Chapter 29: Haste Today

If it hadn't been for the discovery of the clues, it would have been one thing, but now that he was denying it, she feared it would be difficult to resolve the situation later.

Just as Gu Lanxi was wondering how to confess without hurting their relationship, she saw Lu Nanting rushing over in a frantic hurry.

He had been out all day, and since he had worn his wedding ring out, he naturally hadn't taken it off for fear of losing it.

Well, this time, there was absolutely no room for excuses.

The dinner for three turned into a dinner for four, which then turned into a Lu family reunion dinner.

Everything happened within half an hour.

After leaving the teahouse, Zhang Ruolan took Wang Peiling into one car, while the young couple got into another. All along the way, Gu Lanxi felt as if she were waiting for judgment, so nervous that she was breaking into a sweat.

Seeing her staring blankly into space without speaking, Lu Nanting merely held her hand silently, terrified of making her unhappy.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, dishes were served one after another, and the Lu family members arrived in succession.

Father Lu arrived from the company with the eldest brother; the eldest sister-in-law came from home with their son, Lu Weichen; and the second brother arrived last, having picked up his daughter from his brother-in-law's place.

Ten family members, all present and accounted for.

Regarding their flash marriage and the fact that they had kept it from the family, it seemed no one minded. Naturally, they pulled Gu Lanxi into the reunion dinner. During the meal, no one asked her to change her form of address; they interacted with her exactly as they did on ordinary days, as if they had long since accepted her as a member of the family.

Things changed so fast, it was like a whirlwind.

Even with the marriage certificate, they at least had one night of buffer time!

Gu Lanxi picked up a piece of white poached chicken, but it tasted like wax in her mouth.

Although she was familiar with the Lu family and this wasn't the first time they had eaten together, this time felt completely different!

If it weren't for the fear that Lu Nanting would try to place food in her bowl, she wouldn't have even had the courage to pick anything up.

The whole family was smiling radiantly. Their eldest nephew was twelve and starting to become sensible, while the niece was only five, understanding only half of what was going on.

However, both children were well-mannered; they didn't say anything awkward, simply sitting by their respective parents, asking for this or that to eat.

During the meal, the men discussed economic trends and investment projects, while the women talked about how to handle seasonal clothing changes before moving on to this quarter's charity plans.

No matter who started a topic, whenever Gu Lanxi was cued in, she always managed to offer insightful remarks, which only heightened the group's enthusiasm for the conversation.

Unknowingly, as the meal progressed, everyone became more relaxed.

Seeing that it was nearly nine o'clock, Lu Jianing snuggled into her father's arms and rubbed her eyes, asking to be held. Only then did Father Lu ask them with a smile, "When do you two plan to hold a wedding?"

Gu Lanxi didn't dare speak at all. Lu Nanting cleared his throat and said, "Manman said that for the sake of my career, we should keep the marriage private for now, so there's no rush for a wedding!"

Father Lu clearly did not approve of this reason

"It's just a legal and valid marriage; how could it affect your career? Singing openly is perfectly fine; don't pretend to be single to trick young girls out of their money. Manman is such a wonderful person; being with her is your blessing. You must treat her with heart and sincerity."

Mother Lu also disagreed: "Marriage is a lifelong matter. What girl doesn't want to have a dream wedding in her best years? We did the same for Xuanxuan and Peiling back then, and we will prepare everything for Manman as well."

Gu Lanxi felt a warmth in her heart that made her want to cry.

She feared failing their kindness and not being able to walk the path to the end with Lu Nanting, yet she also longed to fully integrate into this family.

But she truly was not prepared to go public.

Seeing the whole family "attacking" Lu Nanting, pointing out what he was doing wrong as if he were some irredeemable villain, Gu Lanxi placed her hands on her lap, clenching and unclenching them. She took a soft breath and finally spoke up

"Uncle, Auntie, the reason we aren't planning a wedding for the time being is mainly because we are too busy and truly don't have time to prepare. Since we've already registered the marriage, we can just hold it whenever we have time later."

