Marriage First, True Love Later

Anran sat in her office with a paintbrush in her hand, but she couldn’t calm down. She dejectedly threw the pen in her hand on the desk, tore off the rough sketch on the desk, and threw it directly into the trash can. Today, there were already four or five such balls of paper inside.

Looking at the phone on the table, she finally couldn’t help but take it. Just as she was about to call Lin Li, ” knock, knock, knock … &Quot; someone suddenly knocked on the office door.

Anran raised her head, looked in the direction of the door, and said loudly, ” “Come in.”

Ling LAN stood at the door with a smile. She looked at her and asked, ” “Can I come in?”

Anran froze, and her expression changed slightly. After a while, she nodded.

Ling LAN entered the room and sat down in front of her. She looked at her and said apologetically, ” Anran, I was drunk last time, so I lost my composure. If I said something I shouldn’t have, please don’t take it to heart. &Quot;

Anran smiled faintly and nodded at her. &Quot; No. &Quot;

Ling LAN heaved a sigh of relief and said, ” “That’s good. You don’t know how much I blame myself these days. I’m afraid that I said something I shouldn’t have said that day and caused a misunderstanding between you and ah Luo. Then I deserve to die.”

Anran’s lips twitched slightly. She didn’t want to continue the topic, so she asked, ” “Miss Ling, are you here to see Ling Lin? is she not outside?”

&Quot; yeah, I wanted to ask Linglin out for dinner. The two sisters haven’t contacted each other in a long time. It’s good to come out together today and get to know each other. &Quot; Ling LAN said with a faint smile. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked Anran, ” Anran, do you want to come? I heard from Linglin that there’s a good restaurant nearby, and the food there is also very good. &Quot;

Anran quickly shook her head and said tentatively, ” “No, Yicheng said he’ll pick me up in the afternoon.” His eyes were fixed on the reaction on her face, so he didn’t miss the fleeting loneliness in her eyes.

Ling LAN laughed dryly. &Quot; is that so? alright then. We won’t disturb the two of you. &Quot; she said.

Anran nodded and didn’t say anything else. In fact, there was no alone time at night like she had said. In the morning, when he sent her to work, su Yicheng said that he had something to do that night and might be back late, so he asked her to call a taxi home after work.

In fact, he only said this to see her attitude, to see if her good intentions were true or fake, but obviously, she was approaching her for su Yicheng.

Ling LAN looked at her watch and said, ” &Quot; alright, I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll go out and wait for Ling Lin. &Quot;

Anran nodded and didn’t ask him to stay.

Just as Anran was still in a daze, thinking about Ling Lan’s matter, the phone on the table rang. She picked up the phone and saw that it was Lin Li calling. Without much thought or hesitation, she quickly picked up the call. &Quot; Hello, Lin Li. &Quot;

“Yes.” Lin Li replied on the other end of the phone. However, her voice didn’t sound as cheerful and lively as before. It was light and faint, giving people a sense of powerlessness and lifelessness.

Anran was a little worried and asked carefully, ” “You … Are you okay?”

“Hehe.” On the other side of the phone, Lin Li chuckled and said, ” &Quot; come out and have lunch with me this afternoon. By the way, can I take the afternoon off? ”

“Alright, I’ll accompany you wherever you want to go in the afternoon.” An ran didn’t ask any more questions and agreed. As a friend, it was time to support each other and let her know that she wasn’t alone. There was someone standing by her side, supporting her and giving her strength.

When they arrived at the restaurant in the afternoon, Lin Li was already there. She was sitting by the window, and she turned her head to look outside. In fact, Anran had already seen her when she got out of the car. Her eyes were listless, and she didn’t pay any attention to what was happening outside. Because she was distracted, she didn’t realize that Anran had been standing outside the window and looking at her for a long time.

