EHEWASS CHAPTER 98

Chapter 98: Ye Zeqian

Bringing Ye Zeqian home to meet his parents was something Li Dong had arranged this early on.

But one of his parents had just flown abroad on business a few days ago and had to go. There was nothing he could do about that.

He understood Ye Zeqian’s worries and his parents’ perfectly.

It was no different from any family “marrying off a daughter.” Everyone wanted the groom’s side to show they valued the marriage.

The decision to marry had been a momentary rush of blood for the two of them but taking it seriously meant it was a matter for both families.

The Xu couple weren’t the type to throw their weight around.

As soon as Li Dong explained the situation, his mother, Dan Heng, called Bai Xuan to say she was overseas at the moment.

Aunt Xu Jing, upon learning her nephew had actually formed a union with the very Ye family she’d introduced, was surprised. Hadn’t that fallen through?

The day Dan Heng flew back, she rang her sister-in-law and told her to come over the next day.

“My mom’s back,” Li Dong said as he buttoned his shirt and started on his tie, watching the man beside him step into a fresh pair of briefs.

Ye almost tripped. “She’s back?” He hurried to sit on the bed and dress more slowly.

“Look how nervous you are,” Li Dong said. “Weren’t you the one who kept saying you wanted to go home with me?”

So what if it was ten days late. Left to his own thoughts, Ye could magnify a tiny delay into some looming threat to his place in this relationship.

He had to admit, though General Manager Ye was wonderfully easy to soothe.

The moment he started to spiral, you brought him over, wore him out in bed, then took him out for something delicious. Problem solved.

“Isn’t that how it should be?” Ye Zeqian muttered, lips twitching.

Li Dong pulled a pink tie from his closet, crossed the room, then crouched by the bed. “Head down.”

“…” Ye swallowed his million picky comments and lowered his head.

Li Dong hummed a little tune as he looped the pink tie around that elegant neck, fingers moving with slow, indulgent care.

Ye had to admit that no matter how he felt about this tasteless color, he really did like the man’s gentleness.

“Beautiful. Looks great,” Li Dong said after knotting it, then he leaned in and kissed Ye on the forehead.

“I respectfully reserve the right to—” Before Ye could say “disagree completely,” Li Dong cut him off: “Don’t be like that. I happen to think you’re plenty nice.” Unless Ye wanted to admit he wasn’t.

“You really are…” Ye felt doomed to this man for life, unable to flip the board no matter what.

“It really does look good. See for yourself.” Li Dong stepped aside to reveal the mirror.

Of course it did. On a beautiful face, any color of tie looked fine.

Even if Ye still thought the tie was a crime against humanity, he accepted it and even wore it to work feeling rather pleased.

“Not gonna thank me?” Li Dong tapped his cheek.

“Thanks.” Ye leaned in for a light hug, then said sincerely, “Thank you for taking such good care of me, President Xu.”

Li Dong didn’t answer. He just held the fussy, sharp-edged man in his arms.

Prickly to the touch, but a perfect fit.

The next morning, Xinyi and Ye Real Estate saw both their general managers skipped work to go home to meet parents.

After that, everything followed naturally: the etiquette, the formalities, the wedding put on the schedule.

Ten days before the ceremony, news of the Xu–Ye union swept through A City. It felt like the dust had settled.

Li Dong chose the studio for their wedding photos; the photographer and themes were Ye Zeqian’s call.

In all his years, was this Li Dong’s first set of wedding photos?

He blinked at the thought. In this life, all the “firsts” had gone to people before. What he could give Ye were things others had already left behind.

Patience, gentleness, that high EQ day-to-day, none of it was innate.

“Chaoyan.” Ye stepped out of the dressing room in a new look. “How’s this one?”

He despised himself a little. For all his complaining about President Xu’s tacky taste, he still couldn’t help following the man’s suggestions for what to wear.

As if his own preferences didn’t matter, only what the other liked.

“Looks great.” Li Dong walked over, straightened the collar, and said, “First time shooting wedding photos. I’m a little nervous. What do I do?”

“Who isn’t a first-timer?” Ye replied, disgusted in tone, secretly delighted in heart, so the other man got nervous too.

Everyone on staff was destined to feast their eyes today.

Probably the most stunning, most well-connected newlyweds they’d ever seen. The excitement needed no explanation. If the clients hadn’t forbidden it, “god-tier visuals” would’ve flooded everyone’s Moments by nightfall.

But even if they couldn’t share, the staff still buzzed like they’d eaten pure sugar.

Assistant A’s Moments: Nosebleed!!! How can a couple be this perfect!

