The Daily Struggle of a Corporate Slave 53

Chapter 53: Side Story 1

After their trip to Switzerland, many things in Jing Ciying’s life took an unexpected turn.

He got married.

And Pei Songji was planning a wedding.

These were things he had never dared to dream of.

He had never imagined finding love, let alone with another man.

Their relationship couldn’t be public, and marriage was out of the question.

Although he felt a pang of regret sometimes, he wasn’t too bothered by it. As long as they loved each other, that was enough.

He hadn’t expected a real wedding, a public declaration of their love.

He still felt a sense of disbelief, as if he were dreaming, even though the wedding was just days away.

His unusual cheerfulness hadn’t gone unnoticed by his colleagues.

“Boss, did you land a big deal?” one of his employees asked. They were all former studio colleagues and could speak freely.

“No, why?” he asked, puzzled.

“Because you look like you found a winning lottery ticket.”

“Something good happened, Boss?”

“Did you win the lottery?”

He touched his face, wondering if he was that obvious.

He had been smiling a lot lately.

He looked down at the simple silver band on his ring finger, remembering the large diamond ring Pei Songji had proposed with.

He had never seen such a large diamond before.

It was beautiful, but too ostentatious.

He had put it away after they returned from Switzerland, but Pei Songji had noticed.

Pei Songji, despite his usual composure, had his own ways of expressing displeasure. That night, he had been unusually demanding, relentless in his affections, ignoring Jing Ciying’s pleas for mercy until he cried. Then, Pei Songji had stopped, kissing away his tears, his voice filled with concern. “Why aren’t you wearing our wedding ring? Do you regret marrying me? Are you ashamed of me?”

Jing Ciying had cried even harder, this time out of frustration.

“The diamond… it’s too big… too flashy… why didn’t you just ask…”

Pei Songji had been stunned, then apologetic, showering him with affection, promising to be more considerate, until Jing Ciying finally calmed down.

He had thought the matter was closed, but the next day, Pei Songji had taken him to a jeweler to have a simple silver band made.

“Better now?” he had whispered in his ear. “Wear it every day.”

He had taken Jing Ciying’s hand, their fingers intertwined.

“I’ll wear mine too.”

Seeing the possessiveness in his eyes, Jing Ciying remembered the rumors about Pei Songji during his time as his secretary.

Pei Songji was wealthy, handsome, successful. Most people in their circle married young, but he had remained single, his blind dates always ending in failure, fueling speculation.

Although no one dared to gossip in front of Jing Ciying, he had still heard the whispers: Pei Songji was cold, emotionally detached, obsessed with work, perhaps even… impotent.

He had entertained those rumors himself, never imagining that years later, he would be the one proving them wrong. Pei Songji was far from emotionally detached, and he certainly wasn’t… impotent.

Fate was truly unpredictable.

He didn’t try to hide his marriage from his colleagues; it would be impossible anyway, their names were on the invitations.

He had only invited his former studio colleagues, who were delighted, congratulating him and Pei Songji.

He accepted their blessings, his initial anxiety about the wedding gradually fading, replaced by a quiet anticipation.

Pei Songji had taken charge of all the wedding arrangements, leaving Jing Ciying with only one task: writing the invitations.

He had few close friends and family, so he wrote each invitation carefully, adding a personal touch, then signed his name beside Pei Songji’s at the bottom.

Looking at their names side by side on the red invitations, he still felt a sense of disbelief.

“We’re really getting married,” he said, turning to Pei Songji.

“Changing your mind?” Pei Songji asked, his voice playfully menacing.

“No,” Jing Ciying said quickly. “It just feels… surreal.”

“Surreal how?”

“It’s just…” he struggled to articulate his feelings. “I’ve experienced so much… misfortune in my life. It’s become… normal. But lately, everything has been… good. Too good. It feels like I’m floating, not quite real. And I’m afraid. Afraid it’s all just a… a bubble, waiting to burst. I’m afraid I don’t deserve this happiness.”

Pei Songji’s heart ached for him, understanding his insecurity after all he had been through.

He pulled Jing Ciying into a warm embrace. “Then you better get used to it,” he said softly.

“What?”

“Because this is your life now. I’ll make sure you’re always happy.”

“Okay.” In the past, he wouldn’t have believed such promises, but with Pei Songji, it was easy to believe.

He even dared to make a demand. “Pei Songji, you have to love me. Forever.”

Pei Songji chuckled, taking his hand and placing it over his heart. “Always.”

“Good.” He wasn’t sure what he was reassured by, but a sense of peace settled over him, the anxiety that had been plaguing him finally subsiding.

He focused on the wedding preparations: choosing gifts for the guests, sending out invitations, attending makeup trials, trying on his wedding suit.

The day before the wedding, Pei Songji flew everyone to his private island in the Bahamas.

The wedding would take place there.

Jing Ciying, although having visited many of Pei Songji’s properties, had never been here before.

As the plane descended, he could see the island’s heart shape.

There were three buildings on the island, one main and two smaller ones, and various amenities, like a miniature city.

His room had the best view, overlooking the ocean.

It was the perfect setting for a wedding: blue skies, white clouds, a gentle breeze, exchanging vows against a backdrop of endless ocean.

He hadn’t told Pei Songji about his dream wedding, yet somehow, Pei Songji had known.

Before he could dwell on it, his colleagues burst into his room, dragging him away for his bachelor party.

He wasn’t usually one for parties, but he didn’t mind celebrating with his friends.

He drank a bit too much, his loosened tongue revealing his usually hidden emotions.

“Boss, are you sure about this? Marriage?”

“Yeah, how can you be so sure about Pei Songji?”

“What’s there to be unsure about? He’s rich, handsome, successful. I’d marry him in a heartbeat,” another colleague said.

“No one asked you,” the others retorted in unison.

Jing Ciying chuckled, holding a bottle of wine, his chin resting on its rim, feeling slightly sleepy.

“I’ve never really thought about it,” he said slowly. “I just… I know if I’m going to spend my life with someone, it has to be him.”

He was surprised by his own words. When had his feelings for Pei Songji become so deep?

He couldn’t pinpoint the moment, so he let it go. They were together, and that was enough.

The alcohol helped him sleep soundly, without the usual pre-wedding jitters.

But it also made waking up the next morning a struggle.

He couldn’t understand why he had to get up so early for such simple makeup.

But after the makeup, the dressing, the photos… the time flew by, and he was ready just in time for the ceremony.

He opened the door to see a red carpet stretching across the island, leading to the beach, where their friends and family were gathered, the waves crashing gently against the shore, seagulls circling overhead.

Pei Songji, dressed in a white suit, stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for him.

As Jing Ciying appeared, Pei Songji walked towards him, and he walked towards Pei Songji, their steps mirroring each other, their paths converging.

Surrounded by their loved ones, they met in the middle, their hands joining, their lives intertwining.

And they would walk together, hand in hand, forever.