Chapter 89 – “How about wearing this?”
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Xu Yibai poured a cup of hot water and handed it to him, his gaze never leaving Shen Yao. He inquired, “Is there anywhere uncomfortable?”
“My head…” Shen Yao lowered his head to take a sip of water. He furrowed his brows, as the pain in the back of his head came in waves. He remembered falling from the second floor accidentally, hitting his head, “It hurts a bit.”
“Rest for a while.” After Xu Yibai helped him massage his head a few times, he said, “I’ll go ask the doctor for you.”
As soon as Xu Yibai closed the door, his expression changed instantly. The doctor was standing outside the ward, but he subtly nodded towards the end of the corridor.
With paper and pen in hand, the doctor asked, “Has he experienced any adverse reactions after the surgery?”
Xu Yibai furrowed his brows and asked, “He said he has a headache. Wasn’t there supposed to be no lasting side effects?”
“A headache is a normal phenomenon. You don’t need to overly worry. It should dissipate on its own after a few days.”
Without looking at the doctor, Xu Yibai’s gaze fell on the distant ward. He inquired, “Will he completely forget?”
“Our experiment has been established and perfected for over twenty years, serving those who want to forget but can’t. However, if the other person is forced to lose or tamper with their memories and has a strong will to recover their memories, there might be a possibility of recollection,” the doctor paused slightly, expressing his disapproval of Xu Yibai’s actions.
Xu Yibai nodded expressionlessly and turned to leave.
The bottom of the ward was empty, facing the wall. Xu Yibai’s steps didn’t hesitate, as if he was determined to walk all the way to the end.
As soon as he entered, he asked, “Is your head still hurting?”
Shen Yao’s cheeks regained some color compared to before. Just like in his memories, he opened his arms towards Xu Yibai, as if waiting for a comforting hug.
The waiting time was a bit long, and Shen Yao turned his head in confusion, giving Xu Yibai a puzzled look.
Xu Yibai’s steps paused in place, but in an instant, he surged forward. He tightly embraced Shen Yao, then lowered his head to kiss his eyes.
“…What’s wrong?” Shen Yao asked, “Your heart is beating so fast.”
“It’s nothing.” Xu Yibai took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He ruffled Shen Yao’s hair and explained, “I’m just really worried about you. I can only relax when I see that you’re fine.”
He released the embrace, picked up some clothes, helped Shen Yao change, and then crouched down to put on his shoes.
Putting aside all his emotions, Xu Yibai stood up, smiled at Shen Yao, and extended his hand, saying, “The doctor said you’re okay. You just need to take medication for a week. Mom and dad are waiting for us at home to discuss our wedding.”
In the air, Shen Yao’s hand reached out and firmly held his.
When Xu Yibai brought Shen Yao back to the Gu family, the dinner table had just been set. It was a round table without distance, and Father Gu and Mother Fu were seated there, their heads bowed, making it difficult to read their expressions.
Xu Yibai walked hand in hand with Shen Yao, who followed closely. Shen Yao politely greeted them as “Uncle” and “Aunt.” Xu Yibai pulled out a chair for him to sit and asked, “Did sister not come back?”
Mother Gu’s eyebrows furrowed. The hand holding the chopsticks unconsciously tightened, but Father Gu discreetly pressed it down. He smiled cheerfully and said, “Your sister is working overtime tonight and didn’t have time to come back.”
Using his chopsticks, he picked up a piece of meat for Shen Yao, behaving like a responsible Alpha parent, and asked, “Yao Yao, what kind of wedding would you like?”
Shen Yao didn’t think much and responded immediately, “If possible, I prefer a simple one with fewer people.”
Xu Yibai had known that Shen Yao would give such an answer. He put down his chopsticks and nodded beside Shen Yao, agreeing, “Whatever you like, we’ll do it that way.”
Shen Yao had just woken up, and his appetite wasn’t great. After a few bites, he stopped eating.
Xu Yibai noticed and pushed Shen Yao’s hand gently, whispering in his ear, “Are you still feeling uncomfortable? If you are, you can go upstairs to rest. I’ll have someone cook something for you later. It’s okay.”
Shen Yao’s hand rested on the handrail, and as they were about to reach the end of the stairs, he heard the sound of a plate shattering.
“Bang!”
He instinctively halted his steps and turned his head, but quickly all the sounds disappeared. That single sound seemed like an accident.
Shen Yao turned his head back slowly and continued walking toward Xu Yibai’s room.
When Xu Yibai entered the room, Shen Yao was reading a book, lying on the bed with his feet slightly raised.
“What are you reading?” Xu Yibai leaned over, and by the time he got closer, Shen Yao had closed the book. Lazily, he lifted it slightly to show him the title.
Xu Yibai embraced Shen Yao from behind and saw the lips that were tantalizingly close. He lowered his head and kissed his lips.
Shen Yao didn’t evade; he raised his hand to wrap around Xu Yibai’s neck and naturally fell backward.
A lingering and gentle kiss.
***
The wedding took place two days later as planned. Following their request, they held a small lawn wedding at the Gu family home, with only Xu Yibai’s relatives as guests.
Standing before the priest, they exchanged rings, a perfect match.
When it was Shen Yao’s turn to make his vow, Xu Yibai lowered his eyelashes and gazed intently at Shen Yao’s face.
That face was a mixture of love and hate for him.
Conflicting emotions always shifted because of Shen Yao’s every word and action.
Xu Yibai watched as Shen Yao’s face lit up with a smile, his eyes shining as he looked at him alone, nodding his head and saying, “I do.”
A flock of white doves on the lawn took flight in unison, flapping their wings and soaring into the sky. In the breeze, the newlyweds on the stage held their bouquets and slowly approached each other, sharing a kiss.
Xu Yibai closed his eyes lightly, his arms around Shen Yao’s waist.
He had done so much, only to hear these words.
Xu Yibai shielded Shen Yao from all the alcohol, he was not a heavy drinker to begin with, and now he was slightly intoxicated from being forced to drink.
Holding onto Shen Yao’s hand, he stumbled and led him into the room.
Xu Yibai remembered something he needed to do. He maintained his composure, turned on the room’s light.
With the light on, Xu Yibai’s spacious room had a mannequin in the shape of a body. Hanging on it was a unique wedding gown.
The voluminous train spread out on the ground, and the light fell on the layers of white fabric, sparkling like stars in the night sky.
Shen Yao looked at it in a daze and asked, “What’s this?”
Xu Yibai took out a veil from somewhere and gently placed it over Shen Yao’s head. Beneath the veil, Shen Yao’s delicate features appeared hazily. At this moment, he looked like a true bride.
Xu Yibai was mesmerized. He reached around Shen Yao’s shoulder from behind and softly asked:
“How about wearing this?”
“Just this one time.”
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