Chapter 20: Pretending to Be Drunk

When Lin Qiao was at the hospital, she noticed that the old man was not very satisfied with Ji Ze’s partner, or rather, he was not happy with Ye Minshu bringing Ji Ze’s partner along. At that time, she suspected it had something to do with her. Later, when she confirmed that she was engaged to Ji Duo, she looked back and realized that either the old man was genuinely dissatisfied with Song Jing or he thought Ye Minshu was too hasty, as if he would find a daughter-in-law for his grandson that she didn’t approve of. So when the guest list was drawn up, the Ji family didn’t invite the Song family, which didn’t surprise Lin Qiao.

After all, when they met at the tailor shop, Xu Li’s attitude had already explained a lot. What surprised her was that although the Song family was not on the invitation list, Song Jing still appeared.

The young woman was dressed very smartly today, in a white shirt and suit pants, shedding her student look and taking on a professional woman’s appearance. As soon as she appeared, many people present remembered the previous rumors, and their eyes, curious or teasing, fell on the Ji family members.

However, the Ji family’s eyes were all on Ye Minshu, especially the old man and Ji Duo, whose expressions were unreadable.

The most shocked were Ji Jun and Ji Ze. One was at work, the other in the army, and although they came to the wedding with Ye Minshu, their relationship was still strained. So they didn’t know that Ye Minshu had already confessed to the old man about the fake engagement and thought she had invited the Song family.

Ye Minshu was at a loss for words. She had just made a big mistake with the old man, so how could she dare to invite the Song family at this time?

Moreover, she found Song Jing to pretend to be Xiao Ze’s partner to break off Lin Qiao’s childhood engagement. Now that Lin Qiao was marrying the second son, was there still a need to tie them together?

Lost in her thoughts, Ye Minshu was still trying to figure out how to explain to the old man and Ji Jun when the person walked up to her, causing her to lose her usual sharpness. She couldn’t just leave them hanging, so Xu Li sighed and was about to remind her when Lin Qiao, smiling, stepped forward. “Look at me. I was so busy with everything that I forgot. Welcome, welcome, come sit here. There’s a spot. My mom didn’t come today.” Warmly and thoughtfully, she led her to the main table, taking responsibility even though she hadn’t made the guest list.

If Song Jing really had something with Ji Ze, it wouldn’t be her fault as a new aunt. If not, it wouldn’t be her fault either.

Moreover, the Ji family had only invited six tables of guests and clearly hadn’t invited Song Jing. Those quick-witted enough should be able to figure out something…

Xu Li held back her words, and Ji Yan glanced at the just-recovered Ye Minshu.

With such psychological quality and skill, why worry that she would be upset by Lin Qiao? It was a needless concern.

On the other hand, Song Jing didn’t show much change in expression and smiled apologetically, “I just came by for a bit. I have to go back to school soon.” She took out a red envelope and said, “This is a small token from me, wishing you and Little Uncle a long and happy marriage and many children.”

Seeing Lin Qiao accept it with a smile, she then went to the main table and leaned over to ask Ji Ze, “Are you going to the class reunion next month?”

Thinking Ye Minshu invited her, Ji Ze felt awkward and embarrassed, sitting there without moving. But he couldn’t show a bad attitude towards Song Jing. When she asked, he tried to sound as natural as possible: “When is it?”

“At the end of next month, Mr. Wang is retiring, and everyone wants to treat him to a meal.”

Mr. Wang was their high school homeroom teacher, who had helped many students with extra classes when the college entrance exam was reinstated. Ji Ze couldn’t not go, “Alright, let me know the time.”

“I’ll call you then.” Song Jing smiled and gestured by tapping her ear before saying goodbye to some familiar elders and leaving.

As soon as she left, Ye Minshu breathed a sigh of relief. But then she felt annoyed, not understanding why Song Jing came to give a gift, causing her trouble. But Song Jing had grown up under her watch, and she had always liked her. She probably had a good relationship with Xiao Ze and felt it was inappropriate not to come to his uncle’s wedding. Besides, she was sitting close and must have heard them talking about the class reunion.

However, explaining this to Ji Jun later would be a hassle, giving Ye Minshu a headache. She unconsciously took several large sips of her drink.

