"Move over a bit. If one of us accidentally falls off, anyone who doesn't know better will think I'm beating my wife."
Eventually, Shen Xingling obediently shifted a little toward the middle.
An hour or two later, it was already three in the morning.
Yet Shen Xingling still couldn't fall asleep, though she didn't dare toss and turn. Her palms were beginning to sweat; even though the man lying beside her was her husband, he was still ultimately a stranger.
Shen Xingling clutched the quilt and edged a bit closer to the edge of the bed.
This movement woke Mu Tingshen, who was a light sleeper.
"What's wrong? Can't sleep?" Mu Tingshen asked, his voice somewhat hoarse from just waking up.
"Yeah, I'm still a bit not used to sleeping with someone else. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Shen Xingling replied apologetically.
The next second, Mu Tingshen sat straight up, kicked off the quilt, and got out of bed. He picked up his phone and turned on the flashlight.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to sleep? Why aren't you turning on the light?" Shen Xingling fired off three questions in a row.
"I was afraid the sudden light would hurt your eyes." Mu Tingshen bypassed the first two questions entirely.
*Mu Tingshen is actually quite sweet!* Shen Xingling thought.
Then she saw Mu Tingshen walk into the walk-in closet. A few minutes later, Mu Tingshen came out holding a blanket in one hand and his phone flashlight in the other.
Shen Xingling watched as he walked toward the living room sofa.
Is he going to sleep on the sofa?
What should I do?
This man is kind of sweet!
Shen Xingling began to blush, hating herself for being so weak.
Still, she forced herself to ask politely, "How about I sleep on the sofa? You're too tall, it won't be comfortable for you."
"Alright, you can come sleep on the sofa." Mu Tingshen started teasing her again.
What?
The gentlemanly demeanor from just a second ago was already gone?
She was just being polite, there was no need for him to actually take her seriously! *π_π*
Seeing that the little woman didn't react, he stopped teasing her.
Mu Tingshen: "It's late, go to sleep."
Shen Xingling: "Oh, good night."
Mu Tingshen: "Good night."
...
The next day, seven o'clock.
Mu Tingshen, who had slept on the sofa, woke up. He walked into the bedroom, gently patted Shen Xingling's back, and whispered, "Shen Xingling, time to get up."
Shen Xingling: "Don't bother me, let me sleep a little longer."
He then picked up the remote control on the bedside table and opened the curtains, letting the sunlight stream in from outside.
The sunlight was slightly dazzling, waking Shen Xingling up a bit more from her deep, pleasant sleep. She pulled the quilt over her head and went right back to sleep.
*Forget it, I'll let her sleep a little longer.*
After washing up, Mu Tingshen entered the walk-in closet and chose his usual white shirt paired with a black suit.
Mu Tingshen walked back over to the bed: "Shen Xingling, Shen Xingling, time to get up. We have to go offer the tea to Mom and Dad later."
Offer tea?!
Shen Xingling instantly woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Mu Tingshen already fully dressed.
Her husband!
Today, wearing that black suit, he gave off total repressed-CEO vibes, completely unlike the lazy, loungewear-clad look from last night.
Oh right.
They still hadn't done the formal tea ceremony to change how they addressed their parents.
Shen Xingling: "It's already past seven! Isn't that too late? You go down first, I'll be right down."
Mu Tingshen: "It's fine, I'll wait in the living room for you so we can go down together."
Half an hour later.
Shen Xingling: "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Mu Tingshen raised his arm: "It's fine, let's go."
Shen Xingling understood that he wanted her to link her arm through his.
She raised her hand, linked it with Mu Tingshen's arm, and they went downstairs together.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
In the dining room.
Grandpa Mu said anxiously, "It's almost eight o'clock, and these two still aren't down."
He casually called out to a servant: "Go on, call your young master and young madam down."
Grandma Mu: "You old man, what are you rushing for? It doesn't matter if we wait a little longer. It's inevitable that a newlywed young couple would sleep in."
Before long, everyone saw the young couple walking over, arm in arm.
Mu Tingshen: "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom. Morning."
Shen Xingling followed Mu Tingshen's lead and greeted them: "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, good morning."
Grandma Mu smiled at Shen Xingling and said, "Xingling, you two offer the tea to your dad and mom first, and then we'll have breakfast."
Shen Xingling replied politely, "Alright, Grandma."
Shortly after, a servant brought over four cups of tea.
Shen Xingling and Mu Tingshen each picked up a cup of tea and walked over to Madam Mu and Mr. Mu.
Shen Xingling: "Mom, please have some tea."
Madam Mu drank the tea and readily produced a red envelope: "Here, Xingling, this is Mom's red envelope for you."
"Thank you, Mom."
Then Mu Tingshen walked over to his mother.
"Mom, please have some tea."
Madam Mu drank the tea and also gave Mu Tingshen a red envelope.
"Tingshen, you're not a kid anymore. Now that you're married, live a good life with Xingling."
Mu Tingshen: "Mom, I will."
Shen Xingling walked over to Mr. Mu next.
"Dad, please have some tea."
Mr. Mu drank the tea and also handed Shen Xingling a red envelope: "Here, this is Dad's red envelope for you."
"Thank you, Dad."
Mu Tingshen picked up another cup of tea and walked over to Mr. Mu.
"Dad, please have some tea."
Afterward, Mr. Mu also gave Mu Tingshen a red envelope.
Once the tea ceremony was over, the family continued eating breakfast.
Shen Xingling: *Gosh, this is so awkward! Do wealthy families really not chat about everyday things during meals?*
*Somebody save me, please!*
*Save me!*
At that moment, Grandma Mu came to her rescue.
"Xingling, is the breakfast not to your liking? You look absent-minded."
Shen Xingling: "Not at all, Grandma! It's just that looking at such a huge spread of breakfast, I don't know which one to eat first."
Grandma Mu: "Have a little of everything, and eat more of whatever you like."
Grandpa Mu chimed in as well.
"You brat, why aren't you serving food to your wife?"
Mu Tingshen: *Grandpa, you never used to call me that brat before!*
Without saying much, Mu Tingshen picked up a soup dumpling with his chopsticks and placed it in Shen Xingling's bowl.
Shen Xingling: "Thank you."
Mu Tingshen replied coldly, "Mhm."
The other four found the young couple's exchange rather amusing.
Grandma Mu: "You two are husband and wife, why so much politeness between you?"
Ten minutes later, everyone had finished breakfast.
In the living room.
Grandpa Mu spoke up: "Tingshen, you and Xingling are married now, so push your work aside for a while. Go and get your marriage license this morning, lest people start gossiping and calling it an illegal cohabitation. It would both make our family lose face and slight Xingling."
Mu Tingshen: "Grandpa, I've already pushed my work to the afternoon. We'll go get the license shortly."
Shen Xingling: *Oh right, we still haven't gotten the license.*
Shen Xingling: "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, I'm going upstairs to change my clothes first."
Mu Tingshen: "I'll go up with her."
After that, Mr. Mu said, "Dad, Mom, I'm off to work. Wife, I'm heading to the office."
Madam Mu stood up and straightened Mr. Mu's collar: "Mhm. Don't overwork yourself, and remember to eat on time."
Upstairs.
Mu Tingshen followed Shen Xingling into the room.
Mu Tingshen took out the red envelopes their parents had just given them and said, "Here, for you."
Shen Xingling looked at him in surprise: "No, these are for you from Mom and Dad."
Even though she desperately wanted to accept them, she still couldn't make it look like she had married him just for his money.