Chapter 31 – The Final Chapter

When the first bud of the hawthorn tree bloomed in the courtyard, Fang Ranran, carrying her little bear backpack, moved into her future home.

Xiang Ning rushed to open the door when he heard the sound. He saw He Rong waiting in the courtyard for Fang Ranran to pick up something she had dropped. When he heard the commotion, the man looked up, took a few steps forward, frowned at his sweater, and asked, “Why aren’t you wearing a coat?”

“Just opening the door, I won’t catch a cold.” Xiang Ning was still wearing an apron, with a soup simmering in the kitchen. Fang Ranran, holding her little toy, hopped over, her two pigtails bouncing like two little rabbits.

“You take him to play,” He Rong said, taking off his apron and picking up the bulging little bear backpack. “What are you stewing in the kitchen? What else do you need to do?”

“He Rong.”

He Rong instinctively responded, then paused for a moment, suddenly turning around, his voice trembling slightly, “Ning Ning?”

“He Rong.” This time, He Rong saw clearly. His little mute was wearing a pure white fluffy sweater, his eyes curved with the brightest stars in the world, and he spoke clearly, word by word, from his throat:

“My He Rong.”

His voice was a bit hoarse, but to He Rong’s ears, it was like the siren’s song, beautiful and melodious.

“When did you…?” He walked over and wrapped his arms around Xiang Ning’s waist. Fang Ranran had already run upstairs with the kitten. Xiang Ning relaxed his body, tiptoed, and wrapped his arms around He Rong’s neck, smiling, “This morning.”

He still couldn’t speak for long periods; even a few words were a burden on his throat. The few words he had just spoken were the result of practicing all morning.

He Rong touched his Adam’s apple, feeling the vibration of his vocal cords as he spoke, and lowered his head to rest on the young man’s collarbone, chuckling softly.

Xiang Ning let him hold him, lifting his hand to stroke He Rong’s slightly rough hair.

He knew for sure that this person truly loved him.

When he walked out of the clinic for the last time, Xiang Ning felt his whole body relax. The big stone that had been lodged in his heart, rooted deep, finally exploded in a series of clearances.

Doctor Yin leaned against the glass door, crossing his arms and waving goodbye, smiling, “Come back and visit often.”

Perhaps because today was so joyful, He Rong’s eyes couldn’t help but carry a smile. He turned to Doctor Yin, squinting his eyes, and joked, “Who says that at the hospital entrance?”

Doctor Yin shrugged and spread his hands, “What can I do? I’m a doctor, after all.”

He Rong turned to look at Xiang Ning, then turned back to Doctor Yin, looking at him seriously and said, “Thank you.”

“It’s my duty,” Doctor Yin said, not adding anything more. He waved to the two of them, watching them get into the car and disappear from sight with a turn.

When the hawthorn flowers fell in a pink flurry, Xiang Ning arrived at Zhou Yi’s building.

Five minutes later, Zhou Yi came down in a black velvet suit, adjusting his brooch nervously as he got into the car. He asked Xiang Ning, “Do I look okay?”

“Pretty good,” Xiang Ning said, his eyes curved in a smile. Just as he was about to tell the driver to go, a figure in casual clothes rushed out of the building and knocked on the car window.

Ye Wu nodded at Xiang Ning, handed a box to Zhou Yi, and said, “You forgot your cufflinks.”

Zhou Yi coughed awkwardly, quickly took the box, and told the driver to go. He then avoided Xiang Ning’s teasing gaze, stiffening his neck and said, “What?”

“Nothing,” Xiang Ning said, deliberately not asking, and lowered his head to reply to He Rong’s message.

They arrived early, so there wasn’t much of a stir, and they quietly found their seats.

As people gradually entered, the lights on the stage came on. Xiang Ning felt a bit nervous, fidgeting with his phone. On the screen was a message He Rong had sent him two hours ago, saying he had boarded the plane and would talk later.

Rationally, Xiang Ning didn’t think he had a chance of winning, but it was his first time attending such a grand award ceremony. His palms were sweaty, and he had already drunk half a bottle of mineral water. Looking at the bright stage lights, he sighed softly.

His phone remained silent. Xiang Ning couldn’t help but worry, repeatedly opening the message screen in the flickering lights. Zhou Yi, who had been sitting beside him, leaned over nervously and said, “Xiang Ning, I’m a bit cold.”

Xiang Ning looked at his sweaty forehead and didn’t argue, going along with it, “Is the air conditioning set too low?”

Zhou Yi nodded in agreement, hunching his shoulders and sitting quietly in his seat. Xiang Ning glanced at the stage, and his phone vibrated twice. He fumbled to open it, and He Rong had simply sent two words:

[Here.]

Xiang Ning’s heart suddenly started beating wildly. The train in his chest roared past, and he heard his own rapid heartbeat.

Suddenly, a bright white light was projected onto him. Xiang Ning snapped back to reality, his hearing returning, and the waves of applause washed over him. Zhou Yi pulled him up and hugged him tightly, shouting in his ear, “Xiang Ning! You won! They’re calling you up!”

He almost didn’t know how he made it to the stage.

Taking the trophy from the presenter, he instinctively looked back at the big screen, then lowered his head, facing the gradually quieting crowd, and began to speak, his voice trembling:

“First, I want to thank everyone for their trust.”

He took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly focusing on a figure who had just taken a seat in the front row. His lips curved into a smile, and his voice steadied as he said:

“To be honest, I never thought I would win this award. When I first wrote this song, I couldn’t even speak.

“I can’t say much now. My voice left me when I was twelve, and after twelve years, it miraculously returned. And all of this is thanks to my husband.”

Ignoring the suppressed gasps from the audience, he lowered his eyelashes, his ears tinged with red, like droplets of blood about to fall: “Since we got married, he has always stood by me, supporting and encouraging me. Since he came into my life, my world has seen its first ray of sunlight, and every sun since has been given by him.”

“He is my lucky star.”

“…”

Xiang Ning met He Rong’s eyes in the audience. He thought he saw a glimmer of moisture in them. Just as he was about to finish his speech and step down, a small wave of gasps rippled through the audience, and his husband, backlit, walked up step by step, extending his arms to embrace him tightly.

The lights dimmed appropriately, and He Rong, with his back to the thousands of people, whispered in his ear, “You are.”

You are my lucky star.

Author’s Note:

That’s it. Thank you for your support. My writing isn’t great, and I tend to procrastinate (sorry!). Meeting you all has been wonderful!

Also, thank you to everyone who supported President He and Ning Ning! I’ll drop bonus chapters occasionally, including stories about Zhou Yi and Ye Wu. If you have any specific scenes you’d like to see, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll consider it!