Chapter 84: I Do
Although he had already graduated from university, Jiang Rong would continue his studies at Qin University. He was now Professor Wen’s prized student.
Unlike Jiang Rong, He Siming did not stay at their alma mater. Instead, he took the entrance exam for the neighboring University B, where a professor whose research direction was closer to his own was teaching. He wanted to delve deeper into research. That professor was considered on par with Professor Wen, and back in the day, the two had even been known as “twin prodigies.”
If he hadn’t met Jiang Rong and hadn’t had a child, he might have chosen to go abroad for further study after graduation. But the international situation was different now. More and more talented people were returning from overseas, bringing back top-tier technologies. And Jiang Rong’s mind was full of even more cutting-edge ideas. He could take his time researching—there was no rush.
At present, the most pressing matter was the wedding that had been postponed for a year.
Last year, everything on the He family’s side—the venue and invitations—had already been prepared. Who would have thought that a death in the family would force them to cancel the wedding outright?
This year was a new beginning. He Siming wanted to hold a unique, unforgettable wedding. He didn’t want to go through the motions. Looking back at last year’s arrangements, everything felt far too simple, not worthy of his Jiang Rong.
So all the procedures and ceremonies were scrapped and redone from scratch.
He Siming asked Jiang Rong what kind of wedding ceremony he wanted. Jiang Rong shook his head and said he had no particular ideas. He was already very satisfied; if he were the one to decide, he would definitely simplify everything. He Siming wouldn’t allow him to treat their wedding so casually, so he began making all kinds of requests to the wedding planning company.
Although Jiang Rong didn’t have many demands about the wedding itself, he did make one small request of He Siming: he wanted to personally plan their honeymoon. He Siming agreed, and he was full of anticipation for it.
He had once told Jiang Rong that he had traveled to many countries with his parents, but every time it was an assistant who showed him around. It had been boring, and he had never described his trips or feelings in detail, because back then, all he felt was annoyance—the scenery held no appeal.
If Jiang Rong were the one arranging their itinerary, he would be happy even if they stayed in a village for a month, as long as he was together with Jiang Rong.
Wedding preparations were truly tedious. Jiang Rong couldn’t help much, but he still had to take photos and try on formal wear—more exhausting than Professor Wen making him write papers.
The days waiting for the wedding were tense and agonizing.
This time, they chose to hold the wedding on an island. It was a private island that He Zhixian and his wife had bought the year He Siming was born, and it was now under He Siming’s name. When the time came, all the guests would be flown by charter plane to a coastal city, then take boats to the island.
Jiang Rong and the He family of three arrived two days early to go through the procedures and get used to the island environment.
There was usually only one large villa on the island.
They had originally planned to take a helicopter, but considering that He Shenglin was still very young, they chose to go by yacht instead. The yacht had been given to Jiang Rong by He Zhixian as a wedding gift.
Yes—transferred directly into Jiang Rong’s name. However, Jiang Rong didn’t know how to manage it, so he let He Siming handle it for him.
After the family of three boarded the yacht, there were still forty minutes before reaching the island, giving them time to enjoy the seascape.
Still, they were worried that He Shenglin might catch a cold from the sea breeze, so they spent most of the time inside the cabin.
Less than ten minutes after sitting down, He Shenglin started to feel seasick. His little face turned pale, and he looked extremely uncomfortable.
He Siming tried to hold him, but the child wasn’t willing. He struggled and insisted on Jiang Rong holding him, saying pitifully, “Daddy, hold me.”
Actually, Jiang Rong himself seemed a little seasick too. He Shenglin had probably inherited his tendency for motion sickness.
Jiang Rong asked him, “Linlin, are you feeling very bad?”
He Shenglin buried his head in Jiang Rong’s arms. “Daddy’s arms are more comfortable.”
Jiang Rong had no choice but to hold him tightly. He would rather feel uncomfortable himself than let his child suffer.
He Siming could only wrap an arm around Jiang Rong, who was holding He Shenglin. “You two really are…”
Jiang Rong said muffledly, “He’s our own kid. Can’t be helped.”
He Shenglin buried his face in Jiang Rong’s chest, while Jiang Rong leaned his head against He Siming’s chest, turning slightly to breathe in the refreshing scent of his pheromones. That clean fragrance did help ease the discomfort in his stomach.
With that, neither of them paid any attention to the sea scenery.
He Siming asked the captain to speed up, and they arrived at the island ahead of schedule.
Once they disembarked and his feet touched solid ground, Jiang Rong finally felt better.
