The Doctor's Three-Time Marriage

Chapter 510: 510. Let’s elope.

When Qiao Cong found Cen Man, she was still in Qiao Mansion, checking for the last time that everything had been properly prepared.

Cen Man sensed someone approaching and turned to see that it was Qiao Cong, looking somewhat surprised, “Didn’t you go home with the children?”

Qiao Cong’s gaze fell on Cen Man’s face, and he awkwardly turned his head away, looking at the red lanterns gently swaying with the wind on the nearby trees. “I should have been the one to take care of Jingjing’s matter. You’ve worked hard these past few days.”

Upon hearing this, Cen Man laughed, “Why are you being so polite with me? Shouldn’t there be any problems? Do you want to check again?”

Qiao Cong shook his head, “I trust you.”

“Then let’s go back and come over again early tomorrow morning,” Cen Man said as she walked out.

“Hey! Wait a minute!” Qiao Cong didn’t move.

Cen Man stopped and turned around, “What’s the matter?”

Seeing Qiao Cong hesitate to speak, Cen Man was somewhat puzzled. They had known each other for decades, and Qiao Cong had always been straightforward and never acted polite with her.

“I… you…” On his way over from Su Liang’s place, Qiao Cong thought this matter was simple. They were both of a certain age, and getting married was just a matter of being forthright about it. However, when he faced Cen Man, he found it hard to say some things out loud.

“What’s the matter?” Cen Man looked confused, “Do you need my help with something? Is it troublesome? Just tell me.”

“For so many years, you have taken such good care of me. I should have thanked you properly a long time ago.” Qiao Cong said solemnly.

Cen Man looked at him oddly, “What’s wrong with you today? Has Xiaoliang diagnosed you with something terminal?”

Qiao Cong’s words that he had finally mustered the courage to say were choked back in his throat. He looked at Cen Man speechlessly, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“You were the one who started talking nonsense.” Cen Man shook her head, “I was just joking. I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. Just say it, I have to go home and take care of something.”

“We…” Qiao Cong took a deep breath and said firmly to Cen Man, “Marry me!”

Cen Man was stunned for a moment, doubting her own ears, “What did you say?”

“Marry me!” Qiao Cong’s gaze was unwavering, “We’re both getting on in years, so let’s not talk about pretentious things. Now that the troubles are resolved, and the children have settled down, let’s settle down too! From now on, we’ll be partners in life, and have each other’s backs.”

Cen Man looked inexplicable, “Why are you suddenly saying all this today… Did Xiaoliang say something to you? We’re already family, and you don’t have to come to me with these words just because the children said something.”

Qiao Cong frowned, “Are you rejecting me?”

Cen Man looked at Qiao Cong and sighed, “Isn’t it great the way things are right now? It must be because the children said something. I take care of everyone because I want to, I’m happy doing it, there’s no need for this.”

“Why don’t you want to marry me?” Qiao Cong was puzzled, “Do you think I’m not good enough? Or is it because you prefer Lao Mu? Lao Mu is indeed more likable than me, but it’s unlikely you’d choose Lao Bai or Lao Wen.”

Upon hearing this, Cen Man’s face darkened a little, “I haven’t! Don’t talk nonsense!”

“Then why?” Qiao Cong pressed, “Yes, the children reminded me, I was slow to think about this issue before. But it’s not for the sake of making the children happy that I came to talk to you about this. We’ve been in a relationship for so many years, but because I only paid attention to the children before, I never thought about this aspect. It’s not that you weren’t in my heart. Now that the world is peaceful and the children are happily settled, we should consider our matters too. Don’t you believe that I’m sincere?”

Looking at Qiao Cong’s furrowed brow and determined eyes, Cen Man couldn’t help but pause, “Are you… really serious about this?”

Qiao Cong raised his right hand and swore, “Absolutely true, if even one word is false, I…”

Cen Man interrupted him, “Don’t say such inauspicious things.”

“So, did you agree?” Qiao Cong asked again.

Cen Man looked a bit conflicted, “At our age, whether we get married or not doesn’t make much of a difference, we were supposed to take care of each other anyway. Marrying, I find it embarrassing.”

Qiao Cong laughed at her words, “What’s there to be embarrassed about? The kids can’t wait to see us get married. Jingjing and Qianqian told Xiaoling that if I can’t get you to agree to marry me, they won’t have me as their grandfather anymore and will only recognize you.”

“Is it because of…” Cen Man frowned.

Qiao Cong shook his head, “No! I just want to say, the kids are all very supportive, so you don’t need to have any concerns. Getting married is still different.”

“What’s the difference?” Cen Man asked.

Qiao Cong blurted out, “Once we’re married, we can sleep in the same bed.”

Cen Man blushed, “What are you talking about?”

