Who Didn't Have a Big Diamond Ring?

For the next few days, Ji Mingzhu stayed home, quietly finishing the embroidery on his wedding nightclothes.

Only the Ji Family remained on edge. They even doubled the number of bodyguards watching Ji Mingzhu, terrified that something might go wrong. Fortunately, the days passed without incident, and the wedding day finally arrived.

Early that morning, Ji Mingzhu, whose body clock was exceptionally regular, had barely opened his bleary eyes before the wedding staff hauled him out of bed.

In Kyoto, a city that never slept, Ji Mingzhu's ancient sleeping habits were a breath of fresh air. He never stayed up late, always got eight hours of sleep, and rose early to exercise. Keeping to this routine had already made his complexion noticeably brighter than when he first arrived in this world.

Ji Mingzhu had always had fair skin; neglect had merely left it a little dull. Now that he was in better condition, he shone like a freshly polished luminous pearl. Even without makeup, a healthy flush glowed beneath his delicate skin. His face was naturally photogenic.

And so Ji Mingzhu was propped up and subjected to a thorough makeover, the powder puff chasing away the last of his sleepiness.

The young makeup artist lightly dabbed two spots of vermilion lipstick onto the center of his lower lip. "Press your lips together."

The boy obediently complied, blinking his peach-blossom eyes, which wore no eye makeup at all. His docility melted the makeup artist's heart. Damn it, he's such a sweet, beautiful kid. Aren't those rumors a little too outrageous?

Since the makeup was simple, Ji Mingzhu soon moved on to getting dressed. Once he changed into the formalwear Chu He had designed, he looked like a little prince who had stepped out of a fairy tale.

The little prince seemed a bit nervous, too. He pressed his soft red lips together several times before asking her bashfully, "Um... don't I need a bridal veil?"

The makeup artist paused, then laughed. "This is more of a Western-style wedding, not a traditional Chinese one. There aren't that many rules. Just relax, and in a little while, you can go out looking lovely and greet the guests."

Ji Mingzhu blinked. He was actually allowed to meet the guests?

In the Great Ning Dynasty, the wedding day began with elaborate makeup, a heavy phoenix crown, and a red bridal veil. Then came an entire day spent hungry in a bridal sedan. Only that night, after the bridal chamber festivities were over and he had met his husband, would he be allowed something to eat. A ger getting married absolutely could not let another man see his face beneath the red veil on his wedding day. Otherwise, he would be considered morally corrupt.

After learning the general proceedings, Ji Mingzhu was taken backstage at the wedding venue. Someone beside him straightened his collar and said, "You can go join your family and greet the guests now. Once nearly everyone has arrived, we can begin the ceremony."

The man then handed Ji Mingzhu a bouquet. Ji Mingzhu looked down at the fresh white flowers, still dotted with tiny water droplets, as the man explained, "These are camellias. They symbolize care and protection, as well as ideal love. When we reach that part of the proceedings, you'll toss the bouquet to pass on your good fortune."

Warmth filled Ji Mingzhu's heart. "All right."

Once he had checked his appearance, he left the backstage area for the reception hall.

The wedding banquet was extraordinarily grand. They seemed to have booked the entire venue, and the banquet tables stretched out of sight. Though called a wedding banquet, it felt more like a gala. Judging by the guests, none were ordinary people, either. Every one of them was smartly and appropriately dressed. They seemed to have come to network and discuss business, with celebrating the marriage merely an incidental benefit.

Everyone understood that this was a loveless marriage alliance. No one cared about the groom; they treated it as a social engagement instead.

The Ji Family certainly thought so, too.

Ji Yonglin and Cao Wanhua had bought themselves expensive outfits to keep up appearances, hoping to look more like trustworthy members of high society than nouveau riche.

They had been busy socializing ever since they arrived and had not so much as gone backstage to check on their biological son, who was about to marry out of the family. Instead, Ji Zhian, who shared no blood with him, was the one scanning the crowd for Ji Mingzhu.

The Ji Family ran a jewelry business. Before the wedding, Ji Zhian had specially borrowed the store's prized treasure to wear, all so he could thoroughly crush Ji Mingzhu's self-esteem today. The drab groom would make him look all the more dazzling and distinguished by comparison. How could he possibly fail to attract attention?

Turning his head, he caught sight of a familiar tall, slender figure from behind. Delighted, Ji Zhian immediately strode over. "Brother!"

At his call, not only Ji Mingzhu but the other guests in the hall turned to look.

The boy who turned at the sound wore a calm expression. His lightly made-up face was exquisite and ethereal, like heaven's most perfect work of art. One touch more would have been excessive; one touch less would have been lacking.

A little rouge graced the boy's lips, making their already lovely shape look even fuller. The small swell at the center of his upper lip resembled the heart of a blooming flower, tempting others to steal a kiss. Yet it did not make him look feminine. His gaze was too clear and pure. Thanks to his regular exercise, his face was not pale from a lack of sunlight, but resembled a treasure giving off a soft pearly sheen. His whole being glowed, radiant as a celestial figure.

A subdued murmur rose among the surrounding guests.

In fact, they had noticed this ethereal young man long ago. They had assumed he was some family's promising young heir and had hoped to find a chance to introduce themselves. Yet he was actually one of the stars of today's wedding?

But that bearing, that graceful poise, those striking features... how could any of it belong to the delinquent thug of the rumors?!

Ji Zhian's expression twisted for an instant.

