After a Contract Marriage with a Cold and Older Person - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Wedding

Perhaps today truly was an auspicious day.

Ji Wenxu felt that the distance from his home to Song Tingyun’s place seemed unusually short.

In the blink of an eye, the wedding car arrived downstairs at the apartment complex.

Having lived here for nearly two weeks, Ji Wenxu was familiar with the route upstairs.

Ji Wenxu had anticipated that Song Tingyun’s side would likely be quiet. After all, Song Tingyun had told him early on that his family didn’t even have distant relatives.

However, when he stepped inside the apartment.

Ji Wenxu was still surprised by the room’s austerity.

He cleared his throat and composed himself, instructing the photographer and his friends to wait in the living room. He took the bouquet, rushed over, and opened Song Tingyun’s bedroom door with a flourish.

Same-sex weddings had slight differences from typical heterosexual weddings, such as skipping the segment of blocking the door or looking for wedding shoes, and omitting the games during the pickup process.

But Ji Wenxu felt that even without those segments, Song Tingyun should at least be sitting quietly in the room waiting for him, right?

Instead, he only saw Song Tingyun on the balcony, on a business call.

Ji Wenxu seemed quite used to this sight.

He plopped down on the bed, leaning back on his hands, and carefully examined Song Tingyun’s room.

Just two days ago, he had helped decorate this room.

Song Tingyun was still on the phone. Ji Wenxu sighed boredly, then casually reached into the cabinet where Song Tingyun kept his glasses and took out the thickest pair of black-rimmed glasses from the very back and put them on.

…

His vision blurred.

His head felt dizzy. He quickly took off the glasses, frowned, and rested for a moment.

“Hmph.” A faint laugh came from in front of him. Then, a hand took the glasses from his hand and put them back. Song Tingyun looked at him and asked, “Are you alright?”

Ji Wenxu lay back on the bed petulantly, “No, I nearly threw up.”

“Get up quickly, we need to leave.”

Ji Wenxu closed his eyes and said, “What’s the hurry? We’re still early. I have something to tell you.”

Song Tingyun glanced at him and slowly sat down beside him. As the mattress beside him gently dipped, Ji Wenxu suddenly chuckled, as if his plan had succeeded, “I lied. I don’t actually have anything to tell you.”

Song Tingyun rolled his eyes at him.

“Childish,” he said.

Ji Wenxu shrugged carelessly, “Say whatever you want.”

It was supposed to be their wedding day, but the room was so quiet that only their voices could be heard, and it seemed no one was talking in the living room either.

Song Tingyun shifted his gaze away from him, remaining silent.

The air was still for a few minutes. Ji Wenxu suddenly sat up and said, “Let’s go. Let’s get the process done early. Once it’s over, we can eat. I only had a bowl of eight-treasure porridge this morning. I’m starving.”

The driver picking them up was arranged by Song Tingyun, which allowed the two of them more freedom in their conversation.

Once in the car.

Ji Wenxu stretched, then nudged Song Tingyun’s arm with his elbow, asking, “What did you eat this morning?”

Song Tingyun closed his eyes to rest, “Nothing.”

Ji Wenxu immediately replied, “You have impressive endurance.”

Song Tingyun sometimes felt that communicating with Ji Wenxu was quite difficult. He pursed his lips and remained silent.

Ji Wenxu made rustling sounds beside him. The sound of packaging paper was heard in the car. Ji Wenxu nudged his arm again, “I knew you wouldn’t eat breakfast. Here, I snagged these pastries from home this morning.”

Song Tingyun slowly squinted his eyes open upon hearing him. He saw Ji Wenxu holding a few handmade pastries.

“Are you shy? I’m serious, eat a couple quickly. I checked the schedule; it’s still a long time before we can eat,” Seeing Song Tingyun unmoved, Ji Wenxu took his hand and forcefully placed the pastries into it.

Song Tingyun sighed, but he didn’t refuse the kindness.

