Chapter 693 So What if a Woman’s Appearance Is Pleasing to the Eye?
People constantly looked in their direction ever since Fu Huai’an stepped into the restaurant.
Never mind the fact that Fu Huai’an’s attire and aura didn’t fit in with this restaurant—his mature air of n.o.bility was attention-grabbing to begin with, let alone his handsome and manly features.
Everything in w.a.n.g Mang Restaurant was self-service. After Lin Nuan sat down, Fu Huai’an got up to pour some hot tea for them. Lin Nuan raised her head to look at Fu Huai’an and said, “Sit down. I’ll go get it…”
Lin Nuan was more pet.i.te than Fu Huai’an, making it easier for her to move around in the packed restaurant.
Lin Nuan got two cups of hot tea from the tea dispenser and carefully avoided other customers as she returned to the table, placing a cup in front of Fu Huai’an.
The tea was the cheapest kind of tea served to guests. Lin Nuan thought Fu Huai’an wouldn’t be used to drinking it, but he surprisingly didn’t mind.
“Dishes for two people!” the boss called out from the small window.
Fu Huai’an looked towards the small window. The boss was wiping up soup that had accidentally spilled onto the edge of the plate when he was plating the food. His features were average-looking but had a righteous feel to them. His skin had a healthy tan, and the noticeable burn scar on his right eye looked somewhat scary.
Lin Nuan brought the dishes back to the table and served the rice to Fu Huai’an.
After they finished eating and Lin Nuan had cleaned the table, she stepped out of the restaurant with Fu Huai’an. Fu Huai’an pursed his lips and didn’t say a word.
Lin Nuan thought that Fu Huai’an didn’t like places like this, so she held his hand tightly and said, “If you don’t like this place, we won’t come back here next time. I just suddenly thought of this restaurant. I heard from Bai Xiaonian that the boss is a leg amputee and that she would come to support the boss and his business whenever she was free. So I…”
“I don’t dislike the place!” Fu Huai’an helped Lin Nuan to open the front pa.s.senger door. “The food is excellent! I like it a lot…”
Lin Nuan didn’t know if Fu Huai’an was just trying to comfort her, but she pursed her lips as she sat in the car and thought that she shouldn’t bring Fu Huai’an here again in the future. If she wanted to support the boss and his business, she could come with Bai Xiaonian.
Lin Nuan actually respected the boss a lot. Although he had a physical disability, he didn’t use that as an excuse to roam the streets and live his days out as a beggar. Instead, he made a living for himself with his own two hands. His fighting spirit was something that many people could learn from.
During the car ride, Lin Nuan didn’t bring up w.a.n.g Mang Restaurant to Fu Huai’an again. Instead, she talked about Uncle Blessing and Aunt Blessing in Jincheng.
Since the wedding date had been set, Lin Nuan wanted to take some time to visit Uncle Blessing and Aunt Blessing in Jincheng with Fu Huai’an and personally inform the two elders that they were getting married.
“You don’t have to worry about Uncle Blessing and Aunt Blessing. Little Lu just has to bring them over in advance when the time comes!”
…
The wedding was set to be held on New Year’s Day, and they didn’t have much time to prepare for it.
While Lin Nuan and Fu Huai’an were busy making intense preparations for the wedding, the program that Miss Xia had designed for Lin Nuan, “Talking with Lin Nuan”, had signed a contract with Jinjiang TV Station under the agency’s name.
Jinjiang was a neighboring city near Haicheng.
The program would be filmed in advance. The guests for the first episode were the creators of “The Exorcist”, and this first episode was slated to air on Christmas Day.
This was to generate hype for “The Exorcist,” which was set to release on New Year’s Day.
Lin Nuan had to go to Jinjiang TV Station to film the program at 7:30 pm today. She knew the guests, so after she skimmed through the script, she began preparing for the wedding!
Fu Huai’an intended to hold the wedding at their new home. Lin Nuan agreed…
Regarding the wedding guests, Lin Nuan didn’t have that many friends to invite. It was her parents who were stressed about this!
When she got Liang Mulan’s call, Lin Nuan didn’t think too much about it. After asking about the wedding, Liang Mulan said, “You and Huai’an! The wedding date you two picked is too close. The friends and family that your father and I informed are all overseas. I don’t even know if they can make it back in time!”
Lin Nuan paused. The Lin family wanted to invite people too?
Lin Nuan couldn’t help but think about Lin Ran. Liang Mulan was pulling out all the stops to organize her wedding, inviting the Lin family’s relatives and friends. Never mind the fact that Lin Ran might feel uncomfortable, even Lin Nuan thought this would make things awkward for her. After all, everyone in Haicheng knew that the two of them didn’t get along.