After toasting, Lin Qiao was also coaxed into drinking three more sips.

Since they were all juniors, Ji Duo’s comrades and colleagues were seated a bit further back. Among the green military uniforms at the table, there were several familiar faces to Lin Qiao. Having been roped into helping before, these people finally had a chance to get back at her, urging her to drink.

“Sister-in-law, you’re as brave as any man; have another one!”

“Right, right, we helped you tidy up the new house; we can’t do it for nothing!”

Some even joked about checking her glass, “You’re not drinking water, are you?” Ji Duo, hearing this, took Lin Qiao’s glass and drank it all, placing the empty glass in front of him.

The person smelled it and indeed found it had alcohol. If it was water, why would he help his wife drink it? The doubts were dispelled, and the teasing continued.

Only Lin Qiao, without a word, gave the man a look.

With his thick eyebrows and big eyes, this man had a stern look that didn’t match his playful demeanor. She hadn’t expected him to be so good at pretending. Just now, she had swapped the wine for water, and quite a bit of it. Yet he still helped her drink it, probably wanting to drink less himself.

Sure enough, after a few more glasses, the man spoke less, and his expression grew colder. Seeing this, a few older ones quickly called a stop, “Alright, alright, don’t get him really drunk. Sister-in-law is in a hurry.”

Seeing Ji Duo sitting there without moving, a few people helped him up and handed him over to Lin Qiao.

This tall, long-legged man was too much for Lin Qiao’s small frame to handle, and she was really worried he might be drunk. But as soon as they were out of sight of the green uniforms, the man, who had been heavy, stood up straight, “I’m going to wash my face.” His eyes were clear, and his voice was steady, showing no signs of drunkenness.

Lin Qiao realized she had worried for nothing. With this man’s level of skill, it would take those guys a few more years to outplay him.

Sure enough, as soon as they left, those guys continued drinking among themselves and ended up quite drunk. When they left, they had to be supported, their tongues thick, and they kept inviting Ji Duo to drink again when he returned to the army after his wedding leave.

Lin Qiao didn’t have the heart to say that if they drank again, they would probably be no match for Ji Duo.

After seeing them off and returning, she found that Ye Minshu had also drunk too much at the main table. She was sitting there with red eyes, lost in thought.

Her sister-in-law asked her several times, but she didn’t respond, so she called Ji Jun, “You should take her home first.”

Ji Jun was still angry and hadn’t spoken much to Ye Minshu throughout the wedding. But seeing her on the verge of tears, he knew it was bad luck for the eldest sister-in-law to cry at the second son’s wedding. If she said something inappropriate, it would make things even worse. He could only help her up with a stern face, “Dad, Mom, Sis, Ji Duo, and Xiao Qiao, we’re leaving now.” As he stood up, he glanced at his son, Ji Ze.

Ji Ze didn’t move, “I’ll stay and help clean up. I’ll return to the army after we’re done.”

This made Ye Minshu’s eyes even redder, and Ji Jun quickly called for a taxi.

As soon as they got home, he put her on the sofa, “What are you doing on Ji Duo’s big day?”

Hearing this, Ye Minshu hugged his neck and cried, “Ji Jun, Ji Jun, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong…”

“You know you were wrong, yet you still invited her to upset Dad!” Ji Jun was about to push her away, but Ye Minshu held on tighter, “How would I know Xiao Jing would come? I already admitted to Dad about the fake engagement and begged for his forgiveness. How could I be so stupid to invite the Song family?”

“It wasn’t you who invited them?” Ji Jun was taken aback.

“You haven’t been home for over ten days, would I dare?” Ye Minshu said pitifully, “You don’t know how scared I was these days with you not home and Xiao Ze in the army. I had to lock the door twice at night, and the neighbors laughed at me…” She clutched Ji Jun’s sleeve, “Brother, I really know I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me.”

That night, after the lights were out, the old man couldn’t help but talk to Xu Li about their eldest son, “Once he goes back, the eldest daughter-in-law cries and begs, and they’ll probably be fine again.”

“Do you really want your son and daughter-in-law to be unhappy forever and get divorced quickly?” Xu Li laughed.

