Chapter 315

Wang Yan spent half a day making trip after trip back and forth to pack up Yang Tao's things, finally moving them all over.

Actually, Yang Tao didn't have much—she'd been badly scammed by her ex-boyfriend, and for three years she'd barely scraped by, only just escaping that hardship recently. During those three years, Yang Tao lived miserably; from Wang Yan's view, apart from a cheap, secondhand T-shirt that was new, her clothes and shoes were all several years old. She owned no big-brand cosmetics, no array of bottles and jars, only a few basic items. Such a naturally beautiful woman, going without buying much for three full years—remarkable indeed.

Even though Yang Tao had few possessions, cramming them all into his room inevitably made it feel cramped—but it also looked warmly homely, which was fine.

After diligently cleaning out the empty room and giving it a satisfied look, Wang Yan took a photo and sent it to Yang Tao, telling her to contact the landlord when she had time to terminate the lease. After sweet-talking her for a while longer, Yang Tao said she'd be having dinner that night with Jiao Yang and Lan Weiwei, and urged him to leave early so he wouldn't get stuck in traffic.

After thinking it over, Wang Yan replied that he'd pick her up in the evening, to avoid her getting drunk and abandoning a car—then he'd drop her off at work the next morning.

Yang Tao readily agreed, eagerly looking forward to seeing him that night.

They hadn't even officially become a couple before they went straight to the marriage registry. The pace was too fast; Yang Tao's mind hadn't yet shifted to married life—she was still in the throes of passionate romance. She just wanted to see him, to cling to him and chatter aimlessly, and that was perfect.

After speaking with Yang Tao, Wang Yan stayed home a little longer, then, estimating the time was right, drove to the hotel where Yang Tao worked.

Dongjun Huafu wasn't far from the hotel where Yang Tao worked—that was precisely why she'd chosen to rent there. He could've arrived early, but he kept stopping and starting along the way, arriving at the hotel at just past six, right as Yang Tao finished her shift.

Seeing the familiar black sports car, Yang Tao, waiting by the hotel entrance, flashed her white teeth, even showing her healthy gums—she was overjoyed. She said something to a colleague, opened the passenger door, and slid inside.

"You showed up right as I got out." As she spoke, Yang Tao pulled the seatbelt across and clicked it shut.

"There's too much traffic—this is still way ahead of schedule; otherwise, I'd have been late." Wang Yan pressed the accelerator gently as they pulled away from the hotel entrance: "After a full day of work, did you miss me?"

"I missed you so much I thought I'd die." Yang Tao leaned over and kissed his cheek, her face flushed as she confessed: "Oh, you have no idea—work feels endless. I just wanted the time to pass so I could see you sooner."

"Getting married really does change things," Wang Yan said, shaking his head.

Knowing he meant her sudden boldness and the drastic shift from before, Yang Tao irritably turned on the car's music: "So should I be more reserved then?" She'd realized now—after meeting for half a month and marrying outright, she'd already given herself to him. There was no point hiding anymore. Better to be passionate—both of them happier.

"Don't you dare. This way is perfect. We're legally married—what's the point of being reserved?"

"You're such a character." Ignoring Wang Yan, Yang Tao sat quietly, listening to the music, scrolling through her phone to message Jiao Yang and Lan Weiwei, just asking where they were.

After a while, once the conversation ended, Yang Tao tucked her phone into her small bag, spread open her palm, and smiled brightly at the sparkling diamond ring: "You wouldn't believe it—when I got to the hotel today, someone noticed my ring…"

After listening to Yang Tao's rambling account of the day, Wang Yan smiled, thinking of her unemployment in the drama: "I reckon your position as lobby manager is over."

Yang Tao blinked her big eyes, tilting her head to look at her husband's rugged profile: "Why?"

"I remember you told me your contract was up soon, and you needed to renew it."

"Yeah, so what?"

