What kind of fiancé?
For once, Zhang Su’an’s ability to comprehend language completely failed him.
While he was still lost in confusion, Hu Guangtong’s next sentence followed immediately: “Thank you for today. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Zhang Su’an replied slowly, “Oh.”
He truly had nothing else to say besides that.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, he wasn’t the only one whose mind went blank. When Fu Second Uncle, still cursing under his breath, entered the mediation room and saw Hu Guangtong sitting beside Yuan Mian, the same hollow, emptied expression appeared on his face, as if someone had scooped his brain out in an instant.
Fu Second Uncle had just returned from the hospital.
He carried with him medical examination reports that practically radiated exaggeration, along with a team of private lawyers he had summoned via phone directly from the family’s business empire.
Several people arrived in a menacing rush, their momentum like a pack of jackals about to lunge forward and tear into flesh yet the moment their line of sight landed on Hu Guangtong, everything came to an abrupt halt.
Zhang Su’an found it hard to describe just how amusing Fu family’s Second Uncle’s frozen expression was. He could only say that, in terms of sheer comedic value, it ranked perhaps just a tiny notch below the scene of him cosplaying a turtle in shallow water earlier.
Everyone was looking at Hu Guangtong.
Hu Guangtong, meanwhile, was looking at the police officer responsible for mediation.
The officer asked, “Are you Yuan Mian’s family member?”
Hu Guangtong replied, “Yes.”
“You are not related by blood.”
“We’ve already applied for same-sex marriage registration and are awaiting approval. We’re only one final step away from being legally married spouses.”
As he spoke, Hu Guangtong reached out and touched the back of Yuan Mian’s hand. Feeling that it was a bit cold, he naturally took off his own jacket and draped it over Yuan Mian’s shoulders.
Only after finishing did he turn his gaze to Fu family’s Second Uncle.
“You’re free to file a lawsuit if you wish. We can do that as well. However, Yuan Mian has upcoming engagements and personally, I’d prefer to resolve this through mediation.”
Then he asked calmly, “Mr. Fu, what’s your opinion?”
“……” The muscles on Fu Second Uncle’s face twitched. What could he possibly say?
Naturally, he chose mediation.
The mediation process itself was surprisingly “harmonious,” completely devoid of the entanglement and shouting Zhang Su’an had imagined beforehand.
Hu Guangtong asked only three questions in total, each delivered in a gentle tone.
“Mr. Fu, why do you think Yuan Mian hit you?”
“Your mobility, theoretically speaking, has no impairment. When he struck you, why didn’t you dodge?”
“You’re a member of the Fu family. How do you want to resolve this?”
Having been humiliated so thoroughly in front of everyone by Yuan Mian, calling it a genuine, bone-deep disgrace would not be an exaggeration. Fu Second Uncle’s complexion shifted repeatedly. Surrounded by lawyers watching him intently, waiting for his signal, the corners of his mouth trembled several times in anger before he finally forced out a single sentence:
“An apology will be enough.”
Not only did he raise the matter high and set it down lightly, he even squeezed out a smile through narrowed eyes.
Hu Guangtong turned his head to look at Yuan Mian. “Mianmian?”
Yuan Mian had been silent all this time. When Hu Guangtong spoke earlier, he had repeatedly tilted his head up to stare idly at the ceiling, deliberately provoking Fu Second Uncle until the veins on his forehead bulged.
Even now, upon hearing his name, he said nothing, only shrugged.
Hu Guangtong let out a soft, almost imperceptible chuckle, then turned back.
“Alright, then let’s do an apology but verbal apologies always lack sincerity. It’s better to put it in writing. Handwrite a few apology letters and put this matter to rest.”
He cast his gaze at Fu Second Uncle. “I’ll have my secretary come to your residence to collect them. I hope there won’t be any delay and that this can be settled promptly.”
“……” Who’s writing them? Me? I’m the one writing?!
The look on Fu Second Uncle’s face at that moment, like his skull was about to fly off, was probably something that could never be reproduced with such vivid intensity again in his lifetime. Zhang Su’an deeply regretted not having captured that expression on camera.
But that regret didn’t last long. Once he exited the police station together with Hu Guangtong and Yuan Mian, leaving only the three of them, Zhang Su’an quickly lost even the emotional bandwidth for regret and fell back into a daze.
“Have you eaten yet?” It was Hu Guangtong speaking.
Yuan Mian gave a soft hum. “Not yet. Things started happening the moment we met.”
“Are you hungry? What do you feel like eating?”
“Hot pot.”
“I’ll make the reservation. You two get in the car first.”
“My motorcycle is still at Su’an’s place.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. There’s a spare key at home. I’ll have someone go pick it up.”
Zhang Su’an silently followed Yuan Mian into a black luxury car that had clearly been waiting for some time. His butt had barely touched the seat when he was suddenly cued.
Yuan Mian said, “Su’an, can he eat with us?”
When “he” was used to refer to Hu Guangtong and Hu Guangtong was also looking over at him at the same time, there really wasn’t much room left for discussion.
