After hanging up the phone, Manlin Jiang couldn’t suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth. She stood up and walked toward the staircase.
Her steps were noticeably much lighter. When she reached the corner of the second floor, she paused for a moment, instinctively softening her footsteps—Qingyu might already be asleep. But the irrepressible joy urged her to continue upward. She stopped outside her daughter’s bedroom door.
She raised her hand and knocked gently, twice.
“Qingyu? Are you asleep?”
There was a brief moment of silence behind the door, followed by Shen Qingyu’s voice.
“Not yet, please come in.”
Manlin Jiang pushed the door open.
Only a bedside lamp was on in the room, casting a warm yellow glow over the small area around the head of the bed, illuminating the quilt in a soft, warm hue. Shen Qingyu leaned against the headboard, the blanket pulled up to her chest, her hair loose, her face clean and bare. Her eyes looked bright under the lamplight.
Manlin Jiang walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank slightly under her weight. She casually tugged the corner of the blanket up for Shen Qingyu, tucking it in, and then looked at her.
“Aunt Lin just called me. She said Huaiting told her you two have already discussed it and are preparing to get married.” Manlin Jiang paused here, watching her daughter’s face, waiting for her reaction.
Shen Qingyu nodded gently.
Seeing that nod, the stone that had been weighing on Manlin Jiang’s heart for so long finally settled completely. She opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes suddenly grew warm. She turned her face away for a moment to compose herself before turning back.
“You silly child,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of reproach but more of a soft tenderness. “Why didn’t you tell Mom? I’ve been worried all this time.”
Shen Qingyu looked at her mother, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly as if she wanted to smile but didn’t quite manage it.
“I was planning to tell you tomorrow,” she said.
Manlin Jiang looked at her for several seconds. Then she smiled, her eyes crinkling, and reached out to pat Shen Qingyu’s hand gently.
“Ah, anyway, I’m just so happy that you and Huaiting are getting married,” she said, each word filled with a contented joy.
“Mom, is there anything else? I want to sleep,” Shen Qingyu said, somewhat unwilling to continue hearing her mother talk about this topic.
“No, nothing else. Go to sleep,” Manlin Jiang said with a smile, but after a pause, she added, “Your dad is still out socializing. When he comes back later, I’ll have to tell him this good news right away.”
Shen Qingyu nodded and said nothing more.
Manlin Jiang stood up, walked to the door, and glanced back. “Goodnight, my precious daughter.”
“Goodnight, Mom,” she said, her voice muffled.
Manlin Jiang left the room and gently closed the door behind her.
When Shen Huaiting pushed the door open and entered, Manlin Jiang was leaning on the sofa, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. The TV was playing a variety show softly in the background.
“You’re only back now,” she glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost eleven.”
“Mm, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Shen Huaiting changed into slippers, hung his overcoat on the coat rack in the entryway, and walked over to sit at the other end of the sofa. His face showed signs of having drunk, his tie loosened, and the top button of his shirt undone. He leaned back into the sofa, rubbing his temples, then turned his head to look at Manlin Jiang.
“Waiting for you, and I have something to tell you,” Manlin Jiang said.
“Mm, what is it?”
“Qingyu and Huaijin have discussed it and decided to get married.”
Shen Huaiting’s hand, which had been rubbing his temples, stilled.
He looked at her, stunned for a moment. “What?”
Manlin Jiang’s lips curved upward. “The two children are going to get married.”
Shen Huaiting straightened up, the effects of the alcohol seeming to dissipate almost instantly. He stared at Manlin Jiang for several seconds, his lips moving slightly as if digesting the news.
After a moment of silence, Shen Huaiting’s brows furrowed slightly. “Is Qingyu truly willing? It’s not because of you—” He paused, leaving the sentence unfinished, but the implication was clear.
Manlin Jiang glanced at him, not angry but instead smiling. She shifted closer to him, placing her hand on his arm, her tone softening.
“Oh, how could she not be willing? I certainly didn’t force her. Don’t you know your own daughter? If she weren’t willing, no one could force her.”
“Alright,” he said, his voice a bit hoarse. “I’m just worried our daughter might be compromising herself.”
“Oh, how could marrying into the Pei family ever be a compromise?” she said. “This is a marriage countless people in Jingbei could only dream of. What kind of family is the Pei family? What kind of conditions? Qingyu’s standard of living will only improve after marrying in. She’ll have attendants when she goes out and servants at home. How could she possibly be compromised?”
Shen Huaiting fell silent for a while, then let out a soft sigh. The sigh held a sense of relief, mixed with a touch of indescribable melancholy.
“Fine,” he said. “You decide.”
“It’s not me deciding,” Manlin Jiang corrected him, her lips still curved. “The children have made up their own minds. You, as the old father, can rest assured.”
Shen Huaiting didn’t reply. He leaned back on the sofa, tilting his head to look at the ceiling.
“Our daughter has grown up,” he said softly, almost as if talking to himself.
Manlin Jiang looked at him without speaking, simply covering the back of his hand with hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Shen Huaiting lowered his head, looked at her hand, then turned his palm over to hold hers in return. The two of them sat quietly like that for a while, neither saying another word.
.
It was almost midnight when Pei Cheng’an emerged from the study. Rubbing his tired eyes, he walked quietly toward the master bedroom. Pushing the door open, he found Lin Wanru still awake.
She was leaning against the headboard, propped up by two pillows, holding her phone. The screen’s light illuminated her face, and a clear smile curved her lips.
“Still awake?” Pei Cheng’an walked over, lifted a corner of the duvet, and lay down on the bed.
Lin Wanru placed her phone on the nightstand, turned to look at him, her voice tinged with suppressed excitement. “Huaijin said he and Qingyu have discussed it and are planning to get married.”
Pei Cheng’an’s hand, which had been unfastening his watch, froze mid-air. The watch dangled from his wrist, its face reflecting a small patch of light under the lamp. He looked at Lin Wanru, stunned for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips.
“Is that so,” he said, the joy welling up in his voice unmistakable, overflowing from those two simple words.
“Yes,” Lin Wanru said with a smile.
“That’s wonderful,” he said, then repeated, “That’s wonderful.”
“I said we should announce the marriage alliance between our two families tomorrow,” Pei Cheng’an turned to look at her. “The union of the Pei and Shen families—this will be a major event that shakes Jingbei. Once the news of this alliance is out, who knows how much the Pei Group’s stock price will rise.”
“Yes, that’s what I think too,” Lin Wanru said, her voice light and cheerful.
Pei Cheng’an nodded, fell silent for a moment, and then said softly, “Huai Jin has finally settled down.” His words were so quiet, almost as if he were speaking to himself.
“I’ll go find a master tomorrow to pick the dates—both for the marriage registration and the wedding. They must be carefully chosen. The Wang family did well with their child’s dates; they picked a good day, and their child has been happily married for three years now,” Lin Wanru said.
Pei Cheng’an listened beside her without interrupting.
“The dates should be both auspicious and soon,” Lin Wanru looked up at him, her tone carrying an undeniable certainty. “We can’t delay too long. Both children have agreed, so we should strike while the iron is hot. Delaying things only invites trouble.”
“Mhm,” Pei Cheng’an nodded.