ABSTIWTVMST Chapter 154

Father Xu saw the look on his face and sighed. “It’s not that we’re trying to stop you—we’re just afraid you’re imagining married life to be too wonderful. You need to understand that marriage involves social relationships. Maybe the two of you will be very loving at first, but as time goes on, with all the trivial matters of daily life and external influences, there will inevitably be conflicts and arguments. We’re telling you this now because we want you to be prepared.”

Mother Xu nodded along. “That’s right.”

Xu Chenghao smiled. “Don’t worry, I take full responsibility for all of my choices.”

“You’ve really thought it through?”

“I’ve thought it through.”

“……”

The two elders of the Xu family exchanged a glance and said nothing more. Father Xu gave the final reminder: “If you’ve truly made up your mind, then have Jing Yicheng come see me. Marriage is a big deal—it can’t be decided without us.”

Xu Chenghao nodded. “Alright.”

Seeing that the conversation was about finished, Mother Xu quickly changed the subject and asked, “Since it’s rare for you to come back, will you be eating at home tonight?”

“Yes,” Xu Chenghao said. “In fact, I plan to stay over tonight.”

Mother Xu was delighted and said repeatedly, “Good, good, good. I’ll have Auntie go prepare your room right away.”

Even Father Xu was a little surprised. During dinner, he even had a few drinks with Xu Chenghao. But neither of them drank to their heart’s content, because Mother Xu was watching closely. As soon as they had three cups, she immediately got up and swapped their wine glasses with bowls filled with chicken soup, muttering, “Drinking hurts the body, so drink less. Just dealing with social drinking is bad enough—what are you drinking at home for? No one’s allowed to drink anymore. Drink chicken soup!”

Xu Chenghao and Father Xu exchanged a glance, and both could see the helplessness and amusement in each other’s eyes. In the end, they silently clinked their bowls of chicken soup together and obediently ate their meal.

Since it was rare for the family to be all together, the old Xu residence was filled with laughter and warmth throughout the evening.

But on the other side, Jing Yicheng was not so happy. As soon as he had driven just a hundred meters away from the Xu house, he already started missing Xu Chenghao, missing the feeling of having the other by his side. Aside from the time when he was kidnapped, he and Xu Chenghao had rarely spent nights apart. He simply wasn’t used to life without him.

In the sealed environment of the car, he felt uncomfortable. In the quiet home, he felt uncomfortable. Lying alone in bed, he felt even more uncomfortable. Jing Yicheng kept his phone on him at all times. When he couldn’t wait for the other party to message him, he took the initiative to contact Xu Chenghao—yet whether it was a call, video chat, or message, all were like stones sinking into the sea, with no reply whatsoever.

Jing Yicheng’s already short temper was magnified at this moment. After not receiving a reply for a while, his mind started running wild with all sorts of guesses. At one moment he was worried that Xu Chenghao had been persuaded by the Xu family elders and was now regretting things—otherwise, why wasn’t he replying? At another moment, he was worried that Xu Chenghao had become so comfortable there he no longer wanted to return—otherwise, why wasn’t he replying?

Already feeling terrible, Jing Yicheng had initially wanted to send a message to comfort himself, to encourage himself to hold on until tomorrow to go pick him up. But instead, the lack of a reply only made him feel worse!

As the moon climbed to the treetops, Jing Yicheng finally couldn’t hold back anymore and got up from bed. Just as he was about to change clothes and head to the Xu family’s old residence to climb the wall, his phone suddenly rang—it was a video call from Xu Chenghao!

Jing Yicheng immediately let out a sigh of relief. He quickly answered the video call and, feeling both aggrieved and complaining, said, “Haohao, why are you only replying now? I thought you didn’t want me anymore—I was just about to climb the wall to come find you.”

The video on Xu Chenghao’s end shook violently for a few seconds. Originally, the screen only showed his chin and Adam’s apple, but it quickly shifted to reveal a wide room. Xu Chenghao appeared on screen with a towel on his head and gestured, “Look, I just finished showering. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose—I just didn’t hear it. I called you the moment I came out.”

The last bit of unease in Jing Yicheng’s heart was finally smoothed over. He reminded him, “Make sure to dry your hair before sleeping.”

