Chapter 1261: A Family

After a year, the house Wang Yan bought for Yang Zhong Xiaoyun in Xicheng was finally renovated, the smell had long dissipated, and it was finally ready for occupancy.

They did not invite anyone for a housewarming; just on an ordinary afternoon, Wang Yan cooked a table full of dishes, and he and Yang Zhong Xiaoyun ate and drank together.

The true outpouring of emotion came after they finished eating and drinking.

At this moment, Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's state was no less intense than when she first bought the house a year ago; in fact, it was even stronger.

She had followed the entire renovation process, bought various pieces of furniture, carefully arranged flowers and plants, and usually opened windows to release formaldehyde. Whenever it rained, snowed, or was windy, no matter where she was or what she was doing—even at work or even while sleeping—she would always act immediately, rushing to the new house to close the windows before she could feel at ease. Even though she had already paid a company to remove the formaldehyde...

Whenever she had free time and Wang Yan was not accompanying her, she would sit on the sofa in the new house watching TV; she had already made many plans for this house.

Where Wang Yan would work, where she would do her makeup, where the two of them would be intimate, which room the future child would have, and so on and so forth.

It was also during this process that her expectations were raised to the maximum; and on the very day she actually moved in, her expectations were fulfilled, and her personal emotions were released to the greatest extent.

After making love, Yang Zhong Xiaoyun lay satisfied and languid in Wang Yan's arms, letting the big treasure be played with by the man, like a cat that had eaten and drunk its fill and was too lazy to move.

"Brother Yan."

"Hmm?"

"Do you not want to marry me?"

"Why do you ask that?"

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun said, "We have been together for nearly two years, we bought a house, you gave me so much money, and bought so many things for my family, but you just never mention marriage. Let me tell you, I am not someone you can buy with money."

"I just want to ask if you are happy in this house."

"Happy, but that's a different matter; I can leave at any time." Yang Zhong Xiaoyun snorted and said, "Brother Yan, you must give me a definite answer today; I can't afford to wait any longer."

Saying this, she pulled her hand away from Wang Yan, sat up directly, and asked, "You don't have someone else outside, do you?"

"Since we have brought this up, I indeed should tell you the truth. Zhong Xiaoyun, you know I have always been an honest person; hiding something from you has indeed made me very troubled."

In the time it took to say those two sentences, Yang Zhong Xiaoyun was already in tears.

"Who is that person?"

Before she finished speaking, she already had the answer, "Milai?"

Wang Yan reached out with both hands to cup her face, wiping her tears: "You are very smart."

"Don't touch me!" Yang Zhong Xiaoyun shouted angrily and tried to brush Wang Yan's hand away.

So Wang Yan really let go of his hand and lay back down.

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment, then cried even louder, more aggrieved, desolate, and helpless.

"Actually, I was with her even earlier than with you; to be precise, one day earlier. During the time she was heartbroken, wasn't she always selling cars with me at my place..."

Wang Yan explained the development of his relationship with Milai in great detail from beginning to end; Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's crying gradually quieted down, but her tears still flowed uncontrollably, making her look like a willow with pear blossoms, pitiful and lovable.

"The noon before she went abroad, didn't we have a meal together? That night, she called me... and then we had relations."

"Then you still agreed to be with me the next day? Wang Yan, you are truly inhuman."

"I like you too," Wang Yan said sincerely. "Originally, my relationship with her was just for one night; we did not further define our relationship. At that time, she did not intend to do anything with me, so naturally I did not intend to do anything with her either. After all, she went abroad the next day; we could just treat it as a beautiful misunderstanding, and neither of us should affect the other.

So the next day, when we two cleared things up, of course, it was better for us two."

"So, while Milai was abroad, did you two still keep in touch?"

"Occasionally we would call and chat."

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun used the quilt to wipe her runny nose and tears, but she could never wipe them all away; she asked again, "After she returned to the country last year, did you two secretly get together behind my back again?"

Wang Yan did not avoid the question but nodded directly and frankly.

"So you were the first to know Milai had returned; that day when we welcomed her back to the country, she said she was going to my house in the evening, but as soon as she arrived, she received a call and left; she went to find you. And also..."

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun listed the times over the past year when Wang Yan had been absent from her nights.

"Although not absolutely, sometimes I really did have matters to attend to, but most of the time, I was indeed with Milai." Wang Yan reached out and pulled her into his arms. "You know everything."