He Shenglin was now willing to let He Siming hold him as well.
He Siming asked him, “Why do you feel more comfortable when Daddy holds you?”
He Shenglin answered clearly, “Daddy smells nice. It can dilute my discomfort.” Perfect logic.
He Siming: “Smells nice?”
He Shenglin: “Mm.”
Jiang Rong and He Siming exchanged a glance. Hearing that made Jiang Rong’s heart skip.
Could it be that their son was unusually gifted and could smell his pheromones?
He Siming asked, “What kind of smell?”
He Shenglin said, “Lemon.”
Jiang Rong: “…” Turns out it was the scent of his body wash. A false alarm.
He Siming put a hat on him and casually asked, “Does Big Daddy not smell like lemons?”
To distinguish between the two fathers, He Siming now called himself “Big Daddy,” and He Shenglin followed suit.
He Shenglin sniffed his father’s clothes. “A little, but Daddy smells stronger.”
Jiang Rong’s face slowly turned red. “…” Could it be that what He Shenglin was smelling wasn’t the body wash at all, but He Siming’s pheromones?
That morning, He Siming had given him a temporary mark—his body was full of He Siming’s pheromone scent.
No—how could He Shenglin smell their pheromones?
He Siming was thinking the same thing. “Mm, got it.” Holding He Shenglin with one hand, he took Jiang Rong’s hand with the other and laughed softly. “Let’s get in the car first. We’ll talk about it later.” That last part was directed at Jiang Rong.
Jiang Rong nodded worriedly. “Mm.”
He was also concerned about the fact that He Shenglin might be able to smell pheromones.
He had no experience with this and didn’t really understand it.
Could he smell his parents’ pheromones when he was a child?
He didn’t remember his childhood clearly.
Even if He Shenglin could smell pheromones now, it didn’t necessarily mean sexual development—it might be something innate. After all, pheromones were needed in the womb, so perhaps being able to smell them was normal.
Jiang Rong temporarily put the matter aside. As long as the child was healthy, it wasn’t a big issue.
They would be staying in the villa for the next two nights.
He had thought there wouldn’t be many people around, but when they arrived at the villa, they saw the wedding planners running around busily.
Jiang Rong even spotted Yao Shule, Ding Yan, and Li Yizhou in the crowd.
He asked He Siming in surprise, “Why are they here?”
He Siming replied, “They’re on vacation with nothing to do, so I asked them to come early and help out. They were going to attend our wedding anyway.”
Jiang Rong knew they would come, but he hadn’t expected them to be so proactive in helping.
Though… it didn’t seem like they were helping much.
Yao Shule chased after a bunch of helium balloons drifting into the air, shouting as he ran, “Li Yizhou, the balloons are flying away! Grab the string, hurry!”
Li Yizhou yelled, “Ding Yan, grab the string!”
Ding Yan howled as he ran after them. “Why did they run off again—ahhh! I just tied them!”
The three of them chased the balloons frantically and finally managed to pull them back without incident.
Their chaotic scramble inevitably reminded Jiang Rong of the day the four of them had secretly planned a birthday surprise for He Siming—equally panicked and messy, yet somehow successful. For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether they were reliable or not.
He Shenglin was also stunned.
These three uncles usually spoke softly and gently when playing with him. Seeing them shrieking and yelling like this was truly eye-opening.
He Siming sighed. “Forget it. Let them just be guests so they don’t delay the schedule.”
Jiang Rong smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
It was only when they got closer that Yao Shule and the others noticed the two main characters of the wedding.
After not gathering together for some time, they immediately switched into chatterbox mode, talking nonstop—mostly to He Shenglin—until they eventually talked the little boy to sleep.
Getting married was practically a vacation as well.
In the afternoon, Jiang Rong took He Shenglin to rest. He Siming also told Yao Shule and the others to stop helping and go explore the island.
That evening, the chef arranged a seafood barbecue dinner. Five adults and one two-year-old sat on the open lawn, gazing at the starry sky above the sea and reminiscing.
Jiang Rong secretly drank a can of beer that He Siming had already opened. It was rare for everyone to gather like this, and the alcohol content was low—having a little wouldn’t hurt.
Ding Yan, still unable to change his straight-man style of conversation, said, “Old He, how exactly did you end up with Jiang Rong? He used to ignore us completely.”
Jiang Rong almost choked on his beer.
He Siming helped him out. “What do you mean he ignored you? It was your way of talking that made people uncomfortable.”
Yao Shule wanted nothing more than to kick Ding Yan. “Back then, everyone wasn’t familiar with each other. Isn’t it normal not to talk much?”
