《First Marriage and then Love》 Chapter 1 - Total Despair Country H. A young man in a white wedding suit was sitting in an old church. He had delicate features and fair skin. He was leaning against the front church pew with his eyes closed and had a deep frown on his face. Long Ke Yi was sitting calmly, recalling the man who was called away yesterday by his second brother, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Xiao Yi, I need to go back to China for something. Wait for me to come back.¡± There was a touch of sarcasm on his lips. Didn¡¯t the man merely break his leg in a minor car accident? His powerful influence in City B was not for nothing. As soon as Ji Yan Tang left, someone informed him of the actual situation. He had promised to accompany him to church today to take the oath and get the marriage certificate. What was it again? He felt like a big joke. His mobile phone suddenly rang in the empty church. Long Ke Yi opened his eyes and looked at the phone. It showed the name ¡°Ji Yan Tang.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Long Ke Yi answered the phone with a lifeless voice. ¡°Xiao Yi, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t come today,¡± he said after more than a one-minute silence. ¡°Is that right?¡± This instantly crushed Long Ke Yi¡¯s slight hope. ¡°Mu Nan was in a car accident and only woke up now. I will return to country H tomorrow to be with you.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded dull and tired. ¡°No need.¡± Long Ke Yi said coldly and hung up the phone. Ji Yan Tang didn¡¯t expect Long Ke Yi to reject him. After also hanging up the phone, he called him several times but got no answer. He suddenly felt palpitations in his heart. He rubbed his tired eyebrows with his hands; he was probably exhausted. He called his assistant to book a ticket to country H for tomorrow morning and then returned to the ward. Long Ke Yi couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling at the moment. Maybe he was used to feeling pain in his heart. Wasn¡¯t it expected? What else could he look forward to? He suddenly covered his face with his hands. A few tears fell on the ground and slowly evaporated. Twenty-two years of entanglement finally ended on his 28th birthday. He first met the eight-year-old Ji Yan Tang when he was six and was immediately attracted to the cold and estranged boy. He unconsciously got closer to him, hoping he could make him smile that day and then go to elementary school, junior high school, and university together. He was 16 when he saw his second brother hugging and kissing a beautiful boy. At that time, he remembered Ji Yan Tang and realized he was in love with that indifferent boy. On his 18th birthday, he failed to confess to Ji Yan Tang. At 19, he knew Ji Yan Tang already had someone he liked, Mu Nan. He was 25 when Mu Nan had a business marriage. Ji Yan Tang was drunk at the bar, looking at him coldly; at 26, Mu Nan¡¯s wife gave birth to a daughter, and Ji Yan Tang became even more indifferent, but as long as Mu Nan had any difficulties, Ji Yan Tang would clean up his mess. At that moment, Long Ke Yi became discouraged and drifted away from Ji Yan Tang. At 27, Ji Yan Tang asked him to be his boyfriend. He was excited for three days! At 28, Ji Yan Tang asked him to marry him in country H. On his 28th birthday, he gave up all hope for Ji Yan Tang. For the last 22 years, Long Ke Yi¡¯s life has revolved around Ji Yan Tang. He skipped school for him; gave up his favorite design major and chose economics management instead; took away his eldest brother¡¯s heir position; endured fatigue and reluctantly managed the company just to stand shoulder to shoulder with him; took many culinary classes just to cook for that rare dinner with him at home. To cool off the relationship between him and the family, his eldest brother gave up the position of the family heir and left with his parents just to avoid him. Thinking of the past, his heart became numb from all the pain. After a long time, Long Ke Yi removed his hands from his face, rubbed his sore shoulders, picked up the phone, and looked at the three miscalls. He felt physically and mentally bitter and cold. With a sigh, he sent a text message to Ji Yan Tang, ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± He also sent a message to his second brother, Long Ke An. ¡°I hate you, but I still have to thank you right now!¡± He switched off the phone and put it in his trouser pockets, then stood up and slowly walked out of the church. He used to have a very good relationship with his second brother when he was young. At some point, they started to hate each other. When their parents named them, they chose ¡°Ease¡± as the last word of their names, hoping that they would grow up happily together. Now, this hope was also dashed, and perhaps their parents had been also utterly disappointed in the two gay sons. He hated Long Ke An. As Ji Yan Tang¡¯s best friend, Long Ke An had always been on Mu Nan¡¯s side. Long Ke An despised his love. He also hated Long Ke An for his close friendships with Ji Yan Tang, so they either quarreled or fought directly every time they met. That thank you should be correct. This time Long Ke An woke him up completely. He used the cruelest way to let him understand his place in Ji Yan Tang¡¯s heart, but this didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t hate Long Ke An. He was now completely indifferent toward Ji Yan Tang, and he blamed him for his hate. If he didn¡¯t love him, why did he always treat him ambiguously? Why did he go out with him if he didn¡¯t love him? Since he didn¡¯t love him, why did he agree to come to country H to marry him? If he had refused from the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t be in so much pain now, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about personal gains and losses. In fact, Ji Yan Tang was the most ruthless person. How much of a grudge could he hold against him! He first gave him hope and then stabbed him in the heart with a knife, letting him be entrapped in the bubble he had created for him. ¡°Heh.