Marriage First, True Love Later Novel - Chapter 35: Wedding Present

Lin Li really had a huge appetite, and even more so after her pregnancy. Anran had barely eaten anything, yet the table full of dishes had nearly been devoured by Lin Li alone.

Before she left, Anran excused herself by saying that she was going to the bathroom, but instead, she quietly seized the chance to head to the counter to pay the bill. Although Su Yijiao had said that henceforth she would get to eat for free, she still felt somewhat ill at ease to actually do so.

When she returned to the table, Lin Li was on the phone with Cheng Xiang. She had a bashful expression on her face, which made Anran remember that, despite Lin Li’s fiery personality, she was also girlish and endearing at heart.

When she saw Anran coming, Lin Li said a few more words to Cheng Xiang before finally hanging up. She said to Anran, “Little Anzi, my little Xiangzi needs to entertain his clients tonight, so tonight you will be in charge of keeping her Empress over here entertained.”

“Well, we’ve already feasted, so where does her Empress want to go next?” Anran asked her in compliance.

Lin Li’s large, dark eyes rolled around as she pondered it over, then said, “Let’s go to the mall. We need to walk around to digest all the food we just ate. Cheng Xiang said he will bring us back some sticky rice chicken.”

Anran rolled her eyes and scowled teasingly. “Control yourself before you get stuffed from all that food.”

“Yeah, right. My son’s digestive system is as strong as mine.” Lin Li glanced at her as she declared proudly.

Anran smiled scornfully, and the two of them left Youran Cuisine together.

Inside the car, Anran put on a gentle piano song. Lin Li pulled down the window halfway, which allowed the night wind to blow into the car as the car moved forward.

“By the way, did you get your marriage certificate with Su, Su Yicheng? When do you plan on holding the wedding?” Lin Li asked nonchalantly as if the thought had just popped into her mind.

“We don’t plan on having a wedding,” Anran replied casually, staring intently at the road straight ahead.

……

“Why? He doesn’t want to hold one?” Lin Li looked at her strangely. In her opinion, although the wedding was only ceremonial, it was much more important than that certificate. A marriage without a wedding was a marriage without blessings and made it seem like a dirty secret to hide.

Anran shook her head. “No, I was the one who decided not to hold a wedding. It’s too burdensome”

“Anzi, this concerns a woman’s entire future, and no matter how burdensome the process might be, you have to at least give yourself one day in your life where you put on a beautiful wedding dress, accept everyone’s blessings, and let your father walk you up the aisle to the man of your dreams,” Lin Li said.

Anran looked at her eyes and said with a bitter smile, “Lin Li, I’m different from you. My relationship with Su Yicheng isn’t like how it is between you and Cheng Xiang.”

“Anran, you are way too irresponsible toward yourself,” Lin Li looked at her and said with a solemn and earnest expression.

Anran glanced at her then smiled. “If one day my relationship with Su Yicheng becomes like your relationship with Cheng Xiang, then I will certainly ask him to make up for the wedding for me.” But will there be such a day? Nobody knew.

Lin Li was silent for a while, and the car arrived at the mall. Just before getting out of the car, she said, “Anzi, find a time to arrange a meeting with me and Su Yicheng.” Anran was her best friend, so she had to see for herself what type of man Su Yicheng was. If he wasn’t right for her, she certainly wouldn’t let him bully Anran.

Anran parked the car in the parking lot on the side of the road, then turned around to flash a smile at Lin Li and said, “All right.”

Lin Lin also smiled and said, “Anzi, come, come with the Empress, and she’ll see if there are any suitable wedding presents for you.”

“Ha, then I must thank the Empress for always spending money on me,” Anran said good-naturedly.

“It’s all right. When I marry Cheng Xiang, just remember to send a gift as well. Nothing too expensive, just something in the price range between five and six figured,” Lin Li said bluntly.

“Goodness, are you trying to bankrupt me?”

Anran originally hadn’t planned on buying anything, but remembering that she might be visiting Su Yicheng’s parents the day after tomorrow, she decided to buy two silk scarves. One was classy and timeless, while the other one was more colorful and vibrant.

