Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 98
by Little PandaWedding
In mid-August, Yan Yinan and Yu Shengnan’s wedding was held at a resort.
Nestled by the mountains and water, the scenery was beautiful. Both of them were doctors. Originally, they didn’t want a grand affair, but to make Grandfather Yan and Grandmother Yan happy, they chose to hold a small wedding attended only by family and friends.
An archway inlaid with fresh white roses was clustered with emerald green vines. Yan Yinan stood there, sharply dressed in a suit and beaming with joy. He tsked and said to Yan Xi, “Xiao Wu, your brother is getting married, and you didn’t even find a partner to bring along?”
“Third Brother, enough is enough.” Yan Xi glared at him.
“Haha, right, right, right! In the future, we’ll have to take care of you, you empty-nest elderly1!”
Yan Xi crossed her arms over her chest. “How long are you going to keep calling me that nickname!”
“Hahahaha!” Flushed with radiant success, Yan Yinan simply couldn’t control the upturned corners of his mouth.
Yan Xi rolled her eyes at him, not wanting to pay him any attention, and walked to the dressing room inside. Behind her, the sound of Yan Yinan laughing and chatting with his colleagues could still be heard.
In the dressing room, Liu Yiyi was applying makeup for Yu Shengnan. “Good thing I dragged you along to get a facial. Your skin finally looks decent!”
Doctor Yu squinted and smiled, still feeling that the dress was too troublesome.
“Please, please, this might be the only time in your life you ever wear a dress, so just bear with it!”
Originally, Liu Yiyi wanted to hire a professional makeup artist and stylist to dress her up, but Doctor Yu firmly refused. Left with no choice, she could only step up to the plate herself.
Yu Shengnan wore a simple white dress and refused to wear a veil. Fortunately, her hair had grown out a bit. The overall effect could be considered simple and dignified, while also carrying a sense of sharp, free-spirited elegance.
“Alright, don’t move, I’m drawing your eyeliner.”
“Troublesome!”
“Doctor Yu, your husband Yan Yinan even contoured and highlighted his own face. The least you can do is put on some eyeliner and mascara!”
As soon as Yan Xi entered, she saw her two sisters-in-law locked in a tug-of-war. One was brandishing a makeup brush, while the other awkwardly dodged it. The young girl on the adjacent sofa was suppressing a laugh as she watched the scene.
Yan Xi smiled silently, walked in, and sat down on the opposite sofa.
“Second Sister-in-law, you’re so skilled with that makeup pen!”
“Third Sister-in-law! Every profession has its specialty. This is just like you holding a scalpel. And this isn’t a makeup pen… it’s an eyeliner pen.”
Sitting on the sofa, Anzhi couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle a few times before noticing that someone on the opposite sofa was watching her.
She turned her head and saw Yan Xi gazing at her, her lips carrying that familiar, warm gentleness.
How long had it been since they last saw each other? Anzhi simply couldn’t look away. Her face felt a little hot. “Auntie.”
Yan Xi smiled, and Anzhi felt that her gaze remained constantly on her. “There’s a little rabbit who’s been so busy she won’t even come home. I thought I wouldn’t get to see you today.”
Anzhi’s cheeks grew even hotter. Little rabbit… Yan Xi had never called her that before. There seemed to be something different woven into that nickname, though she might just be overthinking it. “I went back on my birthday.”
“Oh…” Yan Xi drew out the word. Under her intense gaze, Anzhi didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet.
Over the summer, she and Yang Mengmeng had gone to work part-time at a tutoring center. The institution was founded by a shixiong who had already graduated. Beicheng University of Science and Technology had an excellent reputation, not to mention that Anzhi was a top student who had received guaranteed admission to the university at sixteen. After interviews and a trial period, they had smoothly secured the positions.
With all this busyness, more than a month of the summer vacation had passed, and she almost even forgot her own birthday.
Anzhi blinked several times and looked back at Yan Xi, only to find that Yan Xi was also looking at her with a faint smile.