"So what? Isn't it obvious? We've registered now, so marriage is next. As for kids—even if Mom isn't pushing hard, we won't wait past next year or the year after, right? Then there's maternity leave, parental leave… showing up to work pregnant with a big belly isn't appropriate, and later you'll need to care for the child. Do you really think the hotel will renew your contract?"

Yang Tao's good mood vanished instantly. She fell silent, thinking over Wang Yan's words—they were true—and frowned: "I've worked here six years. I treat this hotel like home. They wouldn't be that heartless, would they?"

"They're here to make money, not run a charity. Why would they be so kind? You can treat the company like home—but you can't actually treat it like home." Wang Yan shook his head: "Besides, now that you're like this, even if you leave this hotel, you'll never find another job like it. Everyone's the same. The key issue? Your age. Now they all want young, pretty girls. You're pretty—but you're not young anymore. How long will your beauty last? So congratulations, wife—you're unemployed."

Yang Tao glared, reaching over to pinch his waist hard: "You're so annoying! I was so happy, and now you go and say this? And you say 'congratulations'? Why are you so happy I'm unemployed?"

"I'm just worried you'll be unprepared and heartbroken later. If you know now, you can face it better—won't ruin your mood."

Yang Tao crossed her arms, staring blankly at the traffic ahead: "It already has."

"I'm right here—a billionaire. What's there to worry about? Besides, you're a multi-millionaire yourself now. What's the point of slaving away for someone else? Next month, I'll tell the tenants to send the rent straight to you. Use it as pocket money—spend it wildly."

Watching Wang Yan's nouveau riche demeanor, Yang Tao burst out laughing, then quickly schooled her face: "I won't take it. Women don't live off men. I'm a modern independent woman—I'll definitely find another job."

"You're impressive," Wang Yan gave a thumbs-up: "You don't even appreciate having a billionaire husband. Tsk, tsk—so many girls would kill for this."

Yang Tao rolled her eyes: "If you want to spend money on them, go find them. I don't want any of it."

"Hey, are you stirring up trouble? Are you stirring up trouble?" Wang Yan slapped her inner thigh hard: "You're getting rebellious. Wait till we get home—I'll show this little wife of mine who's really in charge."

Irritated, Yang Tao swatted his hand away, blushing: "Get lost—I'm annoyed right now."

"What's there to be annoyed about?" Wang Yan glanced at Yang Tao, whose face had instantly turned gloomy: "Aren't you into designing wedding dresses? Why not open a bridal shop? We could also handle wedding events—I'm into photography too, so wedding photos are perfect. Whether we make money or not is secondary; the main thing is we get to watch couples get married every day—how joyful is that? Oh, right—you don't want to spend my money? Fine. Then just work for me. You already know bridal design inside out, and you've been a lobby manager for six years—you're great at managing people. The store manager position? Perfect for you."

The best way to comfort someone is to shift their focus—he'd already moved her mind to life after quitting. Perfect. Now Yang Tao silently accepted the idea of leaving her job, began to consider whether Wang Yan's idea was feasible.

"Hey, you know what? That might actually work." After thinking for a while, Yang Tao frowned: "Wait—doesn't that mean I'm still spending your money?"

"You're earning it yourself—why would that be spending my money? In our relationship, isn't it natural for me to give you a job?" Wang Yan waved his hand: "Alright, enough of this talk—it doesn't sound like a married couple anymore. Let's leave it for now. You've got two months left—when you have time, we'll go look at houses and find one to renovate."

Yang Tao nodded, amused: "Alright…"

The mood returned to its earlier cheerfulness, and they drove happily to the agreed-upon barbecue spot.

They parked by the roadside, and across the street, Jiao Yang waved at them from an outdoor stall, beside him Lan Weiwei and a heavily made-up, chubby, long-haired woman—the same woman from the drama who, when Yang Tao learned Zhuang Yan was Li Wei and Lan Weiwei had a falling-out, invited her to the wedding and had gone on a hundred blind dates—high-level player.

