Flash Marriage Chapter 9 and Chapter 10

 Chapter 9

 

At the wedding venue, the emcee was actively engaging the audience while the newlyweds shyly recited their vows on stage. The audience below cheered and applauded enthusiastically.

 

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Su Yin looked puzzled and turned to Qiao Anbang, who seemed slightly uneasy. “What’s wrong?”

 

Qiao Anbang didn’t say anything. He reached into his pocket and instinctively squeezed the small box inside. Letting out a sigh, he casually held his newlywed wife’s hand and smiled, saying, “It’s nothing.”

 

Xue Heng leisurely descended the stairs. Instead of taking the elevator, he walked down the staircase, his mood inexplicably melancholic.

 

Humming a tune, Xue Heng, with a flushed face, strolled down the stairs. On the sixth-floor landing, he spotted a familiar figure making a phone call and paused in his steps.

 

“Wei Zongjin?”

 

The tall man standing by the window, dressed in a black suit, exuded a cold and stern aura. He held a phone to his ear, but upon hearing Xue Heng’s voice, he turned his head and glanced at Xue Heng standing at the corner of the staircase. His expression softened slightly, and he nodded his head before swiftly ending the call.

 

Xue Heng’s heart skipped a beat.

 

In truth, Wei Zongjin was a very handsome man. Now approaching his forties, he not only didn’t show signs of aging but exuded even more male charm. He was incredibly attractive.

 

Wei Zongjin took two or three steps forward and stood in front of Xue Heng. He detected a strong scent of alcohol and involuntarily furrowed his brows. “Are you drunk?”

 

Xue Heng plopped down on the floor, feeling exhausted. “I’m frustrated.”

 

Wei Zongjin squinted his eyes, standing tall in front of Xue Heng and looking down at him. With narrowed eyes, he spoke without hesitation, “Because of Qiao Anbang?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Xue Heng took off his suit jacket and laid it on the floor beside him, patting it carefully. “Wei Zongjin, I want to talk to you.”

 

Wei Zongjin stared at Xue Heng’s slightly unfocused eyes and then helplessly patted his head before sitting directly on Xue Heng’s jacket. He pondered for a moment and said, “You’ve broken up, so stop thinking about it.”

 

Xue Heng didn’t say anything. After a while, he said earnestly, “I know; that’s why I went to see him off one last time.”

 

…

 

Xue Heng hastily corrected himself, “I went to see him one last time.”

 

Wei Zongjin interrupted him, emphasizing, “I know.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Xue Heng buried his face in his knees, feeling utterly confused.

 

Wei Zongjin took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and exhaled a deep smoke ring. “I’ll take you back later.”

 

Xue Heng didn’t answer. He turned his head and stared for a while, then reached out and took the cigarette from Wei Zongjin’s mouth. Without any disgust, he took a few puffs. However, before he could enjoy it for long, someone took the cigarette from his mouth.

 

Without changing his expression, Wei Zongjin took the cigarette tainted with Xue Heng’s saliva and put it back in his own mouth, casually taking a drag.

 

“Bro.”

 

Wei Zongjin squinted his eyes, about to ask what was wrong, but he saw Xue Heng, with a flushed face from intoxication, standing up and then plopping down on his lap. “…”

 

Wei Zongjin’s facial expression softened. “Are you feeling wronged?”

 

Xue Heng held Wei Zongjin’s hand and said seriously, “Wei Zongjin, comfort me.”

 

Xue Heng, who became audacious and reckless when drunk, seemed to have forgotten how he used to fear Wei Zongjin. Now he was daring to the point of madness.

 

Wei Zongjin looked at Xue Heng expressionlessly, not saying a word or pushing him away. He simply let him act out, not even concerned about what kind of commotion their current position might cause if observed by someone with ill intentions.

 

Xue Heng sighed.

 

“For a man, why have I ended up like this?” Wei Zongjin frowned, took the cigarette out of his mouth, and put it in Xue Heng’s mouth.

 

Xue Heng bit the filter but didn’t smoke. Instead, he became angry and complained, “It’s all saliva.”

 

Wei Zongjin squinted his eyes, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

 

***

 

In the car downstairs, Secretary Li had been waiting for Wei Zongjin for a long time. However, at this moment, Wei Zongjin, who usually prefers solitude, openly held a drunken man and walked out of the hotel, unashamedly getting into the car.