Anran walked into the dining room and sat down across from her. As she walked closer, she could see how tired she was. She looked extremely Haggard, and her eyes were a little puffy from crying. Looking at her like this, Anran felt an indescribable pain in her heart. It was a hundred times more uncomfortable than what she had experienced herself.

After looking at her for a while, Anran finally called out, ” Lin Li. &Quot; His voice was soft and gentle, as if he was afraid of scaring her.

Anran finally came back to her senses and turned to look at Anran, who was trying her best to smile at her. She smiled slightly. &Quot; you’re here. &Quot;

&Quot; yes. &Quot; Anran nodded and said, ” have you been waiting for a long time? ”

Lin Li shook her head, ” No. &Quot;

Looking at her, Anran was just about to speak when the restaurant waiter brought the menu over and asked with a smile, ” “Do you two need to order?”

Anran glanced at Lin Li, nodded, and took the menu from her hand.

Lin Li casually flipped through the menu. Unlike in the past, when she took the menu and opened it, she could read the names of the dishes. Today, she flipped through it for a long time before finally shaking her head in defeat. She closed the menu, looked at Anran, and said, ” “You order.”

Anran didn’t refuse. She flipped through the menu and ordered many of Lin Li’s favorite dishes. Even the waiter standing to the side widened his eyes in surprise and asked, ” “Excuse me, is there anyone else coming later?”

Anran shook her head. &Quot; no, it’s just the two of us. Oh right, I’ll add a Yuxiang shredded pork to that.” He closed the menu and handed it back to the waiter, ” &Quot; please tell the kitchen to hurry up. We’re all here. &Quot;

The waiter nodded and left with a smile. Then, a waiter served two glasses of water.

Anran stared at Lin Li. She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t.

Lin Li smiled at her, even though her smile was very profound and ugly. He took a sip of the warm water on the table, then slowly said, ” “What do you want to ask? just ask.”

Anran looked at her and opened her mouth to ask, but her throat seemed to have dried up. She couldn’t say a word or ask.

He picked up the glass of water on the table and took a big gulp. Then, he put it down and looked at Lin Li, asking seriously, ” “Chengxiang, I told you everything?”

Lin Li nodded and held the cup in her hand, her fingers gently tracing back and forth on the cup.

An ran was silent and didn’t speak for a long time.

After the waiter served the first dish, the two of them sat there in silence.

The second, the third, the fourth …

The two of them did not touch their chopsticks. They just sat there and looked at each other in a daze, not saying a word.

It wasn’t until the last dish had been served that the waiter gave them a strange look. In the end, he still dutifully informed them that their dishes had been served. Anran finally reacted and nodded at him to indicate that she had already understood.

Anran thought that she was very stupid with her words, and she was not good at socializing or comforting people. In fact, she hated that between Lin Li and her, Lin Li had always played the role of the one who comforted people. Because she hated being lucky, her path had been very smooth since she was young. Even in love, her first love had met a perfect boyfriend like Chengxiang. He was gentle and affectionate, and he doted on her even more. He would grant her all her requests, and for her sake, he even did not hesitate to cook for her. In the past ten years, their love had been like a fairy tale, and it had a beautiful beginning. Then, he would look forward to a happy ending.

But who would have known that their love was just a reversed Cinderella love story with the Prince. This was because Cinderella and the Prince’s love had started to experience hardships before they finally lived happily together. On the other hand, they had a start that everyone was envious of, but they didn’t have the fairy tale ending that everyone expected.

Looking at her, Anran slowly reached out and held her hand. She gently rubbed the back of her hand and said firmly, ” &Quot; no matter what happens, no matter what you do, don’t worry. You’re not alone. I’ll always be by your side, supporting you unconditionally! &Quot;

Lin Li looked at her, the tip of her nose slightly sour. She raised her head and looked up, stubbornly forcing her tears back, not letting them flow. After a long while, he looked at Anran and said, ” “Are you really going to support me in everything I do?”

Anran nodded with certainty. She was her best friend, so of course she would unconditionally support her in everything she decided, just like how she had treated her in the past.

