Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

The weather cleared up in London on the wedding day, and Shen Yu'an woke up earlier than her alarm clock.

The light coming through the gap in the curtains was still a pale gray. He lay on the bed staring at the ceiling for a while, his heart beating a little faster than usual, but not too erratically.

He got out of bed, washed up, changed into his bathrobe, and sat on the edge of the bed to wait.

He stood up and opened the door when there was a knock.

There were three people standing outside the door: a makeup artist, a hairstylist, and an assistant, all dressed in black casual clothes and carrying dark toolboxes.

They had made an appointment with the housekeeper a week in advance. Shen Yu'an had only seen photos of them, and they looked more professional in person than in the photos.

The makeup artist came in first, nodded to Shen Yu'an and said, "Good morning, Mr. Shen."

She spoke at a moderate pace, with a calmness that came from having seen many large-scale events.

She placed the toolbox on the table and opened it. Inside, brushes and bottles were neatly arranged in large quantities, but none of them were in particularly flashy colors.

She asked Shen Yu'an what skincare products she usually used, and Shen Yu'an said she used whatever she wanted.

She nodded without comment, took out a bottle of milky white makeup primer from the toolbox, squeezed out a little and tested the temperature on the back of her hand, then asked him if his skin would be sensitive.

Shen Yu'an said she wouldn't. So she started using it.

The hairstylist stood behind him, took a small mirror, looked Shen Yu'an up and down, and asked him how he wanted his hair done.

Shen Yu'an said not to be too deliberate, just be natural.

The hairstylist said okay, then took a comb and hair wax from the toolbox and gently combed through his hair.

Shen Yu'an sat in the chair and felt that her fingers were applying a steady pressure as they passed through her hair, adjusting the shape with each stroke.

The makeup artist's hands moved almost without any weight on his face; the brush touched his skin with a very light touch, even lighter than when he applied face cream himself.

She would occasionally stop to check the results and then add a finishing touch.

When Shen Yu'an looked in the mirror, she saw that her skin tone had been adjusted to be more even, the shadows at the corners of her eyes had been lightened, and the color of her lips had been slightly darker, but there was no obvious makeup look.

He leaned closer to take a look and confirmed that it was still him, only more energetic.

The hairstylist completed the final step.

Shen Yu'an looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been styled and was in a natural shape, similar to usual, but the hair in front of her forehead had been moved to a more suitable position, revealing her entire face and clean eyebrows and eyes.

He turned to look at the makeup artist and hairstylist and said thank you.

The makeup artist started packing up her toolbox, and before leaving, she said, "If there's any foundation smudged on the neckline after you've put on the dress, just gently blot it with a wet wipe." Shen Yu'an agreed.

The three people left, and the room became quiet again.

Shen Yu'an stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself for a while longer.

His face was still the same face, not much had changed, but it looked clearer and neater overall.

He reached out and touched his cheek; the skin his fingertips touched was smooth and clean.

He walked to the wardrobe and took down the dress hanging inside.

A light gray coat, a white shirt, and folded pants placed to the side.

He started changing his clothes, buttoning them up one by one, aligning the collar, and adjusting the length of the cuffs.

The letter was still in the inside pocket of his coat, the edge of the paper pressed against his chest.

He looked down at his hands; his ring finger was bare, without a ring.

Last night before going to bed, he took off both rings, the platinum wedding band and the ancestral silver ring, and put them together in a small velvet box. He then handed the box to the housekeeper, who would take it to the church to be kept by his grandmother.

The ring will be presented by the best man during the ceremony, and he will put it back on in front of Caesar.

He stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself one last time.

The person in the mirror was wearing a light gray suit, a white shirt, a neat collar, and well-fitting shoulders.

His hair was styled, neat but not stiff, his complexion looked brighter than usual, and his eyebrows and eyes were clean and tidy.

He looked down at his empty hands, his fingers curling slightly at his sides before relaxing.

He picked up his phone and glanced at the time; he had twenty minutes left before leaving.

He stood there, exhaled, and then reached into his pocket and pushed the envelope further in to make sure it wouldn't fall out.

The car downstairs is ready.

He heard the soft sound of wheels rolling over gravel outside the window, and then it was quiet.

The car arrived at the door.

