TYAM Chapter 100

There’s only 2 chapters left until the end~ As usual, I feel a little melancholic for finishing a series…

Going straight for marriage, hearing it made his head steam and his face flush.  

And, somewhat inappropriately, a little bit of that boyish heart-fluttering feeling.  

It was strange. Some topics, at first glance, seemed filthy, abnormal, unspeakable. But as long as they were brought into the daylight and spoken about openly and naturally, like discussing meals or drinking water, they suddenly didn’t seem like a problem at all.  

Ji Guoshen originally felt like just thinking about two grown men kissing would make his back shiver. But when his own son spoke of it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, it somehow didn’t seem wrong anymore. It was as if it had always been the most obvious thing.  

—How did we suddenly jump straight to marriage??  

Chen Danhong thought that hearing such words should have made her pass out on the spot. But after Ji Linqiu finished saying everything in one breath, she instead felt a strange sense of relief, like she had been waiting for this moment all along.  

She felt ashamed of her own contradictory emotions and held back for a long time before speaking: “But… but you’re both men. You can’t even get a marriage certificate.”  

Ji Guoshen instinctively said, “In the past, older generations got married without certificates, and they still lived their lives together just fine.”  

Chen Danhong, as if echoing the concerns of their extended family, said, “But they can’t have children. What about old age and retirement?” But as soon as she asked, she found the question absurd.  

If their son stayed in Yuhan, let alone making a living, he had already bought several properties in Beijing and Shanghai. And with Jiang Wang’s capabilities, how could their later years possibly be anything but comfortable?  

—Even if they weren’t happy, it would still be a better life than staying in this old village.  

Ji Linqiu, feeling the effects of the alcohol, let out a chuckle and stood up. “Take your time thinking it over. If you need anything, come find me in Yuhan.”  

He didn’t wait for anyone’s approval and turned straight for the door. “Let’s go home, Jiang Wang.”  

Peng Xingwang had been eavesdropping upstairs for a long time. Hearing this, he rushed down with his mouth still full of steamed pork. “Brother!! Take me with you! I have school tomorrow!!”  

Jiang Wang glanced at the two elders, feeling a headache coming on. He hadn’t said much the entire time, and now that Linqiu was already walking out, it didn’t feel right to stay any longer.  

Ji Guoshen sighed and got up. “I’ll pack some food for you to eat on the way.”  

Ji Linqiu stopped halfway and turned to look at them, his gaze urging Jiang Wang to hurry up and drink some water before they left.  

Chen Danhong silently went to the kitchen to pack food. The old man sat alone in the middle of the room, clutching his chest and muttering weakly, “For everything else, I think… I need some time…”  

Ji Linqiu leaned against the wall like a delinquent. “Then take your time. If I don’t get back to work soon, my company’s gonna drop dead.”  

Jiang Wang whispered, “That’s not true. Duan Zhao is practically ready to take a CET-8 exam to save the day. If he actually passes, who knows?”  

The three of them got back into the car, the road ahead illuminated by headlights. The two elders stood at the door, watching them leave.  

The mountain road was winding and steep, but at least most of the highway had been completed, making the trip much smoother than the first time.  

The kid, now full from dinner, had already fallen asleep, snoring like a little pig.  

Ji Linqiu sat in the front passenger seat, looking at the road winding up into the mountains while covering his face with both hands.  

Jiang Wang couldn’t help but laugh beside him.  

“I usually block the drinks for you, who knew you could down it all in one go like that?”  

Sorghum liquor was usually brewed very pure. Even when Jiang Wang drank it at business events, he sipped it in tiny glasses. Where had Línqiū ever seen someone downing a whole bowl of it like this?  

He looked so much like a refined scholar, yet he was this ruthless with himself.  

And somehow, that ruthlessness was adorable.  

Ji Linqiu hadn’t thought much of it at first, but now that the alcohol was kicking in, he didn’t feel nauseous—just an overwhelming, burning heat all over his body. He pressed his palms to his flushed cheeks and murmured, “My face is so hot.”  

“You need to take it easy. There’s water in the car, drink some first. If it gets worse, we’ll stop at a rest area, and I’ll help you throw up.”  

Ji Linqiu stubbornly shook his head, as if opposing something unknown.  

“You don’t understand,” he mumbled, drunk, “I can let go of anything else, but I’m scared of being too far from you. What if you turn into a mermaid and disappear?”  

Jiang Wang glanced at him, thinking, ‘Yep, he’s really drunk.’

“I was panicking just thinking about it. If you really turned into seafoam in the bathtub, what would I do? Should I scoop you into a bowl or freeze you in the fridge?”  

Seeing Jiang Wang still laughing, Ji Linqiu reached over and knocked him on the head. “Do you even know how worried I was about you?”  

“No mermaid destiny for me,” Jiang Wang sighed, “I’m right here. If it makes you feel better, I won’t take baths for the next few years. I’ll even stay far away from lakes.”  