 

Only when they approached did Secretary Li finally see who was lying in Wei Zongjin’s arms.

 

It was Wei Zongjin’s newlywed husband.

 

Xue Heng.

 

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Chapter 10

 

On the ninth day of marriage.

 

Xue Heng woke up and wished he could kill himself.

 

What a miserable fate!

 

Rolling on the bed that was still imbued with the scent of his elder brother, Xue Heng got up with a grim face.

 

After freshening up, Xue Heng discovered a pot of poorly cooked rice porridge in the kitchen with an unappetizing appearance and an unopened package of pickled vegetables on the dining table.

 

Xue Heng, who had always been self-sufficient, was deeply moved. He held the bowl, ate the pickled vegetables, and drank the porridge, overwhelmed with emotions.

 

“Ring ring, ring ring.”

 

Xue Heng answered the phone; it was an unfamiliar number. “Hello.”

 

“Hello, I’m here for an interview.” The voice on the other end sounded a bit inexperienced and indifferent, indicating that the caller was a student.

 

Xue Heng pondered for a moment and realized it was the part-time job advertisement he posted on the shop’s door yesterday. “Wait for me at the shop entrance for half an hour.”

 

“Okay.”

 

However, by the time Xue Heng arrived at his downtown shop during peak hours, it had already been an hour.

 

Standing at the shop entrance, a teenager with a backpack looked at Xue Heng expressionlessly. There was no hint of complaint in his tone as he asked, “Are you the boss?”

 

Xue Heng cleared his throat and nodded, feeling quite embarrassed, but he didn’t explain anything. He opened the shop’s door and invited the person in. “You’re a student, right?”

 

“I’m in my second year of high school.”

 

“You came for a part-time job. Does your family know?” Xue Heng took the transcript and student ID the person handed over, took a look, rolled it up, and said, “You’re hired.”

 

The teenager had a quiet personality and didn’t talk much. After asking about the schedule and salary, he left, saying he needed to tutor elementary school students as part of his other part-time job, which was a tutoring job.

 

Xue Heng didn’t care about the new employee’s whereabouts. He made a round in his shop, noted down what types of books were still needed, contacted the supplier, paid the deposit, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Xue Heng bought a cup of milk tea, sat by the window, and couldn’t help but recall the despicable thing he did to Wei Zongjin at the hotel yesterday, feeling particularly complicated.

 

He had lost all his face.

 

***

 

Hua Cheng State Security Bureau

 

After attending a meeting, Wei Zongjin returned to his office and took out a large, unopened box of wedding candies from the drawer, handing it to Secretary Li. He said, “Distribute these.”

 

Secretary Li’s hand trembled as he held the box of candies. “Yes, Deputy Director.”

 

Holding the box filled with wedding candies, Secretary Li went outside to distribute them. The staff who received the candies were all surprised and grabbed Secretary Li, inquiring, “Deputy Director hasn’t gotten married yet, so why is he distributing wedding candies? Did we receive any news? Who’s the bride?”

 

Secretary Li thought to himself that it wasn’t some bride of high social status but a young master. However, he dared not speak casually. He shook his head innocently, wearing an expression of ignorance. “Deputy Director didn’t say, and I’m not sure either.”

 

No one believed him.

 

In the State Security Bureau, everyone knew that Secretary Li had been Wei Zongjin’s confidant for five or six years. How could he not know about Wei Zongjin’s situation?

 

But since Wei Zongjin didn’t say anything, Secretary Li pretended not to know, and everyone could only regretfully give up.

 

However, the news of Wei Zongjin’s secret marriage quickly spread throughout the entire State Security Bureau.

 

***

 

Xue Heng went to a nearby supermarket and wandered around for a while, buying two large bags of items before driving back. He drove slowly on the way back, not because of anything else but because he was afraid of being awkward when he saw Wei Zongjin.

 

When Xue Heng arrived at the house he shared with Wei Zongjin in the military compound, he noticed an unfamiliar car parked outside the door.

 

A young man with slick, shiny black hair leaned against the door, holding a bag with the logo of “Su Family Lamb” written on it.

 

“Su Shenlin?”

 

Xue Heng narrowed his eyes, a moment of displeasure flashing by.

 

Su Shenlin also saw Xue Heng. His initially respectful expression instantly changed, and he sneered, “So it’s Xue Heng.”