He didn't take Caesar's car; he took another one, which came specifically to pick him up to go to the church.

On the way, he glanced at his phone. Xize hadn't sent any messages. The last message in his contacts was "See you tomorrow" from last night.

He put his phone away in his pocket, leaned back in his seat, and looked out the window.

The streets of London appeared cleaner than usual in the morning light, the edges of the leaves on the roadside trees gleamed, and some pedestrians stopped to glance at the convoy before continuing on their way.

The church was smaller than he remembered, with white stone walls, dark wooden doors, and a round stained-glass window above the porch.

White roses and light green leaves were arranged on both sides of the steps at the entrance. The bouquets were small and evenly spaced, extending all the way up the steps.

There was no red carpet laid out; only a few petals had been blown off by the wind onto the dark gray stone surface.

When Shen Yu'an got out of the car, he saw that there were already some people standing at the church entrance.

He saw his parents standing by the steps. His mother was wearing a dark blue coat. She smiled when she saw him but didn't come over.

Her father stood beside her, his hands in his pockets, and nodded at her.

Lin Wei and Chen Zhe arrived as well, standing on the other side. They waved to him when they saw him.

Shen Yu'an nodded to them, then turned around and stepped onto the stairs.

The wooden door was pushed open in front of him. The light inside was dimmer than outside, but warm light shone in from the windows on both sides, falling on the gray stone floor.

White roses lined both sides of the aisle, their stems extending along the edges of the benches, their tips drooping slightly.

There were some people sitting on the bench. He glanced at them and saw some he recognized and some he didn't. His grandmother was sitting in the front row, wearing a light-colored coat, and looking at him.

Shen Yu'an's gaze passed over the heads of those people and landed at the other end of the corridor.

Caesar stood in front of the altar, his back to the light.

He was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and a dark burgundy tie.

Shen Yu'an recognized the tie as the one he had given her; it had been crumpled up that night and then put away by Xize.

It was neatly tied around Caesar's collar, its color deep and stable in the church light.

Xize looked in his direction.

Shen Yu'an began to walk forward, his leather shoes making rhythmic sounds on the stone ground. The bouquets on both sides were stirred by his steps, causing the tips of the petals to twitch slightly.

He felt many eyes on him, but he didn't turn to look at the source of those gazes; instead, he looked at the person at the end of the corridor.

Xize's hands hung at his sides, motionless. He stood very straight, his shoulder lines flat and steady beneath his dark gray coat.

Shen Yu'an walked slowly, his footsteps blending with the quiet of the church, each step leaving a clear echo on the stone surface.

He walked to the front of the altar and stopped.

The two people stood facing each other, less than a step apart.

Xize's gaze moved down from Shen Yu'an's face, landing on his shoulder line and collar, pausing for a moment, before returning to his eyes.

The pastor stood to the side and began to speak.

He spoke of the meaning of marriage and commitment, his voice echoing beneath the church dome.

As Shen Yu'an listened to those words, his gaze remained fixed on Xize's eyes, never leaving them.

Xize was also looking at him, his gray-blue eyes reflecting the light coming in from the side window, making them appear lighter than usual.

After the pastor finished speaking, he looked at Xize. Xize took half a step forward and stood in front of Shen Yu'an.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly in the spacious church, each word ending steadily in the air.

"I, Xizet·Lester, do hereby vow. From this day forward, I give you my life. In light and in shadow, in strength and in weakness, I will stand beside you. I will not leave. I will not fail. I will be your shelter, your home, your family. This is my solemn word, and I give it without a single doubt."

"I, Caesar Lester, solemnly swear this oath: From this day forward, I will give you the rest of my life. Through light and darkness, through strength and weakness, I will stand by your side. I will not leave, I will not waver. I will be your refuge, your home, your family. This is my most solemn promise, given without hesitation."

He paused for a moment after he finished speaking.

Shen Yu'an saw his Adam's apple move slightly, and then he spoke, switching to a different language, his voice lower than before, but the dome of the church caught his last syllable and carried it out steadily.

"I love you."

Chinese.

My pronunciation is much better than before. Although the stress is still a little off, every word is clear and distinct, resonating in the quiet of the church.

Shen Yu'an's throat tightened.

