CH 75

shen tiantian didn’t go to work after all, and in the afternoon of the next day, shan yi took her to get their marriage certificate.

the red little book seemed to still carry warmth, and shen tiantian held it and looked at it for a long time. they were married; now they were in a legal wife-wife relationship.

shan yi’s eyes carried a deep smile, and she said softly: “i finally have you firmly encircled in my world.”

shen tiantian felt her hair standing up like a hedgehog, but despite being a bit cheesy, she couldn’t deny that she was warmed by it. she turned around, not caring about their current location, boldly wrapped her arms around her wife’s waist, nudged her slightly protruding belly, pressed close to her, and said with a smile: “i’m returning your words exactly as they were given to me.”

being together with shan yi and raising their children, she felt truly fortunate. even though she seemed to be the one who gained an advantage, in shan yi’s eyes, it was as if she had hit the jackpot.

“shall we go home?” shen tiantian asked softly.

“let’s go somewhere.”

“where to?” shen tiantian allowed herself to be led, unable to resist asking.

shan yi turned around, smiled mysteriously, and opened the car door for her. “to get something.”

shen tiantian pursed her lips, feeling a hint of anticipation. the car smoothly traveled on the road, and shan yi was in a good mood. her lips had a slight upward curve since a while ago.

soft and gentle music played in the car, and shen tiantian, who hadn’t taken a nap, felt a bit drowsy. covering her mouth, she yawned, and just as she was drifting off to sleep, her phone in the bag suddenly vibrated. the sweet ringtone slightly overshadowed the light music in the car.

she took it out and saw it was a call from mother shan. she quickly answered, asking if something had happened.

mother shan knew they were going to register today, so early in the morning, she had aunt zhang  prepare a lot of dishes. she even sternly ordered father shan and shan xu not to work overtime. even shan yue, who was on duty, went out of her way to swap shifts with a colleague.

after finishing the call with her mother-in-law, shen tiantian checked the time on her phone. “mom asked us to go back early.”

“no problem, we’ll definitely make it in time,” shan yi said calmly.

shen tiantian acknowledged with an “oh,” feeling reassured.

a dozen minutes later, the car stopped in front of a candy store. the exterior was pink, and looking through the window, everything inside was also a shade of pink, very girly.

shan yi got out of the car, then slightly crouched down, “do you want to go in?”

shen tiantian, engrossed in her phone, didn’t think much and declined.

while shan yi entered the candy store, shen tiantian took out two red booklets from her bag. with a snap, she took a photo and sent it to the group.

shen tiantian: i got married.

kang jiaya: ????

liu wanjun: *calmly sips tea*

kang jiaya: @liu wanjun, did you know about this?!

seeing kang jiaya’s almost frantic expression, shen tiantian smiled and quickly sent a few emojis to reassure her.

shen tiantian: yaya, if i get married, will you come back?

kang jiaya: of course, no need to ask. when is the wedding?

shen tiantian felt warmth in her heart: we haven’t decided yet.

kang jiaya: i’ll be back next month.

liu wanjun: transferred back?

kang jiaya: yes, there’s not much going on here.

shen tiantian was pleasantly surprised; kang jiaya was coming back, and now they could often go out together as a trio.

shan yi placed the items in the trunk, turned back to the driver’s seat, and saw her wife smiling like a flower. unable to resist, she leaned in and asked, “what are you up to?”

they had been chatting since she got out of the car, and she was still talking when she came back with the things.

“yaya is coming back to china next month. she’ll be living here permanently.”

the last time they went back to xianle, the dean kept reminding them that it had been too long since their last visit, making them feel a bit guilty. however, now that kang jiaya was returning, they would probably find time to go back together.

shan yi paused before remembering who yaya was in her wife’s words, then smiled, “that’s really good news.”

shen tiantian nodded emphatically, “have you got everything? are we heading home now?”

“yeah, let’s go home.” shan yi started the car and slowly drove onto the road.

the phone rang again, and it was still mother shan. without thinking, shen tiantian knew it was another reminder. she answered and assured her they were on their way home.

as soon as they arrived home, mother shan urged them to go upstairs and change clothes. shen tiantian felt a bit puzzled but didn’t resist shan yi’s pull.

walking upstairs, she noticed that there wasn’t much of a change in the house, but the atmosphere felt different.

“why do we need to change clothes?”

shan yi didn’t answer immediately. once they reached the room, she suddenly placed his hands on her shoulders, looking very serious. “mom said we’re having a family feast today. she invited uncles, cousins, and even wanjun to come.”

shen tiantian was utterly confused and took a while to grasp the meaning.

a family feast?!

shan yi’s cousins?!

so, there would be many strangers coming to their house today?!

surprisingly, she didn’t feel too nervous. shan yi mentioned that they didn’t often meet her cousins, maybe because they had just registered today, and having a family feast was a way to celebrate? she wasn’t entirely sure, but getting to know some of shan yi’s other family members didn’t sound bad.

