Vows

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"I'm sorry. Maybe I was really just drunk." Hanlu mumbled, he was afraid Ian would lash at him and backs out from marrying him because he didn't trust him.

"It's okay." Ian immediately replied and calmed down himself. He quickly neared Hanlu and pressed his face against his neck, soothing both of them. Lan also hugged his parents in the process.

Henry, seeing this, became silent for a moment before he finally decided to break the silence. "Now that everything is out, who wants lunch?" He asked standing up from his seat, he didn't wait for the group of three and headed straight to the dining area where the food was already set.

"Let's eat first," Ian suggested feeling hungry all of a sudden. For the last four days, he hasn't been eating properly and now that his appetite has come back, he's suddenly famished.

"Hmmm, alright. Then let's head to the local courthouse after."

"Yeah Okay," Ian replied with a smile. Soon they headed to the dining area where Henry was waiting, standing at the side with his usual butler aura. For the past days, Ian had been forcing the man to join them with the meals but he was stubborn and insisted that he shouldn't since he was still the butler of the house. So by now, Ian was already used to him standing at their side but he still asked him to eat with them which he once again declined.

Hanlu on the other hand, paid him no attention since he knew that's one of his jobs. They would only eat once the master had finished and not on the main dining area, maids and butlers have their own quarters where they do all their basic needs like eating, sleeping, and taking a bath. It's like a small house on their own.

"So did Daddy finally finish working?" Lan asked as they started eating. He had been waiting for his father to come and he almost thought he wouldn't come because it took longer than the last time.

"Yep! This time daddy promises, I will stay longer. And I still haven't forgotten, Daddy will teach you how to ride horses, well, ponies for the time being." Hanlu promised not really thinking of coming back home to the main city just to deal with Veronica Chime.

"Really?!!! Yey!! Daddy is the best! Grandfather offered that he could teach me instead but I told him Daddy will teach me. Lan had been good and waited for Daddy to come. hehe," Lan said proudly as he jumped and stood on his seat excitedly. He was leaning forward to Hanlu with a huge smile on his adorable face.

"Okay! Okay! Baby, that's dangerous. Please get back to your seat." Ian said as he sighs helplessly at his son's occasional energetic outburst. Hearing his mother, Lan pouted but complied anyways but his pout didn't last long after Hanlu signaled him with a wink. The little man giggled and soon started eating his food.

"Luu, do you even know how to ride horses?" it was Ian's turn to ask. He never knew that Hanlu learned how to ride horses or ponies. Hearing Ian's question, Hanlu quickly became nervous so he lied almost automatically.

"Uhmm, Yeah sure!! It's super easy. Don't worry. I'll also hire professionals, so Lan will be okay." Hanlu replied quickly. Ian doesn't seem to suspect him so he sighs in relief. How difficult could it be to ride horses? It looked super easy on TV. Hanlu thought.

"Okay, just making sure. I don't want Lan getting hurt by this."

"I won't let anything hurt Lan as well. I'll be by his side at all times." Hanlu promised and that quickly assured Ian. They later finished their lunch happily, after Ian tidied Lan up since he got dirty playing on the sand, they soon headed to the local courthouse with Henry as the driver.

When they arrived, it was already late in the afternoon and no judge was around to cater them. However, after knowing that it was Mo Hanlu who wanted a business, the staff quickly called the Judge to come back. The group of four waited for another 20 minutes before finally, the Judge arrived.

And just like everyone else in the courthouse, they were surprised to discover it was not Veronica Chime who the Alpha was marrying but instead a famous police inspector from their neighboring city. The Judge briefly talked to his staff before he nodded and faced the two.

For the judge, this proves once again that not everything published on TV was true. The Police inspector must be Mo Hanlu's true lover but he was forced to marry Veronica Chime because she was pregnant. Mo Hanlud didn't want to marry her and so he wanted to rush his marriage to his true lover who it seems to have already carried his son since the child was already 7-8 years old.

The judge glanced at Lancel Andrews at the side and knew immediately that the child was theirs. It was recently published that Mo Hanlu already had an illegitimate son, the child's pictures were even published with Mo Hanlu in a party but none paid it much attention since no men or women were involved.

People already expected it would happen. However, if Mo Hanlu said it then that he was going to marry the mother of the child. People would have taken it differently.

"Can I have the couple here upfront? The witnesses at the side." The Judge called after reading some information given to him by the staff. Ian and Hanlu quickly stood in front of him without delay. The witnesses that consist of Henry, Lan and the public servants of the court stood at the side.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the marriage of Mo Hanlu and Ian Andrews." The Judge started. As Ian listened to the judge, he couldn't stop his heart from beating so fast. It's finally going to happen. He's finally going to marry Mo Hanlu after all those years of pain and heartaches.

