Cheng Jinlan and the others had returned to China the day before Cheng LiQi's birthday. Cheng Jinchuan came to pick them up early in the morning. When he saw his little niece, he smiled from ear to ear. He took the child from Cheng Shanhe's arms and looked at her little face carefully. "Not bad. She's tanned a bit, but even prettier."
Cheng LiQi pinched her big uncle's ear and said, "Because I take after big uncle. I'm born beautiful, so I look good no matter what."
Cheng Jinchuan laughed. "Though 'born beautiful' doesn't suit big uncle, our little LiQi does take after big uncle, that's for sure."
Cheng Jinchuan's smile froze the moment he saw the person behind pushing the luggage. He turned to his father with his eyes, as if asking, What is he doing here?
Cheng Shanhe thought, Don't ask me. I want to know just as much as you. There's a saying, isn't there? The more a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she likes him. He's already captured your mum's heart. You'll be seeing more of him from now on. Just think of him as free labor, that's how I got through it.
Father and son communicated wordlessly with their eyes. Shao Chengze pushed the fully packed luggage cart over and saw Cheng Jinchuan. "Big brother," he greeted.
Cheng Jinchuan's frosty expression instantly turned to disgust. What did he just call me?!!
Cheng Shanhe was also taken aback for a moment. Not only was this brat charming, he was shameless too. When he had first met his in-laws, he wasn't nearly as shameless as this guy. His audacity exceeded the city walls!
Fei Zuhui held in her laughter with great difficulty and lightly coughed. Actually, he wasn't wrong to call him big brother. Properly speaking, he should call Cheng Jinlan big sister, but no one expected him to say it so naturally. Well, one had to be shameless at times like this. If he was still prim and proper when wooing a girl, not willing to let go of his pride, she would doubt his sincerity.
If not for the people around, Cheng Jinlan would've kicked him already. Why was he calling her brother? Just because her mum let him tag along and made him carry some luggage didn't mean he could act so familiar with her.
Cheng LiQi giggled. "Is Dad going to be big uncle's minion?"
Shao Chengze nodded. Why not?
Cheng Jinchuan's shit-like expression improved a little after hearing his niece's words. Having Shao Enterprise's CEO as his minion and telling others about it didn't sound...too bad.
Cheng Shanhe was fully focused on playing games with his granddaughter. Out of sight, out of mind. There would be time to settle old and new grudges with him when his wife wasn't around.
Since Cheng Shanhe saw Shao Chengze as free labor, he would make full use of him. No need for the chauffeur to move the luggage, Shao Chengze could do it himself. The weather was nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Cheng Shanhe looked up at the blazing sun, very satisfied with the intensity. When he had first gone to his father-in-law's place, the old man had thrown him to the backyard to weed the vegetable patch. Though the sun wasn't as scorching then, weeding was much tougher than moving luggage. If Shao Chengze wanted to marry into their family, he shouldn't fear hardship. This was just the beginning; more awaited him.
Cheng Jinlan stood not far from the trunk, watching Shao Chengze load up the biggest luggage. He turned to look at her. "Go wait in the car. No need to keep me company. It's too sunny here. I'll be quick."
"Who's keeping you company?" Cheng Jinlan's brows were knitted under her sunglasses. Arms crossed before her chest, she looked more like she was supervising rather than accompanying, though she had given him napkins.
Amusement filled Shao Chengze's eyes. "What did you give me the napkins for?"
Sweat rolled down his temple, dangling from his jaw. Under the scorching, intense sunlight, it made one's heart flutter. Cheng Jinlan's tone was severe. "Do you need them or not?"
Shao Chengze's hands kept moving. As he continued shifting luggage, he looked at her. "Will you help me wipe?"
Cheng Jinlan threw the napkins back into her bag. He could wipe himself or not.
Shao Chengze chuckled softly. His bobbing Adam's apple shone with sweat, moving along with his breath.
Cheng Jinlan's eyes flashed behind her sunglasses. Impatiently taking out more napkins from her bag, she stepped closer and slapped them onto his face, scrubbing roughly and vigorously while grumbling, "You're such a pain."
