As we left the Civil Affairs Bureau, preparing to return to the manor...
Pei Yubai held both marriage certificates in his hands, looked at them again and again before putting them into the inside pocket of his shirt, which was right above his heart.
Although his face was expressionless, it was clear that he treasured those two red books very much.
Pei Yubai took Qiguan Yuan's hand, their fingers intertwined, their rings touching in the sunlight.
Several newlywed couples were taking selfies in the parking lot, and no one noticed them.
Pei Yubai door and let Qiguan Yuan in first, then went around to the driver's seat himself.
The first thing I did after starting the engine wasn't to shift gears, but to take the marriage certificate out of my pocket and place it on the center console, cover facing up, so I could see it as soon as I looked down.
Qiguan Yuan found his action somewhat amusing.
However, he didn't say anything.
This was precisely one of the ways Pei Yubai showed his affection for him.
Back at the manor, they saw Shen Lingyi gather everyone in the living room.
Several site plans were laid out on the large round table, a tablet computer displayed comparisons of wedding floral arrangements, and two rows of color swatches were stacked up.
Shen Yuzhou was being ordered to sort the different styles of invitations by color.
Cheng Yanqiu and Jiang Wantang were in charge of flipping through the flower arrangement book, and the two of them argued endlessly about whether to use peonies or orchids for the bouquet.
Ji Shiyu tried to smooth things over, saying they both looked good, but both of them refuted her.
Lin Yanru and Su He'an were working on a dessert table design, discussing everything from the shape of the fondant cake to the color scheme of the macarons.
Pei Zhongkang wasn't idle either. Wearing his glasses, he was looking at the wedding banquet menu and discussing the amount of tea leaves to use for the Longjing Shrimp dish with the butler.
Meng Xu and his staff set up the indoor filming positions to ensure the stability of the live broadcast.
Next to him was the painting that Chenchen had asked him to bring. It depicted a newlywed couple bowing to each other under the Yue Lao Tree. The brushstrokes were crooked, but the colors were applied very carefully.
This is a drawing made by Meng Xu to tell Chenchen that his godfather and his godfather, who is also his beloved Yuanyuan's father, are getting married. Chenchen is doing this as a blessing for them.
As soon as Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai entered the room, Shen Lingyi's gaze fell on their clasped hands.
She walked over quickly, took a marriage certificate from Pei Yubai's hand, and looked at it for a long time, her joy barely concealed.
Yuanyuan can be considered part of her family now.
Pei Yubai is lucky to have such a good eye, finding such a lovable partner.
Shen Lingyi shut and pressed it to her chest, saying, "I'll keep this one."
Pei Yubai reacted swiftly, slipping the other book into his shirt pocket and buttoning it up with a clean, decisive motion.
Shen Lingyi didn't manage to grab a second book, so she glanced at Pei Yubai, then pulled Qiguan Yuan to sit down at the round table and pushed the site plan in front of him for him to choose from.
"The seaside is great. I checked, and there will be two weeks of good weather next month with gentle sea breezes, perfect for an outdoor ceremony."
"A long boardwalk can be built on the beach, the ceremony area can be set up on the white sand, guests can sit on both sides, and you and Xiaobai can stand at the front with the sunset behind you."
As Shen Lingyi spoke, she swiped through real-life photos of the island on her tablet for Qiguan Yuan to see.
Pei Zhongkang, taking off his glasses beside him, also shared his thoughts. "The back mountain is nice too. It's quiet, spacious enough, and we can set off fireworks. I have old friends in the military region who can help arrange a fireworks display."
Shen Lingyi frowned. "The transportation to the back mountain is inconvenient; the guests' convoy could cause a traffic jam all the way to the Third Ring Road."
Pei Zhongkang thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go with the island."
Then I picked up my phone and started scrolling through my contacts, preparing to contact the yacht rental companies I had worked with before.
Shen Yuzhou squeezed over, holding up two invitation samples. One was embossed with gold foil, and the other was made of handmade paper with dried flowers. He asked Qiguan Yuan which one he preferred.
Qiguan Yuan Guanyuan pointed somewhat bewilderedly to the piece of handmade paper. Shen Yuzhou said he also thought it looked nice, then threw the gold-embossed one back on the table and ran back to continue sorting the invitations.
Cheng Yanqiu and Jiang Wantang brought over the flower arrangement catalog for Qiguan Yuan to choose the main flower for his bouquet. He flipped through it and picked a moon-white peony.
Jiang Wantang excitedly slapped Cheng Yanqiu's thigh. "See? I told you I wanted the fancy one."
Cheng Yanqiu winced as she slapped him, but still protested, "The peony isn't particularly gorgeous."
The family was having a lively discussion when Meng Xu stood up and clapped his hands.
