Chapter 308: You still have quite a girlish heart

Xu Yanfeng raised his eyes and silently gazed at her for a long time.

He thought her remark "It doesn't matter whether we have a wedding or not" was just casual, but it actually did matter; yet her tone now makes it seem like she isn't looking forward to the wedding at all.

Xia Xi waited patiently; after a while he still didn't speak, and she couldn't help wondering if she had said something wrong to upset him. Thinking back, their earlier chats had been quite normal.

"Hmm?" Xia Xi drew out the syllable, "Why aren't you speaking?"

"You're still asking why." Xu Yanfeng's voice was low, sounding somewhat resentful.

Paired with his cold, handsome face, there was an indescribable sense of incongruity.

"Can't I ask?" Xia Xi felt like she was being made out to be a heartless flirt, yet also quite innocent, "I'm only asking because I don't know what you're thinking."

Xu Yanfeng wouldn't tell her directly, instead leading her to find the answer herself: "What do you think is the reason people hold weddings?"

Xia Xi rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Zhao Lei not far away, smiling brightly and generously toasting guests, and her groom beside her, face flushed. After a moment she said, "It's a kind of ceremony, announcing to all friends and family that they have become husband and wife, and from now on they will..."

Her words trailed off, she looked at Xu Yanfeng and closed her mouth.

Seeing she understood, Xu Yanfeng gave a low laugh, placed a piece of food on Zi Heng's plate, and said slowly, "I'm also a ordinary person; popular opinion is my opinion too."

He also wanted to hold a ceremony to announce to everyone that he and his beloved woman had become husband and wife, inviting them to witness it.

Xu Yanfeng added, "Besides, I want to see you in a wedding dress." He tilted his head, lowering his voice, "Even more, I want to see you walking toward me in a wedding dress."

Xia Xi's ears felt hot, probably because his warm breath sprayed onto her ears as he spoke.

"You're quite..." Xia Xi couldn't find the right word to describe Xu Yanfeng, her tone easing.

Xu Yanfeng raised an eyebrow: "Quite what?"

Xia Xi blurted: "You have a girlish heart."

Xu Yanfeng: "..."

The wedding banquet didn't end until after two in the afternoon, because everyone hadn't seen each other in a long time and were reluctant to part.

After leaving the hotel, Xu Yanfeng didn't rush to drive home; he went to a nearby mall and strolled around.

Xia Xi raised her hand repeatedly to look at the diamond ring; each time she was stunned, unable to help replaying Xu Yanfeng's proposal scene. Although he hadn't said any sweet nothings or vows, just the simple line "We have flowers and a ring, will you accept?", it was still quite beautiful. Mainly, the image of him conjuring the ring out of thin air was too delightful a surprise.

She thought, even if she would receive many more surprises in the future, this one remained the most vivid stroke in her life.

Xia Xi couldn't help curling her lips at the sight of the ring on her hand; Xu Yanfeng noticed and asked with a smile, "Do you like it?"

Xia Xi curled her fingers, feigning ignorance: "What?"

Xu Yanfeng said: "The ring."

Xia Xi suppressed the urge to keep smiling, really wanting to say something contrary, like "This ring is too flashy, like wearing a big pink rock candy," but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Who wouldn't like it?" Xia Xi openly raised her palm, back of her hand facing Xu Yanfeng, "Such a big diamond, and a pink one at that, sparkling—how beautiful."

She felt nobody would dislike it.

Xu Yanfeng took her hand, and with his other hand held Zi Heng's.

Xia Xi said seriously, "If we ever have no income, we could resell it and probably get a good amount of money."

Even when her family was well-off before, she hadn't had much contact with high-end jewelry, but she felt this ring was certainly valuable.

Xia Xi's offhand remark unintentionally stirred Xu Yanfeng's memories of the past; the smile on his lips faded, seeming both regretful and teasing: "Perhaps I should have given it to you earlier."

Xia Xi didn't understand: "What do you mean, give it to me earlier?"

Xu Yanfeng shook his head, brushing it off lightly: "Nothing." Then he changed the subject: "Aren't we supposed to get summer clothes for the two kids? Let's go."

After leaving the mall, it was about five o'clock.

Xia Xi and Zi Heng shared a bowl of ice cream; true summer was still a ways off, so it wasn't suitable to eat too many cold drinks. Xu Yanfeng followed behind the mother and son, his hands holding various-sized shopping bags, watching the two figures ahead, the corners of his mouth turning up.