Lin Li looked at her and slowly said, ” “An Zi, accompany me to choose my wedding dress this afternoon!”

Anran looked at her in a daze and didn’t react for a long time. She shook her head and said, ” “I … You, what did you just say?” Did she hear it wrong?!

&Quot; accompany me to choose a wedding dress this afternoon. &Quot; Lin Li calmly repeated her words.

An ran looked at her, unable to say a word.

Lin Li smiled bitterly and looked at her. She shook her head, bit her lip, and said, ” ” I, I can’t let go. I’ve loved him for 10 years. I can’t let him go suddenly. I really can’t. ”

After a long silence, Anran asked,”where’s that woman?” She still remembered how that woman had confidently said that Chengxiang would return to America with her!

The corners of Lin Li’s mouth twitched and she slowly said, ” “That woman is Chengxiang’s childhood sweetheart. Before they went to university, they were together every day. Chengxiang had liked her since she was young. He said that for as long as he could remember, his greatest wish was to marry her when he grew up. However, he knew that those were just his thoughts because Xiaoxiao didn’t like him and only treated him as her older brother. Xiaoxiao had always liked the other boy who had grown up with them. It was only when they were admitted to University that they finally made their relationship public to their family and friends. They thought that their parents were friends, and their relationship quickly received everyone’s blessings. This included Chengxiang. In the end, Xiaoxiao went overseas with that man according to their original plan, while Chengxiang insisted on staying. In the end, he entered our University.”

An ran only listened quietly and didn’t interrupt.

Lin Li took another sip of water and continued, ” &Quot; in fact, I always knew that he had a shadow in his heart, and I knew that I was just a substitute for that shadow, but I didn’t care. I really loved him. I didn’t mind that he insisted that I keep my long hair, nor did I mind that he asked me to never dye my black hair. I didn’t even mind that he would sometimes stare at my hair and giggle while touching it. I knew that he was thinking of another woman with such hair. He’s been really good to me all these years, so good that I almost forgot that I’m just someone else’s replacement.”

“Lin Li, why are you so silly?” An ran looked at her with heartache.

She looked up and forced her tears back. Shaking her head, she said, ” I don’t feel aggrieved. He didn’t make me feel aggrieved at all. All these years, I can feel that he loves me. When he hugs me and calls my name softly, I know that he has feelings for me. He loves me too. ”

” If he loves you, why is he still entangled with this woman? ” An ran asked. No matter what had happened in the past, this was the key now. If he loved Lin Li, why did he immediately rush to her when Xiaoxiao came back this time? Lin Li was still pregnant with their child, and their wedding was going to be held in a few days!

“He just went to take care of her. Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao was hurt a lot in America. The man they grew up with cheated on her and fell in love with another Chinese student. Xiaoxiao only found out that she was pregnant when she left. That time you met Chengxiang at the hospital, it was because Xiaoxiao was too emotional and accidentally affected the baby, so she was forced to stay in the hospital to take care of the baby. She doesn’t know anyone else.” Chengxiang had told her all of this.

“Lin Li, you’re just deceiving yourself!” An ran looked at her, her eyes red.

Lin Li sniffed and laughed. She shook her head and said, ” “I chose to believe him because I wanted to give him and myself another chance.” As she spoke, she couldn’t control her tears anymore and said, ” Anran, I’ve been with him for ten years, not one or two years. How many ten years can there be in life? we’re 28 years old this year, and before we were 10 years old, we didn’t even know what love was. Before we were 18 years old, we were living in our parents ‘love. After we were 18 years old, in these ten years, I’ve always loved him with all I had. You can say that I’ve invested too much energy and feelings into this man, and now I suddenly want to take them back. How can you, how can you just take it back like that?”

Anran looked at her, and her tears fell even more violently than hers. She covered her mouth, unable to say a word. She had watched over her and Chengxiang for the past ten years. She knew better than anyone else how much time and love Lin Li had put into Chengxiang.

