Don't you have a mouth?

The surroundings were deathly silent.

After a minute of silent indecision, Wei Zisu resigned himself to it, took the other suitcase from Auntie Sun, set it on the floor, and unzipped it.

"It's my first visit, and I really didn't know what to buy, so I just..."

Unable to go on, he simply opened the suitcase and showed them everything inside.

He looked up at Yin Zhengchuan, unconsciously looking a little lost and pleading for help.

Little did he know that, in Yin Zhengchuan's eyes, he looked so adorable that he practically wanted to get a nosebleed.

Yin Zhengchuan smiled and said, "Your gifts are exactly to my taste. As it happens, wood ear mushrooms are my favorite."

Qin Qin said, "Yes, yes, I love shiitake mushrooms with bok choy."

Yin Changjun said, "Ginseng is good. I'm getting on in years, so it's just what I need to build up my health."

Even Auntie Sun said, "Oh my, Wuchang Rice smells so good!"

Another wave of warmth washed over Wei Zisu at their words. His eyes met Yin Zhengchuan's, and they both smiled.

Lunch was lavish, with dishes in all sorts of flavors: Lu cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and Cantonese cuisine too. They had probably been worried that Wei Zisu might have dietary restrictions, so they had prepared a wider variety. That way, there would always be a dish or two he liked.

Yin Changjun motioned for Wei Zisu to start eating and asked, "Which Zisu would you like to eat?"

Qin Qin secretly stepped on his foot beneath the table.

Yin Changjun's face twitched, and he corrected himself. "Zisu, help yourself to whatever you'd like. If you can't reach something, have Yin Zhengchuan get it for you."

Wei Zisu said, "Thank you, Father. I like all of it."

Yin Changjun beamed at that. Elders loved children who weren't picky eaters.

The meal was relaxed and pleasant, without making Wei Zisu feel the slightest discomfort. Yin Zhengchuan's parents didn't ask him anything about his family, or even about his previous engagement.

Wei Zisu couldn't help thinking, Do they still not know I was engaged? Didn't Yin Zhengchuan tell them? If that's really the case, will they object when they find out?

He turned to look at Yin Zhengchuan, who happened to be looking at him too and asked, "Have you had enough?"

Wei Zisu nodded.

Qin Qin set down his chopsticks and said, "Zisu, go rest in Zhengchuan's courtyard with him. If you have the energy this afternoon, have him take you to see your wedding venue. If there's anything you're unhappy with, just tell him."

Wei Zisu rose, politely said goodbye, and followed Yin Zhengchuan toward the second courtyard.

"Yin Zhengchuan?"

"Hmm?"

Yin Zhengchuan stopped beside him, turning slightly and lowering his head to look at him. "What is it?"

Wei Zisu asked, "Do your parents know I was engaged to Sun Liang?"

Yin Zhengchuan said, "Of course they do."

Wei Zisu was even more puzzled. "Then they... still agreed?"

Yin Zhengchuan felt both a pang of tenderness and an urge to laugh. "They're very open-minded people. They never readily believe things they see online. Besides, as long as it's someone I lo-"

He suddenly stopped.

Wei Zisu looked up, waiting for him to continue.

Yin Zhengchuan changed tack and continued, "Lovingly selected, they'll agree."

Wei Zisu smiled at that. "We registered our marriage an hour after we met. You call that lovingly selected?"

Yin Zhengchuan smiled without answering.

But inwardly, he said, Five years. How does that not count?

Compared with his parents' courtyard, Yin Zhengchuan's was rather simply arranged, with just a rockery, a fishpond, and a small pavilion. A patch that looked like a flower bed lay neglected and overgrown with weeds, looking somewhat out of place in the exquisite courtyard.

Yin Zhengchuan led Wei Zisu into his bedroom and pointed at the extravagant, elaborately crafted alcove bed. "There's only one bed in my courtyard. Um, get some rest first. Oh, right, the sheets and duvet cover were just changed. They're very clean! I... I'll go read in the study for a while. Call me when you wake up. If you're too tired this afternoon, we can see the venue tomorrow. But our wedding outfits will be delivered tonight. After we try them on, we'll have them alter anything that doesn't fit."

Wei Zisu tore his gaze away from the bed, which was as big as a room, and marveled, "I really didn't expect the wedding you mentioned to be this formal."

Yin Zhengchuan hurriedly asked, "Would you dislike that?"

Wei Zisu smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm just a little surprised."

Yin Zhengchuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Zisu lay on the alcove bed. Although he was exhausted, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Yin Zhengchuan, his whirlwind marriage partner, the Alpha the state had assigned him, was actually from a wealthy family-and one with assets on par with Sun Liang's.

To him, this felt no different from winning the grand prize!

He checked the time. It was exactly when he was supposed to voice call Cui Xiangxiang, so he called him right away.

Cui Xiangxiang answered, and his first words were, "Well? Well? Is Yin Zhengchuan a scammer?"

Wei Zisu said, "Yes, he's a huge liar!"

"Huh? What did he scam you out of?" Hearing that his voice sounded fairly normal, Cui Xiangxiang asked, "Money or sex? I'm telling you, if it's sex, let it go. He's handsome, so it's not like you lost out. But if he dares scam you out of money, you have to fight him to the death!"

Picking at the peony carvings on the headboard, Wei Zisu said, "Neither. Xiangxiang, I hit the jackpot."

Cui Xiangxiang said, "The jackpot? You're pregnant? Wait, hadn't you still not slept together the last time we met? How did you hit the jackpot so fast? Did he force himself on you during his rut? Or did you seduce him during your heat?"

Wei Zisu: ...

He thought it was such a waste that Cui Xiangxiang hadn't become a screenwriter.

"Not that kind of jackpot!"

"Then what kind? Holy shit, Wei Zisu, did you win the lottery? Boo-hoo, Brother Zisu, don't forget me when you're rich!"

"Not that kind of jackpot either!"

"Then could you please speak plainly?"

"Yin Zhengchuan's family is super rich!" Wei Zisu said seriously.

Cui Xiangxiang fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How rich?"

"Well..."

Wei Zisu started with the private jet, then moved on to the ten thousand mu of fertile farmland, the dozen-plus hotels and large supermarkets owned by the family that Yin Zhengchuan had casually mentioned, and finally the Suzhou-style courtyard residence occupying over two mu of land.

Cui Xiangxiang listened in a daze before finally asking, "Zisu, did they drug you? Or did you accidentally eat some Yunnan mushrooms and start hallucinating?"

Without another word, Wei Zisu switched to a video call so Cui Xiangxiang could see for himself.

"See? This is just Yin Zhengchuan's bedroom. Isn't it over the top?"

"Holy shit!!!" Cui Xiangxiang covered his mouth and exclaimed, "Is that an emperor's bed? I've only ever seen those in TV dramas!"

Meanwhile, Yin Zhengchuan sat in the study with a book on his lap, but he hadn't taken in a single word.

After staring into space for a while, he seemed to reach some sort of decision. He took out his phone, opened a relationship forum, and made a post-

"How do I let him know I like him?"

One second later, he received the first reply: "Dude, don't you have a mouth?"

Ten seconds later, that reply had a hundred likes!