RBNR Ch31: Still want to have a wedding?

The Qin Family Mansion. The old master had invited a comrade, and they were playing chess in the garden tea room.

Just as he was pondering his next move, Qin Bao stormed in from outside, looking very displeased. “Grandpa!”

As soon as he entered and saw there was a guest, Qin Bao composed himself and greeted the guest politely, “Hello, Grandpa Li.”

The old master and Qin Bao had not spoken for over half a month. The old master’s face was stern, and Qin Bao stood at the door, unlike his usual self when he would come over to watch the chessboard and act spoiled.

Qin Bao seemed to have something to say but, due to the presence of a guest, only managed to say, “I left something on your desk.”

The old master was wary. “What is it?”

He feared it might be like the time the child from the Shan family announced in the newspaper they were severing ties.

Qin Bao replied, “You’ll see for yourself later.”

After saying “Take your time playing, Grandpa Li,” to the guest, he left as swiftly as he had come.

The guest remarked, “Your child has grown up handsome, but he is indeed very impatient.”

“Spoiled,” the old master huffed. “He’s going to be the death of me.”

They hastily finished their game of chess, with the old master losing miserably. His mind was preoccupied with imagining a newspaper announcing their severed ties on his desk. He didn’t feel like playing another round with his comrade and, leaning on his cane, walked to his study, quickening his pace.

His hypertension had flared up these days. Qin Bao wasn’t eating, and he couldn’t eat either, secretly calling someone to the house to administer two days of nutritional IVs. He regretted not keeping a closer watch on the coming-of-age party and letting things slide.

Trembling, he reached his desk. The surface was clean and tidy, with a bright red booklet lying there.

His hands shook as he opened it. As his trembling hands steadied, he stood there for a long, long time.

The joyful news quickly spread through the Qin and Feng families.

The two children getting married was a significant event. Within an hour, Qin Bao received four or five calls, including from his parents, grandparents, and Feng Chu.

“Wow, you guys are so fast!” Feng Chu was thrilled. “Qin Bao, I can finally call you my little sister-in-law legitimately!”

Feng Chu didn’t know about the recent events and the storm caused by one of his social media posts. He was still naively shipping the couple and looking forward to sitting at the main table.

In his angriest moments, Qin Bao had blamed Feng Chu. He hadn’t replied to the messages Feng Chu sent afterward.

But as he calmed down and reason returned, he realized it wasn’t Feng Chu’s fault. It was his misunderstanding, and even without Feng Chu’s matchmaking, he would have sought help from others in his state of mind.

Little sister-in-law.

Ugh.

Qin Bao got goosebumps. “…Just call me by my name, or I’ll block you.”

Feng Chu chuckled. “I’m just so happy. Ever since I knew you and my brother would be a pair, I’ve been observing you. Once, when you were waiting for Tu Yisen after class, I thought you liked him and felt down for a long time.”

Qin Bao scoffed, “Who would like that big idiot?”

Feng Chu laughed. “True. By the way, has he contacted you recently? Should we arrange for him to take leave early?”

Qin Bao said, “He’s doing fine in the military. Why should he take leave?”

“To attend the wedding, of course,” Feng Chu replied. “By the way, Qin Bao, when are you and my brother getting married? It would be great if it’s during my summer vacation so I can come back and help…”

Qin Bao was shocked. “We’re having a wedding? Who said we’re having a wedding?”

Hanging up, he immediately called Feng Chengyu, angrily asking, “Feng Chengyu? Did you know we’re having a wedding?”

Feng Chengyu was having dinner at his parents’ house.

He thought it would take at least a couple more days for Qin Bao’s slow reaction to call and question him.

“No idea,” Feng Chengyu replied calmly. “Who said that?”

Professor Feng and Professor Lin, who had just gone to pick out wedding rings the night before, were speechless.

A wedding was indeed going to happen.

Getting married wasn’t as simple as Qin Bao thought, just registering. Both were only children, making it a significant event for both families.

Ms.Rong, who had not set foot in the Qin family mansion for a long time, drove over that evening.

