The Sickly Double Doesn't Want to Be Spoiled - Chapter 30.2

Chapter 30.2

Meng Yuan asked Qin Qing to put the envelopes away. “Money is humanity’s best friend. It is pure… pink and flawless, ice-clear and jade-clean.”

Qin Qing: “…”

Had this kid’s brain broken from nervousness?

…

At noon, the wedding banquet began.

Meng Yuan stood outside the banquet hall doors, peeking through the crack.

The guests had all arrived. The hall was decorated in a simple, modern style with a white theme. Ethereal pale purple lights drifted down from above like lingering gauze.

The carpet was also made of white silk, reflecting the light with a soft purple glow.

The guests on either side were friends and family of the Lu and Meng families, as well as business partners. There were even journalists wearing press badges around the perimeter.

Standing outside, Meng Yuan heard the music inside stop.

The doors were pushed open.

He counted his heartbeats in his mind.

A bit fast.

Probably due to the nerves, Meng Yuan felt waves of dizziness. His ears were filled with the thumping of his heart, and his palms were even sweating.

Even though this wasn’t a wedding born of love, and even though it was a beginning based only on a contract, Meng Yuan was still very nervous.

Regardless, this was the first time in two lifetimes he was stepping into the hall of marriage.

To Meng Yuan, this was a sacred thing.

In his original world, his parents loved each other very much. Though his mother passed away early, his father had always deeply loved her.

Meng Yuan had grown up looking at their wedding photos. His parents didn’t have much money, but they made their wedding solemn and grand.

The young Meng Yuan, bathed in the deep, gazing eyes of his parents, would be lying if he said he never had fantasies.

Actually, he also hoped to meet someone he truly loved and walk into this sacred hall with them.

He hoped that when they looked at each other, they could find that kind of gaze—one that crossed time and space, a gaze that said I only love you, I only love you deeply.

The kind of gaze that brings tears to one’s eyes.

What a pity…

The music struck up, and Meng Yuan snapped back to reality.

The lights brightened before him, stretching from his feet all the way to the depths of the hall. At the end stood a person.

Lu Cong stood there, giving him a very light smile.

Meng Yuan took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The path was very long.

To appear solemn and to make it easy for the surrounding media to take photos, he walked very slowly.

Behind him, flower girls continuously scattered petals.

He walked forward step by step. The guests on both sides were watching him. Those gazes falling on him were curious, calculating, smiling, or hiding something else he couldn’t understand.

His heart beat faster and faster.

The path was too long, and Meng Yuan walked so slowly that every step felt like treading on cotton. Accompanied by the violent thumping of his heart, he heard his own breathing grow heavier.

Lu Cong had been waiting at the front, but suddenly he moved.

He walked over from the other end, his strides fast and large, his face showing no emotion. He stopped in front of Meng Yuan and looked down at him.

“Walking so slowly,” Lu Cong lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear, “Are you being a bit too nervous?”

Meng Yuan took a deep breath, trying to adjust his state, his forehead sweating. “At a time like this, just cut me some slack.”

Lu Cong gave a low laugh. “Nonsense again. I’ve clearly been yielding to you all along.”

Meng Yuan: “…”

He stared at Lu Cong with a blank expression.

If he weren’t afraid of being caught by the omnipresent cameras rolling his eyes, he definitely would have rolled them to the heavens.

But after being slightly annoyed, he indeed felt less nervous.

Meng Yuan pursed his lips into a proper smile.

Lu Cong had already taken his hand.

His palm was broad. A life of luxury meant his hands had no calluses; they weren’t rough, but dry and warm. The strength with which he held him was just right—neither too tight nor too loose.

“Follow me,” Lu Cong said.

He led Meng Yuan forward, slowing his pace to match Meng Yuan’s rhythm.

Meng Yuan lowered his head and looked at their joined hands.

On the stage, the two stood side by side.

The witness was the old Professor Zou, who had been waiting for them on stage. Seeing them stand together, he revealed a kind smile.

Over thirty years ago, he had also presided over the wedding of Lu Cong’s parents in this very place.

The young couple had been a match made in heaven, a beautiful pair. At that time, he truly believed it was a marriage made in heaven, but the ending was unexpected and tragic.

The Lu Cong before him had inherited his parents’ excellent looks. His brow and eyes held a few hints of his mother, yet he was completely different.

That kind of innocent, fervent, and longing light that his mother had never appeared in his eyes.

Even now, at the most important moment of his life, he simply looked forward calmly, considerately gripping Meng Yuan’s hand.

Thinking of this, the old man’s kind smile also betrayed a trace of sorrow.

What about Meng Yuan?

That poor boy from the Meng family.

The old man shifted his gaze to Meng Yuan, then paused. The surging sorrow and worry froze.

Meng Yuan… seemed to be spacing out.

Standing together, the two were an even better match than Lu Cong’s parents had been—a match made in heaven. But upon closer inspection, it turned out each had their own concerns.

Professor Zou: “…”

A strange marriage indeed.

“Lu Cong, Meng Yuan,” he stopped overthinking and began to fulfill his duty. “Standing here today is a gift of fate.”

“Do you promise, whether in poverty or wealth, in sickness or in health, in good times or bad, to walk hand in hand for a lifetime and grow old together?”

The solemn vows flowed into his ears and drifted away. Meng Yuan couldn’t quite focus; his body was sweating, and his head felt heavy.

Walk hand in hand for a lifetime, grow old together?

But his “lifetime” only had two years left.

Oh, now only a year and a half.

It seemed very easy to achieve.

He had always felt that the reason few people could keep their promises—making the weight of vows grow lighter and lighter—was because time moved too slowly.

Life is long. By the time you’re eighty, you’ve forgotten many stories, so how could you still remember the feeling of falling in love for the first time at twenty?

