After the heads of the two families met in Xi'an, they quickly settled on the wedding date—June of the following year.
Before finalizing the date, there had actually been a minor hiccup.
Old Mr. Ji, hoping for Ji Qinghe to settle down soon, suggested that the two hold their wedding by the end of this year. The location wasn’t an issue—it could be left to the young couple to decide.
Worried they might find it too rushed, he even went so far as to declare that no matter whether Shen Qianzhan preferred a castle wedding, a beach wedding, or a grassland wedding, as long as she had a vision in mind, he and Ms. Meng would take care of everything. They would ensure the wedding venue was provided on time and up to standard, and Shen Qianzhan only needed to take a vacation before the wedding.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ms. Meng, wearing a gentle smile, pretended to bump into Old Mr. Ji quite unintentionally, smoothing things over for him: "Of course, if Dengdeng wants to plan the wedding herself, we’ll respect her wishes and won’t interfere. The old man is just too enthusiastic, thinking you two are usually busy with work and wanting to share the burden for you."
Shen Qianzhan smiled and glanced at Ji Qinghe.
The two had discussed the wedding before but hadn’t reached any conclusion. For one, Shen Qianzhan felt it was still too early and hadn’t given it much thought. For another, she had no particular concept of a wedding—no special sentiments or romantic pursuits.
Where to get married or what kind of wedding to have were, to her, just a ceremonial affair that could be arranged by others.
With the young couple staying silent, the elders had no choice but to continue the discussion.
And so, the timeline kept shifting further and further back, eventually settling on June of the following year.
Old Mr. Ji was rather impatient. He said, "Isn’t June a bit late for the wedding? How about holding an engagement banquet in Xi’an this December?"
Shen Qianzhan had a film crew scheduled for December and absolutely no time for a wedding. Without drawing attention, she pinched Ji Qinghe’s side, signaling him.
The latter glanced at her, took her hand in his, and quietly wrote on her palm: "What’s in it for me?"
Shen Qianzhan replied: "All thirty-six positions."
A faint smile tugged at Ji Qinghe’s lips. Living up to expectations, he dismissed Old Mr. Ji’s enthusiastic proposal and made the final decision: "Let’s set the wedding for June. It’ll give us some time to think about how we want to do it."
Fair enough.
At least there was now a definite date to look forward to for the wedding.
—
After finalizing the wedding date, Shen Qianzhan stayed in Xi’an for a few more days to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Shen on sightseeing tours.
Ji Qinghe also temporarily put his work on hold and joined them throughout.
When it was time for Mr. and Mrs. Shen to return, Shen Qianzhan saw them off in the lounge. Shen’s Mother pulled her aside and whispered, "Don’t get so caught up in work that you neglect Xiao Ji. Relationships need nurturing. If you don’t invest time or effort, conflicts are bound to arise over time."
Shen Qianzhan almost said she had always been freeloading in this relationship. But realizing how unrefined the term "freeloading" sounded, she thought for a moment and said, "If adult relationships required that much effort, Ji Qinghe and I wouldn’t have made it this far."
Shen’s Mother saw right through Mr. Ji’s sincere devotion. She poked Shen Qianzhan’s forehead and scolded her with a laugh, "You’re the classic example of someone who takes advantage and still acts innocent. During this trip, I saw it clearly—Xiao Ji has tied his heart entirely to you."
"Do you think I don’t know that getting married next June was your idea? He follows your every glance and catches your every signal, doing everything according to your wishes. Even Old Shen never spoiled you this much."
Shen Qianzhan, unable to voice her grievances: "..."She could hardly admit that she had secretly ceded territory and paid reparations, selling herself out for centuries to come.
Not to mention all those thirty-six positions and seventy-two transformations—she was practically on the verge of signing a "no-leaving-the-bed" agreement with Ji Qinghe.
Who was spoiling whom, anyway?
Over this, Shen Qianzhan sulked for several days.
She felt she had fallen into Ji Qinghe’s trap again—this scoundrel exploited her behind the scenes while putting on a show of deep, unwavering devotion in front of Mr. and Mrs. Shen, acting as if he were utterly selfless and devoted.
But in reality?
Everything came with a price! She had suffered an enormous loss yet couldn’t speak of it, with nowhere to voice her grievances.
After bearing the brunt of her resentment for days, Ji Qinghe finally understood why she was sulking. He wrapped his arms around Shen Qianzhan and chuckled softly.
His laughter was low and pleasant, resonating deeply, as if humoring a child throwing a tantrum. He asked, “Nowhere to voice your grievances? What grievances do you have?”
Shen Qianzhan nearly rolled her eyes. Before she could think of a response, Ji Qinghe scooped her up by the waist and carried her away, asking as he walked, “Was I not deep enough, or did I fail to satisfy you, hmm?”
His words carried a suggestive tone, making Shen Qianzhan’s ears burn. “You’re twisting my words,” she retorted.
Ji Qinghe denied it.
He carried her to the wicker chair on the balcony.
Then, leaning over and encircling the back of the chair, he whispered, “I only steal hearts. I’ll marry no one but you.”
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