Anran didn’t know what to say. &Quot; Lin Li, you’re so silly. &Quot; Her heart ached for Lin Li. Her heart ached for her love for him being so silly.

Lin Li laughed, her face still wet with tears.”Just let me, just let me be silly again. But don’t worry, I won’t get hurt again this time. This is the most painful thing I’ll ever feel. We’ll still get married because we still have a child. Chengxiang has always been a responsible man.”

Anran looked at her, pulled a tissue from the table, and handed it to her. &Quot; is it worth it? ”

Lin Li nodded heavily and said, ” “It’s worth it!”

Anran didn’t say anything else and nodded. Afraid that she would feel uncomfortable, she decided to stop talking about this topic. She reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes, then took the chopsticks on her table, removed the cardboard cover, and handed them to her. She tried her best to force a smile and said, ” “Go ahead. I’ll accompany you to try on the wedding dress after you’re done.”

Lin Li nodded and took the chopsticks from her hand. She looked at her and laughed.

An ran also laughed, but as she laughed, tears fell from her eyes again. She only hoped that what Chengxiang said was true, and that Lin Li would never be hurt again.

Throughout the meal, the ten or so dishes were barely touched. Many of the dishes were almost untouched, and they still looked the same as when they were first served. Lin Li ate very little today. She only picked up a few pieces of celery and didn’t eat anything else. She didn’t look full at all like she used to.

Anran was worried about her, but she didn’t dare to force her. She asked the waiter to bring a glass of milk over. Lin Li still didn’t seem to have any appetite. She shook her head and said that she couldn’t drink it.

This time, an ran didn’t give in. She said with a straight face, ” &Quot; even if you don’t think for yourself, you should at least think about the baby in your stomach. It’s fine if you don’t eat, but are you sure you want to starve the baby in your stomach? ”

Lin Li looked at her for a long time before finally picking up the glass of milk and drinking it in one gulp as if she was drinking bitter medicine.

After leaving the restaurant, the two of them went straight to the wedding dress shop that Lin Li had booked.

The makeup artist looked at the two of them and couldn’t help but scream. She pointed at their eyes and asked what was going on.

Anran made an excuse that the two of them had drunk too much water before going to bed last night, so when they got up this morning, they were a little swollen. She thought that it would go down by itself, but she didn’t expect that there was no sign of pushing at all this morning.

The makeup artist looked at them suspiciously but didn’t ask any more questions. She let Lin Li sit down in front of the makeup mirror, helped her wipe her face, and directly began to put on her makeup.”The next time you get married before you go to bed, you must remember not to drink water, not even a little bit. Also, you are not allowed to cry, because after crying, you will be as swollen as a walnut, and it will be scary. It’s fine this time, it’s just a fitting. The next time you get married will be the biggest event in your life, and everyone wants to look beautiful.”

Lin Li only smiled and nodded, saying that she would pay more attention next time.

After the makeup was done, the bride’s assistant had already ironed Lin Li’s wedding dress and was ready for her to try it on.

Lin Li was a little nervous. Before she went in, she deliberately looked at Anran. Anran smiled and nodded at her. Since she chose to be stupid again, then she would be stupid enough to test it. Since she chose to pretend to be stupid and couldn’t see through the man’s lies, then she would let the man lie to her again for a lifetime!

Lin Li came out from behind the large curtain. The assistant of the wedding dress shop was arranging the back of her wedding dress and accompanying the makeup artist who had just done her makeup. She looked like a noble Princess. This dress was specially tailored back then. It was off-shoulder and showed off Lin Li’s beautiful collarbones. The beautiful lace matched the collar of the dress. The design of the waist didn’t squeeze the belly tightly, but it also reflected the bride’s beautiful curves very well. The upper half of the wedding dress was a blooming Lace Flower, and the front and back corresponded to each other. The puffy lower hem and the not-so-long train were not that unique in design, but they were especially pleasing to the eye.

