Lu Sili had thought he would have to spend some time arranging the meeting between the two families, but in reality, his retired grandmother, who had been hoping he would get married, was the one who finalized everything.
Even his mother, who had been home for two days, could only stand by and watch.
Several relatives had come over, along with some of his grandmother’s friends.
“Lizhi, take off that damn shirt. I bought you a new dress and coat. Try them on and see if they fit. If they don’t, we’ll have the tailor alter them.”
“Uncle Zou, did you call Lu Ting? His assistant answered? Keep calling. His son is getting married. Is he seriously not coming back?!”
“What do you all think? Should I get my hair permed?”
Lu Sili curled up on the sofa with earphones in, listening to a meeting at headquarters, but even that could not block out the endless voices around the house.
Because the two families were meeting on Sunday, Lu Sili had been ordered to stay at home for the next few days so it would be easier to discuss anything that came up.
But the only thing Lu Sili himself could really do was show up on time that day.
Work was especially busy at the end of the year. From the moment Lu Sili opened his eyes, he had things to deal with, and he was already exhausted both physically and mentally.
“Lili! Lu Sili?!”
Lu Sili took out one earbud. A vaguely familiar elder was calling him, and when she saw him finally look over, several elders came over and sat down on the sofa to chat with him.
The meeting was about next year’s European and American market strategy and had little to do with China, but Lu Sili’s habit was to understand the entire market if he wanted to do his own job well.
He left one earbud in and continued listening while greeting the elder who had called him.
“Lili is finally getting married. Your grandaunt is so happy for you.” So the elder who had called him first was his grandaunt.
Lu Sili had gone abroad after high school and had only returned two years ago. During the years he lived alone overseas, he had forgotten many things and had grown unfamiliar with quite a few relatives.
Lu Sili smiled. “Thank you, Grandaunt.”
Another elder said, “This is already late! How many Omegas your age are still unmarried? I heard your health hasn’t been good either. You need to hurry even more.”
“Exactly. In traditional age counting, he’s already thirty-three or thirty-four. If he waits any longer, who will want him when he’s old, right?”
“It’s better to marry early. Better for having children too.”
“Speaking of children, what a shame. Lizhi is such an excellent Alpha. Such good Alpha genes going to waste.”
“You can’t say that. Everyone has their own strengths. Living well together is what matters. A Beta is a Beta.”
“Lili, did you take wedding photos? Show us.”
Lu Sili’s expression remained unchanged. He merely said, “No,” in a flat voice, but an inexplicable chill had entered his eyes. The corner of his mouth curved slightly. With his pale skin and dark eyes, he looked like a bottomless whirlpool, unsettling enough to make people uneasy.
The elders exchanged glances and abruptly fell silent.
The grandaunt who had spoken first gave two awkward laughs. “Everyone just wants what’s best for Lili. We’re all happy you’re getting married.”
Lu Sili did not respond to that either.
Before he differentiated, Lu Sili had been expected to become an exceptional Alpha. He had never heard people speak about him this way. Conversations around him had always been about ideals, academics, and career, about how far he could go, how much of the world he might see, what he might achieve, and whether he could surpass his parents, both outstanding Alphas themselves.
But after becoming an Omega, Lu Sili seemed to have lost the right to any of that.
Society might appear to hold far less prejudice against Omegas now, but Lu Sili believed that was only on the surface.
When an Omega won Best Actor, the topics people discussed most were still things like “heat-cycle video” and “red marks on the back of his neck.”
The relatives quietly dispersed, and Lu Sili put his earbud back in.
Lu Sili liked working. If he did not have a job that was at least reasonably good, perhaps he really would have become the kind of Omega his relatives talked about only in terms of “marrying” and “having children.”
Maybe there would have been nothing wrong with that either. Lu Sili simply did not like it.
Su Yuan called just as Lu Sili finished the meeting. He got up and walked aside to answer.
One entire wall on the first floor of the old family house was covered in bookshelves. Half the books were in German and English, all books his mother had read in the past.
Lu Sili had tried reading some of them when he was a student.
He answered the call. “Hello?”
Su Yuan seemed to be at home too. Lively conversation could be heard in the background, and even his tone carried a trace of excitement. “My aunt asked me to confirm whether your family has any wedding customs we should observe.”
