Yin Zhengchuan hadn't slept all night. He was too excited.
Unable to sleep himself, he dutifully went to torment his dads. He sat at the two elders' bedside in the middle of the night, endlessly running through the wedding proceedings. Whenever he wasn't sure about something, he even asked their opinions.
"Do you think Zisu will like a wedding like this?"
Yin Changjun didn't want to acknowledge him.
Qin Qin was too sleepy to keep his eyes open. "Your husband is right in your room. Why don't you ask him? What's the point of us guessing here?"
Yin Zhengchuan sighed. "He's asleep. I can't bear to disturb him."
Yin Changjun: ???
Qin Qin: ...
Yin Changjun sat up in a fury. "So you decided to torment us instead?"
Yin Zhengchuan said, "You're older. You don't need as much sleep."
"Get out!" Yin Changjun grabbed a pillow and beat his unfilial son out of the room.
He locked the door, returned to bed, and hugged his spouse, all in one smooth sequence.
After being driven out, Yin Zhengchuan returned to his bedroom to check on Wei Zisu. He lifted the gauze curtains and saw Wei Zisu sleeping soundly, their two sets of traditional Chinese wedding attire hanging neatly beside the alcove bed.
Yin Zhengchuan felt utterly content, and even more wide awake.
Seeing that the lights were still on in Yin Baozhu's courtyard, he wandered over to take a look, in case she was staying up chatting with some young punk. Once inside, he found that Yin Baozhu was still battling Yuan Zizhen's and Sun Liang's fans. He patted her head in approval and joined the fight with her.
Only at times like this could the siblings stand on the same side and fight a common enemy.
It wasn't until after four in the morning that the siblings ended their battle, both sporting dark circles.
Yin Zhengchuan slapped his thigh and jumped up. "Woo-hoo! Time to get married!"
He returned to his own courtyard, quietly took a shower, and put on his first set of traditional Chinese wedding attire before waking Wei Zisu.
"Zisu..." He crouched beside the bed, his voice very soft, a far cry from how he had behaved at his parents' bedside earlier that morning.
Wei Zisu opened his eyes groggily. "Is it time?"
Yin Zhengchuan said, "Yes. The makeup artist will be here soon. Once your makeup is done, the neighbors and relatives will come to watch the ceremony. We'll have the Chinese wedding at home first, then head to Swan Lake at the resort at noon for the Western wedding."
Wei Zisu closed his eyes again, so sleepy that he was even talking a little nonsense. "Okay, I'll get up now. Thank you, everyone."
Yin Zhengchuan laughed aloud at how adorable he was.
Wei Zisu's eyes flew open, and he was fully awake. "What did I just say?" he asked incredulously.
Since Wei Zisu was coming to the wedding all alone, Yin Zhengchuan had deliberately changed much of the proceedings, removing the bridal pickup and doing away with bridesmaids and groomsmen. Customs unfriendly to the bride, such as splashing water and stepping over a brazier, had all been removed as well.
All he wanted was for Wei Zisu to be happy at their wedding today, so that no matter how many years passed, he could still look back on it with a face full of smiles.
While the makeup artist was doing Wei Zisu's makeup, he could already hear things getting lively in Yin Zhengchuan's parents' courtyard. The neighbors and relatives must have been arriving.
He changed into his bright red wedding attire and put on the phoenix crown. The makeup artist kept praising his beauty, saying he looked like an immortal descended from heaven!
Just then, Yin Baozhu came over with several people.
Looking at her dark circles, Wei Zisu asked, "Did you not sleep well last night?"
Yin Baozhu stared at her beautiful Brother Zisu for a moment before shaking her head to indicate she hadn't slept, then pulled the people behind her forward.
"Hello, sister-in-law!" The man in front introduced himself with a smile. "I'm Fang Mian, Zhengchuan's childhood friend."
"Hello, sister-in-law. I'm Yin Yaoyang, Brother Chuan's cousin. Just call me Xiao Yang."
