Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 146 – Mao Huimei’s Wedding

Xia Mian went to discuss the matter with Ning Shaobai in private. When she entered the living room of his house, she found him lounging comfortably on the sofa, reading a book. She walked over and lay her head in his lap.

Ning Shaobai didn’t even look up from the page—he simply lifted one arm to accommodate her and absentmindedly began running his fingers through her hair. He seemed to particularly enjoy the feeling of her hair slipping through his fingers.

Whenever Xia Mian lay on his lap or curled up in his arms, not only did she never have to worry about messing up her hair, but it would actually end up neatly combed by him…

She found a comfortable position, enjoying his “finger-combing service” while explaining her suspicions about how Wang Tao had ended up on their doorstep.

“There are probably plenty of people in the circle who don’t like me. But the ones who would go this far to act on it… I can only think of two.”

Ning Shaobai flipped a page and, as his hand came down, gently touched her forehead as he said nonchalantly, “Most likely Fan Xiaowan.”

Xia Mian tilted her head up and narrowed her eyes. “Why not Gao Qiongying?”

Ning Shaobai’s eyes paused on the book for a second before finally settling on her face. But Xia Mian had already grabbed his hand and began accusing him, “You know her that well? Seems Miss Gao’s years of pursuit weren’t a total waste, huh!”

“In your eyes, is she all that pure and kind, noble and flawless?”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

He closed the book and said, “Know yourself and your opponent, and you will never lose a battle.”

“I know Gao Qiongying well, and of course, I know Han Haoyan too.”

Oh? Turning the tables now? But Xia Mian wasn’t buying it. “You know Han Haoyan?” She blinked innocently. “Why would you know him?”

Her eyes widened dramatically. “Don’t tell me… he likes you too?”

Then, dripping with sarcasm, she added, “Well, well! Aren’t you just so charming, Dr. Ning?”

Ning Shaobai looked at her, both exasperated and amused. He knew reason wouldn’t work right now, so he leaned down and shut her up with practical actions…

His kiss only stopped when her whole body had gone soft. Stroking her hair, he asked, “Can we talk properly now?”

A still disoriented Xia Mian was very docile, “Sure.”

Ning Shaobai chuckled softly. “Ever since Grandpa Rong’s birthday banquet, Gao Qiongying hasn’t tried to get close to me again.”

Xia Mian looked surprised. “Ah, Miss Gao sure is upright! So now she’s just patiently waiting for us to break up so she can swoop in as a backup?”

Ning Shaobai opened his mouth to respond, looked at her, and then suddenly seemed to think better of it. “I don’t know.”

Xia Mian burst out laughing at his sudden survival instinct. She playfully smacked him and said, “You can speak properly, you don’t have to be that cautious.”

Ning Shaobai tugged lightly on her tuft. “I really don’t know. But I think she’s probably given up. I told her if she kept bothering me, I’d consider switching investors.”

Xia Mian: “…”

Considering how rational, profit-driven Gao Qiongying was, this approach must be very effective, especially since her feelings for Ning Shaobai might not even be love.

“Then why didn’t you tell her off earlier?”

“Because everything was still in the preparation stage. At that time, she hadn’t yet realized the full potential of the lab, so any threats wouldn’t have had much effect.”

“But once it officially launched, the situation changed. If I switched investors now, all of her previous investments would go up in smoke.”

“And besides…” Ning Shaobai glanced at her and smiled, “If she didn’t witness how formidable you are, she might not accept it deep down. Who knows when she’d pop up again out of nowhere?”

Xia Mian laughed. “So… is she convinced now?”

Ning Shaobai replied seriously, “Absolutely. I think my threat was unnecessary. After facing your awesomeness head-on, she was completely overwhelmed and doesn’t dare covet me anymore.”

Xia Mian burst into laughter.

She actually agreed. It was probably Fan Xiaowan. Gao Qiongying, while constantly condescending, did have the credentials to back it up and acted fairly openly overall. Fan Xiaowan, on the other hand, was exactly the type to play dirty and act in the shadows.

“But it’s hard to confirm,” she sighed.

“It’s not hard to dig into my background. If she really wanted results, she could’ve gone straight and informed both families. That would’ve been more direct and efficient. But instead, she chose this roundabout route, using Xia Li and Xia Bao, who also happen to be in Yan City, as the entry point.”

