In the living room, Liu Yan and her son, who had not been quiet for long, had come again. The moment Cen Shuang entered the room, Zhuang Tinghao fixed his eyes on her. If not for the reminder from Old Master Zhuang and the bandage on his head, he would have gone up to her again.
Cen Shuang walked forward and handed the box to her hesitantly. "Mom, this is..."
"I knew you'd be filial. In the past, we didn't celebrate Grandpa's birthday. You bought... Dad, quick, look at this vase. It's really beautiful."
This pair of porcelain vases were only palm-sized. Under the bright light, Cen Shuang could see that there were snowflake-like patterns all over the inside, making it look antique. They had cost a whole two million. When Cen Shuang thought of that card, she felt her heart ache.
Old Master Zhuang smiled and nodded. "That's very thoughtful of you, little girl. I like it very much."
Old Master Zhuang had never shown much emotion, and it was even rarer for him to praise others like this. Instantly, the gazes of all the relatives and friends in the room towards Cen Shuang changed.
Lan Yibai also smiled and said, "These vases are not cheap. I was scared that the money in the card I gave you could not cover it."
Cen Shuang was speechless for a second. Then, she replied, "It was just enough."
"This child is too honest. She spent all the money I had given her for living expenses on these porcelain vases for her grandfather." Lan Yibai smiled gently, but her words made everyone present think twice about underestimating Cen Shuang.
Cen Shuang came back to her senses and quickly said, "Happy birthday, Grandpa. I hope you have a bright and beautiful day."
"Sit down. It's just a birthday. So troublesome."
Liu Yan saw this and quickly said, "You only have a birthday once a year. It's just a family dinner. It's not troublesome. Moreover, Yeliang wanted to celebrate your birthday last month, but he was stuck at work until now."
Zhuang Yeliang said, "Father, it's our duty to celebrate your birthday."
The birthday banquet was not big, but the Zhuang family was not small. There were actually more than ten tables. Cen Shuang followed Lan Yibai throughout the night to speak with everyone. In their eyes, she seemed to see a look of disdain. At night, Elder Zhuang left early. Cen Shuang followed Lan Yibai until the end of the day.
"Mom, thank you." She did not know that it was Old Master Zhuang's birthday today. Lan Yibai had given her a card so she could buy the porcelain vases in her name for Old Master Zhuang's birthday. This mother-in-law of hers was really thoughtful. Otherwise, she would be the butt of everyone's jokes today.
"What are you thanking me for? You and I, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, are one. From now on, the Zhuang family will only have the two of us to rely on."
If Zhuang Hong never woke up, the two of them would lose all support once the old master died. After understanding Lan Yibai's point of view, Cen Shuang actually had a glimmer of hope that Zhuang Hong would wake up soon.
At night, Cen Shuang sat cross-legged on the bed. She was only wearing a suspenders skirt. The windows of the balcony were closed, and the air conditioner made the room cool. She held a half-used lipstick in her hand and moved it around Zhuang Hong's face. Still, the man on the bed did not move, allowing the woman to do whatever she wanted to his face. "I thought that after the Cen family went bankrupt, life would be very difficult. I couldn't bear to throw this lipstick away, but who knew that I would marry into the Zhuang family?"
As she spoke, she leaned toward him and her gentle breaths landed on the man's face. She smiled and said, "Your mother gave me a card, and I bought ten of these lipsticks."
So... She could act pretentious again now.
"It's a waste to throw them away. I'll let you use them. You look so pale. I'll first give you a red face, put eye shadow on you, then put some color on your lips. Otherwise, I'll draw a turtle on your face." Cen Shuang sat on the bed and played happily. She stared at the man below her. "I'll count to three. If you don't say anything, I'll assume you're okay with it. 1...2...3! Okay, you agreed. Now, let's draw a little turtle."
Even if she counted to three thousand, the man beneath her could not resist. She half-sprawled on top of the man's body. She did not care whether she would suffocate the man beneath her. After all, she did not have to worry about his sexual desires. She also did not worry that the man on the bed would jump up and retaliate against her. As she drew, she said, "Many of my classmates at school are laughing at me. Their eyes make me very sad. Zhuang Hong, did you know? They thought that I would have a very miserable life if the Cen family went bankrupt. Everyone was waiting to laugh at me. But today, the Zhuang family's car came to pick me up. Those people's jaws almost fell off."
"What do you think their expressions will be like when they see me tomorrow? If they find out that I married into the Zhuang family and married a vegetable, their eyes would look even scarier than now, right? Zhuang Hong, will you wake up or not?" The woman on the bed nagged at her husband, as she nestled into him. She treated him like a big bear that she could rely on.
"Then it's good that we're talking like this. Why haven't you woken up yet? Haven't we slept together for long enough? I don't think you look scary at all." Right now, she needed someone to whom she could vent her anger. Zhuang Hong was just right, and his illness was just right.