After Chen Shao said those words, Ye Chuqing looked up at him, pressed her lips together, and ultimately didn’t say what she had been about to say.
Huang Sheng, having heard Chen Shao’s statement, finally seemed somewhat relieved.
Afterward, while Huang Sheng and Old Mr. Chen talked, Chen Die pulled Ye Chuqing out to the flower beds outside.
Chen Die was stunned by the earlier conversation and glanced at Ye Chuqing’s stomach, which was perfectly flat.
“Are you pregnant?” Chen Die asked.
Ye Chuqing nodded.
“Since when? Wasn’t your last accident during my wrap party? That was only last June or July, right? Your pregnancy…” Chen Die calculated in her mind and was shocked, “Are you about to give birth?”
Ye Chuqing raised her eyes: “Does my stomach look like I’m about to give birth?”
“Then what’s going on with you two?”
Ye Chuqing suddenly found it difficult to speak, frowning as she leaned against the pillar by the flower bed, her hand against her stomach, and said with furrowed brows: “Alcohol truly is a harmful thing.”
Chen Die: “…”
“Damn, I never expected there could be a second time. Chen Shao and I are truly fated enemies.”
There was too much information, and Chen Die took a moment to process it before saying helplessly, “Stop cursing, it’s not good for the baby.”
“…”
Chen Die: “So now they think you and Chen Shao are dating?”
“Yes, I just used a pregnancy test this morning, and then my mom suddenly came to my apartment and saw it. She interrogated me for a long time, and I confessed.” Ye Chuqing said, “But I didn’t dare say that Chen Shao and I were purely an alcohol mistake. With my mom’s personality, if she knew I had a one-night stand with someone, she’d probably kill me.”
“Didn’t you take medication at the time?”
“Emergency contraception isn’t good for your health, right? I had just taken it the previous time. This time I calculated it was during the safe period, and I was worried about the impact on my health, so thinking it would be fine, I didn’t take it.”
Besides, the morning after, there were two pieces of evidence from the previous night thrown in the trash can, so Ye Chuqing didn’t think much of it.
Even now, she didn’t know exactly how she got pregnant.
Chen Die: “So what are you planning to do now, get married?”
“Possibly. Didn’t Chen Shao already plan to take responsibility? Although he’s also quite unfortunate, becoming a father out of nowhere.”
Ye Chuqing looked up at Chen Die and laughed, “What’s with that expression? This is quite normal. Do you think everyone has a passionate love story like you and Wen Liang?”
“…”
Ye Chuqing raised her eyes and said indifferently: “With the way my family elders are, all the men they introduce me to are rich young masters with a basketful of bad habits. Chen Shao is better—at least we can talk to each other. If either of us meets true love in the future, we can divorce and go our separate ways. This also silences others.”
Ye Chuqing spoke these words frankly, but for some reason, Chen Die felt a sense of sadness listening to them.
Back then, Lin Quan married Chen Ke and never experienced love her entire life. Now entering her later years, she ended with a hasty divorce.
As for Wen Liang’s parents, Shen Yunshu loved Wen Huaiyuan until her death, yet Wen Huaiyuan spent the latter half of his life with another woman.
The film crew had a holiday today. After leaving the Chen family, Chen Die didn’t return to the set but went to the villa in the western suburbs. Wen Liang only returned in the evening.
Chen Die told him about Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing possibly getting married. Wen Liang didn’t react much and asked quietly: “When did they get together?”
“They never were together, it’s just…” Chen Die paused, then said, “Chuqing is pregnant. Their wedding will probably be earlier than ours, otherwise when she starts showing, it might not look good in a wedding dress.”
Wen Liang raised his eyebrows, sneered, and casually teased: “That’s quite fast.”
Chen Die frowned and punched him: “Do you have any empathy?”
Wen Liang didn’t seem to hear her, taking off his coat and tossing it aside, then walking to the sofa and pulling her into his arms.
