Chapter 7 The Nauseated Feeling

The atmosphere made Johnson and Blanche feel a little relieved. They didn't care about themselves-the only thing that mattered was their daughter's happiness. However, their nervousness returned by mealtime. Soren ordered the meal according to everyone's taste. Everyone was taken care of, and lunch was a harmonious affair. Only Elsa barely ate. She tried her best not to give in to the nauseated feeling, but the smell of greasy food was almost too much for her.

Even Soren was puzzled. He took her hand under the table and found it to be clammy and cold. He whispered in a worried tone, "Are you alright, Elsa?"

"I'm okay. Let's eat," Elsa said to reassure him. She picked up her chopsticks to have some rice but still didn't touch the other dishes.

Soren picked up a chicken drumstick and placed it in her bowl. Seeing this, Elsa put down the chopsticks all of a sudden and covered her mouth with her hand. Her face was as pale as a ghost, and her nausea was almost unbearable.

"Ren, how long have you known Elsa?" asked Zed and Mia, exchanging a meaningful glance.

Upon hearing the question, Blanche and Johnson also stopped eating and looked at the couple.

The elderly couple asked a loaded question. Seeing their reaction, Soren took hold of Elsa's hand tightly and said, "We met last year, and we've been seeing each other for a while. However, we've decided to get married quite recently."

Soren's words not only reassured Zed and Mia but also allayed the doubts in the minds of Elsa's parents. He could understand that Elsa didn't want her parents to worry about her. Perhaps it was the main reason why she had made her decision to marry him so quickly and with finality.

Elsa gave him a grateful look. Both of them had different thoughts at that moment, but to their families, it looked like a romantic interlude. It suppressed everyone's worries and misgivings.

In the afternoon, several relatives and friends of the Wang family arrived. They seemed to be well-acquainted with Zed and Mia. Soren did his best to act like the perfect son-in-law in front of Elsa's parents. Not wanting to distance herself, Elsa came up to Soren's guests to greet them. Elsa's parents couldn't even find the opportunity to exchange a word with their daughter until the banquet began.

Elsa had only known Soren for a short time, and she was meeting his relatives and friends for the first time that day. However, she was a polite and considerate girl who always knew the right things to say under any circumstances. Satisfied smiles crept onto the faces of Zed and Mia, and her gracious manners endeared Elsa to them more.

At that moment, someone rushed into the hall with a little boy in tow. She shouted from afar, "Congratulations, Elsa! I should have come earlier to help you out, but there has been a slight delay. I'll punish myself with three glasses of wine later!"

The banquet had not started yet, but she already seemed ready to get drunk. Therefore, among her friends, the newcomer could only be Jane.

Elsa stepped forward to greet her, while little Bun barreled into her and said in his small, innocent voice, "Congratulations, auntie. Happy wedding!"

"Good boy." The little boy's greeting warmed Elsa's heart. She stroked his little head and said, "Thank you very much, little Bun."

"Why are you still in this outfit? What time is it now? I'm not criticizing you, Elsa, but if you've suddenly decided to overhaul your wardrobe into an old spinster's, can't that wait until after your wedding today? Let's go upstairs-I'll help you change your clothes. People who don't know you might think you're a hotel staff."

With a smile on her face, Elsa said, "I was supposed to change my clothes earlier, but I didn't think so many people would come that it slipped my mind. I'll get changed before dinner. Actually, it's not going to be a formal affair. We just wanted to have dinner together and meet the families and friends of each side. At least we'd be able to recognize each other in the future if we encounter each other on the street."

Jane said with a bright smile, "You're right, but you really should have changed outfits earlier. Come on, I'll go with you. Meanwhile, little Bun can stay with your man downstairs."

"Well, I should... I'll let him know." Elsa didn't know how to bring up Soren's name.

While they were talking, Soren walked over to where they were standing. Elsa turned to him and said, "Um... I'm going upstairs to change my clothes. Please take care of things around here while I'm gone, okay?"

"What kind of clothes will you wear? What color?" Soren asked in a hurry.

"I'll be wearing a simple cheongsam. Red, of course. What's wrong?"

Soren smiled. "Nothing. I also need to get changed. I don't want people to think that we don't match. Hm... Now that I think about it, a black suit will do nicely."

Just then, their appearances registered to her. There she was in a black pantsuit over a white shirt, while Soren was casually dressed. Elsa realized that both of them did not look like the bride and groom of today's wedding. Even if they intended to get married without a formal ceremony, it was still not proper for them to look like this.

As soon as Elsa turned around to leave, Soren suddenly slid his arm around her shoulders. A flush began to climb up her face. "What's the matter?" she asked with a forced lightness.

"Don't come down by yourself. Let me know once you're done, and I'll pick you up. Okay?" His eyes held so much affection that Elsa couldn't look straight into them.

"Got it." Elsa turned toward little Bun and held his hand. "This is my godson. Can you help me to take care of him for a while?"

"Come here, my godson." Of course, Soren agreed. Elsa's face turned red anew as she heard his words.