How did this country bumpkin suddenly transform himself today, dressing up so flashily... was he still trying to seduce people at his own wedding? Good thing I came prepared, or I might actually have lost to him.

Ji Zhian raised a hand to smooth his fringe, as though doing so casually. Under the hall's bright lights, the enormous, eye-catching diamond ring on his finger glittered with particular brilliance.

Hearing the whispers around him, Ji Zhian continued moving his hand about as if utterly oblivious. He had begged his father for ages before the man finally agreed to take out the key to the blast-resistant display case and lend him this enormous five-carat diamond ring.

Although its H color grade and VS1 clarity were not top-tier, they were far from poor. It offered relatively good value for its price. What made it precious was its size and design, which placed it firmly in the collectible category. At auction, the bidding would start at two million.

Normally, Ji Yonglin treasured it too much to let anyone touch it, keeping it in the store as its showpiece.

Ji Zhian gave a startled cry and asked with seemingly genuine puzzlement, "Brother, today's your big day. Why aren't you wearing a wedding ring? How can a groom have such bare hands? Just holding flowers won't do. People will laugh."

At first, Ji Mingzhu had merely found the sight of him irritating. But when he heard him mention the flowers in his hands, his gaze abruptly sharpened.

Though this was only a bouquet of inexpensive white camellias, not even a particularly precious variety, it had brought Ji Mingzhu, standing alone at his own wedding, a comfort that no person had managed to give him.

Ji Zhian merely assumed his brother felt inferior. Feigning concern, he said, "How can you go without a diamond ring on your wedding day? Luckily, I prepared ahead. Why don't I lend you mine, brother? You can return it after the wedding."

Most of the guests present were wealthy or powerful. If the Ji Family had not been Ji Mingzhu's family, they would not even have qualified to attend. Yet the higher the social circle, the faster gossip actually spread.

If Ji Mingzhu swallowed this humiliation today, he would become a laughingstock. Everyone would know he was merely an unfavored pawn in the Gu Family's marriage alliance. But if he accepted, he would not be the only one mocked. The entire Gu Family would be ridiculed, too. Their family head's spouse had actually needed to borrow someone else's diamond ring for his own wedding. Wasn't that a public slap in the Gu Family's face?

Then his married life... would certainly be entertaining.

Afterward, Ji Zhian could use visiting his pitiful brother as an excuse to frequent the Gu Family home and get close to Gu Yan.

Yet the boy caught in this dilemma did not panic. He merely curved his lips into a cool, beguiling smile, as though no sordid scheme could hide from his eyes. "It's my wedding. Why would I wear your ring?"

Wasn't it just a lousy ring?

The boy showed no sign of timidity. His beautiful face remained carefree and proud, like a white swan that had never learned to bow its head.

With his slender, fair fingers, he plucked a stem from the bouquet and calmly began weaving it under everyone's gaze. Ji Mingzhu's deft hands could embroider a panorama of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains; weaving a little something was naturally child's play.

Before long, he had finished a delicate little camellia ring.

With an innocent, endearing expression, the boy confidently slipped the little flower ring onto his left ring finger. Then he spread his fingers and admired it under the lights, looking thoroughly satisfied. It seemed that, to him, this flower ring was no different from Ji Zhian's collectible diamond ring.

The surrounding guests began to laugh, but not in mockery. Their laughter was spontaneous and hearty.

Several guests whom Ji Zhian found familiar, though he could not place their companies, even looked at Ji Mingzhu with approval. The boy's poise and pride seemed to have delighted them.

Hearing the commotion from a distance, Chu He came over to investigate and found this scene. Inspiration struck him at once. He wished he could leave the banquet immediately, rush back to his studio, and churn out three hundred design sketches.

Ji Zhian was so furious that his hands shook. It took all his restraint to swallow the ugly words rather than blurt them out in public.

He scoffed. "Stop fooling yourself, brother. How could those possibly be the same?"

Ji Mingzhu's delicate brows drew together slightly.

Before he could retort, a deep voice sounded behind him, smooth and elegant as a cello. "They're not the same."

The onlookers turned toward the voice. Once they saw who it was, they fell utterly silent, exchanging glances without daring to make a sound.

Ji Mingzhu languidly lifted his eyes. A tall, broad-shouldered man approached him. His stern expression lent his already handsome face the imposing aura of someone accustomed to authority, making others afraid to meet his sharp eyes.

Ji Mingzhu had no idea who he was. Looking unhappily into his faintly gray eyes, he asked, "How are they different?"

Those nearby who recognized the man broke into cold sweats at the boy's unrestrained tone, terrified that the mercurial man might suddenly lose his temper and drag them into it.

Ji Zhian did not know who the newcomer was, either, but the moment he appeared, Ji Zhian knew he must be someone important.

Everything about the man exuded refined luxury. His clothes bore no recognizable brand, but their cut and style were impeccable. They were most likely bespoke pieces from an exclusive designer, unavailable no matter how much money one had.

Besides, anyone who dared step forward on an occasion like this might have a background to rival the Gu Family's. And he was so handsome, too... Ji Zhian blushed, quietly placing him alongside Gu Yan on his list of romantic targets.

With a touch of eagerness to please, Ji Zhian said, "You certainly have a discerning eye, sir. You know quality far better than my brother."

Gu Shang ignored him completely, as though he had not heard.

He only lowered his gaze to the beautiful boy before him, who resembled a sulking little pearl. There was no smile on his face, but a hint of teasing gleamed in his eyes. "Your flower ring is lovely, too, but since you're marrying me..."

"You should wear the ring I give you."