“Okay.” Xu Chenghao agreed but didn’t move at all. He sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, staring into the camera. “Will you come pick me up tomorrow?”

“Mm, of course I will.” If he could, Jing Yicheng would’ve kidnapped him back right then and there.

Xu Chenghao said, “That’s perfect—you can have a chat with my dad.”

Jing Yicheng froze for a moment, inexplicably nervous. “Why the sudden chat? Is it because of the advertising slot?”

“Yeah.” Xu Chenghao said deliberately, “You dared to pull something like that—don’t you think you should bear the consequences?”

Jing Yicheng: “…What consequences?”

Xu Chenghao pretended to be angry. “You caused such a stir, practically making sure everyone knows about us. Don’t you plan to take responsibility and marry me?”

“I was wrong, I’ll apologize tomorrow, I—huh?” Jing Yicheng, confused by Xu Chenghao’s tone, suddenly came to his senses. “Take responsibility?! Marry you?!”

Xu Chenghao: “Oh, so it looks like you want to apologize but not take responsibility.”

“No!” With the opportunity in front of him, how could Jing Yicheng possibly let it slip away? He immediately said, “I’ll take responsibility, I’ve long wanted to take responsibility. As long as your family agrees, we can get married anytime!”

Xu Chenghao finally couldn’t hold back and laughed. “I’m fine with it. As for my dad, that’ll depend on how you handle it.”

Thinking of the Xu elders’ attitude toward him, Jing Yicheng’s earlier excitement immediately cooled. He needed to prepare something that would convince them.

Xu Chenghao also worried he might be truly nervous, so at the end of the conversation, he reassured him: “No need to be too tense. My parents are actually very supportive of my personal choices. Just come early tomorrow, we’ll all have breakfast together and talk about the marriage then.”

Jing Yicheng nodded. “Alright.”

“Then go to bed early and rest up. Goodnight.” Xu Chenghao gave the screen a smack of a kiss, then hung up the video call.

Receiving the kiss, Jing Yicheng’s mood, which had just been in a deep valley, instantly soared to the rainbow clouds. It was as if his heart had been struck—he fell back onto the bed, staring at the darkened phone screen, lips slowly curling into a smile. His Haohao was so wonderful, warm and cute… so he needed to prepare well, and strive to win over the Xu elders in one go tomorrow!

With that in mind, Jing Yicheng sat up again in the middle of the night, contacted his assistant, and, after sealing the assistant’s mouth with ten times the overtime pay, began preparing documents for notarization at full speed. He worked through the entire night and finished everything just before dawn.

Fully prepared, Jing Yicheng set out early and, at seven o’clock sharp, arrived at the Xu residence with gifts in hand. At that time, Xu Chenghao had not yet gotten up. Mother Xu and Father Xu were out jogging in the backyard. When they heard that Jing Yicheng had come to visit so early, they were quite surprised and asked the butler to invite him into the living room to wait while they went to change clothes.

When the three finally met, Jing Yicheng didn’t waste words. He directly stated his purpose—his wish to get married—and used the materials he had prepared overnight to demonstrate his sincerity, hoping to put the Xu elders’ minds at ease.

Attitude is everything. Even without looking at the documents on his phone, just seeing someone with a personality like Jing Yicheng’s patiently explain and promise things was enough to move the Xu elders.

So, when Xu Chenghao came downstairs at 8:30 for breakfast, he saw that Jing Yicheng had already been sitting in the living room waiting for quite a while. Mother Xu was checking things in the kitchen, while Father Xu was chatting with Jing Yicheng—both of them wore stern expressions as they discussed business and economics. It looked less like a meeting between future in-laws and more like a summit between two major figures.

“Dad, Mom, Cheng-ge, good morning,” Xu Chenghao greeted as he came downstairs, breaking the silence.

The Xu elders responded one after the other, and Jing Yicheng also turned to look at him. The expression on his face visibly and rapidly softened, and he reached out his hand. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Very well.” Xu Chenghao placed his hand onto the one extended to him and smoothly sat down beside him. “When did you get here?”

Jing Yicheng tightened his grip on his hand. “Not long ago.”

Xu Chenghao glanced at him, then at Father Xu. “How did the conversation go?”