"Hey hey hey, look who's here? Isn't this the newlywed happy couple?"

As the two walked hand-in-hand across the street, Jiao Yang greeted them with the exact tone Wang Yan wanted to kick him with.

Yang Tao playfully hit him, then sat in the chair Wang Yan pulled out: "We're happy—so what? Are you jealous? Then hurry up and find someone yourself—stop being single. Oh, by the way, let me introduce you—this is our good friend Li Hongli, nickname 'Snot Girl.'"

Wang Yan nodded to her, then nodded slightly toward Lan Weiwei, and sat beside Yang Tao.

Li Hongli squealed: "Can you please stop calling me that nickname? You're so annoying!"

The group laughed and joked, mostly about Li Hongli's nickname—reminiscing about childhood.

Perhaps because she was plump and carefree, or because their bond was genuine, after the "Snot Girl" comment, Li Hongli shouted: "Enough about me—today we're supposed to be talking about Yang Tao and Wang Yan!"

"Exactly! You almost tricked us into forgetting." Jiao Yang clapped: "Yang Tao, you're so unfair—just quietly got married? Wang Yan, you moved fast too!"

Lan Weiwei said: "If it weren't for last night, when Xue Sumei called my mom, I still wouldn't have known."

Yang Tao quickly waved her hands: "Weiwei, don't think anything of it—you know how close my mom and Aunt Lan have been all these years."

"I'm not thinking anything. I just meant—you got married without telling us? That's not right."

"It happened suddenly—the past two days moved too fast. The fault's mine," Wang Yan picked up a bottle of wine, twisted off the cap, and grinned: "I apologize."

Watching Wang Yan tilt the bottle and drink straight from it, Li Hongli said: "We're not mad—we're just teasing. Don't take it seriously. But you two really moved fast—I heard you've known each other less than half a month?"

"Today is exactly thirteen days," Yang Tao smiled brightly: "You don't know—I feel like I'm dreaming. I never thought I could fall in love so fast, and throw everything I had into it. I'm not impulsive—I just knew, this lifetime, I'd marry no one but him. And he was just as decisive—yesterday morning over breakfast, he just pulled out the ring."

Wang Yan promptly slipped his arm around her: "Just like she said—I'll marry no one but her. Since we've decided to be together, why wait? Better to get married sooner."

"That's a real man," Jiao Yang gave a thumbs-up, then shifted tone: "But I'm warning you—if you treat our Yang Tao badly, we won't stand for it."

Wang Yan waved his hand grandly: "Don't worry—you don't even need to step in. My mother-in-law already said if I mistreat Yang Tao, she'll chop me up with a cleaver."

Everyone burst into laughter, saying nothing else. As friends, perhaps except for Lan Weiwei, Jiao Yang and Li Hongli genuinely wished Yang Tao well—but they also didn't believe in this marriage, formed in just over ten days. Even Li Hongli, the seasoned player, didn't believe in it—and precisely because she was a player, she didn't believe.

Of course, no one would say it aloud—it was inappropriate. Yang Tao was clearly hopelessly in love. Say too much, and they'd lose a friend. All they could do was silently hope that Wang Yan, the rich man, wasn't one of those rich men.

Several people glanced at Yang Tao's pure diamond ring and wisely didn't ask how much it cost.

After looking, Lan Weiwei put away her envy and jealousy, smiling: "So what about your wedding? What are your plans?"

"He has no relatives or friends, just himself. I said maybe we shouldn't hold one," Yang Tao looked at Wang Yan with a sweet expression. "He said no—marriage only happens once in a lifetime, so it must be grand. But we've only just settled on it; we haven't discussed the details yet."

"That's wonderful," Lan Weiwei glanced at Wang Yan, who was greedily eating skewers beside Yang Tao. "I never expected you—the last one I thought would be single—to suddenly leap ahead of us."