Lu Sili lowered his eyes as he listened.
The anger lodged in his chest from earlier had not yet dissipated.
“Su Yuan, our contract marriage is for dealing with our families. We don’t need to go this far,” Lu Sili said.
There was a brief silence on Su Yuan’s end. Then he gave a soft laugh. “Right. I almost got carried away. Sorry.”
Lu Sili said, “See you tomorrow.”
Su Yuan said, “See you tomorrow.”
The meeting place had been chosen by Lu Sili’s grandmother, a famous old restaurant in Licheng called Jinlou. It was not the most lavishly decorated place in the city, but it was certainly one of the most steeped in history.
A ginkgo tree more than sixty years old stood to the right of the entrance. The city had built a fence around it and even altered the road for its sake. As one of Licheng’s urban landmarks, it belonged to Jinlou.
Lu Sili had been there before, though not often.
At his grandmother’s request, he wore a proper suit, haute couture from some luxury brand. He had no shortage of good clothes anyway.
His entire family had dressed formally, and they arrived early to wait in the private room.
“Lili, call your father. Is he coming or not?” his grandmother said while adjusting her brooch.
He definitely was not coming.
That was what Lu Sili thought, but he could not be bothered arguing. Making a phone call no one answered was easier than explaining to his grandmother why his father would not come.
He dialed. As expected, the phone rang for nearly thirty seconds without an answer. Lu Sili turned the screen toward his grandmother to show her and was just about to hang up when a familiar yet strangely distant voice came through.
“Hello? I was on a mission the past few days. I just landed in Licheng. I’ll be there on time.” Lu Ting’s voice had grown even steadier over the years.
Lu Sili lowered his eyes. “All right.”
After hanging up, Lu Sili told his grandmother and mother, “Dad said he’ll be here on time.”
His grandmother nodded and the anxiety faded from her face. His mother remained expressionless, but she set the phone she had been gripping tightly down on the table.
Lu Sili had already passed along everything about Su Yuan and his family. Although Lu Sili had not, as they had once imagined, married an Alpha from a family of equal standing, Lu Sili had said he liked Su Yuan and had finally agreed to get married. Of course they would take the matter seriously.
Lu Sili could tell that his grandmother was genuinely happy.
As for his mother…
Lu Sili glanced over as casually as he could. Xia Lizhi was wearing a qipao and coat today, with light makeup on her face, but Lu Sili knew every bit of it had been at his grandmother’s insistence.
She always wore that same expression: stern, unsmiling, as though nothing could ever satisfy her.
The curve of Lu Sili’s mouth turned faintly bitter.
But he could only tell himself it did not matter. He was used to it. He simply had not differentiated into an Alpha like her. That was no one’s fault.
After they waited about ten minutes, with fifteen minutes still left before the appointed time, Su Yuan’s family arrived as well.
Lu Sili’s family stood.
The first person through the door was probably Su Yuan’s aunt. She looked quite young, with a gentle, smiling face. Lu Sili instinctively smiled too. “Hello, Auntie.”
Su Yuan came in last and closed the door behind him. By then, his aunt and uncle were already shaking Lu Sili’s hand, and before the two newlyweds had even managed to exchange a word, Lu Sili’s grandmother had gone over and taken Su Yuan by the hand to talk to him.
The atmosphere in the room was strangely enthusiastic between each family and the other family’s child, while Lu Sili and Su Yuan, the actual newlyweds at the center of everything, never got a chance to speak.
His grandmother and Su Yuan’s aunt and uncle were all warm and talkative people. Once everyone sat down, the conversation never stopped. They chatted happily, while Xia Lizhi also joined in from time to time, wearing a friendly smile Lu Sili had almost never seen on her before, even if it was a little stiff.
Lu Sili and Su Yuan had been seated together. Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Lu Sili relaxed too and sipped his tea.
“Eat something.”
“Hm?”
Lu Sili turned and saw that Su Yuan had picked up a pastry for him.
He had not even noticed when several plates of pastries had been served. Looking at the one on his plate, he murmured, “Poria cake.”
Elio’s Notes: Poria (茯苓, fúlíng) is an edible fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine. Poria cakes are traditional pastries made with poria powder.
“Mm. Have a little something first,” Su Yuan said.
