Qingyun: "I'm truly frigid." "Didn't notice."...
After the wedding ceremony, there was a luncheon. Jiang Mingxue went backstage to change into her toasting dress, and then went down to the stage with Rong Chengzhou to toast the guests.
The sommelier followed behind them with a tray. Rong Chengzhou glanced at the white wine on the tray and asked the sommelier, "Could you please pour me a glass of water?"
The sommelier did as instructed, and Rong Chengzhou handed Jiang Mingxue a stemmed glass half-filled with water: "Drink slowly, I'll refill it later."
Jiang Mingxue took the cup, unable to suppress a laugh: "When did Colonel Rong learn to be so cunning and sly?"
Rong Chengzhou slightly raised his lips, smiling without saying a word.
He had witnessed Jiang Mingxue's drinking capacity; she could down a single cocktail.
"You should drink less later, and if you can't take it anymore, just act it out."
There must be a lot of people trying to get Rong Chengzhou drunk today, and she's afraid he'll get into trouble.
Rong Chengzhou nodded: "Okay, don't worry."
The two men, each carrying a glass, walked to the first table; one had baijiu (Chinese liquor), and the other had plain water.
The first table was the main table, where both sets of parents and elders, along with the officiants, sat. Rong Chengzhou had just had a chair added next to Instructor Lu, making room for the Commander. The two officiants sat side by side.
The main table was filled with the closest elders, and the toasts should have been offered quickly. However, Jiang Mingxue's little secret had just been exposed by the commander, so she hid behind Rong Chengzhou and dared not toast Old Master Jiang.
Today, Grandpa Jiang specially wore a bright red Zhongshan suit, and even had his white hair styled with hair gel. Upon learning that Jiang Mingxue had been skydiving behind their family's back for so many years, he was so angry that he turned into a forest fire man with his hair standing on end.
She glared angrily at Jiang Mingxue, then turned her face away and huffed, "Hmph!"
Jiang Mingxue: "......"
She gripped Rong Chengzhou's suit sleeve tightly and shook it back and forth.
Please help me...
Rong Chengzhou chuckled as he squeezed her hand, then stood in front of him, holding a wine glass, and said to Grandpa Jiang, "Grandpa, Peipei and I are now married, husband and wife are one. If you want to punish someone, come at me."
General Rong learned the general story at the banquet and then smiled and advised, "Yes, Brother Jiang, your granddaughter-in-law didn't tell you because she was afraid you would worry. But everything is fine now, isn't it? She even saved so many people with this skill and won a first-class merit. On such a joyous occasion, don't blame the child. If you're still angry, just scold Chengzhou. That kid is tough and can take a beating and a scolding."
A group of people burst into laughter. Rong Chengzhou lowered his brows and chuckled softly, "Yes, you can scold and beat me as soon as possible. Chengzhou will not utter a single complaint."
With Rong Chengzhou's parents present, Old Master Jiang naturally gave him some face. His expression softened slightly, and he turned around and said, "Forget it, today is your wedding, I won't hold it against you for now. We'll settle things properly on the day you return to your parents' home."
"Yes, Grandpa." Jiang Mingxue felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly stepped forward and touched Grandpa Jiang's cup, but withdrew it after a second, afraid that the old man would grab her and torture her.
In the blink of an eye, before Old Master Jiang could even react, his unfilial granddaughter had taken the cup back. He opened his mouth to say something but then swallowed it back, and drank half a cup of baijiu in one gulp.
After paying respects to the two elders, it was the turn of the older Instructor Lu, followed by the Commander and Old Lin.
When visiting the Respect for the Elderly Forest, Rong Chengzhou said, "This wild vegetable dish was specially added to the kitchen by Peipei. I just don't know if the wild vegetables made by Jingge are as authentic as those from Haining."
Old Lin noticed it as soon as the cold dishes were served. Among the exquisite dishes of grilled caviar, foie gras, and king crab on each table, there was a plate of bright green wild vegetable leaves in a glass dish, with a sign that read: Haining Specialty - Old Lin's Recommendation.
This was one of the few times Jiang Mingxue intervened in the wedding. She was worried that Lao Lin wouldn't be used to the food in the North, and that Lao Lin's teeth couldn't chew a lot of meat, so she specially asked someone to add a dish.
