She decided to call Fan Shixin.
The call went through soon after. “Chief Fan, it’s me.”
“Hello, Wansheng.”
Mu Wansheng clenched her fist in shock as she felt her heart skip a beat. This was the very first time that he had addressed her by her name instead of “Ms. Mu.”
Hello, Wansheng.
She spluttered nervously, “Yes… it’s me, um, my injuries have yet to heal. I don’t think I should live in your nuptial home. It won’t be appropriate. You see…”
Before she could even finish speaking, Fan Shixin interrupted, “It’s alright, I don’t mind it at all. I can’t find a suitable apartment for you so you shall stay in mine for the time being. You can save on rent too. I have to get going now.”
“Alright, I won’t disturb you any further, then.”
Mu Wansheng ended the call and gripped her phone tightly without uttering a single word.
Upon arriving at Fan Shixin’s apartment in Wei Ni Estate, Xiao Bai input the password and said, “The password is 123456 for now. Chief Fan will tell you the new password once he changes it.”
“Alright.”
Mu Wansheng entered the apartment to discover that she liked the decor and the layout.
The bedroom was rather spacious and had a full-length window as well as a balcony.
Mu Wansheng lay down on the large bed and found that it was comfortable.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. By the way, Ms. Mu, note my mobile number down. You may call me instead whenever Chief is busy.”
“Alright.”
Mu Wansheng and Xiao Bai exchanged numbers before he left.
She was left alone in the apartment.
Finding it too boring to be lying down in bed all day, she decided to get down and walk. Although she was walking very slowly, she was still making progress.
The place was a three-bedroom apartment.
There was a master bedroom, a secondary bedroom, a study, a washroom, and a kitchen.
She dared not enter the master bedroom and instead just stood close to the door.
Mu Wansheng headed to the balcony and stared at the roads below. Due to the fact that the apartment was on the third floor, she could see the cars and pedestrians below clearly.
After gazing at the roads for a while, she decided to go back inside to rest.
——
The children were supposed to return to the boot camp today. However, they decided to postpone it by a day because of the engagement ceremony.
Upon hearing the sudden news, the friends and family of the four adults decided to gift them with red packets since they did not have the time to buy proper gifts.
Gu Beicheng attended the ceremony alone and gave an extra red packet on behalf of Lin Mingxi, who could not make it since she was in the midst of her postpartum confinement period.
Tuoba Shuo could not attend either because he had to handle some political matters. However, Shi Qingzhou and Tuoba Rui turned up.
The ceremony officially commenced at eleven o’clock in the morning.
Long Xiaoxi was dressed in a red gown with makeup all over her chubby face. Since she wasn’t morbidly obese, she still looked great in the exquisite gown that had been meticulously selected. On the other hand, Jin Yiheng was donning a white buttoned shirt and black vest beneath a black suit, paired with a red tie that was tucked under the vest. He too had on a pair of shiny leather shoes, and his hair was combed into a pompadour, which made him look extremely dashing.
The instructors, teachers, and other members of the boot camp attended the ceremony, all except Shi Bao’er, who had been brought away to another city by No. 5.
Wen Yuechan sat down beside the instructors with a sullen expression on her face, feeling extremely shell-shocked and upset.
She felt as if the world had come crashing down on her the moment she saw Long Xiaoxi smiling widely.
She recalled her mother’s words and could not help but fear the next time that she’d be meeting her.
After the ceremony proper began, Jin Yiheng and Long Xiaoxi grinned widely from ear to ear. They were extremely serious and knew not to play the fool because it was an official ceremony.
It was time for the parents to speak once the ceremony ended.
Jin Qingyan was the first to make his speech.
Clad in a suit, he stood on the podium and looked at the guests before saying, “Thank you, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend the children’s engagement ceremony. I’m sure all of you know that Tianze and I are childhood friends and that his wife and Xiaoning are best friends. The two children are on very close terms with each other too. After seeking their opinions, we’ve decided to hold an engagement ceremony for them. Since Yiheng is about two years older than Xiaoxi, we’ve all decided to let them register their marriage once Yiheng turns 22 years old and Xiaoxi turns 20.”
After a round of applause, Jin Qingyan retreated and allowed An Xiaoning to make her speech. She said, “The children may be young, but they’re very sensible and they’re fully aware of what this ceremony is for. They know that this is a formal and serious event, not child’s play. I hope that all of you can give this pair of childhood sweethearts your best blessings. Thank you, everyone.”
The crowd burst into boisterous fanfare.
Mei Yangyang made a simple speech as well. However, Long Tianze could not stay as calm as the three of them and had teared up.
“They all say that daughters are the greatest comfort parents can have. Yet, I’m about to lose my comfort even before she becomes an adult…”
Everyone instantly burst into laughter. Long Tianze rolled his eyes haughtily and retorted, “What are you people laughing for? I’m being serious. I’m so agitated right now…”
He continued to make an incoherent speech before ending off with an amusing line. “I don’t know what I’m talking about either, just make do with it.”
Laughter once again filled the room.
It was time for the banquet.
Everyone was in high spirits. Although the two families had decided to keep a low profile and keep the matter away from the media to prevent receiving any backlash from malicious netizens, the news still got leaked in the end.
However, they were not bothered by it at all.
Fan Shixin did not attend the ceremony and instead proceeded to meet his girlfriend, Wu Pingyang, at the restaurant that they had agreed upon earlier.
Wu Pingyang had deliberately dolled herself up, allowing her long locks to cascade down her back. She exuded a feminine and alluring aura.
“I read a piece of news on my mobile phone while I was on my way here. I heard that Mr. Jin’s son and Mr. Long’s daughter are getting engaged today. It sounded really plausible. It can’t be true, can it?” she said.
“Do you think it’s true?” Fan Shixin asked while chewing on a small piece of steak.
“I’m not sure. I find it a little inappropriate, but at the same time, it seems rather possible too.”
“Inappropriate? I don’t think it’s inappropriate. Young Sir never acts inappropriately,” Fan Shixin said calmly.
“Does that mean it’s real?”
“Yeah, I just rushed here from the ceremony. They’re attending to the guests now.”
Wu Pingyang took a sip of red wine from her goblet and asked, “Why are they getting engaged at such a young age?”
“Little Sir and Ms. Long get along really well. Their parents are very close to each other too. They decided to let the children get engaged after seeking their opinion.”