Shao Chengze's swelling laughter was muffled in his throat. His chest moved slightly with his breath. Cheng Jinlan scrubbed even harder, leaving several red marks on his face. Letting him laugh so flirtatiously, didn't he see the passersby ogling him? Her father was right, he was a troublemaker.
Cheng Jinchuan signaled the driver to honk. What was taking him so long? Did he think they had all day? Flirting with his sister in public like that!
Fei Zuhui smacked Cheng Jinchuan. "Stop that. If you're so free, why don't you go help with the luggage? It's sweltering, and you're annoyed he's sweating?"
Cheng Jinchuan deflated. He understood he couldn't stop the tide. With his mother's protection, Shao Chengze had obtained the divine sword Shang Fang Bao in their family.
The CEO of Shao Enterprise becoming his minion didn't sound too bad after hearing his niece's words.
Cheng Shanhe was fully absorbed in playing games with his granddaughter. Out of sight, out of mind. There would be time to settle old and new grudges without his wife around.
Shao Chengze finished loading the luggage into the car. His back was drenched too. Fei Zuhui passed a bottle of water through the window. Shao Chengze received it with both hands. "Thank you, Auntie." Seeing his sweat-soaked shirt, satisfaction filled Fei Zuhui's eyes. She said, "Come over for dinner tomorrow night if you're free."
Shao Chengze froze in pleasant surprise. Had the heat muddled his brain and made him hallucinate? He looked to the woman beside him for confirmation.
Cheng Jinlan returned, "What are you looking at me for? Can't you make it?"
The smile that spread across Shao Chengze's dark eyes was dazzling. He regarded Fei Zuhui solemnly. "Auntie, I'm free. Thank you for the invitation."
Fei Zuhui's face also lit up with a smile, infected by his joy. "Good then."
Cheng LiQi blinked at her father. So Dad passed Grandpa's test?
Cheng Jinlan adjusted her sunglasses and turned her gaze away. Though she spoke to him, her tone was aloof. "Many relatives will come tomorrow. Be early."
Gazing at her serene profile, Shao Chengze's voice was gentle. "I'll be there early."
Cheng Jinlan glanced his way before getting into the car. The window rolled up slowly between them, but their eyes locked again. "Let's go," Cheng Jinlan said softly.
Shao Chengze's smile was deep as a clear pond.
Cheng LiQi leaned over her mum's lap and waved energetically through the window. "See you tomorrow, Dad!"
"See you tomorrow, LiQi."
Shao Chengze walked a few steps after the slowly pulling away car until it disappeared from sight.
Yuan Zhongzhou stomped out of a nearby car, keys jangling in his hand. He mocked, "Stop looking. The car's long gone. Seems like great progress this time, huh? Proposal successful?"
Shao Chengze withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at him. "No."
Yuan Zhongzhou was puzzled by the beaming smile that wouldn't fade from his face. "Didn't succeed yet you're grinning like a peacock in heat?"
Shao Chengze unceremoniously kicked him. "What would a lifelong bachelor like you understand?"
Ouch. Yuan Zhongzhou bristled. I've only been single for a few weeks. How dare a chronic bachelor of many years look down on me? I can't take this. I'm applying for work injury compensation.
He flung the keys at Shao Chengze. "I'm hurt. Can't drive. You'll have to drive."
Shao Chengze looked him up and down. "Where are you hurt?"
"My soul," Yuan Zhongzhou deadpanned.
...Fragile soul. Shao Chengze got into the driver's seat. Whether he drove or not, Shao Chengze was in the mood to drive now.
Slumped in the passenger seat, Yuan Zhongzhou took a long time to recover from the blow his soul took. When he came to, he realized they weren't headed to the office.
"Aren't we going to the office? You're going the wrong way."
"We'll stop by the mall first."
"What for?"
"To buy things."
"What do you need to buy? Get Christine Kong to handle it with a list."
"No, I have to oversee it personally."
Gifts for Cheng Shanhe and Fei Zuhui, Cheng Jinchuan's family, and Cheng Jinlan's younger brother's family. He had prepared those already, but since she said many relatives were coming, he needed more.
Yuan Zhongzhou fainted from dizziness, he was already pitiful enough as a single dog, and now he had to accompany a man who was smug about both his career and love to go shopping. Could Heaven make his trials any more miserable?
