Pain Fetish

In mid-July, the Academy of Fine Arts had its summer vacation, and the operation of the Chamber of Commerce was back on track under Qi Han’s leadership. The two of them were finally able to break from their busy academic and business careers and devote themselves to their own lives.

A lot of things happened this month.

Fu Ge’s oil painting “Beaked Bird Nirvana”, which he had been preparing for half a year, stood out among more than 300 entries and was successfully selected for the Alexander Fine Arts Exhibition in New York. Elder Qi personally accompanied Fu Ge to the United States to participate in the competition.

Qi Han’s proposal to reduce the market price of high-efficiency inhibitors, which he had been pushing with all his might, was finally implemented. After the first batch of price-reduced inhibitors were put on the market, the purchase rate increased significantly. According to incomplete statistics, the universal availability of this medicine had relieved the pain of the rut period for 30% of the country’s Alphas.

After the kindergarten break, Xiao Jue packed up his quilt and pillow and ran to Xiao Bao’s house at the foot of the mountain to live for half a month. When he went home, he also abducted other people’s children and vowed that when he grew up, he would differentiate into Omega and marry Xiao Bao to be his wife.

Qi Chuan officially took over the entire family business, monopolised the power and succeeded as the chairman of Qi Group, becoming one of the youngest newcomers in the capital’s business community.

As for Chen Xing, he quit his job in the Chamber of Commerce and chose to travel around the world alone. When Qi Han found out, the man had already been gone for three days, and the resignation letter left in the office contained only a few messily written words.

—Don’t look for me, the return date is undecided.

That day Qi Chuan dragged Qi Han to get drunk, and the stylish President Qi ran like a maniac to the moat, bawling his heart out: “Qi Han, do you think Xiao Xing really won’t give me a chance at all…”

Qi Han expressionlessly freed his hand: “You can take a taxi yourself after you’re done with your tantrum, I’m anxious to go back and have a video chat with Xiao Ge.”

The competition lasted for more than a month, and Fu Ge successfully won the silver award, becoming the youngest silver award winner of the Alexander Painting Award since its inception.

The organiser invited him to hold a solo exhibition at the New York Art Center as a reward. Unexpectedly, the little Beta refused: “I promised my lover that the first solo exhibition will be organised by him.”

It was the first time they had been apart for so long since they had reunited, a whole month, more than thirty days and nights, and their thoughts crossed the ocean, spanning tens of thousands of kilometres between them.

From the award ceremony, Fu Ge went straight to the airport, not even having the time to change his outfit, but he didn’t expect that it was not Ah Jue and Qi Han who came to pick him up when the plane landed. 

“Chen Xing?”

The Alpha, who was wearing a windbreaker, lost a lot of weight, but his temperament was a lot more calm. The muddle-headed juvenile aura of the past had completely disappeared, replaced by the maturity and openness of someone who “had been through the thousand sails”.

The little Beta looked at the changes in him in surprise and couldn’t help but sigh: “It seems that you have gained a lot from your trip?”

Chen Xing hooked the corner of his lips, “Do one-night stands all over the world count?”

Yes, he was the same kid who pretended to be dirty-mouthed.

“Talking really too lively,” Fu Ge said with a smile.

Chen Xing took his luggage and led the way: “Let’s go, I’m here to be your driver today.”

Not seeing the person he had been thinking about day and night, the young Beta was inevitably a little lost. He poked his head around and asked, “When did you return to China? Didn’t Ah Han and Xiao Jue come? We also agreed to watch the Perseid meteor shower together tonight.”

Chen Xing smiled in a wicked way, raised his eyebrow and shook a black eye mask at him, “Brother Fu, the next part of the trip will be kept secret. Brother Han has prepared a grand surprise for you.”

Fu Ge laughed again, was blindfolded obediently and let Chen Xing lead him to the car. He still couldn’t help but be curious: “Why don’t you reveal what surprise it is? Those father and son hide it too tightly.”

“That won’t do, if I leak it, Brother Han will definitely fix me.” Chen Xing said strangely, “Just enjoy yourself, it’s all about technology and hard work!”

In this way, Fu Ge was blindfolded and abducted to who knows where.

