and envy.
Lin Langli sent the friend request again, but he reservedly left the request description blank.
In his chat with Shen Jinshan, the last message Shen Jinshan sent him was about Shen Mian asking Shen Jinshan for money. When Shen Jinshan asked what he needed it for, Shen Mian replied: "Buying condoms, brother."
Chenmian realized he was indeed a bit bad. But so what? Even though he was so bad, there were still a lot of people who liked him, so he could only blame others.
After a while, Zong Bingwen stayed in the room with Shenmian for a long time until he coaxed the boy to sleep before driving back to the Zong family home.
Less than ten minutes after Zong Bingwen left, there was a rustling sound at the door. Shen Ci was holding Xiaomian and calling Shen Mian's name in a low voice. He was also holding the cat's two front paws and making Xiaomian call him "Mom" in a strange voice, asking Shen Mian to let them in.
However, they didn't succeed, as Lin Langli opened the door and stopped them. After a while, it seemed like they started fighting again, making the corridor very noisy.
Chenmian kept her eyes closed, but her heart was pounding as she tried to figure out how the others had reacted.
Needless to say, Shen Ci still seemed unwilling to give up and couldn't forget him. Shen Mian actually wanted to ask about his injuries, but in the end, she deliberately said something against her will.
Lin Langli... Shenmian didn't know how to analyze it; he was a little sad.
As for Shen Jinshan, Shen Mian felt even more awkward. What Shen Jinshan told him that time made him almost overturn all the details of their previous interactions.
Does Shen Jinshan have any further thoughts about him? He seems to have let go of the past, but the last time they met, the other man carried him into his room and cleaned him up, using the excuse of "inspection," but his fingers were so forceful that it almost amounted to a simplified version of sex.
He couldn't fall asleep, so he got up, took a bottle of wine from the bar, poured it into a glass, and slowly sipped it.
He drank most of a glass of red wine and finally felt a little sleepy. He could hear Zong Bingwen's words of advice when he left, saying that he would be back the next morning.
I crawled into bed, feeling sleepy, and covered myself with the blanket.
After an unknown amount of time, the door seemed to be quietly opened, and with a click, it was locked. Someone came to the bedside and stared at him for a long time.
The gaze seemed real; even in her sleep, Chenmian sensed the danger and tried to wake up from her dream.
But as the alcohol took effect, Chenmian thought he had made a sound, but in reality he only let out a soft hum, so faint that it was indistinguishable from a kitten's meow.
Even so, the sound was still caught by the person standing at the foot of the bed.
As he slept, he felt someone walk to the edge of the bed and sit down. With the slight sinking of the mattress, a hand gently brushed away the stray hairs on his forehead. The gentle touch almost made him lose himself in the caress.
It was Shen Jinshan. He was awakened from his deep slumber.
Shen Mian was almost certain. Only Shen Jinshan's hands could have that perfect strength, that seemingly casual yet deliberate touch.
What a pretentious man! She clearly craved him too, but she always pretended not to care, not to pay attention, and even went so far as to introduce other women to him.
He continued to pretend to be asleep, breathing lightly and slowly, trying to make it sound the same as when he was truly asleep.
Shen Jinshan sat by the bed for a long time, so long that Shenmian almost lost track of how much time had passed. Then, he felt Shen Jinshan lean down, his warm breath brushing against his cheek.
"Mianmian," Shen Jinshan called softly, his voice carrying an emotion Shenmian had never heard before, "I know you're awake."
The sleepy girl's eyelashes trembled, but she did not open her eyes.
"Are you happy to marry another man and become someone else's wife?" Shen Jinshan asked.
"..."
"Your brother deserves a thumbs up for your lovey-dovey relationship, Mianmian, you're really something."
"..." He was angry after all.
"Why did you do this? Didn't you want to break up in the first place? Why did you get back together?"
"..."
"Didn't you want your brother's favor? How could you change your mind so easily? First Lin Langli, then Zong Bingwen, why not try others?"
Shen Jinshan's hand began to reach inside, grasping Shenmian's ankle, his fingertips caressing that soft, delicate skin.
"Aren't you curious why your brother can't do it?" Shen Jinshan asked calmly. "I'll tell you, Mianmian."
Shenmian suddenly opened her eyes.
