An Uninvited Guest

The so-called groomsman is similar to the master of ceremonies. "Zhou Li, Qiu Guan, Master of Ceremonies" says that "the guest of the Zhou Dynasty holds the nine rites and bows to the prime minister, and the ceremony of bowing to the prime minister is based on the imperial edict, appearance, speech, and courtesy."

Si Ming watched with great interest from the audience. In his previous life, his motherland had completely surrendered its wedding culture to Western civilization. Things like white wedding dresses and brides throwing bouquets were all Western. Perhaps only the custom of bride price had been preserved.

Of course, it's not that men riding horses and women sitting in sedan chairs, shouting "First bow to heaven and earth, second bow to parents, husband and wife bow to each other" is the only way to represent Chinese culture. Doing it that way would at most be considered retro and wouldn't capture the essence of Chinese culture.

Today he finally got to see a modern Chinese wedding, and it was indeed unique. He was filled with anticipation, as it is said that the various schools of thought had different customs and etiquette. Perhaps he would be able to see other styles of Chinese weddings in the future.

The elders of both families were also invited onto the stage, wearing smiles of delight. As for what they were really thinking, only they themselves knew.

Si Ming wasn't particularly concerned about this, and instead asked Liu Qingqing, who was sitting at the same table, "Auntie Liu took you to have your Divine Arts talent tested, what were the results?"

"Below average."

This is a rather delicate level. On the one hand, she's not without talent, proving that she can still learn Divine Dao Law Technique. But unless she has some extraordinary encounter, it will be difficult for her to achieve anything significant in this field in her lifetime. It's estimated that if she works hard for a lifetime, she might be able to become a High Priestess when she gets old.

Are you interested in Divine Dao? If you really don't want to learn, don't force yourself. We can try to persuade your mother.

Liu Qingqing didn't answer directly, "It wouldn't hurt to learn it."

She has always been easygoing and doesn't express her own thoughts much.

Si Ming was about to persuade him further when a commotion arose on the platform. Turning around, he saw a pretty young girl holding Jiang Zhengtai's arm, saying in a resolute tone, "Brother Jiang, I know you don't really want to marry this woman. Come with me! Didn't we promise each other when we were little that we'd be together forever? Have you forgotten all those promises?"

Si Ming was stunned. What was this all about?

It's common in idol dramas for men to steal brides from weddings, and there are precedents for women stealing grooms from weddings, such as in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber." But for a woman to steal a gay man from her wedding is unprecedented.

Alas, young lady, you are destined to leave disappointed today, for your Brother Chiang is one of those "Chinese women who are all extraordinary, preferring military uniforms to makeup"!

Chapter 267 Uninvited Guest

"Wow, this is going to be interesting! A groom-stealing scene at the wedding! I thought that only happened on TV."

"That woman looks familiar. She seems to be Master Zhang's granddaughter. She lives in the same compound as the Jiang family, so they're probably childhood sweethearts and were very close when they were young."

"Sigh, so few childhood sweethearts actually end up together; nine times out of ten, someone else will snatch them away."

"I heard the bride's family is very wealthy. Could it be that Jiang Zhengtai is a gold digger who abandoned his ex-girlfriend after starting a relationship with her?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I know the Jiang family lad well. Although he's a bit frivolous, he's very stable in relationships and a true gentleman. Many girls confessed to him when he was in school, but he rejected them all. He was nicknamed 'Jiang Xiahui, who could remain unmoved even with a woman in his lap.' He's never had a girlfriend since graduation. Where would he get a lover?"

The girl's confession deeply moved Jiang Zhengtai, but he still rejected her.

The absence of a dramatic wedding scene where the groom and a mistress escaped disappointed the onlookers. However, many observant people noticed that the bride's parents had grim expressions, as if a storm was about to break, which immediately piqued their interest again.

"The bride has a powerful background; I remember it's a conglomerate that produces high-tech civilian products. Now that this has happened at the wedding, it's going to be embarrassing for them. I reckon the wedding is going to be called off."

"Rich people are especially concerned about their image. Ultimately, this is entirely the man's fault. Just wait and see, the woman's parents will definitely explode in a minute!"

However, even as the wedding reached its climax and the bride and groom exchanged tokens of their love, Yao Bilian's parents did not lose their temper.

