Madam Hong, mindful that her daughter is getting married tomorrow and fearing it might affect the wedding, quickly pulled Hong Ling out of the room. As she closed the door, she coaxed Hong Ping, "Pingping, you should rest early today. I will talk to your sister."
Hong Ling, dragged out, was angered by these words. She freed herself from Madam Hongās grip and stormed into the room next door. Madam Hong, seeing this, didnāt bother to continue coaxing Hong Ping and hurriedly followed Hong Ling inside.
As soon as Hong Ling entered, she threw herself onto the bed, refusing to look at Madam Hong.
Madam Hong, helpless, walked over to her, sat by the bedside, and said, "Lingling, your sister is getting married tomorrow. You should understand and stop making a fuss, do you understand?"
Hong Ling turned over and glared with reddened eyes, angrily saying, "How am I making a fuss? I just like him! Mom, weāre in the modern age now. How can you still be like an old relic, talking about sisters not marrying brothers? Thatās all feudal nonsense!"
She sat up from the bed, looking at Madam Hong accusingly, "Mom, do you only love my sister? Donāt you care about me at all?"
"Nonsense, canāt you see who I care about?! " Madam Hong snapped, giving her daughterās hand a light smack, her heart softening again at the sight of her pretty daughter. Gently coaxing, she said, "Lingling, be good, listen, okay? Iāll buy you the phone youāve been wanting, didnāt you always want..."
"I donāt want, I donāt want!" Hong Ling shouted, "I just like him, I just want to marry him, Mom, I really like him, Iāve never liked anyone this much before. The first time I saw him, I knew I should marry him, Mom..."
Hong Ling finally held onto Madam Hongās waist, lowly pleading.
Seeing Hong Ling refusing even the phone, incessantly claiming her affection, Madam Hong finally realized the seriousness of the situation. She bowed her head and asked, "Hong Ling, are you serious?"
Madam Hong only uses full names when angry, and hearing this caused Hong Ling to flinch. But thinking of Ruan Haoās gentle and pampering demeanor, she mustered up her courage and nodded solemnly, "Mom, Iām serious."
Madam Hongās expression turned completely grave.
Both in Yuansu and in their locale, there was no such thing as sisters marrying brothers or vice versa ā that would be condemned and shamed!
Madam Hong, though she had always pampered this little daughter, would not indulge her to such an extent.
She lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions, saying, "Let Mama think about this." But what she truly intended was to take Hong Ling away after Hong Pingās wedding was over, to sever her thoughts entirely.
Hong Ling thought she was agreeing, because whenever she had requests before, Madam Hong would first say sheād think about it, but would eventually agree.
She hugged Madam Hong tightly, her mind filled with Ruan Haoās face, imagining herself as the recipient of his gentle affection... even more, her heart couldnāt help but race.
It is summer now.
To avoid the hottest period, the Ruan family woke up early. They planned to have the bride picked up from the hotel before eight, complete the formalities, and then return to the hotel to dine before ten.
The bridal escort team consisted of the Ruan brothers and Duan Xi, making exactly ten people to signify perfection. Eight cars were leaving from the new house, circling half of Yuansu City to pick up the bride at the Ruan Family hotel.