Chapter 77

Outside, there was a noisy commotion. Anyone unaware would think a fight had broken out. Jiang Yueru checked the master bedroom one last time—everything was in place. With a casual flick, she closed the door. In the living room, laughter drowned out the shouts and complaints.

When Lu Sanbo saw her, he stood up to greet her with a smile, “Yueru, long time no see.”

It had indeed been a long time—31 years, to be exact.

Had it not been for the special occasion, they probably wouldn’t have recognized each other on sight. Jiang Yueru smiled and called out, “Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law,” before ushering them to their seats.

Lu Jianbo’s gaze followed the sound, and when he saw the woman dressed in an embroidered “gua huang,” his body froze.

Before this, he had imagined what kind of gown she might wear today. He had even envisioned her in a qipao in his mind, but he never once thought she would wear this traditional robe.

Because of him, she had never worn a bridal gown all those years ago.

This “gua huang” fit her perfectly—elegant and dignified—but it was a shame that the years had already taken their toll on her youth.

“Aunt, let Su Yang take a few family photos for you,” said Jiang Shenghe.

Su Yang had brought his camera today specifically to capture family moments.

Jiang Yueru was about to say, “Aren’t we waiting for the bride to arrive for group photos?” but then decided it wasn’t the time to dampen the mood.

With a smile, she nodded, “Alright, where should we take them?”

Su Yang replied, “In the living room. Let’s start with the older generation.”

It was just the six siblings for the group photo—no spouses.

Someone dug up an old photo and asked them to stand in the same order as in the past.

Su Yang showed them the old picture. “Try to mimic the same expressions, it’ll make it meaningful.”

Lu Sanbo grumbled, “We’re all old now, don’t make it too difficult for us.”

Jiang Shenghe laughed and replied, “Not old—just like a young flower.”

“Hahaha!” Jiang Xiaomi squeezed her face with both hands, trying to hold back her laughter, but her face was starting to hurt from smiling so much.

Lu Sanbo sighed, “…”

Earlier, he had been angered by Jiang Baichuan, but now this ungrateful child was making things worse by adding fuel to the fire.

He shot a look at the troublemaker, as if warning him, “I’ll deal with you when we get home!”

Su Yang took several shots of the six elders together before asking their spouses to join them for the next round.

Among the elders, only Jiang Yueru was single, having been divorced. Lu Jianbo glanced at his rebellious son, but the boy had his back to him, engrossed in conversation with someone else.

Caught in a moment of internal struggle, Lu Jianbo reluctantly stood up, adjusting his suit, and made his way toward his ex-wife.

Jiang Yueru raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

Lu Jianbo sighed, “These photos are going to be part of Sixun’s wedding video. It’s a happy occasion, so let’s keep things harmonious and make sure he has no regrets.”

Jiang Yueru shot a glance at him. “You?”

The head of the Jiang family, Jiang Xuyang, spoke up, “Yueru, let him stand with you. Sixun has never had a complete family photo from childhood to now.”

“A complete family photo.“

Jiang Yueru parted her lips but said nothing in response.

Finally, it was time to take a family picture of the three of them.

They sat together, while the rebellious son stood behind, one hand casually resting on each of their shoulders.

Lu Jianbo was transported back to a memory—his son’s childhood voicemail.

“Dad, I’m starting to forget what you look like.”

“Next time Uncle Xu comes to visit, could you secretly ask him to bring a picture of you for me?”

Once all the group shots were taken, Jiang Sixun thanked Su Yang.

Su Yang smirked, “No need to thank me, your big nephew and I are just showing respect.”

Jiang Sixun could only blink in surprise before breaking into a laugh.

At last, the auspicious time arrived. Lu Jianbo reminded his son that it was time to go pick up the bride.

Jiang Sixun grabbed the bridal bouquet and left right on schedule.

Each flower in the bouquet had been handpicked by him, and he had carefully tied it together with a ribbon himself.

Downstairs, Shang Yun, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, stood ready. The only thing left was for him to receive the boutonnière.

Over time, Jiang Sixun and Shang Yun had become familiar with each other. When they met, there were no awkward handshakes, no formal pleasantries. Instead, Jiang Sixun simply said, “Thank you for all your hard work today.”

Shang Yun could only offer a sheepish smile in return. “It’s nothing.”

