The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 124

Darts.

‘Mum?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Can’t I come here?’ Wang Tu Ya asked. ‘How many days have you disappeared? It turns out you ran here. Don’t you care about your elders?’

Gu Jiao Wu wisely listened to Wang Tu Ya’s lecture.

‘You said you’ll bring Tan Yuan home,’ Wang Tu Ya. ‘But look at how big Xiao Bao is now. When do you plan on bringing Tan Yuan and Xiao Bao home? I don’t care anymore. I’m going to discuss the wedding plans with little brother and little sister Qiao.’

Wang Tu Ya couldn’t stand Chen Ting Yu flaunting the twins and Tan Pan Ting in front of their acquaintances. She wanted Qiao Tan Yuan and Xiao Bao to return to Gu Mansion immediately.

‘Mum…’ Gu Jiao Wu called.

Wang Tu Ya ignored Gu Jiao Wu, and she went to find Mrs Qiao.

A while later Gu Jiao Wu and Qiao Tan Yuan were summoned to the living room. They sat on the sofa, and listened to Wang Tu Ya and Mrs Qiao discuss wedding banquet locations, wedding catering companies, wedding cakes, who to invite and auspicious wedding dates.

‘Stop,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Although Qiao Tan Yuan agreed to marry Gu Jiao Wu. She didn’t want Gu Jiao Wu to be pressured into marrying her by their parents like their first marriage.

‘Tan Yuan?’ Wang Tu Ya and Mrs Qiao asked.

‘It’s Jiao Wu and I who are getting married,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘You two should at least ask for our opinions.’

‘You don’t want to get married?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘I…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘I don’t want you to feel pressured into marrying me.’

‘Tan Yuan!’ Gu Jiao Wu called. He held Qiao Tan Yuan’s hand. ‘What nonsense are you saying?’

Gu Jiao Wu looked at Qiao Tan Yuan in a way to let her know she promised to not run away. She smiled at him. She remembered how he risked his life to save her, and she believed he truly wanted to be with her and Xiao Bao.

Wang Tu Ya and Mrs Qiao continued discussing the wedding plans. Afterward Wang Tu Ya dragged Gu Jiao Wu to the Gu Mansion, and to inform the rest of the Gu elders about the wedding.

At the Gu Mansion, everyone sat in the living room and finalised the wedding date.

‘Big sister, what should we name Xiao Bao?’ Chen Ting Yu asked.

‘Tan Yuan and I decided to name our daughter Ting Ding,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Gu Ting Ding.’

Wang Tu Ya and Chen Ting Yu were disappointed they couldn’t help choose Xiao Bao’s name. But they thought Gu Ting Ding was a good name.

‘Jiao Wu, although I want Tan Yuan and Xiao Bao to come home,’ Gu Tian Chu said. ‘I want to hear from you that you’re certain you truly want to spend the rest of your life with Tan Yuan.’

‘Grandpa, I promise I truly want to marry Tan Yuan,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘Good,’ Gu Tian Chu said. ‘The eighth of February is the earliest auspicious wedding date.’

‘Thank you grandpa,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu was happy he could marry Qiao Tan Yuan in a month.

On the weekend Wang Tu Ya brought many wedding gifts for Qiao Tan Yuan to the Qiao Mansion. Mr and Mrs Qiao didn’t care about the expensive wedding gifts, they were happy to see Gu Jiao Wu truly wanted to be with Qiao Tan Yuan.

Later that evening, Gu Jiao Wu took Qiao Tan Yuan out to the joint surprise birthday party Du Lei Xin organised for Gu Jiao Mai and Gu Jiao Wen. He walked her to his car. She wore a tight black dress, a red jacket and black heels. If it wasn’t Gu Jiao Mai and Gu Jiao Wen’s birthday party then he would have taken Qiao Tan Yuan back to the bedroom.

‘Where are we going?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan looked out the car window, she was curious where Gu Jiao Wu was taking her.

