Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Are you crying? Marrying me...
Chen Zhuo backed out and watched the Maserati drive away. She also turned on the navigation and prepared to go home. A message popped up. It was a voice message from Ms. Chi, asking her to come home for dinner in the evening.
She sighed softly, knowing that she couldn't escape this, so she immediately changed her address.
The car stopped in an old residential area. When Shen Zhuo got out of the car, she saw Ms. Chi carrying vegetables and met her neighbor Aunt Zhang. The two of them greeted each other and walked into the apartment building side by side. She got out of the car and hurried to follow. As soon as she entered the corridor, she heard the two people chatting.
The old residential building had no elevator, and there was a slight echo in the corridor. Chen Zhuo could hear it clearly even though he was one flight of stairs away from them.
Aunt Zhang: "You're buying so many vegetables? Is your daughter coming home today?"
Ms. Chi was in a good mood and said with a smile, "Yes!"
Aunt Zhang: "When can you bring a boyfriend back?"
Ms. Chi: "I finally got to meet a young man today. He seems like a good guy. I've been introduced to so many people and finally got to meet him!"
Then I heard Ms. Chi sigh: "Oh, she's almost 30, and she's not in a hurry at all. Last week I went to her new house, and you wouldn't know, there was nothing in the refrigerator. I'm waiting for a hundred years, and she's still alone like this. How can I feel at ease?"
What's there to worry about? She has hands and feet, a house, a car, money, and a job. Besides, she's not 30 years old at all. She's only 28 and just had her birthday. Chen Zhuo stepped lightly on the stairs, arguing in his heart.
Aunt Zhang consoled her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your Chen Zhuo is good-looking and makes a lot of money. She's such an outstanding girl. There must be a lot of men who like her. She won't have any trouble finding a partner."
Ms. Chi sighed, her tone full of self-blame: "When she was in high school, she had a little boy she really liked. I had a fight with her father at the time, and I was in a bad mood, always criticizing her. And then there was her father's incident, and I was always worried that it would affect her... In the past two years, when I urged her, she always said she didn't want to get married or have a boyfriend. I think she was blaming me..."
Shen Zhuo followed quietly behind, feeling mixed emotions after hearing Ms. Chi's words. She stopped and waited for a while after Ms. Chi entered the house before going upstairs.
After entering the door, Ms. Chi was busy in the kitchen. Seeing Chen Zhuo, she asked enthusiastically how the blind date went.
Chen Zhuo wanted to find a random excuse to tell Ms. Chi that it was hopeless, but seeing her eyes full of expectation, Chen Zhuo seemed to be choking and couldn't say anything. When the words came to his lips, he changed his words and said, "It's good."
Ms. Chi smiled even more happily: "Really? If you say it's good, then it really is good. Are you quite satisfied with him? I said Xiao Shao is a good person, can you two try to get along with each other?"
Shen Zhuo had no choice but to nod, not wanting to spoil Ms. Chi's mood.
For dinner, Ms. Chi prepared three dishes and a soup, all of which were Shen Zhuo's favorites. While eating, she advised her to communicate and chat more with her husband, and to go out on dates when she had time.
Shen Zhuo ate heartily and was speechless and didn't want to say anything. He could only respond to her with "hmm".
After dinner, Chen Zhuo put away the dishes and prepared to go home. While changing his shoes at the door, Ms. Chi packed two boxes of frozen dumplings, which she had made yesterday.
Ms. Chi said with concern: "Don't eat takeout all the time, and drink less. Also, get along well with Xiao Shao. When you're close enough, bring him home for a meal."
Shen Zhuo took the dumplings and suddenly asked her, "Mom, if I get married, will you feel relieved?"
Ms. Chi was stunned for a moment, then said, "I'm relieved to know someone can take good care of you. Look at your new home, there's nothing in the refrigerator. Do you always eat takeout..."
Seeing that Ms. Chi was about to nag again, Shen Zhuo hurriedly called a halt and said, "I understand."
After returning home, Shen Zhuo went into the kitchen first and put the wild horse and dumplings into the refrigerator. After leaving the kitchen, he collapsed on the sofa.
Looking at the ceiling, his thoughts were floating in his mind without a grip. The light was a little dazzling. Shen Zhuo raised his arm to cover his eyes, and Shao Chengzhang's suggestion flashed through his mind.
If she gets married, she will have to get a pre-marital property notarization and also write a few agreements, such as not disturbing each other after marriage.
For her, Shao Chengzhang could be a marriage partner.
The phone buzzed twice. It was Jiang Jun sending her a message telling her that she would wrap up filming tomorrow and would be flying back the day after tomorrow. She asked her to prepare good food and drinks to welcome her in advance.
Chen Zhuo was a bit annoyed and confused. He'd wanted to video chat with her about the blind date, but his hand suddenly paused, and she realized she'd actually been considering Shao Chengzhang's marriage proposal. However, Jiang Jun wasn't done with work yet, so the video call ended. She asked what was going on, but Chen Zhuo snorted and replied that she should work first and that he'd be waiting for her when she returned.
