LIAH Extra 1. The Banquet

Because Pei Siyin had been busy with school after returning to campus, the banquet ended up being postponed until his summer break.

Before the meal, Song Shengyang personally called each of his friends to inform them, and made sure to ask for their red envelopes in advance.

They chose a time in the early evening when everyone was relatively free. The venue was arranged by Yan Ting, and the setup was something Pei Siyin and Song Shengyang designed together by hand.

June weather was hot, but the estate they picked had an ideal location. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, it had a small natural stream running along both sides of the entrance. The creek was narrow, but the water was crystal clear. The sound of flowing water helped muffle the oppressive summer heat. From the front gates onward, tulips of every color had been planted, and the fresh mountain air carried a soft, lingering scent of flowers.

At first, Song Shengyang had wanted to roll out a red carpet, saying it would give the whole thing more ceremony. Pei Siyin shot that idea down immediately.

“No need for that. It’s way too much.” He was arranging a vase at the time and rejected the suggestion without even thinking.

Song Shengyang wasn’t pleased. “People do it at weddings. It’s festive.”

Truth be told, Pei Siyin couldn’t even picture him and Song Shengyang walking down a red carpet arm in arm while all their friends watched. Just imagining it made his scalp go numb. In the end, he had to coax Song Shengyang for an entire evening before the idea was finally dropped.

On the day of the banquet, both of them wore simple white shirts. To make it clear who the hosts were, Song Shengyang pinned a pinkish-purple tulip to his chest. One of the staff who had helped with the setup earlier had told them this variety of tulip was called “Chance Encounter.” Song Shengyang had remembered it right away, thinking it perfectly captured how he and Pei Siyin had first met.

Before the guests arrived, Pei Siyin checked over the venue carefully. Song Shengyang helped pin the flower to his shirt, then gently pinched his tense cheek. “Nervous?”

“Not at all.” Pei Siyin rubbed his face with the back of his hand, then asked uncertainly, “Is it obvious?”

“A little.” Song Shengyang smiled and tried to reassure him. “You’ve already met them before. What’s there to be nervous about?”

The last time had been too rushed, and they hadn’t had a chance to really get to know each other. Today felt more like meeting the parents. There was no way Pei Siyin could be completely at ease.

Overhead, the temporary floral arch had tulips of every color hanging upside down. Every few feet, a thin white string dangled down from the flowers, holding teardrop-shaped glass vials with white candles inside, each about three fingers wide.

Song Shengyang had dyed his hair red for the day. No one else had arrived yet, so Pei Siyin reached out and ruffled it a few times. It was fluffy, soft, and felt surprisingly nice to the touch.

“Auntie didn’t scold you this time?” Pei Siyin asked, remembering how he’d once been ordered to fix his orange hair.

Song Shengyang shook his head lightly, hair falling over his brow as a breeze swept past, revealing a smile tucked deep in his eyes. “I told her you liked it, and she dropped it.”

Pei Siyin’s fingers shifted where they were still resting in his hair. He looked up. “When did I say that?”

Though honestly, the color really did suit him. With the sunset pouring in, it made his skin look even paler, and his pupils shimmered faintly with light.

“When I came back with it dyed, you wouldn’t stop staring.” Song Shengyang said, “Your eyes were saying everything. Didn’t you know?”

As he spoke, he kept his gaze locked on Pei Siyin’s. Pei Siyin leaned in, the corners of his eyes curling with a smile. His long lashes cast individual shadows under the sunlight. He asked, “If my eyes can really talk, then what are they saying right now?”

Pei Siyin’s eyes were naturally tinged with brown. When they were close like this, with the light behind him, those eyes reflected flecks of scattered shimmer, like stars quietly blinking. The look on his face made Song Shengyang giddy. His heart pounded hard and fast. “Can’t tell. You’ll have to say it out loud.”

“Ahem—”

Pei Siyin’s face flushed, and he instantly moved back to his original spot. Both of them turned toward the door, where the sound had come from, and saw that Yan Ting and Yan Can had arrived. Yan Can was being led by the hand, his ears glowing red. Clearly, he’d seen everything.

Song Shengyang wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. In fact, he lit up when he saw them. “You’re so late.”

Yan Ting glanced at him. “I think we’re a little early. Did we interrupt something?”

That last part was directed at Pei Siyin, who quickly waved his hands. “No, not at all.”

Yan Can had been standing quietly off to the side. Only after Yan Ting finished speaking did he finally greet him. “Hi, Senior.”

“You’re still the best, Canbao.” Song Shengyang praised him, then threw an arm around Yan Ting’s shoulders and held out his hand. “Red envelope.”

