Her mother's dying words were right; she was incredibly fortunate to have found true happiness and should not betray heaven's favor.
After finishing her conversation with her mother, Xiao Anjing returned to his room and found Lan Yu awake, lying in bed with her eyes open.
He sat beside her and asked, "Why are you awake? Are you not used to the bed here?"
"I'm not that picky. I must have woken up because I was thirsty. Where did you go? Why aren't you asleep yet?" Lan Yu pretended not to have heard anything earlier.
Xiao Anjing scratched his hair and said, "It's my mom. She insisted on talking about this and that, and lectured me for a long time."
"You haven't visited your mother in a long time. She must miss you dearly," Lan Yu nudged him. "You should spend more time with her, not always with me."
Xiao Anjing lingered on the bed and said, "What time is it now? Even if I wanted to be with her, I can't keep her from sleeping."
"Oh." Lan Yu glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost midnight. "Then you should rest too."
Xiao Anjing didn't lie down. He turned slightly and gazed at her, thinking about the wedding his mother had asked him to arrange. He needed to talk to Lan Yu about it quickly. If his mother brought it up directly tomorrow morning and Lan Yu wasn't willing, it would be troublesome.
"You're not sleeping, why are you staring at me like that?" Lan Yu, thinking he might have some physical needs, blushed and said, "It's not happening tonight, I'm not ready yet..."
"I find your thoughts very problematic. What are you thinking about every day?" Xiao Anjing playfully teased her instead, "Do you want it yourself?"
Lan Yu immediately turned over, facing away from him, and said awkwardly, "I do not."
Xiao Anjing wanted to pull her back and said, "Turn around, I need to talk to you about something important."
"What important matter? What serious business could you possibly have?" Lan Yu still had her back to him.
"I want to discuss the wedding with you," Xiao Anjing said with conviction.
Lan Yu turned over and sat up, lowering her head without refusing. "What wedding?"
"My mom wants us to have a wedding here. I promise you it won't be too much trouble..."
"Okay, I agree." Lan Yu agreed decisively before he could finish.
Xiao Anjing looked at her in surprise. "You agree to have a wedding and face the guests with me?"
"Yes, it's your mother's wish, and I respect her." Lan Yu showed no hesitation or reluctance.
"What 'your mother, my mother'? You should start calling her 'Mom' now." Xiao Anjing corrected her address to his mother and reached out to feel her forehead temperature. "You don't have a fever, why the change of heart?"
"I'm perfectly normal. I've never been more normal than now." Lan Yu looked at him and asked, "So, do you want to have the wedding or not? If not, then forget it..."
"Who says I don't want to? Of course, I'm willing."
"Then that settles it. Why are you being so indecisive? Go to sleep."
"Wait, there's this too." Xiao Anjing took a ring from his pajama pocket and tried to slip it onto her left ring finger. "We were in such a rush when we got our marriage certificate, we didn't buy wedding rings. This ring is from my mom to you. See if it fits?"
Lan Yu let him put the ring on her finger, her heart warming. She asked, "Is this a family heirloom?"
Xiao Anjing nodded and said, "It seems a bit big on you."
Lan Yu brought her ring-wearing hand to her eyes, reluctant to take it off. She admired it closely and said, "This ring design is so beautiful, I like it. It's not too big either, I can wear it."
"If you like it, that's good. Keep it for now." Xiao Anjing, pleased by her unusual docility that night, said, "We'll go to the jewelry store tomorrow and see if we can get the band resized. Now, sleep."
Lan Yu suddenly hugged his neck and quickly kissed his cheek before quickly pulling away, lying down and not daring to look at him.
Xiao Anjing was stunned for a few seconds. This was the first time she had ever kissed him proactively.
After coming to his senses, he turned her face towards him, lifted her chin, and asked, "What are you doing? Why have you suddenly become so different..."
"Do you prefer me the way I was before, or the way I am now? Isn't it good that I'm not arguing with you anymore?" Lan Yu looked at his face, which could charm any woman, but felt a surge of sadness. Was she really not dreaming? Could such a good man truly love her like this?
Xiao Anjing kissed her eyes and released her chin. "I'm just not used to you not arguing with me. You shouldn't be this sad. I apologize for asking earlier..."
Lan Yu rested her face against his chest, her arms tightly around his waist. For some reason, in a moment of clarity, she felt a profound fear of losing him.
Xiao Anjing gently stroked her hair, thinking she was afraid of having nightmares again. He said tenderly, "Alright, alright, sleep soundly. I'll stay by your side, keep the bad people away, and won't let you have nightmares."
In the following days, they began preparing for the wedding there.
Although Xiao Anjing's mother repeatedly emphasized that they weren't inviting many people and would have a small wedding at a nearby chapel, she was very particular about every step and detail of the wedding. The list of items to prepare was incredibly long.
So, for several days, she and Xiao Anjing went shopping almost every day, visiting every well-known shop in town. Although they both found it tiring and tedious, their hearts were filled with immense happiness.
On the day of their wedding, the guests who attended filled the small chapel.
They then realized how well-liked Xiao Anjing's mother was in town. Many of her friends, both Chinese and foreign residents of the town, were present.
It was also Lan Yu's first time experiencing the solemn and sacred feeling of a wedding ceremony in a chapel.
As they stood before the priest, Lan Yu noticed Xiao Anjing's face was tense. She subtly hooked her finger with his and smiled at him through the hazy veil.
A hint of a smile then appeared on his face. She immediately understood that he was also nervous.
Lan Yu thought about how usually composed he was in facing challenges, yet he could also be nervous. She chuckled inwardly, finding herself less tense.
When the priest uttered the vows and asked if she was willing, her eyes misted over. After a few moments of silence, she solemnly said, "I do."
As Xiao Anjing answered the priest, his eyes sparkled with bright light. He said, "I do, and I promise with my life that from this day forward, I will love only Ms. Lan Yu."
When he lifted her veil and leaned in for a kiss, tears of happiness fell from her cheeks.
After the wedding ceremony concluded, amidst everyone's blessings, Lan Yu walked out of the chapel arm-in-arm with him. Gazing at the brilliant sunshine outside, she realized that everything in the world was still so beautiful and vibrant.