Mr. Qin was flipping through the almanac with the old master. Through the glass, he saw the red sports car parked outside the garage, a graceful figure getting out of the driver’s seat, habitually carrying a bag and closing the door. This familiar scene made Mr. Qin a bit dazed.

The old master asked several questions, but Mr. Qin was distracted until the figure entered the hallway and headed upstairs.

“What’s the use of just looking? You won’t even go after her?” The old master huffed. “No initiative at all.”

Mr. Qin remained humble and didn’t retort.

Ms. Rong pushed open the door. Qin Bao was sitting cross-legged on the balcony floor, typing on his laptop, doing homework assigned in class.

“Bao’er,” she dropped her bag and walked over to squat beside her son, her eyes already red. “Have you really thought this through?”

Qin Bao had been confined at home by the old master during those days. She had called many times, begging the old man not to interfere with the child’s dreams.

But her words held little weight. Like Mr. Qin, she was insignificant in front of both sets of grandparents.

Almost fifty, she was even under house arrest ordered by her own father.

Back then, Qin Bao’s most frequent words to Ms. Rong over the phone were, “I don’t need your help. I’ll fight for my career myself.”

“Isn’t marriage a good thing?” Qin Bao closed his laptop and used his sleeve to wipe his mother’s eyes. “I thought you’d be happy.”

Ms. Rong asked, “Is it about your job? Did Grandpa use this as a condition to trade with you?”

She had even offered all her savings, suggesting Qin Bao go abroad and start over. Even if he couldn’t model anymore, she didn’t want him to do something he disliked like her.

She had given Qin Bao the card, but he didn’t want it.

Running abroad was no different than staying in the country.

Qin Bao was headstrong but knew that if he left, the family would fall apart.

Feeling an invisible hand gripping his heart, Qin Bao acted indifferent. “No. Grandpa still doesn’t agree with me working. Feng Chengyu and I are getting married voluntarily. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

Ms. Rong said, “But you weren’t…”

Not wanting to discuss it further, Qin Bao pretended to put away his laptop and got up, saying, “There was a small misunderstanding before, but it’s resolved now. Don’t guess wildly.”

Ms. Rong asked, “Really?”

Qin Bao turned his back to her. “Really. Truer than pearls. I’ve figured it out. You’re right. Feng Chengyu and I need to work on our relationship. Since the problem is solved, there’s no reason to hesitate.”

In terms of feelings, Ms. Rong was very straightforward. She believed Qin Bao’s sudden change in attitude was due to a resolved conflict, not imagining anyone would joke about marriage.

Fortunately, she trusted Feng Chengyu, having watched him grow up. Feeling slightly relieved, she said, “You two did this so suddenly…you’re still so young.”

Qin Bao paused, then acted arrogant. “But he’s old. He’s more urgent. If he hadn’t kept begging, I wouldn’t have agreed to get married now.”

To reassure Ms. Rong, he added, “It’s nothing. Didn’t you marry Dad at eighteen too?”

Back then, Mr. Qin returned to his alma mater as an honored alumnus, meeting the then-freshman Ms. Rong. They fell in love at first sight, and after a brief romance and coinciding with Ms. Rong’s mating period, they completed their lifelong marking and decided to marry, all within four months—a flash marriage.

Ms. Rong married at eighteen and had Qin Bao near thirty. She still looked very young now.

Although the wedding news was sudden, it was a happy event. With a compatibility rate of 78%, they seemed made for each other.

Ms. Rong’s worries dissipated.

Only one concern remained. “Your job… did Grandpa relent?”

Qin Bao turned, leaning against the table, still confident and relaxed. “We’ll see. Let’s handle this first. As long as I’m willing, I can return anytime. They wouldn’t reject me, right?”

“Of course not. Everyone wants my Bao’er,” Ms. Rong teased. Still not fully recovering from the sudden news, her motherly instincts moved her to the next step. “A wedding is complicated. We need to meet with Uncle Feng and Auntie Feng to discuss it together.”

*

The wedding was scheduled for June.