Assistant B’s Moments: Today a pair of 10/10 visuals with 10/10 backgrounds and 10/10 everything shot with us. You can probably guess who they are soon. [smile]

Assistant C’s Moments: Some people don’t need to speak or do anything. Just standing there with a smile can crush you into dust. They’re called winners at life.

Li “Winner at Life” Dong wrapped his arms around Ye “Winner at Life” Zeqian’s waist. Facing the lens, they followed the photographer’s lead and flashed their brightest smiles right as the shutter clicked.

“Perfect, perfect, just like that. Keep the smile. Think of something happy.” The photographer barely stopped moving.

And what could be happier than this: at your best, standing beside the one you like, preparing a wedding of the century.

The pity was they’d shot so late that the finished set wouldn’t be ready before the ceremony.

After the shoot, Li Dong spoke to the studio manager. “We’ll need at least two finished pieces. One for the wedding day, one to hang in the bedroom.”

“We can do that,” the manager said quickly. “We’ll rush it.”

“Quality first,” Li Dong reminded him.

Sitting nearby, Ye let the stylist remove his light makeup. Listening to Li Dong explain the details somehow filled him with peace.

Even if they’d started this marriage on impulse, without any foundation of love, he still felt sure that with the man’s character alone, they could make it a lifetime.

“All done?” Li Dong had already dumped remover on a pad and wiped his own face any which way, but he wouldn’t let Ye do that. His reason: bad removal ruins your skin.

“Almost.” Ye glanced at his watch: 3:20 p.m. “I’ve got a meeting at four. What about you?”

“Same. Tea with the head of XX International at 3:30,” Li Dong said.

Ye stared. “It’s already 3:20. You should go.”

“Right. See you tonight.” Li Dong took a few steps, then spun back and planted a loud kiss on Ye’s cheek. “Almost forgot.”

The staff melted on the spot.

“Have you two… been together a long time?” the stylist dared to ask.

“Not really.” Ye thought for a second. “We’ve known each other around a month.” They’d married in under half that time.

A collective sigh.

Assistant A’s Moments: They flash-married! Stylish or what!

Assistant B’s Moments: The flash-marriage path of two corporate heirs… straight out of a novel. [smile]

Assistant C’s Moments: On some people it’s romance; on you it’s brain rot.

— Manager Ye, I made it.

Ye checked the time. The other party was twenty minutes late.

— I’m heading back to the office now.

He did the math. Great. He was going to be late too.

Then he thought: with the wedding to prepare, and both of them still grinding at work, weren’t they model professionals?

So no guilt. Explain it when he arrived.

At Ye Real Estate, the elite staff watched their boss show off his ring, his wedding, and everything else: “Sorry to keep you waiting. We were shooting wedding photos all day.”

“General Manager is getting married?” gasps all around. “When?”

“On the 29th at the end of this month,” Ye said easily. “Your invitations should arrive by tomorrow morning.”

“Congratulations, General Manager!” the room filled with applause and cheerful voices.

“You all know who my spouse is, so I’ll spare you the introduction,” Ye said, basking in the blessings before he settled into his chair to begin.

“We know~” they chorused, eyes all lifting toward the ceiling. No, to the twenty-ninth floor above.

And the wedding date set on the 29th, General Manager had a sense of theatre.

“Alright, let’s begin.” Ye tucked away the pink bubbles and tried to focus.

— Baby, this XX International ‘boss’ hasn’t stopped bragging. [waving]

So, focusing was impossible. With a partner, you could forget about ever focusing again.

— You brag too.

— Hmph.

— I’m in a meeting.

— Go on, go on.

Every person in the room clearly saw their General Manager flash a syrupy, lethal smile.

The instant he realized he’d been seen and tried to hide it, it felt like he’d force-fed the room a mouthful of dog food.

The night before the wedding, back at the apartment.

After the final round of “exercise,” Li Dong said, “I heard you’re not supposed to spend the night together before the wedding. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

Which made sense, tradition said you go to fetch the “bride” on the day of.

“…” Ye didn’t even bother answering. He wrapped his own half of the duvet around himself and went straight to sleep.

“Hey, you…” Li Dong said. “I’m talking about temporarily taking you home, then coming to ‘pick you up’ tomorrow.”

Still no?

“No.” In Ye’s mind, they were already married. They weren’t missing anything just because they hadn’t held the ceremony yet.

Before, he’d fixated on the wedding because he hadn’t felt secure.

Now he did. Truly.

---

Author’s Note:

【With Dong-ge, life turns into little truffle bonbons, I mean truffle chocolates, no matter who he’s with.】
【Preview: lots of you are calling for a Zerg world, which I’m not great at. As for the final world… I’m not saying. Consider it a jump scare.】

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