She truly envied them. Last night, listening to Yang Tao's biological mother scold her, she'd directly gifted a commercial storefront and a residential unit in the Second Ring, handing over tens of millions without blinking—yesterday, she even changed the property titles on the spot. She, on the other hand, had been struggling for three years with this relationship she'd taken over, never even met her in-laws, and whenever marriage came up, she just mumbled vague responses with no concrete plans—where the hell could she even complain?

"Aren't you and your boyfriend getting close too? Keep at it," Yang Tao looked at Li Hongli. "Aren't you due to settle down? You've gone on dozens of blind dates, nearly gotten married several times already—when are you finally going to marry? And you, Jiao Yang, you're not getting any younger. Staying single like this isn't sustainable—hurry up."

"Oh come on, oh come on," Jiao Yang teased. "It's only been a few days and now you're giving us advice? Who was the one so desperate before?"

"So annoying."

Li Hongli laughed: "We'll hurry, sure, but today's meal doesn't count. I heard from Weiwei that you two ate Tan's Cuisine yesterday—now you're treating us to barbecue for such a big occasion? Unacceptable. We absolutely must overcharge you. You just quietly got it done—any objections, Wang Yan?"

"No objections—definitely overcharge us. We need abalone, lobster, and hairy crab—all of it," Wang Yan, still eating heartily, nodded and grinned. "But let's get this straight: when we get married, your gift money better not be stingy."

"That's the talk! With our relationship to Taozi, we'd never shortchange you—don't worry, it'll be a huge red envelope," Li Hongli laughed heartily, raising her cup. "Stop eating—come on, let's drink a toast: may Taozi and Wang Yan enjoy a hundred years of harmony, have children soon, and live happily ever after."

"Cheers!"

…………

In the following days, whenever Wang Yan had time, he took Yang Tao to view houses. After her future mother-in-law made the final decision, they chose a high-rise apartment in the Third Ring with a newer building and an elevator. The unit was on the top floor, over a hundred square meters, three bedrooms, with a large balcony offering broad views, and excellent surrounding amenities—mainly, it was only a half-hour bus ride from her future mother-in-law's place, and just over twenty minutes by car.

The apartment was rented, with four rooms including the living room already occupied by tenants. Wang Yan was a principled man—he didn't argue with the tenants, paid one month's rent as compensation per the contract, returned the deposit, and gave them a week to find new places and move out. After finalizing the renovation plan with Yang Tao, demolition had already begun.

During this time, Xue Sumei, the future mother-in-law, naturally didn't forget her mission: she'd drop by randomly, or cook meals at home and invite Wang Yan, Yang Tao, and Su Qing and Duan Xifeng over for dinner, then insist they stay overnight. Yang Tao had already argued with her biological mother several times, but unfortunately, she had a traitor beside her—useless.

Wang Yan wasn't the traitor—he simply didn't care. His future mother-in-law just wanted a grandchild; Yang Tao was still torn about whether to have one, but Wang Yan truly didn't mind either way. Not having a child would even be more comfortable—he'd just gotten together with her, they were still in the honeymoon phase, constantly entangled, and if she got pregnant, he'd have to be a monk for a long time… So this was their mother-daughter issue; as long as they figured it out, he was fine with anything.

Wang Yan never showed up empty-handed—he'd visited several times, buying all sorts of random things for clothes, food, and daily use. His future mother-in-law was practical: she'd scold him each time, then happily accept everything, and every few days she'd call her rival Lan Caiping to gloat: "What a great son-in-law I've found—so accomplished!" Ever since Yang Tao married Wang Yan and learned her daughter had received a storefront and a house, aside from arguing about having children, she had zero worries.

The wedding plans were settled: the date was set for August 23rd, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month—the perfect day when the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet across the Magpie Bridge. They'd borrow that auspiciousness for their own good fortune. Due to the rushed timing and rapid progress, preparations weren't thorough—just hired a reputable wedding company, letting Yang Tao handle all the details. As for the venue, Qixi was such a popular day for weddings that the market was flooded. After searching left and right, they finally secured a five-star hotel.

