151: Rushing to three events in two days

Everyone present was momentarily stunned. The room fell silent for a while.

"Um, hap—happy marriage?" The class monitor took it upon himself to break the silence. "You two really make a great match!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the others snapped out of it as if waking from a dream.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, you really do suit each other. Talented and handsome!"

"A match made in heaven!"

"May you have a harmonious union for a hundred years!"

...

The private room suddenly became boisterous as everyone cooperatively offered heaps of well-wishes. As the cheerful chatting continued, the pre-ordered dishes were served one by one. Everyone ate and talked, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

A classmate nearby leaned in. "Are you guys really married?"

"Of course. How could a marriage be fake?"

"No, no, it's just that when we saw the news of your honeymoon on the social media platform, we were somewhat prepared. We just didn't expect your partner to be a man." The classmate spoke in a cheerful tone. "You have no idea, actually, there were many girls in school who had a crush on you, but they never had a chance to connect with you. When they saw that post on the social media platform, our moments were filled with wails of despair for a full half-month."

"It seems our Zhuohua is very popular!" Yan Qinghe, who had been acting like a wooden statue by the side, suddenly came to life. His hand under the table had already sneaked into certain unspeakable places, and his eyes began to warily scan the surrounding girls.

Yan Zhuohua took a deep breath imperceptibly. Great, he brought someone here to assert dominance, but instead, he ended up with such a big piece of gossip! He guessed he'd have to spend the next few days coaxing him.

Their movements were discreet, and that classmate was quite dense, so he didn't notice at all that Yan Qinghe's jealousy was about to drown everyone. Instead, he continued to share his insights.

"Yeah, quite popular. At least five or six out of ten had feelings for him."

"And what about them now?" Yan Qinghe asked calmly, continuing to fish for more information.

"Now, of course, they can only bury it deep in their hearts! After all, they never expected to lose on the basis of gender. If it were anything else, they could still compete, but you can't exactly change your gender!"

"...You're right."

Yan Qinghe was convinced. He suddenly felt that girls were no longer the targets he should be guarding against, so he turned his wary gaze toward the male classmates nearby.

Yan Zhuohua, who had been observing Yan Qinghe's expressions and demeanor the whole time: "..."

Fortunately, this classmate was soon called away by others, and Yan Zhuohua finally had a chance to whisper to Yan Qinghe.

"Restrain yourself! Are you afraid people won't notice?"

Yan Qinghe looked at him aggrievedly.

Helpless, Yan Zhuohua took advantage of the fact that no one was looking and grabbed Yan Qinghe's hand under the table. "That classmate was wrong just now. They didn't lose because of gender; they lost because they aren't you."

Yan Qinghe was instantly coaxed. He finally stopped being as vigilant as a police dog and turned into a cute Samoyed angel.

*

After the lunch gathering ended and they said goodbye to their classmates, it was already 3:00 PM. They had an appointment with the people from FLG at 6:00 PM, and it wasn't close, so they just headed straight to the next event.

This event went more smoothly than the one at noon. After all, the people on the team had long known about their marriage. Today was just about bringing someone to meet them, so it was no different from a regular gathering.

They spent another lively and pleasant dinner together and didn't return to the hotel to rest until after 10:00 PM.

As soon as they entered, Yan Qinghe, who had been quiet the whole way, headed straight for their suitcases.

"What are you doing? What are you looking for?" Yan Zhuohua followed him curiously.

Yan Qinghe's hands didn't stop. "I'm looking for a more steady-looking outfit to wear tomorrow."

"?" Yan Zhuohua was amused. "Then why didn't you wear it today?"

"I didn't know I'd be attending two gatherings before I left today! Besides, the people I met today were classmates and friends of a similar age. Tomorrow I'm meeting a teacher; how can that be the same?"

Yan Zhuohua's smile grew even brighter. "And did you bring any steady-looking clothes?"

"...No." Yan Qinghe rummaged through the suitcase twice, but nothing met his satisfaction.

"Alright," Yan Zhuohua sat down beside him and began to tidy up the messy suitcase. "Who told you my teacher likes 'steady'? He clearly prefers youthful and vibrant kids. Just wear whatever you like."

Yan Qinghe's eyes lit up. "For real?"

"For real."

Convinced, Yan Qinghe went to take a shower with his pajamas, satisfied. Yan Zhuohua stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look at the scenery outside.

"What are you looking at?"

Yan Zhuohua was startled. "You're done washing already?"

"It's been twenty minutes; it wasn't that fast. You were just too focused, right?" Yan Qinghe reached out and pulled him into an embrace, snuggling comfortably. "You haven't told me yet, what are you looking at?"

"Looking at the city outside. I lived here for five years, and now that I've graduated and we don't have many properties here, I probably won't be back much in the future. I wanted to take a few more looks."

"So melancholy?" Yan Qinghe lowered his head and kissed Yan Zhuohua. "If you miss it, I can accompany you here anytime."

Yan Zhuohua smiled gently. "It's different. I'm just like those people who leave home for college; if I don't stay here after graduation, I'll just be a passerby in the future. City A is my home."

"You're wrong."

Yan Zhuohua raised an eyebrow curiously, signaling him to continue.

"City A isn't your home. Wherever I and our family are, that's your home."

Where the heart is at peace, that is home.

*

Early the next morning, the two of them washed up, got out of bed, and headed straight to the supermarket.

At Yan Qinghe's strong insistence, they bought a whole cart of gifts. By the time they arrived at the teacher's house, it was almost 11:00 AM. After they finished greeting the teacher and asking after his well-being, the dishes Yan Zhuohua made personally were served, and it was nearly 1:00 PM.

Everyone was indeed hungry, so they didn't stand on ceremony and sat down to eat.

"Good skills! It's no worse than a chef at a hotel!" The teacher tasted a dish Yan Zhuohua made and couldn't stop praising him. "I didn't expect you to have this talent!"

Yan Zhuohua smiled proudly and placed a piece of fish in the teacher's bowl. "I have many talents!"

"Honestly, a few compliments and you're over the moon. You're not steady at all like your partner."

Yan Zhuohua didn't care. "Why should I be like him? In a marriage, it's more interesting when personalities are different."

Yan Qinghe poked Yan Zhuohua's stomach in dissatisfaction, and he immediately received a pleasing and pleading look.

"Alright, I really don't understand you young people's romance. But do you have any news about Wen Hengtang lately? He didn't even show up for his graduation defense, and his supervisor has been looking for him like crazy. If they hadn't received a call from him later saying he was safe, the school might have called the police."

Suddenly asked about this, Yan Zhuohua paused before looking up with a smile. "I'm not quite sure either. Maybe he went abroad?"

"Possibly." The teacher nodded. "As long as he's okay, everyone can rest easy."

Yan Zhuohua nodded quickly and changed the subject. "Teacher, try this one, it's my specialty..."

*

Aside from that interlude in the middle, the meal was enjoyed by both host and guests.

After saying goodbye to the teacher and stepping out, it was a beautiful, sunny day.

Yan Zhuohua squinted at the blue sky above and turned to Yan Qinghe beside him. "Let's catch a flight back tonight. I want to go home."