TLSMLMMM Chapter 14

The rats here were always active at night and hidden by day. Judging from the bun slice, it seemed to have only just been gnawed. Even if there was poison in it, diluted by the pear water, it probably hadn’t had time to take effect.

Chu Junlie quickly grabbed a rusty iron basin, fixed his eyes on the gray rat’s movements, and with swift precision, slammed the basin down over it.

The rat had surprising strength, banging against the basin noisily. Chu Junlie picked up the other half of the pear-soaked bun slice and shoved it under the basin as well.

He weighed the basin down with something heavy, then pried open a small rusty gap to observe the rat.

The gray rat still seemed panicked from being caught, circling inside the basin in search of a way out. Its body, however, showed no unusual signs—it didn’t look sick at all.

Chu Junlie sat on the bed, frowning slightly in puzzlement.

The next morning was the rehearsal for the engagement banquet. This time, the Yan couple had spent a fortune, booking one of Harbor City’s top luxury hotels. There were twenty-eight tables of guests alone, and the decorations were lavish to the extreme.

When Si Yunyi arrived at the hotel for the rehearsal, he spotted Chu Junlie waiting outside, clearly having stood there for quite a while.

Although Harbor City barely showed signs of autumn, mornings and evenings still carried a chill. Combined with the coastal humidity, it felt several degrees colder than the actual temperature.

Inside the hotel, central heating made it comfortably warm. But the young man refused to go in, choosing instead to wait outside.

The moment he saw that familiar car approach, Chu Junlie’s face lit up with a radiant smile. Energy surged through him as he jogged eagerly toward it.

The car stopped steadily in front of him. The moment Si Yunyi stepped out, Chu Junlie rushed forward, eyes filled with delight.

“Mister Si, you’re here.”

His tone brimmed with satisfaction, as though afraid Si Yunyi might not have come.

“Why didn’t you wait inside?” Si Yunyi walked ahead. The hotel’s sensor doors slid open before him, and two attendants bowed politely.

“I wanted to go in together with you.” Chu Junlie’s grin was dazzling as he followed closely behind. “Besides, this hotel is so huge—I’ve never been in a place like this before.”

Si Yunyi paused briefly, then continued walking toward their destination.

The Yan couple had booked the hotel’s third-floor banquet hall. It was extravagantly decorated. Chu Junlie looked around in awe at the vast space, then lifted his gaze to the massive crystal chandelier above, dazed for a long moment.

“Mister Si, Junlie!” Madam Yan approached with her husband, beaming.

She wore an expensive necklace, her makeup carefully prepared—clearly, she took this rehearsal very seriously.

Chu Junlie stared intently at her. After all, he had only just “repaid” her beloved youngest son last night. But from her expression now, there wasn’t the slightest trace of anger.

“Oh my, Junlie, your outfit today looks wonderful.”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked him up and down.

“Mister Si.” Mr. Yan extended a hand and shook Si Yunyi’s warmly.

Madam Yan led them toward the venue, introducing the hotel manager responsible for the banquet. Noticing Chu Junlie glancing to the side as if searching for someone, she smiled.

“Junlie, are you looking for your little brother?”

Chu Junlie turned his gaze to Si Yunyi, but when he saw his calm, unchanged expression, he shifted back to Madam Yan.

“No.”

Chu Junlie knew very well that all the kindness Yan An had shown him before was nothing but an act. His attitude toward him hadn’t changed in the slightest. All he wanted was to steal Mister Si away from him.

“Strangely enough,” Madam Yan turned to Chu Junlie,
“An’an kept saying he wanted to be your groomsman. But after he came back from outside yesterday, he didn’t say a word, just shut himself in his room. This morning he even skipped breakfast, locked himself inside, and hasn’t made a sound.”

A trace of concern appeared on Madam Yan’s face. Si Yunyi glanced at her expression, his gaze shifting faintly.

“Forget An’an. After all, tomorrow is Junlie’s big day.” Madam Yan waved her hand, then called the organizer over. “Let Xiao Zhang guide you through the process so nothing goes wrong tomorrow.”

The organizer stepped forward with a photographer, explaining the schedule for tomorrow while showing Si Yunyi and Chu Junlie around.

“Tomorrow, after the two of you are dressed and ready, you’ll come here to welcome the guests. For distinguished guests, you’ll personally escort them to their seats.” The organizer led them out of the banquet hall to a specific spot and explained.

Si Yunyi, having attended several engagement banquets, was somewhat familiar with the procedures. Chu Junlie, however, had no clue, and very seriously pulled out his phone to jot down notes in his memo app.

“Once the guests are mostly seated, at the auspicious time, you’ll come here to greet your elders and introduce your beloved to your parents.”

The organizer led them onto the stage, where Madam Yan and Mr. Yan were already seated with warm smiles.

“You two can give it a try now.” The organizer handed them a paper with a sample script, while the photographer eagerly took pictures from behind.

Chu Junlie glanced at the script, then stood a little nervously beside Si Yunyi and introduced:

“Dad, Mom, this is my… beloved, Mister Si Yunyi.”

His words stuttered slightly. When he reached the word “beloved,” his ears flushed red, and he cautiously peeked at Si Yunyi.

“Father, this is my future partner, Chu Junlie.” Si Yunyi looked at the empty chair beside him, his gaze deep and calm.