“It’s clear she wanted it to look like Wang Tao just happened to stumble across news about my aunt’s business.”

She then smiled at Ning Shaobai. “Clearly, Dr. Ning, your reputation precedes you. She’s terrified of you—so much so that even a petty scheme like this had to be wrapped up in several layers.”

“If it weren’t for the slip-up with how you were addressed, she actually would’ve succeeded.”

“But then again, it’s because she went about it in such a roundabout way that we can’t be certain it was her.”

Ning Shaobai said casually, “This isn’t a criminal case. We don’t need irrefutable evidence. As long as we are sure it’s her, that’s enough.”

“And how do we confirm that?”

Ning Shaobai smiled. “She’s not a very patient person. If she’s behind this, she’ll definitely be closely watching the outcome. So what happens if her opening act completely flops?”

“She’ll try to salvage the situation!” Xia Mian suddenly grinned. “Her opening act had two players. Xia Bao, that ticking time bomb would soon be defused. Second Aunt plans to send someone tomorrow to get rid of him. He’ll have no way of contacting the Mao or Hao families.”

“As for Wang Tao and Xia Li, they’re dead set on believing you’re just an ordinary doctor. Even if someone whispers in their ears again that you’re some ‘Young Master Ning,’ they’ll probably think the other person is bragging. They won’t believe it at all.”

“Unless they see it for themselves, in public, with someone from the circle directly calling you out.”

“That contact of hers will definitely show up,” Ning Shaobai said casually.

Xia Mian continued, “And the only place where you and Wang Tao will both be present will be Sister Huimei’s wedding, at the Victoria Hotel.”

“Once we confirm it’s her… watch how I deal with her!”

Ning Shaobai narrowed his eyes too. He was beginning to realize that he might have been too lenient over the past two years, which was likely why some people felt confident enough to act so boldly against his people.

…

In the blink of an eye, the day of Mao Huimei’s wedding had arrived. She and Mao Huilan were serving as bridesmaids, which meant getting up early for makeup and dressing. They had to rise at four in the morning.

Compared to the bride’s formal styling, theirs was kept more subtle. Their makeup was light, their hair styled simply with floral crowns and loose waves, and their bridesmaid dresses were soft pink tulle.

By the time Mao Huimei was fully ready, daylight had already broken. Everyone who had finished getting dressed gathered in the Mao family’s living room to get a look at the bride.

Ning Shaobai also came in, holding Xiao Feng’s hand. The little guy came in already dressed to the nines—shorts with suspenders, a crisp little shirt, and a tiny bow tie. He looked absolutely adorable. Since Xia Mian had to rise so early, she had left him in Ning Shaobai’s care the night before.

The moment the big and little pair entered, their eyes immediately locked on Xia Mian. Xiao Feng ran over with a big smile and threw himself into her arms. “Auntie, you’re so pretty!”

Xia Mian laughed. “Take a look at Auntie Huimei—she’s the most beautiful today!”

Xiao Feng looked up at Mao Huimei sitting on the recliner, then beamed and said, “The bride!”

Seeing Ning Shaobai staring without blinking at her, Xia Mian teased, “Falling in love again?”

Ning Shaobai reached out to smooth her hair and chuckled, “Yeah. You’re the most beautiful.”

Just then, Qiangqiang burst in like a whirlwind. “The bride is the prettiest!”

Then Mao Huizhu and Chenchen ran in one after the other, shouting, “Oh oh oh! The bride, the bride! The bride is the prettiest!”

Xia Mian burst out laughing.

The whole morning was busy and chaotic. Soon, Xia Wenyue came in and gathered the four kids, instructing them on how to guard the door and what kind of red envelopes they should demand from the groom before letting anyone in.

Mao Huimei’s close university friends also arrived. Xia Mian joined them in setting up obstacles for the groom’s side during the wedding door games. She was clearly well-prepared, confidently pulling out props one by one while explaining how they’d be used, leaving everyone stunned.

To test one of the pranks, Mao Huimei played a trick on Xia Chuan, who came in last.

“Why are you wearing a bridal veil already? It’s too early! Aren’t you hot under there?” Xia Chuan grumbled as he reached out and lifted the veil, only to come face-to-face with a grinning blackface mask. He let out a loud yelp and jumped back two steps in fright, almost falling over.