“It would be better if the eldest had that kind of resolve.”

Actually, he was just saying that. After all, Ye Minshu had given the Ji family Ji Ze and Ji Ling. Even for the sake of the children, they couldn’t just get divorced.

“Forget it. If they are fine, they are fine. We can’t control it. I just hope the eldest learns a lesson. If the eldest daughter-in-law causes trouble again, he should think of the second son and Qiao Qiao and not be foolish.”

“Speaking of Lin Qiao,” Xu Li’s voice had a smile, “People who came today were all of some status. I was worried Qiao Qiao wouldn’t handle it well, but she was more gracious than anyone. Several people praised her to me. The second son, that ice block, even secretly asked me to put water in her wine glass while she was in the restroom.”

“Really? I didn’t notice that,” the old man said. Hearing Xu Li’s confirmation, he pondered, “Maybe letting Qiao Qiao be with the second son was a good thing.”

“Yes, the second son wasn’t like this when he was young.”

Talking about this inevitably brought up some bad memories, and the old man didn’t continue, “Do you think the Song family knows about the rumors the eldest daughter-in-law spread?”

“They probably know,” Xu Li said uncertainly.

“If they know and don’t want to distance themselves from us, why let their daughter come to the wedding?”

If it were their family, they would never let someone come, as it would confirm her relationship with Xiao Ze. If Ye Minshu had slandered their family like this, they might have turned against her. A good girl suddenly has a fiancé and a wedding approaching; how would she get married in the future?

Xu Li thought for a moment, “Maybe the Song family head has taken a liking to our Xiao Ze. After all, they grew up together.”

The old man shook his head, “It’s hard to say. The Song family is very calculating. They had many setbacks in the past, and it only stopped after their leader fell.”

Xu Li remembered, “When we met at the tailor shop, they were very enthusiastic about Qiao Qiao, asking Song Jing to get along well with her.”

She couldn’t help but turn over, “Do you think we should explain?”

“Explain what? If the Song family really has other intentions, no explanation will help. The eldest daughter-in-law can’t explain either. The Song family knows about Xiao Ze and Qiao Qiao.”

Thinking of this, the old man sneered, “She handed the handle to them herself and still thinks her son is smart.”

Seeing his wife tense, he reassured her, “It’s okay. Even if they have other intentions, they won’t easily talk about it. Offending us won’t do them any good. I’m getting older and can’t manage much. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the second son if he knows anything.”

In the new house in the front yard, Lin Qiao had already washed up and was sitting at the desk applying the skincare products Ji Duo brought back.

Behind her, Ji Duo had already made the bed and was undressing. The quiet room was filled with the rustling of clothes, reminding her of that unexpected day.

Lin Qiao brought up the topic from earlier, “Xiao Ze and that girl from the Song family…” She hadn’t asked before, thinking it was none of her business. But now that they appeared at her wedding, it was better to ask.

The rustling behind her paused, then continued, “Nothing happened. The eldest daughter-in-law thought it was a good match and was afraid Dad would arrange someone unsuitable.”

Afraid the old man would arrange someone unsuitable, so she took the initiative. Ji Duo’s words made sense. After all, Lin Qiao was arranged by the old man for Ji Duo. Since they weren’t dating, Lin Qiao knew how to behave in the future. “By the way, I heard from Mom that Sister Yan is the daughter of the eldest uncle’s family. What rank is our dad in the family? Are there any other brothers?”

She remembered her friend mentioning that the male lead had an impressive uncle. But she hadn’t listened carefully at the time and didn’t even remember the male lead’s name. If she had known that transmigrating into a book was real, she would have read and memorized the original book thoroughly. No, she would have changed her name quickly, so even her mom wouldn’t recognize it, to avoid sharing a name with any novel character.

Unexpectedly, no one responded for a while.

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but turn her head, “What’s wrong?” Her gaze touched the man’s half-naked chest under his shirt, and she quickly looked away.

“Nothing.” Ji Duo raised his hand to unbutton his cufflinks, his tone revealing nothing unusual, “Our dad is the second in the family. There’s also an uncle who lives far away, so we didn’t disturb him.”