Lin Li looked at Anran shyly, as if she was asking, ” am I pretty? ”

Anran nodded, smiled, and gave her a thumbs up. Then, she glanced at the crown and jewelry on the counter behind her. She took one out and put it in her hair. She took the necklace and put it on her. Then, she turned her body around, looked at the big mirror behind her, and whispered in her ear, ” &Quot; she’s so beautiful. Our Lin Li will definitely be the most beautiful bride in the world. &Quot;

Lin Li looked at herself in the mirror and smiled happily.

The two of them stayed in the wedding dress shop for the entire afternoon. Lin Li bought a total of two dresses and a cheongsam. The cheongsam was a Little Big, so it was just right for them to change it to Lin Li’s size before the wedding. Anran also tried on the bridesmaid’s dress for that day. It was also a Little Big, so she and Lin Li went to the wedding dress shop to have it remade.

When the two of them came out of the bridal shop, it was already past four in the afternoon. They didn’t have much to eat at noon, so an ran suggested that they go to a nearby cafe for afternoon tea.

Lin Li really didn’t have any appetite, but just as she was about to shake her head and refuse, she was stopped by Anran’s gaze. In the end, she gently placed her hand on her still flat stomach, nodded, and entered a coffee shop with her.

It was a window seat again. They seemed to have a special liking for window seats.

Anran ordered hot milk for Lin Li, milk tea for herself, and cream cake for dessert.

Lin Li still didn’t have an appetite, but under Anran’s unyielding attitude, she still ate half a piece of the cream cake. However, the moment she put down her fork, she covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom.

Anran sighed, but there was nothing she could do about it. Whenever Lin Li was unhappy, she would always choose to loathe food. She had such a good appetite, but she would throw up whatever she ate. There was nothing she could do about it.

Just as she was thinking, someone knocked on the corner of the table. She looked up and saw Tong Xiaojie smiling at her, ” “What a coincidence, Mrs. Su,” Then, he sat down directly opposite her.

Anran glanced at her and smiled faintly. &Quot; miss Tong. &Quot;

Tong Huahua frowned and said with a half-smile, ” “I’m more used to being called Mrs. Mo.”

An ran smiled and said to her, ” &Quot; then, Mrs. Mo, I just want to tell you that the seat you’re sitting in now is taken. &Quot;

Tong Xiaojie pretended to understand and nodded, ” Oh, I see. &Quot; Queen rang stood up and said with a half-smile,”I didn’t come over to say hello to you, Mrs. Su. Now that I’ve said hello, I should be leaving. Please enjoy your meal, Mrs. Su.”

Anran nodded without much expression on her face.

Tong Xiaojie turned around with a faint smile and walked straight to the private room inside.

Lin Li brushed past her and deliberately turned her head to look at her a few more times. She asked Anran, ” “She is Tong Xiaojie? What is she doing here?”

Anran nodded. &Quot; I don’t know. He said he was here to say hello. &Quot;

“You’re sick,” Lin Li cursed in a low voice.

Anran smiled and said to her, ” let’s go. I’ll take you back. &Quot;

Lin Li came back to her senses and shook her head. &Quot; “No need, Chengxiang just called and said he’s coming to pick me up. He should be on his way now.”

An ran didn’t say anything and only nodded after a while.

The two of them sat in the café for a while. Chengxiang arrived a few minutes later and parked his car outside as usual. He got out of the car and waved at Lin Li. It was a familiar scene, but this time, Lin Li didn’t respond to him as excitedly as she did the last time. She only faintly tugged at the corners of her mouth and nodded at him. She took her bag and left.

An ran didn’t go out with Lin Li. She just watched them get into the car and then leave. She didn’t know if Lin Li’s choice was right or wrong. She only hoped that Lin Li wouldn’t regret it and wouldn’t be hurt again.

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