Chapter 91 His lips were tinged with desire.
They've already given each other nicknames, and the matchmaker has been brought along. The marriage is a done deal, there's no way it can be delayed. Xia Dongbo was overjoyed and went to the wine cellar to open two bottles of rare vintage baijiu.
With the dishes prepared, everyone moved to the restaurant and began discussing the details of the couple's wedding over fine wine and food.
Aunt Cheng: "Pingchuan told me that Mianmian's requirement is to exchange betrothal gifts first. When will the engagement ceremony be held?"
This should have been answered by the parents, but Xia Mian didn't consider the couple as her parents at all, and said directly, "No need. Just give and receive gifts in return."
Aunt Cheng was puzzled. In the north, the custom is to get engaged. Ordinary families exchange betrothal gifts before the engagement and then celebrate with relatives and friends on the engagement day. Wealthier families, to show off their status, will exchange gifts during the engagement ceremony, just like Xia Mingzhao's process.
Summer's requirements sound a bit like those from the port city.
Xia Dongbo and Tang Wenhua exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't answered earlier because they hadn't grasped Xia Mian's thoughts at all.
Xia Mian rolled her eyes, realizing she had given away her identity, and quickly added, "Those ceremonies are too much trouble. My career is on the rise, and I don't have that much time. Besides, my agent doesn't allow me to talk much in front of the media."
The first part was false, but the second part was true; he learned his lesson.
"Oh, I see," Aunt Cheng said, indicating her understanding.
Zhou Pingchuan had an excellent memory. He clearly remembered that when the little girl first visited the Zhou Mansion, she said "the customs of my hometown," and glanced at Xia Mian.
Aunt Cheng added, "If it's just the betrothal ceremony, it's indeed much easier, as there's no need to choose a hotel or arrange the venue in advance. However, many relatives will be coming that day, and we can't let them leave on an empty stomach, so we definitely need to entertain them. My suggestion is to book a hotel close to Xia Garden in advance. After the betrothal ceremony, we can go straight to dinner, what do you think?"
In truth, Tang Wenhua couldn't wait to announce to the world that her son and the head of the Zhou family had tied the knot. But Xia Mian's personality was different from before; he seemed like a completely different person. He wasn't as naive and easy to manipulate as before. Afraid of angering him, she could only nod in agreement: "This is indeed the best arrangement."
“Let’s set a date. I went to burn incense a few days ago and asked the Old Man Under the Moon for a date to get their marriage certificate. It’s six days from now. If they don’t get it on that day, there won’t be a suitable date for them this year.”
The marriage certificate will be issued in six days, which means that the betrothal ceremony must be completed beforehand. With such a tight schedule, Tang Wenhua looked troubled.
Fortunately, Xia Garden had been completely renovated by the time Mingzhao got married, and Xia Mian's dowry was almost ready. As for hotels, the capital city has no shortage of good ones; if this one can't be booked, we can find another. If we keep working hard, we can get it done eventually.
Of course, they wanted it to be as soon as possible, so they could feel at ease.
"Six days later is fine," Tang Wenhua gritted his teeth, "but what about Pingchuan...?"
Will the Zhou family be able to finish preparing?
Although being able to get close to the head of the Zhou family is enough to make people envious and jealous, if the Zhou family prepares a small dowry, they will be talked about behind their backs.
For example, on the day Mingzhao got engaged, if Zhou Pingchuan hadn't added Yun Gui Mountain Villa as a prize, the Xia family would probably have... sighed.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of things for him," Aunt Cheng reassured the Xia family.
In fact, Xia Mian was quite concerned as well. Zhou Pingchuan didn't like appearing in front of the camera, so the Xia family definitely wouldn't provoke him that day and would take the initiative to contact the media.
But such a big event is bound to leak out, and on such a joyous occasion, you can't just chase away the paparazzi, so there's a high chance they'll take pictures of you.
If the betrothal gifts Zhou Pingchuan brought were as meager as in his dream, not only would the Xia family lose face and become a laughingstock in front of the entire nation!