Cheng Jinlan had told Shao Chengze to come early, but she didn't expect him to arrive before two o'clock. She had taken time off until tomorrow, and her work was already arranged, so she was in no hurry to go to the hotel. He had suddenly changed his schedule to take time off, so there was probably a pile of work waiting for him at the company.
She had wanted to ask why he was so free that he came so early, but seeing the slightly sunken eye sockets, she swallowed the words back down. He would look like this after being up all night.
Shao Chengze looked at her and said, "Did I come too early? I thought that if anything needed to be prepared, I could lend a hand."
Cheng Jinlan brought him a glass of water and said, "My mom and Little Liqi are still sleeping. Even if we need to prepare, it won't be too late to start after four." She paused for a moment before asking, "Have you eaten lunch?"
"Does drinking two cups of coffee count?"
"What do you think?"
She saw that his stomach didn't want to work anymore.
Shao Chengze smiled. "Now that you mention it, I am rather hungry."
Cheng Jinlan looked at his neat and tidy hair, and wanted to mess it up mischievously, but her hand eventually landed on his neck, straightening his suit collar. "Aren't you hot?" He was dressed too formally today.
"I'm fine."
"It's still early to meet my parents. Who are you dressing up for? Take off your jacket first, I'm tired just looking at you."
"Help me take it off."
...
Cheng Jinlan still couldn't help herself and messed up his hair into a tangled bird's nest. She held his face in her hands and looked left and right. This was much more pleasing to the eye. Him being so formal made her a little nervous too.
Shao Chengze didn't mind his new hairstyle. "Do you prefer me with this hairstyle?"
"I don't like you no matter how you look," Cheng Jinlan removed the arm wrapped around her waist and walked into the kitchen. "Dumplings or clear noodle soup?"
"Hm?" Shao Chengze got up, took off his suit jacket, draped it on the sofa, and followed her into the kitchen.
"What do you want to eat?"
There was delight in Shao Chengze's eyes. "You're making it for me?"
Cheng Jinlan asked him again, "Which one do you want?"
Shao Chengze pushed his luck. "I want both."
Wanting both was not impossible either. Cheng Jinlan simply made dumpling noodle soup, which was easy enough. The dumplings and noodles were ready-made, just needing some leafy greens added in. She boiled it up in under ten minutes and the broth was well-balanced too. He didn't eat cilantro, so there was no need to garnish it.
Shao Chengze embraced her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. He seemed a little overwhelmed. "Why are you being so nice to me today?"
Cheng Jinlan's hand paused for a moment as Shao Chengze held her even tighter. "I'm not being nice to you. You probably don't know what you'll be facing tonight. My brother and his buddies will all be there today. Each of those guys can drink more than a normal person's share, and add some elders in the family who can also drink a lot, so be prepared to be forced to drink in turns."
Shao Chengze's chin gently nuzzled her soft neck. "Don't worry, I'm mentally prepared. Isn't it said that being plied with alcohol is something every son-in-law has to go through when meeting the in-laws? My alcohol tolerance is decent and I don't act out when drunk. The only downside is I tend to blackout when drunk."
Cheng Jinlan's hands stilled for a moment. Shao Chengze held her even tighter. "Miaomiao, I'm sorry I couldn't remember that night."
That was the night they had little Liqi, but he had always treated that night as a hazy dream, with no clear memories, yet also unwilling to forget.
Cheng Jinlan stared blankly at the oilseed rape in the bowl, her mind somewhat distracted. "You don't need to apologize. I didn't intend for you to remember back then either." Otherwise she wouldn't have endured the soreness to clean up the aftermath immaculately after that night.
"Alright, let's not talk about the past," Cheng Jinlan turned to look at him. "Weren't you saying you were hungry? The noodles will get mushy if you don't eat them soon."
Shao Chengze looked into her eyes, leaned in to wrap her lips in his, first biting them lightly, then showering them with delicate little pecks. Cheng Jinlan didn't close her eyes as usual, but looked at him quietly instead. Shao Chengze turned her shoulders so they faced each other, changing from a back hug to kissing face-to-face.
"Why aren't you closing your eyes?" he murmured ambiguously against her lips.