"I don't know, I know nothing! Let go of me! Let go of me!" Yang Zhong Xiaoyun struggled frantically, swinging Wang Ba fists at Wang Yan with all her might.

Afterwards, her crying turned into soft panting; in the end, the body was the honest one.

After subduing Yang Zhong Xiaoyun and calming her emotions, it was already late at night, but Yang Zhong Xiaoyun felt no fatigue at all.

She said, "I will move out tomorrow! No, I will move out right now! To make room for you and Milai; from now on, let us never see each other again."

Of course, she did not get up; Wang Yan held her in his arms: "Don't speak in anger. This is the house I bought for you."

"I don't want it! Do you think I care about your stinking money? I don't want it!"

"Still speaking in anger," Wang Yan said. "I told you before that my speed of earning money is much faster than buying a house. This house, in one year, cost four million inside and out. If I took that four million to invest, I could earn tens of millions. Why would I leave that money aside and insist on buying a house? It is simply because I want to have a home for the two of us."

"You and Milai also have a home; their family also has money."

"Am I a person who values money? I just want you to be well and do not want you to be too heartbroken."

"So you bought me a house to make me happy, and then, on such a happy day today, ruthlessly exposed everything to make me give up hope?"

"I wanted to ensure you wouldn't be so sad, using happiness to pave the way for you in advance." Wang Yan sighed, seeming quite helpless. "It is also difficult for me; I did not expect Milai to return suddenly. But in the end, the fault lies with me."

"Milai came back specifically for you, right?"

"She said she couldn't forget me."

"Hmph, how ironic," Yang Zhong Xiaoyun said. "How she scolded Zhang Xiaolin back then, those very words have now fallen on her; it saves me the trouble of scolding her again."

"You should scold me; scold me enough to make me reborn eight times."

"As long as you understand clearly, that saves me the spit. Let go of me; I am leaving."

"I just don't want you to leave; otherwise, I would truly be like Lu Tao."

"You are truly shameless."

"When I was with you, I already told you I am not a good person."

"But I didn't expect you to be so bad? So shameless. My mother was right; men turn bad when they have money. If this were in the 1980s, you would be shot."

Wang Yan laughed: "If it really were the 1980s, would you have the heart to report me and watch me get shot?"

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun stubbornly retorted: "One bullet is not enough; it would be better if you were riddled with bullet holes all over your body."

"If I die, who will you make love with? I don't believe anyone else could treat you as well as I do."

"Aren't men a dime a dozen? It's hard to find a three-legged toad, but can't you find one with two legs? Wait, what exactly do you mean?"

"Mi Lai is willing to coexist peacefully."

"Willing? What if she isn't willing?" Yang Zhong Xiaoyun exploded again. "She really has the nerve to say that. Back when Lu Tao and Xia Lin..."

"The three of us aren't the same as the three of them. Think about it: we all met within days of each other, and our relationships began within days of each other too. In fact, she was with you before I was."

"Don't say so much; I'm just asking you: am I your girlfriend right now?"

"Yes."

"Will you marry me or her?"

"I haven't thought about getting married."

"No, you must get married. Just tell me, is it with me or with her?"

"With you!"

Wang Yan answered without the slightest hesitation, his tone extremely firm and absolutely certain.

"Then we'll send out wedding invitations tomorrow and get married next month."

After speaking, she looked up at Wang Yan, her eyes shimmering and trembling; combined with her tear-swollen, red eyelids, she looked utterly pitiful.

"Alright." Wang Yan still showed no hesitation, agreeing readily.

Only then did Yang Zhong Xiaoyun nod in satisfaction; ignoring the quilt she had just wiped her nose on, she pulled it over herself and reached out to turn off the light.

"It's late; let's sleep."

Wang Yan smiled, turned off the bedside lamp as well, and lay down.

Within three seconds, Yang Zhong Xiaoyun burst into loud wails again, turned over, threw herself into Wang Yan's arms, and pounded his chest with her tiny fists as if her life depended on it...

True to his word, Wang Yan spread the news of their impending marriage the very next day and instructed his assistant to contact a hotel.

It didn't take long before Mi Lai's phone call came through; this time, it was his turn to feel anxious.

Thus, that evening, in the new house in Xicheng, Wang Yan, the cold-faced Yang Zhong Xiaoyun, and the smiling Mi Lai gathered together.