But he only had a year and a half.

Though there wasn’t much love, walking hand in hand for a “lifetime” was still too easy for him.

He almost blurted out: “I do.”

Then he felt Lu Cong’s surprised gaze swing over.

“What is it?” Meng Yuan whispered.

Lu Cong wouldn’t drop the ball at a time like this, would he?

“Nothing…”

Lu Cong looked away.

Meng Yuan saw Adam’s apple bob. He didn’t know if it was the lights in the hall, but Lu Cong’s ears looked redder than usual.

Lu Cong didn’t let go of his hand. Meng Yuan noticed his palm was also sweating slightly.

Lu Cong took a deep breath and looked at the old professor again, his gaze very deep.

“I do,” he said.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause. Next was the exchange of rings.

Qin Qing brought up a giant sapphire and diamond “pigeon egg” ring. It was the most flamboyant among Meng Yuan’s pile of rings and also the one Lu Cong had specifically requested.

A second later, the “pigeon egg” appeared on his ring finger; Lu Cong had already put it on him.

Meng Yuan sighed inwardly. Sometimes, it was really hard to describe Lu Cong’s taste.

He followed the steps and put the ring on Lu Cong as well.

“You may kiss your partner.”

Meng Yuan’s heart tightened, then relaxed again.

Fortunately, they had already kissed on the island. Even if it was done while drunk, at least it counted as experience.

He looked up at Lu Cong.

Lu Cong was also looking at him.

After their eyes met and he received the other’s silent permission, Lu Cong tilted Meng Yuan’s chin up and lowered his head to kiss him.

The audience broke into enthusiastic cheers, mixed with various catcalls and whistles.

Only the Meng siblings weren’t smiling. Sitting together and seeing this, looks of surprise flashed across their faces.

“Is that kiss a bit too practiced?”

“I don’t know about ‘practicing,’ but it definitely can’t be the first time.”

“Meng Yuan didn’t leave his room before the wedding; he shouldn’t have had a place to practice that, right?”

“Then he must have practiced with Lu Cong.”

“Are these two for real?”

They immediately shut up, their eyes darting to one spot.

Meng Xiyin had arrived late and sat down two or three meters away from them. She didn’t look at them once the whole time, looking completely indifferent.

She pulled out her phone, took a photo of the stage, and zoomed in.

She was over 500 degrees nearsighted but didn’t like wearing contacts, and frames were too ugly to consider, so she could only see her brother’s micro-expressions this way.

Meng Yuan’s ears were actually red.

Useless things.

Meng Xiyin curled her lip and put down her phone.

A few seconds later, she suddenly picked it up again. Lu Cong’s ears weren’t any better.

At this moment, Meng Xiyin finally showed a playful expression.

…

Why are we kissing for so long…

Meng Yuan thought, his head spinning.

Do you have to kiss for this long just to host a wedding banquet? Is this right? His lips were going to be swollen from the suction.

Was it like this when he kissed Lu Cong last time?

Was it?

Fine, he didn’t remember…

Just before Meng Yuan’s mind wandered off into the void, Lu Cong finally let him go.

Suddenly able to breathe fresh air again, Meng Yuan’s ears rang, and he almost failed to stand steady.

Lu Cong supported him, and Meng Yuan instinctively raised his sleeve to wipe his mouth.

His peripheral vision swept over the audience, and Meng Yuan’s eyes lit up.

My eldest sister was here!

Meng Xiyin sat alone on one side, looking cold and detached. The gaze she sent him held a trace of helplessness.

Meng Yuan didn’t understand it.

The audience began to applaud again. After a few seconds, Meng Xiyin also raised her hands and clapped a few times, giving him a very slight smile.

“Next, we invite the newlyweds to give their speeches.”

The old professor said.

Qin Qing handed the envelope to Meng Yuan. Meng Yuan untied the ribbon, took out the letter, and gently unfolded it.

Wow, what a long letter.

A sense of admiration appeared in his eyes; he could never have written this much himself.

He scanned the first few lines; the writing style was a bit too official and grand.

But the handwriting was excellent.

It was actually handwritten with a fountain pen. The script was very beautiful—not a broad, heavy font, but very elegant and flowing, yet with a subtle strength in the strokes.

It wasn’t written by Song Zhen; Meng Yuan had seen Song Zhen’s handwriting.

He hadn’t expected Lu Cong to have such a “hidden dragon” under his command.

Meng Yuan cleared his throat, gathered his emotions, and spoke slowly.

“Friends and family, I am deeply moved that you have come today to witness the marriage between Lu Cong and myself. My gratitude is hard to express in words.”

“In this life, I once thought I was destined to walk alone. I suffered hardships in my youth, and my heart was lonely.”

Meng Yuan paused slightly, sensing something was odd. These words didn’t seem to match the Meng Yuan of this world.

He continued reading.

“Though I often harbored thoughts of it, I did not dare hope for someone to walk beside me, to live in harmony.”

“Until I met him.”

“We have known each other for only a few months, yet it feels like finding a soulmate in the vast sea of people. To know him, to understand him, and to love him fills me with a thousand emotions and immense joy.”

“When I think carefully, if I am to spend the rest of my life with someone, it must be him alone.”

“I will love you.”

Meng Yuan paused once more. Looking at the words below, he felt his fingers tighten and his throat go dry.

He quietly looked up at Lu Cong. Lu Cong still held that poised expression, watching him calmly.

So, Meng Yuan continued to read.

“I will love you,” he said.

“Love you for the rest of my life.”

“Love you with unswerving devotion.”

“Cherish you, value you, and accompany you.”

“I will never…”

Meng Yuan blinked his dry eyes.

“I will never give up on you.”