Jing Yicheng said, “I’ve confirmed the marriage matter with Uncle. I’ll handle the rest. You just rest up and be good.”

“Dad, you agreed?” Xu Chenghao was quite surprised—he hadn’t expected that just by sleeping in a bit, he would be agreed upon and sent off already.

“What else?” Father Xu’s expression clearly said: You were more than willing to give yourself away—we couldn’t really say anything!

Xu Chenghao had no grounds to object. He could only clear his throat and say, “No problem, that’s great.”

Jing Yicheng gently patted the back of Xu Chenghao’s head in a comforting gesture, then shifted the focus away from him. “Thank you, Uncle, for agreeing.”

Father Xu gave a cold snort and stood up. “Alright, let’s eat first.”

Xu Chenghao quickly tugged Jing Yicheng along to follow. The whole family sat in the dining room to eat. With Xu Chenghao there to ease the atmosphere, even with Jing Yicheng’s expressionless face, things didn’t feel awkward. But what surprised Xu Chenghao the most was that he noticed Father Xu and Mother Xu’s attitude toward Jing Yicheng had improved quite a bit—clearly, Jing Yicheng was still the same expressionless and ineloquent person, but the Xu elders’ attitude was just different now.

Xu Chenghao was very curious but couldn’t ask directly. After the family had finished breakfast harmoniously, Xu Chenghao found a chance to quietly ask Father Xu what had happened. But the other party didn’t answer—instead, he patted him on the shoulder and said, “Mr. Jing is quite a good man. At the very least, he showed me sincerity. You two should live well together and don’t make things difficult for him.”

Xu Chenghao: “???”

What happened suddenly made him “quite a good man”? What sincerity? And when had he ever made things difficult for Jing Yicheng?! Why was he suddenly being protected?

Unable to get any answers at home, once they said their goodbyes and left, the moment Xu Chenghao got into the car, he couldn’t wait to pounce on Jing Yicheng and asked, “What did you guys talk about? I want to know the entire conversation!”

Jing Yicheng hugged him and gave him a good rub before reluctantly helping him back into the passenger seat and fastening his seatbelt. “Because I told Uncle and Aunt one thing.”

Xu Chenghao pressed further, “What thing?”

Jing Yicheng directly handed over his phone. As Xu Chenghao unlocked the screen to check, Jing Yicheng started the car and drove off.

As soon as the phone was unlocked, the still-open page was visible. It appeared to be a digital contract, bearing Jing Yicheng’s signature and several official seals. Xu Chenghao, confused, scrolled upward slowly. After reading through it, he realized it was an asset transfer agreement—and he was instantly shocked. “Why are you giving all your assets to me?!”

“To prove to you and your family my resolve to get married,” Jing Yicheng said. “From now on, if I treat you even a little badly, you can kick me out and make me leave with nothing.”

Only then did Xu Chenghao understand why the Xu elders’ attitude had changed so drastically. It wasn’t that they coveted Jing Yicheng’s assets—they were moved by Jing Yicheng’s resolve and attitude.

After all, Mother Xu had always worried that Jing Yicheng, with his vast influence and power, might bully Xu Chenghao. This gesture of asset transfer was nothing short of a powerful dose of reassurance, greatly easing the Xu elders’ concerns—naturally, their attitude changed accordingly.

Xu Chenghao was also deeply moved by his determination and reminded him, “In the future, if I say I don’t want it anymore and you still go ahead recklessly, I’ll kick you out of the house!”

Jing Yicheng replied, “It doesn’t count if you’re saying one thing but mean another.”

“You’re the one saying one thing but meaning another!” Xu Chenghao didn’t dwell on the topic and instead asked, “What wedding date did you and my dad decide on?”

Jing Yicheng also sounded quite helpless as he replied, “I originally wanted to get married within a month, but Uncle didn’t agree. He said at least two months were needed for preparation—otherwise, a lot of people wouldn’t be able to be contacted in time, and the preparations would be too rushed.”

Xu Chenghao comforted him, “It’s alright—at least it’s much better than the originally suggested six months later.”

Jing Yicheng: “……”

Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t so bad after all.

