Read Novel Full Chapter 98 - Extra 1- A Dessert
Chapter 98 - Extra 1- A Dessert
**Chapter 98: Extra – A Dessert**
Translator: Namizaki
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**The Matter of Meeting the In-Laws:**
After the Peony Awards ceremony concluded, the Chi family traveled a great distance to visit the Lu family.
Chi Zhongqiao, who had just won the Best Actor award, had confessed his feelings with such fervor on television. Yet upon returning home, he was immediately scolded by his family:
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, acting like this at your age?”
“So many young girls were watching! How could you be so shameless?”
“Don’t set a bad example for your fans!”
***
Chi Zhongqiao sat on the sofa, facing his parents’ scolding, feeling utterly wronged.
He believed he was more likely to have been corrupted by his fans in this whole CP-shipping business.
Have you seen them? They don’t just ship couples—they write fanfiction, draw art, even create entire comics! Each one more talented than the last!
Lu Yuzhou couldn’t bear to see Chi Zhongqiao being scolded. He quickly intervened, “Auntie… Mom, we brought gifts for you. Do you like them?”
He pulled out the gifts they had chosen from a paper bag and handed them to Father Chi and Mother Chi.
Mother Chi was flustered by his calling her “Mom,” forgetting all about scolding her son. She hastily accepted the gift from Lu Yuzhou. “You’re too kind, dear…”
Chi Zhongqiao: “……”
He glanced back to see Lu Yuzhou’s biological parents sitting awkwardly to the side, occasionally chiming in with stiff remarks.
Old Master Lu had long been utterly disappointed in his son and daughter-in-law. If not for the need for parents to be present at this meeting with the Chi family, he wouldn’t have bothered calling them back at all.
The old man accepted the cup Chi Zhongqiao offered, took a couple of sips, and cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to discuss the matter of the two children’s marriage today.”
“Yuzhou is of age, and the two of them have always gotten along so well. Let’s just get the marriage certificate first, and we can start preparing for the wedding,” Old Master Lu said, pulling out an old calendar. “Look, I had someone calculate auspicious dates. Let’s see when would be most suitable…”
Chi Zhongqiao, who had never experienced such a scene in either of his lifetimes, was momentarily stunned.
The date for obtaining the marriage certificate wasn’t up for debate, but the wedding itself was another matter entirely. The sheer number of details required careful consideration, and even deciding on a date would require extensive family discussion.
In the end, Old Master Lu made the final decision: They would get the certificate the day after tomorrow, take photos, and begin wedding preparations immediately.
While the family was enthusiastically discussing the plans, Chi Zhongqiao quietly pulled out his phone and texted Lu Yuzhou: [What kind of wedding do you like?]
After sending the message, he casually put his phone down, maintaining an expression as if nothing had happened.
Lu Yuzhou was surprised to receive Chi Zhongqiao’s message. After reading it, he couldn’t help but smile slightly and replied: [If I tell you what kind of wedding I like, will I actually get it?]
Chi Zhongqiao typed back: [If it’s within my power.]
Lu Yuzhou’s fingers tightened around his phone. He slowly exhaled, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest, and replied: [How about Qiao-ge wearing a wedding dress?]
Chi Zhongqiao replied instantly: [Do you think that’s even possible?]
Lu Yuzhou persisted: [Then wear my pajamas tonight.]
Chi Zhongqiao glanced up at him, fully aware of his intentions. After a moment, he slowly typed: […It’s not out of the question…]
~~~~~~~~
**Regarding the Red Marriage Certificate:**
A few days later, on an auspicious date chosen by both families, the couple obtained their marriage certificate.
The red booklet, stamped and bearing their joint photo, was slid across the counter by the clerk. As Lu Yuzhou gazed at the two certificates, he felt an almost surreal sense of unreality.
This feeling persisted until they stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, when Lu Yuzhou suddenly stopped.
Chi Zhongqiao blinked in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“Qiao-ge, give me the certificates.” Lu Yuzhou said.