Cheng Jinlan panted lightly, stubborn defiance in her gaze. "You didn't close yours either."
Shao Chengze smiled against her lips, his warm breath caressing her face. Cheng Jinlan's long eyelashes fluttered rapidly a few times but she still didn't close her eyes. Shao Chengze's lips slowly traveled up along her pert nose, finally landing on her eyelids, first the left, then the right.
"Despicable," Cheng Jinlan bit down on his chin in retaliation, but didn't use any force, just lightly nipping it.
Shao Chengze lifted her by the waist forcefully, despicably having his way. In the end, the dumpling noodles became just dumpling soup, all the broth absorbed by the noodles.
Cheng Jinlan sat across from him, cradling her heated cheek in one hand, watching him eat with great relish. "Don't force yourself if you can't finish it."
Shao Chengze finished up the leftovers in three or two mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and gave his verdict. "The most delicious meal I've ever had."
Little Liqi had woken up from her nap and was standing in the living room, rubbing her eyes and looking for her mother. Cheng Jinlan first went to respond to her daughter, then mouthed to him, "A man's mouth is a lying ghost."
With the noodles and dumpling skins soaked until white, how could it possibly taste good?
Hearing her mother's voice, Little Liqi ran into the kitchen and saw her parents. Her eyes smiled into little crescent moons. Mama and Papa were whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Shao Chengze picked her up with one arm. "Baby, happy birthday."
Little Liqi responded softly, "Thank you, Papa." But looking at Papa's messy hair, she reached out and stroked it. "Papa, your hairstyle today is so cool!"
"Mama did it for me."
If Mama did it, then it was even cooler.
Little Liqi looked at her mother. "Mama, can you do a beautiful princess hairdo for me today?"
She was a girl, she had to have a very beautiful, very beautiful hairstyle, not a cool one.
"Of course, darling." Cheng Jinlan pinched her little cheek.
Cheng Jinlan led Little Liqi to do her hair and pick out clothes, while Shao Chengze cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes. Chatter and laughter, both loud and soft, floated out from the dressing room, blending with the sounds of running water in the kitchen, harmonious and melodious. Shao Chengze's lips quirked up gently, his eyes warm.
The birthday party decorations were handled by professionals. Following Little Liqi's wishes this year, the theme was a Frozen wonderland.
As soon as Little Liqi stepped into the yard, her eyes widened. The castle that had appeared was exactly the same as the one she had seen in the movie. As she ran towards the castle, she exclaimed to Grandma Fei and Grandpa Cheng on the stairs, "Grandma, Grandpa, isn't this just too beautiful?"
Seeing their granddaughter so happy made Fei Zuhui and Cheng Shanhe even happier. Cheng Jinlan went to her parents and said, "Dad, Mom, Shao Chengze is here, he's outside."
"If he's here let him in quickly, what's he doing waiting outside?" Fei Zuhui turned and called to housekeeper Qu, "Sister Qu, open all the doors, the guests will start arriving."
Cheng Shanhe gave a light snort. "He sure came early."
So Shao Chengze did come in, but was left sitting on the sofa for over ten minutes by Cheng Shanhe. When Cheng Jinchuan came back from work and saw him as soon as he entered, his brow furrowed, about to ask what he was doing coming so ridiculously early.
Shao Chengze stood up and said to Cheng Jinchuan, "Big brother, you're back."
...Damn him, with that one sentence he choked back all of Cheng Jinchuan's words.
Fei Zuhui kicked open Cheng Shanhe who was blocking the kitchen door, and brought out the tea herself. A quick show of dominance was enough, where was this leaving someone hanging about?
With the mistress out, Cheng Shanhe also came out and let his daughter out as well.
The courtyard was filled with Cheng Liqi's laughter and chatter, which contrasted with the rather grave atmosphere inside the house. Cheng Jinlan sat next to Shao Chengze, while Fei Zuhui sat in the middle seat on the sofa. Cheng Shanhe and Cheng Jinchuan sat opposite them, both with stern expressions on their faces, staring motionless at Shao Chengze.
