"Sister-in-law! It's been so long since I've seen you. You two are the last ones to arrive."
Although Shu Yi'an was younger than everyone else present, according to seniority, everyone had to call her "sister-in-law." At first, Shu Yi'an wasn't used to it, but after hearing it many times and spending more time with her, she got used to it.
Shu Yi'an smiled and reached out to tease the baby on Jiang Beichen's chest. "It's been a long time since I've seen you. Happy wedding!"
Chu Mu glanced at Jiang Jinyao's adorable face, patted the little one's cheek, and smiled slightly. "Where's Chu Han? Why are you taking care of the child alone?"
Jiang Beichen pointed upstairs, "They said it was the first time they'd seen Sheng Xi and her friend go upstairs to chat and change clothes. Liang Chen and my cousins are also upstairs, and they haven't come down for half an hour. Someone has to stay here, and I can't leave either."
Chu Mu raised an eyebrow. "Sheng Xi is here too? That's rare."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Ji Hengdong and Zhan Cheng, who were joking around with others, walked over. First, they punched Chu Mu and forced him to drink two cups of wine before greeting Shu Yi'an with a grin.
"sister in law!"
"You're so late, you still have to drink the penalty shot!"
Chu Mu stood in front of Shu Yi'an, blocking Ji Hengdong's hand from reaching for the wine bottle, adopting a protective stance. "She can't drink, so I'll drink for both of them tonight."
The men and women behind him immediately erupted in anger, all demanding that the fine be doubled before they could make the substitution.
It was rare for Chu Mu to have such time to get together with these childhood friends. Since they saw Chu Mu, they all insisted on having some fun. Just then, news of his transfer spread, and someone suggested that they take advantage of Jiang Beichen's gathering and party all night.
Chu Mu immediately loosened his shirt, indicating he was ready to play along, and the room erupted in a noisy commotion. Shu Yi'an, always the most well-behaved and sensible of the family members, knew they had no plans for the evening, so she simply picked up Jiang Jinyao and prepared to go upstairs to find Chu Han and Sheng Xi. Gently shaking the little one's hand, she said goodbye to everyone. "You guys play, I'm taking the baby to find Mommy!"
Strangely enough, Jiang Jinyao is quite arrogant. Even his own grandmother can only hold him when he's in a good mood, let alone strangers. But when Shu Yi'an reached out and carefully placed him in her arms, the little guy suddenly took a finger out of his mouth, opened his wet, dark eyes, and smiled at Shu Yi'an.
This smile surprised quite a few people. Jiang Beichen also found it amusing and pinched Jiang Jinyao's nose. "You sure know how to pick people, following whoever is pretty." He then pointed to the group of people behind him and said to Shu Yi'an.
"Sister-in-law, you don't know, everyone was saying they wanted to hug him, but he just wouldn't give them the time of day. You're the first one besides his mother to do that!"
Shu Yi'an gently rocked the little guy in her arms, waving his tiny hand, her brows full of tenderness. "Maybe you drank some alcohol and the baby didn't like it. We're leaving now. Yao Yao, come on, let's say goodbye to Daddy."
Chu Mu stood beside her and casually draped his coat over her shoulders. "I'll see you out."
Shu Yi'an tilted her head slightly, and whispered in someone's ear with the most natural familiarity and intimacy between them, "I know I can't stop you, but don't drink too much. You two have no limits when you're having fun."
Perhaps because he had been drinking, Chu Mu was not his usual debonair and serious self at work. With a half-smile, he put his arm around Shu Yi'an's waist and led her out, saying, "Don't worry, I promise I won't delay our wedding night."
Shu Yi'an pressed the elevator button with a hint of annoyance and gave him a light tap on the foot. "Don't talk nonsense!"
Seeing the couple walk out of the private room side by side, the female companions who came with the young masters did not recognize Shu Yi'an and couldn't help but ask each other about her.
"Who is that? Why do all those ancestors treat him with such respect?"
"Yeah, she even holds the great-grandson of the Jiang family. What's her background? And why is she standing next to that guy from the Chu family?"
Someone passing by overheard this and couldn't help but share some information with the onlookers. "That's Chu Mu's wife, they're legally married. How could they not treat her with respect? Anyone would have to call her 'sister-in-law'."