"Hello, sister-in-law. I'm Brother Chuan's neighbor, Xiao Qian. You're so beautiful, sister-in-law!"
"Hello." Wei Zisu greeted them.
Fang Mian said, "Sister-in-law, we're on your side. We definitely can't let that guy Yin Zhengchuan marry you so easily!"
"Right, exactly!" Xiao Yang and Xiao Qian agreed.
Wei Zisu finally understood.
When a bride got married, she would usually have three to five close friends with her as bridesmaids or groomsmen, whose job was to put little obstacles in the groom's way and stop him from taking the bride away too easily. This custom existed in both the north and the south. It wasn't just for the fun of it, but also to let the groom experience how hard it was to win a wife, so he would know to cherish his spouse.
But no one from Wei Zisu's family was coming. Cui Xiangxiang, the only person attending his wedding from his side, wouldn't arrive until after ten, leaving him with no one beside him.
So Yin Zhengchuan had found a few friends to help Wei Zisu.
Well... only Yin Zhengchuan could have come up with the idea of having his own people put obstacles in his way.
Wei Zisu laughed inwardly, yet felt incredibly warm.
Yin Zhengchuan always thought ahead for him, sparing him every embarrassment.
Fang Mian rubbed his hands together. "Sister-in-law, take off your shoes and sit on the bed."
Wei Zisu understood at once. "Are you going to hide the shoes?"
He had learned about this while filming. In some places, the bride's shoes would be hidden at weddings for the groom to find. Once he found them, he had to put them on the bride himself, then carry the bride out.
Fang Mian said, "Yes! I have to hide them somewhere really well concealed. We can't let that guy Yin Zhengchuan find them easily."
Yin Baozhu nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Smiling, Wei Zisu took off his red leather shoes and handed them to Fang Mian.
At that moment, a flicker of excitement actually rose in his heart, and a voice told him: Wei Zisu, you're not a bystander taking part. This is your wedding.
Fang Mian, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Qian enthusiastically began looking for places to hide the shoes, but Yin Baozhu knew the house best. She pointed at the top of the alcove bed, calling out wordlessly. Fang Mian immediately understood and tossed one shoe onto the top of the bed.
"Just you wait. I'd like to see that guy find it."
"What about the other one?" Xiao Yang asked.
Fang Mian rolled his eyes in thought, stepped into the alcove bed, and said to Wei Zisu, "Sister-in-law, we'll hide this one under your pleated horse-face skirt. You absolutely can't give Yin Zhengchuan any hints!"
Wei Zisu nodded. "Don't worry!"
They had just finished hiding it when a hubbub sounded outside, and firecrackers began crackling.
Surrounded by a crowd, Yin Zhengchuan arrived at the bedroom.
His eyes lit up at the sight of Wei Zisu sitting in the middle of the bed, and he couldn't help freezing for a moment.
He had already seen Wei Zisu wearing this outfit at the fitting, but back then, he hadn't worn the phoenix crown or any makeup, and he had still been stunning.
Now, seeing him sitting upright on the bed, smiling at him, Yin Zhengchuan felt it was unreal. He touched the spot over his heart, trying to use that scar to remind himself that this was no longer an illusion.
"The silly boy's staring himself blind!" A middle-aged woman patted his shoulder and teased, "Hurry up and carry your bride out!"
Yin Zhengchuan snapped out of it and stepped forward, his ears red, only to be stopped by the three little soldiers he had arranged himself.
Xiao Yang held out a hand. "Brother, I've got no backbone. Give me a red envelope and I'll move aside."
Yin Zhengchuan rolled his eyes at him and generously handed him a big red envelope. Xiao Yang immediately scurried away happily.
Xiao Qian folded his arms. "Brother Chuan, I'm really jealous that you're marrying such a beautiful bride. How about this? Do twenty standing backflips, and I'll get out of your way."
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