He glanced at the still-snoring Peng Xingwang and lowered his voice. “But I worried too. What if your parents took you somewhere like Taiwan or Hong Kong? We’d have to wait until we were old men to see each other again. By then, even a reunion sex might be impossible.”  

Ji Linqiu’s already burning face turned even redder. He covered his face. “You pervert!”  

He looked like an obedient little kid who had secretly drunk alcohol and now regretted it, curled up in the passenger seat. Even though he wasn’t physically leaning on Jiang Wang, he still felt so close, so soft.  

They had been joking just moments ago, but now, neither could hold back their tears.  

Jiang Wang was still focused on driving and didn’t immediately notice Ji Linqiu’s silent tears streaming down. When he finally glanced over, he panicked. “Alright, fine, I won’t be a pervert. But why are you crying? Don’t cry, I can’t even wipe your tears right now.”  

The alcohol had taken full effect. Ji Linqiu, red-eyed, kept crying quietly, looking utterly wronged.  

Just moments ago, he had stood before his parents like he was ready to go down fighting. But now, in the car, every vulnerable spot was laid bare. Fear crept in.  

“What if we can’t get married?”  

Jiang Wang held the steering wheel with one hand and reached out to hold Ji Linqiu’s with the other. “We’ll light red candles and bow to each other. What’s stopping us?”  

Ji Linqiu bit his lip, holding onto Jiang Wang’s hand, still anxious. “I feel like I’m aging.”  

“W-when I don’t see you, I start getting old.”  

“You really haven’t aged at all,” Jiang Wang reassured him at a red light, wiping his tears with a tissue. “My dear Teacher Jì is 18 this year, 17 next year. He’s more stunning than anything.”  

Ji Linqiu glared at him, unconvinced.  

“So embarrassing,” he groaned, “I must be drunk right now.”  

“No, you’re adorable.”

“Do you want to marry me?”  

“I never dared to think about it,” Jiang Wang paused for a few seconds, then said seriously, “If you hadn’t said it, I really never would’ve dared to dream.”  

But now, he dared to.

He heard Ji Linqiu say that even if they don’t see each other for forty years, it will be just like now, no different at all.  

He heard Ji Linqiu say that even if they go to the underworld, they will still be together in the afterlife. 

His dear Ji Linqiu is so fearless and resolute. Just those words alone are worth ten thousand declarations of love.  

---

They returned to Yuhan and gradually cleaned up the mess left behind by the past fifty days of unexpected events.  

To be honest, though things were a bit tricky, the company hadn’t changed much during Ji Linqiu’s sudden disappearance. In the teaching profession, it wasn’t unusual for teachers to suddenly fall ill, go on maternity leave, or be temporarily reassigned. Someone else could always step in to cover. The only real impact was on textbook compilation and review, but fortunately, a few senior teachers had stepped up to help.  

After returning to Yuhan, Ji Linqiu simply moved all of his remaining belongings from his parents’ house over, though there hadn’t been much to begin with. Now, he could rightfully say he was living with his fiancé.  

The wedding was still far from being set in stone, but Boss Jiang was already starting to feel the pressure.  

Should they go for a Chinese-style or Western-style ceremony?  

Hold it domestically or fly abroad?  

A beachside island or a forest meadow?  

Should they get a hot air balloon, a flower field, or a sea of wind chimes?  

They spent half a year bickering and teasing each other over it, all while frequently video calling both sides of the family.  

Ji Guoshen, wanting to stay with his wife, ultimately gave up on the idea of coming to teach and remained in their hometown with Chen Danhong, keeping her company and chatting with her from time to time.  

He had owed her too much in the first half of his life, and now all that remained was quiet remorse.  

Whenever Ji Linqiu talked with his family, Jiang Wang would occasionally come over to say hello, fulfilling his courtesies.  

They chatted about the new school campus, Jiang Wang’s work on his website, Beijing’s rising housing prices, and Xingwang’s sudden growth spurt. Before ending the call, they would always say goodnight to each other.  

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Until one day, Chen Danhong called Jiang Wang.  

The elderly woman hesitated at first, but Boss Jiang patiently listened.  

“No rush to talk, take your time.”  

After a while, Chen Danhong finally said, “What’s your birth date and zodiac signs? I need them to check your compatibility with a fortune teller.”  

Jiang Wang refused to give them up. “What if the fortune teller says Linqiu and I aren’t a match? I can’t just hand them over that easily.”  

Chen Danhong sighed in resignation. “At the very least, we need to pick an auspicious date, don’t we? We don’t need a big banquet, but we still have to do things properly.”  

After the call ended, Ji Linqiu walked in, carrying a stack of documents.  

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Jiang Wang grinning to himself.  

“Did the Shanghai house deal go through?”  

“Nope.” Jiang Wang’s smile deepened. “Teacher Ji, congratulations.”  

Ji Linqiu raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”  

“Congratulations on successfully proposing to me.”  

The man spread his arms and swayed slightly, almost like he was acting coy.  

“Where’s my ring, then?”