In the darkness, he couldn't see Shen Jinshan's face clearly, only a blurry silhouette and a pair of eyes that shone brightly in the darkness.
Shen Jinshan stopped Shen Mian from escaping, holding her slender ankle even tighter, as if admiring a flower branch.
"Aren't you curious about why I reacted so emotionally to you back then?"
Chenmian choked up, unable to speak.
The hand under the blanket moved up his leg until it touched his knee.
Shen Mian was tense, paying attention to both what Shen Jinshan would say next and what Shen Jinshan might do to him under the covers.
The boy, with tears in his eyes, shrank back, looking extremely pitiful, and whispered, "Don't touch me anymore, brother, I already have a boyfriend."
"Back when you and Shen Ci were having an affair, why didn't you think about having a boyfriend?" Shen Jinshan asked in a very calm tone.
She then added, "When you hugged your brother after cheating and implied that you could do anything to me as long as I covered it up, why didn't you think about the fact that you had a boyfriend?"
The tone of the sentence was even more casual, as if it were just a casual remark, but the tense atmosphere in the air was clearly much more terrifying.
"Sleepless, if I had known you were such a promiscuous person, someone who would sleep with anyone, I would have slept with you back then." Shen Jinshan said these terrifying words casually.
Chenmian froze, then heard the other person say, "You were like this when you were in middle school, dressed so scantily. When I saw you, were you thinking about seducing your brother into incest back then?"
Middle or middle school?
Chen Mian was so shocked that her face turned pale, and her brain was blank for a long time before she realized the meaning behind Shen Jinshan's words.
Why so early?
Wasn't it only in the last two years that they discovered he wasn't the Shen family's biological son? What Shen Jinshan meant by that was—
"Surprised?" Shen Jinshan seemed to chuckle, loosening his grip slightly and turning into a gentle caress. "Yes, much earlier than you imagined. So earlier... I feel disgusted with myself."
Shenmian's breathing became completely disordered. He struggled to pull his leg back, but Shen Jinshan pulled him forward with the force of the movement—he was dragged to the edge of the bed, his upper body almost suspended in the air.
Shen Jinshan lowered his head and kissed his bare knee.
The kiss was light, yet it made Chenmian tremble all over.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Shen Jinshan raised his head, his eyes shining eerily in the darkness. “I’ve always wanted to do this, Mianmian. What’s so good about being a gentleman? You’ve tortured yourself to the point of needing stomach medicine…”
He paused, his fingertips tracing the sleeping man's legs upwards, stopping at the edge of his pajama bottoms.
"Mianmian, Zong Bingwen has slept with you so much that you're worn out." Shen Jinshan's voice was very soft, with an almost cruel regret. "But what about your brother? He hasn't tasted anything."
He lowered his head and gently kissed Shen Mian's body again.
“But you shouldn’t have chosen Zong Bingwen,” Shen Jinshan said, seemingly genuinely concerned for Shen Mian. “Would Zong Bingwen allow you to keep cheating? Probably not.”
Sobbing, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from her throat: "Then do you really want to?"
Shen Jinshan was silent for a moment, then laughed: "What's there to be unwilling about?" The man's fingertips brushed against the corner of Shen Mian's eye, and he chuckled: "Zong Bingwen, wasn't it still a gift from your brother?"
The burning sensation from the other person's body came from the small patch of skin that was touching. Chenmian recalled that summer many years ago when his family couldn't control his mischievousness and left him in Shen Jinshan's study to be looked after by his older brother.
He was doing his homework on Shen Jinshan's desk, his shorts rolled up to his thighs, swinging his legs and humming a song. Shen Jinshan was sitting next to him reading, not even looking up, and only said, "Sit properly."
So that's what was hidden beneath those calm eyes back then.
Shen Jinshan's hand traced up the edge of his pajama pants and stopped there.
The man's breath suddenly drew near, his cool lips brushing against the edge of his earlobe, breathing softly: "Mianmian, do you really not want to leave him? If you want, your brother will take care of everything..."
Chenmian pushed him away forcefully. Despite her beautiful and charming face and her slender, pale body, she was surprisingly strong and spoke words that were harsh and ruthless: "It's impossible now. I hate you the most. I don't like you at all."