The room was quiet for a moment. Wen Liang sensed that Chen Die’s mood was off, so he turned his head and kissed her ear, asking softly: “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I just feel like so many people around us are like this, getting married in a rush, not truly entering marriage full of yearning.”
Chen Die frowned slightly. In her eyes, Ye Chuqing was different from those wealthy young ladies who spent their days shopping and staying at home. She had her own goals and ideas, not dependent on anyone.
And her words today made Chen Die feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Wen Liang pinched her ear, carefree, with a hint of amusement in his tone: “Baby.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re just too softhearted,” he concluded.
“…”
Wen Liang said: “In our social circle, many marriages are like this. Ye Chuqing and Chen Shao’s families are of equal strength, and under a balance of power, they might last longer, which is better than choosing others.”
“…”
They made a mistake while drunk and are having a shotgun wedding, yet in his mouth, it becomes a “balance of power”?
Are you even human?
Chen Die rolled her eyes: “What about you and me? Are we also a balance of power?”
Wen Liang smiled, finally showing some survival instinct: “Being able to marry you is my greatest fortune across three lifetimes.”
Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing’s wedding was set for a month later.
Chen Die was currently starring in a historical drama filled with numerous powerhouse actors. Chen Die wasn’t the main character but a supporting role important to the plot, so her filming wrapped up quickly, just in time before Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing’s wedding.
Their speed was incredibly fast, and many people were startled when they received the wedding invitations.
Chen Die had been worried that getting married this way might make Ye Chuqing feel wronged or unhappy, but she found everyone at the wedding venue very happy and lively.
When she entered the bride’s makeup room, Ye Chuqing was bickering with Chen Shao over some small matter, just like before.
Seeing Chen Die and Wen Liang enter, Ye Chuqing stopped talking and raised her hand to greet them.
Chen Die ran over and touched her stomach: “Is it showing yet?”
“No, it’s only two months. But I have gained some weight. I’m already anticipating becoming fat in a while.” Ye Chuqing put her arm around Chen Die’s waist, “I’m so envious of you, this waistline.”
“You’ll be able to slim down after giving birth anyway.”
“What about you two, when are you planning to have a child?” Ye Chuqing suddenly asked.
Chen Die paused, glancing back at Wen Liang, inexplicably blushing. Before she could answer, Chen Shao, who had been playing with his phone on the other side, looked up: “You think getting pregnant is that easy? Hitting the target on the first try like us is extremely rare, okay.”
Chen Die: “…”
Why did that sound so strange?
And it seemed a bit… boastful?
What is there to boast about making a young girl have a shotgun wedding with you?!
The next second, Ye Chuqing casually grabbed the bouquet beside her and threw it at Chen Shao.
“Chen Shao! Is this the time for you to boast?!” Ye Chuqing pointed at him angrily.
Chen Die laughed.
Indeed, it takes a villain to deal with a villain.
The Chen family recently had double happiness—after Chen Shao’s marriage, Chen Die’s followed right after.
Chen Die and Wen Liang’s relationship had been coincidentally exposed to the public eye all along, making them much more high-profile compared to Chen Shao’s secretive approach.
Although they hadn’t publicly announced their wedding news, some rumors revealed their wedding date and exterior venue photos.
Chen Die got up early to apply makeup.
The day before, Wen Liang had brought Chen Jianping, Wang Mian, and young Chen Zhouchang over, arranging for them to stay at the hotel. Early today, they had already met with Old Mr. Chen.
Young Chen Zhouchang didn’t understand the grievances and entanglements within, and no one would explain the connections to such a young child, ruining his imagination.
Old Mr. Chen met Chen Zhouchang for the first time and specially prepared a big red envelope for him, a thick stack with “Academic Success” written on the front.
At first, Chen Zhouchang was too embarrassed to accept it, until Chen Die told him to take it, and he finally accepted with a red face.