Qiao Cong reached out and took Cen Man’s hand, both of their bodies shivered slightly. They had had more intimate physical contact than this before, but after breaking through that layer of window paper, everything was naturally different.

Qiao Cong caressed Cen Man’s hand, unable to help but sigh, “You’re much younger than me.”

Cen Man withdrew her hand, subconsciously looking around, “Don’t do this outside, someone might see.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll be legitimate soon.” Qiao Cong shook his head, “Let’s go back and tell Lao Bai, Lao Mu and Lao Wen about it first!”

“Why?” Cen Man asked.

Qiao Cong snorted lightly, “So they don’t keep thinking about you!”

Cen Man: …That’s not true at all.

Cen Man had liked Qiao Cong for many years. When she suddenly heard Qiao Cong confessing and saying he wanted to marry her, she hesitated, because she had long been used to hiding this feeling in her heart, and to their brother-sister-like relationship as friends and family.

After Cen Man’s eyes were healed by Su Liang and she saw the light, and Qiao Cong and she both became Su Liang’s masters, starting a new life together, her heart was filled with gratitude. These two years had been fulfilling and happy, even though there had been ups and downs and risks, she felt that everything was worth it and everything was fine as it could be.

Because of this, Cen Man did not have any further thoughts about getting closer to Qiao Cong, but instead dismissed her previous desires, thinking that she was already happy enough and would not ask for her hidden feelings to be reciprocated. It was because Qiao Cong had been the only important person in Cen Man’s life before, and now things were very different, she had a lot more family, so the things she had been longing for, were no longer that important to her.

With that in mind, when she suddenly heard Qiao Cong say he wanted to get married, Cen Man’s first thought was: It must be the kids’ idea, otherwise Qiao Cong would never say anything like that.

Cen Man didn’t want to force Qiao Cong. They had been together for so many years, and she knew that Qiao Cong had no such thoughts towards her. Being with Qiao Cong was no longer as important to her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care.

In other words, this feeling had become “icing on the cake” for Cen Man, who had been lonely for most of her life, instead of “sending coals in snowy weather.”

The moment the two of them held hands, Cen Man knew that some feelings would never change, and the doubts in her heart disappeared instantly.

The two walked side by side out of Qiao Mansion, the usual relaxed atmosphere gone, and they both felt a little strange, but couldn’t help but feel happy.

“After this, I might not fit in with Lao Bai and the others.” Qiao Cong said with a laugh, “Among the brothers, I’m the only one with a wife!”

Unable to hold back a smile, Cen Man said, “It’s fine if you just think about it, but saying it might get you beaten.”

“Whether I say it or not, it’s the same. Their envy won’t help them.” Although it was dusk, Qiao Cong suddenly felt that everything around him became brighter.

“Let’s wait until after Jingjing and Qianqian get married to talk about it.” Cen Man suggested to Qiao Cong.

Qiao Cong shook his head, “No need to wait, we should tell them today. That way, everyone will be even happier when Jingjing and Qianqian get married. We also need to start preparing for our own wedding.”

“We’re already this old, there’s no need…” Cen Man said.

Qiao Cong shook his head again, “Age doesn’t matter. We have the means now. As for our marriage, let’s leave it to Jingjing and Qianqian to plan. You’ve been busy with their wedding after all.”

Cen Man disagreed, “The children just got married, let’s not disturb them.”

“Then I’ll handle everything, as I should have already,” Qiao Cong said, “I’ll ask for your guidance on things I don’t understand.”

Cen Man nodded, her eyes and eyebrows all filled with smiles.

By the time the two returned to Su Mansion, it was already time for dinner.

Seeing the expressions on their faces when they entered, Su Liang knew that it had been settled.

Cen Man took her seat, and Qiao Cong, like Cheng Yun before, cleared his throat and announced his good news, “Cen Man and I are also going to get married.”

Qiao Jing was the first to react, clapping his hands in praise, “That’s great! Congratulations, Grandpa!”

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu jumped up excitedly, Ji Xiaoshu kept clapping her hands and exclaimed, “Wow! That’s so great! Master Qiao, my senior brother and I were planning to matchmake you two next! Didn’t expect we didn’t even get the chance to be the matchmaker!”

Zhengzheng nodded with a brilliant smile, “Yeah, yeah, Xiaoshu and I were discussing this matter last night!”

Su Liang raised her hand, “I want to declare that I am the matchmaker this time. Master Qiao and Master Cen, don’t forget to give me a big red envelope.”

Old Mu clasped his hands, “Old Qiao, you’ve finally come to your senses! Congratulations!”

Old Bai looked at Qiao Cong and Cen Man with envy and a touch of melancholy in his eyes, and he thought of his love story that was played by fate once again.

listening to the continuous congratulations, Qiao Cong sat down with a smile and whispered in Cen Man’s ear, “My mistake, for delaying for so long.”

Cen Man pushed Qiao Cong and told him to be mindful since the children were watching.