Shen Jinshan listened quietly to Chen Mian's accusations, then calmly asked, "You really don't like it anymore?"
Sleep cannot answer this question.
—
The engagement ceremony proceeded smoothly on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
It was a fine day; the temperature had suddenly warmed up the night before, and the fog had dissipated very early in the morning, revealing the sun.
The entire Shen family was present, including Shen Mian's two cousins from her eldest uncle's family, whom she had always disliked, who also appeared at her engagement ceremony with great poise.
The engagement ceremony was kept simple, but even so, both families were prominent and wealthy, so the basic pomp and circumstance was still expected to be grand.
A sign stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, featuring a photo of Shen Mian and Zong Bingwen. Shen Mian smiled sweetly, leaning intimately on her boyfriend's shoulder, while Zong Bingwen gazed intently at the boy beside him.
They do look like a good match.
The names of the two are written next to it, followed by the phrase "May you grow old together in harmony."
On a long table to the side lay a large engagement book. On the left side of the table were beautifully arranged snacks and auspicious items such as persimmons and peanuts. On the right side was a row of open boxes containing ornaments carefully designed and selected by the clan, with several documents and property deeds underneath.
The long table and the entire banquet hall, from the floor to the ceiling, were decorated with bright roses and red balloons, as well as the "囍" (double happiness) character everywhere you looked. It was a grand occasion, and everywhere showed how much the Zong family and Zong Bingwen valued their future son-in-law.
As one of the family members, Shen Ci was so angry at the sight that she almost ground her teeth to powder.
He was against Chenmian getting married so early.
Before New Year's Eve, he didn't even get to see Shenmian once. His mind was completely occupied by boys, and he had no time to pay attention to anything else.
But when I saw it on New Year's Eve, it was a great disgrace.
He was so angry that Zong Bingwen made him grovel in front of him that he left. But that night, he went to find Chenmian with the cat in his arms. Chenmian refused to accept the way out he offered, and it seemed that he really wanted to turn his back on Zong Bingwen and live a peaceful life together.
But would someone like Chen Mian really accept this?
Shen Ci's eyes stung as he stared at the two people at the center of the conversation.
His second cousin from his uncle's family came up to him and suddenly said with emotion, "Chen Mian is so young, how come he's already preparing to get married?" He then teased Shen Jinshan, "Your brother is several years older than you, shouldn't your uncle be worried about him?"
Mentioning Shen Jinshan made Shen Ci feel very annoyed.
Just a couple of days ago, there was a small argument at home about whether or not to invite Lin Langli to the engagement ceremony.
Shen Mianjun said, "Xiao Li is family after all. If we don't invite him, outsiders will gossip."
"Inviting him will only breed more gossip," Shen Ci said reluctantly. "If he causes a scene at the wedding, where will the Shen family put their face?"
His family tried to brush him off by saying it was the New Year and told him not to talk about it.
Shen Ci was furious at the time, and raised her voice a little as she retorted to her family, "Then what should we say? Congratulate my brother on finally getting married? Congratulate Chen Mian on finding a good home?"
He rarely called Chenmian "brother."
But no one noticed this detail. Shen Mianjun lowered his voice and said, "Shen Ci, watch your attitude."
"What's wrong with my attitude?" Shen Ci couldn't recall her irritability and helplessness at that time. "I just don't understand why everyone is pretending that nothing happened? What are Shen Jinshan's feelings for Shen Mian? Don't you really care at all? You just beat him up and that's it? And that madman Lin Langli, he almost killed Shen Mian last year... Now Zong Bingwen, they've only been together for a short time, and you're all so comfortable handing Shen Mian over to him?"
He was furious and couldn't help but accuse his family of not taking Chenmian seriously, allowing her to be lured away by another man at such a young age.
But in the end, Lin Langli was not allowed into the engagement ceremony that had been put into slumber.
In the very center of the crowd, Chen Mian and Zong Bingwen held hands and greeted their parents.
There were more people from the Shen family. Seeing that the old lover who was in slumber had not come, Zong Bingwen breathed a sigh of relief and greeted the elders one by one.
His slumbering gaze fell on the face behind the matriarch of the Zong family, finding it quite strange.
"Is that your brother?" Shen Mian whispered to Zong Bingwen, "He looks just like you. Shen Ci and Lin Langli don't look like each other at all, and neither do they look like Shen Jinshan."
