630. Bridesmaid
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In the bedroom on the third floor of her grandfather’s house, Lin Nan sat in front of the dressing table, slightly furrowing her brows at her reflection in the mirror.
Ever since Liu Xuefei became her grandfather’s daughter-in-law and Lin Nan’s little aunt-in-law, the third-floor bedroom had received a few enthusiastic furniture upgrades from her grandfather, all to show his sincerity in keeping Liu Xuefei around—despite the fact that she barely visited all year.
But what could he do? The old man was afraid that if Liu Xuefei ran off, he’d never see his little granddaughter again. After all, she was the only one who had such poor judgment as to pick Wu Guodong!
Liu Xuefei stood next to Lin Nan, carefully applying various cosmetics to her face.
With each brush stroke on her skin, Lin Nan’s heart raced, her hands clenched and arms dangled stiffly, lips pursed as she widened her eyes at her increasingly radiant self in the mirror.
“By the way, what are you doing for work now? I heard you became a teacher?” Liu Xuefei asked, still diligently working away.
“Still a teacher—I’m at the tutoring center run by my high school class teacher,” Lin Nan replied.
“Oh, is that through connections?”
Lin Nan pouted. Ever since Liu Xuefei’s seniority status jumped, her comments had grown a lot more annoying.
Connections? More like smart resource management! She was nearly the star English teacher at the tutoring center within just a few months!
Street vending wasn’t stable, so her class teacher didn’t want to teach anymore, but after considering Lin Nan’s mother, he finally scraped together some money, did a little vending, and opened a college entrance examination tutoring class. The class teacher was thriving once again, and by the end of the year, they had over a hundred stable students.
After a bit of playful banter, Lin Nan felt her nerves begin to ease.
She glanced at the clock—it was already 2 PM.
“Makeup’s done!”
Liu Xuefei stretched and suddenly lifted Lin Nan’s short-sleeve shirt, exposing a large expanse of creamy skin, which shocked Lin Nan into a shiver as she jumped up, quickly pulling her shirt down, looking utterly terrified.
“Time to change into the wedding dress! Can you do it alone?”
“Don’t scare me!” Lin Nan pouted. “You go outside first. Let me put the dress on, then you can come help me.”
Liu Xuefei laughed, “What are you shy about~”
Lin Nan shot her a look, and Liu Xuefei giggled as she dashed out of the room.
Left alone in the room, Lin Nan stood up from the dressing table and turned to look at the wedding dress neatly laid out on the bed.
She was getting married and holding a wedding…
They’d gotten the marriage certificate months ago, but the wedding was today.
She didn’t know how many times she’d sighed about it, yet Lin Nan still let out a long breath, feeling as though it was all a dream.
Somehow, she and Chen Yao had come this far, and she wasn’t sure how to describe her current feelings. Happy? Excited? Nervous? A bit of everything, maybe. But beyond those emotions lay confusion and a hint of fear about the life that awaited her.
I’m still just a kid, why am I getting married?
When she first started embracing her femininity, she swore she’d never like boys.
And here she was, about to tie the knot!
Soon, she’d even have a child. She might even become a housewife along the way.
If it weren’t for the support of her own mother and Chen Yao’s parents, she and Chen Yao wouldn’t have reached here so smoothly. But smooth was smooth, and Lin Nan knew she couldn’t say things like “I don’t want kids” or “I dislike children” anymore.
Getting the marriage license felt meaningless—like receiving a diploma without a graduation ceremony.
But the wedding made her suddenly realize that after today she’d have the responsibilities of a wife to shoulder, completely leaving her mother’s side, and starting a little family with Chen Yao, responsible for that household.
Other girls born in the ’00s were either still in university or just stepping into the workforce, blissfully clueless, while she felt like she’d been kidnapped by Chen Yao!
After a little struggle, she finally squeezed into the wedding dress, which had cost Chen Yao’s parents a pretty penny and fit her like a glove.
She touched the matching white hair accessory, wrinkling her nose; she rarely wore such decorations and felt a bit out of place with the extra weight on her head.
The dress wasn’t elaborately fancy, nor did it accentuate her figure. Except for the off-the-shoulder design showcasing her collarbone, it covered her entirely. The white lace gown flared out from the waist and cascaded to the floor—she felt like a princess.
Just the thought of walking around with the train dragging on the ground made Lin Nan feel a bit guilty.
So pricey!
“Come in!” Lin Nan called up cheerfully.
Liu Xuefei dashed into the room, adjusting Lin Nan’s gown, and moments later, her mother entered, dressed in a sleek ladies’ suit, standing beside the wardrobe and gazing at Lin Nan with an expression full of mixed emotions.
Who would have thought that the little girl playing in the mud back in the countryside would grow into such a lovely lady?
Years of debt to Lin Nan could never quite be repaid. Though they seemed to have a good relationship in front of outsiders, she knew there lingered a slight barrier between them.
Lin Nan noticed the look in her mother’s eyes and turned back, smiling, “Mom, why aren’t you busy? Just watching me?”
“After today, you’ll be part of Chen Yao’s family.”
“No way!” Lin Nan said, adjusting her dress alongside Liu Xuefei while teasing her mother, “It’s 2020, how are you still so old-fashioned?”
Her mother forced a faint smile, watching Lin Nan prepare to marry into another family without showing much sadness.
“From now on, Chen Yao will take care of you.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?” Lin Nan murmured.
The wedding dress was soon adjusted perfectly, and adding the necklace and earrings, the sparkling gems adorned Lin Nan, showcasing her elegance and grace.
Just as she was ready, a car honked from downstairs. Her mother turned and exited the room, while Liu Xuefei hurried to the balcony to peek down. Squinting her eyes, she rushed back to lock the bedroom door.
But when she turned back, she found two girls in long dresses had appeared beside Lin Nan out of nowhere.
She hesitated for a moment but quickly accepted the now sudden bridesmaids and commanded, “Li Na, Li Lisi, stay with Lin Nan while I handle the outside!”
“If Chen Yao doesn’t cough up enough cash today, I’m not worthy of this bridesmaid gig!” Liu Xuefei grinned mischievously, turning to unlock the door again.
Lilith, dressed in the same outfit as Li Na, flashed a smile at the bewildered Lin Nan, walked over, and locked the door again. Leaning back against it with her arms crossed, she gave Lin Nan an amused look.
“Seriously? Getting married without telling me? You owe today to all my hard work, you know!” Lilith wore an arrogant smirk. “Now pass me some cola! It’s been ages since I got my cat-fix!”
Lin Nan chose to ignore her and turned to Li Na, her eyes full of questions.
“Lilith’s idea,” Li Na said smoothly, sitting beside Lin Nan. “We’re here to be your bridesmaids. Aren’t you moved?”
“Not at all.”