Chi Zhongqiao handed over the marriage certificate. After all, his organizational skills were no match for Lu Yuzhou’s. Lu Yuzhou managed most of the household affairs, big and small. For small but important items like the marriage certificate, Chi Zhongqiao’s best idea for safekeeping was to toss it into the bedside table drawer.
He assumed Lu Yuzhou would do the same—either put it in the drawer or tuck it under his pillow. That’s why, when he didn’t see the red booklets later, Chi Zhongqiao never thought to ask about them.
One day, Chi Zhongqiao finally remembered he was still a celebrity. He started a livestream on his phone and accidentally stumbled upon the marriage certificates Lu Yuzhou had hidden away.
Initially, Chi Zhongqiao had started the livestream to promote <The Cage>. The film was about to be released domestically, and the promotional trailers had already been released, generating significant buzz online.
But as he chatted with fans, the conversation veered off course.
“I want to see Qiaoqiao’s trophies! ORZ” (orz isn’t an acronym but an emoticon (ASCII art) representing a person bowing or kneeling in despair, defeat, frustration, or awe, with ‘o’ as the head, ‘r’ as the arms/body, and ‘z’ as the legs. It’s popular in East Asian internet culture and used to express being overwhelmed, admitting defeat, or showing grudging respect, like a digital dogeza bow. )
“I got lucky once and touched Qiao Bao’s Gardenia Award. The texture was amazing, hehehe.”
“Ahhh, I’m so jealous of the person who got to touch Qiaoqiao up close and even hold the trophy in Qiao Bao’s arms!”
“Me too! I really want to see the trophies!”
Chi Zhongqiao, feeling bored and unsure what to stream, decided to show his fans what they wanted. “All my trophies are in the study,” he said. “Yuzhou usually works there when he’s home. I don’t usually mess around in there—the study’s too cluttered. I’ve bumped into that bookshelf so many times.”
The apartment was spacious, over 200 square meters, with three bedrooms, a living room, and a study. The master bedroom, guest room, and walk-in closet were all generously sized, but the study felt much smaller. Lu Yuzhou’s extensive collection of books filled most of the space, leaving only room for a bookshelf and a desk. Cramming two tall men over 1.8 meters into the cramped room made it feel even more cramped.
Chi Zhongqiao gripped the study door handle and slowly pushed it open.
One entire wall of Lu Yuzhou’s study was lined with bookshelves. Originally, a low table extended from the side, but Chi Zhongqiao kept forgetting it was there, bumping into it a couple of times. One day, Lu Yuzhou had it removed.
“Let me show you something,” Chi Zhongqiao said, standing in front of a display case. “When this thing was first installed, I was too embarrassed to even come in here.”
He adjusted the camera so his livestream viewers could clearly see the various trophies displayed inside the case.
“A display case!!!”
“Hahaha, this is almost exactly like the honor display case at my school!”
“What’s so strange about it? These things are honors for actors, after all.”
“Wait, did you guys not hear what Qiaoqiao just said?”
“Key point: Our boss’s usual workspace is too cramped for Qiaoqiao, so he refuses to come here.”
“The boss’s private office doesn’t display his own honors, but instead showcases Qiaoqiao’s trophies… Ooh, sisters, this is dog food!”
“Hahahaha, did Qiaoqiao force the boss to install it?”
Chi Zhongqiao protested, “Don’t blame me! He put those there himself.”
He stepped forward and tapped the bulletproof glass of the display case with his long, slender fingers. “Listen, this case isn’t made of wood. It’s all bulletproof glass.”
The camera zoomed in on the display case, and the sound of Chi Zhongqiao’s knuckles tapping the glass echoed clearly through the livestream. But the attention of the tens of millions of viewers in the chat room had collectively wandered off:
“Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!”
“!!!!!!!!!!”
“Is that… is that what I think it is?”
“Damn, this is next-level! Now I finally understand why girls look down on us straight guys—we’re just not as creative as you guys.”
“I! Screen-grabbed1print screen that!”
Chi Zhongqiao, completely bewildered, moved his phone aside and peered into the display case. His face went blank. On the bottom shelf, lying flat, were two red booklets.
