The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 32

Qiao Tan Yuan unlocked a box.

Inside the box was a pair of diamond earrings.

‘This is too valuable,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and returned the box of earrings to Shen Cheng.

‘Xiao Bao is too young to wear earrings,’ Shen Cheng said. He passed the box to Qiao Tan Yuan. ‘You can keep the box locked for Xiao Bao and give it to her when she’s older.’

‘Shen Cheng, Xiao Bao’s only one month old,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘You don’t need to give her something this valuable.’

Shen Cheng looked at the smiling Xiao Bao. ‘Xiao Bao, do you think your earrings are too valuable? If you don’t think it is then don’t say anything. If you think it’s too valuable say something.’

‘Shen Cheng…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Xiao Bao was too young to speak. She looked at Shen Cheng, blinked and opened her small mouth.

Shen Cheng smiled at Xiao Bao. ‘Tan Yuan, look at how happy Xiao Bao is. She said she likes her earrings.’

Qiao Tan Yuan reluctantly accepted the earrings on Xiao Bao’s behalf.

Shen Cheng gave Qiao Tan Yuan another box. ‘Tan Yuan, the earrings are for Xiao Bao. This is for you.’

‘Shen Cheng…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and looked at the familiar diamond ring.

‘Tan Yuan, will you marry me?’ Shen Cheng asked. ‘I’ll love you for the rest of my life. I’ll give Xiao Bao a happy family. I want to make you happy.’

‘Shen Cheng…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan’s heart wouldn’t let her accept Shen Cheng’s diamond ring. She didn’t love Shen Cheng.

‘Shen Cheng, it wouldn’t be fair on you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘I don’t need fairness,’ Shen Cheng said. ‘This weekend my house renovations will be done. I added a nursery for Xiao Bao. You can marry me and bring Xiao Bao to my house.’

Qiao Tan Yuan’s eyes stung. She was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, but she couldn’t open her mouth to say yes. Shen Cheng didn’t force her, he sat on the bed and waited for her answer.

Qiao Tan Yuan heard footsteps, she wiped her eyes and looked out the door. Hu Zui Ren, Du Lei Xin and Tong Shang Wen were holding gifts at the door.

Shen Cheng took back the ring, Qiao Tan Yuan was sad to see him look sad.

Shen Cheng’s friends played with Xiao Bao and said she looked like a beautiful little princess. A while later, lively sounds were heard from downstairs.

Mrs Qiao walked downstairs and welcomed Gu Jiao Wen, Tan Pan Ting and Gu Jiao Mai. Gu Jiao Mai still refused to have a leg surgery and was sitting in a wheelchair.

‘Aunty, this is for Xiao Bao,’ Gu Jiao Wen said.

‘Thank you,’ Mrs Qiao said. ‘Everyone should sit in the living room. I’ll ask aunty to carry Xiao Bao downstairs.’

Mrs Qiao turned around and saw Shen Cheng and his friends walking downstairs.

‘Big brother Jiao Wen,’ Shen Cheng greeted.

Gu Jiao Wen nodded. ‘I didn’t expect you guys to arrive before me.’

‘Shen Cheng used the contracts in the southern district to blackmail us so of course we had to come,’ Tong Shang Wen joked.

‘Shen Cheng, you’re an honorable man,’ Gu Jiao Wen teased.

No one doubted Shen Cheng truly loved Qiao Tan Yuan, but they all knew Xiao Bao was Gu Jiao Wu’s daughter.

‘What honorable man?’ Shen Cheng asked. ‘I’m not the first man to treat his future wife well.’

Gu Jiao Wen nodded and turned to Tan Pan Ting. ‘Pan Ting, are you tired?’

‘I’m not tired,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

If Gu Jiao Wen didn’t let Tan Pan Ting go upstairs, she would have ran upstairs before.

Qiao Tan Yuan carried Xiao Bao downstairs and greeted everyone.

‘Xiao Bao, congratulations,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I hope Xiao Bao will always be happy and healthy.’

‘Xiao Bao said thank you aunty,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Pan Ting, what are you doing running around in your condition?’

‘I’m OK,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘The doctor said I can go for walks.’

‘Pan Ting, you should sit,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Tan Pan Ting gave a box to Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘It’s for Xiao Bao,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Qiao Tan Yuan opened the box, inside was an expensive jade pendant.

‘Xiao Bao is still little,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘This is too valuable.’

‘Nothing is too valuable for Xiao Bao,’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘Thank you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Let’s sit.’

‘Tan Yuan, congratulations,’ Gu Jiao Mai said.

