My Romance Game Updated – Chapter 129
by Little PandaMarriage
The farce finally ended, paid for with minor injuries to two people and a severe injury to another.
Wary of the dagger Mu Ning held against his neck, Zhou Zhilong didn’t dare force her any further. He could only offer a few pacifying words of advice before finally leading his people away from the Mu family home.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Mu family hurriedly arranged for Mu Xiao to be sent to the base hospital, all while keeping a close eye on Mu Ning. They didn’t dare provoke her with more insults, but they also didn’t dare let her leave just like that. In the end, Mu Chengzhi found an excuse, telling her, “You can’t use your esper ability right now. It’s dangerous for you out there. The Mu family is your only refuge and backer.”
Mu Ning couldn’t care less about Mu Chengzhi’s apparent concern, which was nothing but thinly veiled threats and warnings. Even without her esper ability, she would rather die outside than remain in the Mu family, letting others control her destiny.
Still, Mu Ning couldn’t help but feel troubled by her sudden inability to use her powers. She had to uncover the secret behind their disappearance and find a way to restore them. Besides, she had also developed a sudden curiosity about Mu Xiao’s abrupt bout of madness. So, when faced with Mu Chengzhi’s suggestion that she stay with the family, Mu Ning, who had previously been highly resistant, suddenly and cooperatively accepted.
However, accepting was one thing; actually staying was another. She presented Mu Chengzhi with a series of conditions: no restricting her personal freedom, no bothering her unless absolutely necessary, no using a commanding tone with her, and so on…
Hearing Mu Ning’s conditions, every single one of which directly challenged his authority as head of the household, Mu Chengzhi felt the veins on his forehead throb. Yet, considering they had to rely on her for the marriage alliance with the Zhou family, and knowing this crazy girl actually had the sheer ruthlessness to follow through on her suicide threat, Mu Chengzhi could only reluctantly accept the conditions she proposed, no matter how unwilling he was.
Hmph, go ahead and act tough while you can. Once that wolf cub from the Zhou family has you completely under his thumb, let’s see how arrogant you are then!
Mu Chengzhi didn’t doubt for a second that a ruthless wolf cub like Zhou Zhilong would find a way to tame her. After all, wasn’t her esper ability already completely suppressed by the person Zhou Zhilong had hired? As for how Zhou Zhilong would handle Mu Ning after this…
A cold smile curled the corner of Mu Chengzhi’s mouth.
Once Mu Ning temporarily settled into the Mu family home, she spent almost all her time in the room Mu Chengzhi had assigned her, even eating her three daily meals there. The rest of the family didn’t have the energy to complain about her unsociable behavior; their minds were entirely consumed by Mu Xiao’s condition.
The kick Zhou Zhilong had landed on Mu Xiao was far more severe than they had initially thought. Even as a 4th-Order esper, Mu Xiao faced the very real possibility of lifelong paralysis. Upon learning how grave the injury was, the Zhou family visited them bearing generous gifts to offer a formal apology. Whether Zhou Zhilong had said something to his parents after returning home or not, the Zhou family was now fully committed to the marriage alliance, firmly recognizing Mu Ning as their future daughter-in-law.
Mu Chengzhi was, of course, delighted by the Zhou family’s attitude. But as the other party in this arrangement, Mu Ning remained consistently cold and indifferent to Zhou Zhilong. Every time he suggested taking her out to show her around Ning’an Base, she ruthlessly rejected him.
Having their future daughter-in-law humiliate their son like this naturally bred resentment in Zhou Zhilong’s parents. Yet, they were just as hypocritical as their son, never showing their displeasure openly. Only after returning to their own estate would they scold her with all kinds of nasty words behind her back. Meanwhile, Zhou Zhilong had to work hard to maintain his devoted lover persona. Even as Mu Ning turned him down time and again, he persistently visited her, trying to foster their relationship.
Perhaps his relentless efforts finally paid off. One day—after who knew how many consecutive visits where he showed up at the Mu house like clockwork—the Mu family prepared themselves for yet another brutal rejection. Yet, for some reason, the Zhou Zhilong who arrived today seemed significantly more subdued. When he perfunctorily asked Mu Ning if she wanted to go for a walk, she stared coldly at him for a long time before suddenly nodding in agreement.
Mu Ning had actually accepted Zhou Zhilong’s invitation?
Everyone, including Zhou Zhilong himself, stared in wide-eyed shock. Mu Ning didn’t care about their reactions. She simply walked up to him, and the dagger she had habitually kept clutched in her hand all this time was also put away now.
“Didn’t you invite me out for a walk? What are you standing there for? Let’s go.” With that, she took the lead and headed out the door.
Zhou Zhilong hesitated for a moment before catching up with her. Watching their retreating figures, the members of the Mu family exchanged excited looks. It seemed there was a real chance after all!
They had originally expected a devious brat like Zhou Zhilong to use underhanded methods to force her, only marrying her after the raw rice was cooked into cooked rice1. Who would have thought his gentle offensive would actually work? To think even a cold and heartless woman like Mu Ning could finally be moved by him!
But no matter how Zhou Zhilong had pulled it off, one thing was certain: this marriage alliance between the Mu and Zhou families was in the bag!
While the Mu family temporarily brushed aside their worries over Mu Xiao’s health to celebrate their impending good fortune, Mu Ning and Zhou Zhilong strolled slowly through the base in silence, one behind the other. As they neared the exit of the base, Mu Ning finally lost her patience and spoke up. “Is this how you show me around? You’re not going to introduce a single place? Didn’t you use to have a lot more bullshit to say?”