No matter what, now that the wedding date had been finalized, there was finally something to look forward to. Jing Yicheng asked Xu Chenghao if there was anything he liked or what kind of wedding he wanted. Xu Chenghao thought for a bit and felt he didn’t have any specific plans, so he told him to arrange it however he liked.

With full authority handed over to Jing Yicheng, he immediately pushed aside all his work and began preparing boldly and vigorously. Besides, preparing for a wedding felt entirely different from working—at the very least, Jing Yicheng definitely wouldn’t feel stressed or unhappy because of the busy schedule. The faster the progress, the happier he became—truly, very happy.

Even though Xu Chenghao wasn’t handling anything himself, he still had to free up time to get the marriage certificate, try on clothes, rehearse, contact people, and more—causing Li Nian to feel mixed emotions. He didn’t want to work overtime, but he also kept thinking about his seaside villa. Every day, he looked utterly resentful.

The wedding venue was ultimately chosen to be a resort island. Due to Jing Yicheng’s special identity and the importance of the guests invited, all unrelated personnel were excluded—let alone any of those messy reporters. The entire island was placed under tight control. If anyone suspicious appeared and ran off upon seeing people, regardless of the reason, they were immediately subdued with a grappling move and sent to the public security bureau.

After half a month of this type of sweeping, the area finally settled down completely. As the wedding date drew closer, more and more guests arrived on the island in advance to prepare. Xu Chenghao also brought his family and friends early. Besides his parents and close acquaintances, Zheng Yunyun and others were present, and needless to say, Li Nian—he was the best man.

In fact, Jing Yicheng had even sent an invitation to Ruan Chenxuan, but it vanished without a trace. The other party clearly had no intention of coming to be humiliated. Jing Yicheng didn’t care—after all, he only sent the invitation to provoke him, and since that purpose was achieved, he was very happy!

A few days later, the resort island, which was like spring all year round, finally welcomed the wedding as scheduled. The previously peaceful and tranquil atmosphere instantly turned lively. By rights, a wedding between two men didn’t require door-blocking games or challenges—they could simply hold hands and exchange rings.

That might have been what Xu Chenghao was thinking—but everyone else definitely wasn’t thinking that way. Who was Jing Yicheng? He was a bigshot figure who usually stood high above the clouds, someone no one dared to provoke. Just saying a word to him on a normal day required careful deliberation—no one would even dare joke around with him. Now that there was finally a chance to mess with him, everyone was practically ready to set off firecrackers and shout “Happy New Year!” How could they possibly let this opportunity slip by?

And so, everyone declared that this kind of tradition absolutely couldn’t be skipped: “Mr. Jing, we’ll be waiting for you in President Xu’s room!”

Jing Yicheng was in a good mood today, and besides, today was all about fun and excitement. As long as things didn’t go too far, he could tolerate it. Unexpectedly, he actually nodded in agreement. With great fanfare, he brought the entire research institute team to “snatch the groom.”

Some people blocked the door, others guarded the stairs. Jing Yicheng, leading a massive group of groomsmen, overcame countless obstacles and finally reached the doorway—only to see Xu Chenghao sitting there, smiling at him.

Today, Xu Chenghao wore a white suit, exquisitely tailored and adorned with blue cufflinks, making his usual elegant and gentle aura appear even softer. He simply sat quietly at the door, looking at Jing Yicheng, and that alone softened Jing Yicheng’s expression. He dropped to one knee before him. “Haohao, I’ve come to get you.”

Xu Chenghao tilted his head. “But they said I need to test you.”

Jing Yicheng’s attitude toward Xu Chenghao’s trials was completely different from how he handled the others. His face full of gentleness, he said, “Alright. Whatever you say, I’ll do it.”

Xu Chenghao thought for a moment but had no ideas. So he glanced at the onlookers to solicit suggestions.

Everyone started talking over one another:

“I’ve got lemons, bitter melon, salted fish, and chili peppers ready!”

“A love song confession isn’t too much to ask, right? I’ve never heard Mr. Jing sing before.”

“How about fifty one-handed push-ups?!”

“Strip dance!” No one knew who had suddenly shouted that, but after a brief silence, the crowd instantly burst into laughter.