Old Lin nodded repeatedly, his eyes brimming with emotion: "Authentic, authentic, the taste is very authentic. I never expected that you people, who hate wild vegetables so much, would still be willing to put them at your wedding banquet, lowering your standards. You're really giving this old man face."
Jiang Mingxue smiled faintly: "I didn't hate it to the point of disliking it, it's just that I ate it every day back then, and I got a little tired of it, but in the end, I ate with you for every meal, didn't I?"
It would indeed be a bit out of place to stuff a plain wild vegetable into a feast of delicacies, but Jiang Mingxue knew that Lao Lin also wanted to bring the local specialties out of the country and let others taste how crisp and unique the wild vegetables from Haining are.
"Yes, yes, you and Xiao Rong have always given me the most face." Old Lin's eyes glistened with tears, and he felt a little emotional as he recalled the lively scene of a group of people crammed into the small kitchen of the clinic in the summer.
After Jiang Mingxue returned from her medical rounds in Haining, he thought he was too old to see her again, but he never expected that the couple would still remember him.
The wedding banquet was not large in scale. Many of the more distant relatives of the Rong and Jiang families were not invited. Those who attended were the couple's most respected elders and their most sincere friends who came from all over the country.
Jiang Mingxue chatted with Lao Lin about the cultivation of Dendrobium officinale in Haining. She learned that the seedlings she had planted earlier were growing very well, and she had recently purchased several thousand more seedlings to distribute to households in Mengshan County. In less than two years, there would be a large-scale harvest, at which point it would become the largest supplier of medicines to Yuanhe Medical Hall. Mengshan County would also be able to get rid of poverty and become rich through this, and would no longer owe money for medicines.
Everything is progressing smoothly as she initially envisioned, which is the third happy event of today's wedding banquet.
They quickly moved to the next table, which was next to the main table, where the bridesmaids and the wedding party sat. This included Cheng Ying, Xu Yan, Ning Jialing, Shi Yunshu, Jiang Huaijing, Pei Yichuan, Yu Feijie, Song Shaojun, Xing Kaiyu, and—
Ning Yanze, whose name was rounded up.
Although this table is considered the second table because of the younger generation, everyone at this table is actually a helpful wingman for the two of them who are in sync.
Moreover, Ning Yanzhe was, in a sense, the biggest wingman.
The seating arrangement was arranged by Rong Chengzhou. Jiang Mingxue guessed that he probably set it according to this standard, but she wasn't really sure, after all, this man's thoughts were deeper than the bottom of the sea.
The couple took turns toasting everyone. Because Rong Chengzhou had deliberately tricked them during the Q&A session, the wedding party members took the opportunity to retaliate by taking turns pouring him drinks.
Rong Chengzhou was in a good mood today and let them drink as much as they wanted; they had all helped a lot with the wedding.
Jiang Mingxue held her "wine" glass, pretended to take two sips, and then pretended to gasp for breath because it was spicy.
It looks quite plausible.
Finally, it was Ning Jialing and Yan Ze's turn. The two sat side by side. Jiang Mingxue first toasted Ning Jialing and chatted with her about her studies abroad. She learned that Ning Jialing was doing well and had even found a boyfriend, which made her very happy for her.
The bouquet she tossed today landed in Ning Jialing's hands.
After clinking glasses, I turned around and saw Ning Yanzhe next to me drinking one glass after another, with the bottle in front of him already more than half empty.
The alcohol content of today's liquor was quite high, and Jiang Mingxue frowned slightly, asking Ning Jialing, "What's wrong with him?"
Ning Jialing glanced at him and casually said, "It's nothing, he's just heartbroken, don't worry about him."
Upon hearing this, the wedding party that had been teasing Rong Chengzhou instantly fell silent and all looked over, including Rong Chengzhou himself.
Pingyou's gaze fell on Ning Yanzhe, whose eyes were already somewhat glazed, but who was still drinking silently at the table.
Because the date changed at the last minute, everyone's wedding invitations were rewritten, except for Ning Yanzhe's. He simply sent over the original invitation where he and Jiang Mingxue had mistakenly written each other's names, along with an explanation of the date correction.
They also thoughtfully arranged for him to sit at the second table next to the main table, the closest position to the stage, so that he could see their wedding ceremony up close.
Rong Chengzhou felt he was being very magnanimous by arranging a good seat for his love rival.
