You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

Chapter 347 The Wedding Owes Shen Yuege

Lu Ran was taken aback by Tan Yu's sudden words.

He guessed at many possibilities—Tan Yu wanted the next script, wanted to discuss a new film collaboration, or wanted him to help connect him with a certain resource.

But he never expected that this was what Tan Yu was going to say.

"Are you serious?" Lu Ran asked.

"I'm serious." Tan Yu nodded, his eyes devoid of any joking tone. "Brother Lu, I used to be a spoiled brat. Although my family was well-off, I was nothing. I relied on my family to pay for my acting roles, and I relied entirely on auto-tuning for my singing. Wherever I went, I relied on my status as the 'Crown Prince of Xingyao' to maintain my image. I know in my heart that I am not good enough for Xu Manxue."

He spoke calmly, but Lu Ran could tell that he had been holding these words in for a long time.

"Xu Manxue is different. She's a good actress and a good singer, and she's already a pillar of Xingyue Studio. Even without working with President Shen, she could still be a second-tier star or higher. The one step she fell short of wasn't a lack of ability, but rather that the opportunity hadn't come yet. But she's never in a hurry or complains; she just steadily does her job. I, who was like that before, really wasn't good enough for her."

Tan Yu paused, picked up his water glass, and took another sip.

"But in the past six months or so, I feel like I've changed. It's not that my family has become richer, it's that I've really been moving forward. From preparation to filming to post-production, I oversaw every step of 'The Starry Night,' and I made sure every shot was perfect. I wouldn't dare say how good the show is, but at least I did my best, and I did everything I could."

He looked at Lu Ran with an unusual firmness in his eyes: "Brother Lu, I feel now that I'm worthy of her. Not because I've become famous, but because I've become a capable person. I want to use this to propose to her."

Lu Ran leaned back on the sofa, looking at Tan Yu, without speaking immediately.

The living room was quiet for a few seconds, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Shen Yuege sat to the side, glanced at Tan Yu, then at Lu Ran, but said nothing.

After a while, Lu Ran spoke up: "What do you want me to help you with?"

Tan Yu said, "I would like to ask Brother Lu to be our witness at our wedding."

"The officiant?"

"Yes. You are a senior in our industry, Yuege's husband, and the person I respect most. I think you are the most suitable person to be our witness."

Lu Ran thought for a moment: "As the officiant, I have to say something. What should I say?"

"Say anything. Just give me a compliment."

"What are you praising? That you used to be a spoiled brat?"

Tan Yu was taken aback: "Brother Lu, don't expose my weaknesses at a time like this."

Lu Ran laughed: "Alright, I agree to be the officiant. But while you're proposing, don't make it too big of a show. I've met Xu Manxue a few times, and she's not the type to like being in the limelight. If you put on some kind of drone show or a massive sing-along in public, she might actually be unhappy."

Tan Yu nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know. I've made up my mind, it'll be at Xingyue Studio. That place is where her career started, it has special significance for her. I'll invite a few friends over, it'll be simple, no fancy stuff."

"Have you bought the ring yet?"

"I bought it." Tan Yu took a small box out of his coat pocket, opened it, and inside was a diamond ring. The diamond wasn't large, but the cut was exquisite, refracting delicate sparkles under the light.

"Xu Manxue doesn't like things that are too extravagant," Tan Yu said. "So I chose a smaller one, but with the best craftsmanship. I also had someone design this particular one; there's only one like it in the whole world."

Lu Ran glanced at the ring and nodded: "That's thoughtful."

"What about the time for the proposal? Has it been set?" Shen Yuege asked from the side.

Tan Yu said, "I'd like to schedule it for this Sunday. That day, 'The Starry Night' will be airing its tenth episode, and there will be a small climax in the plot. I checked the calendar, and I don't have any other work scheduled for that day. Besides, everyone is free on Sundays, so it won't interfere with work."

Lu Ran picked up her phone and checked the calendar: "Sunday, five days left. Is that enough time?"

"That's enough. I've already spoken to the studio about the venue, and they said they can let me use it for an afternoon on Sunday. As for the flowers, balloons, and decorations, I've hired a wedding planning company to handle all of that; it can be done in a day. We don't need many guests, just a few close friends."

"Did you tell Xu Manxue?" Shen Yuege asked.

"I didn't say anything." Tan Yu scratched his head. "If I had told her about the proposal, it wouldn't be a proposal anymore. I told her there was an event at the studio on Sunday and asked her to come. She didn't ask any questions and agreed."

