The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 105

Green.

‘Tan Yuan, do you think it’ll scare everyone to see a vampire and a witch side by side?’ Shen Cheng asked.

‘Do you really think everyone will be scared seeing a vampire and a witch?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘I don’t know,’ Shen Cheng said. ‘But everyone will ask why such a beautiful witch exists?’

Qiao Tan Yuan blushed. She didn’t want Shen Cheng to misunderstand she wanted to be more than friends with him.

Shen Cheng understood Qiao Tan Yuan’s intentions.

‘Let’s go inside,’ Shen Cheng said. ‘I’ve been waiting to show off my vampire cape for a long time.’

‘Um,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and followed Shen Cheng into the function room.

Everyone at the party was in costume.

‘Vampire?’ Tong Shang Wen asked Shen Cheng. ‘Doesn’t suit you.’

Qiao Tan Yuan looked at Tong Shang Wen’s costume, and didn’t know who he was disguised as.

‘Who are you meant to be?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Can’t you tell who I am?’ Tong Shang Wen asked. He puffed his chest. ‘I’m Guo Xu from the Bodyguards.’

‘I don’t think you look like Guo Xu,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Then who do I look like?’ Tong Shang Wen asked.

‘Xinmen Qing from the Golden Lotus,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Shen Cheng laughed, and Tong Shang Wen glared at Shen Cheng.

‘Don’t you have eyes?’ Tong Shang Wen asked Qiao Tan Yuan. ‘I clearly look like Guo Xu.’

‘Yes, yes, you’re Guo Xu,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘What’s the birthday man dressed as today?’

‘Zui Ren said he wants to be fas.h.i.+onably late to his own party,’ Tong Shang Wen said. ‘You’ll get to see his costume later when he makes a dramatic entrance.’

Du Lei Xin joined the group.

‘Lei Xin, who are you dressed as?’ Shen Cheng asked.

‘Kaito Kid from the Magic Kaito,’ Du Lei Xin said.

‘If you jump off from the stage, you’ll look more like Kaito Kid,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘Kaito Kid, what are you going to steal?’ Tong Shang Wen asked.

‘It depends what’s worth stealing here,’ Du Lei Xin said.

‘Here comes the power ranger couple,’ Tong Shang Wen said.

‘Aren’t I allowed to be a power ranger?’ Tan Pan Ting asked.

‘Of course you can,’ Tong Shang Wen said. He looked at the taller power ranger next to Tan Pan Ting. ‘Did big brother come with you two?’

‘I don’t know,’ Gu Jiao Wen said. ‘I called big brother’s phone, but it was switched off.’

Qiao Tan Yuan was relieved Gu Jiao Wu wasn’t at the party.

‘Let’s get something to drink before the main attraction,’ Tong Shang Wen said.

Suddenly the lights were switched off. Everyone froze until the lights were switched on again. A screen was projected on the stage wall, Shrek leapt off the stage and most of the female guests squealed.

Shrek landed in front of Tong Shang Wen.

‘What do you think of my costume?’ Hu Zui Ren asked.

‘Hu Zui Ren, I wouldn’t have guessed you secretly liked Shrek,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘I like the movie,’ Hu Zui Ren said.

‘I thought you’re dressed as Sadako from the Ring,’ Tong Shang Wen joked. ‘Speaking of Sadako, why aren’t there many guests dressed from horror movies?’

Shen Cheng looked around the function room.

‘True,’ Shen Cheng said. ‘Most of the guests are dressed as heroes and heroines.’

‘If we dress someone as Sadako, we can film Shrek and Sadako crawling off the stage together,’ Tong Shang Wen said.

‘You two, is this a party or a horror amus.e.m.e.nt park to scare guests?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘What’s the difference?’ Hu Zui Ren asked. ‘Alright, everyone go eat first while waiting for the main event.’

‘What’s the main event?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘Let’s go and eat,’ Hu Zui Ren said mysteriously.

‘Tan Yuan, I’m hungry,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Can you come with me to find food?’

‘Don’t you need your husband?’ Gu Jiao Wen asked.

‘I want to talk about women’s business with Tan Yuan,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Men are not invited.’

Tan Pan Ting linked arms with Qiao Tan Yuan, and they walked to a buffet table.

‘Tan Yuan, Xiao Bao is more than six months old now,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Have you weaned Xiao Bao off breast milk?’

‘Xiao Bao wants to eat more than drink breast milk,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘You’re so lucky to be free,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I need to endure a couple more months.’

Qiao Tan Yuan thought Xiao Bao was growing up too fast.

‘Time flies,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Babies grow bigger every day.’

Tan Pan Ting checked that no one could hear her except Qiao Tan Yuan.

‘Tan Yuan, it’s hard to raise Xiao Bao on your own,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Have you thought about…’

‘Pan Ting, I’m in a good place,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Right now, I don’t have any plans to change my single status.’

‘But…’ Tan Pan Ting said.

Tan Pan Ting used to hate the cold face Gu Jiao Wu. Lately, she found Gu Jiao Wu tolerable and she even pitied him by the way he moped around the house looking lonely.

‘Every day after work, big brother goes into the twins’ nursery and looks at them like he was looking at…’ Tan Pan Ting said.

‘Pan Ting, did he ask you to put in a good word for him?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

‘No,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘Do you think Gu Jiao Wu is someone who’ll ask another person to put in a good word for him?’

Qiao Tan Yuan agreed, it wasn’t Gu Jiao Wu’s style.

‘After giving birth, I realised children need both their parents to be involved in their lives,’ Tan Pan Ting said. ‘I love Xiao Bao. I hope Xiao Bao gets to receive love from both her parents. If you don’t want me to say anything else, I’ll stop.’

Tan Pan Ting had a soft heart. She recognised the way Gu Jiao Wu looked at the twins was as if Gu Jiao Wu was looking at Xiao Bao. She hated Gu Jiao Wu when he mistreated Qiao Tan Yuan. But she thought Gu Jiao Wu had changed, and she hoped Qiao Tan Yuan would give him a second chance.

‘I’m going to wash my hands,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said and walked to the bathroom.

In the bathroom Qiao Tan Yuan washed her hands. She looked in the mirror, and thought she looked like a convincing witch with her dark eyeliner and cape. She patted her cheeks to stop herself from being swayed by Tan Pan Ting’s words. She should be happy Gu Jiao Wu kept his promise.

After Qiao Tan Yuan touched up her witch makeup, she walked outside the bathroom and accidently b.u.mped into someone. Lucky the person she b.u.mped into held her waist before she fell. The person who saved her from falling was dressed like a wizard.

‘Thank you… Gu Jiao Wu?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan thought Gu Jiao Wu wouldn’t want to come to a party dressed in a costume.

‘You look surprised to see me,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu thought Qiao Tan Yuan looked like a beautiful witch. He pulled her closer to him until their noses touched, she was wearing perfume.

‘Let go,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

‘You’re wearing perfume,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘I can wear perfume if I want to,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu sniffed Qiao Tan Yuan’s neck, and kissed her lips that he missed.

End of Chapter 105