Saying they didn’t dare to disturb him, it seemed he was indeed an impressive figure.

Lin Qiao had just asked casually. Hearing the person behind her lie down, she closed her skincare products and got up to turn off the light. Taking advantage of the darkness, she quickly changed her clothes and lifted the quilt. She found that the man was already lying on the inside of the big bed, leaving her half the space.

Neither of them spoke, but the position left was quite tacit, and Lin Qiao lay down contentedly.

The room fell silent again, with only the sound of breathing blending into the ticking of the clock, reminding them that there was still a somewhat unfamiliar stranger beside them.

Because the bed wasn’t big enough and the man had long arms and legs, Lin Qiao could even vaguely feel the warmth from his body not far away.

After sleeping alone for over ten years, having someone else in the bed made Ji Duo acutely aware of Lin Qiao’s presence. The young girl had just washed up and applied skincare products, leaving a faint fragrance lingering in the air.

Ji Duo, almost 27 years old, had spent years in the army, a place full of men. To say he didn’t understand anything would be a lie. But Lin Qiao was indeed quite young, having just turned eighteen two months ago. With the previous engagement, he had always treated Lin Qiao as a junior.

Lin Qiao had indeed called him “uncle” before, and now, suddenly, being with a junior… he felt a bit hesitant.

Lin Qiao probably felt nervous too. After lying down, she unconsciously moved a bit away. After a while, she spoke softly, “Um…”

With his eyes closed, Ji Duo asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Do you snore when you sleep?” Lin Qiao asked him an utterly unexpected question, very seriously.

This made Ji Duo open his eyes. After a long silence, he said, “No.”

Lin Qiao had heard somewhere that overweight people and those with short chins were more likely to snore.

Ji Duo had a clear and strong jawline, with muscles that didn’t make him look overly bulky. He indeed didn’t seem like someone who would snore.

Lin Qiao felt relieved.

Ji Duo thought she was just trying to ease the tension and was ready to engage in some small talk. But after the young girl asked her question, she fell silent. He waited for a while, but there was no response from her side.

Forget it, whether it eased the tension or not, what needed to be done still had to be done. Ji Duo turned over and wrapped his arm around the person’s waist beside him. Maybe it was because of his movement, but the hem of Lin Qiao’s short-sleeved shirt rolled up a bit, and as he wrapped his arm around her, he touched the girl’s smooth and tender skin.

To be honest, she was a bit thin, not enough to fill his large hands, and unlike a man’s hard muscles, her softness was unbelievable. Ji Duo’s hand paused, and the next second, he tightened his grip, pulling her closer to his side. As he was about to lean over, he suddenly felt something was off.

The person in his arms seemed too soft, like a slender willow, as if she hadn’t noticed his touch at all.

He tried calling her name, “Lin Qiao.”

Lin Qiao didn’t respond.

Ji Duo’s large hand withdrew from her waist and patted her cheek, “Lin Qiao.”

Still no response.

So she asked if he snored because she was worried about noise affecting her sleep…

Lin Qiao slept soundly through the night and woke up feeling refreshed.

Maybe her body was tired, so she slept deeply. Or perhaps it was because it hadn’t rained in the past few days, making the bed warmer.

Lin Qiao instinctively wanted to stretch, but when she moved, she realized the warmth wasn’t from the blanket but from the man’s chest. Before she fell asleep, they had each taken a side of the bed, not intruding on each other. How did she end up in his arms, using his arm as a pillow?

The male lead was like a modern-day Liu Xia Hui, maintaining his chastity even after years of marriage, preserving his status as a male lead on JJWXC. He definitely wouldn’t do anything to her. It must have been too cold at night, and she unconsciously sought warmth in her sleep.

Lin Qiao quickly rolled back to her side, deciding to use a hot water bottle to keep warm tonight.

Her movement woke Ji Duo, who was already somewhat aware. He picked up the watch on the bedside table and checked the time, “Six-thirty.”

For Lin Qiao in her previous life, it was still early, but in this era, people were already having breakfast and getting ready for school or work.

Ji Duo was clearly an early riser. He casually fastened the watch on his wrist, grabbed his shirt and pants, and got up, “I’m going to wash up. You can sleep a bit longer.”

