Chapter 62:

There’s a saying that parents don’t hold grudges overnight, but it’s still awkward when there’s unresolved tension between them.

Because Lin Qiao was pregnant and the weather was getting colder, getting married became increasingly urgent. Shen Qingzhou was a renowned Feng Shui master respected both domestically and internationally. Naturally, he chose the wedding date himself, ensuring it was an auspicious day free of taboos. Selecting such a perfect day wasn’t simple at all.

Lin Qiao’s father and Xie Jiayi were busy preparing for the wedding. Lin Qiao kept urging Shen Qingzhou to register their marriage, but he kept postponing it for one, two, three, four days, clearly reluctant to go with her. The reason was simple—he thought the date was inauspicious.

As October approached and the weather grew colder, Lin Qiao didn’t want to freeze in her wedding dress, so she became anxious about Shen Qingzhou’s indifference and started getting angry.

“You keep delaying and delaying. Don’t give me excuses about bad dates. You just don’t want to marry me, right? You’re trying to back out,” Lin Qiao stood by the bed with her hands on her hips. Shen Qingzhou sat on the edge of the bed, still in his pajamas, not even having washed his face yet. Lin Qiao was determined not to let him get up without giving her a satisfactory explanation.

Shen Qingzhou adjusted his hair slightly and replied indifferently, “Aren’t you in a rush to go to work today?”

Lin Qiao nearly flipped the table, “What work? If my man doesn’t want me anymore, why would I still go to work? Poor my child, already fatherless before being born.” She pretended to wipe away tears, her act overly dramatic.

Although he knew she was faking, Shen Qingzhou still couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. He tried to stand up, but Lin Qiao mistook it as an attempt to escape and pushed him back onto the bed. Taking advantage of the situation, Shen Qingzhou pulled her down beside him.

“Don’t be anxious,” he gently comforted her, sensing her irritation. “How could I ever back out? Actually, I’m even more eager than you are, but this can’t be taken lightly. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. Choosing the wrong date will bring regrets later.”

Lin Qiao frowned, “Is it really that superstitious?”

Shen Qingzhou nodded, “You don’t believe me?”

She used to be skeptical, but her views had changed dramatically since then. Even if she wasn’t convinced, it was a long-standing tradition in Chinese culture to carefully choose an auspicious day for marriage. Therefore, Lin Qiao really couldn’t help but believe.

“Okay, I believe you,” Lin Qiao sighed. “But at this point, if we keep delaying, we’ll miss the chance altogether…”

Shen Qingzhou gently brushed her long hair back and promised, “Alright, then let’s not delay anymore.”

Lin Qiao looked at him with hopeful eyes, “So you’ll go today?”

Shen Qingzhou shook his head, “Not today. Today is the third day of the lunar month, a day considered inauspicious due to the ‘Three Mothers’ Curse,’ unsuitable for weddings.”

“What is the ‘Three Mothers’ Curse’?” Lin Qiao asked, puzzled.

“Legend says that the Matchmaker God refused to tie the red thread of fate for the Three Mothers, preventing them from marrying. Out of revenge, the Three Mothers now deliberately disrupt the happiness of newlyweds.”

“Sounds like a tragic love story. Maybe the Matchmaker God didn’t tie the thread because he fancied the Three Mothers himself?” Lin Qiao speculated with a wild imagination.

Shen Qingzhou flicked her forehead helplessly, “Don’t say such things. You’ll offend the gods.”

Lin Qiao quickly covered her mouth, pretending to be very cautious.

Seeing her like this, Shen Qingzhou couldn’t resist pinching her cheeks playfully. Getting annoyed, Lin Qiao snapped, “This day isn’t good, that day isn’t good either. If we can’t go today, when can we go? You said you wouldn’t delay anymore, but now you’re making excuses again.”

“I’m not making excuses. It’s just the truth.”

“Fine, fine, whatever you say is right. You’re the Prime Minister!”

“So just because I’m always right, I’m the Prime Minister now?” Shen Qingzhou smirked.

