After the burial, Su Lanqiao had to deal with a jumble of paperwork, after all, he was the eldest son.
After finishing those complicated matters and leaving the cemetery, he realized that it had already become dark, a gloomy sight that dampened his spirits.
"Sorry for keeping you with me for so long," Su Lanqiao said apologetically to Chu Cheng, who had been with him all day. "How about I treat you to a big meal?"
Chu Cheng chuckled and lit his first cigarette of the day. "Is my day spent with you worth such a meal? What day is it today?"
"Today..." Su Lanqiao shivered on the street. His suit was too thin, and the cold was getting to him. Even his toes were trembling. "Today is my father's funeral."
"..."
Chu Cheng exhaled smoke, gesturing toward a store with a large "Happy New Year" sign and suggested, "Tonight is New Year's Eve. Want to go see the fireworks?"
Su Lanqiao's eyes lit up as he grabbed Chu Cheng's sleeve. "Great! I heard lots of European and American celebrities will be there this year. We can make it to the London Eye."
Chu Cheng just wanted to find a comfortable open-air restaurant, enjoy a drink while viewing the fireworks and the night scene. He never expected Su Lanqiao to want to go to a crowded square, standing there like a fool with a group of people. Just imagining that scene made him feel exhausted.
Chu Cheng wasn't one for crowded places. He extinguished his cigarette and asked uncertainly, "You really want to go?"
"Let's go. I've been feeling frustrated lately, and it'll be a change of mood," Su Lanqiao suddenly seemed much more cheerful. He took Chu Cheng's hand and headed to the subway. "Today, let me show President Chu a down-to-earth life among the people in London. The streets will be too crowded, so we'll take the subway there."
Chu Cheng regretted suggesting this plan, as the subway was always overcrowded, especially for New Year's Eve.
As expected, even before getting into the subway station, he felt like he was being squeezed into a different shape.
"We went to the London Eye to watch, sitting on the ferris wheel while watching the fireworks." Chu Cheng proposed another suggestion, which he thought was pretty good, quite romantic, and it could also avoid the crowds, perfect.
Sulan Qiao repeatedly shook his head and rejected, "No, it's so boring sitting inside with just the two of us. It's more fun to be with everyone."
... Okay, children are like this, they like excitement.
Forget it, I'm just here to make people happy, not to argue with him.
Chu Cheng endured his irritation and followed Sulan Qiao on the subway for ten stops, finally reaching the subway exit, where the crowd was so dense that they couldn’t move.
"There are so many people. Fortunately, we arrived early." Sulan Qiao seemed very excited, her beautiful eyes sparkling, "It's five hours away from midnight. Let's go and buy something to eat."
Oh, I just mentioned treating him to a big meal, now it’s just about buying something to eat casually.
Chu Cheng clicked his tongue inwardly. Who came up with this ridiculous idea to watch fireworks? Drag them out and bury them.
The two of them shivered as they went to the nearby bakery. While standing in front of the counter, choosing a pitiful dinner, the salesgirl looked them up and down, and upon seeing two handsome men come in, she enthusiastically promoted, "We have a new flavor of couple donuts, orange and chocolate, buy one get one free, would you like to try?"
"We are not a couple, and I don't want to eat sweet things." Sulan Qiao said awkwardly, and Chu Cheng also didn't like to eat sweets. Why would they buy sweet donuts?
Also, what's this about orange flavor?
Chu Cheng ignored him and calmly handed over his card, "Then give us two, in orange flavor."
The beautiful London accent came out of his mouth, emphasizing the word "orange" somewhat deliberately.
Sulan Qiao widened his eyes. Is this guy doing it on purpose?
The cashier packed the donuts and gave them to him, saying with a smile, "Happy New Year, you two look really good."
"Thank you." Chu Cheng walked out of the store with the packaged bag, tore off half a donut and stuffed it into Sulan Qiao's mouth, "Orange flavor, is it good?"
"Chu Cheng, I didn't realize you were really sly..." Sulan Qiao finally couldn't help but complain, with an air of breaking the jar. "If you want to imply that we should sleep together, you can just say it. Anyway, we're both going to get married, we don't lack this service."
Chu Cheng raised his hand to help wipe off the frosting from the corner of his mouth and resumed his impassive expression, "I didn't mean that."
"Oh, I just assumed you were being so wicked." Sulan Qiao snorted and silently nibbled on the donut, and the sweet and sour taste instantly filled his mouth. It was indeed good, as it was a new flavor.
Sulan Qiao stared eagerly at the half donut left in Chu Cheng's hand, licked his lips, "Um..."
"Want it? Not giving it to you." Chu Cheng calmly tore off a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, then walked briskly ahead.
Sulan Qiao felt that this person was different from before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It seemed that the distant, aloof demeanor had softened a bit, adding a touch of warmth.
"Chu Cheng, I want to eat it." Knowing that Chu Cheng was receptive to coaxing, he used a soft voice to act cute just to get a bite of the donut.
Chu Cheng looked at him amusingly for a while, and then fed the remaining half to him, "Just kidding, eat it, we can buy more if it's not enough."
Sulan Qiao opened his mouth and took a bite of the donut, inadvertently touching Chu Cheng's fingers with his lips, which were covered with frosting.
He couldn't help but stick out his tongue and carefully licked it, feeling his fingertips tremble slightly.
Chu Cheng's temple throbbed suddenly, he calmly withdrew his finger and wiped it with a tissue, speaking in a calm tone, "Don't be frivolous in public."
"Then where can I be frivolous?" Sulan Qiao's courage was unusually big today, playful and cheerful, as if he wanted to challenge Chu Cheng's bottom line at any moment.
Chu Cheng glanced back at him, with that innocent face again, as if he had never said anything improper.