Despite being stared at by four eyes, Shao Chengze remained composed. He brought out the things he had prepared beforehand and filled up the whole coffee table. For Fei Zuhui there was a set of jade ornaments, for Cheng Shanhe there was a genuine calligraphy work by an ancient calligrapher, and for Cheng Jinchuan there was a document, as well as gifts for her younger brother Cheng Lichuan and his wife Xu Yan's family.
Only Fei Zuhui accepted the box handed over by Shao Chengze with both hands. Cheng Shanhe and Cheng Jinchuan did not take them. Fei Zuhui opened the box to take a look, her smile deepened, and she said to Shao Chengze, "Thank you, Chengze, I really like it."
It wasn't that this set of jade ornaments was particularly valuable, but that he was able to find out her preferences rather than just randomly buying expensive gifts showed thoughtfulness. This was appreciated.
Cheng Shanhe looked even more displeased. Shao Chengze had given his wife so many gifts, yet he rarely heard her say she really liked them.
Cheng Jinchuan stared at the document in front of her somewhat puzzled. She could probably guess that the gift Shao Chengze gave to her father was some antique calligraphy, judging by the shape of the box. But she wondered what he meant by giving her this document. Driven by curiosity, she briefly flipped through it. It was a development plan for the L plot of land in Nancheng. It was written...in a rather meaningful way.
Shao Chengze took out another document and glanced at Cheng Jinlan before handing it to Cheng Shanhe with both hands. "Uncle, this is a share transfer agreement."
Cheng Shanhe didn't move, so Shao Chengze maintained his bent over posture. Under the coffee table, Fei Zuhui fiercely stomped on Cheng Shanhe's foot. Only then did Cheng Shanhe endure the muffled grunt in his throat and expressionlessly take it over.
What shares could a share transfer agreement transfer? It certainly wouldn't be his Shao clan shares. Cheng Shanhe flipped to the end and his brow quirked up. He asked Shao Chengze, "Are you serious?"
Shao Chengze nodded. "I've already signed it. As soon as Jinlan signs it, it can take effect immediately."
Cheng Shanhe stared at him, deep in thought. If he wasn't mistaken, Shao Chengze wanted to transfer half of the Shao clan shares currently in his name to his daughter Cheng Liqi.
"Will your family elders and the board of directors agree?"
"I can now call the shots at Shao clan."
"You know what this means?"
It meant that half of Shao clan would be surnamed Cheng, and Jinlan would have equal say to him at Shao clan.
Shao Chengze replied, "I know."
To him, it didn't matter whether the company was surnamed Shao or Cheng. What mattered was that she was by his side, along with their daughter Liqi.
Cheng Shanhe handed the document to Cheng Jinlan. Cheng Jinlan flipped halfway through then closed the document. She shook her head. "I don't agree."
Shao Chengze looked at her. Cheng Jinlan said to Cheng Shanhe, "There's no need."
There was no need to use these things to prove anything or provide assurance. She had her own career and didn't need to rely on him in any way. If she eventually acknowledged him, it would be acknowledging him as a person, not because of other irrelevant factors. She didn't want their relationship to be complicated by gains and losses. That would make things messy.
Cheng Jinchuan took the document and also quirked a brow when she read to the end. She suggested, "If Eldest Aunt doesn't want it, just transfer it to Liqi instead."
Men never trusted other men. Some things had to be taken even if unwanted. Since Shao Chengze wanted to be Liqi's father in name and status, he should demonstrate the appropriate sincerity.
Shao Chengze looked at Cheng Jinlan. Cheng Jinlan didn't speak.
Shao Chengze said softly, "That works too. In the end these things will be Liqi's anyway, it's just a matter of sooner or later."
Cheng Shanhe was quite satisfied with what he said. He picked up the tea in front of him and took a sip.
Cheng Jinlan looked into Shao Chengze's eyes and finally nodded.
A gentle light flowed in Shao Chengze's eyes. He hooked her little finger with his and a smile spread across his face.
Sitting on the side, Fei Zuhui's mouth quirked up as she watched their little interaction. She also picked up her tea and took a sip.
Cheng Liqi called from the courtyard, "Grandma, Little Uncle and Little Auntie, Duoduo and Stinky are here!"
