Reaching out, she touched the ring on her left ring finger. Zhao Nuanyue felt content, her heart warm and sweet. She was a little disappointed that the wedding couldn’t be held as scheduled, but it wasn’t important enough to make her resent the people around her, or to resent Hua Yusen.
From the very beginning, what she had wanted was love, not formality. Of course, it would have been nice to have the formality too.
"Ah, our Little Red Carp is always the clever one at critical moments. I’ve figured it out now!" Zhao Nuanyue praised, then kissed her little sister’s cheek. "Alright, I won’t think about it anymore. Time for bed!"
"That’s the spirit!" Little Red Carp nodded. "By the way, Sister, I’ve made great progress in my cultivation recently, and I found some good stuff in our Space Ring!"
"Huh? Isn’t it empty inside? What good stuff could there be?" Zhao Nuanyue knew that her space was empty, aside from the things she had put in it herself.
"It wasn’t that there was nothing before, it’s that I wasn’t strong enough to open it!" Little Red Carp explained. "Because Qingya Lake has Dragon Energy, I used that Dragon Energy in my cultivation and now have enough power to open that door. I want to pick a good time to go in and take a look. You and Brother can be my protectors. If there’s good stuff inside, we can bring more of it out!"
Hearing Little Red Carp’s words, Zhao Nuanyue asked, "Is it dangerous in there? If it is, you shouldn’t go rashly. I’m afraid something might happen to you! Wait until your cultivation is strong enough, then go in."
"It’s fine, there’s no danger inside!" Little Red Carp shook her head. "Before the Old Dragon King left, he left me some cultivation techniques. He already arranged what I can do once I reach a certain level. I’ve reached a new stage now, and according to my old master’s instructions, there are some things I can do! I just think those places are on a time limit. If there are good things inside and I can’t carry them all by myself, wouldn’t that be a huge waste? An opportunity like this will only come once. Once it closes, it won’t open again! I’d have to wait until I make another breakthrough in my cultivation!"
Hearing Little Red Carp’s words, Zhao Nuanyue was finally relieved. A kind and compassionate being like the Old Dragon King would never harm Little Red Carp. He had left, but he had also left behind cultivation methods for her. If fate allowed, Little Red Carp would continue to cultivate. If not, he would have no regrets.
"Oh my gosh, that’s amazing! Since there’s no danger, let’s wait until I’m done with all this. We’ll pick a good day, and with your brother, the three of us can go in together to discover all the good things." Zhao Nuanyue said excitedly. This good news from Little Red Carp swept away the disappointment in her heart.
"Okay, Sister, I’ll wait for you!" Little Red Carp nodded, then snuggled into her sister’s arms, closed her eyes, and got ready to sleep.
It was only with Little Red Carp’s good news, the understanding of her younger siblings, and Hua Yusen’s ring to keep her company that Zhao Nuanyue was able to find peace in her heart and face everything calmly.
The next day, it was already bright daylight when Zhao Nuanyue woke up.
Zhao Nuanyang was already up and had made rice porridge, pan-fried salted fish, and stir-fried Dragon Wisdom Grass.
When Zhao Nuanyue got to the kitchen, she saw her brother had already made breakfast. He said with a grin, "Sister, Little Red Carp, time to eat!"
"Oh, Nuanyang, why are you up so early today?" Zhao Nuanyue asked with a smile. "Do you have something to do?"
"Not at all. I took a couple of days off from work, so I don’t have to go in. I figured I’d get up and make breakfast for you and Little Sister so you could take it easy!" Zhao Nuanyang said, watching his sister’s expression. Seeing that she wasn’t sad or upset, he felt a little relieved.
"Alright, Nuanyang, you don’t have to be so careful around me. I’m doing just fine right now. Even though Hua left, I know he didn’t mean for this to happen, and that’s enough for me." Zhao Nuanyue said. "Besides, we don’t have that many relatives around, so it’s not a lot of trouble. After we eat, we can go and explain the situation in person to Master Hu’s wife, Master Hu, Uncle Qian, Aunt Qian, and the others."
"Sister, it’s wonderful that you can see it that way. I was worried you’d be heartbroken!" Zhao Nuanyang said with a laugh. "After all, a wedding is incredibly important to a woman. When Hua comes back, you have to make him compensate you with an even grander wedding."
"Alright, let’s talk about the future in the future. We’ve already registered our marriage, and the organization recognizes it. So these formal ceremonies... it’s fine if we have them, and it’s fine if we don’t. I truly don’t mind." Zhao Nuanyue emphasized again. "So don’t you guys worry, and don’t be sad."
"Okay, okay, Brother, Sister, hurry up and eat! Little Red Carp is hungry!" Little Red Carp grumbled, getting a little impatient as her brother and sister kept talking.
"Alright, let’s eat!" Zhao Nuanyue laughed. "We’ll go visit our relatives right after!"
But just as Zhao Nuanyue, Little Red Carp, and Zhao Nuanyang finished breakfast, Feng Wanru arrived in person, with Hua Yulin following behind her.
"Auntie, Yu Lin, what are you doing here?" Zhao Nuanyue was very surprised, then invited them in. "Don’t just stand outside, please, come in!"
Seeing they had guests, Zhao Nuanyang went to the kitchen to brew some tea. He brought it in, placed it on the table, and said, "Aunt Hua, Hua, please have some tea!"
Feng Wanru nodded and said, "Thank you, Nuanyang! Nuanyang, don’t trouble yourself. Sit down, I have something to say to you and your sister."
Zhao Nuanyang nodded. He knew Feng Wanru had definitely come to talk about his future brother-in-law.
"Nuanyue, as you know, Yu Sen was called away by Elder Gu in the middle of the night yesterday. He left overnight for a mission, so tomorrow’s wedding cannot proceed as planned." Feng Wanru’s tone was full of regret, and her expression held a touch of worry. Her gaze toward Zhao Nuanyue was filled with guilt. "What a mess! Sigh. Nuanyue, I’m afraid you’ve been wronged this time. The Hua family has let you down!"
"Auntie, please don’t say that! The Hua family’s current standing is the result of everyone in the family’s hard work." Zhao Nuanyue said seriously. "For something as important as the wedding to be postponed, it must mean Elder Gu considers this matter to be of utmost importance. Looking at the bigger picture, I won’t hold any resentment. Please don’t take it to heart!"
Feng Wanru took Zhao Nuanyue’s hand and patted it gently. She looked at Zhao Nuanyue with a loving gaze and said, "Nuanyue, I have never been more certain of how understanding you are! Yu Sen has better judgment than his father and I. He found such a wonderful life partner in you."
Seeing Feng Wanru praise her so much, Zhao Nuanyue felt a little embarrassed and shyly lowered her head.