FID – Chapter 951

Chapter 951: A Unique Exchange—Do You Think It’s Worth It? 

Laughing and joking, they arrived at the bride’s room. Before he could even call out, the door opened from the inside.

The bride, dressed in a bright red wedding gown with a red veil covering her head, walked directly and unerringly up to Qian Wanjin. “Xiao Jinzi, should I carry you out, or are you carrying me out?” she asked, impatiently.

“Pfft—hahaha!” Another round of roaring laughter erupted from behind.

Qian Wanjin slowly wiped his face, exasperated. “Xiao Shitou, let me take the lead for once today, alright? You wouldn’t want me to live the rest of my life with ‘kept man’ written on my forehead, would you?”

If the bride carried him out, how could he, Qian Wanjin, ever show his face in public again?

Today, he had to make this rock of a woman clearly understand one thing: her man is not a kept pretty boy.

When he strikes back, she might not be able to handle it.

Bending down, he scooped the new bride into his arms and raised his voice, “Dad! I’m taking Xiao Shitou home today. I’ll come back tomorrow to drink with you and the uncles!”

Shi Kewei burst out laughing in spite of himself. In a moment like this, he couldn’t even muster a shred of sadness. “I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow!”

Drink with him?

This little rascal clearly had no idea what kind of drinking capacity a seasoned warrior from the battlefield had.

Tomorrow, he’d make sure he crawled home!

“Dad, I’ll come over tomorrow too and drink with you and the uncles—just wait for us at home!” the bride shouted through her veil, not the least bit reserved.

Shi Kewei’s beard practically bristled with anger. “What, do you think I’m going to bully your man or something?”

“Dad, this man is under my protection.” Patting the shoulder of the man carrying her, the woman let out a hearty laugh. “So even you, Father, can’t push him around.”

“You ungrateful imp!”

With a laughing scold, the group soon arrived at the main gate.

After placing the woman into the bridal sedan chair, Qian Wanjin turned around and respectfully bowed to Shi Kewei. “Father, from now on, we’re family. A son-in-law is half a son. If you ever need anything, treat me like your own, and I’ll be there. I’ll serve you with filial piety together with Xianrou. As for Xianrou, I will never let her down in this lifetime. These are my heartfelt words. I might be a bit unruly by nature, but when I give my word, I stand by it. My promise is as solid as a nail. When it comes to keeping my word, I’m no less than any man from the battlefield.”

Shi Kewei reached out and patted Qian Wanjin’s shoulder. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, “Alright. I’ll remember what you said. If one day you fail her, I’ll deal with you myself.”

“I’m afraid you won’t get that chance, father.”

The old man and the young one exchanged smiles. Nearby, Feng Qingbai rubbed his forehead, ruining the touching moment. “The auspicious hour is here. Save the talk for tomorrow. You live at the head of the lane, and they’re at the end. It’s not far.”

“……”

The bridal sedan lifted, festive music began to play, and the wedding procession returned amid the sounds of drums and flutes.

On the way back, they deliberately made a full circuit around the main streets of the capital before returning to the Qian residence.

When the bride stepped out of the sedan and completed the ceremonial rites before being carried into the bridal chamber, firecrackers exploded at the front gate of the Qian residence for a full fifteen minutes.

The entire Qian residence was lively and bustling, filled with congratulatory voices from all directions.

Liu Yusheng followed closely behind into the bridal chamber and promptly sent Qian Wanjin away to greet the guests.

It was a wedding day—there was no way the groom could be absent from the reception.

As soon as the groom left, Shi Xianrou yanked off her red veil by herself, then removed the heavy phoenix crown that had been weighing down her neck and set it aside. “So this is how exhausting getting married is. In my next life, I’m definitely coming back as a man.”

“If Xiao Jinzi ends up a man again next life—”

“Forget it. I’ll just be a woman again.”

Liu Yusheng couldn’t help but laugh and sat down beside her. “I heard you left the house today without any sisters or maids by your side?”

“Let me guess—His Highness told you that? Even he has turned gossipy?” Shi Xianrou teased, then added, “You know how I am. I can’t stand all that coy and delicate behavior. Honestly, aside from you, I couldn’t find a single like-minded woman in the entire capital. So it’s no surprise I had no sisters with me on my wedding day.”

Liu Yusheng held the woman’s hand and sighed. “I should’ve been there with you today.”

A bride leaving her home all alone on her wedding day was far too lonely. She hadn’t done her part properly.

“My family is full of men except for me. Do you think His Highness would’ve let you come?”

“…” Well, wasn’t it Feng Qingbai who had literally dragged her to the Qian residence? Liu Yusheng felt too embarrassed to admit how she’d been dealt with.

After the teasing, Shi Xianrou turned her hand to grip Yusheng’s back. “You know I don’t care about those formalities. Besides, it’s not like no one wanted to send me off. There were plenty of noble ladies in the capital eager to cozy up for connections. But I don’t like people who approach with an agenda, so I turned them all down. If you want to be with me, being here is just the same.”

As she spoke, she walked over to the round table by the bed and sat down with a commanding presence, legs wide, posture bold. “After all these years, I’ve finally got Xiao Jinzi in my pocket. I’m in a fantastic mood. Nannan, come drink a few cups with me.”

“…Honestly, you should be out there drinking with Qian Wanjin and the guests.”

“I’d love to, but it wouldn’t be proper. A new bride still needs to look the part. If I really went out there, the elders of the Qian family wouldn’t know where to put their faces.”

Liu Yusheng walked over and sat beside her, pouring the wine. The two slowly sipped.

“When I first met you, you were nineteen. In the blink of an eye, it’s been over four years. Getting married at twenty-three or twenty-four is considered an old maid in Nanling. You must have been under a lot of pressure these past few years, huh?”

She truly admired Shi Xianrou from the bottom of her heart. In this era, to have the courage to stand firm for what you want, to not be swayed by others’ opinions, took rare strength.

Most people simply couldn’t do it.

Shi Xianrou blinked, her smile full of meaning. “Trading four years for something one-of-a-kind—would you say it’s worth it?”

Liu Yusheng covered her mouth and laughed softly. By that measure, it was an incredibly worthwhile deal.

Giving up your dreams just to meet others’ expectations—that would be the real loss.

While the two women whispered about matters of the heart in the bridal chamber, outside, Qian Wanjin was dragging Feng Qingbai around the banquet hall at high speed.

It wasn’t that he was showing off his friendship with the King of Nanling, he just knew how effective that title was. As long as Feng Qingbai was next to him, no one dared try to force him to drink.

“Brother, bear with me just for today. I absolutely cannot get drunk.” Qian Wanjin raised a toast to some guests, then leaned in to whisper to Feng Qingbai with a completely different tone. “Tonight’s the wedding night. I can’t afford to flop. Whether I shine or crash, it all rides on tonight.”

“Is that all your brain ever thinks about?” Feng Qingbai gritted his teeth slightly. Standing next to Qian Wanjin made him the new target. Anyone bold enough to push drinks was coming straight for him now.

Qian Wanjin, oblivious, raised his eyebrows with mock contempt. “Don’t act like you’re so innocent. You were sneaking into Nannan’s room when she was twelve. Don’t think I don’t know!”

“You want to die?”

“It’s a joyous day, not a time for bloodshed. Relax, only me and the folks in the Liu family know. It won’t spread.”

He bumped Feng Qingbai’s arm and shoved him toward a nearby table. “More guests coming to toast—take the heat. After this round, I’m pretending to be drunk. You help me back to my room.”

He had a wedding night to attend to!