Although the wedding wasn't perfect, Yang Tao was still thrilled to communicate with the wedding company. If they'd been in a normal relationship, it'd be fine—but they'd moved too fast. She didn't want to wait a year or two for everything to be perfectly ready. This was fine. Life always has imperfections; it wasn't a regret—it made their marriage even more romantic and legendary.

Thus passed half a month, another beautiful Saturday.

Wang Yan had already finished his morning exercise, eaten breakfast, and washed up. He was now seated at his computer, rapidly typing on his stenograph machine. When Yang Tao was awake and at home, he wouldn't type loudly—he wasn't in a rush, he could still remember everything, so he treated it like office work. Yang Tao had seen him busy before, but he brushed it off with casual words—something about R&D directions and production processes—she couldn't understand any of it at her level, so she didn't pay attention.

"Wang Yan…"

"Husband…"

Time passed slowly. Hearing Yang Tao's sleepy, soft moans from the bedroom, Wang Yan checked the time—it was just past ten. He saved his file, stood up, poured a glass of water, and carried it into the bedroom.

On the bed, Yang Tao was stretching her arms out, playfully waiting for him to lift her up.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Wang Yan slid his hand under her back and lifted her up.

After half a month of intimate, shameless intimacy, Yang Tao now felt increasingly natural stripping bare and flirting—she bit his cheek, then took the water, sipping while combing her tousled hair.

Wang Yan smiled, stroking her hair: "Today we're going to your mom's for dinner—you'll definitely get scolded again."

"No problem," Yang Tao grinned. "I'll just tell her we're trying hard to have a baby."

"That's a good excuse."

The two laughed together, foolishly.

After laughing, Yang Tao leaned against her man's shoulder, frowning: "We haven't used any protection, and it's been so long—why haven't I felt anything? Could there be something wrong with us? You're so healthy, and I'm fine too—it shouldn't be this way."

Can I turn a switch on and off for you? Wang Yan shook his head and smiled: "You're thinking too soon—it takes one or two months before you notice anything. Besides, weren't you saying you'd go with the flow? Why are you worrying now?"

Yang Tao rolled her eyes: "That's exactly why I'm worried—if we're not trying and nothing happens, isn't that different from being unable to conceive?"

"We're both perfectly healthy—don't overthink it. Having a child can't be rushed; it'll come when it's meant to." He gently patted her head, took the water cup from her hand: "Alright, enough—get up and wash up. We're running out of time."

"I'm getting up…" Yang Tao groaned, shuffling barefoot into the bathroom.

After washing up, applying light makeup, and changing clothes, she slung her newly bought small bag over her shoulder, and they drove toward her mother-in-law's place.

Yang Tao was frugal. When Wang Yan took her shopping, he wanted to buy clothes, but she said she wore uniforms all day and didn't need them—she'd wait. In the end, he insisted on spending, and she only agreed to a ten-thousand-yuan bag—anything more expensive, she flatly refused. Good enough.

After an hour of stops and starts, they arrived at her mother-in-law's housing complex, parked, picked up the fruit they'd bought on the way, and went upstairs.

Before Yang Tao could pull out her key, Xue Sumei opened the door with a smile: "Oh my, every time you come back you bring something—how can I eat all this myself?"

"No problem, Mom—eat what you can, give the rest to your friends."

"Oh! You bought a watermelon—perfect, let's cut it and eat it."

Yang Tao and Wang Yan exchanged glances, then looked at their mother with suspicion: "Mom, what's going on? Why are you so happy?" Something was off—according to routine, she'd scold them nonstop—why wasn't she saying anything?

Xue Sumei took the items from her beloved son-in-law: "Come in, come in and talk." Then she carried the groceries into the kitchen to cut the watermelon.