Hearing what Aunt Cheng said, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
But my heart is still hanging in suspense; I won't be able to let go until that day comes.
Ultimately, the betrothal ceremony was scheduled for four days later, giving the Xia family some buffer time so that the marriage registration wouldn't be too rushed.
After the most important date was set, Aunt Cheng gave the Xia family a list of things they needed to prepare:
"Wedding candles, the character '囍' (double happiness), wedding candy, and wedding cakes are a must. Red bedding and pillows are up to you. Guests generally won't enter Mianmian's room until the wedding day. Then there are glutinous rice balls, which need to be cooked in advance and eaten after signing the marriage certificate, symbolizing that the newlyweds will be sweet and happy together until they grow old."
Who wants to be sweet with him? Who wants to grow old with him? Xia Mian muttered to herself.
"Oh, and have the clothes been made yet?"
Yes, Zhou Pingchuan had contacted a high-end tailor shop a long time ago to make him clothes for the occasion. But... Zhou Pingchuan, would he really want to wear loungewear like in his dream?
“Mine is finished, the prototype arrived a long time ago, and the finished product should be here soon,” he turned to Zhou Pingchuan, “What about yours?”
Aunt Cheng said in surprise, "Pingchuan wouldn't be unprepared, would he? A wedding means a new beginning, so try not to wear old clothes. Mianmian, Pingchuan has been busy lately, so why don't you get him some things ready?"
He definitely had to get some summer sleep; he was terrified that his nightmare would become reality, and he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Besides that, all that's left is for both sides to worship their ancestors. Both ancestral halls are located locally, so there's no need to travel to other places, which is very convenient and requires no further explanation.
Xia Mian canceled the engagement ceremony, making the process much simpler. Aunt Cheng didn't have much to say, and Xia Dongbo smiled and toasted her, thanking her for her guidance. The atmosphere was very lively.
It was clear that the Xia family was genuinely happy today. The couple frequently raised their glasses, and Zhou Pingchuan drank quite a bit with them, even drinking some on behalf of Aunt Cheng, which made him a little tipsy.
He took out a cigarette, walked into the yard, and planned to take a few puffs to get rid of the smell of alcohol.
Seeing him standing under the tree, Xia Mian hesitated for a few seconds before following him out. She whispered behind him, "Open your arms."
Zhou Pingchuan didn't like to turn his back to others, but Xia Mian probably didn't pose much of a threat, so he held the cigarette tongs in his hand and opened his arms as instructed.
Xia Mian wrapped her arms loosely around Zhou Pingchuan's waist, then slipped under his arm to his front and wrapped her arms around his chest.
The pressure was gentle, the touch ticklish, like a kitten frolicking on its owner.
Zhou Pingchuan took a drag of his cigarette: "What are you doing?"
As he spoke, the rich, chocolatey smell of smoke wafted onto Xia Mian's face. Surprisingly, Xia Mian didn't dislike it and muttered, "I'm taking your measurements, otherwise how can I look at clothes for you?"
After saying that, Xia Mian began to gesture to show Zhou Pingchuan's height. Zhou Pingchuan was extremely tall, and Xia Mian wasn't short either, but even when standing on tiptoe, she was still a tiny bit shorter.
How high was that? He had a sudden urge to jump and see. But just as he was about to gather his strength, Zhou Pingchuan ducked down and, with one hand supporting the back of his calf, lifted him up!
Suddenly losing her balance, Xia Mian cried out "Hey!" and grabbed the other person's shoulder tightly.
Zhou Pingchuan held the deer antler staff in one hand and hugged him with the other, while he held a cigarette between his lips.
Under the moonlight, that indifferent face was blurred by the smoke, revealing deep-set eyes, distinct brow bones, and lips tinged with a hint of desire.
"Have you measured it yet?" Zhou Pingchuan asked.
Xia Mian was stunned, her mouth dry. After a while, she kicked the other person's thigh and said, "Measure my ass! Put me down!"
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