Jane looked on from the sidelines, confusion written plainly on her face. "Elsa, what are you doing? Who is this tall, long-legged, and handsome man? Where is Greenwood? Isn't he with you?"

"Let's go upstairs to talk about it," Elsa hastily said as she dragged her friend away. On the way to the elevator, Elsa started to tell Jane everything that had happened. "Please don't tell my parents. Even I am still confused about it. Here, pinch my arm-I want to see if it hurts."

Jane was shocked. 'Really, these things happen in real life?' she wondered aloud. Never mind Jane-Else herself wanted to confirm whether this was just a dream. Jane reached out a hand to lightly scratch Elsa's neck. Being very ticklish, Elsa suddenly burst out laughing so hard that tears streamed from her eyes. Clutching her stomach breathlessly, she held out a hand and laughingly said, "All right, all right! Just spare me! I surrender!"

Upon hearing those words, Jane stopped her tickling. Elsa calmed down after a while, and then she turned toward Jane with a serious expression on her face. "Do you think what I'm doing is wrong?"

Jane looked at her and asked in an uncharacteristically grave tone, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so upset? Is it because Johnny is getting married?"

"Jane! Can you at least tell me something good about this?" Elsa stopped her with a tentative smile.

"Well, to tell you the truth, this guy looks a lot more handsome than Greenwood. I mean, check out his nose and eyes-and that physique! I fully support your marriage to him!"

"You really are my best friend! I feel so lucky to be your friend!" Elsa glared at her man-crazy friend and gnashed her teeth. She didn't need to hear these things right now!

Jane preened. "Thank you for your praise. I don't deserve it! But then, what can I do but to accept it? If you insist." Jane grinned at her shamelessly.

Elsa looked at her, and was at a loss whether to cry or to laugh. She entered the room she had reserved for her parents, took out the clothes that she had prepared, and sat in front of the dresser, waiting for Jane to help her. Jane was highly skilled at these meticulous tasks that Elsa was not good at. Running the news scene all year round, Elsa usually ended up ruining what little makeup she usually wore, so she made do without any most of the time.

While doing her eyebrows, Jane commented, "I've told you before that Greenwood is not a good man, but you didn't listen to me. You wanted to hurry your relationship. When you told me that you two finally became a couple, you brought him over to meet me. Back then, we talked about buying some ice cream, but he kept saying that he was allergic or that he didn't like its sweet taste. However, after you paid for the ice cream, he suddenly wasn't allergic anymore and ended up eating more than half of it. What a stingy man he is!"

"He just wanted to save money," Elsa said honestly. Greenwood had always lived frugally. For him, even taking a taxi was a waste. In retrospect, she wondered why she was so determined to marry that man. She couldn't help but feel sick at the thought of what could have happened if she did marry Greenwood.

"He's a cheapskate!" Jane exclaimed angrily. "What's more, he's an asshole! He even went to your room and took off his clothes. He had no plans of marrying you but had the gall to try and sleep with you! Luckily, he took the wrong room card. If he really had succeeded in his plan, how would you be able to make him take responsibility for it with him gone? Just for sparing you from that fate, I award Soren with 100 points!"

"He got his ass kicked by Soren."

"Yes! I'm giving him 200 points!" Jane cheered.

The thought still scared Elsa. What if Greenwood used the correct key card at that time? Jane would have been in danger too. She said carefully, "I invited you to the hotel that day, but little Bun told me that you turned back and left him behind even though both of you were already in the elevator. What happened?"

"Something urgent happened at home," Jane answered evasively after a moment of silence.

"Did you run into that man?" Elsa hadn't been friends with Jane for a decade for nothing. She could easily tell that Jane was hiding something.

Jane laughed. "Never mind that. Let's not talk about unpleasant things today. To celebrate your narrow escape from an eternity of married hell with Greenwood, I have to double my money in the red envelope today."

Elsa decided to stop delving into the matter. She smiled and begged, "Forgive me! Please don't do that, or else I'd have to give you twice when your turn comes. God, my life is so difficult," she bemoaned.

"It's not up to you," Jane retorted with a pout. "Are you hoping that I won't get married so that you can save money?"

Elsa's eyes suddenly turned red at those words. She gave Jane a misty-eyed smile and said earnestly, "Janie, you know that I would put all of my worldly possessions in a red envelope for you. I want to see you become a radiantly happy bride and wear a beautiful wedding dress. Unlike..." Her voice trailed off.

"Can you give me your bank card? I'm heading to the photo studio right now to have a wedding pictorial," Jane joked as she applied some color to Elsa's lips. Suddenly, she slid her arms around Elsa in a fierce hug and said, "It doesn't matter whether we get married or not, Sasa, we'll always be sisters."

Abrupt knocking suddenly interrupted the emotional moment.

Jane pulled away and said, "I'll be right there!"

She opened the door, and Soren walked into the room.

Elsa was smiling as he came in, and the smile on her face faded as she looked up at him self-consciously. He had changed into a dark black suit that showcased his gorgeous figure to perfection. The suit appeared to be tailor-made and fitted him impeccably. Compared to his casual look during lunchtime, this image exuded maturity and stability and inspired trust.