"Mo Hanlu and Ian Andrews have found that special someone, to love and trust with heart, mind, and soul. They have someone special to come home to after a long search. Someone to support them and comfort them in times of trial. They now know they have good reason to be happy together and we rejoice with them in their union." The judge said, starting the ceremony. But as if not hearing anything, Hanlu and Ian stared at each other's eyes. As if seeing pass through what their eyes could perceive.

Remembering the good times and bad times they had together. The struggles each they've been through ignoring, fearing both their feelings for each other. And now, it has finally ended. After this ceremony, they will once again start a new journey. This time instead of going through separate ways, they will now be together with their son for as long as they could, hopefully forever.

"We also celebrate with them the love they have discovered in each other and we support their decision to commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. Marriage is an honorable estate not to be entered into lightly but thoughtfully and reverently. Marriage is a commitment to another person as a friend, a companion, and as a lover..." The judge continued with his long speech until they finally reached the ring part where they would vow.

Hanlu smiled and soon turned around to pick the rings that he asked his son to keep earlier before they left the mansion. When Ian was helping Lan to bathe, he quickly went back to his newly bought three-story mansion and fetched the rings he had been keeping for more than two months now.

He had bought the rings from William for a price that's a couple of hundred thousand less compared to his older brother's wedding rings. He wanted to buy a more expensive piece but there was none available in the country yet so he had to settle with a seven-carat diamond ring that cost 1.7 million dollars in total for the two rings.

He was planning to buy a new one when he visits abroad but he hasn't found the right one yet so now he had to settle again with what he had.

"Sorry, I only have this for now." Hanlu apologized as he opened the black ring box and pulled out a diamond ring. When Ian laid his eyes to the ring, he suddenly got even more nervous. It definitely doesn't look cheap with its big ass diamond as the center stone of two smaller diamonds and a few more smaller ones around the gold shank.

Hanlu slides the ring on Ian's ring finger and starts reciting his vow. " Ian Andrews, I promise to you before our son, to commit my love to you; to respect your individuality; to be with you through life's changes; and to nurture and strengthen the love between us, for as long as we shall both live." 

Biting his lips, Ian quickly forgot about the ring feeling overwhelmed. He's really now marrying Mo Hanlu. The man he loved for more than ten years. With his hands shaking, Ian took the couple's ring from the black ring box and slid it to Hanlu's ring finger.

"I promise to you Mo Hanlu, before our son, friend and to the people here at this moment, to commit my love to you; to respect your individuality; to be with you through life's changes; and to nurture and strengthen the love between us, for as long as we shall both live." Ian finished with his tears dripping to his cheeks. Hanlu quickly caught the hot liquid with his thumb and smiled helplessly at his wife.

"We who have come together today, have now heard the willingness of Mo Hanlu and Ian Andrews to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our presence, have declared their love and commitment to each other. They have given and received a ring, a symbol of their promises."

"Therefore, by the power vested in me by the laws of the state, I take great pride and pleasure as I declare them, man and husband. You may now kiss your partner." As soon as the judge declared, Hanlu pulled Ian into a heated kiss that lasted a couple of seconds. The people cheered at them causing Ian to turn red as they separated with his knees feeling weak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. Mo Hanlu and Mr. Ian Andrews Mo." Lan ran towards his parents and smiled brightly. Finally, he now has a complete family.

* * *

"What do you mean I'm being pulled out?! I'm the main character of this movie and my fiance financed this production. You can't do this to me." Veronica roared at the film producer. She came right after she was sent an email that she will not starr at the movie anymore. This was her only project left and was even the movie gifted to her by Mo Hanlu when he broke up with her.

"Ms. Chime, I know you're upset but Mr. Mo sent us an email to relieve you from your acting career for the safety of your pregnancy." the producer replied while the director nodded. While Veronica was a good actress, the director prefers not to cast her because she was not very good at dealing with her co-stars. She always had this diva personality and so sometimes filming gets delayed.

If not only because she had strong backing, Veronica Chime wouldn't have become that famous on the big screen. She had starred in so many movies that it also cost her some backlash, her face was too redundant to cast. People were sick of seeing her face in almost most movies. Now, most viewers tend to avoid movies with her as the main lead.

Honestly, he was thankful that she got pregnant. Because like this, he wouldn't have to cast her and ruin his movie somehow. But still, be able to retain the money invested in the production in the movie. It was like hitting two birds with one stone.

"Ms. Chime, we're very sorry. If you want to, you can ask your fiance to put you back in the movie but as of now, we really can't." the director said this time which quickly shut Veronica. This was clearly the work of either Laura Mo or Mo Laotian. Veronica scuffs at the two and turns around with heavy feet.

Ask Hanlu to put him back?! She doesn't even know where the bastard at the moment. Even that woman can't track him down much more than her?!