Billionaire's Long Journey of Chasing His Love-Chapter 351 - 313: Thank You, My Lord, for Understanding the Little Lady (Three Updates)
At dawn the next day, Yi Luowa crawled out of bed.
Tong Airui looked at her, amused. He had to hand it to her—eyes not even open, yet she could get out of bed without tripping.
Half-squinting, Yi Luowa wobbled toward the bathroom like she was sleepwalking.
Tong Airui chuckled, "Why are you up so early when it’s someone else getting married?"
Yi Luowa rubbed her head, "...Helping Ai Ni with her makeup. Their wedding car is leaving at eight."
"You’re busy every single day," Tong Airui said, pulling off the covers and sitting up.
Yi Luowa pouted, "Everyone else is fine, but you’re the troublesome one. Serving you every day means I’ve lost so much beauty sleep. Honestly, at this rate, I’ll look older than Mom before I even turn thirty."
Tong Airui turned to look at her, "Can you be a little more fair? I haven’t asked you to ’serve’ me for two days now."
Yi Luowa pouted again and gave him a bow, "Thank you, my lord, for sparing your little maid."
"Haha..." Tong Airui laughed, shook his head, then stepped out of bed and pulled her into the bathroom. "Once we’re back home, you’d better make it up to me."
Yi Luowa shot him a sidelong glance, "Why are you up this early? It’s not like you’re doing the makeup."
"To keep you company," Tong Airui said, squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush and handing it to her.
"Hubby, could you give Old Qi a call later to see when he’s arriving? Without Shanshan, we’re a bridesmaid short."
"No need to call; they should’ve arrived by now. That surgery finished late last night."
"How do you know that?"
"I checked WeChat before bed last night. Old Qi left a message."
"Oh." Yi Luowa mumbled, "We barely have any girls in the family, and the few we do are getting married. It’s going to be a problem finding bridesmaids in the future. Hubby, let’s have a daughter, okay?"
"Sure! Let’s have a little soulmate from my past life. She’s got to look just like you."
"I was thinking of having my own past-life soulmate," Yi Luowa scrunched her nose at him.
Tong Airui smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "Your soulmate from a past life is me."
"Narcissist!" Yi Luowa chuckled and lowered her head to start brushing her teeth.
The two of them brushed and washed at a speed that could rival military drills. They went in quickly and came out just as fast. Tong Airui escorted Yi Luowa to Ai Ni’s quarters and then headed to Jack’s place to discuss some matters.
At the door, Yi Luowa ran into Connie. They walked in hand in hand.
The makeup artist had just finished applying foundation on Teng Aini. Seeing her two sisters-in-law arrive, Teng Aini smiled and said, "I’m absolutely exhausted. Thank goodness you two are here to chat with me, or I’d completely crash."
"Didn’t sleep well last night?" Yi Luowa asked with a grin.
Teng Aini pouted, "Hardly slept at all. I was thinking about so many things. Now I’m regretting it—maybe I should’ve waited two more years to get married."
"Wait two more years? You’d have You Jia bursting at the seams!" Yi Luowa said with a mischievous grin at Teng Aini’s reflection in the mirror.
"Sister-in-law..." Teng Aini whined, then burst into laughter. Connie couldn’t hold back either, collapsing onto Yi Luowa’s shoulder laughing.
By the time Shanshan and Xiaoyudian came in, Teng Aini was chasing Yi Luowa with a makeup brush. Hearing the inside joke, Xiaoyudian and Shanshan also laughed until they were bent over.
Outside the room, Long Che and Tong Yao stood in the corridor listening. The two exchanged a glance, smiled, and walked toward the front hall.
Long Che sighed, "By rights, the one I dote on the most is Ni’er. But for some reason, I’m not as heartbroken about her wedding as I was with Xiaoyudian’s."
Tong Yao smiled, "That’s because you’ve gained two extra daughters, especially Luowa. She always brightens the atmosphere and tries her best to make everyone happy."
Long Che nodded in agreement. "In a situation like yesterday, she was still thinking of others—that surprised me. Old Yi always says she’s young and immature, but I see that she’s more mature and considerate than anyone. I’m sure she was sad, but she didn’t shed a single tear for herself in front of others."
"Even if she cries, she wouldn’t do it in front of us. Honestly, I’m quite curious about what kind of parents could raise her. Of course, Wei Yang’s upbringing played a big part, but genes certainly matter too. Look at Shiqing—do you think Ni Lu and Jack didn’t try to educate her? But her genes are bad. No matter how you guide her, her core is just rotten."