 

Chapter 11

 

Xue Heng disliked Su Shenlin, an ugly person who was unaware of his own ugliness. He was a careless fool who constantly harassed young girls.

 

After learning that Xue Heng was gay, Su Shenlin didn’t like to be around him. Su Shenlin wasn’t homophobic, but he found it disgusting. The thought of Xue Heng being attracted to men made his skin crawl.

 

Xue Heng wasn’t a fool either. His face turned cold, and he glanced sideways at Su Shenlin. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I came to see Deputy Director Wei and brought him a gift to reminisce about our time as classmates.” Su Shenlin shook the exclusive lamb meat he was carrying, mocking Xue Heng. “But what about you? Are you here to suck up to him?”

 

The news of Xue Heng’s marriage to Wei Zongjin hadn’t reached Su Shenlin’s ears yet. So when Su Shenlin saw Xue Heng, he thought that, like himself, this person was shamelessly trying to curry favor with Wei Zongjin.

 

“Everyone understands the principle of leaning on a big tree for shade, but does a coal miner from the Xue family need to dirty the Deputy Director’s eyes?” Su Shenlin intentionally mocked.

 

Xue Heng picked up the two large bags from the trunk, forcefully closed the trunk with a loud bang, and appeared formidable. “And you’re just a meat seller. Hmph.”

 

Su Shenlin’s face darkened.

 

With a click, the door opened from the inside.

 

Wei Zongjin looked at Su Shenlin and Xue Heng standing outside the door and walked forward, taking the supermarket bags that Xue Heng was carrying. He stepped aside and said, “Come in.”

 

Xue Heng instinctively avoided Wei Zongjin’s gaze and walked in almost mechanically, step by step.

 

Su Shenlin, the straight steel man, completely failed to notice anything wrong with the way these two interacted. He placed his own bag on the dining table and tried to please Wei Zongjin with a smile. “Deputy Director Wei, I’ve been busy handling matters for our subsidiary company abroad, so I haven’t had time to visit you. But as soon as I returned to the country, I specially brought some lamb meat for you. It was just freshly butchered today, very fresh.”

 

Wei Zongjin sat on the sofa, picked up a cup of tea that had just been brewed, took a sip, and his tone turned icy, as if keeping everyone at arm’s length. “We’re all classmates, so if you have something to say, just say it.”

 

Su Shenlin subtly glanced at Xue Heng, his eyes full of implications.

 

Xue Heng, understanding the situation, picked up the shopping bags and walked into the kitchen. He took out the recently purchased items and placed them in the refrigerator.

 

Su Shenlin clasped his hands together and hesitated before speaking. “Here’s the thing, the food and drug administration shut down several lamb hotpot restaurants owned by my family. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but the administration blew it out of proportion and is still not allowing us to reopen. Sigh, we rely on our business being open every day, and if we can’t open, we’ll lose a lot of loyal customers. These losses…”

 

He glanced at Wei Zongjin, his eyes seeking help.

 

“Do you want me to talk to the Food and Drug Administration?” Wei Zongjin raised a cup of tea, his expression inscrutable.

 

Su Shenlin was about to nod in agreement, but he happened to catch a glimpse of Wei Zongjin’s current expression, which immediately made him break out in a cold sweat.

 

After a while, when Xue Heng finished putting everything in the refrigerator and came out, he found Su Shenlin standing in the corner of the room, making a phone call, with sweat dripping from his forehead. Xue Heng’s footsteps stopped.

 

Seeing Wei Zongjin sitting on the sofa reading the evening paper, Xue Heng walked over and lowered his voice. “Are we having dinner at home or going out?”

 

He was hungry and wanted to eat, but with Su Shenlin, an outsider, in the house, he didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t possibly have instant noodles and boiled ham sausage for dinner with the guest, right?

 

“At home,” Wei Zongjin replied.

 

Xue Heng couldn’t help but ask further, “What should we eat?”

 

It was a century-old problem.

 

Su Shenlin walked over with a disdainful look. “We’ll have lamb hotpot. Isn’t there ready-made lamb meat?”

 

Xue Heng: “…”

 

But the problem was: Which one of them knew how to make the broth?

 

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Chapter 12

 

Su Shenlin deliberately tried to please Wei Zongjin, constantly serving him hot pot lamb and always behaving in a flattering manner with a sycophantic smile on his face.