Lin Qiao shot him a glare and coldly said, “Whatever, I’m going to work. Whether you want to get married or not is up to you. I’m not anxious anymore either. I’m not the only one who can’t find someone, you know.” She stood up to leave, but Shen Qingzhou immediately grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She turned around triumphantly, “What? Changed your mind? You’re in a hurry now?”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t deny it and said directly, “I’ll set the dates for both the marriage registration and the wedding banquet today.”

Lin Qiao’s face lit up, “Really? You’ll keep your word?”

“Of course,” Shen Qingzhou didn’t hesitate. “A man’s word is his bond.”

Lin Qiao happily hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, “Exactly! Don’t mention just four horses pulling a cart—no carriage, not even one pulled by eight horses, could catch up with my words now!”

Shen Qingzhou was momentarily stunned by her excitement, but thinking that her joy came from marrying him, he felt deeply satisfied.

Shen Qingzhou naturally kept his word. Once he made a decision, he followed through. He quickly chose an auspicious date for the wedding. This time, he didn’t delay. Lin Qiao’s anxiety was resolved, but the parents on both sides were now troubled because the banquet date he had set was too rushed, leaving them unable to prepare everything properly.

“Why are you in such a hurry? It’s impossible to get everything ready in time. Can’t we move it back a few days?” Lin Huiming looked at the calendar with a frown.

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Qingzhou replied calmly, “Once the wedding date is set, changing it is considered inauspicious.”

Lin Huiming said, “But it’s really too rushed. In just over half a month, there’s no way we can finish everything.”

Shen Qingzhou replied, “I’ll help with the preparations. We’ll manage.”

“Really? Can one person handle it all?” Lin Huiming asked doubtfully.

Shen Qingzhou said it could be done, and indeed it was. Printing invitations, notifying relatives—these complex tasks fell on him, and he systematically organized all the relatives from both families who needed to be informed, contacting each one personally.

When it came to Qin Murao, Shen Qingzhou hesitated a bit but eventually sent out the invitation anyway.

Watching Shen Qingzhou carefully package and send out the invitations, Lin Qiao suddenly recalled the day she had met Zhao Chunjun at the supermarket. He had said he hoped to receive her wedding invitation and that he would be heartbroken if he didn’t. When heartbroken, he might do anything.

It was a blatant threat, but Lin Qiao wasn’t sure whether she should tell Shen Qingzhou about it.

Shen Qingzhou happened to glance up and noticed Lin Qiao lost in thought, her expression troubled and conflicted. He couldn’t help asking, “What are you thinking about?”

Startled by his sudden question, Lin Qiao quickly replied, “Nothing, nothing at all. You keep working.”

Shen Qingzhou put down the invitation in his hand and gazed at her silently. His sharp, deep stare made Lin Qiao feel as if he could see right through her. After hesitating for a while, she finally decided to tell him what was on her mind.

“A while ago, I ran into Zhao Chunjun at the supermarket,” she muttered unhappily.

Shen Qingzhou responded with a calm “Oh,” continuing to sort through the invitations and chocolates without showing any surprise.

“Aren’t you even a little surprised? I’ve met him twice already, both times at that same supermarket. Isn’t that strange? Shouldn’t you calculate something for me? Maybe I’ve offended some bad luck?” Lin Qiao asked, clearly bothered.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t look up and said, “There’s no need to calculate for something like this.”

“Why not? Isn’t this a sign of bad luck from a petty person? It’s too coincidental to keep running into him at that supermarket,” Lin Qiao complained.

Shen Qingzhou replied, “First, it’s only a problem if it happens more than three times. Second,” he finally looked up, sighing as he looked at her, “Zhao Chunjun lives nearby. It’s normal for him to shop there. We go there often too, right? You’ve only met him twice, which is actually quite rare. I’ve met him five or six times already.”

Lin Qiao’s eyes widened, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

Shen Qingzhou lowered his head again and casually asked, “Was there any need to tell you about it?”

… It did seem unnecessary, but Lin Qiao still asked, “Did he mention wanting to attend our wedding?”

Shen Qingzhou looked up again, “No. Why?”