*
Shao Chengzhang had promised Chen Zhuo that he would send her the medical examination report and credit record. Chen Zhuo had reviewed them and found no problems. She, who had always acted decisively, hesitated this time, struggling for two days and still undecided whether to accept or reject Shao Chengzhang's proposal.
After all, getting married is a big deal.
Jiang Jun returned in the evening. She had been with the group for nearly two months and had lost several pounds. As soon as she entered the room, she started clamoring to eat a lot to make up for it. Chen Zhuo had already bought the ingredients in advance, and the shabu-shabu pot was already on high heat, steaming.
Jiang Jun walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator with ease. Seeing two bottles of Ye Ma Zai, she couldn't help but exclaimed where they bought them.
Shen Zhuo glanced at it and said it was a gift from Shao Chengzhang.
"Shao Chengzhang?" Jiang Jun rushed to the kitchen door and asked her with wide eyes, "Man? Who?"
"It's the owner of the sex shop." Shen Zhuoyi said briefly.
"Huh?" Jiang Jun stared in disbelief. "Auntie introduced you to a blind date? You two met? Why didn't you tell me? What happened?"
"Oh my god, I'll tell you about these questions later."
"Damn, Xiao Zhuozi, you concealed the truth and didn't tell me. I'm going to make a killing from you today." Jiang Jun walked into the living room very rudely and picked up a Glenlivet 18 from the hidden wine cabinet.
Chen Zhuo tutted, "Eating hot pot with whiskey? I think you are just looking for an excuse to drink my wine."
Jiang Jun hummed twice, "I'll add sparkling water."
"Please don't waste my 800-plus-dollar bottle of wine. I want to drink it neat."
Jiang Jun smiled at her and said, "That's great."
Chen Zhuo smiled speechlessly, knowing that she was waiting for her here.
The hot pot was boiling and bubbling. While eating, Chen Zhuo recounted what had happened in the past few days.
Jiang Jun listened with great interest and asked questions from time to time, "How handsome are you talking about? Can it be compared to Si Yushuai?"
Shen Zhuo narrowed his eyes, recalling Shao Chengzhang's face, and replied, "The style is different. He has a very tough look, with three-dimensional features and a good bone structure."
Jiang Jun opened his eyes wide, "You must be very handsome if you can say that."
Shen Zhuo nodded. She always had a good aesthetic taste.
"What happened next? Was there any other contact?" Jiang Jun gossiped.
Shen Zhuo replied: "No."
Jiang Jun asked, "What do you think?"
Chen Zhuo propped up her head, thought for a moment, and said slowly: "Actually, I think marrying him is okay." After that, she started drinking.
The rich, full-bodied whiskey spread in my mouth, sliding down my throat. A burning sensation, mixed with fruity and oaky notes, shot from my chest to my nose. But soon, I felt a hint of sweetness at the back of my tongue, making me want to take another sip.
"What?" Jiang Jun had just picked up a beef ball from the pot when it fell into the pot in shock, splashing oil. She frantically yelled, "Are you really going to marry him? Are you crazy? He's in such a hurry to get married, what if he's trying to trick you into marrying him? What if he's gay? Do you really believe him when he says he doesn't want to marry someone his family arranged for him?"
Chen Zhuo shrugged, looking nonchalant. "Anyway, he said it was just an agreement to get married, just getting a marriage certificate. And I'll definitely go get the property notarized first, and get a prenuptial agreement and stuff like that. Besides, I don't have much money left after buying this house, and I still have to pay the mortgage every month, so what's there to cheat about? After we get married, he can live his life and I'll live mine, without any worries, and my mom can rest assured too, killing two birds with one stone."
Shen Zhuo's tone was calm, as if she wasn't talking about anything personal. She finished speaking and took two more sips of wine.
"Marriage is obviously just a choice, but most people seem to have no choice." Jiang Jun is currently a non-marriage advocate, and her attitude towards love and marriage is to just date and not get married.
"Yes, people always have to consider a lot of things. You know, when I heard my mother talk about her centenary, I felt that I should not let her down. My father originally..." Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, the valve of Shen Zhuo's thoughts seemed to be opened, and the people and things that she didn't think about normally were allowed to disperse, and even floated in front of her.
Shen Zhuo rarely mentioned Shen Furong. No, she refused to think of anything about Shen Furong.
"She doesn't say it, but I know she's been very tired these years, so I've been working hard to make myself better, working hard to make money and buy a house... I just want her to be able to look good when she talks about me in front of outsiders. Even if she doesn't have a husband, she still has a pretty good daughter, and I can prove that I don't need to rely on any man to live..." As he spoke, Shen Zhuo's voice choked, and tears suddenly fell, "But now it seems that it still doesn't work..."
"I know, I know." Jiang Jun immediately took out two tissues and handed them over, "Oh Zhuozi..." Jiang Jun couldn't stand seeing people crying, and when others cried, she wanted to cry too.
"I don't want her to suffer so much anymore... But after hearing what she said today, I don't want her to worry about me like this..." Chen Zhuo took it and wiped his tears before calming down. "What can I do... Telling her that I don't want to get married after so many years doesn't make sense. It's so annoying."
