The Overnight Chosen Wife: Darling, Kiss Me Deeper

He frowned when he recognized the digits. Why was his mother contacting Cheng Yu? The two women had only met a few times and from their stiff interaction, he knew that they didn't hit it off. In the entire family, Cheng Yu only got along with his sister Natalie. The rest seemed to dislike her for some strange reason and she was not comfortable around them either. So it made no sense for them to contact each other and send each other private messages. He thought back to her expression when he walked in.

He couldn't help questioning her reason. Was she really upset because she had suddenly thought about hers and Cheng Ying's past? Was it because of another reason and was that reason related to his mother?

Concluding that it must be because his mother had been contacting her and probably not telling her anything that was pleasant, he took out his phone. He was just about to give her a call when Cheng Yu returned.

"I just checked the fridge. I was hoping that I had enough ingredients to cook instead of ordering food. Unfortunately, it looks like we have to order after all." She smiled as she teased him.

It was not that he disliked food from restaurants, but he preferred her home cooked food even though she was not nearly as good in the kitchen as the chefs from those restaurants.

He looked gloomy.

She interpreted it as disappointment. Sitting on his ŀȧp, she tousled his hair. "Don't worry. We can go grocery shopping later. I will definitely cook you a sumptuous dinner."

Usually, he would tell her that it didn't matter whether she cooked, ordered food or shoved him into the kitchen to cook unrecognizable meals for himself. As long as he ate it beside her, it would be delicious. Realizing that he didn't say it or anything along the lines, she lowered her head to check on him.

"Are you alright, honey? What's wrong?"

"Yu, why didn't you tell me that my mother has been bothering you?" He asked, trying to maintain his calm even though he was on the verge of exploding. He was not mad at her. He was mad at his mother for secretly bullying her, but he was also disappointed that she didn't think it was important enough to tell him what was going on.

She glanced at her phone that she hadn't realized was in his hand when she had left it on the desk.

"Honey, you know that I would be upset if you checked through my phone." She said in a low voice, trying to change the topic.

"I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I didn't check through. I accidentally saw that she messaged you." He wrapped his arms around her. He knew that it was disrespectful to pry into her phone although she had nothing to hide. Except, she did have something to hide. He looked at her. "Don't try to change the topic."

She let out a breath. "It wasn't anything serious. She couldn't get through to you and contacted me to know that you are doing alright."

"Is that really it?" He asked, glancing at her so sternly that she could no longer hide it.

"She doesn't like me. Trust me, the feeling is mutual so I didn't think it was worth mentioning." She stated. If she complained about his mother's dislike when she felt the same way or probably even worse, wouldn't that be hypocritical?

He didn't buy it. "That's understandable. It would have been alright if she stuck to her territory but why did she seek you? I only want to hear the truth."

She knew that it might morph into an argument if she tried to brush it off so she sighed. "She made it her business to let me know that your family has an arranged marriage with some aristocratic family. Apparently, you will soon marry the mayor's daughter and will no longer have anything to do with me."

The frown on his face deepened. "That's not for them to decide for me."

"I know." She kissed the side of his face. "I know you will not give in even if they make the mayor's daughter throw herself at you, which is another reason why I didn't think it was worth mentioning. I would not be jealous of an arranged marriage that I know you have no intention of acknowledging. "

His features softened into a smile. Unknowingly, she was no longer the skeptical young woman who was afraid of ending up with a broken heart if she fell in love. She had grown into a woman who was willing to give her whole heart to love her man, and she trusted him with her entire being. He could not let his family ruin that. Heaven knew how hard he had worked to gain her trust.

He kissed her neck. "Leave it to me, okay? I will have a word with her."

She smiled but shook her head. "I can handle her. If you get involved, our horrible relationship with each other will only become incorrigible."

"But I can't let her continue to bully my girlfriend." He frowned.

"I will not give her the chance to bully me. Do you trust me?" When he nodded, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Let's handle this as women who love the same man."

He slid the fabric of her shirt down her shoulder and pressed a kiss on her bȯȯbs. Whenever they had arguments or talked about something unpleasant, they would always somehow end up in bed. This time was no different. He ripped their clothes off and pinned her down on the bed, his hand grasping hers together to secure them above her head as he took her hard.

___

On Saturday, Lanni felt the buŧŧerflies fill her stomach as she led her friends to the wedding boutique that they had chosen. It was the same feeling she had when Xiehan proposed. Even though they were already married, the wedding had a different feel to it and she was both nervous and anxious.

"Why are you lost in thought again?" Xiaoshi nudged her. She had not flipped a page of the bridal gown magazine that she had been holding for ages. She was merely staring at the cover as if the happy bride on it could help her decide what to choose for her own wedding.

"I don't know what I'm feeling." She confessed. "It's just so mixed up. I'm ecstatic, so nervous and scared at the same time."

"What are you scared of?" Probed Cheng Yu, who had just finished circling the numbers on the pages of gowns she thought would look good on Lanni.

"I don't know. You have definitely heard of runaway grooms, right?"

Xiaoshi frowned at her. "Yes I have. But I have never heard of a married groom running away from his wedding. I mean, what is he running away from? If he is chickening out from getting married or is having an affair with someone else and is not ready to settle down, it would make sense but Xiehan is different. He is already your husband. He has no reason to chicken out when he didn't before he married you."

"And he loves you so much." Cheng Yu added.

"Don't get me started on how he has been filling our ears every time he calls home to check on us, telling us how eager he is for the wedding." Ruby added with a slight chuckle. "He almost makes me want to get married myself."

Lanni knew this too, but that didn't make her less anxious. "I'm sure you have also heard about wedding wardrobe malfunctions. A gown ripping apart at the altar, when walking down the aisle or during the reception… or flying above the bride's head because it is too windy."

"Uhm… honestly, I have never witnessed it." Xiaoshi had a frown.

"Me neither." Ruby added.

Cheng Yu placed a hand over her mouth and tittered. "I have heard of a few, seen none in real life but I wrote about one in one of my comic scenes. The villainess's dressmaker decided that making her gown a bit breezier than dėsɨrėd was perfect punishment. She accidentally stepped on it while walking down the aisle and that was it. It snapped at the waist and gave everyone an awkward view." She laughed. "And I'm guessing Lanni read that comic which is why she is so worried."

Xiaoshi glared at Cheng Yu though she thought the villainess deserved it, since she had also read the said comic. "That must be it. But Lanni, wedding gowns are usually treated with so much care. Wardrobe malfunctions do happen but we will make sure it doesn't happen to you."