Cheng Liqi's little uncle was Cheng Lichuan, a doctor at Yiyuan Shenwai Hospital. Her little aunt was Xu Yan, the CEO of an exhibition company. They had a pair of cute twin babies less than 6 months old, two soft and sticky little milk buns who would squint and smile at whoever they saw.
Before long, Shen Xi Wen arrived with Shen Chuqi, followed closely by Li Peifeng's car. Li Peifeng was feeling very complicated right now. He had already received a call from Cheng Jinchuan earlier saying not to make things easy for Shao Chengze today, but Shao Chengze was like a brother to Shen Xi Wen, who would become his sister-in-law in the future. He hadn't even successfully pursued his wife yet, so offending his future brother-in-law now would make his wife pursuit even harder. So as Li Peifeng wavered for about 3 seconds between supporting future brother-in-law and supporting good buddy Cheng Jinchuan, he finally decided to stand with the future brother-in-law.
Zhou An and Feng Nian were just there to watch the show and see if Cheng Jinchuan could display his might against this big brother-in-law today. Cheng Lichuan had surgery tomorrow so couldn't drink tonight.
So of Cheng Jinchuan's group of good buddies gathered today to get Shao Chengze drunk, only he and Shi Ran were really trying. But by the end, it wasn't Shi Ran and Cheng Jinchuan getting Shao Chengze drunk, but the two of them competing against each other to drink more.
Shao Chengze finally caught a breath, downed a cup of hot tea, and suppressed the alcohol buzz. Cheng Jinlan walked over, saw his flushed ears and somewhat pale complexion, and knew he must have been plied with quite a bit of alcohol.
Cheng Jinlan said to Cheng Jinchuan, "Brother, Dad is asking him over and he can't keep drinking with you."
Cheng Jinchuan and Shi Ran were still in the midst of their drinking competition and had no more attention to spare for Shao Chengze. Cheng Jinchuan waved his hand to signal them to take the man away, her dad wouldn't go easy on him.
Shao Chengze still looked fairly sober, just a bit unsteady when he got up. Cheng Jinlan held his hand and brought him to the kitchen, handing him a cup of honey water. "Are you ok? My dad called you over and you probably won't get to drink any less over there."
"I'm fine, I'm always fine." He accepted the cup, lowering his voice for the next sentence, his gaze meaningful.
Cheng Jinlan glared at him.
Shao Chengze downed the honey water in one go, put down the cup, and hugged her. "Don't worry, consider this early practice. Our wedding will definitely involve heavier drinking."
Cheng Jinlan kicked his leg. Who was "our" and getting married with him? "Go drink your alcohol."
He clearly hadn't been plied enough yet if he still had the mindset to tease.
As soon as Shao Chengze appeared, the Cheng clan's relatives and friends didn't need anything spelled out for them. This was clearly Liqi's father, their eyes were mirrors of each other.
Some couldn't resist gossiping. "How did Jinlan end up with someone from the Shao clan?"
Fei Zuhui subtly intercepted. "There's nothing wrong with the Shao clan. We can't implicate the younger generation over grievances between the previous generation. The two of them had misunderstandings before and were able to resolve them and reunite after so many years, it's also fate. What could be more important than the children's happiness?"
Someone else said, "The Shao clan still has messy dealings nowadays. Even if it's less than before, the old master is still around. Jinlan's days won't be easy if she marries in."
Fei Zuhui said, "The Shao clan is now led by Chengze, and he already bought a house right next to Jinlan. Even if they get married, it'll just be their family of three behind closed doors here. The old master won't be able to interfere."
Cheng Shanhe didn't introduce Shao Chengze, only had him sit next to him. This could be considered acknowledging his identity. The Cheng elders were excited at the prospect of a son-in-law coming to their door, especially from the Shao clan. What were they waiting for? Bring out the wine! It wasn't easy to become a Cheng clan son-in-law, let alone from the Shao clan.
At the children's table, Cheng Liqi took a bite of sweet cake and whispered to Shen Chuqi, "At my mom and dad's wedding, I'm going to be a flower girl."
Shen Chuqi's eyes lit up and she stopped her fork mid-bite of cake. "Me too, Cheng Liqi! I'll do it with you."
Yun Qi asked, "Xiao Liqi, when did your dad and mom get married?"
Cheng Liqi shook her head, "I don't know, but it will be soon."
