MQSP - Chapter 83
Chapter 83
"My esteemed elders, the water is boiled. Let me in to serve you tea." Lin Yuqing's patience had been completely worn away.
Xia Xiaozi looked back at the others. After getting their approval, she finally opened the door and let Lin Yuqing in.
Who would have thought that the moment Lin Yuqing entered the room, she would grab Xia Xiaozi by the ear. "What did you want to hear? Hmm? You tell me, and I'll tell you all about it!"
"No, no, no, no, I don't want to hear it anymore, I don't!" Xia Xiaozi immediately behaved and surrendered.
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing!" Xue Yuexian rolled up her sleeves and heroically intervened.
Lin Yuqing huffed and let go. She placed the kettle to one side and glanced at Xia Xiaozi, who immediately and obediently poured the water.
"You wimp," Xue Yuexian said, her face a mask of disappointment, as if hating iron for not becoming steel.
"Alright, that's enough. Don't delay the auspicious time."
"However, our hurdle was an easy one to cross. You won't be able to fool the one inside," Jiang Boyan reminded her with a smile.
Lin Yuqing nodded at her in thanks, then shot a sideways glance at Xue Yuexian. Always trying to get one over on me!
Walking to the bedroom, she knocked gently on the door. "Xiao Ye? Um…"
"Honorable Mother-in-law, I've come to pick up Xiao Ye."
The moment she said "Mother-in-law," the others all covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. How shameless!
Lin Yuqing felt helpless. Call her 'Mom'? That was truly too difficult…
"Who have you come to pick up?" Xia Nan asked from inside.
"Xiao Ye. Uh, no, that is, my love."
"I've come to pick up my love! Honorable Mother-in-law, please make it convenient for me!" Lin Yuqing responded in a clear voice.
Xia Nan looked back at Xiao Ye. Hmm, the little one was grinning from ear to ear.
Gu Baiye was truly happy, from the bottom of her heart. She had never imagined she would hear such a wonderful word from Auntie Lin's lips.
Seeing Xiao Ye happy made Xia Nan happy too. Besides, the person outside was calling her "Honorable Mother-in-law" over and over, instantly elevating her status by a generation. Yes, she was happy.
Xia Nan didn't make things difficult for her. She went and opened the door. Lin Yuqing's gaze shot straight past Xia Nan, fixing on the little one sitting on the bed without blinking. She hadn't seen her in a few days. How had the little one become so exceptionally beautiful?
"Ahem!" Being so blatantly ignored, Xia Nan couldn't keep a straight face. She was still her mother-in-law, wasn't she? She had sounded so respectful just a moment ago, but the moment the door opened, her true colors were revealed!
Lin Yuqing snapped back to her senses and immediately took the teacup from Xia Xiaozi's hand. "Honorable Mother-in-law, please have some tea!"
Xia Nan did not raise her hand to accept it.
"After you two are married, who will do the housework?"
Lin Yuqing stood up straight. "Xia Xiaozi!"
"Pfft…"
"In your dreams! I'm just your assistant, not a nanny, okay! If you have a child, am I supposed to raise it too?!"
"You wish," Lin Yuqing shot her a sidelong glance.
Then she looked back at Xia Nan. "I'll do the housework, and if we have a child, I'll raise it too! Xiao Ye only needs to be responsible for being happy every day and keeping herself healthy and well-fed. I will absolutely never make her angry, much less let her suffer the slightest grievance," she guaranteed.
"Alright, with those words, I can rest assured." Xia Nan stepped aside, clearing the doorway to let Lin Yuqing into the room. Then she walked to the bedside, took Lin Yuqing's hand, and placed it in Xiao Ye's. Watching their hands clasp, her expression gradually grew solemn, as if she were completing a dignified handover ceremony.
"I'm entrusting Xiao Ye to you. You are not to mistreat her."
"Don't worry."
Lin Yuqing held the little one's hand, studying her carefully. The little one was wearing light makeup. She didn't know if it was because of the makeup or because she hadn't seen her in a few days, but she felt that the little one before her was particularly captivating, making it impossible for her to look away.
"Alright, alright, your eyeballs are about to fall out," Xue Yuexian said with a laugh. But seeing the gentle gaze in Lin Yuqing's eyes, brimming with deep affection, it was clear she truly loved Xiao Ye to the bone.
Lin Yuqing knelt down, took the little one's foot, and helped her put on her shoes, looking up from time to time to meet her gaze. The loving looks they exchanged made the group of single people feel utterly out of place. How did a fine young thing like her end up with Lin Yuqing! And Xiao Ye, really, what did she see in her!
After the shoes were on, just as Xiao Ye was about to get down, Lin Yuqing beat her to it, sweeping her up in a princess carry.
"You've gotten heavier," Lin Yuqing said, weighing her with a serious expression.
"You're awful…" the little one's coquettish complaint made Lin Yuqing's heart tingle.
"Did you miss me?"
"No." Gu Baiye turned her face away, pressing her lips together to hide a smile.
Lin Yuqing was so delighted by her little act that she desperately wanted to give her a fierce kiss.
"Hey, hey, you two, can you wait until after the wedding to flirt?"
Lin Yuqing smiled. Fine!
