Chapter 38 – Final Chapter

“What was the reason for your first argument?”

“Because the housekeeper’s son was getting married.”

When Guan Lan first moved in with Zhuang Lin, he told him, “I’m not used to doing housework.” He even added, “I don’t do any at all.”

Zhuang Lin didn’t take it seriously at first. After all, Guan Lan had lived alone for so many years. Even if he was a bit lazy, surely he couldn’t be doing no housework at all?

Later, he realized that Guan Lan’s statement was brutally honest—there was no exaggeration.

Looking back now, he should have realized this the first time he saw Guan Lan’s desk.

Guan Lan wasn’t deliberately slacking off or shirking responsibilities. In the words of older generations, he simply “didn’t see the chores.” He didn’t feel that clothes and socks piled up on the sofa stool or a thin layer of dust on the windowsill affected his quality of life. The dirty dishes from Monday night could sit there until the housekeeper arrived the next Monday morning, and he had no qualms about it.

Zhuang Lin, on the other hand, having lived abroad for a few years, had stronger life skills. When things got too messy for him to bear, he would tidy up.

Guan Lan’s housekeeper had been working for him for two years, coming once a week. Guan Lan was very satisfied with her. She was honest, efficient, and, most importantly, quiet—she came, did her work, and left without unnecessary chatter. Reliable housekeepers were hard to find, and for public figures, finding one who was both reliable and discreet was even rarer. So, after Zhuang Lin moved in, Guan Lan decided to keep her on.

He wanted to give her a raise, as there was now an extra person in the house, which meant more work.

But the housekeeper was straightforward: “It’s fine. The house is actually cleaner now than before.”

Guan Lan: “…”

He clearly saw Zhuang Lin stifling a laugh beside him.

The housekeeper’s son was getting married, and she needed to take a month off to handle the preparations. Guan Lan approved the leave and gave her a red envelope for her son.

At the time, he didn’t think much of it.

In modern marital relationships, the division of household chores is a major cause of conflict. They hadn’t realized this before because most of the housework had been taken care of by someone else.

That evening, Zhuang Lin had mopped the floor, washed the dishes, changed the bedsheets, and was now wearing elbow-length pink rubber gloves, scrubbing the kitchen tiles.

Guan Lan thought that a little mess wouldn’t kill anyone. Why waste precious rest time on such trivial matters? Wouldn’t it be better to lazily and happily play games and sing together?

But since Zhuang Lin was working so hard, Guan Lan felt he couldn’t just sit idly by, so he went over to help.

Truthfully, Guan Lan wasn’t much help. The quality of his work was questionable in Zhuang Lin’s eyes, and most of the areas he cleaned needed to be redone.

Zhuang Lin: “You should rest. I’m almost done.”

Guan Lan: “How can I let you do all the work alone?”

Zhuang Lin didn’t want to discourage his good intentions, so he silently redid the work behind Guan Lan’s back.

Guan Lan: “I just cleaned that sink.”

Zhuang Lin: “Oh, did you?”

He got up to clean the tiles, but when Guan Lan turned around, he quietly went back to clean the sink.

When Guan Lan noticed, he finally understood: “Ah, a clean freak.”

Zhuang Lin: “…”

After finishing the cleaning, the two of them started preparing their outfits for the Golden Wheat Awards ceremony the next day.

Guan Lan was a regular at the Golden Wheat Awards, attending every year—either to receive an award, present one, or serve as a judge in the years he didn’t do either. This was Zhuang Lin’s first time, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Guan Lan: “Relax. As long as a man is tall and has a good frame, he’d look good even in a plastic bag.”

Zhuang Lin: “That’s a unique way to make headlines. ‘Shocking! Famous Chinese musician’s husband appears half-naked!'”

Guan Lan: “Keep it up, and I’ll make you go completely naked.”

Zhuang Lin put on his formal suit. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, he looked like a prince stepping out of a gold-encrusted carriage.

Guan Lan: “Wait, I have a bow tie that would suit you better than the one you’re wearing. Let me find it.”

Bow ties weren’t something they used often, and Guan Lan couldn’t remember where he’d put last year’s, so he started rummaging through drawers.

Zhuang Lin: “Don’t just toss things around like that. Everything’s getting mixed up… This drawer is for socks, and the one next to it is for underwear. Now our underwear is mixed up again, and we’ll end up wearing each other’s one day and feeling uncomfortable all day…”

Guan Lan: “Uncomfortable? We wear the same size!”

Zhuang Lin didn’t call out his strange sense of pride: “Fine, same size. But you still shouldn’t mix socks and underwear! You never tidy up, so I’ll end up having to do it…”

Guan Lan closed the drawer: “Alright, alright, Mr. Clean Freak.”

Zhuang Lin couldn’t hold back anymore.

Zhuang Lin: “I’m not a clean freak. I’m a normal person. It’s your habits that are too messy.”

Guan Lan was aware of this, but having lived alone for so long, he naturally did things the way he was comfortable with. Having his long-standing lifestyle suddenly criticized to his face made him defensive and embarrassed.

Zhuang Lin had been holding back this complaint for a long time and didn’t notice Guan Lan’s expression.

