Chapter 90: Extra 3: So Good

On the day the annual leave application was approved, Lu Zhiyan gently placed two flight tickets to Berlin, Germany in front of Shen Yu. His fingertips hooked past the other party’s wrist, his tone wrapped in tenderness too thick to melt:

“President Shen, everything is settled. Hurry and take me to get the certificate, and conveniently go on a honeymoon, okay?”

Shen Yu looked at the destination on the tickets, smiling until his brows and eyes curved.

Same-sex marriage had long been legal in Germany, and the process of handling the registration was smoother than imagined. When completing the registration and signing at the local civil affairs institution, Lu Zhiyan tightly held Shen Yu’s hand from beginning to end. The instant the pen tip landed, the two names were placed side by side, becoming each other’s legally most intimate person. There were no tedious ceremonies, only the sincere blessings of the staff, as well as the unhideable tears and smiles in the depths of their eyes when the two looked at each other.

“A’Yu, starting from today, you are my legally recognized lover.”

Lu Zhiyan said. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Slightly tilting his head up and leaning close, he landed a kiss on Shen Yu’s slightly cool lips, his voice deep and solemn.

Their wedding was simple to the extreme. There were no guests, no grand displays, only each other. It was chosen at a small church facing a lake in the suburbs of Berlin. Pure white decorations, full bouquets of white roses and lily of the valley. Lu Zhiyan put the plain band ring on Shen Yu, and Shen Yu also returned the same gentleness.

The priest’s words were soft. The wind swept past the lake surface, carrying the fresh scent of vegetation, witnessing them make their vows to accompany each other for a lifetime. When the ceremony was completed, Lu Zhiyan tightly embraced Shen Yu into his arms, murmuring in a low voice beside his ear:

“Finally, I’ve married you and brought you home.”

The days after marriage were unreserved intimacy and roaming.

From Berlin to Munich, from the Cologne Cathedral to the banks of the Rhine River, and then along the highway toward Neuschwanstein Castle.

Lu Zhiyan transformed into an exclusive photographer. His phone and camera were entirely filled with Shen Yu’s figures: Shen Yu holding a hot mocha on the street and smiling faintly, Shen Yu with a gentle profile blowing in the wind by the riverbank, Shen Yu leaning against his shoulder drowsily falling asleep; every single picture was properly collected.

The two held hands to stroll through markets, eat street snacks, and sleep embracing each other in small town bed-and-breakfasts. When waking up, the sunlight spilled onto each other’s faces; even their breathing carried sweetness.

Shen Yu would carefully formulate travel itineraries together with Lu Zhiyan, silently cut his steak for him in restaurants, and would considerately protect the other party at his side, avoiding the crowded throngs, soothingly accommodating all his small habits and small preferences.

When the two grew tired from walking, they would find a cafe to sit down. Head next to head looking through photos, mutually teasing the other party’s silly appearance in the camera lens, and then unable to resist kissing each other’s lip corners, cherishing this undisturbed two-person time.

Halfway through the trip, Lu Zhiyan picked out a few group photos: there was the scene of them signing shoulder to shoulder during registration, the silhouette of them embracing and kissing in the church, as well as the daily life of snuggling together and looking at the scenery by the banks of the Rhine River. After meticulously formatting them, he sent them together to the parents on both sides.

Not long after the message was sent out, the replies from the four parents surged in one after another. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Even across the screen, one could feel the distinctly different yet equally warm emotions.

Liu Yuzhu sent a message first, her tone entirely filled with heartache and joy:

“A’Yan, I saw the photos, Mom’s tears even fell down. You two must be well, take care of each other, be safe and happy. The family is forever your backing. When are you coming back? Mom will cook your favorite dishes for you.”

Attached was a wiping-tears yet happy sticker.

Shen Guodong had always spoken little, and only sent a steady passage of text:

“It’s good as long as the procedures are all handled properly. Marriage is a responsibility; tolerate each other, and walk hand in hand. Pay attention to safety outside, have fun playing, everything is fine at home.”

At the end, he didn’t forget to add a sentence, “If you’re short on money, tell Dad.”

Li Mei, however, directly made a video call. After connecting, seeing the appearance of the two children snuggling together, she smiled from ear to ear:

“My baby sons are too good a match! Hurry and take more photos and videos to bring back, Mom wants to treasure them up and flip through them every day! Remember to eat well and sleep well, don’t get tired. When you come back, Mom will host a family banquet for you!”

Lu Zhiyuan leaned at the side, his mouth saying “Don’t delay the children’s fun,” yet his gaze constantly landed on the screen. Only when Li Mei finished speaking did he open his mouth softly:

“Yanyan, Xiao Yu, whatever decisions you make, Dad supports them all. Since you have recognized each other, you must cherish it for a lifetime. Yanyan, you must take good care of Xiao Yu outside, and also take good care of yourself, set your mind at ease about home.”

Hanging up the video call, Lu Zhiyan leaned in Shen Yu’s embrace. Looking at the parents’ replies in the phone, his eye sockets grew slightly hot.

Shen Yu tightened his arms, kissing the top of his hair. Gazing at the sparkling water surface of the Rhine River in the distance, his eyes revealed a soft light.

“So good, A’Yu. Every day in the future, will be as good as right now.”

“Mhm.”

The evening wind was gentle, the affection continuous and long. The two smiled at each other, the depths of their eyes entirely filled with unspeakable cherishing and tenderness.

The tossing and turning and apprehension of the past all vanished like mist and smoke at this moment. Only their tightly snuggled figures, and the scalding hot love in each other’s eyes, quietly spread in the night color, extending all the way toward a long and bright future…