Chapter 36: The Wedding Banquet

The pen and the medicine were both bought from the system shop.

The pen was a special one—it only lasted for five hours, after which the writing would disappear.

As for the medicine, once it was used, any residue or traces would evaporate completely.

If she was going to do something, she couldn’t leave behind any evidence or clues.

“As for the reason, I don’t want to talk about it for now.”

“But I’m not taking revenge on him for no reason. He deserves everything that’s happened.”

As she spoke, Gu Jianing couldn’t help but think of everything Wen Zhuqing had done to her and her family in her previous life. Intense emotions surged in her eyes.

Her hands clenched tightly.

If she told him everything, who knew how Sheng Zexi would react?

“If you think I’m scheming, vicious, and want to divorce me, then I—”

Before she could finish, Sheng Zexi pulled her into his arms and flicked her forehead lightly.

It hurt a little, but it also cut her words short.

“I won’t allow you to say things like that.”

“We’re married now, and we’ll never be apart. We’ll be happy together, hand in hand, for the rest of our lives.”

“Ningning, I don’t know what happened between you and Wen Zhuqing, but I believe you. How could I blame you? I just feel sorry for you.”

Sheng Zexi gently stroked Gu Jianing’s face, his eyes full of tenderness and heartache.

He’d just seen it—the hatred in Ningning’s eyes that she couldn’t quite hide. That wasn’t fake.

Wen Zhuqing must have done something truly unforgivable to make this little girl go to such lengths.

He felt both distressed and angry at himself for letting Ningning be bullied by someone else when he wasn’t around.

Honestly, he thought the beating he’d given Wen Zhuqing before was far too light.

“Ningning, no matter what you’re like, I’ll always like you.”

“Besides, I’m not exactly a saint myself. Don’t you always say I have a sharp tongue? And…” Sheng Zexi leaned in and told her about how he’d beaten up Wen Zhuqing the day of their matchmaking meeting.

Gu Jianing’s eyes widened, then she burst out laughing.

So, Sheng Zexi had been jealous over her jumping into the river for Wen Zhuqing.

But really, Wen Zhuqing was such a scumbag—he deserved a good beating.

After clearing the air, the two of them felt even closer, as if something invisible had drawn them together.

“Alright, little girl, don’t overthink things. Remember, I’m your husband. Whatever happens in the future, just tell me. And remember, no matter what, I’ll always be on your side and protect you.”

Just like the rest of the Gu family, Sheng Zexi had one defining trait: he fiercely protected his own.

“And what you need to do is just be yourself, and be happy.”

Be happy, and be yourself?

Sheng Zexi’s words made Gu Jianing’s eyes sting. In her previous life, hadn’t she lost her truest, most fundamental self because of Wen Zhuqing?

She’d devoted everything to him and lost herself in the process.

“A girl who’s always frowning isn’t any good. She’ll look like a sour pickle—wrinkled, sour, and skinny. That’s not pretty at all.”

“Sheng Zexi! Did you just call me a sour pickle?”

Gu Jianing brushed aside her earlier emotion and pretended to hit Sheng Zexi. This man really had a knack for ruining the mood with his mouth.

Sheng Zexi laughed and dodged, feeling relieved as he watched this lively Gu Jianing.

This was how it should be. Gu Jianing shouldn’t have to carry so much—she should be happy, living with the carefree joy a girl her age deserved.

Actually, Sheng Zexi had noticed for a while now—ever since he’d come back and seen Gu Jianing, he’d felt that she’d changed a little.

Sometimes, there was a trace of sorrow and weariness in her eyes, as if she was carrying a heavy burden of pain and emotion.

He hadn’t said anything, but he’d noticed.

And it made him feel even more protective.

Today, he had a vague feeling that it probably had something to do with Wen Zhuqing.

After the matchmaking meeting, he’d already sent someone to look into Wen Zhuqing and Ningning’s past.

It was obvious: the little girl had been chasing after that man, while the sly, hypocritical man kept stringing her along.

He’d even tricked her into jumping into the river for a job.

But after she was pulled out of the water, something in her changed.

The change was huge.

For a moment, Sheng Zexi had even wondered if something supernatural had happened.

But the moment he’d climbed in through the window that day and saw her, he was sure—no matter how she changed, she was still her.

And that was enough.

As for what exactly Wen Zhuqing had done to her, he’d wait until she was ready to tell him.

He wasn’t in a hurry.

He and Ningning were already married. They had a lifetime ahead of them. He could wait.

He’d wait for Ningning to tell him, wait for her to fully trust him, wait for her… to fall in love with him.

——

Three days later, Wen Zhuqing and Bao Shanyan’s wedding banquet was held as scheduled.

Wen Zhuqing was marrying into the Bao family. Normally, for a man to marry in like that, it was almost like a daughter being married off—the bride’s family was supposed to give a dowry.

But Bao Yingzi said that since Wen Zhuqing had taken advantage of Bao Shanyan, she was already being generous by letting him marry her daughter and not pursuing the matter further. There was no way she’d give a dowry on top of that.

Especially since none of Wen Zhuqing’s family—no parents or relatives—had come.

Still, Bao Yingzi assured everyone that once Wen Zhuqing joined the Bao family, he’d never go hungry.

To be fair, even though the Bao family was just Bao Yingzi and her daughter, the two of them were strong and had always been good hunters, so they lived pretty well. Even their house was one of the rare brick buildings in the village.

For the banquet, they invited quite a few people, and each table was piled with dishes—at least half of them were meat.

In the village, even those who weren’t close to the Bao family came for the food.

After all, in these times, many families barely had enough to eat, and meat was a rare treat—something you might only get a few times a year.

This was a rare opportunity.

Gu Jianing came along with her family to join the fun.

When she saw Wen Zhuqing being brought back to the Bao house on the back of Bao Shanyan’s bicycle, her jaw dropped.

One look at Wen Zhuqing’s face, and you could tell how humiliated and frustrated he was.

But it seemed he was powerless against Bao Shanyan.

Sure enough, sitting on the back seat of the bike, Wen Zhuqing felt utterly embarrassed and aggrieved.

When Bao Shanyan had ridden her bike to the educated youth spot to pick him up and insisted on taking him home, Wen Zhuqing had refused.

But it was no use.

Bao Shanyan was much stronger than him. No matter how much he struggled, she just picked him up and plopped him on the back seat.

If he resisted any more, she immediately threatened, “Zhuqing, if you’re this unwilling to marry into my family, do you want to go to jail instead?”

With that, Wen Zhuqing could only clench his fists and stop struggling.

Gu Jianing watched the whole scene in amazement. Seeing Wen Zhuqing’s miserable expression, she felt a surge of satisfaction.

Then she went with her family to the Bao house for the banquet.

She watched as Wen Zhuqing and Bao Shanyan made their vows in front of the leaders’ portraits, and then Wen Zhuqing, like a new bride, was sent off to the wedding room.

Meanwhile, Bao Shanyan, like a groom, stayed behind to eat, drink, and laugh with the guests."