Holding the little one, she turned and walked out.
"Auntie Lin, you can put me down. I can walk on my own. It's still a ways to the foot of the mountain, and I'm heavy."
"It's fine, I can carry you." Lin Yuqing smiled and glanced at her. Her large eyes were clear and bright.
My wife is so beautiful.
"Be careful where you step," the others said, following worriedly. They surrounded Lin Yuqing, acting as a protective escort for the couple.
Fortunately, Lin Yuqing often carried water and could be considered well-practiced. She only started to feel the strain halfway down. For safety's sake, she put the little one down.
"Her stamina is really impressive. Oh, my dear little niece…" Xue Yuexian muttered under her breath, genuinely impressed by Lin Yuqing's physical strength. Forget carrying someone halfway down a mountain path; she herself would be panting just from walking that far.
The others heard her and understood the unspoken meaning, exchanging knowing smiles.
"Are you cold?" The hand Lin Yuqing had around the little one's waist moved upward.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Are you that impatient?!"
"…" Lin Yuqing was fuming. Do I really seem like that much of a beast!
Before long, the large group arrived at the Manor. Flower Witch was already standing at the entrance, waiting for them.
"Godmother!" Gu Baiye quickened her pace, then broke into a jog and ran over, taking Flower Witch's hand. It was cool to the touch.
"Godmother, have you been waiting here long?"
"Not long. Let's go inside." She glanced at the group and led them into the Manor.
It was the first time Jiang Boyan and Lu Qing had been here. They had been on the mountain with Xiao Ye before. Now, seeing this manor and the courtyard full of orchids, the same suspicion arose in both their minds.
"This is the godmother Xiao Ye acknowledged?" she asked Fang Yi in a low voice.
"Yes, she's called Flower Witch. She's a local who specializes in growing orchids," Fang Yi said, decisively concealing Xinran's identity.
"She lives here alone?" Jiang Boyan asked curiously.
"Yes. By the way, who's going to do Lin Yuqing's makeup?"
"You are," Lu Qing said, decisively passing the buck to her.
Fang Yi felt helpless. "I have to remind you two, especially you, Lu Qing. Lin Yuqing never betrayed Xinran. In fact, she's been raising her daughter for her all these years. We, on the other hand, did nothing and even wrongly blamed Lin Yuqing. She's been through a lot. We owe her an apology."
Lu Qing fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded. Fang Yi was right. For all these years, they had misunderstood her, even targeted her in various ways, yet she never held it against them and was incredibly magnanimous. She really did owe her an apology.
After speaking, Fang Yi secretly observed their expressions. Lu Qing looked slightly guilty, while Jiang Boyan was staring blankly, lost in thought, showing no significant change in expression.
"Fine, I'll go do her makeup. We'll handle things on her end. There's not much left to do for Xiao Ye. Once she changes into her wedding dress, she can go to the venue."
"Okay, I'll take care of things with Xiao Ye," Fang Yi nodded.
The two groups split up and worked in an orderly fashion.
Su Yu had only arrived the previous night, bringing her camera equipment. That morning, while Lin Yuqing was picking up Xiao Ye, she had been scouting the Manor, looking for the best scenery, framing, and camera angles.
Now, while the two were getting their makeup done, she began her filming work, preparing to record their entire wedding, from the preparation stage onward, to be edited into a documentary for them to keep.
Lu Qing and Jiang Boyan were busy with Lin Yuqing, with Xia Xiaozi assisting. On Xiao Ye's side, it was mainly Fang Yi and Flower Witch. Fang Yi had even sent Xue Yuexian off to check on the venue.
Fang Yi was a thoughtful person. She was always trying to create opportunities for the two of them to be alone. After all, this was a major event in Xiao Ye's life. As a mother, Xinran had no reason not to be involved. It would be too cruel to her to just provide the venue and then make her watch from the sidelines.
Gu Baiye would occasionally look up, smiling at the reflection in the mirror of her godmother's focused expression.
Xinran was styling Xiao Ye's hair. It was soft and smooth, dark and glossy, with no split ends at all. It looked very healthy.
She remembered her own wedding day, when she had been the one to comb Yilan's hair. There was no overly complicated style; it was left to hang obediently down her back. She had always loved the way Yilan looked with her hair down, so even at such an important moment, Yilan had indulged her preference.
Xiao Ye was still young, so an updo wasn't suitable. Besides, her hair had large curls and looked beautiful just hanging down. So, Xinran completely brushed out her hair, letting it fall symmetrically over her shoulders. Later, Lin Yuqing would place a flower crown on her head. Simple and elegant, it would surely be beautiful.
"Is this okay?"
"Mhm, anything is fine. Anything Godmother does looks good!" Gu Baiye turned her head from side to side to look.
"By the way, Godmother, will you be with me later?" Gu Baiye blinked, looking at Flower Witch in the mirror.
"Hmm?"
"They will be with you."
"But I want you to be with me. Is that okay?" How can you be absent at such an important moment?
Flower Witch paused, looking at Xiao Ye's eyes, which were filled with expectation and reliance.
She knows, doesn't she.
She must know.
But she hasn't exposed me. She probably guessed that I have my reasons for not being able to acknowledge her. She really is a kind little angel.
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