“Your father and I have already come up with the list of guests to invite to the wedding. You… you and Huai’an should come in the afternoon and see if any changes have to be made to the list. Your grandparents still want to invite their old friends, and their wedding guest list should be confirmed this afternoon. You two can then provide the wedding planners with our list in advance and let them make the arrangements! I’ve already indicated who cannot sit together at the same table.”
Liang Mulan told Lin Nuan to go back to the Lin household with Fu Huai’an that afternoon. Lin Nuan subconsciously replied, “I have to go to Jinjiang TV Station to film a new program this afternoon.”
“Oh! Then the two of you can come at night!” Liang Mulan didn’t mind at all. “The whole family can have dinner together too! Your grandparents want you to get married at the Lin family mansion, but your father and I want you to get married at our house. After all… you grew up here, so it would be meaningful!”
Lin Nuan had mixed emotions upon hearing that Liang Mulan planned for her to hold the wedding at the Lin household…
The Lin family didn’t seem to care about what she thought at all. Upon hearing that she was going to get married, they started preparing for the wedding while complaining about how rushed the preparations were. They even discussed whether to hold the wedding at the Lin family mansion or the Lin household. It was as if they didn’t think that she wasn’t a child of the Lin family at all!
They were really preparing for the wedding as though she was a daughter of the Lin family!
But doing this would hurt Lin Ran’s feelings.
Lin Ran already minded the fact that she was too close to the Lin family and saw them too often. If she were to get married at the Lin household, that would be akin to the Lin family admitting that she was a daughter of the Lin family…
How would Lin Ran feel?
On the other end of the line, Liang Mulan continued to rattle on… She complained that it was far too rushed and that she wasn’t able to make adequate preparations for Lin Nuan in time. At the same time, she went on about how as the bride’s side of the family, the Lin family had to prepare something for the wedding.
Lin Nuan wanted to turn Liang Mulan down. However, after hearing her excited yet grumbling words, everything she wanted to say was stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t say a word.
“Forget it, I can’t explain it properly over the phone. You and Huai’an should just come tonight! I’ll go into detail when we see each other in person. There are still many details I have to discuss with the two of you!”
“Filming for the new program starts at 7:30 pm today. I don’t know when we’ll wrap up filming, so I’m afraid we can’t go back tonight. Auntie Li is also on leave today, and she still has to prepare dinner for Tuan Tuan in the afternoon. And I’m looking through possible locations for the wedding photos right now, which has to be confirmed today. So I don’t think we’ll have time.”
Lin Nuan tried to explain things to Liang Mulan as clearly as possible so that she wouldn’t feel bad.
“You don’t have time today…” Liang Mulan felt upset and paused before she opened her mouth again to speak. “Then you can come back tomorrow or the day after! You can’t drag things out any longer than that! The guest list has to be confirmed soon, and after the wedding venue is confirmed, we might still have to tidy up the house a bit! These are all extremely urgent matters!”
“I know, Mom!” Lin Nuan’s words sounded unintelligible, as she didn’t dare to reply to her too clearly.
“Nuan Nuan, work is important, but getting married is a huge thing in our lives. Us women only get married once. You have to take it seriously, okay?”
“I know, Mom!” Lin Nuan felt her heart ache.
“Then you and Huai’an have to take some time to come back as soon as possible. You don’t have to inform us beforehand!” Liang Mulan urged.
Lin Nuan couldn’t bear to reject Liang Mulan over the phone. She had mixed emotions as she hung up.
Liang Mulan treated Lin Nuan like her own daughter, and she even invited friends and family to attend her wedding. Lin Nuan felt very happy…
But how would Lin Ran feel about Liang Mulan doing all this?
She gripped her phone tightly and felt uneasy.
The phone vibrated. Lin Nuan, who was curled up on the sofa, glanced at the screen. It was Lin Ran calling.
Lin Nuan hesitated before picking up the call. “h.e.l.lo…”
“Do you know that Mom plans to let you get married at the Lin household?” Lin Ran asked.
Over the phone, Lin Nuan could hear the sound of Lin Ran flipping the pages of a book. Lin Nuan lowered her eyes. “Yeah, Mom just called. Don’t worry, I’ll talk it out with her.”
“Mom already asked for my opinion, and I agreed to it. Don’t worry and accept her suggestion…” Lin Ran’s voice was very calm and had no anger or sarcasm in it.
Lin Nuan was very surprised.
Lin Ran said in a seemingly impatient tone, “Now that Mom’s like this, she can’t properly prepare for your wedding. And Mom’s just sitting around at home anyway. It’s good to give her something to do, because now she won’t bother me at home all day!”
