581. After Marriage
As night fell, the guests began to disperse.
After settling the guests who had traveled a long way, Ning Chu, exhausted from a day packed with activities, dragged her tired self home. She couldn’t even be bothered to change out of her wedding dress and plopped down on the sofa like a pancake.
Yet, her spirit was still soaring, chattering away nonsensically, “I knew they’d get back together! Shao Qing said Wang Jie scurried off to the bunny’s room! Who knows, maybe we’ll see him all wobbly again tomorrow~”
“Honestly, having a wedding is the way to go, even if it’s exhausting! But it feels so great~”
“Hubby, hubby! How much cash did we get?! Let’s count it all! Are we breaking even?!”
Wen Yang, finally taking off his suit jacket and hanging it by the door, casually tossed his tie onto the shoe cabinet. Dressed only in a white shirt, he grabbed a big bag and sat beside Ning Chu.
“I did a rough count earlier; including the ones who couldn’t make it and those who transferred money online, it’s about over a hundred thousand.”
“That’s so little! Grandpa gave us fifty thousand!”
“Other folks chipped in three to five hundred at most – one thousand if we’re lucky.”
Ning Chu rolled over and snatched the bag, tearing it open to peek inside.
Those envelopes and stacks of cash made her eyes sparkle like little dollar signs.
“Let me count~” She took off her white silk gloves, her eyes crescent-mooning with delight as she ripped open the red envelopes, counting each one, “We probably even lost a few thousand! All my mom’s fault for insisting we get custom wedding dresses and suits; otherwise, we’d be just fine!”
“The custom ones look great.”
Especially Ning Chu’s wedding dress, which hugged her upper body perfectly, pure white and flawless – innocent yet enticing.
Unfortunately, the dress was pricey, so it would have to serve as a keepsake. Occasionally wearing it for some photos would do.
“What are you staring at? Come help me count, and we’ll deposit this at the bank tomorrow.”
Ning Chu could feel his gaze roaming all over her, and when she looked up in annoyance, she caught Wen Yang with his slightly dazed eyes, staring intently at her chest, his eyelids hinting at a rosy glow.
Her cheeks flushed as she quickly looked down, mumbling, “Mom’s coming soon.”
In the formality of the wedding, the dress had been fine, gorgeous even, but in private, with just the two of them, it made her feel a little… exposed.
It was practically like lingerie…
With her cleavage peeking out, her shoulders and collarbone were completely bared to the air, and because she wanted to look good, she hadn’t even worn a bra—just some tape to keep things from getting scandalous.
Her curves were wonderfully defined in the wedding dress, every inch of exposed skin clinging to it, with the fabric near her stomach being semi-transparent, hinting at her skin tone and even revealing her tiny belly button.
Wen Yang had drunk quite a bit but wasn’t drunk; his self-control, however, was evidently weakened tonight.
He couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her delicate waist, his warm palms pressing against her through the sheer wedding dress, and in an instant, Ning Chu felt her knees turn to jelly.
“Don’t mess around~”
Wen Yang’s heavy, warm breath brushed against Ning Chu’s ear, sending a wave of heat through her sensitive earlobes.
So! It wasn’t the succubus’s fault!
This guy was more tempted than any succubus out there!
Ning Chu soon gave up resisting, curling up in Wen Yang’s embrace, her eyes half-closed and humming contentedly while cash spilled all around them without her noticing.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
“!!!”
She found a burst of energy and pushed Wen Yang away, frantically fixing her disheveled wedding dress and sitting up straight.
Wen Yang sighed in frustration, stood up, and opened the door: “Mom.”
Her mother, along with Black Bean, stood outside holding several bags.
“I was right behind you, just a few minutes late, and you had to close the door…” Her mother paused in mid-sentence, sniffing the air. A glance around the room, and she immediately guessed what had just happened inside.
A coy smile spread across her face as she teased, “In such a hurry, huh? Should I come back tomorrow?”