The moment their quiet exchange ended, his grandmother called toward them, “Mm! The pastries Xiao Su ordered are excellent. This one is really good.”
Lu Sili turned to look at Su Yuan. So Su Yuan had ordered them.
His grandmother was probably only being polite, though. She had certainly eaten at Jinlou more often than anyone else at the table and had tried everything there.
Su Yuan was wearing a suit today too. Lu Sili could not identify the brand, but the tie clip was distinctive, set with tiny pale-pink diamonds.
A tie clip sparkling with a soft pink against a black, white, and gray suit should have looked odd, yet somehow it fit Su Yuan’s temperament strangely well.
His smile and manners were both flawless.
“I specifically asked the staff which ones would be suitable. As long as Grandma likes them.”
He did not show off how much he “knew,” but he quietly made it clear that he had put thought into it.
The elders all laughed. Before the laughter had faded, someone pushed open the door.
It was Lu Sili’s father, Lu Ting.
“Sorry I’m late.” Lu Ting was dressed in a uniform bearing military rank insignia. His expression was serious too. After entering, his gaze swept around the room before settling on Su Yuan. “You must be Su Yuan.”
Su Yuan stood. He was 185 centimeters tall, yet still half a head shorter than Lu Ting, who was already over fifty. “Hello, Uncle. I’m Su Yuan.”
He took the initiative to offer his hand and did not appear intimidated by Lu Ting at all.
Su Yuan’s aunt and uncle stood as well, but Lu Ting kept hold of Su Yuan’s hand for a long time without letting go. Lu Sili frowned, irritated by his father’s behavior.
“Lu Ting, if you’re here, sit down and talk. The food is about to be served,” his grandmother said, breaking the tension.
Lu Ting gave a formal smile. Only after releasing Su Yuan’s hand did he remove his hat and go greet Su Yuan’s aunt and uncle with handshakes.
The seat reserved for him was beside Xia Lizhi. Although the two had been divorced for years, at this moment they were here as Lu Sili’s parents, so both put on expressions of complete ease and chatted with the future in-laws.
Lu Sili had no idea what parents were supposed to discuss before a wedding. Dowry? Bride price? For a contract marriage, that sounded almost ridiculous.
The dishes were served quickly, and everyone ate while they talked.
Lu Sili attended business dinners all year round and could talk when he had to at those tables, but at family meals like this, he had always simply eaten in silence.
His appetite had been poor for the past six months, and most of today’s dishes were rich and greasy, so Lu Sili barely ate.
Fortunately, he had eaten some pastries beforehand.
Su Yuan, on the other hand, kept talking with the elders.
His grandmother was kindhearted and would never make life difficult for a junior. His mother was only decisive and forceful in the military; at home, she did not talk much.
Su Yuan handled everything well.
“Su Yuan.” Lu Ting, who had barely spoken until now, finally opened his mouth.
Seeing that his glass was empty, Su Yuan stood and refilled his drink. “Yes, Uncle?”
Lu Ting had achieved success at a young age and now held a high-ranking position in the aerospace system. In Lu Sili’s memory, he had always been outwardly polite while actually being deeply patriarchal.
He looked at Su Yuan and said, “Although you’re a Beta, I don’t discriminate. I only hope the two of you live well together. Your hospital director and I are…”
“Dad!” Lu Sili cut him off.
Lu Ting had clearly rearranged work to come. The exhaustion on his face was visible.
Their eyes met.
Lu Sili had a stomach full of harsh words lodged in his chest. It was not because he was afraid of Lu Ting, but because Su Yuan and his elders were all present.
He had seen the flash of embarrassment on Su Yuan’s face.
“You, come outside.” At that moment Xia Lizhi stood. After apologizing to Su Yuan’s family, she walked out. After Lu Sili’s grandmother scolded him, Lu Ting followed her.
His grandmother immediately warmed the atmosphere again. “Ignore his nonsense. These days people marry for love. His brain doesn’t work properly. Eat, eat.”
Lu Ting did not return afterward, and the rest of the meal passed peacefully enough.
Su Yuan’s aunt and uncle had easygoing personalities and understood that the economic gap between the two families was enormous, that Su Yuan could be said to be “marrying up.” With the other side’s father holding such a high military rank, they considered his attitude understandable and did not take it too much to heart.