Wen Liang had been greeting guests in the front hall and only had time to come in after Chen Die finished her makeup.
Chen Die had already changed into her wedding dress, put on her veil, and was holding her bouquet. She saw Wen Liang enter through the mirror, and their eyes met as he looked up.
He was stunned for a moment.
“Why did you come in?” Chen Die asked with a smile.
Wen Liang walked behind her, playing with her veil: “It’s too noisy outside.”
“Then who’s greeting people outside now?”
Wen Liang played with her veil for a while, then started touching her earrings, indifferently: “Whatever.”
Wang Mian was still beside them, and Chen Die felt embarrassed about these intimate little gestures, so she turned her head to avoid them and grabbed Wen Liang’s mischievous hand.
Wang Mian, however, was very pleased with Wen Liang, looking at them happily, and after a while asked: “What time does it start?”
“Soon, at ten.”
Wang Mian checked the time and decided not to stay in the room any longer: “Then I’ll go out and have a look, Ah Ling.”
Chen Die suddenly froze.
Only after Wang Mian left, with just the two of them in the room, did Wen Liang ask: “What did she just call you?”
“…”
Chen Die didn’t know how to explain.
Ah Ling was her childhood nickname when living in Wuxi. Back then, most children in the small town had similar nicknames, with a rural flavor.
Later, when Wen Liang asked about her nickname, Chen Die, only 16 at the time, was afraid he would mock her for having an unattractive nickname.
Chen Die recalled their conversation—
“What’s your nickname?”
She removed the “Ah” and said: “Ling Ling.”
Wen Liang then asked: “Which ‘ling’?”
After a pause of a few seconds, she changed her answer and said softly: “The ‘ling’ from the nightingale, Ling Ling.”
So much time had passed, and Chen Die had almost forgotten her former nickname. Hearing it again felt quite unfamiliar.
Wen Liang had only asked casually and hadn’t paid much attention, but seeing Chen Die’s expression now, he sensed something was off, lifting her chin with his index finger: “What are you thinking about?”
“…”
Wen Liang recalled what Wang Mian had called her and repeated: “Ah Ling?”
“…”
Being put on the spot like this made Chen Die’s face burn even more. She raised her hand to cover his mouth, glared at him for a moment, and finally awkwardly confessed the whole incident from back then.
Wen Liang had never imagined the young girl’s convoluted thoughts, that even a nickname could create so many twists and turns.
Hearing her explanation, he burst out laughing, his chest vibrating, and he kept laughing harder.
Chen Die couldn’t stand it, feeling like he was mocking her. She was angry and annoyed, but hitting him was like tickling him—it didn’t hurt at all.
“If you keep laughing, I won’t marry you,” Chen Die said with a red face.
Wen Liang raised his eyebrows, unsupportive: “We’ve already gotten the marriage certificate.”
“…Then I’ll make you stand alone at the wedding, opening to an empty room.”
Chen Die’s threat had no effect, and Wen Liang continued to tease her: “The name is actually quite good, sounds nice, suits you.”
“…”
This man truly had no survival instinct.
Unable to argue with him, Chen Die simply closed her mouth, silently glaring at him in accusation.
The young girl wore a white wedding dress, every inch of the altered dress hugging her skin, outlining her curvaceous figure. Her cheeks naturally flushed from embarrassment.
Wen Liang looked at her for a while, his heart moved, and he bent down to get closer.
Chen Die reacted quickly, immediately stepping back, only to be caught by the waist and pulled back.
He lowered his head and touched her lips, only starting to comfort her after making her thoroughly angry: “It’s nice that only I can call you Ling Ling now.”
Chen Die was startled.
Outside was noisy and lively, while inside the makeup room, she was cornered by Wen Liang.
He lowered his head and called out in a husky voice: “Ling Ling.”
Chen Die looked up and said softly: “What?”
She was completely smitten with Wen Liang. Just moments ago, she was angry with him, but now with just a few words, he had coaxed her into submission.