Wen Yang awkwardly chuckled, “Mom, come in for a second.”
“It’s nothing big.”
Her mother set down her bags, “Some guests brought gifts, remember to take the cash with you when you leave, okay?”
“Make sure to keep an inventory of these; you’ll need to return the favors.”
“And don’t forget the final payments for the wedding company and restaurant; I covered those for you.”
She shot a glance at the daughter hiding behind the sofa, back turned and showing only the back of her head, then cheerfully took Black Bean’s hand, “Just this little bit? You two carry on; Ning Xin and I will head home.”
Young people are really something! After being exhausted these days planning the wedding, barely pausing for a moment, and still not having changed out of the wedding dress, they can’t help but get all hot and bothered.
“How about I leave you something to eat?”
“We’re leaving, we’re leaving, don’t want to ruin your newlywed night~”
Once Wen Yang waved goodbye to his mother and Black Bean, he let out a sigh of relief. But that little scare wiped his earlier mood right out.
He returned to the sofa and picked up the scattered bills, muttering in dismay, “Mom is something else; this could’ve waited until tomorrow.”
“Exactly…”
Ning Chu mumbled, continuing to huddle on the sofa, counting the cash. “Are you hungry?”
“A little; I didn’t even have time for a few bites.”
“Me too… I’m afraid if I eat too much, my belly will stick out.”
“I’ll whip up some midnight snacks for you; how about dumplings? Mom’s last batch is still here.”
Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Oh my! Shao Qing gave us a red envelope with a whole ten thousand!”
“Seriously?”
“Rich kid status! Lending us a fancy car too~”
Ning Chu made a note about Zhang Shaoqing, “When it’s his turn to get hitched, we’ll remember this… oh, hey, where’s Qian Qian? She didn’t even show up! What’s going on with those two? They’ve got no shortage of money or houses but are still not married?”
Wen Yang leaned back against the sofa, looking down at his wife busy taking notes, “How should I know? Why do you keep track of this so closely?”
“Just in case we owe it later… Do you think I’m just a money-grubber who knows only how to count?”
As she said this, her eyes sparkled with glee, joking, “In just half a year, we’ll be having a baby! We can throw another party~ And get another wave of gifts!”
“Then it’s a birthday party, a graduation party… hey, we could’ve celebrated when we bought the house and moved, such a pity.”
Wen Yang gave her a playful tap on the head, “And you say you’re not a money-grubber.”
“Hubby, for our wedding anniversary, do we celebrate the day we got our marriage certificate or the wedding day itself?”
“Both! I’ll go make dumplings for you.”
“Then I’ll clean up a bit.”
The place was a total wreck; during the bridal procession, a horde of people had trampled through, leaving a mess in their wake. Footprints were clear as day on the tile floor, and it was driving her nuts.
All those balloons and decorative stick-ons used for the bridal chamber needed to be packed away too, along with the large crimson bedding and sheets that had been rolled around by a gaggle of kids, supposedly a ‘tradition,’ but Ning Chu found it a bit disgusting.
“Wifey! Eat first; I’ll tidy up later.”
Dumplings were served up quickly, and Wen Yang called out loudly.
“Coming!” Ning Chu sprinted into the dining room, mouth agape, “Ah~”
“Come on, you’re grown up now, and still need me to feed you?”
She leaned her head on Wen Yang’s shoulder, her brows curving happily into a crescent shape.
“What are you laughing about?” Wen Yang puzzled, dipping the dumpling in ketchup and shoving the whole thing into her mouth, mumbling, “Never seen anyone eat dumplings with ketchup, only you’re that weird.”
With her cheeks stuffed full, Ning Chu puffed out her cheeks and mumbled incoherently.
“What are you saying? You’re babbling, I can’t hear a word, swallow and then talk.”
“I asked if your dumplings are cooked yet!”
“They should be? Let me check…”
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Here’s the first update for today, off to battle with Lu Bu!