The day after New Year's Eve, Lin Fangyu invited Shu to go to a tea house to play mahjong along with a few other female classmates. She emphasized repeatedly that Shu was not allowed to bring any male creatures, including her family's male dog.
Lin Fangyu's wedding was set for the day after tomorrow, the fifth day of the New Year, which also happened to be her birthday.
Shu was puzzled in her heart - someone who was about to become a bride still had time to play mahjong? But hearing the odd tone in Lin Fangyu's voice, she agreed first.
As soon as she hung up, a message from Bai Xuan'an followed: "Xiao Yu is having pre-wedding anxiety, and her state is not good. When you meet her, don't mention anything about marriage or pregnancy, not a single word. Act as you were before, please, please!"
Seeing Shu putting on makeup and changing clothes, Shen Youlin trotted over and snuggled up to her: "Going out? Will we still come back for lunch then?"
"I'm the one going out, not taking you with me."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Today is a sister gathering, and no spouses are allowed," Shu said as she sprayed perfume on her wrist. "Xiao Yu wants to enjoy her last bit of freedom before getting married."
Shen Youlin pouted: "Then why are you all dolled up!"
Today, Shu tried a Hong Kong-style retro makeup look, with red lips and big wavy hair, looking so glamorous that it was hard to take one's eyes off her.
"You have no antenna, you don't understand. When going out to play with girls, you have to look even better."
"Then wear your ring! Otherwise, I won't let you go out."
"No, it's too showy."
"Wear it, wear it~wear it~"
In the end, Shu couldn't resist his spoiled whining and put on her ring before leaving. She was worried that her sapphire ring was too flashy, but it turned out that Lin Fangyu's pigeon egg-sized ring was no less impressive.
Lin Fangyu insisted on not playing mahjong at the same table as Shu. Of the three people at Shu's table, Shu only had an impression of one of them, who was a high school classmate. However, they were not close back in school, and Shu had even forgotten her name until Lin Fangyu reminded her, and it took her a long time to recall.
With the buff of being a goldfish, playing mahjong was a piece of cake. She continuously self-drawn pure one-suit hands, which was just routine. To avoid winning too much, Shu intentionally played poorly.
After a few rounds of mahjong, the former classmate started making snide remarks: "Aiya, even wearing a fake ring can bring luck. You've really opened your eyes. I'll go buy one too when I get home."
Shu tossed her hair lightly and replied calmly: "If that's what you think, I can't help it."
"Hmph, buying fake goods to put on airs, you really think you're a dish!"
Shu: "It's normal for you to think that way."
Shu was pleased to see the former classmate's lips trembling, unable to speak from anger, silently marveling at how useful the two all-purpose phrases taught by Sister-in-law Shen were, with great killing power.
Human nature is like that, envious of the poor and afraid of the rich. Shu was too lazy to argue with her further.
After that, the former classmate continued to make snide remarks, but Shu just smiled and didn't say a word. She didn't self-drawn any more hands and focused on setting up hands for the former classmate to win. By the end of the afternoon, the former classmate left with a black face.
Lin Fangyu draped an arm around Shu's shoulder and sighed: "How can some people be so stubborn and refuse to believe!"
Shu shrugged: "A woman who wants to be strong for life."
Most people were in a hurry to go home to eat or cook, and only three people stayed for the hot pot dinner: Shu, Lin Fangyu, and Lin Fangyu's distant cousin.
As she ate, Lin Fangyu kept muttering: "Why are they all rushing to go home and cook? As if their whole family would starve to death if they didn't? They won't die from missing one meal, right?"
"After getting married, they become full-time cooks. During the New Year with dozens of people in the family, can't they find even one person who can cook?"
"Those with kids are even worse. A bunch of little bears, crying for daddy and mommy, making such a racket that could crack your head open. If I were the parent of those little bears, I would beat them three times a day..."
It seemed that this pre-wedding anxiety was quite severe.
Shu and Lin Fangyu's cousin just kept their heads down and ate in silence, only responding with a few words when Lin Fangyu asked them something.
After ranting about how those women lived without any sense of self, Lin Fangyu started criticizing the hot pot: "This hot pot place has gone downhill. The soup base has no flavor at all, and it's super spicy too, even more spicy than Lao Gan Ma."
Shu nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes."
In fact, she had slipped the owner a red packet to have the kitchen prepare a special soup base for pregnant women.
Lin Fangyu raised her hand: "Waiter, bring us a Coke, and make it iced!"
Shu's eyes twitched, signaling to the waiter that this wasn't allowed. Fortunately, the waiter was quick-witted and told Lin Fangyu: "Sorry, we're out of Coke. Would soy milk be okay? Or we can bring you some fresh-squeezed juice. Our corn juice is very good."
Shu gave the waiter a thumbs-up in secret.
"You're fooling me, right? Isn't that Coke in the fridge over there? I just saw it!"
Shu covered her face: "Be good, we're not drinking Coke."
"No, I want to drink it!"
"I'll buy you a bag."
"...The new LV one!"
"OK~"
After some freshly squeezed corn juice was served, they finally managed to finish the hot pot dinner peacefully. Shu thought they could go home after that, but Lin Fangyu suddenly had another idea.
"It's only eight o'clock. Let's go sing karaoke!"
Lin Fangyu's cousin had a curfew at home, so she hurried back, leaving just the two of them.
Shu whispered to her: "Go call your brother-in-law to come quickly. This pregnant lady is too wild, I can't handle her."
The young girl nodded and scurried away like she was escaping.
Shu and Lin Fangyu went to the biggest and most luxurious KTV in the county. Shu stopped Lin Fangyu from ordering and ordered a fruit platter and snacks herself, along with a small private room.
As soon as they entered the room, Lin Fangyu started going crazy. She took off her jacket, grabbed the microphone, and started jumping: "Avicii ~ Let's get high ~"
"The night is so beautiful, though so dangerous, some stay up with dark circles under their eyes ~"
"Love until death, anything less than passion is unsatisfying..."
"I am me, a firework of a different color..."
"Hoping for my frenzy, also hoping for my loneliness, wanting me human-like, also wanting me frivolous and vile..."
Watching her jumping around, Shu's heart ached.
"Ahhhhh—"
Lin Fangyu suddenly let out a shrill scream, threw the microphone away, and covered her face as she broke down crying.
Shu hugged her shuddering shoulders: "It's okay, it's okay..."
"It will never be okay...They don't want me anymore, they want children and a wife, but not me..."
"Even my parents said I should think more about the child...With this lump of flesh in my belly, I'm not even myself anymore..."
"I'm so scared, I saw those videos of women giving birth, and I dream about dying in the delivery room, my belly cut open...All that blood..."
Lin Fangyu cried heart-rendingly, and Shu's heart ached as well. She hadn't expected Lin Fangyu's anxiety and fear to be this severe.
"Have you talked to Bai Xuan'an about all this?"
Still sobbing in Shu's arms, Lin Fangyu said, "No...No."
"Dear, you need to communicate properly with him, and you also need to see a professional psychologist, with him accompanying you."