That night, the three of them shared a meal together.
Strictly speaking, although the situation was delicate, it never turned awkward.
As the outsider, Hu Guangtong did not actively insert himself into any conversation between Yuan Mian and Zhang Su’an. If not for his aristocratic presence, so eye-catching it was impossible to ignore, his actions alone would have made him seem more like a dedicated attendant, solely responsible for cooking food in the hot pot for Yuan Mian and Zhang Su’an.
Yuan Mian, on the other hand, had plenty to talk about, rambling on and chatting with Zhang Su’an at length.
In fact, over the past few years, this could be considered a rare occurrence.
Back in their youth, when the two of them played together, they were naturally talkative and full of laughter but ever since the Yuan family fell and Yuan Mian became involved with Fu Tianle, whenever they dined together, it was usually Zhang Su’an who shared anecdotes and laughed loudly, while Yuan Mian listened. Yuan Mian rarely spoke about himself.
Another change.
Zhang Su’an took note of it silently. He endured it the entire evening. When Hu Guangtong stepped away to take a phone call, Zhang Su’an finally found a chance to speak privately with Yuan Mian.
“You two…”
“You two seem to be dating.”
So many questions crowded his mind. When he finally found the opportunity to speak, what came out was this foolish sentence. Even Zhang Su’an himself wanted to rub his forehead afterward.
Yuan Mian, however, kept his chopsticks moving as he replied through the white steam rising from the pot, “We’ve always been dating.”
Then he added, “We’re about to get our certificates.”
They really were getting married.
Zhang Su’an asked, “You and Hu Guangtong?”
Yuan Mian replied, “Me and Hu Guangtong.”
“……”
His throat bobbed as Zhang Su’an finally calmed down. The worry he’d carried all night settled at last only after hearing confirmation directly from Yuan Mian’s own mouth.
“Then you and…” The name Fu Tianle never made it out. Zhang Su’an stopped himself and didn’t continue.
There was an unspoken understanding between him and Yuan Mian. Neither of them ever mentioned Fu Tianle. It had been that way for years and there was no need to break it now.
Ending it was good. It should have ended long ago.
After a brief silence, Zhang Su’an changed the topic. “When did you get together?”
Yuan Mian answered, “Less than a month.” He calculated briefly. “Twenty-eight days.”
That really was recent. A whirlwind romance and a whirlwind marriage? Highly possible, perhaps even seamlessly connected to his time with Fu Tianle.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Zhang Su’an asked, “How did you get together?”
“That’s not something that can be explained in one sentence.”
It wasn’t evasive; it truly wasn’t an easy story to summarize.
Zhang Su’an held a transparent glass in his hand. The red liquid inside was clear, not red wine but fruit juice. He looked across the table. Both Yuan Mian’s and Hu Guangtong’s cups held plain water. Compared to Fu Tianle’s tables of smoke and alcohol, a table with Hu Guangtong present felt inexplicably comfortable and clean.
“Life really is…” Zhang Su’an sighed. “I remember you liked Hu Guangtong back then.”
Mentioning it now made his thoughts drift, a sensation like lifetimes had passed.
Yuan Mian seemed stirred as well. He turned his head toward Hu Guangtong, who was still on the phone in the distance, stared for a few seconds, then touched his own ear. “Was that a thing? Your lousy memory actually works at times like this.”
There was an awkwardness about him that he clearly tried to hide but couldn’t, like a young boy experiencing something for the first time.
Zhang Su’an had been deliberately avoiding paying attention to the details of how Yuan Mian and Hu Guangtong interacted. At this moment, though, he suddenly fixed his gaze firmly on Yuan Mian.
Being stared at like that made Yuan Mian even more uncomfortable. He frowned. “What?”
Zhang Su’an said with certainty, “You like him.”
Yuan Mian: “……”
He closed his eyes briefly, opened them again, as if enduring something. In the end, he still couldn’t hold it back. “Are you sick? You’re talking nonsense. If I didn’t like him, why would I marry him?”
We all need to thanks Fu Tianle’s stupid joke that drove Yuan Mian to move on
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The coffee goblin has awakened. It wants tribute.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Why don’t you go and keep him company?Chapter 2 · He opened the door and left without looking backChapter 3 · Why Hu Guangtong of all people?Chapter 4 · Have you broken up with Fu Tianle?Chapter 5 · Hello, I am Yuan Mian’s fiancé.Chapter 6 · You liked Hu Guangtong from the beginningChapter 7 · I want to spend the rest of my life with you.Chapter 8 · Have you seen Yuan Mian recently?Chapter 9 · Yuan Mian has already started talking to someone elseChapter 10 · He wasn’t Yuan Mian’s first love?Chapter 11 · Are you comparable to Hu Guangtong?Chapter 12 · Yuan Mian would certainly love Hu GuangtongChapter 13 · They’re going home together for dinnerChapter 14 · Extra 1Chapter 15 · Extra 2Chapter 16 · Extra 3