With him deprived of his vision, his other senses were infinitely magnified. Near the end of the ride, Fu Ge’s nose twitched keenly: “I seem to smell lavender, and Juliet roses?”

“Oh, Brother Han is really right, you have the nose of a cat.”

Chen Xing simply helped him take off his blindfold, led him out of the car, and walked two steps forward, “Watch your step.”

The evening breeze was quiet, the twilight was everywhere, the familiar fragrance of roses surrounded them, and the small bell by the door gently swayed, as if it couldn’t wait to welcome the host home.

Even though his vision was still blurred when the blindfold was removed, Fu Ge could tell that it was the family’s estate; but the building, which should have been brightly lit, was now dim, and the large flower fields were too dark to see.

“What have you gotten into, ah? So mysterious…” His heartbeat accelerated inexplicably, and his expectation and excitement were mixed with some nervousness that he hadn’t even noticed.

Chen Xing walked up to him, put his hand solemnly on the door, turned around and asked, “Are you ready to receive your surprise?”

The little Beta subconsciously held his breath: “Uh-huh.”

The next second the door opened. Chen Xing stepped back behind him and said softly: “This is a fairy tale wedding dedicated to the little prince.”

As soon as the words were spoken, hundreds of overhead flashlights hit the night sky from all directions at the same time. Bright beams of light intersected and overlapped in the air, cutting the night open, with a galaxy of light emerging from the cracks, striving retrograde from the earth to the sky.

The beams of light changed direction in the air, changed colour, rotated and gathered, and dispersed into tens of thousands of bright spots in an instant.

The grey-blue night was instantly full of stars; dazzling rose nebulae flowed and circled, blossoming into layers of bright red petals, as if hundreds of millions of stars under the sky fell into the clouds, igniting a star flame in the quiet night forest, shocking and dazzling.

Qi Han brought the vast universe that countless artists yearned for to Fu Ge’s eyes. “Rosamond” was a fairy tale estate that belonged to Fu Ge alone.

With the breeze brushing across the corners of his sour eyes, the little Beta blinked, stunned.

The starry sky and the universe are the ultimate romance of human civilization, and no one will not be moved by it. Fu Ge’s heart was suddenly crushed like a dead leaf, and tears burst out of his eyes in an instant.

His heart beat faster and faster and his lips trembled. He raised his head eagerly, looking for Qi Han’s figure in the dark.

Perhaps it was the harmony of their hearts. As soon as he raised his eyes, the Alpha appeared under the stars and walked towards him in the beam of light.

It was a long path with the darkness of both sides, from the fountain in front of the main building to the gate of the estate, across half of the lavender and Juliet fields.

The estate was still unlit, dark everywhere except for the artificial starry sky overhead, and with every step Qi Han took forward, the lights behind him lit up. The quiet blue light was like a tide, following the Alpha’s footsteps, slowly sweeping towards the little Beta.

It was as if the most devout believer came from the darkness that never saw the light and greeted his sovereign with open arms.

Fu Ge thought dumbly: this is the boy I have loved for six years, my muse and my faith.

“Are you ready?” The Alpha leaned over and kissed the corner of his lips, his voice gentle and seductive: “Baby, we are getting married today.”

Fu Ge hugged him tightly like a lone goose that finally returned to the nest, his voice trembling like a little bird: “How come, getting married… I’m not prepared at all…”

Qi Han smiled and hugged him tighter. He felt the man in his arms sob softly, so he unconsciously lowered his voice: “The first two weddings were prepared by gege. Let me do it this time. My little painter worked hard, this will be my reward to you.”

The piano music of the dream wedding sounded from the corner, and all the lights in the estate were turned on. Only then did Fu Ge get a full view of the wedding scene. Under the shining starry sky, it was a sea-blue fairy tale world.

The entire estate was arranged in the style of the blue sea. The waist-high lavender flower fields were covered with blue star lights. Beautiful corals layered both sides of the road. The huge tree of life snuggled up to the white castle. All the guests were dressed up as mermen.

Stepping on the coral road was like being in a mysterious and dreamy underwater world, so beautiful that it was breathtaking.