“i only found out this morning that mom wanted to have a family feast. are you upset?” shan yi asked cautiously, worried that her temperamental wife might get angry again.

shen tiantian came back to her senses. “not upset, just surprised. will there be a lot of people today?”

“no, just around twenty to thirty people.”

upon hearing this, shen tiantian quietly breathed a sigh of relief. thankfully, the gathering at the shan family home wasn’t too large. however, even if it wasn’t a big crowd, she didn’t quite understand why they needed to change clothes. anyway, if her mother-in-law said to change, she would comply.

“let’s go, time to change clothes.”

shen tiantian followed with small steps, asking, “what should i wear today?”

shan yi stopped in front of the wardrobe, turned slightly to size up her wife, with a thoughtful look in her eyes. finally, her gaze landed on her slightly bulging belly. “it’s just a casual meal together, nothing too formal. but do you want to wear my clothes today? we didn’t have time to prepare yours since we found out about the family feast this morning and got registered this afternoon.”

“sure,” shen tiantian agreed.

shan yi handed her a knee-length light yellow chiffon skirt and gestured for her to try it on.

shen tiantian sucked in her belly in front of the mirror and, with a somewhat tearful expression, turned to look at her wife. “the belly can’t be hidden anymore.”

“you’re three months pregnant, how else do you want to hide it?” shan yi looked helpless.

“but it doesn’t look good like this,” shen tiantian said, deliberately emphasizing the not-so-good appearance.

although her belly was just slightly protruding, wearing a dress made her feel uncomfortable. thinking that everyone would be looking at her belly, she felt even more uneasy.

her wife had hinted so obviously; if she still didn’t understand, there might not be any “benefits” for her tonight.

after searching through her clothes, she finally settled on a light green maxi dress. it was bought when she had purchased maternity clothes for her wife earlier, and with a slight intake of breath, it could still hide the belly.

shan yi chuckled helplessly, “everyone already knows you’re pregnant.”

the implication was that it didn’t matter whether she hid it or not; it seemed like everyone would be looking at her belly when the guests arrived?!

shen tiantian gave her a glare, finding it audacious to say such things. her once slender waist had been slightly expanded by the little bump inside.

shan yi circled her waist with a playful smile, leaning down to her ear, “does the day we registered, where you let me have my way, count?”

her voice was intentionally low, with a seductive undertone. shen tiantian shivered slightly, her face instantly turning red. she glanced at her wife, who looked quite serious, and shyly nodded, “yes, you can have your way.”

“very much looking forward to it,” shan yi’s voice lowered even more.

shen tiantian’s face turned even redder. she pushed shan yi away, saying, “hurry…let’s go downstairs and change clothes, or else mom will come up to remind us again.”

shan yi pulled her back, pressing her against the wall and sealing her lips with a passionate kiss. once the kiss ended, shen tiantian ran out before shan yi could stop her.

in the living room, shen tiantian was still catching her breath, unsure if it was from the run or the recent kiss.

at five o’clock, no guests had arrived yet. there were a dozen or so desserts in the living room, and in the dining area, there was a nine-tiered cake-like tower. aunt zhang and a few other servants were busy arranging pastries.

shen tiantian glanced at her belly, slightly protruding. a deep breath flattened it, but holding it for too long made her belly uncomfortable. she decided to let it be and not worry about it.

stretching lazily, shen tiantian caught a glimpse of shan yi coming down from upstairs. dressed in a red strapless maxi dress, she showcased her well-proportioned figure, making her appear even fairer. the exquisite collarbone, as always, attracted attention.

“enchantress,” shen tiantian muttered, blushing as she averted her gaze. in the few days they spent in city w, she had gotten noticeably tanned, despite using the same amount of sunscreen. yet, shan yi remained as fair as ever.

“what did you say?” shan yi sat beside her, leaning in for a stolen kiss when no one was around.

shen tiantian covered her kissed cheek, casting a complaining glance. “what’s wrong?” shan yi was puzzled.

“extend your hand.”

shan yi obediently extended her hand.

following suit, shen tiantian also extended her own hand. in direct comparison, under  shan yi’s influence, she felt like her hands were turning into a light wheat color.

shen tiantian silently withdrew her hand, wearing a somewhat disheartened expression. just then, the doorbell rang. single-handedly making flower arrangements in the kitchen, mother shan, wearing cotton slippers, strolled out. seeing her daughters, she asked them to answer the door.