Anzhi was absolutely certain that her cheeks had turned red. At the very first sight of this woman, her heart would race, her gaze irresistibly drawn to her eyes and her face. Only now did she get a clear look. Yan Xi was wearing an apricot-colored off-the-shoulder short dress that ended above her knees, revealing her slender, snow-white calves. A pair of stiletto heels accentuated the sexy arch of her feet.
Her gaze trailed upwards. Those bare shoulders were so pale they seemed to catch the light. This was a sensuality and charm that only a mature woman possessed. What was even more fatal was that she was completely oblivious to it.
Anzhi didn’t dare to look any longer and turned her head to look at her two aunts-in-law.
“Alright, alright, alright. Third Sister-in-law, I won’t draw anymore. We’ll just leave it like this.” After much painstaking effort, Liu Yiyi had barely managed to apply a light layer of makeup on Yu Shengnan.
The time had come, and the group headed outside. Everyone was beaming with joy. Without adhering to strict formalities, Yan Yinan walked straight over and pulled Yu Shengnan along. Lacking any of a typical bride’s bashful coyness, Yu Shengnan stepped forward naturally and addressed the two Yan family elders as “Grandfather, Grandmother.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Yan smiled and said, “Wait, we have an officiant. We still need to go through the proper procedures.”
The officiant began reading the vows, asking for their consent in turn. Yan Yinan and Yu Shengnan kept their eyes on each other the entire time. Their gazes held a deep, tender affection that only people truly in love possessed.
Without realizing it, Anzhi was moved as well.
For the exchange of rings, Da Pang held Yan Yinan’s men’s ring, while Anzhi held Yu Shengnan’s women’s ring.
Under the loving and smiling gazes of all their family and friends, they exchanged rings. When it came time for the kiss, Yu Shengnan grabbed Yan Yinan by his tie, pulled him close, and kissed him.
The Wedding March played continuously.
Everyone laughed and cheered, surrounding them. Even the air felt festive. Grandfather Yan and Grandmother Yan held hands, watching with beaming smiles.
Anzhi cupped her face in her hands and smiled too. Although marriage was still very far off for her, she was nonetheless touched.
Yan Xi’s gaze swept over and landed on her. The women at the wedding had all tacitly avoided wearing pure white. Anzhi was wearing a pink spaghetti-strap dress with butterfly bows tied at both shoulders. Her hair had grown quite long and was tied up in a half-bun hairstyle.
Yan Xi wondered if she had grown a little taller again. Standing in the crowd, she was slender and graceful. She had shed much of her youthful awkwardness, gaining a young woman’s delicate charm. She was incomparably beautiful.
The weather was perfect, with a clear, cloudless sky. Several long buffet tables were laden with delicious food, dessert cakes, wine, and beverages of all kinds. Waiters weaved back and forth between the family and guests.
Anzhi had rushed over early in the morning and was already feeling a bit hungry. She used the tongs to place some salmon slices and scallops onto her plate. When a waiter came by with a tray, Anzhi’s eyes darted around, and she reached out for a glass of champagne. However, Yan Xi, standing behind her, was one step faster and snatched the champagne glass away.
“You’re not allowed to drink,” Yan Xi said, taking a sip.
“…” Anzhi pouted slightly.
Wearing high heels, Yan Xi was much taller than her. She lowered her eyes, looked at her, and gave a small smile, as if she had seen right through her thoughts. “Even if you’re seventeen, it’s still not allowed.”
“I’m just curious. I’ve never drunk it before.” Anzhi wanted to sound more mature when she spoke, but whenever she got close to Yan Xi, she couldn’t help but soften her voice.
“Mn.” Yan Xi brought the glass to her lips. “Just one sip.”
Anzhi didn’t know if the blush on her face could provide a good excuse for her flushing cheeks. She bit her lip nervously.
