The Overnight Chosen Wife: darling, kiss me deeper

She was currently speaking to Ah Chen’s mother, who looked jubilant when she recalled that the girl before her was Li Yuming’s daughter and that she was once in the same school as her son.

"Is it true that he’s getting married?" She asked like any other girl would seek gossip. "I heard he is marrying a famous actress."

The middle aged woman looked neither happy nor sad about it. "It is true indeed. Though I think he is young. But the kids have to be let to make their own choices, right?"

"Yes." Lanni was glad that the woman trusted her to explain so much. Even though they no longer lingered on Ah Chen and soon moved on to another topic, it had still made a major point clear—Ah Chen was not getting married because he was under pressure from his parents.

When they were in B City, the young man once mentioned that he was in no hurry to settle down and that if he found the right woman, he would want to date for at least five years before settling down.

It was less than two years since she and Ah Chen last saw each other and the last time they did, he was still single. Which meant he was rushing into marriage. If it was not because his parents were pushing him, then what was the reason?

Now that she thought about it, it was not very common for young actresses to get boyfriends, much less settle down in marriage. Most of them were scared that they would lose many fans if they settled down, so even if they did get into relationships, they hid it from the public. Why was Qiao Linyou getting married?

She thought about the possibility of her being madly in love with Ah Chen but shook her head. That was not plausible. Could it be that it was a shotgun wedding and she was pregnant?

She shook her head again at that thought. As an actress with her level of fame, Lanni was certain that she would have decided to abort the baby lest it get in the way of her career.

The only reason left in her mind was that the wedding in itself was fishy. There really was something to hide. She walked ahead and saw Lin Jian so she made her way to him.

"Do you have something to ask me?" Lin Jian guessed and made his way to her, then led her to an empty corridor.

"How was Qian Linyou when you were in a relationship with her? Was she normal like any other young woman, or was there anything fishy about her?" Lanni asked, to which Lin Jian chuckled.

"If there was nothing fishy, I would never have given you such a task. Though I have to say you are impressive for figuring out that she was my ex. Don’t tell Ruby." The last thing he wanted was for Ruby to compare herself to his exes and perhaps become insecure once again.

"I won’t." She was not planning to yap about it anyway, so there was nothing hard about that.

To ensure that there wouldn’t be anyone eavesdropping on their conversation, Lanni showed him to Xiehan’s study, whose door was soundproof.

"She comes from a family that is not well off. Even so, she managed to bribe her way into signing with one of the most highly regarded agencies and paved her own path to success. When I first met her, she looked like a wealthy young miss when her first movie was not even popular and she couldn’t have earned anything more than peanuts."

" Perhaps she had a sugar daddy? " Lanni speculated. While that was not decent either, it was not half as grave as engaging in smuggling business. Lin Jian furrowed his brows at the thought of it. "Do you think I would get close to a woman who belongs to another man?" If it was possible for him to do that, he would have long tried to be with Lanni or Luna, considering how beautiful they were and the fact that he was still a playboy when he met them.

Lanni bit her lip and held back the scolding at the tip of her tongue. How easy it was for him to say such a thing when he was the city’s most infamous playboy. He could play around but his women belonged solely to him?

It was not part of the main point so she asked, "Was she in contact with any fishy people?"

He shrugged as he plucked a leaf from the potted plant on Xiehan’s desk. "None that I knew about. I was not with her for long enough to know who she associated with."

"I see." Lanni nodded. The only way to go about it now was to befriend the girl through Ah Chen. She knew that it was not right to use anyone but she also knew that it was not time to tell Ah Chen about her suspicion yet. At least not until she knew why the two of them were engaged.

Decisively, she saved Ah Chen’s number and the next time they bumped into each other in the banquet hall, she asked him out for a coffee on Sunday.

"Is there something else?" He asked as he observed that she was still looking at him like she wanted to say something.

"Could you bring your fiancee along? I’m her greatest fan and would be thrilled to meet her." She asked hopefully.

"News does travel fast." Ah Chen chuckled, but she was paying a lot of attention to him so she noticed that he didn’t seem to be happy about it. Nonetheless, he nodded. "I will bring her with me."

She thanked him and observed that he looked a little gloomy after talking about his fiancée. It was finally confirmed. He didn’t like Qiao Linyou. The banquet went on peacefully but all she was wondering was who else to speak to that might know about Qiao Linyou. While she looked around, she noticed Li Yuming walk in through the door in the company of Xiehan and a smile graced her lips. Her mother did come after all.

...

"I’m sorry I’m late." Li Yuming apologized to Xiehan who had picked her up. "I had to settle matters with the National Art Union. I hope you don’t mind."

"It’s alright. You don’t need to apologize, Aunty." Xiehan led her in, then had to go back to greet another late guest so she let her on her own.

"It’s Li Yuming! It’s been long." A middle-aged woman hurried over to catch up with her and was awed when she took a clear look at Li Yuming. "Oh My, aren’t you growing younger each day?" Although it was a compliment, the other woman’s voice held a hint of jealousy. They were clearly the same age. In fact, Li Yuming could be slightly older because her daughters were already so old, while the other woman’s only son was still in his late teens. What did Li Yuming do to keep her skin so soft and her figure so beautiful?

Li Yuming was wearing a floor length black dress with the intention of not stealing the limelight from the younger generation but because of her fair skin, it made her stand out all the more. She had a scarf around her shoulders and her hair was in an updo, and if the older women didn’t know her, they would have mistaken her for a young woman in her early thirties.

"Thank you." Li Yuming accepted the compliment and started looking for Ruby to give her the present she had prepared. As she walked, someone bumped into her.

"I’m so sorry. Milady, are you okay?" Neil apologized vehemently. Luckily, he had managed to steady the woman before she could trip.

"It’s alright." Li Yuming adjusted her scarf and was ready to continue going her way.

Neil was stunned when he heard her voice, and he took a good look to confirm it. "Li Yuming, it’s you! Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful that I almost couldn’t recognize you."

"Uhm... thanks."

A few meters away, Ruby was about to go to meet Li Yuming when she heard what Neil had said. She stopped in her tracks, stunned at her foster father’s tone. ’Dad, are you sure that it’ s alright for a man your age to say such things?’ She thought and turned back to go somewhere else.

When Li Yuming realized that this was Neil Chan, she decided to give the gift box to him. "Aren’t you Ruby’s... dad? please give this to her. And this is for you."

She held out what looked like a VIP card and he held it up with interest.

"I get a gift too?"

"Of course. It’s the least I can do to thank you for supporting my charity banquets." She had finally uncovered the identity of the mystery donor. Although all the money she got from the charity banquets were not meant for her pocket but would be sent to the national charity organization, she still appreciated his support. "Besides, bringing a daughter up is not a piece of cake."

"Tell me about it." Neil laughed. "You must have had it worse. You have two of them and they are both settling down soon. But at least you have a grandchild on the way."