Yang Zhong Xiaoyun sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, her face cold.

As if she hadn't noticed Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's hostility, Mi Lai looked the house over from top to bottom and said, "Zhong Xiaoyun, you've really tidied this place up nicely."

"Nice, right? Lu Tao designed it." Yang Zhong Xiaoyun snorted. "Bitch! Don't talk to me!"

Mi Lai didn't mind in the least; still wearing a smile, she walked over voluntarily and sat beside Yang Zhong Xiaoyun. "I am a bitch; I admit it. Your Ladyship is magnanimous, so please don't stoop to my level. Oh dear, from now on I'll truly be the third party. Tell me, how pitiful am I? How did I end up knowing such a damn man?"

"Isn't that your own doing? If you're going to be a bitch, fine, but what does that have to do with me? Mi Lai, you are a huge liar. You claimed you had just broken up, had no mind for romance, felt fine being alone, and therefore stopped playing matchmaker for me. Turns out you fancied him yourself and were afraid I'd steal your man. Why don't you just drop dead?

I warn you, stay away from me while I can still control myself; don't wait until I scratch you. Wang Yan, take your wild woman away immediately. Don't push me to the point where I chop the pair of you adulterous dogs to death. There's no bullying people like this; it's one thing for you two to mess around outside where I don't have to see it and can avoid the annoyance, but you've actually brought her home? Huh?"

Wang Yan shook his head with amusement; Yang Zhong Xiaoyun now truly had nothing but a tough mouth to rely on. Still, it was understandable; she was indeed very helpless. Her boyfriend, her best friend, an adulterous couple—yet she didn't want to leave. What else could she do but feign ferocity in her helplessness?

In such a situation, words were useless; only actions would suffice.

So Wang Yan smiled, stood up, picked Yang Zhong Xiaoyun up, and despite her struggles, walked straight toward the bedroom. Before long, sounds of sensual pleasure filled the air.

Standing at the doorway watching the living spring palace, Mi Lai finally steeled her nerves after a long period of mental preparation, gritted her teeth, and walked in...

After the absurd joy had passed, Wang Yan lay in the middle with the two women flanking him on either side, and they talked about many things.

They spoke of past emotions, their feelings toward Wang Yan, the absurdity of the situation, their friendship with each other, and many matters concerning the future. All these topics kept them talking until nearly dawn.

Finally, they reached a consensus and thoroughly arrived at a result that all could accept.

The primary factor, of course, was Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's infatuation with Wang Yan; secondly, Wang Yan's breakthrough of Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's bottom line made the bitterness she had originally swallowed down no longer so unbearable.

Of course, on the other hand, there was also Mi Lai's voluntary concession and her willingness to sacrifice herself.

In short, just as Wang Yan himself had said, all the fault lay with him...

Finally, a month passed, and the day of the wedding arrived.

Wang Yan's wedding was quite grand: senior executives from the company, core technical staff, representatives from venture capital firms, some partners, as well as Wang Yan's own friends, such as an upright police officer, leaders from the sub-district office, some smiling ruffians, and others who looked obviously wealthy or exuded an air of officialdom.

Besides them, there were also Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's relatives. Counting all these people, nearly a hundred tables were set, with a thousand guests sharing the banquet.

"Brother Yan's wedding is truly spectacular," Zhu Tou couldn't help but exclaim. "Hua Zi, tell me, how deeply has Brother Yan been hiding? All this time, when have we ever seen Brother Yan have any friends? Now that he's getting married, good heavens, look at every single one of them; they all have such style, clearly people of substance."

"That's for sure. Just think about when we first started dealing in second-hand cars; so many issues were easily resolved. How could that be simple?"

Hua Zi shook his head. "Brother Yan is truly a remarkable man. Wonderful, so lively. Lulu, let's hold our wedding here too, though we might not have this many people. But that doesn't matter; if we're short on guests, I'll just have more people from the company come.

Brother Yan chatted with me before; he said he'd invite some active users from our 'We Understand Cars' website to join the festivities. It's just that his guest list is too large to manage, plus Brother Yan didn't make an appearance. With me, it's just right. Think about it: friends from all over the country coming to attend the wedding and offer blessings—that would be truly lively."

Lulu smiled and nodded. "I'll listen to whatever you say."

Xia Lin smiled and said, "Lu Tao, don't you have any thoughts?"

