“Mum, Ruoruo and I really are a bit hungry. What supper did you make us? Thank you, Mum. You’re absolutely wonderful.”
Zhan Wei did not usually eat late-night snacks, but since his future mother-in-law had prepared it specially, he would definitely have some.
“I know you two normally skip supper so you don’t put on weight, so I didn’t make much. Just one big drumstick each. The chicken came from the countryside. The staff said it was home-reared and free-range.”
“A-Wei, you’ve proposed successfully. Mum wishes you both happiness, so big drumsticks for you.”
Lan Ruoruo: “…Mum, you actually made us massive drumsticks. After one of those, how many pounds am I going to gain?”
“How many pounds can one drumstick add? You think you’re fat? You’re practically skin and bones.”
“Everyone says you’re meant to eat drumsticks. Mum specially sent people back to the village to catch a chicken so you could have the tastiest ones.”
Around here, on the wedding day itself, the bride and groom really do each eat a drumstick.
But they were not married yet. Zhan Wei had only proposed.
If she and Zhan Wei had already registered their marriage and her mother served them two huge drumsticks, Lan Ruoruo would have eaten hers without hesitation.
Right now, though, at nearly eleven o’clock at night, she genuinely did not want to eat. She was scared of gaining weight.
“Proper free-range chicken is delicious, especially the drumsticks. Thank you, Mum. You’re so thoughtful. Ruoruo and I will go and eat them now.”
Zhan Wei gave his fiancée a little tug.
It was only one drumstick. It would not make her fat.
Lan Ruoruo said nothing more.
“Grandpa, Dad, I’ve brought Ruoruo home safely.”
Zhan Wei walked over to greet the father and son, leaning in to glance at their chessboard.
“You’re back. Good, good. Go and eat your drumsticks. Your mum made them specially for you two.”
Mr Lan spoke gently.
Grandpa Lan grinned at his granddaughter. “Today is a happy day. Something wonderful has happened. Let yourself go for once. Eat without worry. You won’t get fat. You’re not fat at all. Your figure is model-standard, perfect.”
“If you don’t believe me, ask A-Wei. Even if you really did put on weight, A-Wei wouldn’t mind.”
Zhan Wei smiled. “I wouldn’t mind. No matter what Ruoruo looks like in future, my love for her will never change. I love her for the person she is, for a lifetime.”
He did not love her just because she had a good figure or a pretty face.
In his circles, beautiful men and women were everywhere. Lan Ruoruo’s looks were far from the most stunning he had ever seen.
“Grandpa, Ruoruo and I are going to have our supper.”
Zhan Wei took Lan Ruoruo’s hand and led her towards the kitchen.
He had eaten at the Lan house several times and knew the layout well.
Once in the dining room, he went into the kitchen himself, brought out the two huge drumsticks their mother-in-law had left for them, and grabbed two pairs of disposable gloves so they would not get their hands messy.
“I don’t want the skin.”
“Alright, I’ll eat it for you.”
Zhan Wei put on the gloves, picked up a drumstick, peeled off the skin, then handed the skinless one to Lan Ruoruo.
He lifted his own drumstick and gently tapped hers with it.
“Let’s treat this as clinking glasses. Ruoruo, for the rest of our lives, please look after me.”
Lan Ruoruo laughed. “Eating drumsticks feels like drinking a toast now.”
“Zhan Wei, please look after me too for the rest of our lives.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
Then they slowly tucked into their drumsticks.
Zhan Wei’s eyes were full of the woman he adored most in the world. Even while eating, he gazed at her with such tenderness that Lan Ruoruo almost felt he wanted to gobble her up instead.