“This is the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen.” Fu Ge looked at Qi Han with red eyes, his heart sour and sweet: “It’s ten thousand times more romantic than I ever imagined in my dreams.”

Qi Han also smiled with tears in his eyes, took his hand and faced the guests, walked on the red carpet and whispered to Fu Ge under the witness of everyone: “I always wondered, if one day I got what I wanted, what kind of wedding I would give you. But you can’t avoid vulgarity when you think about it. Probably in my heart, only the starry sky and roses can match you.”

So he brought the starry sky and roses to Fu Ge.

The red carpet was very long, as if they had to walk through their bumpy lives, and the red carpet was very short, as if they couldn’t bear to stop for a heartbeat.

Qi Han took the microphone in the host’s hand, and his voice was choked when he spoke: “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend my third wedding with Xiao Ge.”

As soon as these words came out, the guests burst into laughter, and only a few insiders were secretly wiping away tears. Zhu Wanxing, the “veteran of three dynasties” (an important government official who served under three dynasties or monarchs; figuratively, an experienced person), joined in the fun and shouted: “If there is another accident this time, I won’t give any more gifts to you. You two better hold hands for a long time to come! Don’t try to get rich off my money!”

Fu Ge burst into laughter, glanced at Qi Han, and said, “There will be no more accidents. This time we’re going to walk together for a long, long time.”

A huge hot air balloon rose above his head and floated high into the sky. Ah Jue and Xiao Bao, wearing little suits, drove in a children’s car with a meteorite shell half a man’s height, in which Fu Ge’s hand-made diamond ring was set.

“Big Daddy! You must take good care of papa, you know!”

Ah Jue held the ring and didn’t give it to Qi Han, frowning and completing the instructions as he repeated what his great-grandfather told him to say: “If… if you brat dare to make Xiao Ge suffer a little wrong, I will use my cane to split your head open!”

The guests laughed loudly. Qi Han squatted down with a smile, nudged the tip of Ah Jue’s nose and solemnly promised that he would take good care of Xiao Ge. Only then did the little elder let go and give him the ring.

The simple ring was pushed to the root of his finger, and Qi Han looked at his own hand almost bursting into tears, “This is the first time gege is putting the ring on me. I’ve thought about it since I was seventeen till now…”

At these words the little Beta’s tears dripped onto the back of his hand. Fu Ge smiled very softly as the tears slipped into his dimples, “Mr. Bear Cub is mine now.”

“Gege is mine too.”

After Qi Han said this, he knelt down on one knee, took Fu Ge’s hand, put the ring on it carefully, and kissed his fingertips reverently.

At the same time, the hanging basket of the hot air balloon overhead opened from the bottom, and thousands of rose petals floated down from the starry sky, and the sea-blue wedding scene was like a silent rain of roses, warm and grand.

The solemn vow sounded in the heartbeat of the two of them—

“Do you agree to be each other’s husbands? In sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, in beauty and in disgrace, in good fortune and in ill fortune, to love each other dearly and to be faithful and to support each other until the end of your lives?”

The kiss of the rose petals tinged his face pink, the flowers dazzling his eyes into chaos. Fu Ge sobbed and threw himself into Qi Han’s arms, and the wow was hidden in the joining of his lips and teeth.

—I do.

—I do.

At the age of seventeen, with a single glance, they fell in love.

At the age of eighteen, they parted ways.

At the age of twenty-three, God had mercy on them. The two people whose hearts were riddled with holes finally passed through thousands of difficulties and dangers, earned peace and joy, to be together for the rest of their lives.

The Perseid meteor shower swept through the fairy tale estate full of roses, and the young men who once crossed each other’s lives like meteors took all their best wishes with them and headed for a bright future.

Year after year, time marches away.

Translator’s note: This is the end of the main text. The extras are:

Extras 1-2: Qi Han and Fu Ge go to Litang to replace bad memories with good (angsty and sweet)

Extra 3: Very cute interaction between Qi Han and Ah Jue

Extras 4-6: Sweet daily life / dog food / face-slapping plot about someone trying to bully Fu Ge at the university

Extras 7-11: Chen Xing & Qi Chuan’s story, angst angst angst HE (sincerely recommended)