Qin Bao told only Xu Tangzhou about the agreement, arranging for him to be his best man after the college entrance exams. By late May, Qin Bao needed to try on his wedding outfit, and Xu Tangzhou also had to try on the best man’s suit. However, there was no response to the photos sent.

Thinking that Xu Tangzhou was busy preparing for the college entrance exam and needed to focus on studying, Qin Bao didn’t pay much attention. Instead, he asked An Qingyan, who had a similar body type, to try on the suit.

After the college entrance exam, Xu Tangzhou’s phone still couldn’t be reached.

Qin Bao felt uneasy. Could it be that Xu Tangzhou’s parents were fighting again? He remembered that Xu Tangzhou’s father had a bad temper and drank heavily. Could something have happened?

After school in the afternoon, he saw Shan Yiming at the school gate.

Shan Yiming was among the last to know about the wedding. If it weren’t for his call with Shan Yike, it might have taken him even longer to find out. In front of everyone, Qin Bao still got on the back of his motorcycle, and the two went to their old hangout—a barbecue restaurant.

The restaurant had a new manager. Seeing them, the staff didn’t arrange their favorite spot but gave them a small private room by the river.

“How come you didn’t tell me about such a big thing as getting married?”

Shan Yiming asked.

Qin Bao poured water, lazily saying, “I was planning to send you an invitation this weekend, but you came back yourself.”

“We used to fight about it when we were kids, and now it’s so sudden?” Shan Yiming hit the nail on the head, “Is your family forcing you?”

Qin Bao’s heart skipped a beat but he denied it, “No. Who can force me if I don’t want it?”

Shan Yiming said, “You didn’t go to the Spring/Summer Fashion Week, and you haven’t been seen at any events recently.”

Shan Yiming knew him too well.

Qin Bao started flipping through the menu, “Because I’ve been busy with the wedding.”

Shan Yiming slammed the menu shut in front of him, rare anger showing, “Qin Bao, do you like that Feng Chengyu? You agreed to marry him, but you’re so young.”

Being yelled at made Qin Bao angry too, “What’s wrong with you? How old am I? I’m an adult! I can decide my own affairs!”

Shan Yiming said, “Then answer me directly. Do you like him? Do you like that Feng Chengyu?”

Qin Bao opened his mouth, then said, “Why are you interrogating me? I’m not a criminal and you’re not a cop. If you don’t want to congratulate me, fine, but why be so aggressive? Are you sick or something?”

The atmosphere between the two became tense.

When the waiter came to take their order, they were so nervous they were afraid the two might start a fight and damage the restaurant.

The dishes were served, and they ate in silence.

Qin Bao absent-mindedly scrolled through his phone, and suddenly there were a few peeled shrimp in his bowl.

“Eat,” Shan Yiming said, “Can your phone make you full? Look how skinny you are. Are you trying to get low blood sugar again?”

This one sentence broke the ice.

Qin Bao stopped being angry with him and, holding his bowl, said, “I’m not just looking at my phone. I’m worried because a good friend of mine suddenly can’t be reached.”

Shan Yiming asked, “A friend from the modeling world?”

“Yeah, his name is Xu Tangzhou. We’ve known each other for many years,” Qin Bao said. “He was supposed to be my groomsman, but for some reason, I haven’t been able to contact him for almost half a month.”

Qin Bao explained the situation to Shan Yiming, who also found it odd.

With less than a week left until the wedding, and based on Qin Bao’s description, Xu Tangzhou didn’t seem like an unreliable person. Shan Yiming suggested, “Why don’t we go to Qinan and check it out? Do you know his home address?”

“I don’t know. I’ve only been to his school,” Qin Bao hesitated, “And I have an appointment tomorrow night to finalize the last wedding procedure.”

Not just him and Feng Chengyu, but both families were scheduled to meet at the Qin household and have dinner together.

Shan Yiming checked the time and flights on his phone and said, “If we go to the airport now, we should make it back in time for tomorrow. It depends on whether you want to go. I’ll go with you.”

“Let’s go,” Qin Bao decided quickly.