GBT Chapter 138

Chapter 124: Epilogue Two

On a weekend evening, Zhang Zhen strolled along the flowerbeds in front of the Lanmo Mansion’s main gate.

It was late autumn, and most of the surrounding vegetation had turned yellow, with only some evergreens remaining. Zhang Zhen looked up at the serene moonlight. Time passed too quickly. In the blink of an eye, he was thirty. He had savings, property, and family, and no financial pressure. He was already luckier than many of his peers.

Zhang Zhen took out his phone and scrolled through his WeChat Moments. Some were showing off their investment funds, home designs, or new car experiences, while others were displaying colorful handprints on their custom-made suits, saying they were gifts from their children. Last week, he had dinner with some friends and was introduced to a girl of eighteen or nineteen, younger than his own brother. She came from a good family, played the piano, had held many solo concerts, and had admired him for a long time.

The dinner became a blind date.

Considering the girl’s self-esteem, Zhang Zhen didn’t leave on the spot. He stubbornly persisted until the end of the meal, took her home, explained his thoughts clearly, and refused to develop a relationship with her.

Zhang Zhen had never seriously considered matters of the heart. If he were to have it in the future, it would have to arrive silently, successfully evading his defenses and hesitations.

In the next few years, Zhang Zhen’s life would center around treating his illness while watching Jiao Bai complete his studies and have a good relationship with Third Brother.

The sound of a car engine came from afar, interrupting Zhang Zhen’s thoughts. He put away his phone and peered over.

The car passed through the streetlights and mountain mist, slowly approaching and stopping in front of the flowerbeds.

The back door opened, and Jiao Bai got out of the car, yawning incessantly. His watery eyes looked towards Zhang Zhen, “Brother, why are you at the gate?”

“Waiting for you,” Zhang Zhen put his arm around him. “How was the outing?”

Before Jiao Bai could speak, Qi Yi Liao got out of the car, rubbing his tired brow and asked, “A Zhen, is there soup in the kitchen?”

“Yes,” Zhang Zhen said.

Lanmo Mansion followed a tradition passed down through generations, with three kitchens and three dining rooms, divided for the master, guests, and subordinates.

The original servants had all had years of friendship with Aunt Liu. After Aunt Liu died, they were all replaced. The current batch had been working for over a year and hadn’t made any mistakes.

Especially their soups, which always had new variations. Jiao Bai liked to drink them.

Zhang Zhen led Jiao Bai through the gate, chattering and asking questions. He inadvertently caught sight of something and suddenly stopped.

Jiao Bai looked at him questioningly.

“Bai Bai, go in first.” Zhang Zhen took a short, deep breath, pushing him forward. “Go on.”

“Okay,” Jiao Bai responded sleepily.

Qi Yi Liao lagged behind a few steps, carrying Jiao Bai’s backpack in one hand and answering a phone call in the other. He spoke in German, with perfect pronunciation, possessing the magnetism and elegance of a mature man.

Zhang Zhen waited for Third Brother to come over. He didn’t understand business matters very well, but he had heard Qi Huai say that the Qi Corporation was expanding into Germany.

As for the domestic market, the Qi Corporation would no longer compete for and expand its territory.

Qi Yi Liao hung up the phone and, seeing Zhang Zhen standing still, nodded slightly and uttered a vague syllable, “Hmm?”

“Third Brother, did you propose to Bai Bai?” Zhang Zhen asked, suppressing his emotions.

Qi Yi Liao shook his head.

Zhang Zhen’s emotions burst out, his expression a rebellious mix of contempt and annoyance, “Why are you lying to me? I saw the ring on Bai Bai’s ring finger!”

“My meaning is, it wasn’t just a proposal,” Qi Yi Liao walked forward, following the footsteps of his little lover, “We also got a marriage certificate.”

Zhang Zhen was stunned on the spot. Was his hearing failing?

What marriage certificate? Who with whom? Who am I?

