Free Web NovelChapter 1038: Chapter 16: Nie Xiaoxing, Let’s Get Our Marriage Certificate!
Lu Zhiquan saw this and realized that his guess was correct. Now, it wasn’t just his throat that felt choked, but his heart as well.
So, was he still too late?!
"Xiao Xing, do you still remember six years ago..."
"Hello."
Nie Xiaoxing nodded at Lu Zhiquan and turned aside, "Aunt Yuan, do you need something?"
Lu Zhiquan’s eyes were rimmed with threads of red, watching Nie Xiaoxing’s back with restraint.
"Now?" Nie Xiaoxing pursed her lips, glanced back at Lu Zhiquan, and when she saw the redness in his eyes, there was a faint doubt in her own as she slowly withdrew her gaze.
"Alright. I’m close to the Vegetarian Restaurant, it should be about ten minutes." Nie Xiaoxing said.
After a few seconds, Nie Xiaoxing spoke again, "Okay."
Then, Nie Xiaoxing hung up the phone and turned back to Lu Zhiquan, "Sorry, I have something to do now. What were you about to say?"
Lu Zhiquan squeezed his knuckles, looking at Nie Xiaoxing and said, "It’s nothing."
That matter, for her, for him, was far from just a simple memory.
Nie Xiaoxing had no doubt, "Then, I’ll be going first."
"Hmm." Lu Zhiquan nodded with difficulty.
Nie Xiaoxing lowered her eyelashes for a few seconds before passing by him, moving forward.
Lu Zhiquan turned back to watch Nie Xiaoxing’s figure, his eyes full of regret, unwillingness, and more than anything, reluctance.
Xiao Xing.
Six years ago, you protected me!
Six years later, let me protect you!
...
As Nie Xiaoxing walked up to the entrance of the Vegetarian Restaurant, she suddenly felt a sharp tap on the back of her head.
Nie Xiaoxing inhaled sharply, turning to see in surprise.
Upon seeing the man standing behind her, Nie Xiaoxing pursed her lips, "Childish!"
Gu Yan placed an arm on her shoulder, guiding her into the Vegetarian Restaurant, "I don’t need to say it, it must be the Empress Dowager from my family trying to match us, creating another opportunity for us."
Nie Xiaoxing lowered her gaze, "You knew and still came."
Gu Yan stared at her, "You came too!"
"I came to clarify things with Aunt Yuan." Nie Xiaoxing pouted.
Gu Yan was slightly startled, looking at Nie Xiaoxing, "Clarify what?"
Nie Xiaoxing glanced at him, "The thing you’ve always hoped for!"
Gu Yan’s gaze shifted slightly, quietly watching Nie Xiaoxing.
Nie Xiaoxing glanced at his hand resting on her shoulder, her form deftly shifting away from his arm, striding toward the direction of the private room.
Gu Yan felt a momentary emptiness under his arm, then lowered it, watching wryly as Nie Xiaoxing walked away.
...
Nie Xiaoxing reached the private room door as directed by Yuan Xihuo. She gently pushed it open, taking a step inside, but suddenly halted in the face of the scene inside the room.
Her jet-black eyes widened in surprise.
"Not going in..."
The voice from behind Nie Xiaoxing, belonging to Gu Yan, was also cut off in the next second.
Both of them stared wide-eyed at the scene inside.
"These two silly kids."
Yuan Xihuo approached with a smile, took each of them by hand, leading them into the room.
Gu Yan and Nie Xiaoxing were led like puppets by Yuan Xihuo into the room.
"Let me introduce everyone."
Yuan Xihuo let go of Gu Yan’s hand, intimately holding Nie Xiaoxing’s hand, smiling warmly, "This is Nie Xiaoxing, my daughter-in-law."
Nie Xiaoxing, "..."
Gu Yan, "..."
"Oh my, this girl is truly beautiful. She looks so young. How old are you this year?"
An elderly woman, about seventy or eighty, smiled warmly at Nie Xiaoxing, asking enthusiastically.
Nie Xiaoxing, "..."
"Xiao Xing, this is Gu Yan’s third aunt. Just call her third aunt." Yuan Xihuo said.
Nie Xiaoxing, "..."
Gu Yan, "..." Empress Dowager, what are you up to?
Gu Yan licked his lower lip, glanced around at the relatives crowded around the table in the room, his mind buzzing.
"Silly child, hurry and greet everyone." Yuan Xihuo patted Nie Xiaoxing’s hand, smiling gently, "What are you feeling shy about? In a couple of days, it’ll be the fifteenth, the day you and Gu Yan get your marriage certificate. You’re practically part of the Gu Family now. Come, greet everyone."
Nie Xiaoxing took a deep breath, turning to look at Yuan Xihuo, "Aunt Yuan, I have something to say to you."
Yuan Xihuo squinted slightly and said, "Aunt Yuan doesn’t have time to talk to you tonight. Look at all these relatives in the room waiting to chat with Aunt Yuan."
"Aunt Yuan..."
"Xiao Xing, come, let me introduce you to the other elders."
