Chapter 8.4

Liu Ruoqian called for the servant to take the black horse to the stable, then turned back and smiled, “Since we are all heading to Yangzhou, General Yuan, why not travel together? Rest here for the night.”

Yuan Buqu shook his head. “No, after finding my father-in-law and settling accounts, I will set off immediately because I want to give my wife a grand wedding.”

Great minds think alike!

“Me too!” Qi Tianlei laughed. He had been planning to remarry Yuhu himself, and it turned out Yuan Buqu had the same idea.

Liu Ruoqian, on the other hand, remained silent, looking left and right, a plan forming in his mind, making him smile mischievously. His devious thoughts had been dormant for too long, and now he wanted to have some fun!

The benefit of marriage is the joy it brings to those who create the excitement; Liu Ruoqian was sure of this.

After Yuan Buqu had a good “communication” with his father-in-law, the group set off the next day. After five days of travel, they finally returned to Yangzhou.

The wedding was scheduled for two days later. Yuan Buqu immediately went to his villa to see his wife, while Qi Tianlei, following Mrs. Du’s directions, rushed to the room where Yuhu was staying.

Li Yuhu did not expect her husband to arrive so early; she thought the group’s actions would drag on for at least eight or nine days. Despite her strong physique, the exertion of the past few days had left her exhausted and dehydrated, making her fall ill. She had been in a constant state of drowsiness, sleeping until late in the day. If not for the servants calling her to eat, she would never have opened her eyes. Being pregnant, she was forgiven for being lazy. Moreover, after learning that Bingyan had fallen in love with the once-feared Yuan Buqu and was living a happy life, the last bit of gloom in her heart had dissipated! Without worries, one could always eat and sleep well. She had every reason to make up for the months of fear and worry.

When Qi Tianlei pushed the door open, the half-awake Yuhu simply turned over, not paying attention. It wasn’t until she felt an audacious scoundrel kissing her cheek that she snapped awake. Without looking, she swung her fiery slap, expecting to hear the scoundrel’s wails! But she didn’t succeed; her wrist was caught mid-swing, and with a strong pull, she fell into the embrace of the intruder. Finally getting a chance to see the visitor, her wide-eyed, stammering reaction showed she was shocked!

He took the opportunity to kiss her several more times. By the twenty-first kiss, she finally remembered to breathe and react, hugging him tightly and whispering, “You’re here!”

“I was almost beaten to death by you!” he laughed softly, seeing her face gradually turn red with embarrassment. She didn’t want to be like Mrs. Shu, who often had to apologize to her husband. After all, she only had one husband, and if she accidentally killed him, what would she do?

“Sorry, Tianlei,” she said softly, hoping a few words would settle everything. She was indeed cunning.

“Which time are you apologizing for? Leaving without a word? Forcing me to marry someone else? The recent punch? Or…”

“Hey! Don’t push it!” She jabbed his chest.

Qi Tianlei’s expression suddenly turned melancholic. He released her and walked to the window, sighing, “For ten days, I was restless and couldn’t eat or sleep because of your disappearance. I searched every inch of Quanzhou, afraid you might have met with an accident or done something drastic. I didn’t want to scold you, but I feared you might think I didn’t care, and that there would be a next time you ran away. I…” He bit his lip, his shoulders trembling as if trying to suppress silent sobs.

Tears of remorse filled Yuhu’s eyes. She quickly hugged him from behind. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Tianlei, I was too selfish and headstrong. I promise I won’t do it again! Please don’t be sad. I’ll make it up to you; I’ll give you ten—no, twenty children, fulfilling your wish for a large family. Tianlei, will you forgive me?”

She desperately tried to turn him around to make her promise, but Qi Tianlei stubbornly refused to face her, his shoulders shaking even more violently.

“Tianlei…” she called again, her tears flowing freely. Then, with lightning speed, Qi Tianlei turned and embraced her, pressing her head against his chest.