Pei Siyin couldn’t bear to watch. He took Yan Can aside and gave him a slice of cream cake.

Yan Ting calmly removed the hand on his shoulder, smoothed out the wrinkles Song Shengyang had made in his shirt, and then held out his own hand. “Pay me back the venue rental.”

Song Shengyang: ???

“I’m the one getting married. As my brother, shouldn’t you be the one giving me something?” Song Shengyang put on a wounded expression, like he’d just been betrayed.

Yan Ting smiled. “Then how about I give you this estate?”

“Huh?” Song Shengyang suddenly looked flustered. “That’s way too much. It’s too generous, too extravagant, ah—”

“I’m kidding.” Yan Ting turned and walked off.

“You bastard!” Song Shengyang shouted at his back. Pei Siyin couldn’t take it. He covered his face and refused to look at him.

While Song Shengyang was still yelling, Tao You stepped into the venue, with Tao Jinsong followed right behind.

Tao You scanned the floral setup and lighting, nodding approvingly. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

“Right?” Song Shengyang beamed with pride.

Pei Siyin set down what he was doing and walked over to stand beside Song Shengyang to greet their friends.

Tao You’s eyes fell on him and recognized him from the other day. Back then, he had just assumed this was someone new Shengyang was hanging around with, until he saw the two of them kissing behind his back.

He smiled and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Tao You.”

“Pei Siyin.”

Tao Jinsong looked surprised. Her eyes were slightly rounded as she studied Pei Siyin, not with any hostility, just pure curiosity. The lighting in the bar had been too dim that night. She hadn’t gotten a proper look at him.

It was Pei Siyin who greeted her first, and only then did she snap back into it.

“Oh! Hi, hello.”

Not many people had been invited to the evening banquet. The only one still missing was Jiang Haolin. Song Shengyang told Pei Siyin to go relax for a while and hang out with Yan Can.

As dusk deepened, someone went around lighting the candles inside the glass jars. As the night breeze stirred, the little flames flickered like stars swaying in the dark. Over by the tulips, three people stood chatting. At the nearby table, three more sat resting their chins on their hands, spaced out.

Even though the sky had gone completely dark, Pei Siyin could still make out Song Shengyang’s silhouette clearly. He was perched on a high stool, idly swinging his legs, glancing left and right between Yan Can and Tao Jinsong, and finally asked, “Either of you want something to drink?”

Yan Can shook his head. Tao Jinsong, on the other hand, dragged her stool over to where Pei Siyin was sitting, her face absolutely glowing with gossip. “So how did you two meet?”

Skipping over the part where he was cross-dressing, Pei Siyin said, “He was driving, I ran a red light, and we bumped into each other.”

Tao Jinsong’s mind worked fast. She pulled a hair tie from her wrist, twisted her hair up, and deliberately tucked both sides behind her ears. “And then? He took you to Jiang Haolin’s clinic, right?”

“Yeah,” Pei Siyin looked surprised. “How’d you guess?”

“Ha!” Tao Jinsong slapped the table, certain she was right. “I knew it! Jiang Haolin already heard the whole story and didn’t say a word. That’s so unfair!”

Pei Siyin had no idea how to respond.

Tao Jinsong leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Who chased who?”

Pei Siyin could feel sweat on his palms. “I chased him.”

“How long did it take?”

“Seven days.”

“Seven days?” Tao Jinsong’s eyes widened. “You got him in just seven days? Damn, respect.”

She gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder, fully approving of his skills.

Yan Can said nothing the whole time, but he’d clearly been listening.

Around eight o’clock, Jiang Haolin finally showed up, fashionably late. He had just finished his clinic hours and rushed straight over, barely able to catch his breath before Song Shengyang herded him over to his seat like he was driving ducks.

Once he sat down, Jiang Haolin looked completely unbothered. The moment the wine was poured, he gave a deliberate little cough and said to Song Shengyang, “You better toast me. Show some gratitude.”

As if he needed reminding—he’d treated someone’s injuries purely out of friendship.

Song Shengyang rolled his eyes. “Gratitude for what?”

“Hmph.” Jiang Haolin replied, “Gratitude for treating your wife.”

That one word—“wife”—nearly knocked Pei Siyin off balance. It was clear he still had a ways to go when it came to handling these people.

Since they were on the subject of treatment, Song Shengyang pushed back. “Didn’t I pay you?”