‘To eat dinner,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘Dinner?’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘We could have eaten dinner at home.’

Qiao Tan Yuan was disappointed. She thought Gu Jiao Wu planned a special date for the two of them. If she had known they were only eating dinner, she would have stayed home because Xiao Bao was crying when Xiao Bao saw her leave with Gu Jiao Wu.

‘I’ll take you home later,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Du Lei Xin gave me the secret dinner location. After we eat dinner there, we’ll go home together.’

‘Secret dinner?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t answer, and he drove straight to the surprise birthday party venue.

At the party venue, Qiao Tan Yuan was surprised to see everyone, including Gu Jiao Mai attend the dinner.

‘Why is everyone here?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Gu Jiao Wu pointed at the two birthday cakes on the stage.

‘Today is Jiao Wen and Jiao Mai’s birthday,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Du Lei Xin organised a surprise birthday party for them.’

The apartment complex had eighteen floors. The top eight floors were guest apartments. Above the lobby was the bar and the second floor to the fifth floor were karaoke rooms, gyms and massage parlors.

Qiao Tan Yuan looked at the two birthday cakes. The first birthday cake was shaped in a heart, and decorated with roses. On top of the second birthday cake were figurines of a couple and twin boys.

Shen Cheng saw Gu Jiao Wu escort Qiao Tan Yuan to the reserved birthday table so he stood and walked to the stage to sing a karaoke song.

Tong Shang Wen waved to the birthday twins.

‘Jiao Wen and Jiao Mai today is your birthdays,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘You two can’t leave without eating with everyone, cutting your birthday cakes and singing songs on stage.’

‘Let me enjoy my birthday in peace,’ Gu Jiao Mai said. She wheeled her wheelchair to the table. ‘I won’t be singing.’

‘Jiao Mai, you have a voice of an angel,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘It would be a waste if your guests don’t get to hear you sing at least one song.’

Tong Shang Wen remembered how everyone were moved to see Gu Jiao Mai sing on TV long ago.

Gu Jiao Mai pointed at Gu Jiao Wen.

‘Jiao Wen will sing in my stead,’ Gu Jiao Mai said.

‘What’s so good about singing?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked. ‘We should play something fun tonight.’

‘Play what?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

‘Play darts,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘The loser after shooting three darts has to drink a shot.’

‘Jiao Wen, don’t think we’ll give you the edge because it’s your birthday,’ Tong Shang Wen. ‘Everyone knows you’re good at shooting. You just want to see all of us get wasted.’

‘Alright,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘How about I get a handicap? I’ll be blindfolded when it’s my turn. Satisfied?’

‘Yes!’ Tan Pan Ting agreed.

‘Blindfold?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t know Gu Jiao Wen was that good at playing darts.

‘OK,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘The darts contest will exclude the women. The man who loses after shooting three darts has to drink a whole wine bottle.’

‘OK,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘One wine bottle?’ Tan Pan Ting asked. ‘Isn’t that too much?’

‘Pan Ting, don’t worry,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘If Jiao Wen loses, you don’t have to drink for him.’

‘Shang Wen, don’t gloat too soon,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Jiao Wu, I believe in you.’

‘Thank you wife,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘Shang Wen, you can go first.’

Tong Shang Wen shot three darts, two darts hit nine and one dart hit eight.

Everyone applauded Tong Shang Wen’s good aim.

Hu Zui Ren was the next person to shoot, two darts hit nine and one dart hit ten.

Tong Shang Wen was unhappy Hu Zui Ren beat his score.

Du Lei Xin smiled at Gu Jiao Mai and shot three darts, two darts hit ten and one dart hit nine.

Gu Jiao Mai applauded and praised Du Lei Xin.

Tan Pan Ting blindfolded Gu Jiao Wen, and he shot three darts, all three darts hit ten.

‘Wow!’ Tan Pan Ting praised and clapped loudly. ‘My husband is amazing.’