The two changed into slippers, sat on the sofa, and looked at Su Qing and Duan Xifeng, who had arrived early and were beaming with joy. Yang Tao asked: "Sister, Brother-in-law, what's the good news? Tell us."

Su Qing and Duan Xifeng exchanged glances and burst out laughing: "Wait for Auntie to tell you."

Duan Xifeng nodded in agreement, grinning broadly: "It's good news—great news."

Yang Tao pouted: "So mysterious."

"Sister, don't move—I'm going to examine your face closely," Wang Yan suddenly spoke, serious.

Su Qing frowned: "What's wrong?"

Wang Yan didn't answer, just stared at her.

"Wait—you can read faces now?" Yang Tao's mouth hung open, her big eyes wide with surprise.

"Don't interrupt," Wang Yan snapped, lightly slapping her.

Under the confused stares of everyone else, Wang Yan stared intently at Su Qing. His seriousness made the others uneasy, so no one spoke.

After a long while, Xue Sumei came out carrying a plate of cut watermelon: "Come, come—eat watermelon, eat! Wang Yan bought this melon—it's so sweet, try some!"

Wang Yan slapped his hands together: "I know!"

Su Qing, Duan Xifeng, Yang Tao, and even the newly arrived mother-in-law exchanged glances: "Know what?"

"I know what the good news is," Wang Yan said confidently.

"That's it?" Su Qing sighed in relief, giving Wang Yan a half-annoyed glare: "You scared us with all that drama."

Duan Xifeng laughed: "Exactly, all mystical and weird."

Yang Tao blinked her big, curious eyes: "What good news?"

Wang Yan smiled mysteriously at Duan Xifeng: "How about a bottle of liquor? You in?"

"Hey, my temper just can't take this." Duan Xifeng rolled up his sleeves: "Come on, say it."

"Approved?"

"Approved."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow: "Big sister's pregnant!"

Duan Xifeng glanced at Su Qing, who was staring at him, then turned to Xue Sumei beside him: "Auntie, didn't you tell them yet?"

"I just found out myself—where would I have told them?"

Yang Tao froze, let out a shriek of "Ah!", and ran to Su Qing, hugging her: "Really pregnant? Sister?"

"Do you think I'm lying?"

"When did you get pregnant?"

"Would I tell you?" Su Qing laughed. "We found out at the hospital today."

Xue Sumei smiled warmly at Wang Yan: "Look at you—I was waiting to announce it, and you beat me to it."

Wang Yan chuckled, munching popcorn.

Duan Xifeng voiced what everyone was wondering: "Hey, how did you even know?"

"Would I tell you?" Wang Yan swung his leg lazily, made a mysterious gesture, just for fun. As for how he knew—he'd seen it on a TV drama. He wasn't skilled in mysticism; he'd calculated his own fate for years and never got it right once…

Yang Tao asked: "Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Isn't a boy or a girl the same? Knowing ahead takes away the anticipation." Wang Yan grinned at Duan Xifeng: "You've got liquor—drink a whole bottle yourself later. Such good news calls for a drink."

Duan Xifeng waved his hand and laughed: "I'll drink tonight, tonight. If I drink now, I won't be able to do anything this afternoon." After speaking, he handed Su Qing a slice of watermelon and started munching on one himself.

Yang Tao sat beside Su Qing, eating watermelon too: "Sis, weren't you two planning to stay child-free forever?"

"We were. But your brother-in-law changed his mind. I thought, we've had enough of just the two of us, and he's always busy, busy, busy—so why not have one?"

Xue Sumei watched Duan Xifeng, whose eyes were crinkled with joy: "Xifeng, now that Su Qing's pregnant, if you ever dare to treat her even slightly badly, I swear I'll…"

Wang Yan cut in: "Chop you with a cleaver."

"That's right—I'll grab the cleaver, and—crack! —right away…" Xue Sumei spoke while gesturing, issuing Duan Xifeng a serious warning.