He realized that this guy was looking simple, but deep down inside, he had all sorts of little intentions.
Every time they were in bed, if Sulan Qiao couldn’t bear it, he would lick Chu Cheng's ears, begging with a pleading tone, and scratching him like kitten claws.
Chu Cheng didn't know whether he called him in such a way to urge him or provoke him.
He wasn't sure where else he could let loose, but at least in bed, it was quite wild.
His mind’s imagery was increasingly out of control. Chu Cheng cleared his throat and changed the subject, "So, are we just standing here being silly until evening?"
"Yeah, isn't that what New Year's Eve is about? Chatting aimlessly with friends while waiting for midnight," Sulan Qiao leaned on the railing, looking at the brightly lit London Eye, with its colorful lights changing, "You've never celebrated New Year's Eve with friends?"
Chu Cheng shook his head, "No."
His past was spent racing against time to complete his studies, and then taking over the company. He didn’t have so much free time to waste on meaningless things like this.
"So, this is your first time..." Sulan Qiao blinked mischievously, paused for a few seconds before finally spitting out the last two words, "celebrating New Year's."
Chu Cheng gritted his teeth, "Can you speak properly?"
Sulan Qiao stood at attention and saluted, "Yes, sir. We still have to wait for several hours, it's so boring to chat aimlessly."
"You seem to be in a better mood now." Chu Cheng sighed in relief. This trip hadn’t been in vain.
Sulan Qiao casually brushed his hanging bangs aside, "I was actually mentally prepared a long time ago. He had been lying in the hospital for a year or two, and I knew this day would come sooner or later, so it's not that hard to accept. It's just that thinking about not having any close relatives anymore makes me a little sad."
"You still have me." Chu Cheng reminded him, "At least, legally speaking, I will be."
To be your legal husband, with no parents, that's probably the closest relationship there is.
Sulan Qiao smiled, showing his dimples, half joking and half serious, "Then if I mess with the contract and make it so you can't divorce me in six months, see what you'll do?"
"You have quite the ability." Chu Cheng thought to himself; not being able to divorce would be just fine, then he wouldn't.
His phone in his pocket beeped, and Sulan Qiao hurriedly took it out. The message on the screen was large and the pop-up showed the sender's information in full.
Xu Zhili: [Xiao Qiao, Happy New Year. Haven't seen you for a few days, kind of miss you.]
Chu Cheng pretended to casually glance at it but was stung by these words, "You added him on WeChat?"
A few days ago, the show's team created a group chat for contact purposes. All the contestants were in it, so I joined." Su Lanqiao vaguely mentioned, opening WeChat to reply, "Wishing you a happy new year."
Xu Zhili immediately replied, "Where are you? I want to spend the new year with you. Do I have the honor?"
Xiao Qiao: "I'm back in London, with Chu Cheng."
This implication was clear enough. Sometimes, Su Lanqiao felt quite tough on herself. This statement was hurtful, directly revealing the result.
Xu Zhili didn't reply for several minutes.
Cheng Chu couldn't help but smile when he saw the entire conversation. The kid was quite clear in his intentions.
The phone rang again, breaking the silence. Xu Zhili finally replied, "I’ll wait for you to come back. I will have a fair competition with Chu Cheng. Xiao Qiao, at least give me a chance to chase you."
Su Lanqiao mumbled, "We're getting married. What's there to compete for? You've already lost from the start."
"What did you say?" Cheng Chu turned to look at him.
Su Lanqiao nonchalantly waved the phone screen in front of him, deliberately provoking, "Xu Zhili said he will have a fair competition with you, and the object is me. Are you afraid? Someone wants to steal your wife."
After saying this, Su Lanqiao nearly bit his tongue. He realized that the joke had gone too far and quickly corrected himself, "I made a mistake. Oh look, the host is coming out, the performance is about to start."
Cheng Chu, with an expressionless look, turned his gaze back to the stage and coldly snorted in his heart. Steal his wife? Let someone try to steal her?
The performance lasted for four hours, and it was lively on stage, but Su Lanqiao was freezing below. Whenever the wind blew, he couldn't stop shivering.
He had made a mistake. He should have gone back to change into warmer clothes first.
Seeing Su Lanqiao shivering, Cheng Chu took off his suit jacket and put it on him. "Let's go back, don't wait anymore."
"No, it's just a few more minutes. I've waited for so long," Su Lanqiao's teeth chattered as he insisted, returning the jacket, "I'm not cold. You wear it, don't catch a cold."
Cheng Chu helped button up the coat, speaking more firmly, "Put it on. Do we both have to be sick to be happy?"
"We'll leave right after watching. "Su Lanqiao, wrapped in the warm coat, felt warm from inside out, and looked at Cheng Chu. Despite the cold weather, he was just wearing a black shirt and wasn't shivering. He was in really good shape.
In the future, if someone became Cheng Chu's wife, how spoiled would they be? He felt envious.
He turned to look at the big screen in the distance. The countdown had already begun, and he felt inexplicably excited.
This was his first New Year’s Eve with Cheng Chu. If it's the same next year, that would be great.
"Let's count down together, everyone! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" The host on stage enthusiastically shouted, "Happy New Year!"
In an instant, all the fireworks rushed into the night sky, exploding into various shapes, turning the dark night into daylight. There were unbridled screams and blessings from the people around, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
"New Year's here, these fireworks are truly amazing, aren't they?" Su Lanqiao turned to look at Cheng Chu, his eyes filled with hidden affection in the night. It was only in the late hours of the night that he dared to reveal his emotions so boldly.
This New Year’s Eve was truly fulfilling.
"It's beautiful." Cheng Chu looked up at the fireworks exploding above, his mood inexplicably pleasant, "New year, new outlook. Let's handle the registration after New Year's Day."