Chapter 245 - 242: The Ball
The evening ball was held at the garden’s Observation Tower. Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, and the children didn’t attend. As the hosts, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian moved through the banquet hall. But with Mrs. Ping presiding, Li Xiu’s formidable reputation, and a handpicked guest list, the dinner party was a resounding success!
Seeing that Ping’an showed no signs of passive resistance, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian shared a smile. When it came to important matters, that little scamp always gave it his all, whether he wanted to or not. This was precisely why they were so fond of him, and why Zhou Lian—even before remembering her past life—had always found herself inadvertently guiding and shaping him.
Seeing Mrs. Ping engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with the matriarchs of several other families, Zhou Lian decided not to approach and disturb them. ’This is for the best.’ As for whom Ping’an would marry, that was beyond her and Li Xiu’s control. Besides, they had already overstepped their bounds on this matter. It was only because the Ping Family understood their intentions that there were no misunderstandings. In any case, their involvement in finding Ping’an a wife ended here. From now on, it was up to Ping’an and Mrs. Ping.
Little Nuonuo, the ostensible guest of honor for the evening, was held by Li Xiu to cut the cake and sing the birthday song. Afterward, she obediently thanked the guests for coming to her birthday party before Li Xiu and Zhou Lian sent her back to the other courtyard to be looked after by Mr. and Mrs. Zhou. Her grandparents felt out of place at such events, and fearing they would embarrass their daughter and son-in-law, they had adamantly refused to attend.
Everything was going smoothly. Zhou Lian and Li Xiu hid in a corner, watching the young men and women dance gracefully on the floor. They paid special attention to Ping’an, who had already changed partners four or five times, making sure not to neglect anyone. Li Xiu couldn’t help but sigh and say, "That kid... has he not taken a fancy to a single one, or does he genuinely not want to get married at this stage?"
Seeing Li Xiu looking uncharacteristically discouraged, Zhou Lian smiled and said, "I wouldn’t be so sure. Look at that girl with the baby face, the one in the military uniform."
Li Xiu glanced toward the dance floor, searching for the girl in the military uniform. ’That girl is really one of a kind,’ he thought. ’She knew what this party was for and still came dressed in her military uniform!’ But the longer he looked, the more his brows furrowed. ’Isn’t that...’
He snapped his head up to look at his darling wife and asked in surprise, "Bao’er, what’s she doing here? Did you invite her?"
Raising an eyebrow at Li Xiu, Zhou Lian smiled and shook her head. "It wasn’t me. It was Ping’an."
Hearing this, Li Xiu froze for a second before bursting into laughter. ’Well, I’ve seen it all now! So this day has finally come for that kid, Ping’an!’
"How did you know it was Ping’an, Bao’er?"
Zhou Lian gave a mischievous smile. "The day you and Mrs. Ping decided to hold this ball, I went and told Ping’an that the two of you would be making him pick a bride tonight. He could either choose someone himself or wait for you and Mrs. Ping to choose for him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he asked me for an invitation."
Reaching up to gently stroke Zhou Lian’s hair, Li Xiu held back his laughter and asked, "How did you know, Bao’er?"
"What’s so strange about it?" Zhou Lian said with a casual laugh. "They grew up together. Everyone thinks they do nothing but fight whenever they see each other, and they’ve been doing it since they were kids. But hasn’t anyone noticed that since childhood, the only people around Miss Liu have been other girls? The second any boy appeared, Ping’an would chase him off. And isn’t it the same the other way around? Whenever any girl got close to Ping’an, Miss Liu and her posse would immediately get rid of her."
’The truth was so obvious, yet no one saw it for all these years.’ A few years ago, Mrs. Ping had brought up a certain Liu Wenjing. Zhou Lian had sensed something was off back then. When Ping’an heard the name "Miss Liu," his mood had soured instantly. And later, when they saw *that* Liu Wenjing at the Imperial Palace, his visible sigh of relief was still fresh in her memory!
After a moment of thought, Li Xiu looked out at the floor and noticed Ping’an and Miss Liu had disappeared. He couldn’t help but comment, "That kid’s almost thirty, why is he still so childish? If you like someone, you make your move and lock her down. Isn’t he worried someone else will swoop in while he’s not looking?"
Zhou Lian shot him an exasperated look and whispered, "Isn’t that exactly what you did back then? You think everyone is like you? A wild wolf that never lets go once it bites down."
With a low chuckle, Li Xiu also lowered his voice. "Of course. A man has to keep his woman under his protection. All that nonsense about ’I respect your choice, I just want you to be happy’ is a load of bull. My woman? Naturally, only I can give her the best. Trusting someone else to do it? You’d have to be crazy. I don’t trust anyone but myself!"
Knowing his personality all too well, Zhou Lian deliberately teased him, "Jin Chen, what would you have done back then if I hadn’t agreed to marry you?"
"I would never have let that happen. You could only marry me. I’d like to see who else would have dared! I would have used a thousand tricks and ten thousand excuses to make you marry me and only me. Marry someone else? Don’t even dream of it. You never know if another man is a saint or a monster! I only trust myself. Only when you’re in the palm of my hand can I guarantee your happiness. So, don’t you worry, Bao’er," Li Xiu said, looking at Zhou Lian with a wickedly unrestrained smile as he raised an eyebrow.
This was the one side of him Zhou Lian could never resist. Whenever Li Xiu revealed this wickedly charming side, she couldn’t help but blush. Even after being married for so long, it was still the same. Unable to stop herself, she gently covered her face, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. Her voice cracked a little as she said, "Stop smiling!"
Seeing her shyness, Li Xiu couldn’t resist gently pulling her into his embrace. He placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head, letting her hide against his shoulder to ease her embarrassment. He also didn’t want anyone else to witness this side of Zhou Lian. She was the most beautiful sight in the world, and she belonged to him alone.
Watching them from afar, Zhang Hongying shook her head helplessly. ’They’re the hosts, for heaven’s sake,’ she thought. ’What kind of hosts hide in a corner to flirt and ignore their guests? Still, with that private little world they’ve built around themselves... I really don’t want to be the one to interrupt.’
"What’s wrong?" Wang Xiaojuan asked curiously, gently nudging the dazed Zhang Hongying. "Weren’t you going to look for Big Brother and Sister-in-Law? What are you doing just standing here in a daze?"
Zhang Hongying raised an eyebrow at Wang Xiaojuan and gestured with her eyes toward the corner. Following her gaze, Wang Xiaojuan also spotted Li Xiu and Zhou Lian cuddled up in the corner. She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. ’Honestly, they’re so shameless! Can’t they at least try to be a bit more subtle? So many people are watching!’
Slowly approaching the couple, Wang Xiaojuan said resignedly, "Big Brother, Sister-in-Law, could you two maybe restrain yourselves a little? It’s getting late, you should probably come out and mingle." As she spoke, she subtly shifted her position to block the curious stares from those nearby.
Zhou Lian looked up, slightly embarrassed. She gave a small smile and said, "Alright. Thank you for your hard work tonight, Sister-in-law."