I am yours, dream and crown.
Huo Ren looked up at him for a long time and said in a deep voice, “Alright.”
They briefly and pleasantly bid farewell to Qin Lu, pushing aside all work trivialities, and in the few days they had, they settled all matters related to the wedding.
Indeed, the matter was so sudden that when talking about invitations with friends and family, most of them confirmed it several times.
Pei Ruye also had a strong sense of ceremony. He understood the nuances of life and was amiable and friendly towards every major and minor festival.
But for him and Huo Ren, the waiting, or rather, the agony of the process, was already enough.
There was no need to wait until 2020 for same-sex marriage to be legalized in their country. This weekend, September 17, in Los Angeles, USA, the time and place were just right.
They would notarize their relationship, hold a wedding banquet, and then completely possess each other on that night.
It would be a pure and complete day, one they had fantasized about countless times in their lives.
Pei Ruye’s parents were kind elderly people, one still working as a screenwriter, and the other obsessed with fishing in the countryside, driving around in an American-style convertible truck.
They had met Huo Ren many times already, and even though they weren’t familiar with the current entertainment industry at home, they greatly admired this calm and excellent young man.
Although the other brothers were somewhat surprised, they quickly took leave and joined them in San Francisco.
The marital home had been renovated long ago, having been ventilated for over a year, and was originally designed by Huo Ren and Pei Ruye before Huo Ren left the USA.
About thirty to forty friends and family came, including many old friends from previous collaborations.
Pei Ruye even booked a five-star hotel for distant relatives and old clients, while a few of Huo Ren’s close friends could stay in another villa next to the marital home, which had six floors in total and more than a dozen guest rooms, fully equipped.
Getting married to his lover, which he had awaited like an obsession for too long, now felt like a dream come true.
On September 17, they changed into their formal attire together and were married by a judge at Los Angeles City Hall.
They exchanged vows, put on rings, and their marriage was thus made official.
Throughout the dinner, Huo Ren kept looking at the ring.
The setting was a blooming platinum rose with diamonds that shone brightly in the night.
Just looking at it for a few more seconds made one smile involuntarily.
Jiang Shu drank several glasses of champagne and dragged Qi Ding around to make friends.
Su Rong, now in her forties, still had plenty of foreign handsome men thinking she was just over twenty, playfully asking for her phone number.
Corona drank several rounds, but no one dared to force drinks on Boss Pei.
Aunt Lu, listening to Huo Ren’s introductions, shook hands one by one with the young men she had met before, marveling at how quickly children grow up; in a blink, they were all adults.
Although they had no blood relation, having walked together for so many years, they already had a bond like that of twins.
Huo Ren was marrying at twenty-five, neither too early nor too late; the timing was just right.
Still, it was hard to let go.
Long Jia’s emotions were more reserved; after drinking too much, he hugged more tightly and reminded him to call him anytime he felt unhappy, and he would take him horseback riding.
Bo Jue was more relaxed, smiling and pulling everyone to take several group photos on the lawn.
Mei Shengyao was still direct in expressing his feelings, openly hugging Huo Ren and whispering in his ear.
“Brother Ren, I almost want to cry right now.”
“Bro, you’re the best, whatever you get is worth it.”
Chi Ji, now able to walk like a normal person, sat in a corner at the wedding, not drawing much attention.
He had folded a large bunch of red and white mixed color wine cup roses on the plane and smiled as he handed them to Huo Ren.
“Enjoy your honeymoon. See you at the concert.”
Huo Ren earnestly received them and placed the flowers in the most conspicuous spot.
When Xie Lianyun received the message, he was still out of town and almost missed the chartered flight with Long Jia.
After much deliberation, he chose a discontinued record as a congratulatory gift.
“This is the one you’ve been looking for,” Xie Lianyun said with a slight lift of his eyebrows, his sigh barely audible, “I also like this singer, I just couldn’t bear to give it to you before.”
“Boss Pei spoils you, and it doesn’t conflict with the love we brothers have for you.”
“Ren Ren, it’s still the same words I told you when you were twenty.”
“Stay away from anxiety, soak your feet more often when you’re free.”
“…just live life to the fullest.”
Huo Ren nodded, then suddenly leaned in and kissed his cheek.
He smiled just like he did when he was a teenager.
“I remember everything, Brother Yun.”
Xie Lianyun’s face heated up, and he stepped back abruptly, saying sternly, “You’re married now, only kiss when Boss Pei isn’t around!”
From a distance, Pei Ruye, who was chatting with guests, glanced over.
“Ren Ren, you stay here and eat, I’ll go get another drink—”
After three rounds of drinks and the fireworks had ended.
They bid farewell to their guests and returned to the bridal suite to complete the last step.
The first time was painful yet joyful, the second time tender and relaxed.
The third time was about completely devouring each other, as if dancing a duet.
Every second was exhilarating, filled with deep affection.
It was total acceptance, complete possession, like a long fix in an AO story, nine thousand words wouldn’t be enough.