“By the way,” Madam Yan suddenly remembered something and looked at Si Yunyi, “How is Uncle Si’s health? Will he be able to attend your engagement banquet tomorrow?”

Chu Junlie froze. He had just been about to say that he saw Grandpa Si yesterday and that his spirits were quite good. But then, for some reason, the image of the old man sprinkling salt endlessly into his soup suddenly popped into his mind.

“If Father’s health isn’t well, my elder brother and sister-in-law will sit in his place.” Si Yunyi replied evenly.

“The next part is the exchange of tokens of love,” the organizer continued guiding them. “If there are no tokens, you may exchange engagement rings.”

Si Yunyi looked toward Chu Junlie. Immediately understanding, Chu Junlie quickly took out the velvet ring box he had always kept close.

“Mister Si.” Chu Junlie opened the box carefully and lifted out the ring meant for Si Yunyi.

When that slender, jade-like hand reached toward him, Chu Junlie held the ring, unconsciously holding his breath. Dizzy with excitement, he slowly slipped the ring past Si Yunyi’s knuckles, sliding it into place.

When his fingers brushed against Si Yunyi’s, he felt a faint coolness at the fingertips—like touching the finest mutton-fat jade, smooth as petals.

Then, Si Yunyi picked up the ring meant for Chu Junlie and slipped it gently onto his finger. When he lifted his gaze, he saw Junlie’s eyes rimmed red.

Chu Junlie’s chest felt heavy and sore, like a stray dog that had waited ninety-eight days, finally seeing its master. Head lifted, it felt the master slip the collar around its neck.

From now on, he could follow his master—faithfully, wholeheartedly, closely—his whole life, until the end of his days.

Staring at the ring on his hand, Chu Junlie’s eyes filled with tears.

Would Mister Si know… that from the moment he chose this ring, and every day he carried it close afterward, he had been waiting for this very moment?

Waiting for Mister Si to personally put it on his hand.

Just then, a white handkerchief appeared before him. Chu Junlie lifted his head slightly and saw that slender, elegant hand holding it out.

“S-sorry.” Chu Junlie quickly took the handkerchief, tilting his head back, trying not to disgrace himself by crying in front of Mister Si.

“Ahem.” The organizer coughed awkwardly. “After the exchange of rings, one parent from each side should step forward to give a speech.”

“Let’s skip that part for now.” Madam Yan waved a hand with a smile. “We’ve already prepared our speeches. If we read them today, they won’t feel touching tomorrow.”

“Alright.” The organizer nodded, then had staff bring out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with a marriage contract.

“The couple will now sign their names on the marriage document with a calligraphy brush.” The organizer smiled professionally. “Once you sign tomorrow, there will be no turning back.”

Si Yunyi leaned forward slightly, holding the brush in one hand. He dipped it lightly in ink, pressed the tip against the inkstone to remove the excess, and smoothed the brush hairs into shape.

Chu Junlie watched intently as Si Yunyi wrote his name on the contract. His hand holding the brush was so beautiful it looked like a work of art.

Straight-backed and composed, with ink-dark hair contrasting against his pale skin, Si Yunyi was breathtaking. Beneath his glasses, his downcast eyes cast delicate shadows under his long lashes. At his wrist, peeking from his sleeve, was a slender, pale wrist—slightly thin.

Chu Junlie stared for a long time, until Si Yunyi finally lifted his head and set the brush back on the rest.

Almost impatiently, Chu Junlie grabbed the brush. Though he couldn’t remember ever practicing calligraphy, his body seemed to remember. His fingers naturally held the brush in almost the same posture as Mister Si.

He tried to write his name on the marriage contract, imitating the graceful strokes Si Yunyi had left. But in the end, his own writing came out uneven, the strokes sloppy and inconsistent.

“Relax your wrist a little.” Si Yunyi guided Chu Junlie from the side. The marriage contract would eventually be displayed, and if guests saw handwriting like that, they would surely mock him in private.

Chu Junlie’s clear eyes turned to Si Yunyi. He tried to ease his strength, but somehow he couldn’t control the up-and-down, left-and-right movements—it was as if his hand didn’t belong to him.

The words he wrote looked like crawling worms, even messier than before.

He glanced at the characters Si Yunyi had just written, then looked back at his own—like a stark contrast between the two men themselves.

One was elegant and sharp, the brushstrokes flowing with a cold grace.
The other was crooked and clumsy, like a mud-smeared snake squirming on the ground.

“Watch the strokes.” A calm, refined voice sounded in his ear. Chu Junlie froze, only to feel a smooth, jade-like hand gently envelop his as he held the brush.

He hardly dared to breathe, unable to believe the scene before him. The only thing he could hear was the pounding of his own heart, loud and urgent, as if it wanted to break free of its cage of flesh and leap toward the man behind him.

His hand pressed tightly against Si Yunyi’s palm. That soft, delicate warmth nearly overwhelmed his senses, blurring out the rest of the world. In that moment, nothing else mattered.

Chu Junlie dazedly watched the strokes flowing from his brush—each line, each mark, was something the two of them left together.

He couldn’t help but glance sideways. Mr. Si’s head was lowered, his gaze intent, calm, and clear.

“Write like this.” The touch on the back of his hand suddenly withdrew. Chu Junlie instinctively lifted his hand, wanting to follow, but Si Yunyi’s palm was already gone, carrying away that warmth and leaving behind only a deeper chill.

“Try again.” Si Yunyi’s eyes met Chu Junlie’s.

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