"Knock, knock, knock."
Ye Tian knocked on Hu Liena's door.
"Open up. I'm here to pick someone up," he said with a light chuckle.
Thirteen tactfully handed him a red-striped sea bass.
"Your fish, Young Master."
Looking at the fish that was barely the length of two fingers, Chen Jian, standing behind him, opened his mouth in surprise.
"Young Master, this morning you told me you'd already caught a fish yesterday and told me not to worry. So this was the fish you were talking about?"
"Just make do," Ye Tian replied indifferently.
If it were a fish weighing close to a thousand pounds, it wouldn't even fit through the doorframe.
The one who opened the door was Bibi Dong.
She greeted Ye Tian with a faint smile. "Congratulations, Xiaotian. Happy wedding."
"It's only a blessing when my elder sister is here," Ye Tian replied with a bright grin.
"Don't flatter me," Bibi Dong said, covering her smile with her hand. "Old Chen told me yesterday that I'm in charge of hosting your third wedding challenge."
Ye Tian raised his brows and flashed a dazzling smile. "Sister wouldn't make things hard for me, would she?"
"Nana is my disciple, so I can't go easy on you," Bibi Dong said softly, raising her slender hand.
Ye Tian's gaze swept past her and into the room. There, he saw Hu Liena, dressed in a wedding gown with a red veil covering her head. She was sitting gracefully on the edge of a large bed, holding a red string in her hand.
"Let's hear it then," Ye Tian said, grinning.
Bibi Dong didn't drag it out and got straight to the point. "The third challenge is actually quite simple."
She stepped aside, allowing Ye Tian to enter. Then, she pointed to Hu Liena's snow-white feet with a smile.
"Find the shoes."
"Well, that's pretty traditional," Ye Tian said with a nod. This was within his expectations since it was a common wedding custom.
He walked over to Hu Liena and leaned down slightly, asking, "Can you give me a hint, Nana?"
Hu Liena, hidden under her veil, shook her head. "Brother has to find them himself."
Her tone overflowed with happiness.
"That won't stop me," Ye Tian said, psyching himself up.
At the door, Thirteen kept glancing at the curtains. As a member of the groomsmen, he felt it was his duty to provide some hints. After all, the curtains looked like the perfect place to hide something.
"Hmm." Ye Tian's eyes sparkled as he too noticed the curtains. He quickly walked over, which made Bibi Dong tense up.
But when Ye Tian pulled back the curtains, he found nothing.
Seeing this, Thirteen sighed. "I was wrong."
"Young Master, we're all rooting for you!" the crowd started cheering, encouraging Ye Tian.
Bibi Dong smiled brightly at him. "Wrong place."
Seeing her smile, Ye Tian couldn't help but grin as well. But he didn't leave the curtain area.
"…There's nothing behind the curtains, but what about inside them?"
The curtains were tied at the bottom, making them an excellent hiding spot. In front of Bibi Dong, he slowly untied the curtain knot.
Sure enough, a shoe appeared.
"Impressive," Bibi Dong said, clapping her hands in genuine admiration. She hadn't expected him to figure it out.
"But there's still another one."
She walked over to the door and turned to Thirteen and the others. "No more helping Ye Tian."
Then, she closed the door and looked back at Ye Tian with a smile. "Now it's just you, me, and Nana in this room. No one will assist you anymore."
"Find the other shoe."
"Oh?" Ye Tian smirked mischievously as he glanced at her. "Wife, you're really not going to help me?"
Bibi Dong's smile froze for a moment.
Xiaotian's nerve was truly something else.
Hu Liena thought Ye Tian was talking to her and replied happily, "Nope, I really can't give you any hints."
"All right, I'll find it myself."
Ye Tian returned to Hu Liena's side, gently held her foot, and slipped the shoe he'd already found onto it. Then, he began rummaging through the room in an exaggerated manner.
Hidden under her veil, Hu Liena's eyes were full of anticipation.
"Brother, keep going."
She was already impatient to officially become Ye Tian's wife, knowing they were only one shoe away from closing the distance between them forever.
As Ye Tian searched, he turned to Bibi Dong and asked, "Could it be in a storage space?"
Standing by the door, Bibi Dong shook her finger and replied lightly, "Don't worry, it's not."
"I can assure you with absolute certainty that the other shoe is in this room."
"But beyond that, I can't give you any more hints."
"You'll have to rely on your own two hands to find it."
"Oh." Ye Tian stared into Bibi Dong's eyes and responded.
"Sister wouldn't stop me from looking for it, would she?"
He smirked playfully.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong was momentarily puzzled but still replied, "Of course not. I won't interfere."
After all, it was just a game. She was curious to see if Ye Tian could locate the shoe quickly, as time constraints often revealed a person's adaptability.
After her assurance, Ye Tian said confidently, "Wife, I know where the shoe is."
Bibi Dong's expression turned sour as she glared at him, silently reminding him of their unspoken agreement.
"Really?" Hu Liena's voice was full of excitement.
"Of course," Ye Tian said, winking at Bibi Dong without a care for her warning glances.
Agreements? Weren't those meant to be broken? If he took them seriously, how would he get closer to Bibi Dong?
He walked toward her, his eyes fixed on her proud chest.
"This looks suspiciously full. Maybe there's something hidden in there."
"Let me check if there's a shoe inside."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong's usually calm demeanor cracked, and she instinctively took a step back.
Truthfully, she wasn't ready to face Nana yet. After all, if Nana discovered that her teacher had feelings for her husband, how heartbroken would she be?
Bibi Dong felt guilty, but her unparalleled ambition required Ye Tian's assistance. In weighing her options, she chose to sacrifice a portion of Nana's happiness.
As Ye Tian approached step by step, Bibi Dong's heart began to race uncontrollably—a sensation she hadn't experienced in her decades as the Pope.
She transmitted a soul-powered message to Ye Tian: "Fine, you win. The shoe is under Nana's wedding dress."
Hearing this, Ye Tian silently lamented, "Why did you have to tell me so soon?"
Bibi Dong: "…"
(End of Chapter)
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