He glanced casually at Ning Yanzhe, and before anyone could offer him a toast, he picked up his glass and took a sip.
On the other side, Jiang Mingxue asked in confusion, "Breakup? So suddenly?"
Ning Jialing was cracking sunflower seeds, nodding her head like a rattle: "Men are just like that, they can fall in love and break up in a single day."
Now that she's gotten to know Ning Yanzhe well, she's becoming increasingly disrespectful in her speech.
Ning Yanzhe was engrossed in drinking and had no time to pay attention to her.
Jiang Mingxue couldn't help but chuckle. After thinking for a moment, she took two gift boxes from another waiter's tray and placed them in front of him: "Here are two more wedding candies for you. Have something sweet to nourish yourself."
Ning Jialing: "......"
Ning Yanzhe: "......"
The wedding party members, who knew the inside story: "..."
This extraordinary level of insensitivity is something that would leave anyone in awe.
Shi Yunshu, who was equally oblivious to everything, turned to her husband and asked, "What's wrong with them?"
Jiang Huaijing was not aware of the details at first, but after glancing at his brother-in-law's expression, he understood.
With a slight smile, she whispered, "It was wonderful. I'll tell you about it when we get back."
Rong Chengzhou's eyelid twitched as well.
He couldn't help but smile and curl his lips.
His young wife always manages to do these unexpected things unintentionally.
Ning Yanzhe was still grieving the loss of his lover when his lover turned around and gave him two more wedding candies.
Everyone else gets one serving, but he gets three.
For a moment, I didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
The strong liquor in his mouth suddenly became numb. He swallowed the last bit with difficulty, then filled his glass, picked it up and stood up.
Another month has passed since I last saw him. His skin is still as white as paper. Now he is dressed in a mature suit and leather shoes. Most of his melancholy has faded away. Perhaps it is because of the troublesome company affairs. In the two months since he left the clinic, he has become much more composed than before.
He gazed at her, his hazy eyes clearing slightly. After a two-second pause, he slowly uttered seven words:
"Dr. Jiang, happy marriage."
Seeing that he had recovered, Jiang Mingxue felt much relieved. She picked up her cup of warm water and returned the cup with a slight smile, saying, "Thank you."
Ning Yanzhe tilted his head back and drank the baijiu in his glass in one gulp.
The strong liquor burned his throat, and a tear slid down the man's reddened eyes, mingling with the liquor as it slid down his lips, down his Adam's apple, and into his collar, disappearing from sight.
Along with his unspoken feelings of affection over the years, everything vanished.
If someone doesn't even have the right to say they like something, what right do they have to compete for it?
......
This wild vegetable dish, highly recommended by Lao Lin, is very popular. It's the first dish to be finished at every table, and many people ask what it is and how it's made.
The wedding and banquet went very smoothly. After the banquet, Jiang Mingxue and Rong Chengzhou changed out of their formal attire and personally saw off the guests.
Although they were exhausted from attending the entire wedding, many people took Friday off to fly over to attend, especially Ning Jialing, who had to take leave from her classes and fly over two days in advance after the wedding date was set at the last minute.
It's rare to find a friend willing to travel so far. Yesterday, she had to ask Rong Chengzhou to pick her up at the station while she was at work. Now that she has time, she naturally wants to see her off in person.
Some people's tickets were for the evening, and it was already 10 p.m. after dropping off all the guests. On the way back with Rong Chengzhou, Jiang Mingxue was so tired that she could no longer sit up straight. She leaned wearily against the passenger seat, her head against the window, wanting to sleep, but her mind was very clear.
She opened her eyes again and sighed softly, "Why is getting married so tiring?"
Rong Chengzhou was driving when he glanced at her with a smile and said, "Hang in there, I'll give you a massage when we get home."
Jiang Mingxue nodded repeatedly and weakly replied, "Okay."
Two minutes later, Rong Chengzhou, as if thinking of something, suddenly asked, "Peipei, do you know why Ning Yanzhe broke up with his girlfriend?"
Jiang Mingxue said with her eyes closed, "I know."
Rong Chengzhou tilted his head: "Hmm?"
She shifted her head to a more comfortable position: "Because I married you."
Upon hearing this, Rong Chengzhou was slightly surprised for two seconds.
He had only had some doubts at the wedding banquet and wasn't sure, and his question just now was just a tentative inquiry, but he didn't expect it to be just as he thought.