Zi Heng had eaten and drunk his fill, and after tiring himself out from wandering, he fell asleep with his head tilted shortly after getting in the car.

After the car came to a stop, Xu Yanfeng skillfully lifted him out of the vehicle, glanced back at Xia Xi, saw her pulling a shopping bag from the trunk, and said softly, "If you can't carry it, just leave it there; I'll come down later to get it."

Xia Xi raised both arms to show him, demonstrating that she too had been trained and wasn't utterly weak.

As they entered the elevator, Zi Heng woke up, realizing he was being held by Xu Yanfeng, and remained silent.

Xu Yanfeng lowered his head, happened to see Zi Heng's eyelids twitching, couldn't help but chuckle, and gave his bottom a light pat: "You little brat, you woke up without making a sound."

Exposed, Zi Heng could no longer pretend, opened his eyes to stare at Xu Yanfeng's face, knowing he was in the wrong, and stayed quiet.

Xu Yanfeng also didn't put him down, smiling and asking, "Do you like being held by Dad?"

Zi Heng's face was a bit red, he stubbornly refused to admit it: "Put me down."

Xu Yanfeng thought to himself, "This kid is still rather stubborn, I don't know who he learned that from." He then rephrased: "It's Dad who likes holding you, alright?"

Xia Xi stood to the side, shaking her head; Xu Yanfeng's voice when talking to Zi Heng was already childish enough, but his behavior was just as childish.

Only after they entered the house did Xu Yanfeng finally set Zi Heng down.

Xia Xi went to tell Zhangyi to make dinner a little lighter; having eaten the banquet at noon, she didn't really want greasy food.

Zhangyi agreed.

Xia Xi returned to her room to put things away; when she pulled her phone out of her bag, a soft rustling sound came from inside.

She lowered her gaze, saw candy in her bag, couldn't help smiling a little, almost forgetting she had specifically asked Zhao Lei for the weird-flavor candy.

Xia Xi took the candy out, put it in her pocket, pressed down the smile at the corners of her mouth, and walked out calmly.

Zi Heng flopped onto the sofa in an awkward pose, motionless, looking as if he'd fallen asleep again from exhaustion. Xu Yanfeng sat beside him flipping through a book, and Xia Xi sat down nearby, pretending to ask casually, "Do you eat candy?"

She took a few pieces out of her pocket, gripping them tightly.

Xu Yanfeng lifted his gaze to glance at her, then looked at the few brightly wrapped candies in her hand: "I don't eat them."

Xia Xi: "..."

How could he not fall for it?

Xia Xi kicked off her slippers, leaned sideways against the sofa armrest, her eyes darting as she pondered how to get him to agree to eat candy, since she couldn't just pry open his mouth and shove it in.

"This is wedding candy Zhao Lei gave me, she said eating it brings good luck." Xia Xi offered as an excuse.

Xu Yanfeng paused, then extended a hand toward her: "Then let me have a taste."

Xia Xi didn't give it to him: "I'll help you peel."

He must not see the packaging bag, which has the flavor written on it; if he sees it, he won't eat it.

Xu Yanfeng felt a hint of suspicion, thinking Xia Xi was being overly enthusiastic, but he didn't pursue it, waiting for her to peel off the candy's wrapper and bring it to his mouth, then eat it.

Xia Xi stared fixedly at his face, her lips pressed tightly together, afraid she might burst out laughing if she let her guard down even a little.

Xu Yanfeng tasted a hint of bitterness, his expression stiffening; at first he thought the candy was supposed to taste like that, but gradually he realized something was off, and as the candy melted, the bitterness in his mouth grew stronger.

He slightly opened his lips, furrowed his brows deeply, and turned his head to look at Xia Xi.

Xia Xi read the words "What's going on?" on his face, finally unable to hold back, she burst out laughing loudly; the laughter startled even herself, and suddenly remembering that Zi Heng was asleep, she hastily covered her mouth.

As it turned out, even Xu Yanfeng, who could remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, would show this kind of existential-doubt expression after eating the whole bug candy.

Xia Xi held her stomach, laughing until her belly ached.

The expression on Xu Yanfeng's face lasted a few seconds; from Xia Xi's reaction, he figured it out and muttered indistinctly, "You did this on purpose?"

Xia Xi nodded, still finding it hilarious, and let out a puff of laughter.

Xu Yanfeng tugged at the corner of his mouth, crooked his finger at her, signaling her to come a bit closer.

Xia Xi felt things were not good, she shook her head in resistance, and without making a sound, she extended her foot, slipped it into her slipper, preparing to flee.