Xiang Wan already knew everything after fiddling for a long time. Was he deliberately teasing her?
Upon hearing that his sister didn't object to their relationship, Xiang Yang was very excited. Without even changing his slippers, he dashed off to find Chen Jiaojiao.
After they left, Lu Mingzhe looked at his gentle and beautiful wife, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He sat on the sofa and patted his thigh, calling out to Xiang Wan, "Come here."
Xiang Wan didn't go over. "Alright, I've been teasing him for so long. It's getting late, and I'm too tired. Let's go to bed."
"What do you mean you're too tired? Talking to your brother doesn't tire you out, but talking to me does? I'll carry you; you don't need to do anything. Come here."
Xiang Wan went over and sat on Lu Mingzhe's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Their heads rested against each other.
Lu Mingzhe praised her, "How can you be so wonderful? You're only thinking about making up for the engagement banquet for others, but what about yourself? It's been so long for us, and you haven't received anything."
Indeed.
Xiang Wan felt bad for not having anything for Chen Jiaojiao, but she herself had nothing either.
Yet, she felt very content and wanted nothing.
"I don't think I need anything. I have you, Nian Nian, and Grandma. Now that I see my brother has everything, I'm incredibly satisfied. What else could I hope for?"
"How can you call that hoping for too much? You deserve everything other women have."
Lu Mingzhe said, "Don't worry. My mother has known she was wrong for a long time and has been wanting to ask for your forgiveness. She wants me to arrange for you to meet so she can apologize in person, but I haven't agreed."
"How about this, I'll talk to her these two days. She'll make up for all the necessary courtesies to you, without missing a single one."
Xiang Wan pulled her head away from his, as if startled, and shook it vigorously.
"I'm not joking, A Zhe. Actually, I don't care about those things at all. I don't want them at all."
Seeing her strong reaction, Lu Mingzhe slowly withdrew his smile.
"So, you're still resenting my mother? You don't want to forgive her?"
Xiang Wan said it wasn't like that.
"To be honest, I've never hated her. If I were in her shoes, and the son I painstakingly raised was taken away by a woman so different from him in every aspect, I would also feel uncomfortable."
"I simply don't want anything. I don't want to waste my time dealing with all those unnecessary things. I just want to be with you and Nian Nian, simply and peacefully."
Xiang Wan, uncharacteristically, acted coy, hugging his neck and shaking it.
"Promise me, okay? I can go back and eat with them, but please don't let your mother apologize to me, and don't arrange any ceremonies. I can't handle it, and I don't want to handle it. Okay?"
"But..."
Lu Mingzhe still felt uneasy. "Won't you feel regret?"
"As long as you are true to me, I will never have any regrets."
Lu Mingzhe loved his wife even more. He kissed her cheek. Xiang Wan urged him to go to sleep, but he wasn't tired yet.
Holding Xiang Wan, he looked at the furnishings in the house and asked if she remembered the scenes when they, Xiang Wan and the other two, used to live here.
Xiang Wan remembered.
"Do you still want to live here? If so, tell someone to bring Grandma back tomorrow."
Xiang Wan shook her head again.
"I want to settle in Hangzhou in the future and only return here occasionally. You won't think I'm selfish, will you?"
For her, Nan Cheng wasn't her home, and neither was Hangzhou.
But Hangzhou was at least a place where she could start anew.
If they stayed in Nan Cheng, Lu Mingzhe had many friends and a lot of complicated relationships.
He might have to spend a lot of time socializing, and Xiang Wan didn't want their peaceful life to be disturbed.
Lu Mingzhe didn't ask for reasons. Hearing her say that, he nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, the house won't run away if it stays here. We'll live wherever you say you want to live. So, we'll live in Hangzhou."
Xiang Wan liked him more and more. "Thank you, husband."
"Is that all you're saying thank you with? Just thanks?"
He looked up, meeting Xiang Wan's gaze. Xiang Wan kissed him on the lips.
"Is that okay?"
"No. You weren't like this in this house before."
Upon hearing that, memories flooded back.
Xiang Wan knew what he meant and punched his shoulder.
"Nian Nian is still in the room."
"She's already asleep. What does she know?"
"But..."
"Let's go to the second bedroom. Come on."
Lu Mingzhe carried her to the guest bedroom.
Looking out the large floor-to-ceiling window, half the city's scenery was spread out before them.
A year ago, they worried about their livelihood and fretted about the future in this house. Now, they had everything, and their hearts were full.
Life was truly wondrous.
Lu Mingzhe started here. Xiang Wan was a bit afraid of heights, so he had her turn her back to the window.
As they neared the end, Xiang Wan realized something and reminded him that they hadn't prepared anything and to be careful.
Lu Mingzhe was careless. "We're open and honest now. What's there to be careful about? If we conceive, we conceive."
"Don't talk nonsense. Nian Nian is less than a year old..."
"It takes you a year to get pregnant. By the time the baby is born, she'll be two years old."
"Can't I rest? Pregnancy is so hard."
However, it was too late.
Xiang Wan hit Lu Mingzhe, accusing him of having planned it all along. Lu Mingzhe was relentless.
"Since you've accused me of this crime, I might as well make it official. Come with me."
Xiang Yang suppressed his urge to share the news with Chen Jiaojiao immediately, enduring it all the way to the hotel.
After waiting for two to three hours, Chen Jiaojiao was already very impatient.
The door opened, and seeing him enter with an excited expression, she uncooperatively put on a cold face.
Xiang Yang apologized to her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I'm late and made you wait. I'm sorry. But I have good news to tell you."
"What good news?"
"Kiss me first, and then I'll tell you."
Chen Jiaojiao was about to hit him, but Xiang Yang grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
"Today is our wedding night. Are you sure you want to quarrel with me?"
With that sentence, Chen Jiaojiao couldn't be bothered to argue about anything.
Life was short; why dwell on unhappy things?
The two moved on to the main event.
After a passionate encounter, Chen Jiaojiao lazily remembered that he had good news to tell her.
Xiang Yang hugged her. "It's boring to just tell you directly. Guess."
"Did the drama you mentioned last time get settled?"
"It's not that."
"Is your next drama increasing your salary?"
"It has nothing to do with money. Why are you always thinking about money? Guess again."
Chen Jiaojiao couldn't be bothered to guess.
"I'm exhausted. We haven't seen each other for so long, and when you come back, you want me to guess all sorts of random things. I'm not guessing. Say it or don't."
Xiang Yang coaxed her instead.
"Okay, okay, no guessing, no guessing. It's fine if you don't want to guess. We'll go out for dinner tomorrow."
"You're treating. Where are we going to eat?"
"My sister's place."
"Are you crazy? Do you think it's not awkward enough for me to be with your sister? Do you think I haven't seen enough of your jokes?"
"No one is laughing at you. My sister already knows. She said she'll invite you over tomorrow to make up for your engagement banquet on behalf of our Xiang family."
Chen Jiaojiao was stunned, as if struck by lightning. She stared with wide eyes, her mouth agape. It took several seconds for her to react.
"They all know?!"