Gu Jiao Mai wheeled her wheelchair to Qiao Tan Yuan and gave a gift.

‘Thank you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Wang Tu Ya, Gu Qi Jiang and Chen Ting Yu arrived shortly after Gu Jiao Mai gave the gift to Qiao Tan Yuan.

Everyone gathered in the living room. They chatted and played with Xiao Bao.

Shen Cheng smiled and thought about why Gu Jiao Wu didn’t show up to Xiao Bao’s one month celebration. He was relieved and disappointed. He was relieved perhaps Gu Jiao Wu had given up on Xiao Bao, and disappointed Gu Jiao Wu was so cold hearted not to even attend Xiao Bao’s one month celebration.

Later, Qiao Tan Yuan wanted to follow Shen Cheng and his friends to a smaller living room to give the elders privacy. But she stayed with the elders because Wang Tu Ya was holding Xiao Bao. She was weary Wang Tu Ya would take Xiao Bao away even though they were at the Qiao’s residence.

At the airport, Gu Jiao Wu’s plane landed and he turned on the phone. He received more than ten miss calls from his assistants. He quickly called one of the numbers.

‘What did you say?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Gu Jiao Wu hung up the phone and hailed a cab straight to the Qiao Mansion. Inside the cab, he couldn’t believe he had marked the wrong day for Xiao Bao’s one month milestone. What a pathetic father he was. He thought Xiao Bao’s one month was tomorrow.

When Gu Jiao Wu arrived at the Qiao Mansion the guests were all gone and Mrs Qiao was supervising cleaners in the living room.

‘Jiao Wu, your parents came to see Xiao Bao before,’ Mrs Qiao said.

‘Yes aunty,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘I don’t know why you and Tan Yuan divorced,’ Mrs Qiao said. ‘But that was before Xiao Bao was born. Have you two considered getting back together?’

Mrs Qiao didn’t want Qiao Tan Yuan and Shen Cheng to marry each other without their families’ blessing. Mr and Mrs Shen loved Qiao Tan Yuan as their own daughter, but they didn’t want Shen Cheng to be in an unhappy marriage and raise Gu Jiao Wu’s daughter.

Get back together with Qiao Tan Yuan? Gu Jiao Wu didn’t know how that would be possible.

‘Jiao Wu, I watched you grow up,’ Mrs Qiao said. ‘I know Tan Yuan can be selfish and arrogant. But we both know she truly loves you.’

Gu Jiao Wu could only nod his head and walked upstairs.

Mrs Qiao watched Gu Jiao Wu walk upstairs. Love? In the world, love couldn’t be forced. Why did Qiao Tan Yuan fall in love with a bitter melon and expect to sweeten it with love?

Upstairs, Gu Jiao Wu walked into the nursery. Xiao Bao was sleeping because she played the whole day. She wore a new cute pink outfit. Around her small wrists were gold bracelets. He was upset with himself he missed Xiao Bao’s one month celebration.

Mrs Chu saw Gu Jiao Wu was about to hold Xiao Bao so she opened her mouth.

‘Mr Gu, it’s hard for an old woman like me to find a good employer who pays me generously,’ Mrs Chu said. ‘I hope you won’t get me fired.’

Gu Jiao Wu dismissed Mrs Chu’s words. He gently touched Xiao Bao’s pink cheeks. Xiao Bao frowned and turned her head to the side in her sleep. He couldn’t believe Xiao Bao hated him even in her sleep. He was sad and frustrated.

Mrs Chu sighed in relief after Gu Jiao Wu left the nursery.

Gu Jiao Wu entered Qiao Tan Yuan’s bedroom. She left it unlocked for Mrs Chu to carry Xiao Bao to her when Xiao Bao was hungry.

Gu Jiao Wu sat on the bed. He thought Qiao Tan Yuan must have been tired after hosting Xiao Bao’s one month celebration. It was the first time he looked closely at Qiao Tan Yuan’s face. He vaguely remembered she usually wore makeup.

Gu Jiao Wu watched Qiao Tan Yuan sleep soundly. He realised she had clear white skin. She was beautiful even without makeup. She had long curled eyelashes and she slept with a hand under a cheek. She scrunched her face like she was dreaming. Her lips were enticing him and made him remember how their lips touched fleetingly on the same bed before… her lips were soft. He didn’t know what was wrong with his hand. His hand hovered over her cheek.

Suddenly Qiao Tan Yuan opened her eyes wide and saw Gu Jiao Wu’s hand in front of her face.

‘Ah… you…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan had no room to move back on the bed. What was Gu Jiao Wu doing in her bedroom?

‘Let’s get back together,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

End of Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter end