After a Flash Marriage to a Rough-Hewn Deaf Man

[The main story is told from the bottom's perspective. Updates to the text are irregular. Thanks for supporting the official version!] * Marriage first, love later / skin tone and size differences / small town * Deaf, rugged top x disillusioned, aloof photographer bottom Lu Ting doesn't remember what his real name was. His parents changed it the year the accident happened. After his parents passed away, he stayed in his hometown, working as an internet cafe attendant, a carpenter, a cook... In the end, he found a job fixing cars at an auto repair shop, and lived a quiet, easygoing life. Lu Ting's only friend was a long, skinny mutt. The dog had no name. It went out for a walk during the day and came back at night to beg for food. Later, he learned the dog had five owners in town. He wasn't the only one. That winter was bitterly cold, and a heavy snow fell over town. Overnight, the world around Lu Ting turned entirely white. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Lu Ting turned around and met a pair of dark eyes. The young man behind him had delicate features, red lips and white teeth, and cheeks flushed from the cold. Lu Ting instinctively glanced at the snow outside, then looked back. The young man's lips were moving as he said something to him. Lu Ting was usually good at reading lips, but this time he couldn't make out a thing. He typed on his phone and held it out: "What did you say? I can't hear you." The young man froze, took the phone, and replied: "Hello. Would you marry me?" Lu Ting frowned, checked the message several times, then pointed to his ear. "It's okay," the young man replied. "I don't like talking anyway." Lu Ting and Bian Xue got their "marriage certificate" in the coldest part of winter. Their days were no different from before: feeding the dog, fixing cars... Except for the young man who sat outside the door watching the snow. He was as beautiful as the snow outside. Lu Ting had assumed their marriage was the result of a moment of madness, something they'd entered into casually and would eventually end. Until, one day, certain unfamiliar feelings began to slip beyond his control... "Stop..." Bian Xue's eyes glistened with tears. In the chaos, he mouthed the words while signing to Lu Ting. Lu Ting took his hand and covered his own eyes, silently saying: "Baby, I can't hear you." He knew Bian Xue could read his lips. --Reader's Guide-- 1. Both are virgins, happy ending, one-on-one, younger top 2. A story about two people saving each other, with imperfect characters 3. All place and character names are fictional. Please don't associate them with reality. 4. Everyday life, slow burn, bittersweet --------Next story: Don't You Dare Break Up with Your Childhood Friend-------- Jiang Youyu never imagined that after breaking up with his lover, they'd still have to remain friends. He and Duan Huaisheng had been childhood friends for twenty years and lovers for two. If he could do it over, he wouldn't agree to let Duan Huaisheng break through that barrier between them. They tacitly swallowed their shared secret. At family gatherings and dinners with friends, Duan Huaisheng continued to play the part of the taciturn but considerate childhood friend. He took Jiang Youyu's drinks for him, tasted his food, and even tied his shoelaces and warmed his hands, just like before. Their childhood friends joked around just as they had when they were young. "Hey, aren't you two a little too lovey-dovey at your age? Don't tell me you've been dating behind our backs." "Honestly, I suspect they really did date. It wouldn't have looked any different from this, anyway." A little drunk, Jiang Youyu just smiled. "Dating always ends in a breakup. Wouldn't it be better to be friends for life?" Duan Huaisheng's face was expressionless. After a long silence, he took the glass from Jiang Youyu's hand. "Ge, you're drunk. I'll take you home." The room remained noisy, but Jiang Youyu alone heard the difference in that form of address. Their misaligned relationship burned from the dinner table to the bed. Duan Huaisheng stroked the back of Jiang Youyu's neck and murmured, eyes lowered. "Being friends is better? Ge, then what are we doing right now?" * Duan Huaisheng pulled out Jiang Youyu's last wisdom tooth. Before he could say a word, he got a slurred breakup instead. It was the first time Duan Huaisheng had been distracted in front of a patient, and the first time he'd lost his composure in front of Jiang Youyu. With a ding, the tooth fell into the curved tray, impacted, stubborn, and difficult to extract. Just like his feelings for Jiang Youyu over all those years: twisted, warped, almost pathological. He was more than just an older brother, more than a childhood friend, and could never be merely a friend. If he could do it all over again, Duan Huaisheng would still break through that barrier between them. * It wasn't until later that Jiang Youyu discovered someone else's traces were hidden even in his own shadow. As for Duan Huaisheng, breaking up was just a chance to pursue him all over again. Theme: Face difficulties without fear and keep moving forward