"Auntie, rest assured—if I ever do such a thing, I won't wait for you. I'll crack myself."

After a while of laughter, Xue Sumei glared at her carefree daughter: "Taozi, Wang Yan, listen to me—you two need to get moving. Your sister's already on step two, and you two haven't even started."

Yang Tao hadn't expected the topic to turn to her again. She sighed: "Mom, don't worry—we're going with the flow, and we're not avoiding it."

Xue Sumei said: "Good. Don't make me worry. If nothing happens, tomorrow I'll make you both some tonic soup."

"Mom, no need, really no need—I'm in great shape, no problem at all. I guarantee results next month." Wang Yan waved his hands quickly. The main issue was Xue Sumei's cooking was mediocre. If it tasted good, he wouldn't mind the tonics—he could just work off the excess with a couple of punches. But it tasted awful. Watching his mother-in-law go through all that trouble made him anxious.

"You said it." Xue Sumei pointed at Wang Yan, then at Yang Tao: "If there's no result next month, Yang Tao, you won't go to work anymore. You two don't need the money—just stay home and try harder."

"Mom…" Yang Tao looked at her mother, torn between laughter and tears. Is this really necessary?

"What 'mom'? Stay away from me—I can't stand looking at you." Xue Sumei glared at her daughter, then instantly switched to a warm smile as she turned to her niece: "Now that you're pregnant, you must take good care of yourself. Be extra careful. And Xifeng—you mustn't upset her. Did you hear me?"

"I know, Auntie, don't worry—I'll make sure she's comfortable, smooth, and healthy all the way through delivery." Duan Xifeng paused, then smiled: "Actually, I've got a favor to ask, Auntie."

"Go ahead. We're family—no need for 'favor.'"

"You see, my work's about to get extremely busy. Su Qing's pregnant now, and I can't bear to leave her alone at home with no one to take care of her. I…"

"Oh, I get it." Xue Sumei waved her hand impatiently, annoyed by his rambling: "You just want me to take care of her? Do you think I need you to say that? She's like my own daughter. Move in here—actually, I've been hoping for it. Living alone in this house is boring. Having someone around is great—I'll cook for you every day."

It was settled: Su Qing would move to Xue Sumei's place. After lunch, Duan Xifeng drove Su Qing home to pack. Wang Yan and Yang Tao stayed behind, watching TV and chatting happily. In the afternoon, Duan Xifeng and Su Qing returned, and the whole family busied themselves helping to move things.

Wang Yan acted like a lord, lounging with his leg crossed, sipping tea and watching TV. It wasn't that he didn't want to help—he just wasn't allowed. There wasn't much to do anyway. How could the beloved son-in-law lift a finger? Better save his energy for tonight.

Yang Tao swung an empty Li Bai laundry detergent bottle: "Mom, we're out of detergent. Wang Yan and I are going to the nearby supermarket to buy some. Anything else we should get? We'll buy it all together."

"Buy this brand—it's gentle on hands and cleans well." Xue Sumei gave an ad, then paused: "What else… buy some bowls, chopsticks, spoons, hangers—oh, just buy whatever you think you need."

"Alright, we're off then."

"Go, go."

Yang Tao turned to Wang Yan and blew him a kiss: "You heard that, Master? Let's go."

Wang Yan stood and slapped her tiny butt: "Master will deal with you tonight."

"Fine." Yang Tao grabbed her small bag, slipped on high heels, and clacked out the door.

Wang Yan kicked off his cloth shoes, stepped out, and shut the door.

The two drove to a large underground supermarket in a nearby mall, pushing a cart slowly.

Combined with Su Qing's pregnancy and Yang Tao's choice of this supermarket, Wang Yan now understood: this was precisely the supermarket from the original plot, where Xue Sumei and Guoran's mother had clashed over laundry detergent—and now, adding the earlier mass matchmaking incident, old grudges and new ones would collide.