Long Che sighed, "Poor Ni Lu. She’s given so much, yet this is how things turned out. As long as she’s not well, one of our daughters-in-law will have to keep being stuck with her."
"We’re family—what’s the point in bringing this up? As long as Ni Lu recovers, I wouldn’t mind even if it costs us both daughters-in-law," Tong Yao said, slipping a handkerchief into Long Che’s pocket.
Long Che gave her a puzzled look. "What’s this for?"
"So you can cry into it later. I’m preparing in advance," Tong Yao laughed. "When Xiaoyudian got married, Xiaotian cried rivers. Don’t embarrass me, okay?"
"I’m not going to cry!"
Long Che might have sounded confident, but the moment he placed his daughter’s hand into You Jia’s, his tears fell uncontrollably.
Seeing her father cry, Teng Aini’s eyes reddened too. She broke free from You Jia’s hand and threw herself into Long Che’s arms.
If others hadn’t pulled them apart, the father and daughter might’ve cried till the end of the ceremony.
With slightly reddened eyes, You Jia held Teng Aini close and turned to look at Long Che, who was dabbing at his tears with the handkerchief his wife had prepared. "Dad, thank you for raising Ai Ni all these years. Today, by giving her to me, you haven’t lost a daughter but gained a son. I’ll take good care of Ai Ni and, like her siblings, be a dutiful son to you, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, and all her family."
Long Che wiped his tears again, feeling frustrated at his own lack of composure today.
Tong Yao, tears welling in her eyes, gripped Long Che’s hand tightly. No matter how hard it was, they had to hold on.
You Jia took the tissues Shanshan handed him and gently wiped the tears from Teng Aini’s face. "Darling, the first time I saw you, you were five, and I was seven. I fell for you then and there. I even remember the scene of me sneaking a kiss. My heart was pounding like crazy. Just a little peck, and I felt like I’d gotten the whole world. But of course, getting the world meant I also got beaten black and blue by you and your two brothers."
"Pfft—" Teng Aini couldn’t hold back her laughter.
The crowd burst into laughter as well.
Long Che and Tong Yao exchanged glances, finally breaking into smiles themselves.
You Jia took Teng Aini’s hand and gazed at her lovingly.
"Darling, the first time I held your hand, my palms were sweating. Your soft little hand left me flustered and dreamlike. At that moment, I thought—nothing in life could be more blissful than holding your hand and growing old with you, even when our hair turns gray and our eyes grow dim.
We’ve been through so much. Every time I felt sad or lost, I’d think of your radiant smile. Every time I felt restless and uneasy, I’d picture your beautiful eyes. I’m grateful for the challenges that made me stronger, enough to stand by your side. I’m grateful for the trials that solidified my resolve to marry you.
Today, my wish has come true, and I’m marrying you. Words can’t express how I feel right now. I thank God for blessing me with someone as intelligent, kind, and lovely as you.
The first twenty-four years of your life were filled with your family’s love. For the rest of your life, I’ll double that love. Whenever you need a shoulder to lean on, mine will be right there for you. Whenever you need a hand to hold while crossing the street, mine will always be in yours. Whenever you want to watch a movie, I’ll have tickets ready for you in advance."
Sniffling, Teng Aini looked up at You Jia and whispered, "Honey, stop being so mushy. You’re ruining hours of my makeup."
You Jia chuckled indulgently, pulling her into his arms. "No matter how you look, I’ll always love you. Ai Ni, I love you! Thank you for entrusting me with your happiness."
"You Jia, I love you too. Thank you for accepting everything about me."
Applause erupted from the crowd. Yi Luowa clapped so hard her hands turned red. This pair of "star-crossed lovers" had finally come together, no longer needing to tiptoe around their family’s dynamics.
As the wedding neared its end, Teng Aini tossed her bouquet over her shoulder. It landed squarely in Jimo Shanshan’s hands.
Shanshan, blushing, looked over at Mai Zekai on the other side of the room.
Mai Zekai raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Looks like it’s our turn next!"
"Better start thinking about what you’re going to say," Mi Chenshuo teased, nudging him. "You Jia’s speech just about moved me to marry him instead."
"I don’t need to go that far. One look, and Shanshan will come running, begging me to marry her," Mai Zekai joked.
Yi Luowa pointed to the sky and grinned. "Third Brother, look! A cow in the sky!"
Mi Chenshuo and Mai Zekai both looked up, only realizing after hearing Yi Luowa’s laughter that they’d been duped.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Yi Luowa?" While the three were laughing, a middle-aged man with a full beard approached.
Yi Luowa smiled sweetly at him. "I am. How can I help you?"
