Chapter 17: Choosing Wedding Rings

Even until they entered the elevator, Zhu Zhixi hadn’t fully woken up.

Squatting in the elevator, he propped his head up with both hands, his body swaying slightly back and forth. A tuft of hair, rumpled from sleep, stuck up on top of his head. But he himself was completely unaware.

The doors opened. Fu Rangyi grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. Zhu Zhixi didn’t resist, even wishing he could turn into a long, soft strip of kelp and just be dragged along.

When he was dragged to the front of the jewelry store, Zhu Zhixi finally came to his senses, turning from kelp back into a human.

He remembered the phone call Fu Rangyi’s mother had taken at the dinner table, complaining that she hadn’t received any gifts for the holiday.

The great professor was quite filial after all, actually remembering to prepare a surprise for his mother for Christmas.

Thinking it was to pick a gift for his mother-in-law, Zhu Zhixi perked up a bit. After entering, he went straight to the women’s counter and naturally asked the salesperson about the latest high jewelry collection.

On the other side, a salesperson in a store manager’s uniform enthusiastically received Fu Rangyi. Her voice was loud and clear, attracting some of Zhu Zhixi’s attention.

“Because you only made an appointment last night, a few in-stock models haven’t been transferred over yet, but we have pictures. You can take a look first.”

“Zhu Zhixi.” Fu Rangyi turned his face and called his name from a distance. His tone sounded a little unhappy.

What’s wrong now, great professor?

Zhu Zhixi quickly put down the emerald set he was looking at and walked over to him.

“You want to buy a necklace?” Fu Rangyi asked.

Zhu Zhixi was also a little confused, “Huh? Me?”

You mean, buy it in my name and give it to your mom?

Smart, a quick tip for pleasing the mother-in-law.

“Sure,” he reacted, smiling at Fu Rangyi and even patting his own chest. “I’ll buy it.”

Fu Rangyi frowned.

What is he doing now? So strange.

“Who are you buying it for?”

“Our mom,” Zhu Zhixi said with a proud expression that seemed to say, “How about that? I’m quick on the uptake, right?”

Fu Rangyi stopped talking.

Just then, the store manager appeared and, with a smile, led the two to the VIP room to sit down.

“These are all the ring styles from our brand’s entire series. Basically, all the stock is here.”

Rings?

They were indeed rings. Two full jewelry trays of rings.

Fu Rangyi’s tone was as faint as ever, “Which pair do you like?”

Zhu Zhixi’s eyes widened as he looked at him.

After two seconds, he leaned close to Fu Rangyi’s ear and conspired in a super low voice.

“We’re here to pick wedding rings?”

“What else?”

“I thought it was for our…”

Zhu Zhixi didn’t continue, turning his head to smile at the store manager. The store manager also gave him a professional smile in return.

He was very confused, unable to even concentrate on choosing a style. He held it in and held it in, but finally sent Fu Rangyi a WeChat message.

[Bad Rabbit: Why so sudden?]

After sending it, he nudged Fu Rangyi with his shoulder and tapped his phone.

[Pretty Widower: While you were still sleeping soundly, my mom urged me to buy rings again, nagging me for not being attentive enough to you.]

You really aren’t.

Zhu Zhixi pouted, then thought of something and typed with a grin.

[Bad Rabbit: Then you’re going to have to spend a lot today, hubby. I want to buy the most expensive one.]

[Pretty Widower: Whatever. It’s not my money anyway.]

The two sat on the sofa, each holding a phone and chatting happily, neither talking to the other. The scene was truly a bit strange.

For the sake of sales, the store manager had to interrupt them awkwardly, “Um, shall we start looking at the styles now? Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

Zhu Zhixi squinted his eyes and began to look at the styles carefully.

His mother had loved collecting jewelry when she was alive. He had been exposed to it from a young age and later inherited most of her collection.

Compared to a certain someone who was immersed in academia, he knew much more about these things. With just a few casual glances, he knew that the ones brought out were all from this brand’s high jewelry series.

He had a gut feeling that none of these seemed to be in Fu Rangyi’s preferred style.

If the great professor were to choose for himself, it would probably be the more low-key, the better, just as long as it could barely be seen as a wedding ring. These designer styles were likely a strict requirement from the Fu family elders—they had to be luxurious, conspicuous, and not lose face.