“He told me,” Lin Qiao said, as expected. She continued, “He also said that if we don’t invite him, he’ll retaliate.”

Shen Qingzhou slightly lifted the corners of his mouth, “Were those his exact words?”

“Not exactly,” Lin Qiao explained. “He said if we don’t invite him, he’ll be heartbroken, and when he’s heartbroken, he’s capable of doing anything.”

Shen Qingzhou nodded slightly, thinking for a moment before saying, “Then we won’t invite him.”

“Huh?” Lin Qiao frowned, “Seriously? What if something happens?”

“As long as you stay away from that psychiatric hospital, you won’t have any more contact with him. Alone, he won’t be able to cause any trouble,” Shen Qingzhou said calmly, gently stroking her head to comfort her.

Lin Qiao felt somewhat reassured by his words but still had lingering concerns, “But what if something happens? I didn’t even go near his place last time, and I still got kidnapped.”

“The people who kidnapped you have already been caught. Such things won’t happen again,” Shen Qingzhou said indifferently. “As for Zhao Chunjun, if he’s smart, he won’t dare to provoke me.”

With that said, Lin Qiao no longer thought about it. She glanced at her watch and said, “It’s almost time. We should go take the wedding photos.”

At the mention of taking wedding photos, Shen Qingzhou’s expression stiffened slightly. Lin Qiao noticed it immediately and frowned, “What’s that look? Don’t tell me you don’t like taking wedding photos with me? I’ve wanted to say this for a while—since I got pregnant, you haven’t shown much happiness. Have you stopped liking me? If you’re not happy, you should say so early. It’s troublesome to get a divorce after getting married.”

Shen Qingzhou immediately replied, “Don’t say such things. No wonder doctors say pregnant women often have mood swings. You’ve been having too many irrational thoughts lately.”

“Are they irrational? You clearly aren’t happy,” Lin Qiao pointed out. “Your expression just froze.”

“That’s because…” Shen Qingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, hesitating. “Where should I start?”

Lin Qiao prepared herself for a serious conversation, “If you don’t know where to start, then begin with why you weren’t happy about me getting pregnant.”

Shen Qingzhou defended himself, “I wasn’t unhappy, just worried.”

“Worried about what?” Lin Qiao tilted her head.

Shen Qingzhou leaned back in his chair, gazing at her as he said, “Xiao Ning is about to be discharged from the hospital, and recently Qi Zheng has been restless. This has made Xiao Ning feel very insecure. I’m worried he might have irrational thoughts. After all, no matter how mature he is, he’s still a child.”

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned, and a long-forgotten thought surfaced in her mind—that being a stepmother would be difficult.

“Of course, regardless of his thoughts, I’m very happy about your pregnancy. After all, this is our child, someone he can’t replace,” Shen Qingzhou explained, then opened his arms to pull Lin Qiao into an embrace, softly saying, “Don’t worry too much. I’ve recently visited Xiao Ning and tested his reaction. He didn’t show any resistance. Maybe I was just overthinking.”

Lin Qiao shook her head, “It’s not that you’re overthinking. It’s that I haven’t considered everything carefully enough.” She looked down at her belly and sighed, “But this is our child. We have to bring him into the world.”

Shen Qingzhou nodded, “Of course, he will be born, and he will be safe and sound, with a loving older brother.”

Lin Qiao looked at Shen Qingzhou and asked anxiously, “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Shen Qingzhou replied without hesitation.

Lin Qiao breathed a slight sigh of relief and then asked, “What about the wedding photos? Why do you seem so reluctant to go with me?”

At this, Shen Qingzhou’s expression stiffened again. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, “Because the clothes I arranged haven’t arrived yet.”

Lin Qiao was taken aback, “Can’t we just wear the ones from the store?”

Shen Qingzhou replied, “I’m not used to wearing clothes that others might have worn before.”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s all? Don’t worry, we’ll talk to the owner. Besides, we can bring our own clothes.”

Shen Qingzhou nodded and was about to say something when the phone rang. He answered it, exchanged a few brief words, then hung up and said to Lin Qiao, “What a coincidence. We can go now. The clothes have arrived.”