Lin Li looked at the two bags that Anran was carrying and nodded. “Uh-huh, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is the most difficult to tackle, so you have to put more effort. I also have to buy something for my mother-in-law some other time to please her.”

After hearing this, Anran turned her head and looked at Lin Li’s belly, then said with a smile, “I don’t think you need to buy anything; all you need to do is focus on the baby. You don’t need to work anymore, so you can seize the chance to rest at home and prepare for your marriage and the arrival of the baby.”

Having said that, the two of them walked into a lingerie store. Anran thought about how some of her bras were misshapen, so she headed to the counter to pick out some bras, while Lin Li asked the waiter something at the counter.

Anran picked a few bras in the style that she often wore. They were simple in style, and she took them to the counter to pay for them without trying them on. When she arrived at the counter, there were already two paper bags. Lin Li seemed to have bought something already. Seeing her head over, she took out a nightgown from one of the paper bags, then put it in front of her body. “How does it look? Does it look good?”

The style wasn’t particularly revealing. It was an ordinary silk camisole, but the flowers on the chest were exquisitely beautiful.

Anran nodded and said, “Very nice.”

Lin Li nodded with satisfaction, put the nightgown in the bag, gave her the other one, and said, “Just looking at it, you can tell it’s nice. Here, I bought one for you as well.”

Anran reached out and took a look at the bag, it was the same rose-red camisole. She looked at Lin Li mirthfully and said, “Lin Li, you are so stingy. You give me a camisole, yet ask me to buy you a five or six-figure present?”

“Haha, now that you have a sugar daddy, you don’t need to compare to the likes of us peasants. Besides, don’t underestimate the potential effects of this nightgown.” Then, she turned to the lady at the counter and asked, “Don’t you think so?”

“Yes.” The lady at the counter smiled at Anran meaningfully and nodded.

Anran didn’t think too much of it and paid the lady at the counter for the bra, then headed out with the bags.

The two of them shopped a little more in the mall, and Lin Li bought a shirt for Cheng Xiang. Seeing that the time was getting late, they got ready to return home.

After putting their things in the back seat, Anran got ready to send the Empress, Lin Li, back home.

While on the road, Anron glanced at Lin Li, who was looking at the nightgown joyfully, and suddenly a question flashed in her mind. With a sheepish smile on her face, Anran blushed with a little embarrassment, then she opened her mouth and said, “Lin, Lin Li.”

“Huh?” Lin Li answered without turning her head; her eyes were still fixated on the nightgown in her hands, and she stared intently at the exquisite flowers on the chest.

Anran had her mouth open for a long time but found herself at a loss for words at the moment.

Seeing Anran remain silent, Lin Li grew somewhat impatient and looked up to ask, “What’s the matter?”

Anran looked at her and finally asked while blushing profusely, “Did it hurt the first time you did it?” She had no experience, but she heard that it was very painful. Since she had no idea, she wanted to ask Lin Li; after all, she was highly experienced.

“What first time? What hurts?” Lin Li’s always had a dulled reaction, yet this time her slow reaction irked Anran.

“That thing… that thing, you know… did it hurt when you and Cheng Xiang did it for the first time?” Her face was burning with embarrassment now. Anran felt like dying and digging a pit to bury herself in out of shame.

Lin Li had a blank expression on her face for a long time, then she suddenly burst. “Jeez, you guys still haven’t done it yet?!”

Anran felt her face grow even hotter. Perhaps she shouldn’t have asked Lin Li this question at all.

“Of course it hurt the first time. Both Cheng Xiang and I were virgins at the time and had no previous experience. It hurt so much that it took my breath away.” Lin Li recalled. It was like a bloody battle, and she had amassed her experience from blood and tears!

Anron was a little wary when she heard this and asked timidly, “So, if it is with a man of experience, then it wouldn’t be so painful?” Su Yicheng is thirty-two years old this year. Although she didn’t know how many women he had been with before, he was probably much more experienced than her.

Li Linli glared at her, then rolled her eyes and said, “How would I know? I’ve never tried before.”