This was the truth.

Both her and Lu Nanting had very tight schedules; Lu Nanting's work was booked even through the end of next year.

As soon as Gu Lanxi spoke, the situation changed immediately.

"That's true, just go at your own pace. Today was too rushed and unprepared. I'll go home tonight and make a list. Whatever the two sisters-in-law received, you must have it too!"

Father Lu basically only managed company matters; all the family affairs, big or small, were handled by Mother Lu. When she spoke, everyone else simply followed suit.

Gu Lanxi hadn't inquired about what the two sisters-in-law received when they married, so she had no way to refuse even if she wanted to.

Finally, the family went their separate ways, and Gu Lanxi had no choice but to follow Lu Nanting.

It wasn't until they returned home and sat on their own sofa that she still felt a sense of disorientation.

It was just too fast!

It was like her first time on a wire rig—her body was flying forward while her soul was chasing behind; she couldn't quite keep up with the rhythm.

But she couldn't blame Lu Nanting for today's events.

It was her own lack of caution.

"My family really likes you, truly. Don't be afraid. If you aren't willing to go public, they won't say anything."

Their current relationship could barely be considered a reconciliation, but their feelings hadn't warmed up to how they used to be, and Lu Nanting was a little afraid she might withdraw.

They had walked with fingers interlaced the whole way, and they were still holding hands now.

In the middle of summer, their palms were covered in sweat.

Gu Lanxi pulled her hand away, pushed him to turn around, and sat down leaning against his back.

Now that the family knew, after the initial panic, she actually felt much more relieved.

Not having to bear the psychological pressure of hiding it from her family felt quite good when she thought about it.

She had always liked this—when she had nothing to do, she loved sitting against him, staying like that for a long time.

She was an introverted person; many times, when she wanted to say something romantic, she couldn't say it to his face, so it was easier with her back to him.

Knowing she wanted company but didn't want to talk, Lu Nanting had no intention of leaving; he simply took out his phone and started scrolling through Weibo.

How could Weibo be as interesting as his wife?

After scrolling for a while, he felt bored and proactively started a conversation with Gu Lanxi

"What are you doing?"

"Your mother gave me some documents, saying she wants to invest. I'm looking to see how she's trying to trick me this time."

"Is there a problem?"

Listening to the sound of turning pages, Lu Nanting felt a sense of peacefulness.

"The tax side feels a bit off; I need to look into it more."

Since it was serious business, Lu Nanting stopped bothering her.

"Mm, go ahead and look."

The two of them did not speak again.

Gu Lanxi did not like posting on Moments and had no private Weibo account; she was very concerned about privacy. The company had set up an official account for her that only posted work-related matters, which she never managed.

Lu Nanting, however, had accounts on all major platforms, though they were all managed by Li Jie.

Only on Weibo would he occasionally log in to post some private photos or similar things.

Whenever he did, it was as if his fans were celebrating a festival.

Lu Nanting adjusted his posture, posing for a daily photo of himself.

He was much broader than Gu Lanxi; he couldn't capture her from the front, only a strand of her long, shiny black hair could be seen by his waist, shimmering against his gray silk shirt.

He then rested his left hand on his leg, letting half of his wedding ring enter the frame, with only a small section of his chin visible.

*Click~*

The composition of the photo was excellent, and because he had turned on the floor lamp, the lighting was wonderful.

A long neck, slender fingers, broad shoulders, and long legs; he leaned forward slightly, just sitting there.

Dominance and tenderness, combined perfectly.

Lu Nanting was very satisfied.

He wanted to post it to give his fans a heads-up, but he was afraid Gu Lanxi would be angry, so he simply sent it to her via WeChat.

Gu Lanxi didn't see the photo until just before she went to sleep.

In the dead of night, one is especially prone to being moved.

She posted the photo to her Moments.

The caption was simply a "1."

This was her first day of marriage.

A living, breathing person had forcefully broken into her mundane life.

It was worth commemorating.

The married life officially begins.

1.