“I…forgive you,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I’ll be good from now on…” She ran her hands over his face but found it dry and smiling. She pushed him away, only to see Qi Tianlei laughing so hard he collapsed into a chair, as soft as a puddle of mud.

“Qi Tianlei! You deserve to die!” She realized he had tricked her again! This was Qi Tianlei’s way of revenge. His dictionary didn’t include the word “forgive,” especially when it came to his little wife. He would never miss a chance to tease her.

“You, you, you…I’ll never trust you again!” She pounced on him, ready to hit him, but her husband, mindful of her pregnancy, embraced her tightly.

“Careful! You have to take good care of your body to give me twenty children!”

“Even a sow doesn’t give birth to that many in one litter.” She laughed. She was only trying to placate him, like “kind-hearted deceit” with a child.

He shook his head. “People can’t be less capable than pigs, right? I have faith in you. One day we’ll get a sow and see who does better.”

Yuhu widened her eyes, determined not to let him bully her this time.

“Then we need a boar foaming at the mouth. A sow can’t give birth on her own.”

Born into a wealthy family, Qi Tianlei didn’t understand why a boar had to foam at the mouth. He was the kind of person who had eaten pork but had never seen a pig walk.

“Why?”

“Generally speaking, the more foam a boar produces, the more aroused it is, making it an ideal breeding boar. Sigh!” She sighed, looking left and right, touching her husband’s face. “No foam! Do you have the ability to put twenty babies in my belly?”

Qi Tianlei laughed heartily and kissed her deeply before saying, “Wife, have I ever told you that you’ve advanced from a foolish woman to an intelligent beauty?”

“No! But I don’t mind if you start singing my praises now.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering sweetly.

Long-missed longing wrapped around them, transforming into a deep gaze and a passionate kiss.

The news that the two great beauties of Yangzhou were going to hold another wedding caused a huge sensation in the city! Following the dramatic developments of the past six months, Du Bingyan’s grievances were finally redressed, resulting in a happy ending for both couples. People couldn’t stop talking about how fate had played a joke, teasing these two pairs of lovers only to ultimately bring them together!

Tomorrow was the big day! The two grooms were at Yuan Buqu’s villa, trying on their wedding outfits and preparing their belongings because after the ceremony, they would each return to their respective homes. All their luggage had to be ready today.

Finally, Liu Ruoqian had his opportunity.

That day, he sneaked into Miss Du’s music room and summoned the two pregnant brides-to-be. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Brother Liu, what kind of mischief are you up to?” Li Yuhu knew Liu Ruoqian too well! Whenever he had no serious business, he was like a mischievous child, completely forgetting that he was already twenty-eight years old.

Du Bingyan just smiled gracefully. Despite not having a visibly pregnant belly, she still wore loose clothing at her husband’s request, not letting any tight belts constrain her abdomen. She didn’t know Qi Tianlei and Liu Ruoqian very well, but Yuan Buqu highly appreciated both of them and was close to them, so she believed they must have admirable qualities. Therefore, she had no doubts.

“I think you wouldn’t want your wedding to be just an ordinary affair, would you? Last time it was so grand and exciting, so this time it should be special too, something memorable. If it’s just a formal ceremony, it would be too dull! What do you think, beautiful ladies?” Liu Ruoqian said with a smile.

“The one who fears dullness is you!” Yuhu unceremoniously pointed at his nose. But she was already intrigued, and she saw the same spark of interest in Bingyan’s eyes.

“Annoyed by my meddling? Fine! I’ll leave then!” Liu Ruoqian pretended to leave.

Yuhu quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Tell us first! It’ll be a good way to pass the time.”

“Yes, Mr. Liu, maybe your idea could work,” Du Bingyan added softly, curious about Liu Ruoqian’s plan.

Liu Ruoqian cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and said, “Here’s the idea. Tomorrow, you’ll both be in your bridal attire, with your faces covered by veils. Since you both have similar builds, it’ll be hard to tell who is who. You can use this opportunity to test your husbands’ eyesight and love.”