The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 584: Dinner or a Movie?

Chapter 584: Dinner or a Movie?

Xu Feng exhaled through his nose, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He had been so caught up in managing the estate, in handling the logistics of the day, that he had momentarily forgotten—he was living an unconventional life.

In any universe.

It wasn’t unheard of in Dongzhou, but it was far from common practice in their kingdom—Donghua.

To the villagers, to those raised in more traditional settings, a ger taking two husbands was likely as shocking as seeing a wolf walking upright through their village doing the Hokey Pokey.

Xu Feng sighed internally.

Of course, this was what they were caught up on. Not the grand halls of Nanshan. Not the six children under his care. Not the hearty meal laid out before them.

No, their minds had latched onto the fact that he had two husbands, when he was supposed to be the young "wife" of the Xuan family. Was that even allowed?

Lu Lizheng, to his credit, kept his expression relatively neutral. He was an observant man, one who had seen his fair share of oddities while serving as the village chief. But his wife... the moment her eyes darted between Xu Feng, Xuan Yang, and Xuan Jian for the fifth time, it was clear that she had questions.

Xu Feng resisted the urge to sigh again. Hopefully, she would keep them to herself. Or maybe it was better if she asked outright?

Regardless, he was going to need a drink.

A strong one.

The start of the dinner was a bit awkward, with Xu Feng choosing not to acknowledge the women’s stares. Luckily, Lu Lizheng handled his side well enough, offering a few sharp glares to his sons and nudging his daughters in law when necessary. It wasn’t entirely effective, but it was noticed.

Still, the biggest confidence booster came not from the village chief’s efforts, but from the reassuring squeeze of his fingers by Xuan Jian and the subtle, encouraging smile from Xuan Yang. Both men were silently supporting him as if they were proud of him for hosting his first big dinner as the true master of Nanshan Estate.

Not as the reclusive master who hid away in Blooming Courtyard. Not as the young mistress who people whispered about, spinning half truths and untruths.

But as the head of their home.

Xu Feng straightened his shoulders slightly, his dimple flashing as he prepared to lead the conversation.

"Thank you for having us!" Lu Lizheng’s eldest son, Dalang, spoke up, his voice slightly nervous as he tried to rein in his wife’s wandering gaze.

She wasn’t as covert as her mother in law or her sister in law—who, Xu Feng noted, seemed to be the most shrewd of the bunch. Her eyes flickered toward the dishes on the table more frequently than at him or his husbands.

Interesting. Maybe she just liked food too much. He couldn’t blame her, he loved food as well.

Xu Feng watched them with mild amusement, his gaze softening slightly as he thought about how much had changed in just one year.

Both Erlang and Dalang were now married and starting lives of their own.

Almost a year ago, he had sat at a table with the same men, witnessing their father carefully maneuver them into rubbing shoulders with the Xuan family.

A year ago, Xu Feng had laughed, entertained by the idea of possibly flirting with Erlang once his marriage contract with the Xuan family was complete.

Now, he was having dinner with Erlang’s wife.

And he had willingly tied himself not to one man, but to two.

A part of him had expected this life to be temporary. That he would leave, or that it would collapse under the weight of what was expected of him.

Instead, he had found happiness in what had originally been an obligation, and one that extended past one life.

He had been cornered into a marriage with one man.

But he had chosen both.

He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

Life really did have a strange way of working out.

"It’s been a long time since we’ve had a proper meal together," Xu Feng said lightly. "I’m glad we can share one tonight."

Lu Lizheng inclined his head slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"As am I," he agreed. "It’s good to see Master Xu doing well."

Xu Feng settled more comfortably at the head of the table, lifting his cup as the conversation settled into a comfortable rhythm. The meal was going smoothly—better than expected, even.

For a moment, he allowed himself to simply enjoy it, savoring the warmth of the food and the steady presence of his husbands at his side. But there was more to this dinner than just good hospitality.

There was business to discuss.

And it wasn’t just about the renovations.

He turned his gaze to Dalang and Erlang, offering them a small but genuine smile. "It’s been some time since we last saw each other. Congratulations on your marriages." His dimple flashed, his voice light but steady. "It seems like only yesterday we were bachelors."