¡± Long Ke Yi smiled sadly. It was all over now, wasn¡¯t it? He walked to the garden fountain, threw the two rings in his hand into it, then looked at the erected Cupid statue in the pool and felt a deep irony. Screw love. Screw Ji Yan Tang. From now on, it had nothing to do with him. He wanted to indulge one last time, so Long Ke Yi went to the bar to get drunk. When leaving inebriated, as he was walking up the stairs, a drunk guy at the corner hit him, which caused him to roll back down. After Long Ke Yi¡¯s consciousness faded, a smile of relief appeared on his face. He didn¡¯t mind dying, but the method was too embarrassing. In another country, Ji Yan Tang also woke up from a nightmare, turned on the light, and went to the bathroom to wash away the cold sweat. As soon as he came out of the bathroom, he heard his mobile phone ringing. There was a touch of an oblivious, doting smile at the corner of his mouth. It was Xiao Yi, right? He knew his little tsundere could not really break up with him. He picked up the phone and saw ¡°Long Ke An¡± on display. He frowned and answered. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on so late?¡± ¡°Xiao Yi is dead.¡± Long Ke An¡¯s hoarse voice was trembling. ¡°What?¡± Ji Yan Tang asked incredulously. Long Ke An shouted with a crying voice through the phone, ¡°Xiao Yi is dead. He was drunk and fell from the stairs to his death. The police in country H just called my brother to inform him.¡± Ji Yan Tang¡¯s mind went blank. Long Ke An continued to wail, ¡°Xiao Yi is dead, Xiao Yi is dead, it¡¯s my fault. If I hadn¡¯t called you, he wouldn¡¯t die, and you, Ji Yan Tang ¡­ , he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s dead ¡­ ¡° The phone slipped from his ear, while Long Ke An¡¯s voice kept echoing in his head, ¡°He¡¯s dead, he¡¯s dead ¡­ ¡° Ji Yan Tang¡¯s heart was suddenly grabbed by pain. There was a touch of grief and remorse on his pale face. ¡°Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi ¡­ ¡° Long Ke Yi¡¯s delicate face kept appearing in his mind. The happy Long Ke Yi, the excited Long Ke Yi, the shy Long Ke Yi, the angry long Ke Yi, the lively Long Ke Yi, the arrogant Long Ke Yi, the Long Ke Yi who loved him. At this moment, he finally knew what he had lost. Chapter 2 - Rebirth ¡°Oh,¡± Long Ke Yi slowly opened his eyes and noticed the white ceiling. He stretched out his right hand and lightly rubbed his aching head. So he didn¡¯t die. Looking around, it was a hospital ward, and he was wearing a large hospital gown. Why did this ward look so familiar? He rubbed his sore neck again. Long Ke Yi suddenly saw a bunch of yellow chrysanthemums placed on the cabinet next to him. Only Luo Ze could send him exotic flowers in such a weird manner. But didn¡¯t they break off their friendship three years ago? Why would he still come to country H to see him? No, the friendly reminder notices on the wall were all in Chinese. And why was this scene so familiar? Long Ke Yi looked at his left hand. It was white and slender, without that shallow scar. He was startled. That¡¯s right, why did this ward look so much like the one he had stayed in when he had fallen down the stairs at the age of 19? It had the same furnishings, the same bunch of chrysanthemums, and the same notices on the wall. He had an unbelievable premonition in his heart. He pressed the red button above his head, and a minute later, a beautiful young nurse opened the door and walked in. ¡°You finally woke up. I¡¯ll call a doctor,¡± said the young nurse with a pleasant smile. When she was about to turn around, Long Ke Yi stopped her. ¡°Excuse me, what is the date today?¡± His voice was dull, as if he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time. The young nurse looked at him suspiciously and then remembered he had been in a coma for over ten days. ¡°Today is August 16.¡± ¡°August 16?¡± Long Ke Yi muttered, looking somewhat sluggish. ¡°Yes! Today is August 16; what¡¯s wrong?¡± the young nurse asked bewildered. Long Ke Yi shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Please call a doctor.¡± The nurse looked at his slightly confused appearance, smiled, turned around, and walked out, sighing in her heart that this young man was really beautiful! Although he still couldn¡¯t fully believe it, Long Ke Yi was now sure he had returned to nine years ago. On his 19th birthday that year, Ji Yan Tang had never come to visit him. He had run in anger to find him, only to realize Ji Yan Tang, who had always been cold-hearted, did have a heart. It¡¯s just that it was not beating for him. Mu Nan had been ill, so he had accompanied him to the hospital for most of the night and had forgotten about his birthday. He had learned about it that day from Long Ke An¡¯s mocking words. He ran angrily to the hospital. As soon as he got upstairs, he saw the two of them. He was upset and tried to punch Mu Nan but was blocked by Ji Yan Tang, who pushed him back a few steps. He fell down the stairs and was in a coma for over ten days. Later, when Ji Yan Tang came to see him, a few words of comfort were enough for him to continue to follow Ji Yan Tang. He even promised him not to embarrass Mu Nan anymore. In hindsight, Long Ke Yi thought it was funny. He really didn¡¯t know what had been on his mind back then. The man had probably comforted him, afraid that he would embarrass Mu Nan, who was his sweetheart. How could he have been so stupid to believe Ji Yan Tang actually cared about him? Long Ke Yi closed his eyes and leaned lightly against the headboard. It was great to be alive. Since he had returned to the past, it meant he had a new life. He would not live for Ji Yan Tang this time, and he would not be around Ji Yan Tang anymore. Now, he wanted to live for himself. As soon as the doctor finished the examination, his parents and eldest brother arrived. ¡°Son, you finally woke up. You made me worried.