Dazed, Zhang Zhen strode after Third Brother, his voice low and agitated, “Such a big thing, and you didn’t even tell me, his brother?”

Qi Yi Liao didn’t stop walking, his gaze always on the young figure wandering ahead. He recalled the scene at the time, his face softening with tenderness.

Qi Yi Liao had plans for marriage, but not so soon. His lover was still in school, full of enthusiasm for life and studies. He could wait.

So the marriage certificate was Jiao Bai’s initiative.

Just one minute after Qi Yi Liao gave the ring.

His little lover felt in his suit pocket, pulled out another ring, put it on him, kissed his palm, and said with a smile—Let’s go abroad and get a marriage certificate.

Qi Yi Liao’s chest burned, his voice hoarse, “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

Zhang Zhen was about to say something when he heard Third Brother laugh, “A Zhen, your absence from this process is indeed regrettable. How about this, I’ll let you host your brother’s wedding anniversary every year from now on.”

“…”

That’s really not necessary. He doesn’t know how to host.

Zhang Zhen saw Third Brother smooth his hair, also wearing a ring on his ring finger. He frowned. The normal marriage process is proposal, certificate, wedding ring, and then the next step.

“Then when are you having the wedding?” Zhang Zhen quickened his pace, stepped in front of Qi Yi Liao, blocking his view, and said seriously.

Qi Yi Liao walked leisurely past Zhang Zhen, spitting out two words slowly: “No wedding.”

“No wedding?” Zhang Zhen’s frown deepened. He hurried to catch up, his breathing a little rapid, “Why? This is such an important and sacred step.”

Qi Yi Liao walked casually, the light casting down, holding his high brow bone and deep eye sockets, he did not speak, more silent than ever, his body also faintly exuded a kind of suspected aggrieved little wife breath.

Zhang Zhen looked at the inscrutable Third Brother, he immediately realized that it was his brother’s intention to only get a low-key certificate and not have a wedding, so he silently changed his position: “Actually, that’s just a ceremony, not important.”

Qi Yi Liao’s face immediately turned black.

Zhang Zhen muttered, “You let him make all the decisions himself, and if you’re not happy with what he decides, you can only put up with it.”

Qi Yi Liao rubbed his forehead and walked away.

In front of the fan-shaped counter in the kitchen, Jiao Bai was lying there drinking soup. Zhang Zhen went around the counter entrance, “Bai Bai, are you really not having a wedding with Third Brother?”

Jiao Bai bit the mushrooms in the soup, the wedding or no wedding, he didn’t care, but the old pervert wanted it.

Once he nodded to say yes, that would be terrible, it would definitely be a big event.

The kind that tells the whole world.

Gaudy and tacky, luxurious and arrogant, the mentality of a spouse and elder who is more than ten years older.

“Let’s wait until he’s not so busy and has time to recuperate. Don’t tell him I said that,” Jiao Bai took a sip of the hot soup, his spirits lifted, no longer sleepy, his tongue was much sharper.

Zhang Zhen glanced at his brother: “So you don’t agree to have a wedding because you feel sorry for Third Brother.”

“Otherwise?” Jiao Bai clicked his tongue.

Zhang Zhen thought about Third Brother’s emotional changes: “He doesn’t seem to understand what you’re thinking.”

“Do you think he’s stupid? He wants me to feel sorry for him, and he wants to have a big wedding, acting spoiled to me, selling his sadness to you,” Jiao Bai was speechless, “He’s very clever.”

Zhang Zhen couldn’t imagine Third Brother acting spoiled, goosebumps were rising, he struggled to control his expression: “Why not have a simple wedding?”

“It can’t be simple, there are only two possibilities, either no wedding for now, or a big wedding,” Jiao Bai sighed.

Zhang Zhen: “…” Your couple’s affairs, I don’t care.

He scooped a spoonful of soup from the pot, “Bai Bai, I only have one sentence, when you have a wedding, I want to be the witness.”