Early in the morning, she was jolted awake, and after seeing a good physique, how could Lin Qiao fall back asleep?

Besides, in her previous life, she had ruined her health by staying up late. In this life, she wouldn’t dare to continue such self-destructive habits. Over the past few days, she had already developed the good habit of going to bed early and waking up early.

Lin Qiao grabbed the clothes placed by the bed, “I’m already awake, can’t sleep lying down.”

Ji Duo glanced at her but said nothing. When she finished folding the bedding and went out, she found that the basin on the washstand had already been filled with clean water.

Xu Li was watering flowers in the courtyard with a spray bottle. Seeing her, she was a bit surprised, “Why not sleep a bit longer?”

“Got used to waking up early.” Lin Qiao smiled at her, washed up, and went to the dining room for breakfast. As soon as she sat down, Ji Yan asked, “Why are you up so early?”

She turned to Ji Duo beside her, “Did you wake her up?”

Ji Duo, too lazy to explain, didn’t lift his eyelids and continued eating breakfast.

Ji Yan was used to it and tapped her finger on the table in front of him, “You have nothing to do today, right? If not, accompany me to the Forbidden City.”

Ji Duo was on his wedding leave, so what could he have to do?

Just a few days ago, he had asked Lin Qiao if she wanted to go to the Forbidden City, and now Ji Yan wanted to go too. It was a coincidence.

Lin Qiao took a bite of her bun, considering whether she should go along, when the man coldly said, “No.”

She was stunned, and Ji Yan directly asked, “Why not?”

Ji Duo still had that indifferent expression, “Haven’t you been there before?”

“Can’t I go again?” Ji Yan rolled her eyes at him, “Besides, that was many years ago. The Forbidden City was closed for a few years, and I heard it reopened recently. Can’t I go see if there are any changes?”

Knowing her brother was stubborn, she simply asked Lin Qiao, “Qiao Qiao, you haven’t been there, right?”

Ji Yan had come back for their wedding, and since Ji Duo wasn’t going, Lin Qiao couldn’t refuse, “No, I haven’t been. I never had the time.”

“Then let’s go,” Ji Yan immediately said. Seeing Ji Duo finally look up, she added, “Aren’t you not going?”

Ji Duo just glanced at Lin Qiao and said nothing.

Ji Yan was decisive. After breakfast, she immediately pulled Lin Qiao to prepare, even bringing a lot of cat food, “I remember there were many palace cats. I wonder if they’re still there.”

She rarely came back and couldn’t stay long; she leaves tomorrow. The family let her do as she pleased.

After the two left, the old man called Ji Duo into the study and talked about yesterday’s guess.

“It’s nothing. They probably have their eyes on our Xiao Ze and want him to be a good match.” Ji Duo’s words were tinged with sarcasm, but he was always calculating. If he said it was nothing, it probably was nothing, so the old man didn’t ask further.

The eldest daughter-in-law caused the trouble herself, so she should handle it. She might even be happy about it, thinking they were meddling too much.

One thing about the Forbidden City in this era that future generations can’t compare to is the lack of people.

Lin Qiao and Ji Yan played until the afternoon before returning home satisfied. As soon as they entered, Ji Yan collapsed on the sofa, entering a state of relaxation.

After two days of running around, Lin Qiao was also quite tired. While soaking her feet in the evening, she repeatedly massaged her soles and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The young girl breathed steadily, clearly sleeping soundly. Ji Duo wasn’t a beast; he couldn’t just wake her up for anything.

So the next morning, after a night’s rest, Lin Qiao was fully recharged. Seeing Ji Yan, she asked if she had packed her things, ready to go to the airport together.

Ji Yan felt something was off. As soon as Ji Duo finished eating and put down his chopsticks, she pulled him aside, “What’s going on with you and Qiao Qiao?”

“What do you mean, what’s going on?” Ji Duo looked at her, puzzled.

“You know, that.” He wasn’t in a hurry, but Ji Yan was anxious for him, “It’s been two days, and Qiao Qiao wakes up every morning full of energy. You can’t tell at all. Are you really as bad as the rumors say?”