Zong Bingwen stood calmly between his fiancée and his younger brother. Hearing this, he nodded and briefly introduced the other person's name: "His name is Zong Bingyi, and he is three years younger than me."
Chenmian: "That's about my age."
Zong Bingwen paused for a moment, his smile turning slightly colder: "He and I are not close, Mianmian, don't hang out with him."
"oh."
Little did Shenmian know that Zong Bingwen had already taken precautions against his own younger brother. However, he wasn't wrong; their relationship was indeed about to become strained. After all, it's unlikely that anyone would easily tolerate the heartbreak of their older brother stealing the person they liked.
Zong Bingyi stared in disbelief at the beautiful couple before him, unable to comprehend the appearance of his brother's partner.
That was clearly the slumber he had longed for since junior high school.
It turns out they didn't share the same name! Zong Bingyi returned home on the 28th of the Lunar New Year. When she didn't see her brother, she asked her family. They only said that she had gone to her boyfriend's house for the New Year. They also told her that the two of them would hold an engagement ceremony on the 6th of the Lunar New Year and the wedding would take place in May.
If Zong Bingyi hadn't confirmed that the other person was also a boy, he would have thought that his brother's hasty actions were an attempt to cover up the fact that his sister-in-law was pregnant.
At that time, he felt uneasy because his brother's boyfriend also had the name Chenmian, which made him a little unhappy.
But I never imagined it would actually be a deep sleep...
After the parents finished their speeches, it was time for the newlyweds to exchange engagement rings.
Zong Bingwen knelt on one knee, holding the ring in his hand, gazing affectionately at the unbelievably beautiful slumbering maiden.
With so many witnesses present, Zong Bingwen finally had a real sense of having entered a deep slumber.
From then on, whenever others mentioned Chenmian, they would also mention his name. Just like when others mentioned Zong Bingwen's name, they would add, "He is Chenmian's husband."
He wanted the whole world to know about their relationship.
Chenmian looked down at the handsome man kneeling before her, feeling somewhat indifferent and nonchalant. But the moment she reached out, she stopped abruptly when she saw Zong Bingwen's slightly trembling fingertips.
The live stream camera silently focused on them, recording this moment that was being blessed or spied on by countless people.
Zong Bingwen's voice remained gentle and steady as he recited the vows he had prepared long ago. But the hand holding the ring, that usually steady and strong hand, was now trembling slightly and uncontrollably.
Shenmian had seen Zong Bingwen handle thorny matters with ease, seen his calm and composed smile when he first came to Shen Mianjun's house to be scrutinized, and even seen his confidence in controlling the rhythm in bed.
But apart from all that, and aside from the mistake she made with Shen Ci that time, Shen Mian had never seen Zong Bingwen react so uncontrollably.
So cute.
After his initial incomprehensible thought, he surprisingly found Zong Bingwen adorable.
Shenmian was unaware that she was softening her heart, or rather, that she was falling for him, but the boy's expression quickly lit up with a smile. Shenmian didn't feel awkward at all and smiled as Zong Bingwen put the ring on her finger.
Su Su's ring clung to the boy's slender ring finger. Chen Mian helped Zong Bingwen up, then suddenly stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on the man's lips.
The audience gasped in disbelief, followed by a burst of applause.
She nestled in her fiancé's arms, obediently giving the camera a sweet smile.
The engagement ceremony was successfully completed, and as the guests were about to leave, Chenmian remained in the lounge, staring at the ring on her finger.
A voice suddenly came from behind.
"Congratulations, Mianmian." Lin Langli's voice rang in his ears, deep and somewhat hoarse. "The ring is beautiful."
Chenmian froze, turned around abruptly, and met Lin Langli's deep eyes.
The other party had slipped into the venue at some point, and even changed out of his casual clothes, wearing a well-tailored white suit that looked almost exactly like Zong Bingwen's, as if he were the protagonist of the day.
A note from the author:
I'll revise the text tomorrow, not the plot, just fix typos and grammatical errors and polish it a bit.
Does anyone remember Mian's brother-in-law, Zong's younger brother, the man who appeared in the synopsis? Mian won't have any scenes with him in the main story, but he will in the Deathly Haunted Side Story.
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