Zhu Zhixi was very clear-headed. This was an act, not a real marriage. His own preferences were not important.

The nosebleed from earlier had reminded him that to get more physical contact, he had to increase Fu Rangyi’s favorability towards him.

So, from a large pile of fancy styles, he painstakingly selected a few simple rings that looked like something Fu Rangyi would like.

“These few, could we please try them on?”

“Are you sure?” Fu Rangyi was a little surprised.

Zhu Zhixi turned his head, trying to read his expression, but failed.

“Are they not good-looking?”

Fu Rangyi was noncommittal, “Let’s try them first.”

The store manager glanced at Zhu Zhixi and roughly estimated his ring size.

“Your hands are so slender, you can wear many women’s and unisex styles. Could you try these few on for size?”

“Okay.”

He casually picked a platinum diamond ring and put it on his ring finger. He already had many rings stacked on his hand, and this one blended in, not standing out.

Back and forth, he tried and tried. They were all about the same.

The managers of major brands were all experts. She could see at a glance that he wasn’t particularly fond of them and said with a smile, “If Mr. Zhu doesn’t quite like these, we have a few more models. I’ll have someone bring them out for you to take your time choosing.”

“No, no need,” Zhu Zhixi quickly stopped her. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Who would have thought that Fu Rangyi, who had been silent for a long time, would speak up.

“There’s no need. Take your time.”

Since he had said that, the store manager quickly brought out a few more models, laying them out one by one and helping him try them on.

Zhu Zhixi yawned.

Why not just let Fu Rangyi decide?

He would wear whatever he chose. It was just a symbol of being married, anyway.

So he tugged on Fu Rangyi’s sleeve and gave him a look.

He was originally worried that he wouldn’t understand, but who would have thought that Fu Rangyi would actually look at the counter, scan it, and reach out his hand.

Great, the fake husband has been trained.

But the next second he realized, he hadn’t been trained correctly.

Fu Rangyi actually bypassed the simple styles that had been picked out and picked up an Art Deco style platinum ring set with a ruby.

The store manager’s voice rose several degrees.

“Mr. Fu has great taste. The main stone of this one is a 2.8-carat unheated pigeon’s blood ruby, square-cut, surrounded by a large number of fancy-shaped and square diamonds to create mechanical geometric lines. It’s very clean and sharp…”

Zhu Zhixi couldn’t hear any of these introductions.

He was very surprised. Because this was the ring he had fallen for at first sight. Modern, bold, anti-classical, it reminded him of a decorative arts exhibition he had once seen.

But this was also the option he had passed on at the beginning. It was too out of character with Fu Rangyi’s cold and restrained style.

This answer was too unexpected.

“Mr. Fu, why don’t you put it on for Mr. Zhu to try,” the store manager said with a beaming smile, presenting the ring to Fu Rangyi.

Zhu Zhixi finally came back to his senses, “Ah? It’s fine, I can do it myself.”

Before he could refuse, Fu Rangyi had already taken the ring.

His expression showed neither willingness nor unwillingness. In short, he calmly pulled Zhu Zhixi’s left hand, but only by the wrist.

The ring was slowly pushed onto his ring finger.

From the ring to his fingertip, and then to his lowered eyelashes, his gaze unconsciously shifted.

Was it because people had given this action too many sweet, happy, and fulfilling symbolic meanings? At this moment, Zhu Zhixi’s heart did indeed beat faster.

Until those hands left his feverish fingers.

“It’s so beautiful!” The store manager was clearly the most excited among them. “Mr. Zhu’s hands are very long and slender, and his skin is fair. It’s really too suitable for wearing rubies!”

The ring was heavy on his ring finger. Zhu Zhixi’s mood was a bit subtle. He rarely had such an indescribable moment, always feeling that something was missing.

“Will it be too eye-catching?”

After asking this, he suddenly thought of it. It was Fu Rangyi, as the husband, who didn’t even give a polite compliment in front of the staff.

So beautiful. It suits you well. Not bad.

It really was a fake marriage. He couldn’t even act.

And at this moment, the incompetent actor didn’t respond to his inquiry at all. He still had his eyes lowered, observing the ring.

Is it because it’s his first time trying on wedding rings, and he finds it novel?

Zhu Zhixi didn’t know. He only had eyes for Fu Rangyi’s long, thick eyelashes. From this angle, they almost covered his eyes.