Jiang Mingxue knows everything.
"When did you find out?" he asked.
Jiang Mingxue thought for a moment and said, "It must be the last time you went skydiving with him. He acted too deliberately, and combined with your reaction afterwards, I guessed it."
Rong Chengzhou couldn't help but chuckle. He really did think his Peipei was exceptionally oblivious when it came to matters of the heart.
"Then why pretend you don't know?"
Jiang Mingxue thought his question was very typical of a straight man: "He never said that, so of course I can only pretend I don't know."
Of course, whether you say it or not doesn't have much of an impact, it's just that the latter is a more dignified way for everyone to handle things.
She glossed over the two wedding candies in a joking manner, letting those naive and inappropriate feelings end cleanly and gracefully, which was good for Yan Ze, for her, and for Rong Chengzhou.
Of course, Yan Ze wouldn't know these thoughts of hers, nor did he need to.
Rong Chengzhou nodded, instantly understanding many things. Jiang Mingxue's handling of the situation was excellent; it wasn't too heartless towards Yan Ze, yet it gave him a strong sense of security.
A glint of light appeared in his eyes as he looked ahead, and he slightly raised his lips: "I'll give you a massage when we get back."
"Okay." Jiang Mingxue mumbled with her eyes closed. She fell asleep without realizing it while chatting with him. She had no recollection of how he carried her out of the car. In the end, Rong Chengzhou woke her up.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying face down on the bed, still in her pajamas. Rong Chengzhou sat on the side of the bed and massaged her shoulders: "Awake?"
She blinked slowly twice and nodded.
Others have to count the money they're supposed to give as wedding gifts at night, but they skipped that altogether. If it weren't for the fact that tonight was her wedding night, she would have gone straight to sleep.
"Rong Chengzhou, hasn't your premarital medical report come out yet?" She rested her chin on the pillow, remembering this.
The man beside her had strong, bony fingers that traced a gentle, measured downward motion along her shoulder blade. His voice was calm: "I just came out yesterday. But not today, I've been drinking."
Jiang Mingxue realized what she meant and said with a hint of regret, "Oh, it really is."
Rong Chengzhou chuckled and said, "You must be very tired tonight. Get some rest and don't think too much."
"I feel much better after sleeping for a while."
Although she couldn't match Rong Chengzhou's boundless energy, after being trained by him in bed for so many days, her physical strength was much better than before.
Rong Chengzhou hummed in agreement and pressed his hand down her spine: "Then you can think about where you'd like to go for your honeymoon."
The honeymoon trip was scheduled for a week later, but the location hadn't been decided yet because everyone was busy with the wedding.
Jiang Mingxue was very casual about her wedding, and she couldn't offer any valuable suggestions about the honeymoon. She turned her head to look at him from the pillow and said, "Whatever, you decide. Just don't sell me off to some remote mountain village."
Rong Chengzhou chuckled and couldn't help but add, "Don't be so easily fooled when I'm not home in the future."
Jiang Mingxue was speechless for a moment, then glanced at him and said, "I'm not stupid."
Rong Chengzhou chuckled, his hand unconsciously moving to her waist, his palm gently kneading the sides of her lumbar spine.
Jiang Mingxue involuntarily shrank to the side and laughed, "It's a little itchy."
Rong Chengzhou: "Then I'll change seats."
As she spoke, she continued to move her hand down, massaging her thigh.
Today, I stood almost all day while attending the wedding and seeing off guests, and the muscles in my legs are quite tense.
Jiang Mingxue closed her eyes, enjoying the VIP treatment, but felt a little guilty because he had already massaged her for more than half an hour: "How about we buy a massage chair? That way you won't have to go through all this trouble to massage me yourself."
While kneading the muscles on her thigh, Rong Chengzhou replied calmly, "No need."
Jiang Mingxue tilted her head to look at him and teased, "Colonel Rong is so hardworking and conscientious, isn't he?"
Rong Chengzhou slightly raised his lips, but smiled without saying a word.
He "worked hard" and massaged her legs for another half hour, then put his hand on her waist and asked, "Are you still tired?"
Jiang Mingxue shook her head and stretched lazily: "Your massage was so comfortable, I almost fell asleep again."
The man nodded slightly and said calmly, "As long as you're not tired."
