Chapter 6: Exclusive Passion

Seeing her son’s infatuated expression, Xie Meiyi could barely hide the smile on her face. While Shen Qingyao was still calculating her remaining points, Jiang Yan asked when she planned to hold the wedding. This put Shen Qingyao in a difficult spot.

Although the wedding of Shen Mengyi and Lu Shaojun wouldn't be exceptionally extravagant, it at least had all the traditional trappings. As for her, she had simply picked up a man off the side of the road, and to make matters worse, she had voluntarily waived the bride price. As a woman from the 21st century who prided herself on being practical and materialistic, Shen Qingyao found herself in a real bind. It seemed that in order to survive in other worlds, the sacrifices were indeed significant.

"Yaoyao?" Jiang Yan’s voice broke the silence. Shen Qingyao looked flustered. "About the wedding... let’s talk about that later."

Jiang Yan noticed her embarrassment. "Do you have any concerns?"

"I don't want to lie to you, really..." Shen Qingyao scratched her head, racking her brains for a way to explain that would make Jiang Yan feel better. Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi, who had been thrilled at the mention of a wedding, now hesitated after seeing Shen Qingyao’s attitude.

"As long as we have the marriage certificate, my goal is achieved," Shen Qingyao said, observing Jiang Yan's expression. The man’s face remained stoic, though his brow furrowed slightly. "Besides, my sister and Lu Shaojun’s wedding will definitely be much better than ours, and I don't want to..."

"You brat, how much bride price did you give her? How did you even discuss this when you talked about marriage!" Jiang Feng, unable to contain himself any longer, hissed in a low voice. Having served on the battlefield, his face was marked with various scars that seemed to twitch as he flared up.

Shen Qingyao suddenly remembered they were still in the office. Fearing that the official processing the paperwork might change their mind, she quickly tucked the application away.

"Child, if you’re unhappy with the conditions, we can negotiate. Please don't cancel the wedding," Xie Meiyi said, walking over to Shen Qingyao as if to persuade her.

No wonder the older generation always said people used to be so warm-hearted—they really were. They even cared about how much should be given for a wedding; there really were still good people in this world. However, Shen Qingyao couldn't go back on her word. After all, she had used those very promises to trap Jiang Yan. She cursed her own loose tongue—she could have almost rolled her eyes at herself.

Jiang Yan looked serious. "Everything I promised you, I will fulfill." His attitude made both Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi nod in approval.

They immediately turned their gaze toward Shen Qingyao. "I know you can do it, of course, but we still can't compare to Lu Shaojun..." If he couldn't even manage a wedding after she waived the bride price, how poor must he be?

Jiang Feng’s face darkened. "Who is Lu Shaojun?"

"Is that the one who came to our house last time, following our son around? Was his name Shaojun?" Xie Meiyi shook her head, still unsure despite her guess. Jiang Yan remained silent, and Shen Qingyao didn’t know what to say either. Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi grew anxious, constantly signaling to Jiang Yan with their eyes.

"I have some things I want to discuss with you. When would you be free?" Shen Qingyao rubbed her hands together, offering a flattering smile. She simply wanted to understand what kind of man she had married, and more importantly, when she could leave this godforsaken place. Stuck in these mountain gullies where there was nothing to see or eat, she had no room to stretch her wings.

However, her request was misunderstood by Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi. Xie Meiyi gripped Shen Qingyao’s hand tightly. "Child, don't be impulsive. Whatever your conditions are, we will agree to them."

"You brat, the girl is speaking like this and you still haven't said a word! See if I don't..."

Watching the shift in Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi, a giant question mark formed in Shen Qingyao’s mind. They seemed... overly enthusiastic. It even felt like the three of them knew each other.

"What do you want to ask?" Jiang Yan, seemingly influenced by his parents, also began to overthink. Shen Qingyao didn’t notice; she just felt it was all very strange.

"It’s a bit awkward to talk about here. Could we go somewhere else?"

A red flag went off in Jiang Feng’s mind. *The daughter-in-law must have figured everything out; she’s trying to avoid us!* He signaled Xie Meiyi, who immediately blocked her path.

"There’s no better place than this office for a chat. Everyone here is tight-lipped, and it’s a formal setting..."

Shen Qingyao nodded; she couldn't deny that. Jiang Feng gestured, "Why don't we sit down and talk?"

Shen Qingyao and Jiang Yan sat on opposite sides, looking like they were in a negotiation. Jiang Yan sat with his hands resting steadily on his knees, his back straight. Most importantly, Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi sat on either side as well. The current situation had the makings of a four-way standoff.

Under the psychological pressure, Shen Qingyao leaned toward Jiang Yan. "Is it convenient for me to ask when you might be transferred back to Beijing?"

Jiang Yan was taken aback. "You want to go back to Beijing?" He had just received orders to guard Xi'an; it wasn't up to him when he would return to Beijing. However, if his spouse truly wanted to go, it wasn't impossible. Jiang Yan lowered his eyes, calculating.

The question felt a bit abrupt even to Shen Qingyao. Even though Jiang Yan didn't answer, she didn't want to bring it up again.

Jiang Yan spoke slowly, "Do you have any other questions?" Before Shen Qingyao had asked to talk, he had prepared himself for everything—what he did for a living, who was in his family, what their future plans were, whether they wanted children. As it turned out, Shen Qingyao was only thinking about Beijing.

"After we’re married, can we not live with your parents?"

As soon as the question left her lips, all three of them were stunned. Xie Meiyi reflected on whether her reputation outside was poor, since her daughter-in-law was already this repulsed by the idea. Jiang Feng wondered if the house was too old and the daughter-in-law disliked it.

Jiang Yan, however, began to laugh. He had thought Shen Qingyao didn't take this marriage seriously at all. Seeing the faint smile on her son's face, Xie Meiyi swatted him twice and pursed her lips, saying nothing.

The silence of the three made Shen Qingyao panic. She was familiar with this scene; she had heard enough dramatic family disputes to know the signs. Not living with parents after marriage was, at best, considered splitting the household. Shen Qingyao deliberately played the victim. "Actually, if the Shen family could tolerate me, I wouldn't want to bother you, but you know, the Shen family can no longer house me..."

She had played the sympathy card well, though she wasn't sure if it would awaken Jiang Yan’s conscience. Jiang Yan remained indifferent, but the hearts of Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi were touched. By the time Shen Qingyao said she had to leave, Jiang Feng and Xie Meiyi were still lost in their own imaginations of the hard life she had endured.

Xie Meiyi nudged her son. "Go on, hurry up and see her off."

Shen Qingyao couldn't help but sigh, "You have to admit, people nowadays are so warm-hearted."

Hearing her words, Jiang Yan chuckled softly. "Yes, very warm-hearted. Though, I suspect it’s only toward you."