Jiang Haolin wasn’t the least bit offended. He replied slowly, “Who was it that dumped his wife at the hospital and left him there? And then…”

“Jiang Haolin!” Song Shengyang shot to his feet, forcing a smile onto his face as he raised his glass and ground out the words, “To you.”

Of course Jiang Haolin had to bring up the worst of his past behavior toward Pei Siyin.

Eyes narrowing in amusement, Jiang Haolin clinked glasses and played along, as if he hadn’t just twisted the knife. “You’re too kind.”

Dinner itself was simple. The main point had been for Song Shengyang to introduce Pei Siyin to the group properly. Most of them had already met him, and this event more or less made things official. It might as well have been a wedding announcement.

When it was time to say goodbye, Song Shengyang and Pei Siyin stood at the entrance to see everyone off. At some point, Yan Ting had ended up with a kraft paper envelope in his hand. One of his hands held Yan Can’s, while the other passed the envelope to Song Shengyang.

Song Shengyang took it and asked, “What’s this?”

“A wedding gift,” Yan Ting said.

Pei Siyin’s ears turned red on the spot. It was the first moment the whole evening started to feel like a real wedding banquet.

Yan Ting’s demeanor was gentle, even the way he spoke. He smiled and said, “The estate. It’s yours now.”

Song Shengyang: !!

Pei Siyin was stunned too, frozen in place. “Mr. Yan, that’s too generous.”

“It’s not.”

Still overwhelmed with emotion, Song Shengyang looked up, practically on the verge of tears. “Tingbao, you’re the best.”

There was at least thirty percent sincerity in that look. Based on what Yan Ting knew of him, he’d be back to normal in two minutes. And sure enough, before Yan Ting could even walk away, Song Shengyang was already blocking Tao You and Tao Jinsong with an outstretched hand. “You saw what Yan Ting gave us. Now where’s yours?”

Tao You took off his glasses, which softened his sharp look. He pointed behind him. “It’s ready. Give us ten minutes.”

He glanced at Tao Jinsong, who instantly grabbed his sleeve and wouldn’t let go. “We’re giving ours together.”

Song Shengyang looked very pleased. That just left Jiang Haolin.

Jiang Haolin had poured plenty of wine for him that night. There was no way he was going to let him off easy.

Pei Siyin tugged at the hem of his shirt and whispered, “Isn’t that enough?”

But Song Shengyang turned and reminded him, “They’ve got money. They won’t miss it.”

The implication being that, even though we also have money, we still accept gifts when people give them. That’s how capitalists do things.

Pei Siyin had the vague feeling he was being morally corrupted, but he found himself agreeing anyway and let it go.

Jiang Haolin, under their watchful gaze, pulled out his pockets to show they were empty. Then suddenly clasped his hands together in a salute and took off running, shouting as he went:

“Wishing you a hundred years of harmony, everlasting love, and a lifetime of bliss!”

By the time Song Shengyang realized what was happening, Jiang Haolin had already vanished without a trace.

Pei Siyin and Yan Can quietly covered their mouths, trying not to laugh. With no one to complain to, Song Shengyang could only see his friends off one by one and wait out the ten minutes Tao You had promised.

“He wouldn’t lie, right?” he asked suspiciously.

Pei Siyin couldn’t help laughing. “Mr. Tao doesn’t seem like the type.”

Song Shengyang didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and cupped the back of Pei Siyin’s head, lowered his head, and bit down on the tip of his tongue. Pei Siyin lost his balance, falling into his arms with his head tilted back, accepting the kiss. The lingering taste of red wine filled their mouths, slightly sweet. Saliva pooled faster than he could swallow, but Song Shengyang’s tongue caught all of it and kissed it right out of him.

The tulip stems swayed with the wind, and the candlelight flickered above them, casting long silhouettes across the lawn.

Ten minutes passed. The dark sky behind them suddenly lit up with a boom. Pei Siyin’s heart seized. His lashes trembled as he pulled away from the kiss and turned with Song Shengyang to look at the burst of light.

One firework after another exploded overhead, raining streaks of color through the sky. The glow illuminated their faces, clear and warm. Song Shengyang wrapped his arms around Pei Siyin from behind. Their heartbeats overlapped, thudding together in sync. Pei Siyin’s eyes sparkled. He turned and pressed a kiss to Song Shengyang’s cheek with a smile.

Amid the roar of fireworks all around them, Pei Siyin asked, “So this really counts as getting married?”

“Of course,” Song Shengyang said without hesitation.

They stood so close that even their shadows on the ground had merged into one. Pei Siyin met the gaze that hadn’t left him the entire time, leaned in close, and whispered in his ear:

“Then… happy wedding.”