Chi Zhongqiao: “……”
~~~~~~~~~~
**About the Names:**
Chi Zhongqiao spent the entire summer busy promoting <The Cage>. Only when the Chinese parasol tree2also known as Wutong Tree leaves began to fall did he finally find time to take photos with Lu Yuzhou.
The photoshoot location was B City University, on a quiet avenue lined with Chinese parasol trees. The ground was covered in fallen leaves, crunching underfoot with each step.
The two men stood before the photographer, wearing identical suits in different colors.
The photographer, a handsome man with shoulder-length hair tied back in a small braid, studied them for a moment before saying, “Can you link arms? Walk forward together, with your backs to the camera.”
Chi Zhongqiao instinctively raised his arm. “Like this?”
Before Lu Yuzhou could respond, Chi Zhongqiao realized it wouldn’t work. “No, Yuzhou is a bit taller than me.”
He reached out to link arms with Lu Yuzhou, and the two took a few awkward steps. The photographer couldn’t take it anymore. “No, no, no! Be more natural! Don’t be so stiff! You’re lovers!”
Lu Yuzhou lowered his arm. “I’m sorry, Brother Qiao isn’t comfortable with this. Can we just walk forward and you shoot our backs?”
The photographer hesitated. “But that won’t look intimate enough.”
Chi Zhongqiao and Lu Yuzhou exchanged a glance. Lu Yuzhou’s gaze softened as he said, “I believe intimacy isn’t determined by physical poses.”
The photographer, recalling their earlier stiff posture, relented. “Alright.”
Chi Zhongqiao sighed in relief. He had also felt deeply uncomfortable with the previous pose. To be honest, after so long in the industry, he was used to being the one taking others’ arms.
The two resumed their usual casual stroll, Chi Zhongqiao idly kicking at the dry Chinese parasol tree leaves scattered on the road. Amidst the crunching sounds, Chi Zhongqiao suddenly grew curious and tilted his head to ask Lu Yuzhou, “Yu Zhou, do you know how my name was chosen?”
Lu Yuzhou shook his head.
Chi Zhongqiao continued kicking at the leaves. “Zhongqiao sounds elegant, but it’s actually not a good name. I wasn’t called this at first. When I was a child, I was constantly sick, and people said I wouldn’t live long. The elders believed that giving a child a humble name would help them survive, so they changed my name.”
The characters “重乔”(Zhòng qiáo) actually refer to the two tail feathers of a pheasant, traditionally used to stabilize arrows.
Standing behind him, Lu Yuzhou remarked, “Brother Qiao’s name doesn’t quite suit him.”
Chi Zhongqiao chuckled. “It suits me perfectly. Otherwise, how else would I have managed to pick such a high branch to fly to?”
He smiled at Lu Yuzhou, his eyes holding the lingering light of the sun.
How could my Qiao Gege be a bird clinging to a high branch for status?
Lu Yuzhou simply shook his head, his lips curving into a smile. I am a lone boat adrift in a sea of suffering, and you are the bridge that carries me to salvation.
Behind them, the photographer’s camera clicked repeatedly.
Later, after the photos were processed, they were printed and delivered to Lu Yuzhou.
His gaze immediately fell on one particular shot, which he plucked from the stack.
In the photo, Chi Zhongqiao stood slightly turned, speaking to him. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling his shoulder, its radiance mirroring the warmth in his eyes.
And beside him, Lu Yuzhou himself…
The cold sharpness of his features seemed to melt into the light and shadow, softening unexpectedly.
The photographer was even more excited than he was. “You like this one too, right? It’s my favorite from the whole set! You two look so perfect together!”
Having photographed countless couples, the photographer rarely encountered such a pair. There was no suffocating clinginess, no forced intimacy unless specifically requested. Yet the moment their eyes met, the carefully maintained distance vanished instantly.
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**Author’s Note:**
Forum experiences confirmed!
(Hands on hips)
Zaki~ English is not my first language, but I’ll try to get the translations as close as possible to the Author’s work. If you see any grammatical errors or mistakes in the translation, please feel free to drop them in the comments section so I can correct them immediately. Thank you and Happy Reading 🙂