The group ended up playing in Los Angeles for several days, returning home laden with purchases.
On their way back, Chi Ji slept in Xie Lianyun’s arms, while Mei Shengyao sneakily placed bunny ears on him from the back seat.
They had discussed Chi Ji’s future identity many times in private.
Actually, they weren’t being very cautious now; last month when Chi Ji went shopping and took off his mask to rub his ears, he was unexpectedly photographed and the pictures were uploaded online.
The post was shared thousands of times, and everyone remembered him, but no one believed he was still alive.
“Such a cute boy, but don’t disturb the privacy of ordinary people.”
“There were many Chi Ji makeup tributes and performances before, but none looked as much like this young man.”
“He smiles just like little Chi Ji, it makes me want to cry again, I hope everything goes well for him.”
“Do you think Chi Chi could be like this young man, walking around the city freely, not caring about what others say anymore?”
When this incident occurred, Chi Ji was nervous for a while and scrolled through many comments on his phone.
Then he had a bold idea: “What if I go to the theater and sing every day, would anyone even notice?”
Jiang Jue, expressionless, tapped him on the head.
“Hey, I was just joking—”
Bo Jue and Xie Lianyun had subtly discussed this issue.
It wasn’t that they were intentionally avoiding Chi Ji or still treating him like a naive child, but some matters were too sordid, and there was no need to let those thoughts disturb him again.
This world has as much gentleness and kindness as it has malicious conjecture.
Accompanying and living with each other, ceaselessly.
Even if Chi Ji re-entered the public eye as a survivor, and the slander of the past few years was erased;
Even if Han Qu’s and his network had already collapsed, no more troll armies focused on framing and slandering him;
With such experiences, the labels like ‘reborn and come again’ are hard to remove.
His every word and action might be subjected to double the scrutiny and criticism.
Stripping away the identity of an idol, stepping away from past stories, Chi Ji’s life still holds countless possibilities.
He could continue to write and sing songs behind the anonymity of the internet, or freely perform in musicals abroad.
He could also study unfamiliar subjects, try jobs he never knew, and enjoy every second of a fresh, free life.
We all love you, deeply love you.
There’s no need to be panic-stricken; embark on a new path.
Meanwhile, DIVINE’s development momentum is quite impressive.
As the media predicted, Gu Shaochu became a formidable rival in both talent and popularity.
They met once on “I Am the New King” and subsequently encountered each other several times on other shows, even jokingly saying it was six against one.
Being in a boy band is one thing, being a solo idol is another.
The young men maintained a good relationship privately, and although they were too busy to attend the wedding, they prepared many gifts for the two teachers.
Fu Mingnian sincerely wrote a long letter, expressing gratitude for the enlightenment and care Huo Ren had provided over the years, awkwardly admitting his long-standing admiration and hoping to meet again at the OSC Awards.
Zhu Xizhi directly had his manager buy 999 roses shaped into a heart and sent them over, the bouquet and the card written in flamboyant, brilliant, yet youthful script.
Shi Jianian and Chen Yuanqing chose couple-themed gifts, each sending a pair of mismatched diamond earrings and a pair of sandalwood fans symbolizing longevity and renewal.
Han Yang had early on completed a full set of congratulatory images, with wallpapers and comics aplenty, displaying a business acumen not typical of an active idol.
Even though he currently has many detractors, his drawings still quickly amassed tens of thousands of shares, with legions of ‘CP fans’ crying over their sweetness.
As they delved deeper, they discovered the young man’s drawing style was very similar to a prominent content creator in their “Night Fire” fan community.
Han Yang!! Are you still secretly creating fan art after debuting!!
I knew it; you’re a slacker at heart!!!
Gu Shaochu had a flexible schedule, not only attending the wedding but also unexpectedly getting hit by the bouquet.
It was said that at a same-sex wedding, there was no need for a bouquet toss, but Bo Huan, busy with a performance and unable to come, personally made a bouquet to send over as a colorful gesture.
As Huo Ren and Pei Ruye were kissing, Huo Ren threw the bouquet over his shoulder, hitting Gu Shaochu, who was looking down at his messages.
Cheers and applause erupted into chaos, and Gu Shaochu’s shocked face as he caught the bouquet made Huo Ren laugh so hard he couldn’t straighten up.
“Good luck, good luck, here’s to your happy singledom.”
Bo Jue, slightly puzzled, stepped out of the crowd to make a phone call.
“Aren’t you recording a show? How come you answered so fast?”
“Ah—” The other end was a bit noisy: “Haven’t gotten off yet, I’m playing a game with Yuanqing.”
Ah, Chen Yuanqing, that very polite good kid.
Bo Jue vaguely breathed a sigh of relief, habitually issuing a few reminders before hanging up.
Being an idol… he should still focus on his career first.
Talking about dating or anything like that isn’t urgent, that can wait for later.
I’m so glad the little classmates didn’t have any betrayal Plotlines. I wish the author had written a small extra about who ended up with whom, but I understand that might have been too complicated to do with the main plot.