Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

In the end, the outcome was not exactly perfect. Xiao Qing and Sun Jie would rather stand all night without sleeping than let Yang Ce's dream of sharing one big bed with them come true. There was nothing Yang Ce could do but kick the broken door lock aside and leave alone.

What astonished Yang Ce was that the very next morning, Sun Jie and Xiao Qing came out of the room chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened, as though the scene from last night had never taken place at all.

Yang Yongjin could only sigh in wonder: the friendship between women was truly the strangest thing, impossible to fathom. He wanted to drive the two of them home, but Sun Jie refused, and Xiao Qing got into Sun Jie's car as well. Watching the two drive off, Yang Ce shook his head. Who knew whether last night's scene would ever come again?

After a hurried breakfast, Yang Ce drove to Jingshan. Wang Guifen had already called several times to urge him on, saying that Zhao Ying had gone out with that so-called rival of his and telling Yang Ce to get over there as quickly as possible.

Yang Moxi was rather surprised—how had Zhao Ying ended up going out with that man? Only after asking in detail did he learn that the other party had set a trap. What had happened was this:

Early that morning, Liu Huishan had started complaining: "This wedding was too rushed. So many things for the marriage haven't been bought—especially spare bed sheets and the like. We don't have any."

"It's just bed sheets. Go buy some and that's that," Sui Guangheng said dismissively.

"Who's going to buy them? You go buy them?" Liu Huishan shot back irritably.

"Of course I can't go. There are so many guests to entertain—how would it look if I just left?" Sui Guangheng said, shaking his head.

"Hmph, then what do we do? Am I supposed to go? I've got so many friends and relatives on my side—how can I get away?" Liu Huishan retorted. "That's right—my old high school best friend, Little Song, is coming over today. There's no way I can leave."

"Then just make do. Weren't the bed sheets changed just a few days ago?" Sui Guangheng said carelessly.

"Make do? You can make do, but I can't!" Liu Huishan flared up at once. "Besides, why should I make do? We just got married and you're already telling me to make do—who knows what it'll be like later. Next thing you know you'll have me living in a garbage dump."

"What do you mean by that? What garbage dump?" Sui Guangheng grew angry too at her words. "Can't you talk without twisting everything? What does this have to do with a garbage dump?"

And so the two of them quarreled loudly at home all morning, drawing a crowd of the friends and relatives staying there. Liu Huishan's mother—Wang Guifen's third cousin—hurried over as well and tried to smooth things over: "Huishan, stop arguing. It's just bed sheets. Is it worth quarreling over? I'll go buy them for you, all right?"

"Mom, that's not what I meant. It's just that I've liked things clean since I was little. I don't want to make do like this," Liu Huishan said, a little embarrassed.

"I'll go buy them, I'll go buy them. Stop arguing," the third cousin said with a wave of her hand. "A husband and wife should live their days together in peace—what's there to quarrel about? Oh, dear me, that's right—I can't get away today either. Your father's eldest sister is coming over today. How about going to buy them tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow won't do. I really can't make do any longer," Liu Huishan said, somewhat at a loss.

"By the way, Yingying, are you busy?" the third cousin suddenly turned to look at Zhao Ying and asked.

"I'm not busy with anything," Zhao Ying said, taken aback.

"How about this—could I trouble you to help Huishan pick out a few sheets and duvet covers?" Third Aunt asked politely.

Third Aunt was, after all, her elder—two generations removed, no less—and when an elder made a request, Zhao Ying had little ground to refuse. So she hurried to agree: "All right, I'll go buy them. But if the choices don't suit her taste, don't blame me."

"How could we?" Third Aunt said with a smile. "Oh, that's right—you don't know Jingshan at all. Let me find someone to drive you."

"That works too." Zhao Ying did not think much of it and nodded.

"Let Zou Ruoguang go. He's Xiao Sui's cousin; with him accompanying you, I'll feel at ease." Third Aunt waved casually at Zou Ruoguang. "Xiao Zou, come here—how about you go with Yingying to buy the sheets? No problem, is there?"

"No problem at all, don't worry, Auntie." Zou Ruoguang walked over with a perfectly normal expression, though inside he was overjoyed. His cousin's plan was simply brilliant.

"Ah?" Zhao Ying was taken aback. She had not expected Third Aunt to summon Zou Ruoguang to accompany her, and at once she no longer wanted to go. But with so many elders present, backing out now would be hard to justify—and if they asked why, she would have to say it was because Zou Ruoguang was courting her, which would clearly be making far too much of a fuss.

There was nothing for it; Zhao Ying nodded and went out the door with Zou Ruoguang.

This time Zou Ruoguang had learned his lesson from last time. He did not show Zhao Ying too much eagerness, but instead did as his cousin had instructed and carried himself with elegant grace, like a young gentleman of noble birth.

"Miss Zhao Ying, please get in." Zou Ruoguang opened the door of the Audi A4 and gestured for her to enter.

This car belonged to Sui Guangheng. He was not a core member of the Sui family, so he could not drive anything too showy; this Audi A4 was his most prized possession.

Zhao Ying had no choice but to hope she could buy the sheets as quickly as possible and get back to report.

Once in the car, Zou Ruoguang drove toward Jingshan's largest shopping mall. But after searching for ages, he could not find a parking spot, so he simply parked the car right at the mall's main entrance.

"Parking here?" Zhao Ying glanced at where Zou Ruoguang had stopped and could not help frowning. This was the mall's front entrance and the main pedestrian thoroughfare; parking the car smack in the middle like this would badly get in people's way.

But Zhao Ying's remark was misread by Zou Ruoguang. He thought she was marveling at his audacity, so he laughed and said, "Hey, in Jingshan, a Sui family car parks wherever it pleases. If I felt like it, I could park it in the pedestrian street."

Zhao Ying was speechless. She thought to herself that the man was truly impossible—she had seen plenty of rich and powerful people, but never one so outrageous.

Zhao Ying said nothing more, to keep him from launching into another boast. She only wanted to finish the shopping quickly and leave, so she got out of the car and walked toward the mall.

Zou Ruoguang locked the car, ignored the contemptuous looks from passersby, and strode after Zhao Ying into the mall.

After Zhao Ying left, Wang Guifen hurriedly called Yang Ce and told him that Zhao Ying had gone out with Zou Ruoguang, along with the address of the mall they were likely headed to and the make and license plate of Zou Ruoguang's car, urging Yang Ce to go there directly.

Yang Ce heard this rather far-fetched excuse and knew at once that Sui Guangheng and Liu Huishan must be putting on an act. Ridiculous—how could newlyweds not have bought all their bedding? If they had already bought one set, they could surely buy another.

Still, the name Zou Ruoguang sounded somewhat familiar to Yang Ce, though he had forgotten where he had heard it, and he did not pay it much mind. He was merely a cousin of Sui Guangheng; even if there was a conflict with him, the Sui family was unlikely to stand up for him.

Then again, even if Sui Guangqi did stand up for him, would Yang Ce be afraid? To be continued.

807. If You've Got the Guts...