Actually, it was nothing. In the past, they had shared the same cup and the same spoon. Before, she used to be very shy. After so much time had passed, she thought she would finally be able to act naturally around Yan Xi and face her maturely and naturally. Who knew she was still that little girl harboring a secret crush, whose heart would race the moment she drew near.
Anzhi took a small, gentle sip from Yan Xi’s glass.
“Did you not bring any friends?” Yan Xi asked her.
“I did. Mengmeng and her boyfriend are over there.” Anzhi steadied her racing heart and pointed.
Yan Xi looked in the direction she pointed. Mengmeng was holding a boy’s arm, chatting with a sweet smile. The two of them were holding plates and feeding each other food.
“Who is that boy?”
Anzhi smiled. “Auntie, do you still remember Chen Wei?”
“Chen Wei?” Yan Xi searched her memory and suddenly realized. “It’s him.” Yan Xi had an impression of him. Chen Wei was the first boy who had followed Anzhi home. Yan Xi remembered that she had even interrogated him and frightened him.
“Mn. Chen Wei goes to Beicheng Aviation University right next to us. It seems they reunited at a social mixer, and then they fell in love with each other.”
Yan Xi chuckled lightly. “That really is quite a coincidence.”
“Mn. Sometimes fate is just that wondrous.” Anzhi felt a little moved, but then she pouted again. “It’s just… Yang Mengmeng is always showing off her affection3 in front of me every single day!”
“So is your Third Uncle,” Yan Xi said helplessly.
The two of them smiled in unison and cast their gazes toward the newlywed couple who were acting so lovey-dovey.
Anzhi scanned their surroundings, hesitated for a moment, and gathered the courage to ask, “Auntie, didn’t you bring any friends?”
“There are a few colleagues at that table over there.”
Anzhi took a look. While she breathed a sigh of relief, she also felt a twinge of discomfort.
“Did you only bring Yang Mengmeng? Are there no… other people?” Yan Xi finished that glass of champagne, asking seemingly casually.
“Ah? Who else?” Anzhi didn’t catch on.
Yan Xi smiled and changed the subject. “How much longer do you have for your work at the tutoring center?”
“Mn. Right up until the start of the school term.”
“This summer is whatever, just treat it as gaining some experience. You don’t have to be this busy during future winter and summer vacations.”
The look in Yan Xi’s eyes was truly so gentle, almost to the point of deep, tender affection. The moment this phrase appeared in her mind, Anzhi immediately pushed it away.
“I… want to work part-time,” Anzhi said, staring at her shoes.
“You just need to focus on your studies. I heard from your Third Uncle that you got into the Top-notch class?”
“Mn. I entered the school’s ‘Basic Science Outstanding Talent Cultivation Plan’. The new curriculum already started last October.”
Last October… Yan Xi silently repeated the timeline in her mind. Wasn’t that just a month after the term started? She was only finding out about it now. In the past, Anzhi would tell her everything. She had grown up and had her own ideas now. Besides, what was the use of telling her? It wasn’t like she understood it anyway.
Yan Xi told herself not to mind it so much, but even so, she still felt an inexplicable sense of displeasure.
A breeze blew past, stirring their beautiful hair. For a moment, there was quiet.
Someone came over to speak with Yan Xi, offering wedding blessings and chatting about the newlyweds, interrupting their conversation. Anzhi unobtrusively retreated to the outside of the crowd.
Today was a joyous occasion. She indulged her greed and gazed at the person she liked. In a setting as brimming with deep affection as a wedding,
All longing and love ought to be encouraged.
At the very least, she could still stand there and gaze at her.
Footnotes
- A term for elderly people whose children have grown up and left home. Yan Yinan is jokingly calling Yan Xi an 'empty-nester' because Anzhi has moved out for university.
- A slang term literally meaning 'flower idiot' (huāchī), used for someone who is boy-crazy or acting foolishly in love.
- From the internet slang 'xiù ēn'ài' (show affection), referring to couples publicly displaying their affection, often to the mild annoyance of single people.
0 Comments