As tomorrow was Qiao Jing’s wedding day and Qiao Cong and Cen Man’s matter had also been settled, it was a double celebration. Gu Ling took out the fine alcohol Duanmu Chen had given him and let the masters drink as much as they wanted.

Ji Xiaoshu wanted to sneak a taste, but before she could touch it, the wine cup flew away, and she raised her head to receive a knock from Gu Ling.

“Master, can I have just a little sip?” Ji Xiaoshu tried to negotiate with Gu Ling, “There’s so much joy today, my senior brother and I also want to celebrate for our masters.”

“Drinking alcohol is bad for kids,” Gu Ling said with no room for negotiation.

“Alright, alright, then I want to drink fruit juice made by Master himself!” Ji Xiaoshu pulled Zhengzheng as her ally, “Senior brother, you like it too, don’t you?”

Zhengzheng smiled at Gu Ling, “If there’s any, it would be great.”

Gu Ling went to the kitchen to wash and prepare the fruits, and brought out a pot of fruit juice he made with his homemade juicer.

The children each got a cup, and Su Liang one as well. In the end, Sheng Yue wanted the remaining cup, but Gu Ling gave it to Cen Man, “Wishing Master a sweet life from now on.”

The children raised their cups and shouted in unison, “Wishing umasters a sweet life!”

With her heart touched, Cen Man’s eyes turned red, “Thank you… really, thank you all.” With such good children, it would be hard for her not to be happy.

Yan Shiba elbowed Sheng Yue, “You want to drink that fruit juice? I’ll make it for you!”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “I just want to drink the one made by Gu Ling.”

Yan Shiba was instantly displeased, “Be honest, do you actually have a crush on the beautiful Gu Ling? Is that why you’re using me to stay in this household and see him all the time?”

Zhengzheng, who was sitting beside them, was chocked by the fruit juice from hearing Yan Shiba’s bizarre remark.

Sheng Yue glanced at Yan Shiba with cold eyes, “If you dare, say those words out loud.”

Yan Shiba stomped on Sheng Yue’s foot under the table, “You’re setting me up? Just wait till we get home and I’ll teach you a lesson!”

Sheng Yue nodded, “You’re welcome, I will definitely accompany you.”

Zhengzheng: …He should sit further away from these two in the future. Otherwise, he would always hear some things that he shouldn’t listen to or understand…

After dinner, Old Bai, Old Mu, and Weng Ming took Qiao Cong away for drinks, saying they wanted to congratulate him properly.

Meanwhile, Qiao Jing and Nangong Qian separately approached Cen Man, expressing their gratitude and affection for her, and their sincere hope that she would be happy with Qiao Cong.

It was late at night.

Gu Xiaonuan had recently been sleeping in the same room with Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu. With so many happy events in the family, Gu Ling said he wanted to be the groom every night…

At this moment, Gu Ling and Su Liang hadn’t gone to bed yet. Su Liang had just taken a bath, and after Gu Ling helped her dry her hair, he continued weaving the unfinished Chinese knot.

Su Liang leaned on the recliner and watched Gu Ling busying under the light, thinking that this scene was truly picturesque.

When Gu Ling looked up, he saw Su Liang’s gentle eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile, “If you keep looking, will you eat me?”

Su Liang laughed at his words. The phrase came from a famous advertisement she had mentioned to Gu Ling in her past life, and she found her Great God becoming more and more adorable.

“I’ll eat you later, after you finish working,” Su Liang said with a hint of a smile.

“We should…” Gu Ling suddenly suggested, “elope!”

Su Liang had just taken a sip of water and almost choked, “Great God, what are you talking about?”

“It would be nice if we could elope to the moon, cut down the osmanthus trees for firewood, and roast the jade rabbit,” Gu Ling said with a serious expression.

Su Liang clasped her hands together and addressed the moon outside the window, “Moon God, my husband is just talking nonsense, don’t take it seriously.”

“I’m serious,” Gu Ling said, “There are more and more people in the family, but I just want to live a world with only the two of us.”

Su Liang raised her eyebrows, “Are you willing to give up your precious daughter?”

“She’ll grow up,” Gu Ling said, “In a few days, we’ll leave the capital and go back to Su Village with just the children, not allowing anyone else to join us.”

Su Liang could tell that Gu Ling wanted some peace and quiet. Although he was actually very emotionally intelligent in front of the elders and had prepared all the wedding gifts himself, he was always willing to help the children. Even Sheng Yue said that Gu Ling had a natural instinct to help others at his core.

Actually, Su Liang had the same thoughts as Gu Ling. Although she enjoyed lively days, she still missed the simple, peaceful, and interesting times when she and Gu Ling were together in the beginning.

“All the masters have agreed to go together,” Su Liang said with a smile, “But, we’ll find a way to get rid of them!”