Jiang Mingxue tilted her head, feeling there was some other meaning behind his words: "Hmm?"
Rong Chengzhou didn't explain, but simply picked her up from the bed and took her to the bathroom to shower.
Steam rose in the air, and the warm yellow ceiling light swayed on the ceiling. Halfway through the shower, Jiang Mingxue finally realized what he meant by "as long as you're not tired."
The bathroom was filled with steam, and droplets of water condensed on the frosted glass, slowly sliding down in winding paths. Hot water overflowed the edge of the double bathtub, creating delicate ripples. He casually brushed aside the damp hair clinging to her cheek, revealing her beautiful face under the light. His hands roamed over her smooth back, sending shivers down her spine wherever they touched.
Foam clung to her collarbone, which he gently brushed away with his fingers. Like two fish meeting, they naturally drew closer in the warm water. Her back pressed against his chest, she felt his steady, powerful heartbeat, resonating with the ripples in unison. Water flowed down his shoulder and over her arm, their intertwined fingertips lightly clasping in the water. The only sounds in the bathroom were the water and their increasingly heavy breathing.
"Hiss—" Jiang Mingxue suddenly gasped in pain, "Rong Chengzhou...why did you bite me?"
The man's hot, moist lips pressed against the back of her neck, his voice low and husky with dampness: "There's foam on it."
Jiang Mingxue: "......" Nobody would believe that.
"Aren't you afraid of being poisoned to death..." she said, her voice broken as she gripped the edge of the bathtub with one hand.
A smirk escaped the man's throat: "Peipei, if you poison me, who else can satisfy you?"
"..." Jiang Mingxue blushed slightly, then said seriously, "Didn't I tell you that I'm actually frigid and don't have that much desire?"
Rong Chengzhou raised an eyebrow, held the back of her neck and made her look at her own confused and passionate reflection in the mirror next to the bathtub, then asked meaningfully, "Are you frigid?"
Jiang Mingxue: "......"
I should have told him sooner.
A huge mirror was installed next to the bathtub at some point, and it was intelligently heated and defogged, so that even next to the steamy bathtub, the posture and situation of the person outside the mirror could be clearly reflected.
Jiang Mingxue remembered that it wasn't there when she lived there. She didn't know when Rong Chengzhou installed it while she was at work, and now it couldn't be removed.
Her hair was wet and disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed crimson. She turned her face away, refusing to look. To prove her innocence, she argued, "Whether you believe it or not, that's why I asked you to marry me."
She emphasized, raising her voice, "I really am frigid."
"Is that so?" Rong Chengzhou asked in a low voice, then stretched out his well-defined fingers in front of her. The calluses on his fingers glistened with an unusually lustrous sheen, reflecting a beautiful and ambiguous halo under the warm light.
He slightly curled his lips before continuing:
"Nothing was found."
Jiang Mingxue: "......"
She can't get rid of the stain even if she jumps into the bathtub now.
Forget it, believe it or not.
"Rong Chengzhou...you need to be careful, you have to go home tomorrow." She leaned against the mirror, facing him, and forced her eyelids open to remind him.
Others usually return to their parents' home three days later, but Jiang Mingxue has to work next week, so the homecoming banquet can only be held on Sunday.
"I know, they're already keeping them." The man's brows were furrowed, and a few tiny drops of liquid on his forehead were indistinguishable as either water or sweat.
"..." Jiang Mingxue looked up at the ceiling in despair.
Her whole body was soaked until it turned white, and this was still called "keeping it."
Rong Chengzhou got up even earlier than her to pick up today's guests. He was on his feet almost all day, and he also supervised her the whole time when she was being driven home. After driving her home, he even gave her a massage for an hour. Who would have thought she still had such boundless energy?
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have chosen a soldier just for peace and quiet.
"Rong Chengzhou, I'm going to sleep," she called out to him, trying to awaken his conscience.
The man didn't even look up: "Okay, goodnight."
Then he lowered his head and continued to work diligently.
Jiang Mingxue: "......"
We really owe him!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Ta-da! Thirteen makes his dazzling debut!
My darlings, I haven't seen you for two days, you've missed me terribly! [Okay] (winks)
If you want to visit me, you can come find me at Big Eyes' place! I've been rambling a lot these past few days, hahaha.
This chapter includes a 50-yuan red envelope~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com