Yuan Xihuo didn’t give Nie Xiaoxing a chance to speak, dragging her to the elders for an awkward and embarrassing "family introduction."
Gu Yan, "..."
Couldn’t help but shake his head.
The Empress Dowager of their family was too much!
To force him to marry Nie Xiaoxing, she even came up with such an idea.
Gu Yan’s father passed away early, and Yuan Xihuo raised Gu Yan alone, enduring many cold remarks from these relatives.
In front of Yuan Xihuo, they pretended to empathize and sympathize with her struggles of raising Gu Yan alone.
But behind her back, they were waiting to see her fail, claiming a woman couldn’t possibly raise Gu Yan well, waiting to see Gu Yan and Yuan Xihuo fall into disgrace.
They even spread more unspeakable remarks.
Gu Yan had autism at that time; truth be told, these relatives weren’t completely innocent.
Yuan Xihuo had a streak of pride deep within her.
Knowing these people didn’t have faith in her or Gu Yan, she stubbornly persisted.
Now daring to bring the frail Nie Xiaoxing in front of these relatives, one reason was to show Gu Yan her determination to have Nie Xiaoxing as a daughter-in-law; the other was that everyone knew Gu Yan was a filial son. If Gu Yan refused to marry Nie Xiaoxing, or if he didn’t marry her ultimately, it would undeniably be a slap to Yuan Xihuo’s face.
Yuan Xihuo was practically offering her face to these relatives, who spent their days waiting to see them fail, just waiting for them to slap it!
Gu Yan knew better than anyone how much suffering, pain, and worry Yuan Xihuo had endured for him...
Even if he battered his own face, he couldn’t bear to see Yuan Xihuo’s face slapped again!
Gu Yan took a deep breath, watching Yuan Xihuo happily introducing Nie Xiaoxing.
Her affection for Nie Xiaoxing was impossible to hide.
Before Nie Xiaoxing, Yuan Xihuo had arranged many blind dates for him.
But her affection for those people was nowhere near one-third of what she had for Nie Xiaoxing.
Gu Yan didn’t even know why Yuan Xihuo liked Nie Xiaoxing so much.
Gu Yan frowned slightly, looking at Nie Xiaoxing.
Nie Xiaoxing was obviously uncomfortable with such an occasion, her face stiff.
Yet she continued to cooperate with Yuan Xihuo, her eyes showing obvious embarrassment, but not a hint of impatience.
Gu Yan’s gaze flickered a few times.
...
Fortunately, Yuan Xihuo took pity on Nie Xiaoxing’s discomfort and allowed Gu Yan and Nie Xiaoxing to leave after the "family introduction" ended.
Leaving the Vegetarian Restaurant.
Gu Yan said to Nie Xiaoxing, "I’ll treat you to dinner."
Nie Xiaoxing stared at Gu Yan, seeing he had something to say, nodded.
So Gu Yan took Nie Xiaoxing to Yu Xiangju.
Yu Xiangju private room.
Gu Yan magnanimously ordered a table full of dishes, got a bottle of red wine, and after letting it breathe, poured a half cup for Nie Xiaoxing and himself.
Nie Xiaoxing glanced at the red wine before her, then looked at Gu Yan.
Gu Yan raised the wine glass towards Nie Xiaoxing, "Let’s drink."
Nie Xiaoxing pressed her lips tightly together, thought for a moment, then lifted the glass, but didn’t clink with Gu Yan, only took a sip before putting it down.
Gu Yan snorted, lifted his head, and drank the entire glass of red wine.
Nie Xiaoxing, "..."
After finishing, Gu Yan poured himself another half cup and looked at Nie Xiaoxing with eyes as bright as stars, "Another round."
Nie Xiaoxing frowned but didn’t move.
Gu Yan watched her for a while, pouted, and finally put the wine glass down.
"...What do you want to tell me?" Nie Xiaoxing looked at him.
Gu Yan placed both hands on the table, seemingly under the influence of the wine, gazed at Nie Xiaoxing with a hint of drunken haze, "Get the certificate!"
Nie Xiaoxing’s heart jumped fiercely, her eyes narrowing tightly on him, "What did you say?"
"I said, we should get a marriage certificate." Gu Yan seemed as though he made such a painful decision, said, and then lifted the glass of wine, drinking it dry again.
Seeing this, Nie Xiaoxing’s tumultuous heart slowly calmed down, eyeing Gu Yan with narrowed eyes.
Gu Yan finished, put down the glass, and upon raising his eyes, saw Nie Xiaoxing looking at him coldly, frowned slightly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Nie Xiaoxing didn’t speak, instead picked up the wine glass in front of her, lifted her slender neck, and drank the liquid in one gulp.
Bam—
Nie Xiaoxing slammed the glass down, her dark eyes staring straight into his confused ones, "I won’t go!"
Nie Xiaoxing left this remark, grabbed her bag, and headed straight for the private room’s door.
Gu Yan’s brow twitched, suddenly leaped from the chair, and just as Nie Xiaoxing reached out to open the door, he rushed from behind, forcefully pinning Nie Xiaoxing against the door.