He unwrapped the paper and put a piece of pastry in his mouth. Ji Wenxu took a bottle of mineral water from the right side of the seat, twisted the cap off, and handed it to him.

…

…

The lights in the hall were completely extinguished.

Ji Wenxu stood at the front of the stage, quietly waiting for the main doors to open and for Song Tingyun to walk in.

Even though it was an agreement marriage, it was a first for Ji Wenxu. He tugged at the hem of his suit, staring somewhat nervously at the slowly opening doors.

Light spilled in from outside, and a tall, handsome figure slowly walked into the hall.

He wondered if it was just his imagination.

Ji Wenxu thought, he had just seen Song Tingyun moments ago, yet Song Tingyun in this setting seemed to possess an indescribable charm.

He swallowed.

The Song family only consisted of Song Tingyun alone; the relatives who showed up were fewer than the business partners.

“They say his parents died in a car accident.”

“The relatives had already separated from them…”

“Oh, no wonder. I was wondering why no one was walking him.”

…

In such a crowded setting, some discussions were unavoidable. They might not have been malicious, but they just happened to be heard by Ji Wenxu.

He was a little displeased. He glanced at those people, then suddenly stepped forward off the stage and approached Song Tingyun.

“Let’s go,” he offered his hand to Song Tingyun.

Song Tingyun looked at the wide palm and understood the reason for Ji Wenxu’s action.

He actually didn’t care about the gossip aimed at him—it was true back then, and it was true now.

But when he was eighteen, Ji Wenxu had been displeased and stood up for him, and now Ji Wenxu was again displeased and disregarded etiquette to take the lead for him.

Song Tingyun thought to himself that he really had no reason not to like Ji Wenxu.

He placed his hand on Ji Wenxu’s, and the two walked onto the wedding stage together.

After the tedious procedures.

The two families lined up neatly for a group photo, which was printed and framed that same day and sent to their new home.

Dinner was held at Ji Wenxu’s family home.

Besides Ji Wenxu’s immediate family, close relatives of the Ji family were also present.

Everyone offered genuine blessings for the marriage of Song Tingyun and Ji Wenxu.

“Cousin, Brother Xiaowei.” Seeing Pei Zhixian and Ning Qingwei walk over hand-in-hand, Ji Wenxu quickly ran up to greet them both.

Pei Zhixian handed the wedding gift he brought to the butler nearby, then patted Ji Wenxu’s shoulder, laughing, “You scamp, I didn’t expect you to get married before your cousin.”

Ji Wenxu “Awwed,” “That’s why I keep telling you and Brother Xiaowei to hurry up and get married.”

Song Tingyun also walked over and greeted the two as Ji Wenxu did.

Pei Zhixian laughed heartily, “Congratulations, CEO Song.”

Ji Wenxu nudged his arm with his elbow and said, “You should change how you address him.”

Pei Zhixian, “He’s a year older than me. If I call him ‘little brother’ because of you, I’d be taking too much advantage, wouldn’t I?”

Song Tingyun smiled and shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. We can address each other as we see fit.”

“Alright, Cousin, let’s go inside. Dinner is about to start,” Ji Wenxu half-coaxed, half-pushed the three of them into the house.

…

The bright moon rose into the twilight sky. It was past ten o’clock at night when they left the Ji residence.

Just on the drive home, Ji Wenxu yawned no less than ten times in the car.

It had been a genuinely exhausting day.

Song Tingyun was equally fatigued and was resting with his eyes closed in the car.

Until a heavy pressure landed on his shoulder.

His eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Ji Wenxu had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

He was resting on Song Tingyun’s shoulder.

Song Tingyun looked down at his quiet face. Although he always did childish things and said unbelievably childish things, he was remarkably reliable when it mattered.

He moved his shoulder slightly to make Ji Wenxu more comfortable.

The driver was also discreet and slowed the car speed.