Shen Chuqi was curious, "How do you know?"
Cheng Liqi replied, "Because my dad passed my grandfather's test. In fairy tales, the prince can be with the princess and start a happy life after passing the trials. "
Shen Chuqi said, "So your dad is moving to your house?"
Cheng Liqi took a bite of the cake and thought for a moment, "Yeah, my mom and I are here, of course my dad will move to our house."
Shen Chuqi looked at the cream on Cheng Liqi's face. She took some napkins from the table and handed them to her to wipe her face. Cheng Liqi took them and gave Shen Chuqi a sweet smile. Shen Chuqi rubbed her own nose and started eating the cake with her head down.
Shen Xi Wen looked at her shy little son's red ears and sighed deeply. Kids really grow up fast.
Cheng Liqi had a very happy birthday. After taking a bath, she lay in bed and even called her grandma to thank her for the birthday gift and red envelope. She really liked the gift.
Lv Siwei couldn't stop laughing on the phone. Time just got better and better every day. At this time last year, she was still worried that her son would be single for the rest of his life. This year, she had a sweet little granddaughter calling her grandma. She hoped her son wouldn't mess things up at his father-in-law's house today, so next year she could have another daughter-in-law.
Shao Chengze didn't mess things up, he just got dead drunk with his big uncle and his friends. He could still keep up appearances and politely decline a couple of drinks with them, but with his father-in-law right next to him, he had no choice but to keep up and drink whatever his father-in-law poured for him.
In a daze, someone took him to bed. His head was spinning and he just wanted to sleep, but his alcohol-flooded brain was still holding on to one thread of thought. He fumbled for his phone and pressed a few buttons before that thread relaxed. Smelling the familiar scent on the pillow, he fell asleep.
In the next bedroom, Cheng Liqi hugged the Barbie doll from her dad and also fell asleep sweetly. The Barbie doll was just a bonus, the main gift was the small box hanging from the Barbie's neck. Inside was a 10-carat pink diamond, but Cheng Liqi obviously preferred the Barbie doll more. To her, the diamond was just a rock.
Cheng Jinlan came out of the bathroom. Shao Chengze was leaning groggily against the headboard. Seeing her, he smiled and reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her onto the bed and into his arms. Looking into her eyes, he asked the question he'd been holding in for days, "Miao Miao, at the beach, when I wanted to propose, you seemed hesitant. Can you tell me what made you hesitate?"
Cheng Jinlan looked at his bleary eyes and knew he was still drunk. When he was seriously drunk, he would easily black out and forget everything from the night before. She didn't want to bring this up, he was drunk that night, and drunk again tonight, so he wouldn't remember anything that happened or was said tonight.
"You already proposed to me that night."
Shao Chengze's foggy gaze froze, something was frantically tugging at his nerves, and the fuzzy white mass that had existed in his brain for years began to slowly clear up.
"But you immediately took it back, saying the proposal didn't count."
She was still hesitating, but he had already retracted it. What he said was drunken rambling, but she took it seriously.
Shao Chengze grasped her hand, "Miao Miao, I remember now, I took it back because at the time--" I thought I was dreaming, I thought you had someone else in your heart, I thought you would definitely not agree, so I rejected myself first.
Cheng Jinlan leaned on his shoulder, cutting off his words, "It wasn't because of anything else, it was just because you were silly."
Shao Chengze agreed with her words, "I really was silly."
Otherwise, how could they have wasted so many years?
Shao Chengze moved to her ear, "Miao Miao, when I'm sober tomorrow, I'll ask again, will you agree?"
"We'll see," Cheng Jinlan closed her eyes and murmured vaguely, "Anyway, you won't remember anything you said tonight after waking up tomorrow. Go take a shower, you reek of alcohol. I'm tired and want to sleep."
Shao Chengze tucked the blanket around her and gently patted her shoulder, "Sleep."
The next morning when Cheng Jinlan woke up, the other side of the bed was already empty. There was an envelope on the pillow, with "To Miao Miao" written on it in his handwriting.