Looking at Tan Yu, Lu Ran suddenly realized that this kid had really grown up.

Tan Yu used to be loud and boisterous in everything he did, wanting the whole world to know.

When he was pursuing Xu Manxue, he practically wanted to have the words "I like Xu Manxue" written all over his face.

But it's different now.

He knows how to do things properly and how to be considerate of other people's feelings.

He chose a place Xu Manxue had feelings for as the location for the proposal, and selected a low-key yet tasteful ring. He only invited his closest friends as guests.

Every detail is done with the other person's needs in mind, rather than for one's own sake.

This is what it truly looks like to like someone.

"Okay," Lu Ran said. "I'll be the officiant. But you have to write me some words, I'm afraid I won't know what to say on the platform."

Tan Yu took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it over: "Brother Lu, I've already written it. Take a look and see if there's anything you need to change."

Lu Ran took the paper and unfolded it.

The above is a handwritten note by Tan Yu. The handwriting is not beautiful but it is neat, and you can tell that he wrote it carefully.

"Dear friends and family, it is my honor to stand here today to witness the happy moment of Tan Yu and Xu Manxue. Tan Yu is a friend I've known for a long time. What kind of person is he? He's a bit clumsy, prone to impulsive actions, and sometimes speaks without thinking. But he has one virtue: he's very sincere. He's sincere to his friends, sincere to his work, and sincere to his love. Xu Manxue, Tan Yu may not be the most outstanding person you've ever met, but he's definitely the one most willing to work hard for you. I hope that in your future days, like the ending theme song of 'The Starry Night,' you'll always be able to look at each other and support each other no matter what difficulties you encounter. I wish you happiness."

After reading it, Lu Ran remained silent for a few seconds.

"How is it?" Tan Yu looked at him nervously.

"Well written." Lu Ran folded the paper and put it in his pocket. "There's just one thing that needs to be changed."

"where?"

"You said that when I praised you, I said you were 'a bit clumsy, prone to impulsive actions, and sometimes speak without thinking.' These were your honest opinions, but not the way you would praise someone. What you wrote was a wedding speech, not a self-criticism."

Tan Yu was taken aback for a moment: "Then how should it be changed?"

"Just change one word, change 'stupid' to 'cute'."

Tan Yu looked puzzled: "Cute? Am I a guy? Is 'cute' even appropriate?"

"That suits you perfectly," Shen Yuege interjected from the side. "Xu Manxue loves your silly side."

Tan Yu's face flushed red. He opened his mouth to retort, but seeing Shen Yuege's suppressed laughter, he shut his mouth again.

"Okay, cute is fine," he said. "I'll go back and revise it. Is there anything else I need to change?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment: "Delete the sentence 'no,' and instead of saying 'maybe not,' change 'Tan Yu may not be the most outstanding person you have ever met' to 'Tan Yu is not perfect.'"

Tan Yu took the paper back, glanced at it, and nodded: "Okay, I'll go back and copy it again."

He carefully folded the paper, put it back in his pocket, and stood up. "Then I'll go prepare other things. See you on Sunday, Brother Lu."

See you on Sunday.

Tan Yu walked to the door, put on his coat, and glanced back: "Brother Lu, do you think Manxue will agree?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lu Ran leaned back on the sofa. "You've already spent the money, bought the ring, booked the venue, and found a witness, and now you're asking me if she'll say yes?"

Tan Yu was a little embarrassed by what was said: "I'm just a little nervous."

Weren't you nervous when filming "The Starry Night"?

"nervous."

"We were nervous, but we finished filming anyway, and the ratings weren't bad."

"That's two different things."

"It's the same thing," Lu Ran said. "Proposing is like filming a movie. You prepare and do your best, and then it's up to God. If you're afraid to speak up because you're afraid of being rejected, you'll never accomplish anything significant in your life."

Tan Yu stood at the door, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded vigorously: "Brother Lu, you're right. I'm going."

He opened the door and went out.

The moment the door closed, Lu Ran heard Tan Yu's voice coming from the corridor, as if he was encouraging himself: "Tan Yu, you can do it, you can do it, you definitely can."

The sound grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared in the direction of the elevator.

Shen Yuege couldn't help but laugh: "Is he casting a spell on himself?"

"If chanting mantras works, I'll chant them every day." Lu Ran stood up, leaning on the sofa armrest, and limped towards the study.

Where are you going?

"Write the wedding vows."