At this moment, he remembered the Morpho rhetenor butterfly he had encountered in the Amazon rainforest. Under the dazzling sunlight, it had landed lightly on his finger, its dark wings flapping very slowly.

“We’ll take this one.”

Fu Rangyi gently turned the ring, pulled it out a little, and then pushed it back to the base of the finger. After trying, he said in a low voice, “The size is just right too.”

“Okay, then yours…”

He seemed to have already made up his mind, pointing casually, “That one.”

Zhu Zhixi looked over. It was a platinum plain male ring, set with a round ruby. A row of small diamonds was set along the central axis of the band. The color of the main stone was very consistent with his, a bright pigeon’s blood red. It was just that this one was small and exquisite, adorning the center of the ring, indeed like a small drop of blood.

He was a little surprised. He didn’t expect Fu Rangyi to also choose a colored gemstone, let alone such a bright pigeon’s blood red. But it was indeed a simple style. His estimation was not wrong on this point.

The store manager whispered a reminder, “These two are not a pair of rings.”

“It’s fine,” Zhu Zhixi said quickly.

We’re not a pair anyway.

After a while, he heard the long-silent Fu Rangyi ask in a low voice, “Aren’t you going to put it on for me?”

“Oh, right.”

Is it because I didn’t act well? Zhu Zhixi’s heart became a little more flustered, beating up and down non-stop.

His palm was slightly sweaty. He rubbed his fingertips, picked up the ring with the small red dot, unconsciously took a deep breath, took his fake partner’s hand, and lowered his head to put it on for him.

His movements were so careful that he himself found it a bit amusing.

“It’s a perfect fit.”

Not only the size, but the width too. It just happened to cover the faint scar on his ring finger, making his hand look even more slender than before, and there was a subtle feeling.

Zhu Zhixi couldn’t describe it.

“Your hands are so beautiful,” the store manager beamed. “You could be hand models, no problem. May I take a picture? They are so well-matched.”

He didn’t have a problem with it.

But a stingy person like Fu Rangyi would definitely refuse.

Who knew the stingy person said faintly, “As you wish.”

Did this person have a change of heart today?

Under the store manager’s direction, they placed their two hands together, but they didn’t hold them. They just left a slightly distant group photo like this.

When checking out, the store manager asked, “Do you need engraving?”

Zhu Zhixi quickly refused, “No need, this is fine as it is.”

“Are you sure?” Fu Rangyi asked this question with a tone that seemed to carry a bit of anger.

For some reason, Zhu Zhixi felt that he was strange today. After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and typed.

[Bad Rabbit: Unless you let me pay for this ring myself.]

[Pretty Widower: What does it have to do with who pays? My parents would never let you pay. Are you trying to get me blamed?]

[Bad Rabbit: No. If you don’t let me pay, then I’ll have to return this ring to you after the divorce. If my name is really engraved on it, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for you to look at when you get it back? And it would be awkward to give it to someone else.]

[Pretty Widower: You think I would give away a second-hand ring?]

…That’s true.

[Bad Rabbit: Are you really giving it to me?]

Before he got a reply, he heard Fu Rangyi say to the store manager, “Let’s engrave it after all.”

“Okay, no problem. May I ask if you want to engrave both of your names?”

Fu Rangyi paused for a few seconds, thought about it, and replied, “Engrave a countdown.”

Zhu Zhixi was stunned.

And Fu Rangyi had already asked the store manager for a pen and paper, leaned over, and wrote down a string of numbers.

His memory immediately flashed back to a certain night not long ago. Sitting at the dining table, after confessing the existence of the countdown, he was interrogated by Fu Rangyi like a prisoner, with a series of questions.

“You said you only discovered that the countdown could be paused after you met me. Does that mean the first pause happened during our blind date?”

“That’s right.”

Fu Rangyi pursued with a scrutinizing gaze, “What time did it stop at, do you remember?”

The first pause.

For Zhu Zhixi, that moment was simply unforgettable for life.

“Of course,” he blurted out, almost faster than if he had made it up. “56 days, 20 hours, 5 minutes, 20 seconds.”

And at this very moment, he watched as Fu Rangyi wrote down a line of characters.

[56d:20h:5m:20s]

Why?

“Please engrave both, thank you.”

Zhu Zhixi was completely confused by him.

The phone vibrated again.

[Pretty Widower: Yeah, can’t be helped. I’m just so in love.]