Li Yizhou chimed in, “Yeah, exactly.”
They chatted casually about this and that. As the night went on, Ding Yan grew a bit melancholic. He wasn’t interested in graduate school, and his elders wanted him to return to the company for an internship, starting from the bottom.
Yao Shule said, “That probably won’t be harder than being a professor’s workhorse—after all, you’d be a workhorse at your own family’s company.”
Ding Yan shook his head. “Our family situation is complicated.”
Yao Shule asked, “With your one-track mind, are you even suited for business?”
Ding Yan: “…” That hit hard.
With the sea breeze blowing at night, Jiang Rong listened to everyone chatting, a smile always on his lips.
He didn’t know if there would be another chance in the future to gather like this.
He had once thought he would be lonely for a long time. It was hard to imagine that after transmigrating, he had gained a lover, a child, and a group of friends.
You could see the stars by the sea—an exquisite night view you could never see in the city.
At this moment, He Shenglin sat in He Siming’s arms. Father and son tilted their heads up together as He Siming pointed out the stars in the sky.
He Siming said, “He Shenglin, does this look like a big bear?”
He Shenglin examined it carefully. “It does.”
He Siming said, “This is called the Big Dipper.”
Jiang Rong rested his chin on his hand, sometimes looking at the night sky, sometimes at He Siming teaching their son so earnestly.
No matter when, He Siming always treated him with seriousness and care.
He Siming noticed his gaze, reached out with his large hand, and pulled him into his arms.
“Let’s watch the stars together.”
“Mm.”
Yao Shule and the others whispered among themselves.
Ding Yan: “Do they think we don’t exist?”
Li Yizhou: “Seems like it.”
Yao Shule: “What else would you expect? They’re a family of three—what does it have to do with you?”
Ding Yan: “I think I could join them.”
Yao Shule: “Can you talk about the Big Dipper, or can you talk about kids?”
Ding Yan: “…” So hurt!
On the first night on the island, the family of three slept in one room. But on the second night, since tradition dictated that the couple couldn’t see each other on the eve of the wedding, Jiang Rong was forced to separate from He Siming.
He Shenglin, who always slept with Jiang Rong, suddenly chose to sleep with He Siming instead. Jiang Rong was stunned for quite a while—why wasn’t his son clinging to him anymore?
Aside from the He family of five and Yao Shule’s group who arrived early, the rest of the guests would all come to the island together by yacht the next morning.
Before bed, the host went over the next day’s schedule with them.
It seemed Jiang Rong hadn’t slept alone in a room for a long time.
The villa was covered with double-happiness characters, and the bed linens were newly laid. There was no scent of He Siming’s pheromones, and no milky fragrance from He Shenglin.
He suddenly felt very unaccustomed to it.
In fact, He Siming was just on the other side of a wall.
Being alone made his thoughts clearer.
With He Siming by his side, he rarely reflected on the three years they had been together.
The more Jiang Rong thought, the harder it was to fall asleep. He was used to having someone beside him, used to familiar scents.
Unknowingly, he had come to rely on another person—from initial fondness, to liking, to falling in love, and now, to deep love.
Now, his bond with He Siming had grown so deep.
His heart warmed. Holding his phone, he wanted to say something to He Siming. Unexpectedly, as if they shared a telepathic connection, he received a message from He Siming first.
He Siming: Are you asleep?
Jiang Rong: No, I can’t sleep. What are you doing?
He Siming: Thinking of you.
Jiang Rong: I’m thinking of you too.
He Siming: What are you thinking about me?
Jiang Rong sat up and typed: Counting the days I’ve been with you.
He Siming: From the day your heat started until now, it’s been a total of 950 days.
Jiang Rong: So it’s been that long.
He Siming: Come to the balcony. I want to talk to you.
Jiang Rong: But Uncle and Auntie won’t let us see each other. They say it’s unlucky.
Although he was an atheist, when it came to their future, Jiang Rong would occasionally follow the customs of this world. He wanted a good omen too.
He Siming: We won’t see each other. We’ll talk across the balcony.
Jiang Rong: Okay.
In the quiet of the night, separated by a wall, it felt like they were having a secret affair.
He Siming: “Jiang Rongrong, are you there?”
Jiang Rong: “I’m here.”
He Siming: “I’m a little nervous.”
Jiang Rong: “Me too.”
He Siming: “I want to kiss you.”
Jiang Rong: “I want to as well.”
He Siming: “In your world, are there any sayings about before marriage?”