The room erupted in laughter.

Ning Shaoyun laughed so hard she clutched her stomach. “Where does Xia Mian come up with these crazy ideas?”

Zhou Xuewen, standing beside her, watched in disbelief as Xia Mian blew up a balloon and hid the wedding shoe inside it, then mixed it among a bunch of other balloons. He suspected even she wouldn’t be able to find it afterward.

Then she handed out a set of prepared questions to Huimei’s friends, explaining which game checkpoints each one was for.

Next came a stuffed doll with a small body and disproportionately long limbs. She tossed it to the ground, saying the groomsmen would have to imitate the exact position it landed in.

The doll lay sprawled awkwardly like it had been abused, its limbs twisted in a dramatic, corpse-like fashion. Everyone clapped and laughed.

Xia Mian smirked mischievously. “Make the groom do this pose! Only if he pulls it off can he take the bride away, hahaha…”

Zhou Xuewen suddenly turned to look at Ning Shaobai, his face full of sympathy.

Ning Shaobai, clearly knowing what he was thinking, said calmly, “She wouldn’t bear to put me through that.”

Zhou Xuewen replied, “I heard her friends are even fiercer than Huimei’s.”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

That was true. They were all ex-delinquent girls who had turned to the bright side.

Zhou Xuewen thought for a moment, then said, “But I think you’re right. If you two got married this year, she might still mess with you. But if it’s three years from now, you can make her feel sorry for you after waiting so long.”

Ning Shaobai: “…” I’d rather be tortured this year!

At ten o’clock, the groom’s party arrived. The crowd gathered to watch the chaotic and creative wedding games unfold. Soon, the whole house echoed with laughter. After nearly being driven to the brink of collapse, the groom’s team finally made it inside to see the bride.

Maybe because they looked so pitiful, Xia Wenyue discreetly gave them a hint during the shoe-hunting segment. Thanks to that, Fang Yongpeng finally found the hidden wedding shoe, only to be told he now had to recite his vows in front of the bride:

“…In our home, Mao Huimei is always right. If she’s ever wrong, refer to Rule One.”

“I vow to uphold Mao Huimei’s absolute authority, to love and protect her, to be a civilized husband. If she hits me, I won’t hit back; if she scolds me, I won’t talk back; if she hits my left hand, I’ll offer her my right.”

Rong Xin and Ning Shaobai stood together, laughing so hard they nearly doubled over. “Oh my god, this vow is legendary.”

Tang Miaomiao had come with Rong Xin. At this moment, she was smiling faintly and said matter-of-factly, “Xia Mian wrote it.”

Just as she said that, Fang Yongpeng lifted the bride’s veil—and the entire groomsmen squad jumped in fright. A moment later, the room erupted in laughter so loud it could’ve blown off the roof.

Rong Xin wiped tears from his eyes as he laughed. “This wedding is wild.”

Ning Shaobai glanced at Xia Mian, her playful grin lighting up her face. “With Xia Mian, every party turns spectacular.”

Tang Miaomiao’s eyes lit up as she pointed at the mask in Mao Huimei’s hand. “She made that too.”

Rong Xin, suddenly on alert, turned to Ning Shaobai and asked, “Brother Bai, when I get married, you and Xia Mian count as my guests, right?”

His wedding to Tang Miaomiao was already set for next year.

Hearing that, Tang Miaomiao’s eyes flickered. She said calmly, “She’s my friend.”

Rong Xin looked at the groom, who had practically been scared half to death, and shook his head vigorously. “No way, no way. Brother Bai, you and she are a package deal. She’s practically my sister-in-law already. You can’t be separated!”

Ning Shaobai couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “Between us, Xia Mian is always in charge. I firmly support all of her decisions.”

Rong Xin: “…”

He snorted lightly, then gave a dramatic sigh. “Alas! But by the time I get married, Xia Mian is still your girlfriend, right?”

“I always thought I’d only be able to get married after you. Who would’ve thought I’d end up getting married before you? Life’s full of surprises.”

Ning Shaobai: “…”

He could already predict it now—for the next three years, every wedding he attended was going to be a personal attack!

(If you have both kofi and patreon, please subscribe using kofi. Thank you!)