After the meal, everyone began to leave.
It was Sunday, and both Lu Sili and Su Yuan had work the next day and needed to return to their own places. In front of the elders, though, it would have looked bad for them to leave separately, so Lu Sili had Su Yuan get into his car.
Before they left, his grandmother stopped him and handed him a thick document envelope. She said she had originally meant to give it to them openly as a gift for their little household, but Lu Ting had ruined the atmosphere, so she had not brought it up and had also worried that Su Yuan’s family might feel pressured.
Lu Sili did not open the envelope. He tossed it onto the back seat.
“Back to the doctors’ dormitory?” Lu Sili asked.
Su Yuan nodded. After fastening his seat belt, he unconsciously let out a breath.
Lu Sili laughed. “I thought you weren’t nervous at all.”
Su Yuan said, “I was very nervous.”
“Su Yuan, I want to apologize for the rude things my father said. Don’t take them to heart,” Lu Sili said.
Su Yuan turned to him. His tired eyes immediately brightened, and the corners of his mouth lifted as he smiled. “It’s fine. I can understand your father’s concerns too.”
“He doesn’t know we’re in a contract marriage.”
“Mm. Right.”
Su Yuan’s tone dimmed again.
Lu Sili did not understand why, but he did not ask.
The car still had not moved. Lu Sili was waiting for it to warm up.
“Lu Sili.” Su Yuan suddenly took a small box out of his bag. “This is a gift from my aunt and uncle for you. They were too embarrassed to give it to you in front of everyone, so they asked me to pass it on.”
Lu Sili froze, because he had not planned to give Su Yuan whatever his grandmother and mother had prepared. It was not because he assumed the assets would be substantial or because he cared whether the values on both sides matched. He did not lack money.
He fell silent for a moment.
“Su Yuan.”
“Mm?”
“There’s no need, right? We can each keep the gifts our families gave us. We’re only…”
“In a contract marriage.” Su Yuan finished the sentence for him. He lowered his eyes slightly, his lashes trembling beneath his lenses, then looked up at Lu Sili. With a smile, he said, “All right. I was presumptuous.”
Lu Sili smiled too and started the car to take Su Yuan home.
Su Yuan did not speak on the way, but nothing about him looked unusual.
For some reason, Lu Sili, who normally never cared about such minor details, suddenly felt unsettled. He inexplicably thought he had been too cold. He and Su Yuan were old classmates. Even if they were not real lovers, they could still be friends.
His aunt and uncle were good people too. This was their sincere goodwill.
And Su Yuan had done nothing wrong. In this contract marriage, Lu Sili was clearly the one benefiting most. Was there any need to treat him like this?
He was a good person.
An honest, kind Beta.
“Go on. I’m heading upstairs.” Su Yuan had already gotten out of the car.
Lu Sili looked at him through the window and gave a soft hum, but he still did not leave.
Su Yuan bent down. “What’s wrong?”
Lu Sili suddenly felt helpless with himself. Why couldn’t he handle this marriage as cleanly as he handled work? In the end, he could only smile and say, “Wait for me a moment.”
Lu Sili got out of the car and retrieved the document envelope his grandmother had given him from the back seat.
“Can I come up and sit for a bit?”
Su Yuan actually hesitated.
“Is it inconvenient?” Lu Sili asked.
Su Yuan answered immediately, “No.”
As though he were afraid Lu Sili would misunderstand and think there was someone else at home.
The moment Lu Sili entered, he froze again. He looked at the several large cardboard boxes in the room and fell silent.
“The hospital hasn’t been too busy these past few days, so…” Su Yuan looked a little embarrassed.
Lu Sili said, “That’s fine. You’re moving in with me anyway. You might as well move earlier.”
Then he sat on the small sofa and opened the document envelope, saying as he did, “These are wedding gifts from my mother and grandmother. Technically, they’re for both of us.”
Even though it was a contract marriage and they had no feelings for each other yet, Lu Sili did not want to hurt Su Yuan, much less take advantage of him. In their future life together, Su Yuan would probably be the one taking care of him more often.
Lu Sili set the documents down on the coffee table, then looked up at Su Yuan. “Let’s divide them up. And for fairness, can you give me back the gift from your aunt and uncle?”