After a thirteen hour flight, Zhuo Jingren and Lily arrived in London just a couple of minutes after the midnight of December Twenty fourth. Everyone immediately got some sleep as Lily was planning to shop the next morning for their Christmas Eve that night.
Since Lily had been celebrating Christmas with her grandmother for the previous years, they chose to stay in the Facci Family’s mansion in London.
“Ready?” Lily asked while eyeing Zhuo Jingren. He was already wearing layered clothing with some sturdy brown boots and gloves. “You look good by the way.” While there is no snow outside, the temperature is still pretty close to negative. So an outfit for the winter is necessary.
“I look good in everything.” He calmly responded, his eyes in crescents. “Let’s go. Will victor drive us to the store?”
She rolled her eyes and nodded. “Hmmm.You know… you really don’t have to cook. Victor’s people had been cooking for me and grandma for years now. We can just relax later and watch some movies.”
“This is our first Christmas together.” He said as they went out of Lily’s room, then into the stairs of the mansion. “I want it to be special.” he added.
“You have a point.” She smiled as they walk out of the mansion. She gave the house a look before going inside the Mercedes parked just a few feet outside. “Do you think, they will be all right?”
“Yang Mi and Jichen? Of course!” Zhuo Jingren answered.
“What if she kills him?” her words instantly made him laugh.
“You should stop thinking about them. They are both adults.” He shrugged. “Oh. Bei Tian is already on his way. And Fernando and Li Shanshan will meet us in the groceries later.”
“Fernando sent you a message?” Lily asked, a little surprised that Fernando did not even bother telling her this. Good thing, Li Shanshan already informed this a week back. “That man seemed to have forgotten that we have been friends longer than you.”
“Stop being jealous… They can’t help it. I am such an adorable human being.”
“Hmp.” She snorted and shook her head. Seeing Fernando getting close to her husband is actually making her happy. She had long considered him as a brother and seeing him consider Zhuo Jingren as a family is a good thing.
“He said he will cook too.” Zhuo Jingren continued as he pulled her towards him and kissed her head. “I think we shall see, who is a better cook.”
Lily laughed at his words. When it comes to Fernando and Zhuo Jingren, a competition about everything should be considered normal. “That man is a good cook… too.”
“Really?”
“Hmmm.” She nodded. “I heard from Ahshan that his father is still sick and people are still fighting for his money. I am surprised that they decided to join us for Christmas Eve.”
“Unfortunate. He is not dead yet and they are already in chaos.”
“This is the reason why I don’t want to give anything to our Children.” Lily declared with a serious tone.
“What do you mean?”
“Well… if they wanted it. They should work for it. I am planning to set up a trust fund for each of them.” Seeing the confusion in her husband’s eyes, Lily continued. “Both of us grew up without money so we valued what we have now. I would want them to do that.”
“Hmmm all right.” He nodded. “You can do whatever you want.” His words only made Lily smile. As expected, he would agree to whatever she says.
“By the way —” Lily made a deliberate pause as she looked at him. “Let’s go to Switzerland for the honeymoon.”
“I thought you want to go to Skopelos in Italy?”
“Well… we can go to Switzerland after we go to Skopelos.” She beamed.
“No problem. Go ahead and ask Jichen to take care of it.” He answered, instantly making Lily smile. She leaned her head against his shoulders and close her eyes. A smile still visible on her lips.
….
“Ahli!” Li Shanshan could not help but squeal when she saw Lily. She run towards her and immediately hugged her friend. “I miss you!”
“Too tight.” Lily said before she hugged her friend back. Lily knew that Li Shanshan had been avoiding her because of what happened with Fernando. She must have felt embarrassed for hiding it to Lily and avoided her because of guilt. Not that Lily cared about any of that.
Lily always knew that Fernando liked her friend, so what happened was not really a surprise to her. Moreover, all she felt was genuine happiness for the two. Lily also had been busy in the past few months with her marriage and business that sometimes she would totally forgot to message both Fernando and Li Shanshan.
“I miss you too.” She smiled when Li Shanshan let go of her.
“All right. We should talk while we shop.” Li Shanshan smiled as she looked at both Fernando and Zhuo Jingren. “Are you guys coming with us?”
“They won’t.” Lily answered. Zhuo Jingren already gave her a list of the things that she needed to buy for his recipe. “There is a coffee shop down there… They have a lot of catching up to do.” She rolled her eyes at Fernando who in response only laughed at her.
“Alright then. Let’s go?” Li Shanshan nodded before she pulled Lily inside. “I already took some time off for the wedding. I just finished filming in the US and I have two months of free time.”
The two continued to talk as they shop.
“So — you are planning a wedding this June?” Lily asked. Last time she heard, Li Shanshan agreed to marry Fernando. However, a few days ago, Li Shanshan texted her that they are already married. It was supposed to be a secret and only Lily and Zhuo Jingren knew this. “I mean… you already got a marriage certificate right?” She eyed her friend’s empty ring finger.
Li Shanshan shrugged in response. “Yeah… but he wanted to keep me safe so — no wedding band for us. But enough about me… I want to know everything about this wedding!”
“I am already married. Or did you forget that?” Lily asked, amused. Li Shanshan hated weddings. She doesn’t like to marry someone, mainly because of her past. However, the excitement that she was showing right now was not some fake act. It was sincere, and Lily couldn’t help but wonder if Fernando had somehow changed Li Shanshan’s views about marriage. In fact, she is still wondering how the man convinced Li Shanshan to marry him. Did he perhaps pointed a gun at her?
Lily eyed Li Shanshan. Judging from Li Shanshan’s subtle blush, the gun pointing should be out of the equation, Lily concluded.
“What I was trying to ask is… Are you going to have a bachelorette party like a normal bride?” Li Shanshan batted her eyelids at Lily, making her laugh at her friend’s antics. Seeing Li Shanshan like this immediately lifted Lily’s mood.
“Of course, we are.” She nodded.