“it might be your uncle; go greet him.”

shan yi responded and went to open the door. to their surprise, it wasn’t shan yi’s uncle but their neighbor, liu wanjun. shen tiantian walked over, intrigued, “why are you here so early?”

liu wanjun quipped: “because i was afraid someone would be nervous, so i came to show support.”

liu wanjun was practically family, and she couldn’t miss such an occasion. even if she had to come from a distance, she would have made the effort.

“is mr. lin not coming?” shen tiantian looked behind liu wanjun and noticed lin haozhi was absent, so she inquired.

“he hasn’t returned yet, but he should be back soon. i told him not to work overtime.”

shen tiantian acknowledged and shan yi added: “come inside and have a seat first.”

liu wanjun, pregnant for more than four months, had a round belly, and her figure was slowly changing. her once oval face now had a visible double chin. despite being only a month older than shen tiantian, at a glance, it seemed like the difference in size was more than just a month.

she supported her lower back as she descended the two steps at the entrance, looking a bit strained. shen tiantian, with a concerned expression, reached out to help, “how did your belly grow so fast?”

last time they met, her belly wasn’t so prominent. in less than a month, it seemed to have expanded significantly.

“i want to know too. it’s probably excess nutrition. thinking about how big the child might be, it scares me too,” liu wanjun expressed her concern.

shen tiantian instinctively glanced at her own belly. without a careful look, it might seem like she had gained weight. indeed, she had gained some weight recently, but it wasn’t as exaggerated as liu wanjun’s situation. the rapid growth was a bit frightening.

shan yi poured cups of floral tea for both of them and then sat silently on the side, allowing the sisters to have a good chat.

around six o’clock, mother shan came out after finishing arranging the flowers, greeted liu wanjun with a smile, and placed a just-arranged bouquet in the living room, along with two in the dining room.

at this point, uncle shan1father shan’s little brother and other family members started arriving. father shan and shan xu only got home after dark, inevitably receiving a scolding from mother shan.

shan yi’s uncle was also a businessman. his sharp eyes fixed on shen tiantian’s belly as soon as he entered, scaring her enough to instinctively seek protection from her wife.

shan yi coldly stared at her uncle, keeping a stiff expression: “do you have any business here? my wife is a bit shy.”

her uncle calmly withdrew his gaze. “nothing much. shan ming will be coming later. it’s been a long time since you two met, right? she’s been missing you.”

her uncle mentioned shan ming, who was her cousin, three years younger. when they were kids, shan ming was particularly attached to her, and she also enjoyed the company of her lively and cheerful younger cousin. however, as they entered high school, shan yi gradually realized that shan ming had developed different feelings toward her.

she didn’t know when it started, but shortly after discovering this, shan ming applied to study abroad with her father’s approval. recognizing the inevitable, she promptly cut her losses. since her family was still unaware of the situation, she didn’t disclose anything.

unexpectedly, while studying abroad, she encountered celia, who was even more persistent than shan ming.

however, all these matters were in the past. she and shan ming had minimal contact over the past few years, just exchanging greetings during holidays.

shan yi nodded nonchalantly, “it has been a long time.”

her uncle smiled and left the living room to find his older brother, while mother shan was busy welcoming guests. suddenly, the previously quiet house became lively.

after guests were seated, mother shan walked over to shan yi and whispered: “call your little aunt and ask when she’ll be back. it’s almost time for dinner.”

shan yi acknowledged and swiftly dialed the number.

“tiantian, come over. let me introduce you to everyone,” mother shan said after talking to shan yi.

shen tiantian was startled when called, realizing that the reason for the family feast was to let her get acquainted with relatives. she glanced at her wife, and with a nod, shen tiantian stood up.

“don’t be nervous,” liu wanjun patted her on the lower back.

“yeah, i’m not nervous.” the faces were unfamiliar, and since they wouldn’t meet often, shen tiantian didn’t feel the same tension she had felt when meeting shan yi’s parents. she smiled calmly, looking composed.

after hanging up the phone, shan yi quickly walked to shen tiantian’s side, as if afraid that someone would bully her.

“what did your little aunt say?” mother shan smiled at the guests, then quietly asked her daughter.

“on the way.”

“this girl…” mother shan complained.

ignoring her mother’s comments, shan yi gently embraced her wife’s waist, lowered her head to shen tiantian’s ear, and said: “manager tian is also coming.”

“ah?!” shen tiantian was shocked, not processing it immediately.

did she hear it wrong?!

shan yi continued: “you didn’t hear wrong.”