"Hi..."
"Hi."
Since he had been spotted, Yan Zhiyi walked in without hesitation. "Why are you up so early?"
Xia Shule rubbed his eyes and gave him a soft smile. "I couldn't sleep anymore. I'm a little nervous, a little excited~"
"Then get up and have something to eat." Yan Zhiyi took Xia Shule's hand and pulled him up.
Xia Shule watched Yan Zhiyi cook in the kitchen. The food looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful, but he felt too nervous to eat.
A little while later, the Yan Family Old Master and Auntie Fu came downstairs too. They were probably excited as well. The little old man paced around downstairs in his new suit.
The entire Yan Residence was decked out in festive decorations, and even the staff were all smiles.
Xia Shule could only manage a few bites. Just then, the makeup artist arrived, so he put down his bowl and chopsticks and went upstairs to get styled. From now until the wedding began, the two of them wouldn't see each other.
Yan Zhiyi then headed to the wedding venue to get styled. They would only see each other again when the ceremony began and Xia Shule's parents escorted him in.
Every seat at the venue was filled.
Morning dew soaked the grass, making it look like an unfurled carpet of emerald velvet. A dome of birch wood formed the ceremonial hall, pale purple lavender twining through its natural grain. When the breeze blew, delicate floral scents mingled with the fragrance of pine.
Star-shaped lights hung beneath the dome, each painted with a smiling face. As the morning light streamed through, strings of glass beads chimed softly, as though someone were humming the "Wedding March" beside their ears.
Snow-white gauze drifted in the breeze, filling the venue with a dreamy atmosphere.
Those closest to the couple had mostly been seated near the front. Xiang Lin, for example, sat near the middle of the second row, with Lai Jiangtian beside him.
It wasn't that Xiang Lin didn't want to sit in the first row. Those seats were reserved for the parents of both families, and there were only four. Who would try to squeeze in there? How clueless would they have to be?
Everyone behind them could sit wherever they liked. Those who arrived early could get a little closer to the front.
The guests had all sorts of thoughts. Young men and women from prominent families who admired Yan Zhiyi wanted to see just who had managed to win President Yan over.
Then there were Xia Shule's classmates, whose thoughts were much simpler: who was signing up to be a sucker for life and put up with his temper forever?
Xiang Lin was delighted, because Xia Shule's bouquet was solid gold!!!! Hahahaha, what a jackpot!!!!
The two outgoing social butterflies hit it off in no time. Lai Jiangtian really could find common ground with someone ten years younger.
Song Jing'an said, "He can actually hold a conversation with a kid."
In their eyes, weren't Xia Shule and all his friends just kids?
Yin Xian said, "His brain actually stopped developing at twenty, so there's no generation gap between them, you know? Nothing about him says thirty."
Just then, Yan Zhiyi walked up to the Vow Platform. Yin Xian tipped his chin toward him. "Now that's what a thirty-year-old should look like." He glanced back at Lai Jiangtian, who was doubled over with laughter, and sighed...
Lai Jiangtian tapped Yin Xian, who turned to see what useful thing he had to say.
Instead, Lai Jiangtian said, "This is Xiang Lin, my friend!"
Yin Xian said, "Huh?"
It hasn't even been ten minutes, and you're saying Xiang Lin... is your friend?
Not far away, Jiang Gechen watched them getting along so well and nearly ground his teeth to pieces.
Why was Xiang Lin so friendly to that idiot? He treated me like the plague. Xiang Lin probably said something about me to Xia Shule. That must be why Xia Shule acted like that before.
Didn't they all just look down on my background? A bunch of bastards who treated people according to their status!
Lost in the world he had created for himself, Jiang Gechen didn't notice Song Dimu beside him gazing over at them with longing.
As if sensing someone's gaze, Xiang Lin turned and accidentally met Song Dimu's eyes. He paused, then smiled and nodded in greeting before turning back.
Song Dimu lowered his head, his heart leaping with joy. Xiang Lin's attitude toward him meant Lele must have told Xiang Lin about him.
Fortunately, Jiang Gechen hadn't seen that friendly smile, or who knew how furious he would have become. Song Dimu kept the corners of his mouth under control and looked forward to the wedding.
By half past eight, almost everything was ready.
They hadn't arranged for any groomsmen. First, they wanted it to be just the two of them, to keep things simple. Second, there had been too little time to prepare much or hold many rehearsals.
Yan Zhiyi stood before the Vow Platform, a white rose pinned to the lapel of his black suit. The edges of its petals were tinged with pale pink, as though tinted by the morning glow.
His fingers unconsciously stroked the ring box. Tiny diamonds set into it shimmered in the sunlight, looking just like the stars in Xia Shule's eyes.
Inside a white tent in the distance, Xia Shule stood before a mirror. His suit fit him perfectly, showing off his figure.
Ms. Ming Yue held up a pearl pin, her hands trembling slightly. "Lele, you look so handsome today!"
The waist of his white suit was tailored just right, and his bow tie was embroidered with irises against a deep blue background. His boutonniere featured a white rose and lily of the valley that Yan Zhiyi had stitched by hand to keep Xia Shule from having an allergic reaction.
Xia Dunrong stood in the doorway, looking a little troubled despite the joyous occasion. He hadn't taken a single puff of the cigarette in his hand, and its smoke blurred his eyes. "Lele, if anyone mistreats you, just run straight home, all right!"
"Haha, I know! It's such a wonderful day. Cheer up, both of you!!" Xia Shule smiled, utterly satisfied with his reflection.
Oh my, whose child is this handsome? A hundred out of a hundred!
At nine sharp.
"The groom will now enter!"
A stir ran through the guests. Everyone was curious to see what this "son of the Xia Family" looked like.
The music began, and Xia Shule took a deep breath. Oh, I'm so nervous, so nervous, so nervous, so nervous, so nervous!
He linked arms with his parents. The entrance flap of the white tent was lifted, and sunlight spilled in like scattered gold. The sunlight at nine in the morning was the most beautiful. In an instant, Xia Shule's white suit was edged in gold, and even the tips of his hair shone.
Yan Zhiyi's gaze passed through the crowd and settled on him. Time suddenly slowed. He saw Xia Shule's eyelashes flutter in the morning light, saw the corners of his mouth lift like a flower slowly blooming.
The solid-gold bouquet in his hand looked a little out of place. Fresh flowers might trigger his allergies, and Yan Zhiyi thought artificial flowers looked cheap, so he had simply had one made of solid gold.
Who the bouquet went to afterward was entirely Xia Shule's decision. Yan Zhiyi was only responsible for giving it to him.
It lent the scene a touch of happy absurdity.
Seeing Xia Shule's soft, fair hands clasping the gold filled Yan Zhiyi with satisfaction.
They came to a stop before the Vow Platform. Xia Shule's parents placed his small hand in Yan Zhiyi's larger one, and Ming Yue couldn't hold back her tears.
As Ming Yue held both their hands, she didn't let go of Xia Shule's. Choking up, she pleaded, "You must be good to Lele... all right? Zhiyi, don't let him suffer. Please, I'm begging you..."
Even the eagle-like Xia Dunrong couldn't stop himself from wiping away his tears.