He took the microphone from the staff and spoke into the camera, as well as to everyone in the room.
"This episode ends today. There are two things to announce."
"The first thing is that Teacher Qiguan will officially leave the show starting from the next episode. The second thing is that Pei Yubai's initial contract has also expired, and he will also be leaving."
"So tonight is the last night; there will be no group filming scheduled."
"Please, all guests, open your live streams and spend some quality time with your viewers who have supported you all this way."
The guests nodded in agreement, indicating that they would do so.
It was evening.
Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai returned to their room.
Pei Yubai propped his phone up on the table, adjusted the angle, and turned on the live stream.
The moment the screen lit up, a flood of comments poured in like water released from a dam.
The number of online viewers surged to an astonishing number within minutes. The barrage of comments scrolled so fast that it was impossible to read a single message; all you could see were layers upon layers of text.
[Here he comes]
[Good evening]
Is this the last night?
[No!]
And countless crying face emojis.
Qiguan Yuan leaned back in his chair, smiling as he looked at the screen.
He wasn't looking at the camera, but at the live chat. His phone was next to him, and the live stream was on. The comments scrolled from right to left, and he would occasionally catch one or two and read them out in response.
One comment asked him which direction he should pray to if he wanted to find a partner online.
After reading the comment, Qiguan Yuan smiled slightly and said, "There's no need to pray; sincerity is key."
He's on this side of the screen; his direction may be intangible, but his intentions are genuine.
The main problem is that Qiguan Yuan has no sense of direction and can't distinguish between east, west, north, and south.
At this point, an audience member told Qiguan Yuan about her situation.
She has been married for five years, and she and her husband are becoming more and more like roommates than husband and wife; they are more like familiar strangers.
The question is whether this kind of marriage has already ended.
Qiguan Yuan stared at this comment for a while before speaking.
He said, "Actually, roommates are also a kind of destiny, only the red thread has turned into the fate of living under the same roof."
"If you are still willing to live together, then it's not over. If you live together but each goes your own way, that's just making do, not a marriage."
The Marriage Register doesn't record how close two people are, but whether their hearts are still willing to be together.
His voice was calm and unhurried. After speaking, he picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip.
"I believe you already have the answer in your heart."
Pei Yubai sat next to him, one hand resting on the back of Qiguan Yuan's chair, the other hand occasionally kicking away those spamming advertising accounts on the screen for Qiguan Yuan.
He noticed that Qiguan Yuan's teacup was empty, so he got up, poured a fresh cup, and placed it back beside him. His movements were very gentle, and he didn't interrupt him.
Thanks to the audience's strong belief that Qiguan Yuan was the Yue Lao, the viewers in this live stream tonight took the opportunity to ask many questions.
Another viewer asked if there was any possibility of them being together after she had liked someone for seven years without the other person knowing.
Qiguan Yuan put down his teacup and said, "Seven years is not a short time. Since you have something on your mind, why not tell me yourself?"
Another viewer in the live chat posted:
I'm afraid if I tell them, we won't even be able to stay friends.
Qiguan Yuan's voice softened. "The thing we should fear least in this world is sincerity."
"There's nothing shameful about being sincere, and there's even less shameful about keeping your sincerity hidden for seven years. Marriage won't just come knocking on your door; being rejected is better than waiting in vain."
"If this road is blocked, we can try another. The world is vast, and there's always a way to get through it."
Pei Yubai listened from the side, his finger lightly tapping on the back of Qiguan Yuan's chair.
He recalled that back in Cloud-Hidden Town, Qiguan Yuan had taken the initiative to approach him when he had no memories.
His Yuanyuan with Yuanyuan lasted far more than seven years.
Suddenly, a rapidly scrolling connection request notification popped up on the screen.
The same account clicked repeatedly, each time more frantic than the last.
Pei Yubai saw it and reached out to answer the call.
Tonight is mainly the show for the Xiao Yuan Grains; Yuanyuan will most likely not appear on camera again.
The Imperial Fans knew this, so they didn't make a fuss about getting Pei Yubai to speak.
The image is divided in two: Qiguan Yuan is on the left, and a young woman is on the right. The background is a white wall, and she is wearing a mask, only revealing her eyes.
Her eyes welled up with tears the moment she saw Qiguan Yuan's face appear on the screen.
" Yuanyuan." Her voice trembled with a sob.
Qiguan Yuan sat up slightly straighter, his voice becoming a few decibels softer than before.
"No need to rush, speak slowly."
The girl took a deep breath. "I didn't call to ask about marriage; I just wanted to say a proper goodbye to my Yuanyuan partner."
"I know it will be very difficult to see Yuanyuan again or hear any news about her in the Yuanyuan."