“Got it, got it.” Jiao Bai put down the empty bowl and wiped his mouth with a tissue, “Brother, do you have anything to do these next two days?”

“No,” Zhang Zhen blew on the soup, then changed his mind, “Oh, Jiang Yan came to Lanmo Mansion this morning. He brought a few Buddhist scriptures and some flowers and plants. The books are on the bookshelf on the first floor, and the flowers and plants are in the small house in the front yard.”

Seeing that Zhang Zhen hesitated to speak, Jiao Bai asked: “Anything else?”

Zhang Zhen said something shocking: “Jiang Yan shaved his head.”

Jiao Bai: “…”

Putting this on the fiery, enthusiastic, and unrestrained Little Chili, he was not very surprised.

Jiao Bai threw the dirty tissue into the trash can. When he died and came back to life, returning to being Jiao Bai, he posted to Moments, and Jiang Yan was the first to call him, bursting into tears.

Afterwards, he paid back that year’s worth at a rate of eight thousand eight per month, and continued to pay it back monthly.

“Bai Bai, could your friend have become a monk?” Zhang Zhen developed a bit of a gossipy attitude.

Jiao Bai’s phone rang, the one on the fifth floor called him up, he replied with a “cat-sucking” emoji, and continued to chat with Zhang Zhen: “What clothes was Jiang Yan wearing when he came to Lanmo Mansion today?”

“The same as always,” Zhang Zhen said, “A red dress.”

Jiao Bai squinted: “Have you ever seen a monk wearing a red dress?”

Zhang Zhen was speechless.

“Everyone has their own life, everyone has their own way of living,” Jiao Bai patted Zhang Zhen’s shoulder, his eyes falling on his ring finger, the ring shining in his pupils.

Zhang Zhen also looked over, his brother had finally become a sister-in-law, what to do about the address? Should he change it? While he was struggling, he heard his brother’s voice, “Just stick with the original, everyone call each other what they want.”

“It can only be like this.” Zhang Zhen saw his brother glance at his phone again, he couldn’t stand it anymore and waved his hand, “Hurry up and go.”

Jiao Bai took a few steps and looked back, Zhang Zhen, who was observing the flexibility of his waist and legs, didn’t have time to hide his expression, and was caught by him, very embarrassed.

“Bai Bai, that,” Zhang Zhen squeezed out a few words, “These two days you went out to play, was Third Brother restrained?”

Jiao Bai said, with dense red marks under his clothes, “Restrained.”

Last year he “died,” and the newly liberated old pervert put on a metal cage again, hanging his keychain.

In the same season this year, he came back, and the old pervert was very restrained at first, holding him while sleeping and not doing anything else, at most kissing his cheeks, not even touching his mouth.

A few days later, in the semi-sleep, Jiao Bai had a small key stuffed in his hand, the old pervert didn’t sleep late at night, kneeling on the bed and letting him unlock it.

That night he was almost sent into the bedside table.

Now the handwriting on the desk on the second floor of the basement is still increasing, but it is all the old pervert grabbing his hand from behind to engrave.

“Restraint”

Touch.

“Restraint”

Touch.

…

Restraint my ass!

Jiao Bai hoped that Qi Yi Liao could shorten the time he spent with him and reduce the frequency.

Qi Yi Liao didn’t agree, because he couldn’t do it even if he agreed, so he simply didn’t make a promise. After all, at his age, he had to be an example and guide for his lover, and he couldn’t go back on his word.

The two had a small quarrel over this.

The result of that time was that Jiao Bai moved to his room on the first floor, and Qi Yi Liao was going on a business trip.

And then,

Then early in the morning, the bodyguards saw their Lord Qi coming out of Young Master Bai’s room, taking Young Master Bai on a business trip.

Jiao Bai was too busy, he didn’t put much effort into English, Qi Yi Liao found him medical English books, taught him suffixes, and if he couldn’t remember, he would use a ruler to beat his ass.