Jing Yicheng was in a good mood. He leaned in close to Xu Chenghao and whispered in his ear, “I’ll dance for you tonight.”

Xu Chenghao was amused and just about to say something when suddenly a voice echoed in his mind:

[Ding—System upgrade successful. Unbinding in progress, please wait.]

Xu Chenghao’s thoughts were instantly diverted: System, are you leaving?

[Ding—Yes.]

Xu Chenghao thought for a moment: Then wait a bit longer, at least until we finish exchanging rings.

[…]

Just how deep was this grudge—he wanted to feed it a mouthful of dog food* before it left?

Xu Chenghao didn’t care. After speaking with the system, he opened his arms toward Jing Yicheng and said, “Then carry me downstairs.”

Jing Yicheng was more than happy to comply. After planting a kiss on him, he picked him up and carried him down the stairs. The others followed behind in a boisterous commotion, and the whole crowd headed downstairs and got into the cars to depart for the wedding venue.

At this moment, the green lawn was filled with seated guests. Blue and white balloons floated gently in the air—some tied to chairs, others to trees—swaying alongside the flowing white gauze. Clusters of purple, rose, and pink blossoms lined both sides of the path, forming a corridor scattered with rose petals. At the end of the path, a floral arch was woven with vibrant seven-colored flowers and green vines. Beneath the arch stood a table draped with pink tulle, also adorned with flowers and two red velvet boxes. Behind the table stood the priest, holding a red book with a kindly expression on his face.

The motorcade approached slowly from the east and stopped at the start of the flower path. As the car door opened, Jing Yicheng—dressed in a white suit, expression full of joy—was the first to step out. With a delighted look, he turned back and extended his hand. A few seconds later, long, slender, fair fingers reached out from the car, gently resting in his palm. Xu Chenghao, also dressed in a white suit, bent down and stepped out of the car.

Though they were both wearing white, their temperaments were vastly different. Jing Yicheng, though visibly gentler than before, still looked fierce and intimidating next to Xu Chenghao. Xu Chenghao, on the other hand, resembled a perfectly polished piece of warm jade—every movement was graceful, poised, and exuded an outstanding aura. It was hard for anyone to look away.

With everyone watching, the two walked down the flower-paved path and came to stand before the priest. The priest was a kindly, affable old man whose voice was soft and warm as he read the ceremonial lines, and finally asked:

“…From this day forward, are you willing to support each other, in wealth or poverty, in health or infirmity, to cherish and respect one another?”

Jing Yicheng said, “I do.”

Xu Chenghao also said, “I do.”

The kind priest smiled, his face crinkling with wrinkles. “Then you may take up the rings and place them on each other’s hands.”

Jing Yicheng had finally waited for this moment. He picked up the diamond ring engraved with a little yellow duck, specially made for Xu Chenghao, and placed it on his finger. Then he extended his hand, full of expectation. Xu Chenghao also picked up the ring engraved with a little chili pepper, meant just for Jing Yicheng, and carefully placed it on his finger. Then he looked up and gave him a smile.

Jing Yicheng smiled as well. This was the second time they had put on rings—the first time was for the proposal, this time for the wedding. The completely different setting made his heart surge with excitement. Amid the crowd’s cheers, he leaned in and slowly kissed the lover before him.

He, who had once been trapped in darkness, never imagined that one day he could also gain happiness—could have a lover, could complete a wedding under the eyes of the world, and kiss the one he loved.

Jing Yicheng tried to hold back the overwhelming happiness in his heart, but he simply couldn’t contain his excitement. The strength in his arms tightened as he held the other person, as if he wanted to merge him into his flesh and blood, to become one and never part again. He truly loved this person so, so much!

Xu Chenghao could feel the excitement in him as well. He wrapped his arms around him and patted his back comfortingly, finally calming the overly emotional man and bringing him back to the moment to continue the ceremony.

[Ding—It’s time for me to go.]

Xu Chenghao’s heart tensed slightly: Wait a little longer.

[…]

Just what kind of grudge was this supposed to be?!

Xu Chenghao said: It’ll be soon.

The system fell silent. Perhaps because of their parting, it showed an unusual leniency in its tone: [Ding—Final hour countdown begins!]

Xu Chenghao: Alright.