Jiang Jun had no idea what to do. She also didn't understand why older women who had been hurt in marriage were still so obsessed with their daughters getting married.
In the end, she could only sigh. "It's OK if you've made up your mind. No matter what happens, I'll stand by you, unconditionally. But I think you should be more cautious about getting married. From what you said, that man gave me wine and borrowed my car. He's so vain and has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He's really good-looking except for his face. I'm so worried you've been cheated."
Chen Zhuo smiled, his voice heavy with nasal murmur, "How could I be deceived? Don't you think about what I do? I can tell even when an artist is lying. But you're right, how could he not find a girlfriend when he has such good conditions?"
"Oh my god! I know!" Jiang Jun suddenly shouted, scaring Chen Zhuo, "He must not be good at that! Otherwise, how could he open a sex toy store? He definitely can't satisfy the women's needs! It's over, Zhuozi, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? You haven't even been in love or enjoyed a man yet, you can't just be a widow after getting married..."
"What?" Chen Zhuo rolled his eyes at her. "Can you blame me for not having a romantic partner? Oh, by the way, remember when I went to Xincheng to burn incense, I met a fortune teller who said I would get married at 28."
"Are you so unlucky that you don't have any romantic opportunities? You turned down the casting director who pursued you before, and when someone asked you for your WeChat ID, you said you had a boyfriend. When a nobody sent you a half-naked photo, you said he had fat over muscle and asked him to train more. You can break a steel bar even if the matchmaker gave you one." Jiang Jun was speechless.
Chen Zhuo chuckled. "That casting guy has a fat head and small eyes, he's a world away from Shao Chengzhang. The guy who asked me for WeChat is even taller than me. The little actor might have sent a photo to a group, so how can we date him... I think the matchmaker forgot to match me up, so I might as well just find someone myself. I happen to have one ready-made. I still remember the fortune teller saying that after I get married, I'll have a harmonious marriage and a happy life."
Jiang Jun rolled her eyes at her. "You believe in all kinds of fortune-telling. How much did you pay?"
"100? I forgot..."
"Donor, I see that you have an extraordinary destiny, possessing all five elements, possessing gold in your horoscope, and possessing happiness. You are destined to rise to great heights, have favorable auspices, receive support from noble people, and achieve rapid career advancement. You will be married forever, enjoy a loving relationship with your spouse, and be blessed with great fortune. You are destined for a perfect marriage! I won't charge much, just give me 50."
Shen Zhuo was amused by her again.
"Don't laugh, I'm serious, transfer the money quickly."
"This drink cost you more than 50, why are you still asking me for money?"
"Why are you so stingy!"
The two started bickering again when suddenly a ringtone interrupted them. It was Jiang Jun's phone. She answered for a moment, then pointed to the bedroom, got up, took out her computer from her bag, and went into the house.
Shen Zhuo poured herself another glass of wine. By this time, the aftertaste of the wine was already very obvious, with the rich aroma of vanilla and caramel lingering on her taste buds. She liked it very much.
Looking down, he saw the phone on the table. He reached out and found Shao Chengzhang's contact page. His brain was still hesitating, but his fingers uncontrollably clicked on the voice call, and the call was connected in a few seconds.
A clean and magnetic voice came over: "Chen Zhuo?"
Chen Zhuo closed his eyes and hummed softly.
"Why, have you thought about it?"
Chen Zhuo said, "I've made up my mind. Shao Chengzhang, let's get married." The nasal tone had not yet disappeared, and the tone sounded lighter and more muffled than his usual speaking tone.
Shao Chengzhang asked: "Are you crying? Is it so sad to marry me?"
"Ah?" Chen Zhuo was stunned for two seconds before saying, "I'm not sad."
"Is that tears of joy?"
"...You think too much." She spoke a little slowly, her voice a little casual and soft, even this kind of emotionless silence and dissatisfaction sounded sticky.
He asked her again, "Are you still drinking?"
Not knowing how he could tell, Shen Zhuo also said honestly: "A little bit."
Shao Chengzhang paused and said, "I think you spoke out of turn while drunk. Tell me when you're sober."
Chen Zhuo interrupted: "How do you know I'm not speaking the truth after drinking?"
After a moment's silence, she suddenly heard a low laugh, which passed through the phone and across her eardrum like a subtle electric current. The half of her face that was pressed against the phone felt a little hot for some reason.
Chen Zhuo licked his lips, feeling a little thirsty, and took another sip of wine. A light spice note spread out at the end, and after a few seconds, the sweet taste of green apple filled his mouth.
How sweet, she thought.
Shao Chengzhang confirmed with her: "Chen Zhuo, think it over carefully, do you really want to marry me?"
Shen Zhuo nodded heavily, and when he realized that the other party couldn't see him, he slowly said, "Well, let's get married."
Shao Chengzhang curled his lips, snorted a laugh, and said, "Okay."
Jiang Jun came out of the room and saw Chen Zhuo propping up his head with his elbows, his eyes closed, and only half of the Granvit next to him was left.
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