Jiang Ruolan couldn't help but laugh, "Only for nine months … Don't you always keep yourself in good shape and spend a lot of time busy working for these few years, without touching women?"
"That's because I'm not married." Xian Zihao hugged her tightly, enduring the pain in his lower part as he kissed her ear. He said hoarsely, "I'm hugging you in my arms, but I can't touch or eat you for nine months. How terrifying."
Xian Zihao was a normal man, after all.
Jiang Ruolan snuggled into his arms and narrowed her eyes as she looked at the starry sky, outside the window. "Then, in these nine months, do we need to sleep separately?
The arm around her tightened. "Absolutely not!"
"Then what should we do? I heard a man who had to endure it for too long would get hurt. You know, blue ball." Jiang Ruolan snickered.
She winced when Xian Zihao bit her ears. He then gently asked, "After the wedding, where do you want to go?"
"You mean honeymoon?"
He did not reply, but he silently agreed.
She laid in his arms and gently caressed his injured shoulder with a misty look in her eyes. "Actually, it doesn't matter where we go." She put her hand on his heart. "Your heart is the place I most want to go and never want to leave."
Xian Zihao took her hand and, without speaking, kissed her deeply. On that day, they made many agreements. He said that he would take her to the Maldives to see the sea and put out a lantern in Thailand on their honeymoon. He also said that he would take her to see the flowers in Jiangnan, and when their hair had turned white, they would continue to hug each other and watch the sunset. When they are old enough and powerless to get out, they will not go anywhere and stay at the Greenville Residence to see the twilight.
***
Three days later.
"How about this?"
"What about this one?"
Xiong Ruogang was alone in front of the mirror while holding two short dresses and gesturing back and forth. She was asking Jiang Ruolan, who was looking at the photo album.
Jiang Ruolan closed the album in her hands and stared at Xiong Ruogang's face. She had already slowly put the bad incident behind her mind and returned to her original self.
"Aiya, these two dresses are gorgeous but Sis Jiang, your wedding dress is white. Since I am the bridesmaid, I need to look good too." Xiong Ruogang was still a bit hesitant as she examined dresses in her hand, "I like both, what should I do? But it's not like a bridesmaid needs to change dresses like a bride. It's better for the bridesmaid to keep a low profile. Ugh…Then it should be this white one."
With that, Xiong Ruogang walked back into the fitting room.
"Miss Jiang, this is a wedding dress that has been fixed for you. Please try it. If the size does not fit, we can change it immediately. In two or three days, we will have the expected wedding between you and President Xian. We don't dare to be careless." The designer brought out the wedding dress booked three days ago and was continually being redone over the next few days.
Jiang Ruolan looked at the layer of clouds on the wedding dress and then looked at the lace fabric. She smiled, "No need to try, hadn't I tried three days ago when Zihao and I came? The size will be based on the previous measurement, only the abdomen should not be too tight."
The designer nodded, "I've already changed it according to your request, let's try it out. Every wedding dress that I design is perfect and it's the biggest encouragement for us when President Xian chooses our studio. I hope on Miss Jiang's wedding day, you will look beautiful and flawless."
Jiang Ruolan took the hint and tried the wedding dress again until she was sure it fit perfectly, and then the designer gave up.
Once they were done with it, Xiong Ruogang followed her to check on the wedding's invitation card.
"Hey, Sis Jiang, aren't you going to have a wedding party at your parents' place as well?" Xiong Ruogang flipped the invitation card in her hand while saying, "How come I never saw or met with your parents? And your friends too? I thought you said you used to study and worked in F City before? Why didn't you invite your classmates and colleagues too?"
Xiong Ruogang paused before asking doubtfully, "Where are your parents?"
Jiang Ruolan smiled. "If I have the time, I will try to organize a thank-you feast in F City, but not now."
Seeing Jiang Ruolan avoid talking about her parents, Xiong Ruogang just raised her head and glanced at her before answering with "hmm".
She tactfully didn't ask any further questions and instead said lightly, "The day after tomorrow is the wedding. I never expect you would let me be your bridesmaid."
When they walked towards the parking lot, Xiong Ruogang was still talking non-stop. Jiang Ruolan was looking for the car keys in her handbag and as she raised her head, she saw Senior Zhou, who was walking out of the tea shop across from them.
"Miss Jiang?" Originally, Jiang Ruolan did not plan to greet him because she was not very familiar with Senior Zhou. She wanted to leave the place when Senior Zhou was unaware of her presence, but she never thought that Senior Zhou would walk towards her.
Jiang Ruolan paused and stopped walking.
"Miss Jiang, it's rare to meet you here. Do you have time to talk?"
Jiang Ruolan glanced at Senior Zhou hesitantly.
What did Senior Zhou want to talk to her?
Without waiting for her answer, Senior Zhou turned around and took the lead to return to the teahouse. Since it wasn't good for her to refuse, she could only get rid of Xiong Ruogang first and put her shopping bags in the car before going to the teahouse.
When she entered the tea shop, Senior Zhou already sat at the table at the corner, away from everyone's gaze. His aging face was still as handsome as ever and his bright eyes were watching Jiang Ruolan.
He kept staring at her face, thinking of something.
"Senior Zhou."
"Miss Jiang, please sit."
Jiang Ruolan immediately sat down. She felt a little uncomfortable with Senior Zhou's gaze. She could only smile awkwardly, "I wonder what Senior Zhou wanted to talk about by calling me here all of a sudden?"
"Don't be afraid, Miss Jiang. I know it isn't polite, but since I've arrived here, I often go out by myself, and Zhou Shufen doesn't have much time to accompany me. I hope I didn't bother you."
"Senior Zhou is too polite."
"Alright, I won't waste any more of your time. I just have some questions that I need to ask and I hope Miss Jiang can answer them." Senior Zhou said with a polite smile.
Jiang Ruolan nodded, "Sure. What exactly is Senior Zhou wanted to ask?"
"Your mother …" Senior Zhou paused while staring at Jiang Ruolan's instantly stiff expression. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Hehe, Miss Jiang, please don't mind me. I just found out that you looked like a girl I once knew, and I heard that you were Jiang Guanyu's illegitimate daughter. I will not obscure my words, I just want to ask, Miss Jiang, where is your mother now?"