His voice was a little hoarse when he spoke, but he managed to steady it.

"I, Shen Yu'an, hereby solemnly swear. From this day forward, I will spend the rest of my life with you. I will always be by your side, no matter what happens in the future. Your family is my family, your life is my life. I will dedicate my paintings and my time to you. This is the most important decision of my life, and I have no regrets whatsoever."

He paused after he finished speaking, then looked at Xize and repeated himself in Chinese.

The voice wasn't loud, but the pronunciation was very clear.

"I love you too."

Xize's lips twitched slightly, a very small movement, but Shen Yu'an noticed it.

The priest handed over the rings from the side; two platinum bands lay side by side on a dark cushion.

Shen Yu'an first picked up the ring engraved with Xize's name and held his hand.

Caesar's fingers were thicker than his, and the ring felt a little tight as it slid across his knuckles. He pushed it all the way in, and the ring securely encircled Caesar's ring finger.

Xize picked up another ring engraved with Shen Yu'an's name and slipped the platinum band onto his ring finger.

The ring glided smoothly across his knuckles, resting against his skin, and stopped at the base of his finger, next to the old, ancestral silver ring.

After pushing the ring all the way down, Xize didn't let go.

His fingers were still holding Shen Yu'an's hand, the platinum ring pressed against the base of Shen Yu'an's finger, overlapping with his fingers.

Their hands froze in mid-air. Shen Yu'an looked up from the ring and met Xize's eyes.

There was a moment of silence in the audience. Then Xize took half a step forward, lowered his head, and his lips landed on Shen Yu'an's lips.

The kiss was short, but steady.

Xize's lips lingered on Shen Yu'an's lips for a few seconds, neither deepening the kiss nor moving away.

He was still holding Shen Yu'an's hand with one hand, and with the other hand he raised and gently pressed the back of Shen Yu'an's head, as if to confirm that he was there.

Shen Yu'an closed her eyes and felt the warmth of Xize's lips and the faint scent of cedar on his body.

Some people laughed, some applauded, and the sound came from both sides of the audience.

Grandmother was smiling, and someone was clapping softly beside her. Shen Yu'an's mother was also in the front row, and Shen Yu'an could hear her voice, which came through the applause, with a slightly choked tone at the end.

His father didn't say anything, but Shen Yu'an saw out of the corner of his eye that he raised his hand and clapped his hands twice.

When Nishizawa let go of him, he gently rubbed his thumb against the back of Nishizawa's hair before withdrawing it.

Shen Yu'an opened his eyes, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

"Your kiss was too short."

Xize looked at him, a faint light shining in his grey-blue eyes: "Go back and finish it."

Shen Yu'an chuckled, pulled his hand out of his palm, scratched his knuckles with his fingertips, and then put it down.

Both rings lit up at the same time; the platinum gleamed for a moment in the warm church light, then settled securely on the ring fingers of the two people.

Some people on the bench behind me were still clapping, and some were standing up and talking.

Shen Yu'an didn't turn his head to look; he looked at Xize. Xize was also looking at him.

The two shadows were pressed together on the stone ground beneath their feet, making it impossible to tell who was who.

The pastor said a blessing from the side, his voice not loud, half of which was drowned out by the applause. Shen Yu'an didn't hear it clearly, but he heard Xize's lips move slightly as he repeated the pastor's words very softly, so softly that only he could hear it.

Shen Yu'an didn't ask him what he had repeated, because he already knew.

He looked at Caesar, and Caesar looked at him. The church light streamed in from the windows on either side, falling on the floor between the two men and casting long shadows of them.

The two platinum rings gleamed briefly in the church light before dimming again.

Shen Yu'an opened his mouth, his voice very soft: "You just spoke Chinese."

Xize looked down at him: "You've been practicing for a long time."

"How long have you been practicing?"

"Ever since that time you said, 'I made the right choice in picking you.'"

Shen Yu'an did not respond.

He looked down at their fingers pressed together, the platinum rings side by side, about the same size, their curved surfaces overlapping.

He looked up and saw that the smile on Xize's lips was still there, unchanged.

He took a small step forward, reducing the distance between them to less than a fist's width.

The people in the church were still clapping, and the sound came from both sides, falling into the air around them and enveloping the words.