Jiang Rong: “Not really. But before marriage, couples are allowed to meet.”
He Siming’s voice grew low. “I want to make love to you, on the balcony.”
Just hearing it made Jiang Rong’s ears burn. “He Siming, you…”
He Siming: “I’m teasing you.”
Jiang Rong felt that what he blurted out were actually his true thoughts.
He Siming: “Where do you want to take me for our honeymoon?”
Jiang Rong had kept his plans extremely well hidden. He Siming hadn’t noticed even the smallest detail. He even suspected Jiang Rong hadn’t booked any tickets yet.
Jiang Rong laughed softly. “It’s a secret for now.”
He Siming’s voice suddenly sank. “Jiang Rong, you won’t leave, will you?”
Jiang Rong knew he was still uneasy.
Although He Siming had armored himself well over the past two years, Jiang Rong knew he sometimes had nightmares and would search for him in the middle of the night.
One day, Jiang Rong had received a sudden call from the hospital about taking their child for vaccinations. He hadn’t had time to tell He Siming, and his phone ran out of battery. When He Siming came home that afternoon and didn’t see anyone, he went crazy looking everywhere. If Jiang Rong hadn’t returned to the car to charge his phone, He Siming might have called the police.
That day, Jiang Rong realized that He Siming had never truly let go of that fear.
Jiang Rong told him firmly, “I won’t. I won’t leave you.”
On the night before the wedding, Jiang Rong and He Siming chatted on the balcony for a long time before going back to sleep. In the morning, Jiang Rong almost couldn’t get up.
The makeup artist and stylist knocked on his door as soon as he woke up to start getting him ready.
He Shenglin unexpectedly didn’t come looking for Daddy that morning.
Outside, it was very lively. He Zhixian and his wife were helping to receive the guests. Jiang Rong didn’t need to do anything—he just had to wait until it was time for him to make his entrance.
They had invited six groomsmen: Tang Yucheng, Yao Shule, Ding Yan, Li Yizhou, and two of He Siming’s cousins—one of them was He Siyu.
After the makeup artist finished, Jiang Rong looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked a little different today. He rarely wore suits.
They hadn’t chosen pure white suits, but rather a beige color scheme.
The makeup artist was a man, and from the moment he saw Jiang Rong, he kept praising him.
“Today, you’ll definitely be the most handsome man of all,” the makeup artist said.
Jiang Rong smiled and shook his head. “I’m not. My partner is more handsome.”
The makeup artist smiled. “Then you must love him very much.”
Jiang Rong nodded, not sparing any expression of his love for He Siming. “Yes, I love him very much.”
The person in charge of the day’s schedule led Jiang Rong out of the dressing room and handed him a bouquet.
They brought him to the entrance of a flower corridor—an archway made of fresh flowers and vines.
“Mr. Jiang, from here on, you’ll need to proceed on your own.”
Holding the bouquet, Jiang Rong walked through the long flower corridor as sea breezes lifted the gauzy drapes.
It felt as if he were in a fairy tale—a fairy tale that belonged only to him.
He Siming had said he would give him an unforgettable wedding. Jiang Rong thought that just taking this first step was already unforgettable.
The corridor wasn’t just decorated with flowers. Hanging above were photographs of the two of them, from the very beginning until now. Counting from the day of his heat, there were many photos Jiang Rong didn’t even remember.
[Day 7 together: We climbed the Great Wall together. He changed his hairstyle—clean and refreshing—and it captured all of my attention.] This section showed a solo photo of Jiang Rong and a photo of the two of them together.
[Day 10 together: He brought me my first medicinal tonic tea. It made my nose bleed, and I ended up in the infirmary.] This was a selfie of He Siming—Jiang Rong hadn’t even known he’d secretly taken selfies. Just looking at it made him smile.
[Day 30 together: We had our baby’s first ultrasound image.]
[Day 45 together: Jiang Rong frowned while studying in the classroom. I had to continue tutoring him.]
…
[Day 275 together: Our child was born. My heart ached for him.]
[Day 905 together: We graduated together.]
[Day 950 together: We’re getting married.]
Jiang Rong walked up to a doorway made of blooming roses. He knew that He Siming was standing there, waiting for him. He gently pushed the door open.
The tall, handsome, mature man—rarely so nervous—reached out his hand to Jiang Rong.
“Mr. Jiang Rong from another world, are you willing to walk through the rest of your life with me?”
Jiang Rong placed his hand into that broad, powerful palm, met his focused gaze, and smiled as he nodded.
“I do.”