He coughed violently after reading it.

So petty!

On the other side, the store manager took Fu Rangyi out to check out.

She said with a beaming smile, “Your mother is our VIC. She has already informed us. You two can choose whatever you like, and she will pay for it.”

“No need,” Fu Rangyi opened his wallet, took out a card, and handed it to her. “I’ll pay myself.”

The store manager was clearly a little surprised, but she still accepted the card with both hands, “Okay, please wait a moment.”

The checkout was quick. When returning the card, she explained the customization and home delivery process in detail.

“Thank you for your patronage. I have to say, you have great taste. Most clients are very conservative when choosing wedding rings and wouldn’t choose such a bold design.”

Fu Rangyi was quiet for a moment.

“I don’t know much about jewelry. That one looks very beautiful on him.”

So he saw it at first glance.

The store manager smiled, “Indeed, Mr. Zhu is so suitable for brightly colored gemstones.”

Fu Rangyi thought of something and suddenly asked, “What is the ring size for his one?”

The store manager immediately understood, checked with a smile, and informed him, “Size 15.”

Fu Rangyi nodded.

“Ruby is the stone of love and has extraordinary significance. I wish you and Mr. Zhu a happy wedding and a long-lasting happiness.”

He hadn’t thought that much. The symbolic meanings of stones were all consumerist flags artificially endowed. He didn’t care. He just felt that that touch of red was very suitable for a certain someone.

Not far away, Zhu Zhixi was chatting with an Omega staff member, smiling, his voice clear and striking.

“Thank you,” he hooked the corner of his lips, his tone gentle. “By the way, send me a copy of the photo just now, too.”

Just after leaving the jewelry store, Zhu Zhixi suddenly felt hungry again.

“That staff member said there’s a soufflé pop-up shop in the mall’s atrium. Today they have apple candy soufflé, a Christmas Eve exclusive!”

Fu Rangyi rarely refused and followed him.

On Christmas Eve, the mall was packed. The smell of pheromones was naturally chaotic. The more rational course of action was to go straight home, but he said nothing. He was still haunted by past events and somewhat avoided mentioning the susceptible period with Zhu Zhixi.

And the Bad Rabbit was still nagging about the engraving, “Why engrave that? You clearly don’t believe me. Don’t you think this countdown doesn’t exist at all?”

“I didn’t say that, did I?” Fu Rangyi said casually. “I just think you have some mental problems.”

“That’s even worse, isn’t it? So you engraved it to deliberately humiliate me? What I said is all true!”

As if annoyed by the noise, Fu Rangyi narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

“You just wait. I’m going to complain to your parents.”

“Go ahead. See who will believe you’re a dying man.”

Zhu Zhixi was a little desperate.

Indeed, he was so full of energy. Forget about dying, no one would even believe he had a cold.

He raised his hand, glanced at the countdown on his palm, and sighed.

Seriously.

“So many people, what are you doing with your hand stretched out? Begging?”

“Fu Rangyi, were you born with a razor blade in your mouth?”

Just as he finished retorting, his wrist was suddenly grabbed and pulled down. Just like that, his whole person was pulled along. But it was only for a few steps. When they reached the entrance of the mall’s atrium, in front of the revolving door, Fu Rangyi’s hand let go.

In that second, Zhu Zhixi realized that although this person was verbally harsh, had low tolerance, was picky, and had double standards, he was indeed upright and had clear boundaries.

Whether it was putting on the ring or pulling him out the door, he had never held his hand.

Some unclear emotions surfaced, only to be pushed down by Zhu Zhixi again.

He followed Fu Rangyi into the revolving door but was a step too slow and didn’t end up in the same compartment. They were like two pastries placed on a rotating shelf, spinning around once, and finally escaping the gorgeous afternoon tea glass cover.

When he came out, he realized that it was already late. He looked up. The enclosing high-rise buildings circled a small patch of warm orange twilight. On the skyline, wisps of pink and purple clouds spread out and dissolved in the deep blue sky.

“Where is the gingerbread house…”

He looked around and quickly locked onto his target. It was right in the center of the atrium garden—in front of the giant Christmas tree, a temporary pop-up shop.

The atrium hadn’t been lit up yet, and the Christmas tree was dark, but there were already many people lining up to take pictures.

“Found it!” The moment he turned back, Zhu Zhixi was a little dazed.