 

Wei Zongjin remained cold and indifferent, not paying any attention to Su Shenlin’s attempts to please him.

 

As Xue Heng enjoyed the tender lamb meat, he clicked his tongue in approval. But in the next moment, he saw Su Shenlin’s eyes looking at him with a venomous expression as if he wanted to spit poison, which filled Xue Heng with even more disdain.

 

This bastard.

 

After finishing their meal, Wei Zongjin had no intention of keeping the guest any longer, and Su Shenlin couldn’t linger either. After all, he had come specifically to build a relationship with Wei Zongjin, not to make enemies.

 

However, before leaving, Su Shenlin saw that Xue Heng showed no intention of leaving yet and furrowed his brow. He sternly said, “Xue Heng, why are you still here? Come back with me and don’t disturb Deputy Director Wei’s rest.”

 

Xue Heng clapped his hands, looked at him in askance, and was about to say something else. But he suddenly thought of something and stood up. He placed his hand on Su Shenlin’s shoulder, completely ignoring the murderous look in the other’s eyes, and said, “I’ll see him out first.”

 

Su Shenlin stiffened, his whole body covered in goosebumps.

 

Wei Zongjin frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with something.

 

As soon as they stepped out, Su Shenlin immediately shook off Xue Heng’s hand from his shoulder and stomped in place, exclaiming in frustration, “Stay away from me, Xue Heng.”

 

Xue Heng sneered and deliberately wiped his hands with a tissue. “Do you think I want to touch you?”

 

“Hmph.” Su Shenlin, who had always suspected that Xue Heng had ulterior motives towards him, sneered.

 

Xue Heng nonchalantly said, “I heard that Su Yin got married. Who’s the groom?”

 

Su Shenlin’s face contorted in anger, and he stomped his feet in place. “Who told you that my cousin got married? Nonsense, it’s all rubbish!”

 

Xue Heng understood the situation. Obviously, Su Shenlin’s attitude represented the stance of the Su family. So, it seemed that the Su family didn’t approve of Su Yin’s marriage to Qiao Anbang?

 

That explained it.

 

No wonder when he went to the wedding venue yesterday, Su Yin left the hotel for the wedding instead of leaving from her family home.

 

Su Yin’s situation should have been kept under wraps, but obviously, Su Shenlin was infuriated, so he couldn’t help but vent to Xue Heng, “Instead of being a proper lady of the Su family, she insists on marrying a rural boy, demeaning herself. It’s truly… disgusting!”

 

Xue Heng patted Su Shenlin’s shoulder. “What’s done is done. You should let it go.”

 

After saying that, Xue Heng suddenly paused, realizing that something was off. Clearly, Su Yin’s marriage to Qiao Anbang made him a direct victim.

 

With a snap, Su Shenlin forcefully shook off Xue Heng’s hand from his shoulder and cursed as he got into his car: “You from the Xue family, stop shamelessly clinging to Wei Zongjin. You’re not worthy of him.”

 

Xue Heng, infuriated, smirked. “Save your breath and get lost.”

 

Su Shenlin didn’t bother to respond and stepped on the accelerator. With a “whoosh,” he drove away.

 

Xue Heng didn’t care about him and, upon returning to the house, saw Wei Zongjin looking at the evening news with an expressionless face, his expression somewhat serious.

 

Xue Heng stopped in his tracks. “Something happened?”

 

The evening news showed a fire in a village in Huacheng late at night, with fire trucks and police cars appearing on the screen. Despite being fast asleep, the residents, instead of seeking safety, rushed to the scene to watch, even taking out their phones to take photos and videos.

 

The police officers tried their best to persuade the people to leave, but nobody listened. On the contrary, the more the police tried, the more the crowd rushed forward.

 

It was hard to say whether these people were courageous or just lacked common sense. The scene was chaotic.

 

Wei Zongjin furrowed his brow, took off his gold-rimmed glasses, wiped them with a cloth, and his eyes turned cold. “This village should have been demolished a long time ago.”

 

But this potential safety hazard has persisted until now.

 

Xue Heng could sense the anger in his words and felt a hint of worry.

 

After all, completely uprooting a village that had existed for nearly a hundred years was not a simple task. And for Wei Zongjin, who had just taken office, dealing with it would undoubtedly be even more troublesome.

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