“You should touch up your lipstick later,” he said.
“Huh?”
The next moment, he kissed her again.
Only when the wedding was about to begin and someone knocked on the door to call Wen Liang did he finally let go, patting Chen Die’s head before leaving?
Chen Die stood still for a couple of seconds before going to the makeup table to reapply her lipstick, her cheeks as red as if she had applied too much blush.
Just as she finished applying lipstick, the door was pushed open from outside, and Chen Shao leaned lazily against the doorframe.
Chen Die felt guilty, blinked, and looked at him: “What’s up?”
“It’s almost ten o’clock. I’m supposed to walk you in, as your brother.” Chen Shao frowned again, “What kind of aesthetic does your makeup artist have? Your face is as red as a monkey’s butt.”
“…”
Chen Die patted her face and followed him out, walking a few steps before asking: “Why are you the one walking me in?”
“Wen Liang asked me.” Chen Shao said arrogantly, “I reluctantly agreed. Otherwise, you’d have Chen Ke walking you down, right?”
When they reached the door of the front hall, the makeup artist helped her rearrange the large skirt one last time.
Then, at exactly ten o’clock, the clock struck ten times, the doors slowly opened, and flower petals floated down from above as Chen Die entered on Chen Shao’s arm.
There was a wave of cheers below.
Ye Chuqing, now showing slightly, stood to the side holding a camera to take photos for her.
Wen Liang stood at the other end, in a white shirt and black suit, the corner of his mouth turned up in a somewhat lazy smile, his gaze looking forward, gentle yet firm.
Chen Die suddenly recalled times from before.
During high school, there was a parent-teacher conference one year. Chen Die could be said to have had no parents at the time, so naturally, no one could attend her conference. Fortunately, she had done well on her midterm exam, so the teacher didn’t give her a hard time.
By afternoon, parents began arriving at the school. After Chen Die finished writing “Welcome All Parents” on the blackboard, she left the classroom to wash her hands and bumped into Old Mr. Chen, who was there for Chen Shuyuan’s conference.
The two only nodded at each other, and Chen Die went off to play with her friends.
But how could such an event not cause any ripples in her heart? She simply didn’t show it on her face.
That day after the parent-teacher conference ended and school let out, teachers assigned homework, and parents helped their children carry schoolbags as they left the classroom one by one. Chen Die stayed in the classroom for a while before slowly walking out.
She went downstairs, head lowered, kicking stones, walking listlessly toward the school gate.
Until a neither loud nor soft—
“Chen Die.”
She looked up, and Wen Liang slammed the car door and walked toward her.
Some students around the school gate quietly watched them.
Chen Die stood in place, surprised that Wen Liang had come to the school, staring blankly as he walked up to her. She blinked and asked: “Brother Wen Liang, why did you come to school?”
He said flatly: “Wasn’t it the parent-teacher conference?”
“Huh?”
Chen Die hadn’t expected him to know.
“I saw a notice on the table when I got home, so I came to see you during your dismissal time.”
Chen Die’s previous feelings of loss gradually dispersed, and her lips curved into a smile.
She smiled and said: “It’s already over. It wasn’t held after school; it was already held during the last self-study period.”
Wen Liang frowned slightly, seemingly unconcerned about missing the conference: “Did your teacher scold you?”
Chen Die shook her head: “I did well on the midterm exam, so she didn’t say anything.”
He asked casually: “What rank did you get?”
“In the top hundred of the grade.”
Wen Liang chuckled lightly, ruffling her hair: “Alright, I’ll take you to get something to eat.”
Chen Die ran alongside him to the car.
Because Wen Liang was there, she never felt particularly difficult through those years.
From her student days, Wen Liang had been a deity in her eyes.
And now, looking at Wen Liang standing not far away, Chen Die thought, she was finally going to walk toward her deity under everyone’s gaze, and marry her deity.