“…” Zhou Zhilong looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. After a long pause, he said in a low, muffled voice, “There’s no point in showing you around Ning’an Base. I don’t think you’re suited to stay in this base.”
“Oh? Whether I’m suited to stay in this base is decided by a single word from you? Besides, weren’t you the one who personally traveled thousands of miles to Nanhai Base to bring me to Ning’an Base? And now you’re telling me I’m not suited for Ning’an Base?”
“I…” Zhou Zhilong’s voice sounded heavy, tinged with a trace of irritation. “How was I supposed to know you didn’t want to marry me? After you hurt your neck last time, I went back and reflected for a few days. I realized a forced melon is not sweet2. Since you really don’t want to marry me, it would be better if…”
Before Zhou Zhilong could finish, Mu Ning cut him off. “Who said I don’t want to marry?”
“You…” Interrupted suddenly by Mu Ning, Zhou Zhilong was taken aback for a moment, but once her words registered, he stared in sheer disbelief. “What did you say?”
“I said, now I want to marry you again,” Mu Ning repeated once more, showing a rare good temper.
Mu Ning, who had always detested Zhou Zhilong and had been extremely resistant to the marriage between the two families, was actually agreeing to marry him now? Could it be that she…
“Are you crazy?”
Zhou Zhilong accidentally blurted out his true thoughts.
“I’m crazy? Why do I feel like you’re the one who is crazy?” Mu Ning slanted her eyes at Zhou Zhilong, her face full of mockery. “Weren’t you the one who always wanted to marry me? You even came all the way to Nanhai Base to pick me up. Now that I’ve agreed, what kind of attitude is this?”
“…” Facing her questioning, Zhou Zhilong fell silent. It took a long while before his low, muffled voice sounded again. “Do you really… want to marry me?”
“Yes,” Mu Ning answered without a single shred of hesitation.
“Well, alright then, up to you… as long as… you’re happy.”
When the Mu and Zhou families suddenly learned of the two’s desire to marry, they were pleasantly surprised but also deeply puzzled. How had these two suddenly decided to get married after just going out for a stroll?
Could it be that during this short stroll, Zhou Zhilong had used some method to further touch Mu Ning’s heart, making her fall for him? But judging by their expressions upon returning, neither of them looked particularly happy. In fact, they both seemed rather cold…
Oh! Got it. Perhaps Zhou Zhilong realized that clinging to Mu Ning so enthusiastically was useless, so he switched to an aloof and cool route? And Mu Ning just happened to be a sucker for the aloof treatment, instantly falling for his cool demeanor?
After a thorough round of deduction and analysis, Mu Chengzhi finally arrived at a conclusion: Heh. Women. Sometimes they just love to be… gluttons for punishment3!
Regardless of Mu Ning’s reasons for agreeing, the Mu and Zhou families threw themselves into wedding preparations with fiery enthusiasm. It was prepared even more meticulously than Grandfather Mu’s eightieth birthday celebration.
On Grandfather Mu’s eightieth birthday, the cold and indifferent Mu Ning continued to hide in her room, not even bothering to show her face to offer her wishes. Yet on her wedding day, she was surprisingly cooperative, putting on a wedding dress and veil to complete the ceremony with Zhou Zhilong.
Of course, since it was the apocalypse after all, the wedding wasn’t overly extravagant. Furthermore, at the insistence of both Mu Ning and Zhou Zhilong, several traditional segments were skipped entirely—such as the parents walking the bride down the aisle, the speeches from both sets of parents, and the customary toasts during the banquet.
In short, with various steps bypassed and the bride and groom wearing entirely unreadable expressions, the wedding concluded smoothly.
Once the wedding ended, the newlyweds were ushered into the bridal chamber, surrounded by a cheering crowd.
As the surrounding clamor finally faded into the distance, the newlyweds in the room lapsed into an awkward silence. Strangely, instead of showing any of the excitement or joy expected on a wedding night, the groom, Zhou Zhilong, looked rather restless and anxious.
Mu Ning sat quietly on the bridal bed. She watched coldly as Zhou Zhilong stood in the furthest corner of the room, hands clasped over his lower abdomen. After glancing around the room aimlessly, he lowered his head to stare intently at the floor, refusing to cast even a single glance at his bride. After a long while, Zhou Zhilong suddenly tossed out, “I suddenly have some business,” and hurriedly tried to leave the room.
Seeing that Zhou Zhilong was about to push open the room door, Mu Ning finally spoke up unhurriedly. “On our wedding night, you’re leaving your wife behind to keep an empty room? If you walk out like this, are you trying to make me a laughingstock to the people outside?”
“I…” Zhou Zhilong hesitated, then steeled himself and blurted out, “To tell you the truth, I’m actually impotent. So tonight… I, I, I…”
“…” The cold expression that had been on Mu Ning’s face finally cracked, replaced by a highly complicated expression. “I really have to hand it to you… to think you’d actually make up an excuse like that…”
The author has something to say:
A very familiar excuse…
Footnotes
- A common Chinese idiom, sheng mi zhu cheng shu fan, meaning a situation has become irreversible. Frequently used in webnovels regarding marriage or physical intimacy.
- A common Chinese proverb, qiang niu de gua bu tian, indicating that forcing someone into a romantic union or cooperative arrangement yields poor results.
- A derogatory Chinese slang term, fanjian, describing someone acting despicably, cheaply, or inviting mistreatment. Literally translated as inviting cheapness.
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