"Hmm? What is it?"

It was rare to see Chen Yinuo speaking so seriously.

Ye Chen immediately straightened his posture.

"Yihao called me this afternoon. He said the wedding date has been decided—lunar calendar July 21st, which is August 29th!" Chen Yinuo said.

"That's only a little over ten days away! Isn't that way too rushed?" Ye Chen asked.

Chen Yinuo nodded helplessly. "I asked him about it. Yihao said the date was picked by my mom, who went to a fortune-teller. She said it's a day when all the stars align, a perfect day for marriage. Yihao wanted to postpone it a bit, but my mom wouldn't agree. She insisted on this date, and Yihao couldn't argue with her, so he gave in."

"Your mom's probably worried that if she waits too long, Wang Qian might change her mind and refuse to marry Yihao," Ye Chen teased.

"I think so too!"

Chen Yinuo smiled awkwardly and then shook her head. "Right now, my mom's whole focus is on getting Yihao and Wang Qian married. Nobody can change her mind. And I wouldn't dare say anything—it's not worth the headache."

"You don't seem to like Wang Qian very much," Ye Chen observed.

"It's not about liking or disliking her. What matters is that Yihao likes her," Chen Yinuo replied.

"Do you think Yihao will be happy with her?" Ye Chen asked.

Chen Yinuo hesitated. "Happiness isn't something I can predict. Besides, my mom's been so adamant about Yihao marrying Wang Qian. If any of our relatives dares to say anything bad about Wang Qian, my mom would lose her temper. So I can't say anything either, or I'd just be asking for trouble."

After a pause, without waiting for Ye Chen to respond, she continued, "Honestly, though, there's a girl named Qiwen who works as a makeup artist at a wedding company. She's not as pretty as Wang Qian, but her personality and character are a thousand times better. She's liked Yihao for a long time, but sadly, it's a one-sided love. Yihao's so infatuated with Wang Qian that he's never even considered her."

"I've mentioned that girl to Yihao a few times, trying to get him to think about it, but he wouldn't listen. Eventually, I just stopped bringing it up. At the end of the day, fate is what it is. Happiness, too, is preordained. If Yihao wants to marry Wang Qian and Wang Qian is willing to marry him, then let it be."

Though she said "let it be," the frown on her face revealed her true feelings about the marriage.

As they say, "Those in the game are lost; those watching see clearly."

Chen Yihao's infatuation with Wang Qian made him overlook many concerns.

But Yinuo could see everything clearly.

Wang Qian wasn't an easy person to deal with, and her brother, Chen Yihao, didn't have what it took to handle someone like her.

"In that case, there's no need for you to worry about it," Ye Chen said.

"Yeah," Chen Yinuo replied bitterly.

"Since the wedding date is set, has your mom finalized Wang Qian's conditions?" Ye Chen asked again.

Chen Yinuo thought for a moment. "The bride price of 180,000 will be delivered in a few days. The house and car have been picked out, and the down payments will be made soon. Everything will be settled before the wedding. Ye Chen, speaking of this, I really owe you an apology. Over 300,000 of this money came from you."

"It's fine. Why keep bringing up the 300,000? Spending it on Yihao's wedding is like helping my little brother-in-law start his family. After all, he's always been kind to Yuyou, and if it weren't for him, we might not have gotten our marriage certificate back then. So, whether it's 300,000 or covering the whole wedding, it's worth it!" Ye Chen said sincerely.

Though Ye Chen was deeply pessimistic about Yihao and Wang Qian's marriage, he refrained from criticizing Wang Qian or suggesting that Yinuo try to convince Yihao otherwise.

As Yinuo said, fate and happiness are predestined.

From what Ye Chen knew about Yihao, he wasn't the kind of person who'd stubbornly refuse to turn back, but he would only turn back after hitting a wall.

So, saying anything now was pointless.

"Yihao wants Yuyou to be the flower girl at the wedding. What do you think?" Yinuo asked.

"Of course, that's fine! Let Yuyou be the flower girl," Ye Chen agreed.

"Alright, then that's settled!"

As their conversation about the wedding concluded, the waiter began serving their dishes.

Several times, Ye Chen wanted to mention the house at Shanshui Jian but decided against it.

"I'll give them a surprise later," he thought.

By the time they left the restaurant, the sky had turned completely dark.

The imposing Mercedes-Benz G-Class sped through the bustling city streets.

"Huh? Mommy, this is the road to the square! Is Daddy taking us to the square?"

Little Yuyou, looking out the window, suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

The little girl had been to Jiangzhou's busiest square a few times and recognized the landmarks along the way. Her excitement was infectious.

Chen Yinuo, who had been chatting with Ye Chen, froze for a moment.

"The road to the square?"

Instinctively, she glanced out the window.

Only then did she realize that they were heading in a completely different direction from their home in the old city neighborhood.

"Wait, are you taking us to Times Square?" Yinuo asked, surprised.

"Nope," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"Don't tell me you're wasting gas on a joyride again!" she said, puzzled.

"It's not a joyride." Ye Chen glanced at his wife in the rearview mirror and smiled.

"Then where are you going? What are you up to?" Yinuo was increasingly confused.

Ye Chen chuckled, "You'll find out soon enough. Be patient—it's a surprise!"

Seeing Ye Chen's confident demeanor, Yinuo stopped questioning him.

She stared at the passing night scenery outside the window, her face full of curiosity.

Today wasn't her birthday, nor Yuyou's birthday.

It wasn't their wedding anniversary, either.

What kind of surprise could he be planning?

"Ah! Daddy, weren't you taking us to the square? The square's that way!"

Little Yuyou, focused on the view outside, hadn't paid attention to her parents' conversation earlier. At an intersection, she noticed that her dad didn't turn toward the square and immediately became anxious.

"Yuyou, we're not going to the square right now. Daddy's taking you somewhere else—a place a hundred, no, a thousand times better than the square!" Ye Chen said with a laugh.

"Really? A place a thousand times better than the square?" The little girl's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Yes, a thousand times better," Ye Chen chuckled.

Before long, the Shanshui Jian residential area by the riverside came into view as Ye Chen's car sped forward.