Dalang, the eldest, cleared his throat, clearly pleased but also somewhat self conscious under Xu Feng’s direct attention and his choice of words—was a ger considered a bachelor before marriage?

Dalang’s wife, sitting beside him, quickly lowered her gaze to her bowl, suddenly very interested in her rice. But her ears were clearly focusing on even their breathing patterns.

Erlang, on the other hand, grinned slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Time moves fast, Master Xu." He hesitated for only a moment before adding, "Congratulations on the new additions to your family."

Their congratulations came easily, and Xuan Yang accepted them with grace. But instead of letting it end there, he smoothly redirected the attention.

"It’s Feng’er you should be praising," Xuan Yang said, his voice firm. "A ger giving birth to twins is incredibly difficult and even more rare."

Dalang blinked in surprise, exchanging a glance with his father.

His wife, still somewhat shy, added subconsciously, "I’ve never heard of such a thing before..."

"It’s almost unheard of," Lu Lizheng confirmed, his deep voice filled with respect. He turned to Xu Feng, his sharp eyes filled with genuine admiration. "Master Xu, this is truly a blessing."

Xu Feng wasn’t sure what to say to that.

Lu Lizheng’s wife, however, had no such hesitation. "Oh, this is wonderful news! I had wondered, but to think you had twins!" Her excitement only grew as she looked between Xu Feng and the doorway that the two babies that had been taken away earlier went through. "Such strong, healthy boys too!"

"Yes," Erlang’s wife chimed in, nodding eagerly as her sister in law wasn’t rebuked, she was now trying to bring some attention to her husband. "They looked very well cared for. You must have had an excellent recovery, Master Xu. I have heard of gers struggling with even a single child, but to carry two and bring them into the world safely... truly great."

Praise began flowing easily, admiration layered in every word as unnatural as it sounded.

Xu Feng felt his ears heat up, his fingers tightening around his cup. He cleared his throat, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

"I—"

Xuan Jian’s smirk widened ever so slightly as he smoothly interjected, his voice a touch amused. "It’s only natural. Our Feng Feng is strong."

Xu Feng shot him a look.

Xuan Yang, more subtle, simply reached under the table and gave Xu Feng’s fingers a small, reassuring squeeze.

But the conversation wasn’t shifting just yet.

"Strong indeed," Lu Lizheng’s wife continued shakily, nodding in approval. "Not just in body, but in mind. Raising twins is no small task and with all the responsibilities of the estate..." She gave him a knowing smile. "Master Xu, you are a capable wife."

Xu Feng, now fully flustered, lifted his cup and took a long, slow sip of tea—pretending he was deeply invested in the flavor rather than the fact that his husbands were calmly accepting all the praise on his behalf.

"A home isn’t built in a day," Xuan Yang murmured, his voice smooth. "Or in a year. And neither is a community."

Xu Feng took the opening and nodded. "Exactly. The estate has changed, and it will continue to change and grow." He set his cup down, his fingers tapping lightly against the lacquered wood of the table. "That’s why I wanted to speak with you tonight, Village Chief Lu."

Lu Lizheng straightened slightly at the mention of his name.

"The estate is in need of renovations," Xu Feng continued, his voice even as if he were discussing the weather rather than the major projects he was about to commission. "Some of which will be urgent before winter fully sets in, and others that will take us into the next spring."

A flicker of interest crossed Lu Lizheng’s expression. Another renovation was beyond extravagant for him, but the last time, the workers were treated well and compensated fairly, why should he decline this gift from the heavens?

"That is a large project," the village chief mused, stroking his beard. "Will this be within Blooming Courtyard, or—?"

"No," Xu Feng said, shaking his head. "This time, the work will extend beyond Blooming Courtyard. We’ll be addressing several areas across the estate and refinishing the greenhouse."

The greenhouse beams looked beautiful and even sturdier than Xu Feng remembered, but he had glass now and wanted to change it out so his greenhouse could be self sufficient without the need for his energy for the plants to grow throughout the seasons.

He would transfer the rarer plants to his space, but he still wanted to grow a few plants like Dragon Chrysanthemums and some vegetables with energy, above board.

He didn’t say it outright, but Lu Lizheng was quick to catch on.

This was an opportunity.

A big one.