Lu Tao had been staring at Mi Lai; called back to his senses by Xia Lin, he said, "I couldn't pull off such a grand affair."

"Who asked you about that? So boring." Xia Lin patted Lu Tao and cast a glance toward Mi Lai.

Mi Lai wasn't even looking at them; gazing at the lively scene, she was feeling low and heartbroken.

Although she had long since accepted the situation, how could she truly accept it at this very moment? She had no mind to pay attention to Lu Tao and Xia Lin; she wouldn't even spare them an extra glance.

Zhu Tou asked, "Hua Zi, when have you and Lulu set your date?"

"Either this year or next year."

Lulu asked, "Zhu Tou, when is yours? Why haven't there been any signs of movement?"

"You're wasting your breath asking him," Hua Zi pursed his lips. "This is a proper philandering pig. He may show no signs of movement, but he's never been single either. Just from what I know, he's got four Misses already. Good heavens, each one prettier than the last."

"They're all willing; don't make me sound like some improper person. Let me tell you, I am the most upright of men." Zhu Tou, shameless, pounded his chest with a loud thump.

Lu Tao then turned to ask Xiang Nan, "How about you? Still no news?"

"I recently met a lawyer, an online friend; we're getting along quite well."

"What good is that? Do you have any concrete plans or not?" Hua Zi asked with a look of disgust.

"We're still chatting, aren't we? Just wait until I bring her out to show you all." Xiang Nan snorted.

His feelings were not complicated; although he had indeed liked Yang Zhong Xiaoyun for a while, nothing had ever begun, and long ago he had discarded all those messy thoughts.

Soon, the wedding ceremony began, nothing fancy, just the standard procedure. After the ceremony, the banquet officially started; for a moment, the air was filled with the scent of smoke and alcohol, and the ears were filled only with the clamor of chopsticks clattering against bowls. Wang Yan, together with Yang Zhong Xiaoyun who had changed her clothes, went table by table toasting the guests and exchanging pleasantries.

Wang Yan had no time to entertain anyone; from start to finish, he hadn't managed to say more than a few words to anyone. There were too many people; he hadn't even finished toasting everyone before many guests had already left.

By afternoon, the wedding was considered concluded; the remaining dishes and wine were packed up for any guests willing to take them away. Yang Zhong Xiaoyun's parents, having busied themselves until exhausted, departed early.

Wang Yan also saw off various friends, then set up another table where he, Yang Zhong Xiaoyun, and those who hadn't left, such as Hua Zi and others, began eating and drinking again.

"Brother Yan, let me interview you; how do you feel right now?" Hua Zi asked with a smile.

Wang Yan glanced at Mi Lai, whose eyes were obviously red from crying and who remained silent, then said cheerfully, "Of course, I feel extremely good."

"Come, Brother Yan, here's to your happy marriage," Zhu Tou raised his cup, and everyone drank together amidst lively chatter.

Lu Lu said, "Mi Lai, why are you so silent? Oh my, Brother Yan, Zhong Xiaoyun, you don't know that earlier Mi Lai was crying her eyes out."

"She must have been moved," Xia Lin said, "Mi Lai, you should start considering yourself too."

After glaring at the smug Yang Zhong Xiaoyun, Mi Lai shot a glance at Xia Lin and snorted, "No need for you to worry."

"Mi Lai!"

Lu Tao frowned again, "We are genuinely concerned for your well-being."

"No need, just look after yourselves; why do you have so much idle concern? Eaten too much salt? Today is Brother Yan and Zhong Xiaoyun's wedding, a day of great joy; don't force me to curse at you."

"Wait, did you eat gunpowder? How did you become like this?"

Lu Tao still could not understand why Mi Lai had become like this today, so strange to him, and so chilling to his heart...

Wang Yan, the instigator of it all, played the good guy; he waved his hand, "Come, come, let's have a drink. Today marks the completion of a major life event and the beginning of a new chapter in life; I also wish you all soon find your own belonging. Drink up."

So everyone raised their wine glasses and drank together amidst lively chatter.

But many people were unhappy.

Even Yang Zhong Xiaoyun, the bride herself, was unhappy; originally she had been happy, and seeing Mi Lai unhappy made her even happier, but once she thought that this would last only one day, she found it all tasteless.

But it didn't matter; she was the legal wife. That was how she consoled herself...