In the crowd, Fu Rangyi’s noble face was indeed too eye-catching, so handsome it was as if the twilight had individually drizzled a layer of syrup on him.

As long as he didn’t open his mouth.

“That ugly house?” Fu Rangyi narrowed his eyes. “So many people? Lining up for relief supplies?”

When he didn’t speak, he was so beautiful he didn’t seem human. When he spoke, he was even less human.

Suitable for being made into a specimen.

“Let’s go,” he grabbed Fu Rangyi’s wrist and squeezed into the crowded crowd.

As a Beta, it was no problem to love crowds, but for an Alpha—especially a SA on the verge of his susceptible period—the pheromones here were mixed, making it a high-risk area. Crowded malls were usually equipped with regulating devices, and the central air conditioning would also release soothing fragrances, but the open-air atrium lacked these.

The proximity was too close. Fu Rangyi was hit in the face by various pheromones, giving him a headache. He planned to directly turn his bracelet to the highest setting.

The further in they went, the more people there were, shoulder to shoulder. He reached for his wrist to long-press the button, but the next second, a mother holding a child accidentally fell.

He and Zhu Zhixi both reached out to help at the same time. Thus, the long press became a short press, the bracelet came loose, and fell to the ground with a clatter.

In the noisy environment, Zhu Zhixi keenly noticed the sound.

“Your bracelet fell!”

He quickly looked down. Before him was a dense crowd of shuffling feet, with the silver ring rolling among them.

Without a second thought, Zhu Zhixi immediately ran to pick it up.

“Hey,” his movements were too fast. Fu Rangyi tried to grab him but couldn’t and had to follow after helping the mother and child up.

Under the giant Christmas tree, the crowd surged to the center like waves.

Having passively taken off his bracelet, he had lost his barrier. In an instant, a chaotic tide of pheromones rushed at him. The impact was huge, making him feel physically nauseous.

Zhu Zhixi was so preoccupied with the bracelet that he didn’t notice many people around him turning to look, and even stopping in their tracks.

The oppressive feeling of a top-tier pheromone was very difficult to overcome physiologically. The vast majority of people here couldn’t do it.

Fu Rangyi tried his best to restrain himself. Compared to ordinary Alphas, his ability to suppress his own pheromones was much better, but with his susceptible period approaching, his control was greatly weakened.

He reached into his pocket, wanting to find a temporary suppression pill, but it was empty. Only then did he remember that he had changed his jacket in the afternoon. He could only go back to the car to get the inhibitor.

When he looked up again, he was stunned.

“Zhu Zhixi?”

He was gone.

Heads bobbed, faces flashed by, shoulders bumped into him, but the person who was beside him was nowhere to be seen.

Fu Rangyi frowned, calling Zhu Zhixi’s name while squeezing into the center of the crowd. The further in he went, the more his head hurt, and the more difficult it became to move.

Suddenly, his heart jumped violently. A familiar feeling took control of his body.

The animal instinct he detested most was rampaging inside him. Everything was sliding towards the edge of losing control.

This was a full two days earlier than expected. Very abnormal.

Soon, Fu Rangyi’s pores trembled.

A strong smell of Omega pheromones rushed over, so much that it was almost overwhelming—it was a smell he was familiar with and extremely resistant to.

Some very unpleasant memory fragments flashed by. Reckless approaches, overly persistent pursuit, and emails as overwhelming as the pheromones.

“Professor Fu? Why are you here?”

__

Author’s Note:

 Tip 1: If you look at the wedding ring selection scene from Professor Xiao Fu’s perspective, it will have another flavor—a not-so-attentive wife, and himself, who is gradually breaking down but still seriously choosing a wedding ring without knowing why he’s being so serious. (Xiao Fu: Maybe it’s because he wanted to comfort me last night, and I was a little happy.)

 Tip 2: Xiao Zhu’s physical contact is of two types: from the heart and for survival. It’s very simple to distinguish between the two. After the contact from his perspective, did the countdown appear? If not, it was a subconscious touch.

 ——A Small Theater That Isn’t Really a Small Theater——
On the day the wedding rings were delivered, Fu Rangyi took off his own, held it next to the sleeping Xiao Xi’s face, and took a picture. The sparkling gemstone was as brightly red as the mole on his eyelid. (This is why he bought a small round cut for himself, not because it was simple or he didn’t like large carat gemstones, but simply because it was similar.)