¡± Yu Lan Xin gave Long Ke Yi a loving and anxious look and touched his face with her hand. Seeing his mother¡¯s red eyes, he felt very bitter. How could he have been such a bastard before, letting down these people who truly loved him? They had gone abroad when he was 25, and until he died, he had never seen his parents and his eldest brother again. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Long Ke Yi took his mother¡¯s hand off his face and held it in his palms. Mother Long glared at her youngest son. He felt a little different today, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint where. Father Long also felt relieved to see his son was ok, and he put on a serious face. ¡°You really went overboard this time. You were jealous and came to the hospital. When will you make us less worried about you?¡± Long Ke Yi saw his father¡¯s stern face, but his caring eyes betrayed him. He felt warm in his heart. He remembered his father had also said the same thing before. He had been upset about Mu Nan¡¯s affairs, so he had snapped, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it! I didn¡¯t ask you to worry about it.¡± His father had been so angry at the time that he had slammed the door on his way out. How could he have been so ignorant back then? ¡°I know I was wrong, dad. I won¡¯t let you worry about me anymore,¡± Long Ke Yi said with a smile, looking at Long Guo Feng with serious eyes. Father Long looked at Long Ke Yi in astonishment. Did the sun rise in the west today? Would his careless youngest son be so obedient? No matter how doubtful he was, Father Long was quite satisfied by his young son¡¯s attitude. He couldn¡¯t bear to scold him any more, seeing him so pale and thin. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to know you¡¯re wrong. I have an important meeting in an hour. Take a good rest. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± The serious look on Long Guo Feng¡¯s face had also eased a lot. Long Ke Yi nodded obediently. ¡°Go ahead, dad; I¡¯m fine.¡± Long Guo Feng saw a touch of softness on the face of the son who suddenly had become well-behaved, so he let Mother Long stay with him and left the ward in a hurry. ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯ve been in a coma for so long. Are you hungry? When I heard you had woken up, I asked Mama Zhang to cook porridge and chicken soup and bring them to you.¡± Yu Lan Xin opened the thermos, passed the upper lean meat porridge to Long Ke Yi, and then took out a small bowl and poured out some chicken soup from the bottom of the pot. Long Ke Yi took the lean meat porridge and ate it lightly, with a warm heart. ¡°I have asked for a leave of absence from school for you. There is nothing major wrong with you, so you¡¯ll leave the hospital tomorrow and stay home for a few more days.¡± Long Ke Han¡¯s warm eyes showed love toward his brother. Long Ke Yi put down his bowl of chicken soup and looked up at his eldest brother, Long Ke Han. In his previous life, he felt the sorriest for his eldest brother. He had been appointed as heir, but he had snatched away the position from him. He never blamed him, and he even gave up the position of president to remove all the factors that had hindered his ascension. Later, his brother couldn¡¯t stand his quarrels with Long Ke An anymore, so he took his wife and parents and settled abroad. Although they had never met again, he had never forgotten to send him a gift for his birthday. In his 28 years, he had treated him the best, as well. His brother¡¯s face was not yet full of worry lines and helplessness. He had a gentle smile on his handsome face, and his gold-rimmed glasses gave him a more elegant and soft look. His brother was one of the ten best men. ¡°Brother, I miss you.¡± Long Ke Yi looked at his brother with eyes full of reliance. His parents had been always very busy, so his eldest brother had basically raised him. There was a glimmer of brilliance in Long Ke Han¡¯s deep eyes. How long has his precious brother not been close to him since he had met Ji Yan Tang? How long hasn¡¯t he shown such a dependent look? ¡°Xiao Yi is a good boy.¡± Long Ke Han smiled and touched his head. Long Ke Yi¡¯s face became ugly. How old was he, and his brother still treated him like a kid? But he had forgotten how long it had been since he had experienced this kind of warm scene. Fortunately, God gave him the opportunity to cherish it again. Yu Lan Xin watched the two brothers interact with a reassuring smile on her face. Xiao Yi hadn¡¯t been so cute for a long time. Suddenly, there was a fierce look in her eyes. That Ji Yan Tang was a scourge. Xiao Yi, who used to be so well-behaved and cute, had become more and more indecent. They no longer dared to oppose Xiao Yi¡¯s liking for men for fear that he would do something too drastic again. They already had a rebellious gay second son. She accepted that her youngest son also liked men, and she only hoped he wouldn¡¯t give up and hurt himself for the sake of Ji Yan Tang.