Chapter 65

Yu Xiangnian still looked as beautiful as ever, and Cheng Jingmo even thought she seemed more attractive than before.

She was dressed in a white princess dress, with her hair softly curled and flowing. Her fair skin and this attire made her look like a princess from a foreign movie Cheng Jingmo had seen.

Yu Xiangnian gave him a sidelong glance with her affectionate and charming eyes and said coldly, “You’re here.”

She didn’t use any form of address, but it was the first time she had taken the initiative to greet him.

After dinner, Yu Jiashun and Zhao Ruozhu spoke with him privately, asking if he had someone he liked.

Cheng Jingmo shook his head. “No.”

Zhao Ruozhu asked, “What do you think of Nian Nian?”

He couldn’t answer. His feelings were too complicated and constantly shifting.

Admiration, dislike, curiosity, reluctance, fear…

Seeing his hesitation and the complexity of his feelings, Zhao Ruozhu smiled and said, “Let’s be straightforward. We want to marry Nian Nian to you. Would you be willing to marry her?”

Cheng Jingmo honestly replied, “I don’t know.”

He had thought about this question ever since he realized the intentions of Yu Xiangnian’s parents, but he had never come up with an answer.

“Do you have someone you want to marry? Or have you thought about what type of person you’d like to marry?”

“No.”

He hadn’t even considered marriage until he realized Yu Xiangnian’s parents’ intentions, and then he only thought about whether Yu Xiangnian might marry him.

Zhao Ruozhu said, “Since you don’t have someone you like or a specific type in mind, you might as well consider Nian Nian. Nowadays, people often get married after meeting a few times. True understanding and feelings often develop after marriage.”

“Nian Nian’s temper can be a bit rough, but she’s not bad at heart. As her parents, we just want to find someone we can trust to be with her. You might think we’re selfish, making you, such an excellent young man, marry this capricious young lady. But parents are always selfish when it comes to their children.”

“But don’t worry, even if you don’t want to marry her, we won’t force you. Just consider this as if it never happened, and don’t feel any psychological burden. Neither I nor Mr. Yu are that kind of people…”

“I am willing to marry her,” Cheng Jingmo said calmly.

“Huh?” Yu Jiashun and Zhao Ruozhu were momentarily stunned into silence.

After a while, Zhao Ruozhu, feeling emotional, said, “Of course, if you find that you are truly incompatible after marriage, you can propose a divorce. We won’t force you.”

Cheng Jingmo said, “I will take good care of her. As long as she doesn’t make any fundamental mistakes, I won’t divorce her. I will take care of her for a lifetime.”

He still couldn’t understand why he agreed to marry Yu Xiangnian so quickly.

Was he gambling?

Anyway, since he didn’t have anyone he wanted to marry, at least Yu Xiangnian had appeared in his dreams multiple times…

Zhao Ruozhu suddenly had tears in her eyes. She wiped her damp eyes and said, “I knew it. I wouldn’t misjudge someone!”

A month later, Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangnian got married.

*

Yu Xiangnian came back wearing two hats, a silk scarf around her neck, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, and two small boxes in the other.

She happily placed the items on the table. “These are gifts from Qiu Yang for everyone.”

She picked up a bottle of wine and shook it. “Dad, this is for you. It’s red wine, which helps soften blood vessels and prevent heart disease!”

Yu Xiangyang scoffed, “Drinking wine can cure diseases? Who are you fooling?”

She then took the silk scarf and tied it around Zhao Ruozhu. “Mom, this is a silk scarf. Later, I’ll teach you a few different ways to tie it. It looks good with dresses and clothes.”

Yu Xiangyang said, “This stingy person, buying such a small piece of fabric that doesn’t even cover the neck, will it keep you warm?”

Yu Xiangnian shot him a look. “It’s a silk scarf, not a scarf. If you don’t understand, don’t speak!”

She pointed to the two hats and said, “These are for the elder brother and the second brother. Western cowboy hats. They look so cool when worn!”

Yu Xiangyang said, “Tch, it’s just a straw hat. Big Brother’s factory makes them; no need for him to bring them!”

Yu Xiangnian helplessly said, “Yu Xiangyang, stop talking so much. Have a drink of water.”

Yu Xiangyang looked at the two small boxes and asked, “I’m not thirsty. What are those?”

“These are for me—sheep oil and perfume. The sheep oil is great for moisturizing your face!”

Yu Xiangyang disdainfully curled his lip, “Can it be as good as the moisturizing oil produced in our country?”

Yu Xiangnian went expressionless, “Yu Xiangyang, can you keep your mouth shut?”

Yu Xiangyang looked at the table, seeing that everything had been introduced. He mentally cursed, “Damn Qiu Yang, really didn’t bring anything for me!”

Yu Xiangnian deliberately waited a few minutes before slowly pulling something out of her pocket. “Oh! I almost forgot. This is for you.”

She handed it to Yu Xiangyang, whose eyes lit up for a moment, but he turned his face away and feigned disdain. “What’s this? Looks like a clay figurine!”

“It’s a Western cowboy toy. See, it can be disassembled and assembled.”

Yu Xiangnian demonstrated, taking apart the toy’s arms, legs, and head.

Yu Xiangyang grabbed it, “This is for me! Why are you taking it apart?”

Yu Xiangnian said, “I thought you didn’t care, so I was going to keep it for myself.”

“You’re not keeping the cowboy hat?”

Cheng Jingmo observed the expressions of Yu’s family.

Yu Jiashun and Zhao Ruozhu showed pleased smiles, Yu Xiangguo and Yu Xianghua also tried on the hats, and Yu Xiangyang played with the toy, reluctant to let go.

Yu Xiangnian sprayed some perfume on her wrist, smelled it, and raised her eyebrows in satisfaction.

Cheng Jingmo felt uncomfortable.

Even if he spent everything he had, he couldn’t buy these things.

When dinner was over, Yu Jiashun asked Yu Xiangyang to open the wine, saying that since the whole family was present, everyone should have a taste.

A bottle of wine was gone after everyone had poured themselves a small glass.

Cheng Jingmo usually never drank, only tasting a little during gatherings with fellow soldiers.

This was his first time seeing red wine; the color was quite nice, and it had a faint wine aroma.

Everyone raised their glasses and took a small sip.

Except for Yu Xiangnian, everyone’s expressions were similar—tight-lipped with scrunched faces.

Yu Xiangyang took a sip and complained, “This grape wine is no match for the corn or sorghum wine made in our country!”

Cheng Jingmo felt the wine was both astringent and sour, with a hint of bitterness.

He internally agreed with Yu Xiangyang’s comment.

Only Yu Xiangnian, after tasting, had a satisfied smile on her face.

In that moment, Cheng Jingmo felt that the sour, astringent, and bitter sensation had spread to his very core.

He couldn’t even taste the food properly; the entire meal was overshadowed by that sour and bitter feeling.

The difference between him and Yu Xiangnian wasn’t just status—it was also experience…