Another year went by, and Xu Musen also turned twenty, twenty-one by traditional age counting, or even twenty-two considering the virtual age and twenty-three with the additional age... In the blink of an eye, he was nearing thirty.
It wasn't too early to think about the major life events.
After all, both Xu Musen's and An Nuannuan's families were quite conservative when it came to traditional customs.
Though An Nuannuan's family had given their tacit approval to the couple's cohabitation, it was still the girl who "suffered the loss" in such arrangements.
Young people are headstrong, and when it comes to aligning values on various aspects, there's often a lack of consideration.
If anything went wrong and they split up in the meantime, it would be almost equivalent to a second marriage for the girl.
Hence, taking their relationship to the next level was also a form of security.
After all, once engaged, both families finally had an official connection and could step in to mediate disputes with a legitimate reason, should any arise.
And with identity comes a sense of responsibility, which could restrain many a young person's impulsive decisions...
Moreover, Xu Musen knew how long An Nuannuan had waited for him.
He also knew how well and deeply she hid her feelings in her past life, such that she was the first to rush to the hospital after his car accident.
So, during his wedding with Yao Mingyue in the last life, how could she possibly have been unaware?
Perhaps, in that moment of the previous life, when Xu Musen knelt on one knee and placed a diamond ring on the finger of Yao Mingyue, clad in a white Wedding Dress,
When everyone was cheering and wishing happiness,
There must have been such a lonely, dim figure standing in a corner...
"Xu Musen, do I look good in this dress?"
His thoughts were brought back to reality by a familiar voice.
Before him, An Nuannuan was holding a white long dress up against herself, with several other dresses laid out beside her.
"You're visiting Grandpa and Grandma, why bother with what you wear? Even if you wore pajamas, Grandpa and Grandma would still be happy," Xu Musen couldn't help laughing.
"It wasn't a big deal before, but it's different this time."
An Nuannuan hummed, her fair cheeks blushing with a smile: "We've been together for so long, if you let me go in pajamas, Grandpa and Grandma will definitely think you're mistreating me, unwilling to buy me clothes...they'd never agree to you..."
Xu Musen went up and pinched her chubby face: "Look at this flesh on you, do you dare say I'm mistreating you? Do you have any idea how many pounds you've gained since we've been together?"
One thing was certain, An Nuannuan had never been wronged when it came to eating with Xu Musen.
Previously, An Nuannuan was often in a wheelchair, and even though her grandparents provided for her well, they focused on high-protein, low-calorie health foods for the sake of their granddaughter's health. Getting fat was simply out of the question, plus the lack of exercise made her quite thin when they first met.
But now, An Nuannuan's level of activity had increased. She kept pigging out with Xu Musen daily, indulging in desserts and greasy food she was previously not allowed, all while sating her cravings.
Moreover, Xu Musen did not skimp on the high-protein, easy-to-absorb good stuff either...
So now An Nuannuan had the perfect figure, plentiful yet graceful, an epitome of youthful vitality!
An Nuannuan's big eyes blinked guiltily as she was called out, but her plump lips pouted: "So, you're saying I'm fat. Then, I'll lose weight, for sure I'll get thinner!"
She declared earnestly, and whether intentionally or not, patted her chest with a solemn oath.
"Not fat! The fatter you are, the more I like you. There's a saying that a family's fortune can be judged by the wife's plumpness!"
Xu Musen immediately spoke up, jokingly. As a pureblood Huaxia man, the instinct to be ever vigilant about stocking the granary was embedded deep in his bones.
An Nuannuan looked at his expression, her fair cheeks flushing even more: "Jerk, so... if I got thinner, does that mean you'd like me less?"
It's the kind of question all girls ask their boyfriends, the same for both men and women.
Girls take pride in their boyfriends appreciating their looks and physique, yet they can't help fearing that their boyfriends only value these superficial aspects.
The question was like a minefield.
If you said yes, the girl would surely explode in anger, accusing you of being a shallow scumbag.
If you said no, "I love your soul," then the girl would retort, "So you're saying my body isn't good, right?"
Therefore, Xu Musen nodded seriously: "Of course."
Her fair face instantly puffed up like a little pufferfish, ready to explode.
"I mean, if you lose weight while with me, that means you feel pressured around me. If you gain weight, it proves that you're carefree when you're with me. The weight you gain isn't just flesh; it's my love for you. So if you get thinner, it's not that I don't love you—it's that you don't love me. Understand?"
His tone was gentle as he lightly patted her cheek, deflating An Nuannuan's huffy face instantly.
An Nuannuan knew full well he was spouting nonsense and even shifted the blame to her. It was clear he cared, yet he wanted it both ways, the scoundrel... But she really loved hearing it.
"Jerk." An Nuannuan's lips were still pouting: "Then which one should I wear?"