A woman looked thoughtfully in Shu Yi'an's direction and asked, "I only heard that this great Chu got married, but there were rumors that their relationship was bad and they were separated. Isn't he still with his college girlfriend?" Originally, in the eyes of these women, people with Chu Mu's status and marriage were just formalities. As for who was with whom and how they lived, there was no need to worry too much.
The young master, eager to impart knowledge, panicked and quickly told the woman to shut up. "What nonsense are you talking about! This woman in their family is rarely brought out; she's very well protected. The Chu family values this daughter-in-law highly; their wedding was a grand affair!"
"I'm telling you all, don't mess with her. If you do, don't blame me for not warning you."
Several women curled their lip, their hearts filled with envy. There are always some women in this world who effortlessly obtain the love and cherish of men they strive for but cannot. Shu Yi'an is one such woman.
The main suite upstairs was filled with everyone's family members and relatives, mostly women.
Chu Han, Sheng Xi, Chen Liangchen, Chu Weiyuan, and several sisters from various branches of the family gathered in groups inside the house, chatting happily. When they saw Shu Yi'an carrying Jiang Jinyao upstairs, they all went up to greet him warmly.
Chu Han quickly reached out and picked up her son, handing him to the person following behind. "Why did you carry him up yourself? This kid is quite steady."
Shu Yi'an gently handed the baby over to the nanny who was looking after him. "It's nothing, I haven't seen him in a long time either, I just wanted to hug and cuddle him."
After becoming a mother, Chu Han's personality became more cheerful. After all, she had come out of the difficult years of the past, and her every move carried the charm of a mature woman.
Shu Yi'an and Chu Han were acquaintances, so she wasn't as reserved. She took Chu Han's hand and spun her around. "Let me see, have you gotten back in shape before you become a bride?"
Chu Han is tall and slender, so childbirth obviously didn't affect her much. She opened her arms to show Shu Yi'an her whole body, "Look, you've recovered quite well. I did a month of pre-wedding shaping to fit into my wedding dress."
“But it’s her,” Chu Han pointed to Chen Liangchen, who was heavily pregnant, “who’s going to have a lot of work to do in the future.”
Shu Yi'an knew about Chen Liangchen and Chen Liangshan, the only son of the Chen family, and had a great liking for this girl who dared to love her non-biological brother, but she did not expect her to get pregnant so quickly.
"How many months?"
Chen Liangchen's young face was filled with a happy smile. "I'm five months pregnant. After this wedding, I'm going to Hong Kong to have my pregnancy checked. Chen Liangshan is urging me to go."
A group of women huddled together, chatting about everything from babies to clothes to beauty, eventually rambling on about everyday gossip. Shu Yi'an blushed at their questions and made a move to stand up. "I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going back to sleep."
Around 2 a.m., everyone was exhausted and said they were going back to sleep so they could be well-rested for the wedding.
Shu Yi'an followed Chu Weiyuan slowly down the corridor toward her room, trying to ask her several personal questions, but the girl vaguely evaded them each time. Soon they arrived at her own room.
All the rooms had ocean views. As soon as Shu Yi'an inserted her key card, she saw a certain gentleman lying on the bed, dozing off.
Author's Note: Today's chapter is packed with information. Some readers said they really liked the Chen Liangchen side story and asked if I would write a longer one. I want to clarify here that I won't be writing that anymore, because I feel the side story already explains everything clearly, and it provides a happy ending for the siblings.
The story takes a turn after the wedding. Of course, with a turn comes many things you'll want to see, but you'll have to be patient and watch as you witness their marriage unfold. Actually, Mr. Chu and Ms. Shu already understand that they are indispensable to each other's lives; they just need an opportunity to make it clear to each other.
Also, have you figured out who Chu's final official partner is? Did you guess?
Chapter 39 To Alice
Chu Mu was clearly slightly drunk, lying on the bed with slightly rapid breathing, his hair disheveled and stuck in the quilt, and even his shirt was wrinkled.
Shu Yi'an tried to turn him over to sleep, but the difference in strength was too great; no matter how much she pulled, he just lay there motionless. Shu Yi'an's face turned red with frustration, and she slapped Chu Mu on the back. "Hey! At least turn over and change your clothes before you sleep!"