In two sentences, Lin Ran mentioned both of their mothers—Ji Yun and Liang Mulan.
She didn’t address Liang Mulan as “my mom” to draw the line between the two of them like before. This made Lin Nuan smile, and what she said after that warmed Lin Nuan’s heart.
“But, just so we’re clear, if Mom tells you anything like… having me as your bridesmaid, just forget it and don’t take her seriously,” Lin Ran said in an awkward tone.
Liang Mulan indeed hadn’t talked to Lin Nuan about having Lin Ran as her bridesmaid.
Lin Nuan knew that Lin Ran allowing Liang Mulan to prepare for her wedding, as well as allowing her to get married at the Lin household, was already her biggest show of kindness to her!
Lin Ran probably agreed to all of this because the pain in her heart had been soothed after she felt Ji Yun’s unconditional love for her when she met her…
“Then, can I ask you for a favor?” Lin Nuan spoke in the professional voice she typically used for hosting. It didn’t have the gentleness present in her usual voice.
On the other end of the line, Lin Ran paused, and the sound of flipping pages stopped. “I want to make it clear… that there is no need to discuss our close interactions from that day! I’m not that close to you, and I don’t want to get so close to you either!”
Lin Nuan smiled. “On that day… I want Mom to be there too. But Mom only recognizes you now. Can I trouble you to help me take care of her on that day?”
Lin Ran couldn’t possibly turn down her request to take care of Ji Yun.
The small sound of flipping pages could be heard from the other end of the line. Lin Ran then slowly opened her mouth to speak. “That’s no problem at all!”
“Then, I’ll leave that to you!”
Lin Nuan didn’t thank Lin Ran, only telling her she’d leave Ji Yun in her hands. Lin Ran knew that by doing this, Lin Nuan had considered her Ji Yun’s daughter.
On the other end of the line, Lin Ran smiled slightly. “Perfect timing. I’ll visit Mom in the afternoon and pick out a dress for her to wear! She… just don’t worry about her! Focus on preparing for your wedding!”
Accepting Lin Ran’s kindness, Lin Nuan nodded. “Okay, you’ll take care of that then!”
“I’m hanging up!”
After Lin Ran was done speaking, she hung up.
Fu Huai’an came downstairs and saw Lin Nuan s.p.a.cing out while clutching her phone. “Who called?” he asked.
She turned to look at Fu Huai’an and quickly grabbed a couch cus.h.i.+on to cover the Christmas present that she’d partially prepared for him. She then put her phone on the coffee table and pretended to be looking through locations for the wedding photos…
“It was Lin Ran. She said that my mom from the Lin family wanted to invite friends and family to our wedding, and she agreed to it! She also agreed to Mom’s idea of letting me get married at the Lin household…”
Fu Huai’an nodded after hearing that. He was surprised to hear of Lin Ran’s magnanimity.
“Then, what do you think?” Fu Huai’an walked to the back of the couch and placed his hands on the armrests. He then looked down at the locations in Lin Nuan’s hand.
“My mom from the Lin family is so enthusiastic that it won’t be nice for me to turn her down. And if Lin Ran is genuinely okay with her ideas, I’d be really grateful for that, and all the more, I have to ensure she doesn’t look awkward! I think we should just stick to our original plan and invite our friends and family to our new home. What do you think?”
Lin Nuan raised her head such that it was leaning against the back of the couch and looked at Fu Huai’an.
Fu Huai’an held Lin Nuan’s face and leaned down to kiss her…
All that Lin Nuan could see was the curve of Fu Huai’an’s Adam’s apple as it bobbed. It was manly and s.e.xy and caused her ears to flush.
“You have the final say!” Fu Huai’an moved away from her as he spoke. The slight vibrations from his deep voice caused Lin Nuan’s scalp to feel slightly numb.
Fu Huai’an stood upright and walked towards the kitchen. He asked, “How’s the progress on the location for the wedding photos?”
Lin Nuan looked down again at the locations in her hand. She turned to lie against the back of the couch and craned her neck to reply to Fu Huai’an, who was pouring himself a gla.s.s of water in the kitchen. “The locations they picked out are all overseas, and I don’t want to go overseas. What do you think about taking the photos in our new house?”
Fu Huai’an took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator, closed the refrigerator door, and said, “I’m okay so long as you like it…”
“Then, I’ll inform Little Lu!” Lin Nuan sat on the couch cross-legged and prepared to call Little Lu to tell him what she thought.
The doorbell rang before she even made the call.
It wasn’t time for Tuan Tuan to return home from kindergarten yet. Lin Nuan put down her phone. Just as she put on a slipper, Fu Huai’an walked out with the bottle of water in hand and motioned for Lin Nuan to sit down. “I’ll get the door!”