If the ruler didn’t work, then Qi Yi Liao would personally come.

Jiao Bai often clocked in his study plan in Moments, and Zhang Zhen, Jiang Yan and others had asked him if he regretted studying medicine, and he said no.

Because this is his first year, first semester! If he regretted it in his first year, how would he get through the remaining years?

Jiao Bai’s daily routine was to preview the textbook, memorize it by rote, and gnaw on authoritative atlases. He didn’t eat anything during lab classes, because eating made him lazy and affected his concentration. He would pay attention to the cadaver teacher to memorize the structure, and come back and look at himself in the mirror, even when Qi Yi Liao was taking a shower, he would stand next to him.

How long Qi Yi Liao took a shower depended on how long it took Jiao Bai to find the part he wanted to find and remember it.

Once Jiao Bai memorized it, he would throw Qi Yi Liao, who was holding his hands high, in the bathroom, and hurriedly ran out to draw a picture on paper with a pen.

The sound of water sounded again in the bathroom, cold water.

Lanmo Mansion easily welcomed the end of this year.

The two masters were already married, and the bodyguards’ topics revolved around “Young Master Bai is taking an exam today” “Didn’t he just finish the exam?” “Another one,” they always felt that Young Master Bai was either taking an exam or on the way to take an exam.

They were worried about him going bald, and whenever they saw him, they paid attention to the changes in his hairline. The chefs also worked hard on this, studying various medicinal diets.

Jiao Bai’s hair volume is still holding up for now, but it’s hard to say in the future.

In the office on the fifth floor, Qi Yi Liao was processing official business at one end of the desk, and Jiao Bai was watching video lessons on PPT at the other end, occasionally touching the fork in the fruit plate, forking a piece of fruit and eating it, eating whatever he forked, not picky.

When Qi Yi Liao finished his official business, Jiao Bai was still watching the video.

The huge study, with only two people, was not deserted. Qi Yi Liao closed his laptop and pinched his sore shoulders. He stepped over, bent down to sniff the young man’s hair: “The charity gala at the end of the year, will you accompany Uncle?”

Jiao Bai was multitasking, watching the video to recall what he had memorized during the day, his lips and teeth uttering Silent thoughts, mixed with a sweet fragrance.

His face was pinched, and Jiao Bai turned his head, mumbling: “What?”

Qi Yi Liao’s fingertips pressed on his lips, slowly stroking: “Uncle is talking to you.”

Jiao Bai signaled with his eyes for Qi Yi Liao to repeat it again.

Qi Yi Liao didn’t repeat it, he just stroked the young man’s fair and smooth neck, his fingertips clinging to the young and vigorous heat of life, sighing: “Little Bai, do you feel that your world is getting bigger and bigger, and Uncle’s world is getting smaller and smaller?”

Jiao Bai said without thinking, “Isn’t my world yours?”

Qi Yi Liao was stunned.

“Is it?”

He straightened up, seemingly wanting to hold back his face, but unable to restrain himself from bending his back even more, his gaze burning at the person on the chair, laughing softly after a long while: “You think so.”

Jiao Bai shook his head in his heart, even the most successful entrepreneurs are flesh and blood, with only one heart. As they get older, they will all suffer gains and losses.

What can he do with the old man he chose himself.

Jiao Bai closed the video he hadn’t finished watching, his sock-clad feet stepped on the carpet, he looked up, smiling confidently and brightly: “Yes, that’s what I think.”

The next sentence was, “Don’t worry, I’ll support you when you’re old.”

Qi Yi Liao: “…”

“Aren’t you very touched?” Jiao Bai leaned over, and was blocked by a hand, he grabbed that hand and bit it.

“Yes, Uncle is so touched that he’s crying.” Qi Yi Liao breathed in his ear, “Feel it.”

Jiao Bai rolled his eyes: “No.”

“Be good, feel Uncle.” Qi Yi Liao frowned helplessly, coaxing.