There wasn’t much left to do. Since Jing Yicheng had no parents, the tea-serving ceremony for the parents only involved the Xu elders. Each drank a cup of tea, said a few auspicious words, and handed over red envelopes. Then the newlyweds returned to the stage to pop champagne and cut the cake.

After everything was over, the moment Xu Chenghao had been looking forward to the most from beginning to end finally arrived—the bouquet toss!

Normally, the bouquet toss is a tradition in weddings where the bride throws the bouquet. But since this was a wedding between two men, they originally hadn’t planned to include it. It was only because Xu Chenghao insisted repeatedly that they kept this part of the ceremony.

And now, it was finally happening.

Xu Chenghao took a deep breath, received the bouquet from Li Nian, turned it around a few times in his hands—but didn’t throw it right away.

Holding the microphone, he paused for a moment, then opened his mouth and said, “I have a friend who has been with me for a long time. Although it’s a pity he couldn’t be here today, I still want to say these words to him.”

In his mind, the system seemed to sense something and let out a ding, as if wondering whether he meant it.

Xu Chenghao didn’t respond in his mind, but instead calmly said into the microphone, “I’m very grateful for your appearance. You started me on a new life, helped me meet Jing Yicheng, and allowed me the fortune of walking with him all the way to this day, standing here at the altar. I’m also thankful for your help, your kindness, even your jealousy… Although I don’t know what you’ve been through, I want to wish you well at this moment of parting. I hope you can be happy, and live joyfully forever.”

Finally, he said to the system in his mind: This is your farewell ceremony. I wish you happiness. Goodbye!

With that, Xu Chenghao turned around and tossed the bouquet—not toward the crowd, but in the opposite direction—amid the applause.

[Ding—Unbinding successful.]

That familiar sound rang out in his mind once more. Before Xu Chenghao could feel anything, he noticed the falling bouquet suddenly paused in mid-air. The previously lively atmosphere around him went completely quiet in an instant.

Xu Chenghao widened his eyes, sensing something. Beneath the falling bouquet, a figure appeared.

The boy raised his hand and caught the bouquet. He seemed to look at it for a few seconds, then slowly raised his silver-gray eyes and looked at him for a few more seconds. The two of them stared at each other in silence—neither saying a word.

After a while, the silver-haired boy revealed a somewhat awkward but brilliant smile and said to him, “Thank you for your blessing. Goodbye.” After speaking, his figure became transparent and gradually faded, disappearing along with the bouquet from where he stood.

Xu Chenghao stood frozen in place, then softly murmured, “Goodbye.”

Clap clap clap clap— joyful applause suddenly erupted again, and the space around him returned to normal. Xu Chenghao snapped back to reality and clearly realized that—the system was really gone.

The moment that realization entered his mind, Xu Chenghao didn’t know why, but his eyes suddenly grew hot. Maybe it was saying farewell to the past, maybe it was the pain of parting, or maybe it was tears of joy for the present… The emotions were too complex for Xu Chenghao to tell them apart. He could only look at Jing Yicheng with dazed, helpless eyes—on the verge of tears.

Jing Yicheng couldn’t take part in what had just happened, but he empathized deeply with Xu Chenghao’s emotions. He lowered his head to kiss away his tears, then pulled him into his arms and comforted him: “Haohao, don’t cry. I’m here.”

Xu Chenghao struggled to hold back his emotions. Gripping the front of his clothes, he said, “The system is gone.”

“Mm.” Jing Yicheng responded softly, his fingers running through Xu Chenghao’s hair, gently rubbing to soothe him.

“I don’t have a way back anymore.”

“Mm.”

“If you don’t treat me well from now on, you’ve got no conscience!”

Jing Yicheng couldn’t help but laugh. He wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close. “Don’t worry. I will treat you well—always, forever.”

He would prove with time that his “forever” would last until the end of his life.

---

The author has something to say: This time it’s truly the end!
Thank you to all the little angels for your warm companionship. I’ll drop a round of 99 small red envelopes to celebrate. Love you all (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～

Whispers softly: There’s no extra chapters, give up already!

T/N: It’s the end.. sob* Thank you all for going on this journey with me ♥ Let’s meet again on our next novel 😘