"Didn't you say you'd use the one written by Tan Yu?"

"I will use it, but I need to prepare a backup." Lu Ran pushed open the study door. "In case I suddenly forget my lines while I'm on stage, I need something I can pull out and read from."

Shen Yuege followed behind him, leaning against the study door frame: "You can forget your lines? Last time you spoke for an hour at Jiaotong University without even looking at your notes."

"That's different. If I mess up a presentation, at most the students will laugh at me a few times. But if I mess up my wedding speech, Tan Yu will remember me for a lifetime."

Shen Yuege watched him sit down at the computer, open a document, and place his fingers on the keyboard without moving for a long time. She couldn't help but ask, "Can't you write it?"

"It's not that I can't write, it's that I have too much to write."

"Then just write down whatever comes to mind."

Lu Ran thought for a moment and typed a line in the document: "Today is a good day."

Then he stared at those six characters for a long time, thought they were too tacky, and deleted them.

He then typed another line: "Dear friends and family, hello everyone."

I felt it was too formal, so I deleted it.

He typed another line: "Tan Yu, that kid, finally someone wants him."

Shen Yuege leaned over to take a look and burst out laughing: "If you write it like this, Tan Yu will cry."

"Let him cry if he wants to." Lu Ran didn't delete that line, but continued writing, "When I met him, he was still a playboy, driving around in his sports car every day, not doing anything serious. At that time, I thought, that's all there is to him, he can live off his family for the rest of his life."

He paused, then continued typing.

"Later I realized I was wrong. It wasn't that he didn't want to do something serious, it was that he hadn't found what he wanted to do. Acting helped him find it, and he seized it. Over the past year, I've watched him grow from a supporting actor to where he is today. He's not the most talented actor, but he's definitely one of the hardest-working actors."

"Xu Manxue, let me tell you the truth. Tan Yu is sometimes unreliable. He has a bad memory and might forget what he promised you. He's not good with words and might not know how to coax you if he makes you angry. He's also a bit childish; he's thirty years old and still likes to play video games until midnight."

"But he has one advantage: he never gives up. He doesn't give up when he encounters difficulties at work. He doesn't give up when he encounters setbacks in his relationships. Even if others say he can't do it, he insists on proving that he can. This kind of person is reliable as a friend, and even more reliable as a husband."

"So today, I'm handing this imperfect Tan Yu over to you. You two have a long road ahead of you, with happy times and arguments. No matter what you encounter, I hope you can always look at each other with light in your eyes, just like you do now."

Lu Ran paused here and read it over.

Shen Yuege stood behind him, looked over, and said nothing.

"How is it?" Lu Ran asked.

Shen Yuege was silent for two seconds, then said, "Remember to save it when you're done writing."

"this one?"

"That's it. It's fine, no need to change it."

Lu Ran read it again and thought it was indeed okay. He saved the document and turned off the computer.

He stood up, supporting himself on the table, and Shen Yuege helped him out of the study.

"Lu Ran".

"Um?"

"When you write about Tan Yu, are you also writing about yourself?"

Lu Ran was taken aback: "What does it have to do with me if I write about him?"

"You say he has a bad memory, and you have a bad memory too. You say he's bad with words, and you're bad with words too. You say he's childish, and you're childish too. You say he plays video games until midnight, and you'd play even if your leg broke."

Lu Ran opened her mouth to refute, but found that she really didn't have anything to refute.

"So, according to you, Xu Manxue married a fake Tan Yu?"

Shen Yuege was amused by his words: "Don't talk nonsense. Every word says Tan Yu, but every word reflects your own image. What does that mean? It means you truly treat Tan Yu like a younger brother. When someone writes about someone else, if all they write is their own image, it means that person has already identified with that person."

Lu Ran was silent for a moment, then said, "I just feel that this kid is like me."

"How is it similar?"

"We're all ordinary people, none of us are perfect, and we all have a lot of flaws. But we're all moving forward, without stopping."

Shen Yuege didn't reply, but simply squeezed his hand gently.

The sunlight outside the window was lovely, casting long, thin shadows on the study floor through the gaps in the blinds.

Lu Ran stood by the window, looking at the light and shadow, when a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Tan Yu is getting married soon, and it's time to put the wedding he owes Shen Yuege on the agenda.

We'll do it once my leg heals.

To hold a grand and special event.

Let everyone know that Lu Ran married Shen Yuege, and Shen Yuege married Lu Ran.

The two of them standing together are the best they can be.

...