‘Jiao Wu, can you hit the target blindfolded too?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Will you be disappointed if I say I can’t?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘No,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘It’s only a party trick.’

‘If I hit the target blindfolded, will you listen to everything I say tonight?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Gu Jiao Wu stood, smiled at Qiao Tan Yuan and blindfolded himself.

‘I’m taking your silence as a promise,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t get a chance to protest. Gu Jiao Wu shot three darts in one go, and all three darts hit ten. Her mouth and eyes widened. She didn’t know Gu Jiao Wu was secretly a good shooter, and she clapped enthusiastically.

‘Jiao Wu, you’re impressive!’ Qiao Tan Yuan praised.

‘Big brother, where did you learn to play darts?’ Tong Shang Wen asked.

‘Shang Wen, did you think you’re the only one who knows how to play darts?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t care about winning, he cared about receiving rewards from Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘I won,’ Gu Jiao Wu said to Qiao Tan Yuan. ‘Tonight you have to listen to me.’

Gu Jiao Wu missed Qiao Tan Yuan. He was busy at work, and planning their wedding so he didn’t have a lot of free time to spend with Qiao Tan Yuan.

Everyone smiled at the blushing Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘You… behave,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said to Gu Jiao Wu.

Gu Jiao Wu sat next to Qiao Tan Yuan, smiled and held her hand.

‘Shang Wen, you lost,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘You said it yourself, the loser has to drink one whole wine bottle.’

‘Who’s scared of a wine bottle?’ Tong Shang Wen said.

Tong Shang Wen grabbed a wine bottle, and gulped it down in one go.

Gu Jiao Wen and Tan Pan Ting sang a duet on stage. Followed by Du Lei Xin who wheeled Gu Jiao Mai on stage and forced Gu Jiao Mai to sing a love song with him.

It was the first time Qiao Tan Yuan and Tan Pan Ting heard Gu Jiao Mai sing. Gu Jiao Mai had a beautiful singing voice. But it was the way Du Lei Xin looked lovingly at Gu Jiao Mai that surprised Qiao Tan Yuan, and she wondered if they were secret lovers. Qiao Tan Yuan glanced at Gu Jiao Wu, he looked like he knew Du Lei Xin and Gu Jiao Mai were secret lovers for a long time.

Qiao Tan Yuan was envious of Du Lei Xin and Gu Jiao Mai.

‘Jiao Wu, do you want to…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and changed her mind.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t want to ruin the good atmosphere by looking sad if Gu Jiao Wu rejected singing a song with her.

Gu Jiao Wu held Qiao Tan Yuan’s hand, and smiled at her.

‘What song do you want to sing?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘Do you want to sing with me?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan was slowly getting used to seeing Gu Jiao Wu smiling at her.

‘What are you saying?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. He pulled Qiao Tan Yuan on stage. ‘Tan Yuan, you can choose a song for us.’

‘I…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan chose an old love song, Understand My Heart (月亮代表我的心).

Qiao Tan Yuan and Gu Jiao Wu sang the chorus together:

My heart yearns for one true love,

I loved you deeply,

Why did my sweet dream disappear too quickly?

Your gentle eyes pierced my soul,

If I let you come close to me,

Will you understand my heart?

After Qiao Tan Yuan and Gu Jiao Wu’s duet ended, all the guests could see how much Gu Jiao Wu loved Qiao Tan Yuan.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t think one day Gu Jiao Wu would see the gentle look in his eyes looking into her eyes like how he used to look at Chu Da in the past. Qiao Tan Yuan believed hers and Gu Jiao Wu’s second marriage would work out, and they would be happy together because he loved her. Her trance was broken when she heard the sounds of glass breaking. She looked around, and saw Shen Cheng dropped a wine glass. She put down the microphone, and walked off stage. Gu Jiao Wu walked quicker, and held her hand off stage.

‘Tan Yuan, what do you want to do?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

End of Chapter 124

Chapter end