But this time, with Wang Mou present, Xue Sumei had never gone to that matchmaking event, and she wasn't here now—the two women didn't even know each other.

Wang Yan guessed Xue Sumei's resentment toward Guoran must include his mother. The two would clash the moment they met—there was never a good moment between them. Only because Yang Tao had fallen for Guoran and they got along well had Xue Sumei suppressed her anger, swallowing it for her daughter's happiness.

As expected, in such a large supermarket, Wang Yan and Yang Tao pushed their cart casually—and ran into Guoran, just like a mother shopping with her son.

Seeing Guoran's surprise, Wang Yan greeted him: "Wow, small world! Here to shop?"

"Ah, just buying daily essentials. You two look so sweet—your life's going well?" Guoran looked at Yang Tao affectionately linked with Wang Yan, and asked in surprise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Wang Yan laughed. "I said I'd treat you to dinner last time, but I forgot. Sorry. How about this week—let me check with my brother-in-law and we'll set a date."

"Oh, it's nothing. Xifeng told me you like photography too? We've got plenty to talk about."

Wang Yan laughed: "Alright, let's leave it at that. I'll check with my brother-in-law and we'll set a time."

"Alright, goodbye." Guoran smiled, nodded to Yang Tao, who waved at him, and walked off with his mother.

Watching Guoran leave, Yang Tao smiled: "Isn't the world small? We come out to shop and bump into someone we know."

"Yeah, quite a coincidence." Wang Yan nodded, pushing the cart onward. "We really have to treat him to dinner, right?"

"Yeah, and wasn't it your brother-in-law who said before that he called us after we registered? This guy's pretty good." Yang Tao nodded. "We really misunderstood him back at the blind date."

Wang Yan smiled. "You didn't know yet?"

"Know what?"

"That day you went on a blind date—he really was exactly what your brother-in-law said: he was supposed to counsel you, chat with you."

Yang Tao froze, no longer calling him brother-in-law: "Duan Xifeng is utterly unreliable."

"Come on, enough. He was just trying to help you. Don't keep nagging about it when you get home." Wang Yan patted his shoulder. "Look, what else do we still need to buy?"

"Hmm, let me think..."

The two wandered through the supermarket, buying a pile of things—useful or not—and returned home with bags in hand. After more bustle, the five of them gathered around the dinner table for supper.

Duan Xifeng happily raised his wine glass to pour: "Come on, Wang Yan, let's have a drink, brother-to-brother."

Before Wang Yan could speak, Xue Sumei stopped him: "What's this about drinking? You drink by yourself. We're preparing to have a baby—no drinking for anyone lately. It's not just inconvenient, it harms the child's health."

Wang Yan shrugged. "Fine, I'll listen to you. Then I won't drink."

Duan Xifeng was genuinely pleased. With no one to drink with, he poured himself a glass and sipped it contentedly.

"Hey, by the way, brother-in-law, this afternoon when I was shopping with Taozi, I ran into Guoran. We promised to treat him to dinner after he helped us with the paperwork, and it's been half a month already—we still haven't done it. Check your schedule soon, and let's all have dinner together and chat."

"Ran into him again?" Duan Xifeng exclaimed in surprise. "Alright, then let's do it in the next couple days. I'll check my calendar—wait for my message."

"Good."

The family finished dinner in lively spirits. Because Su Qing had moved in, Xue Sumei no longer insisted that Wang Yan and Yang Tao stay behind to make a baby; after giving them repeated instructions, she finally let them go home.

With the car window open, music playing, and neon lights of night gliding by, Wang Yan drove Yang Tao home to make a baby. This time, it was real—the kind that hits straight on target...

After all, Yang Tao had said to let nature take its course. It was ridiculous for him to keep trying every day with no result—fine, let's have a baby. It'd also save his mother-in-law from constantly nagging and worrying.