Cheng Jinlan sat up against the headboard and opened the letter. Though called a letter, it was more like a rambling stream of consciousness, pages and pages thick. Did he write all night? He said his language grades were poor, and it seemed he was right about that. It was just a plain recounting of their interactions from the very beginning until that night. Some things she had even forgotten until his ramblings brought those memories back to life.
And the things from that night, it seemed he did remember them. How could he remember something that was already forgotten after so many years, was there some scientific basis for that? As Cheng Jinlan looked at his writing, her ear tips grew hot. He didn't have to write in such detail.
Shao Chengze pushed the door open and came in. Seeing her reading the letter, he stopped at the door, looking a little awkward. This was the first time he had written a letter to a girl. He knew himself that it had no artistry at all, barely better than colloquial writing.
Cheng Jinlan couldn't bear to read to the end. She hastily folded the letter and stuffed it under her pillow, half annoyed and half angry, "How can you remember so clearly?"
Shao Chengze replied, "Because over the years, I would go over these things in my mind again and again, how could I not remember them clearly?"
He walked to the bedside, looking at her, and slowly knelt down on one knee, taking out a box from his pocket, "Miao Miao, I remember everything about our past clearly. Only that most important night has always been missing from my memory, that was the night I shouldn't have forgotten, and the night I made the most mistakes. Only today have I remembered everything. Proposing and then taking it back was probably the dumbest thing I've done in my life. At that time, I had no confidence at all in my place in your heart. I said it in my drunken state, but afraid you would reject me, I rejected myself first."
"So now you're not afraid of rejection anymore, certain that if you propose I'll agree, that's why you're proposing?"
"No, it's because I was silly back then, and smarter now. If you reject me, I'll just propose again."
Cheng Jinlan sat up straight, "How do you remember what happened last night?"
Shao Chengze explained, "I was afraid I would forget, so I turned on my phone's voice recorder before passing out."
...Might as well sell him off when he gets drunk.
Cheng Jinlan looked at the ring in the box, "How many rings have you prepared?"
Shao Chengze softly replied, "Many, I have to keep asking until you agree to marry me." He looked at her earnestly, "Miao Miao, marry me, give me a chance to make up for the seven years we missed in the second half of our lives, okay?"
Everything around them froze, only the clock on the wall ticked on, second hand and minute hand steadily circling round and round.
Cheng Jinlan spoke up, "Get rid of the rest of the rings."
Shao Chengze was stunned for a moment before slowly realizing the implication behind her words. He looked up at her as if in a dream, "Miao Miao, you agreed?"
Cheng Jinlan held out her left hand, "You have three seconds, if you don't get the ring on my finger in time, I'm taking it back."
She started counting down.
Shao Chengze immediately grabbed her hand and slid the ring onto her left ring finger. His breath hitched as the ring touched her finger, it slipped off course without going on. Cheng Jinlan had already counted to one, but she stopped and waited for the ring to settle on her finger before saying "one".
Shao Chengze gently kissed the ring on her hand, then stood up and hugged her tightly, "The ring is on, you can't take it back now."
Cheng Jinlan's hands slowly circled his waist.
Cheng Liqi, who had been hiding by the door, pushed it open and shouted, "Dad and mom are getting married! I get to be the prettiest flower girl at the wedding!"
Shao ChengZe and Cheng Jinlan were both frozen, not knowing how long she had been listening at the door.
Cheng LiQi ran to the bedside, climbed onto the bed, "Dad, I want to hug Mom with you too."
Shao ChengZe smiled helplessly, opening his arms, "Come in."
Cheng LiQi snuggled in front of Dad's chest, hugging Mom with Dad. She did not sit still and lost her balance. The three of them fell on the bed together. Cheng LiQi excitedly looked at Mom on the left and then at Dad on the right, "Dad, after you and Mom get married, I don't want to sleep alone anymore. I want to sleep with you like this every day, okay?"
Shao ChengZe: ...
Cheng Jinlan buried her face in the pillow and laughed out loud. Hearing Mom laugh, Cheng LiQi also giggled.
Shao ChengZe reached out and hugged the big and small ones to his chest. This was his whole world.
Sunlight shone through the curtains into the room, casting mottled shadows on the floor. The laughter in the room spread to the yard, and the sound of cicadas became more cheerful.
Time is fleeting, summer is long. At an age when you can still love, love bravely!