Lin Nuan put on both slippers. She was afraid she’d look distasteful if she sat on the sofa cross-legged.
The phone vibrated, and Lin Nuan glanced at the screen. She received a new email. As she picked up her phone, her eyes subconsciously looked in the direction of the doorway.
Fu Huai’an had already opened the door and was standing in the doorway, holding onto the door handle with one hand. He seemed like he wasn’t going to let in the person standing outside.
Lin Nuan’s heart clenched as she thought about what happened when Fu Huai’an’s biological father, Jiang Chengyuan, came to look for him that afternoon. She subconsciously stood up from the couch.
Fu Huai’an was tall and slender and blocked Lin Nuan’s line of sight as he stood at the door. She could only see a pair of men’s leather shoes.
Lin Nuan couldn’t hear what Fu Huai’an and the person outside were saying. Worried that something would happen, she subconsciously moved towards the door.
“Huai’an, even if you don’t have any use for my shares in the Kaide Corporation anymore, can’t you let me in as a guest?”
The man had a deep and thick voice and sounded like he was in his fifties or sixties. He sounded like he was smiling, as if he was joking around.
“Mr. Chu is busy, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to waste his time,” Fu Huai’an said slowly in his mature voice, calmly distancing himself from the man.
Chu Xun’s father couldn’t hold back the smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lin Nuan was standing nearby. His smiling eyes looked past Fu Huai’an to glance towards Lin Nuan. Although he was smiling, his gaze was penetrating.
“Is it worth it to give up Chu Xun for a fake daughter of the Lin family? They say that beautiful people age easily, and outer beauty is only temporary. So what if a woman’s appearance is pleasing to the eye? Just keep her by your side and nothing more. For your real wife, you have to look at her background! And your real wife should be magnanimous. She should tolerate other women so long as they don’t cross the line. And most importantly, your real wife has to support your career!”
Chu Xun’s father looked towards Lin Nuan again. “So what if you marry someone beautiful? Other than being beautiful… she’s useless!”
Chu Xun’s father’s words were seemingly directed at Lin Nuan and were slightly harsh.
Lin Nuan recognized the man to be Chu Xun’s father, Chu Fangzheng. She’d seen him when she was still a daughter of the Lin family and accompanied Old Madam Lin to Old Madam Chu’s birthday banquet. Back then, Chu Fangzheng was still a warm and pleasant elder. He would stroke Lin Nuan’s head as he talked about how she was so beautiful, just like Old Madam Lin when she was younger.
Now, on their second meeting, his words were filled with malice.
Chu Fangzheng looked back at Fu Huai’an and said in a grave tone, “Beautiful women can’t support you in your career right now, and their beauty will fade away with time. You’ll get nothing in the end! Huai’an… you’re a mature and smart man. You should know who is truly a good match for you!”
Fu Huai’an looked at Chu Xun’s father with a hint of a smile. “Mr. Chu is a businessman and has been making calculated decisions all his life…”
“Aren’t you a businessman?” Chu Fangzheng smiled and retorted.
“I am, but I only make decisions, not evaluated ones…” Fu Huai’an placed a hand in his pocket and looked at Chu Fangzheng. “Even if I really have to make an evaluated decision, the prices of the shares held by the Lin family’s son, Lin Chen, are now at their peak. And he just gave me a signed transfer agreement for 8% of the Kaide Corporation’s shares without compensation. According to your calculated methods of making decisions, Mr. Chu, how should I choose?”
The smile on Chu Fangzheng’s face stiffened.
Lin Nuan, who was standing behind Fu Huai’an, felt surprised as well. She didn’t know that Lin Chen had given Fu Huai’an a signed transfer agreement for 8% of the Kaide Corporation’s shares. As far as Lin Nuan knew, the Lin family didn’t own any of the Kaide Corporation’s shares.
“Does Mr. Chu have anything else?” Fu Huai’an asked again.
Chu Fangzheng was indeed surprised. After all, 8% of the Kaide Corporation’s shares wasn’t a small sum. This was even more than all of the shares owned by the Chu family combined!
Together, Chu Fangzheng and his relatives owned 5% of the shares. Chu Fangzheng had even held on to the 5% of shares that he owned as if they were something precious. He even refused to sell them to Fu Huai’an when he offered a price several times higher than the market price. The Lin family just gave up their shares to Fu Huai’an so easily!
Chu Fangzheng’s words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say a word.
Lin Nuan was prettier than his daughter, so he tried to use Lin Nuan’s ident.i.ty as a fake daughter of the Lin family against her, suggesting that she wasn’t of use to Fu Huai’an.