Zhuang Lin: “I won’t even mention the kitchen trash. At least throw it out when it’s full. I saw yesterday that it’s starting to mold and pollute the environment! And the dirty clothes—it’s fine to pile them up, but at least keep them in one place. Don’t just throw them around…”

You could hurt a man’s heart or his kidneys, but you couldn’t hurt his pride.

Guan Lan’s ego was bruised, and a sense of shame and anger welled up inside him. His defense mechanisms kicked in, ready to counterattack, but when it came to hygiene habits, he had no ground to stand on. In a flash, a sentence popped into his mind out of nowhere:

“I don’t actually like the food you cook.”

Guan Lan had no idea where that sentence came from, and the moment it left his mouth, he wanted to bite his tongue off.

Zhuang Lin was completely unprepared for this. He looked up at Guan Lan in shock.

Seeing the hurt and disappointment in Zhuang Lin’s eyes, Guan Lan’s little flame of irritation was quickly extinguished, leaving only a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest. The argument had come out of nowhere, and he had no experience or preparation for handling such a situation. In his panic, he made an even bigger mistake.

Guan Lan stepped closer to Zhuang Lin, placed his hands on his shoulders, and leaned in to kiss him.

Zhuang Lin turned his face away.

He took off his suit, turned, and walked out of the room without saying a word.

For the rest of the night, he didn’t speak.

Guan Lan was panicking.

He knew this was entirely his fault and that he should apologize as soon as possible, but he hesitated, afraid of making things worse.

Chen Jin teased him: “I know this routine too well: getting carried away, acting spoiled, and then digging your own grave. You used to scold me for being dramatic, but karma’s a bitch, huh? Feels great.”

Guan Lan sighed: “Yeah, I’ve been spoiled by him lately.”

Chen Jin: “You two are a strange pair. Based on age and personality, it seems like you should be the one spoiling him, but it’s actually the other way around.”

Guan Lan: “What’s wrong with that? Can’t I be the one being taken care of for once?”

Chen Jin: “It seems you’ve been single for thirty years because you’ve got a little princess living inside you.”

Guan Lan: “You’ve got five more minutes to mock me, then can you please teach me how to apologize?”

Chen Jin: “Why do you think I’d know how to apologize? I’ve never apologized to him.”

Guan Lan was stunned.

He thought someone as dramatic as Chen Jin would have apologized as often as he breathed.

Chen Jin: “I don’t need to apologize. I just buy a set of lingerie, and there’s no problem that can’t be solved.”

Guan Lan: “…”

Guan Lan struggled: “It’s a bit embarrassing, but I could do that…”

Chen Jin: “You’re really at your wits’ end! Wake up! Your guy’s brain is wired differently from mine! He’s about emotions, not just physical stuff! If you try that, it’ll be a one-way ticket to divorce!”

Guan Lan buried his face in his hands: “What should I do then?”

Chen Jin: “Seeing you so lovesick makes me feel like a father marrying off his daughter.”

Guan Lan: “Oh, does your husband know we’ve never actually been together?”

Chen Jin: “…”

Guan Lan: “You know, every time we meet now, your husband thinks you’re sneaking around with your ex. You’re such an unfaithful man.”

Chen Jin: “…”

Guan Lan spent the entire day in a state of anxiety. Since he and Zhuang Lin got together, their call history had never been this silent for so long.

He remained distracted throughout the evening, absentmindedly walking the red carpet under the spotlight, and was still in a daze when they called him up to receive his award.

Best Composer of the Year: Guan Lan, for Symphony.

Guan Lan held the trophy in his hand. The stage lights were dazzling, and the audience glittered with jewels. He looked at Zhuang Lin, who turned his head away.

Zhuang Lin was wearing the bow tie Guan Lan had found for him the night before.

So handsome.

Guan Lan’s heart slowly calmed down.

“I come here every year, so I’m sure you’re all tired of seeing me and hearing me talk. I’ll keep this acceptance speech short and sweet, so the others have more time to shine.”

“I’m honored to receive this award. Thank you to all the music fans across the country for your support and love, to the judges for your recognition and trust, and to my incredible team.”

“Finally, I’d like to thank my husband. Thank you all.”

His tone was light and smooth, his demeanor natural and confident, so it wasn’t until he bowed and left the stage that people realized something was off.

It wasn’t until the ceremony moved on to the next award that the internet exploded.

“Did I mishear Guan Lan’s last thank-you?”

“Reply to the above: ‘Thank you, my husband.’ Clear pronunciation, no room for doubt. Unless we all misheard it.”

“Damn, coming out live at an awards ceremony? That’s bold!”

“I still can’t believe it. Did he mean ‘my teacher’? Right? Right?”

“Stop deluding yourself. In 99% of Chinese contexts, ‘my husband’ doesn’t mean ‘my teacher.'”

“Are you all missing the point? The real question is, who the hell is his husband!”

The online buzz had nothing to do with Guan Lan. As the ceremony ended, he and his husband walked home together.

“I saw you bought beef bones. Are you making soup?”

“Forget it. I’ll make you a stir-fry when we get back.”

“You’re not mad at me anymore?”

“Sigh, I have to be the bigger person. After all, I’m the husband here.”

Husband Zhuang Lin and husband Guan Lan walked home together under the moonlight.

[End of Main Story]