It wasn't that they were magnanimous or didn't care about saving face; in fact, they wanted to lose their temper on the spot, throw the wedding gift money in the groom's face, and yell, "Go home and wait to be sued!"

But when they saw their daughter showing concern and comfort to the "other woman," they immediately felt that it was more important to marry their daughter off as soon as possible. They didn't care about saving face; a prime minister's belly can hold a boat.

Once the wedding is successfully held, everything will be set in stone. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; with the power of the Yao Clan, it's absolutely impossible for the groom to cancel the engagement.

Coincidentally, Jiang Zhengtai's parents thought the same thing.

Because neither Yao Bilian nor Jiang Zhengtai told their parents that their fiancés were in the entertainment industry, both felt guilty, and the wedding surprisingly went ahead without incident.

Knowing the inside story Si Ming was so shocked his jaw almost dropped.

"This is so exciting! Reality is definitely more exciting than novels. I feel like inspiration is flowing freely. Oh dear, I should have brought paper and pen. My hands, my hands are about to slip out of control—"

Sitting at the same table, Chen Shimi clutched his bandaged left hand, looking pained.

This guy was a distant relative of Jiang Zhengtai. His grandmother and Jiang Zhengtai's grandfather were siblings, but their relationship was quite distant, beyond the fifth degree of kinship. However, Yao Bilian's family was not short of money, and they set up a wedding banquet with sixty-six tables, inviting all those who were even remotely related to them to be guests.

This guy wasn't shy at all. As soon as he saw Si Ming, he happily left his parents behind and ran over to join them at the table.

Si Ming retorted, "You're not left-handed. Even if you can't use your left hand, your right hand is still normal, isn't it?"

Chen Shimi let out a long breath. "Phew, although the power of the Hundun Gods was strong before, my seal could still suppress it. But ever since your right hand was also eroded by the power of Hundun, we resonated with each other, and my seal has gradually been broken. Just now, I almost activated my second personality, and I had to use all my strength to seal it back."

Upon hearing this, Si Ming looked up at the sky and said helplessly, "My left hand is bandaged because I have a skin condition, and I want to avoid attracting attention. It's not because I'm a chuunibyou like you."

Chen Shimi nodded and said, "I know, you don't need to explain. Your right hand was Curse by the Silver Winged Heavenly King under the command of the Hundun God, so you had to seal it. My starting point was the same as yours; I didn't want to attract attention, so I wrapped my left hand with the Holy Corpse Cloth."

Si Ming felt like he was going to suffocate. This guy couldn't understand human speech at all. His right hand had been invaded by Metal Cells, and his skin had turned into a silvery-white metallic color. He had to wrap it in bandages every day. As a result, on the first day back at school, he was targeted by Chen Shimi. He looked just like the lyrics, "Just because I glanced at you in the crowd, I could never forget your face." He was forcibly regarded as a kindred spirit and stuck to him like a piece of chewing gum, and he couldn't get rid of him no matter what.

Moreover, because Chen Shimi spread the word everywhere, the classmates who originally thought Si Ming was just injured all started to think in that direction, assuming that he, like Chen Shimi, had the same School of Fiction's delusions. Later, when they learned that Si Ming had actually written and published a novel, they were even more convinced, and no amount of explanation from him would help.

But the other party truly meant no harm, and Si Ming couldn't resort to violence, so he could only keep a low profile despite the misunderstanding.

"Oh, you two seem to be having a good chat. What are you talking about?" Yao Bilian lifted her veil and came over to offer a toast.

The groom, Jiang Zhengtai, was forced to forbid using his Internal Cultivation, and as a result, he passed out after just one cup. She, on the other hand, was able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, accepting all offers and drinking with great gusto.

Si Ming was already in a bad mood, so he said irritably, "Let's talk about the probability of you being cheated on in the future."

"Green is good too; it's pleasing to the eye, environmentally friendly, and can even relieve eye strain."

Yao Bilian laughed heartily, completely unconcerned. She even spun around on the spot before whispering, "Now that I have the added attribute of a wife, don't you think I'm even more attractive?"

Si Ming scoffed. "The charm of a married woman lies in taking what is precious to others. If the other party doesn't care at all, what charm is there to speak of? What difference does it make whether she's a married woman or not?"