The girl hastily wiped her eyes and said, "My name is Zhen Wei, I don't know if Yuanyuan still remembers me."
"Back in Jiangcheng, I met Yuanyuan on set and got your autograph."
Zhen Wei recounted her story in detail. "At that time, I had just been diagnosed with stomach cancer and was already prepared to give up."
She sniffed, a smile seemingly appearing beneath her mask, "But that day I met my favorite Yuanyuan. Yuanyuan said something to me, and I still remember every single word."
" Yuanyuan said that she heard the villagers of Cloud-Hidden Village like to use fortune sticks to ask for what they want. Little friend, if you have any sadness that you can't express, perhaps you can try it. Maybe the gods really can hear you."
Zhen Wei looked at Qiguan Yuan on the other side of the screen, who was listening to her gently and attentively. "Later, I really went to the Yue Lao Temple and drew a marriage fortune stick."
The viewers in the live stream were also captivated and listened attentively, guessing that things were likely to take a turn for the better.
Because the Zhen Wei happily now.
"Then during those days I suddenly received a raise, not a lot, but just enough for me to go to the hospital for treatment."
"My stomach cancer, which was progressing rapidly, suddenly stopped. Over two months, I gradually recovered during treatment."
She paused, took off her mask, revealing a young and clean face.
She looks well, with a smile on her lips that's sure to be heartwarming.
" Yuanyuan, some people say you are a god, while others disagree and say you are not."
"But to me, you are the most merciful deity."
"Perhaps I won't be able to see you anymore in the days to come, but I will still quietly and silently love you."
"I just wanted to tell you that besides Film Emperor Pei's overflowing affection, there are many other people who like you. Xiao Yuan Grains will always like you."
Qiguan Yuan listened quietly, then smiled gently, his eyes crinkling.
He looked at Zhen Wei on the screen, "I know your feelings. From the day you became Xiao Yuan Grains, the thread of fate has been drawn."
"Pilgrimage is fate, longing is fate, gazing into the distance is also fate. This thread of fate is the bond between us."
He paused for a moment, his voice as soft as a light rain. "Well then, farewell, my Xiao Yuan Grains."
At this moment, it seemed that the Xiao Yuan Grains outside the screen had all received a promise from a deity.
"God will always watch over His believers. Your love will not be in vain."
The chat went silent for less than half a second after he said that, and then it completely erupted.
Layer upon layer of text surged up, so densely packed that the content was completely obscured; only a few words could be discerned from the occasional glimpse of one or two characters.
Don't go.
[ Yuanyuan ]
[Thanks]
And countless crying faces.
Each crying face represents a Xiao Yuan Grains who is reluctant to Yuanyuan.
On the other side of the screen, Zhen Wei wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, said thank you, and smiled.
Nothing makes one happier than receiving a response from Yuanyuan.
That evening, the hashtag "Xiao Yuan Grains tearfully bid farewell to Qiguan Yuan " trended on Weibo and remained there for a whole day.
Passersby who clicked on the link were moved by the screen full of screenshots and screen recordings, filled with crying and farewells.
Some say these fans are probably the most miserable fans in the Chinese entertainment industry.
I was originally following a non-celebrity who appeared on a variety show, but it turned out that they went back to heaven after filming the show, and there was nowhere to follow them anymore.
However, the Xiao Yuan Grains think that it's probably a very lucky thing that they can like Yuanyuan.
After the live stream ended, Qiguan Yuan returned the phone to Pei Yubai, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his eyes.
Pei Yubai asked him, "Are you tired?"
He replied, "A little."
Then he turned his head and looked out the window.
The manor was quiet at night, and the surface of the artificial lake shimmered in the moonlight.
In the distance, one could faintly hear Shen Lingyi talking on the phone with the wedding planner in the living room, her tone cheerful, as if they were discussing the air freight plan for the flowers.
Pei Yubai stood up to pour a glass of warm water. When he returned, he found Qiguan Yuan leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, breathing steadily, already asleep.
He placed the water glass on the bedside table, took a blanket and covered Qiguan Yuan with it, then sat down in the chair next to him, silenced his phone, and continued to read the messages from viewers that he hadn't had time to reply to during the live stream.
The screen light reflected on his face. After flipping through a few pages, he stopped and sent a message to Meng Xu: "I'll bring Chenchen over to meet Yuanyuan another day."
Meng Xu replied instantly with "Okay".
Pei Yubai placed his phone on the table, reached out and pulled the blanket that had slipped off Qiguan Yuan back up, his fingers pausing briefly on Qi Guanyuan's shoulder.
Qiguan Yuan slightly in his sleep, his silver hair spread out on the blanket, his breathing steady and long.