They all climbed into their cars, and dozens of luxury vehicles slowly pulled out of the neighborhood in a grand procession, heading toward the bride’s house.

No need to ask—Yu Zijia was already live-streaming the wedding convoy, sharing updates for everyone to see.

“Someone’s live-streaming?” Shang Qin leaned in, curious.

Yu Zijia responded with excitement, “Yes, so many people are streaming! You can find it by just searching.”

The wedding of the daughter of the richest man and the head of the Lu family in Hong Kong had become the hottest topic in recent days.

The news of the wedding first broke through Hong Kong’s media. At first, people didn’t believe it, but then a reporter couldn’t contain their curiosity. Seizing an opportunity during an event where Lu’s second uncle was attending a charity function, they interviewed him, asking if there was any happy news for the family.

Lu’s second uncle smiled and said, “Yes, yes, yes.” He graciously accepted everyone’s blessings on behalf of Jiang Sixun.

The reporter, never one to miss a scoop, immediately fired more questions: “When is the wedding? Where is it being held?”

“How many ceremonies will there be?”

“Will there be fireworks?”

“Will the media be invited?”

Lu’s second uncle simply smiled and replied, “Thank you, thank you.” He said nothing more.

Details about the wedding remained tightly under wraps.

The live stream continued, the excitement and emotion of the host rivaling even that of the bridesmaids.

Shang Qin watched for a few minutes, but with the windows up, she couldn’t see the inside of the cars, nor could she tell which one her second brother was in—though she was sure the main wedding car didn’t have him in it.

As the wedding procession neared, Xu Zhiyi had already finished her makeup and eaten breakfast, lovingly prepared by her father.

Downstairs in the living room, relatives from both sides had gathered early, their chatter and laughter louder than even her birthday party. The atmosphere was more festive than she had ever imagined.

Xu Xiangqing had prepared two handkerchiefs and said to her brother, “Today, I’ll stay by your side and pass the handkerchief whenever you need it.”

Xu Xiangyi chuckled, “I don’t think it’ll be necessary.”

He and He Yi’an were far from feeling the bittersweetness or sorrow of a father giving away his daughter. The sleepless night before had been out of excitement for the two children. After all, their daughter would still be living in the family home, so all the sadness and reluctance had been filled with joy.

Fu Yanzhou asked his uncle, “Will they still be living here after the wedding?”

Xu Xiangyi nodded. “Yes, Sixun said he’s used to it. I’ve even prepared a few rooms on the third floor as the baby’s room.”

Fu Yanzhou couldn’t help but think to himself, Now Jiang Sixun has even more reason to invade my space.

He kept reminding his uncle to have the housekeeper lock his room and not let anyone in without permission.

Xu Xiangqing smiled, patting her son playfully. “What’s wrong with letting Sixun put something in there? You’re not even here that often.”

Xu Xiangyi gave his sister a subtle look, signaling her not to scold the kids today, as they would need their help later.

Just then, Xu Chengheng walked over, removing his suit jacket and cufflinks, handing them to his aunt.

Xu Xiangqing raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“Blocking the door.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were about to get into a fight.”

Xu Chengheng rolled up his shirt sleeves and replied casually, “There are over thirty people coming to pick up the bride. We’ll never outfight them.”

Xu Xiangqing, stunned, asked, “How many?”

“More than thirty. There are too many cars, and you can’t leave them empty.”

Xu Xiangqing glanced at her son. “Let’s see how you plan to stop them.”

Fu Yanzhou also started rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll handle Jiang Sixun.”

Luckily, there were only two groomsmen. If there had been five or six more, they probably would have had to take down the door to Zhiyi’s room.

As the bridesmaids anxiously waited, the wedding procession finally arrived.

Shang Qin leaned over the balcony railing, trying to catch a glimpse, but there were so many people that she couldn’t spot her older brother or second brother.

Xu Zhiyi, sitting on the bed, heard the noise from the courtyard below and took a deep breath.

She was about to see Jiang Sixun. For some reason, she suddenly felt nervous. Even on the day they got their marriage license, she hadn’t felt this way. Her heart seemed to tighten, as if someone had grabbed it.

The younger generation of the Jiang family had always visited the Xu family since childhood. They knew exactly where everything was in the house.

The butler had prepared tea, and Xu Xiangqing intended to greet the wedding party in the living room before handing over the bride to the groom and the groomsmen. However, the leader of the Jiang family had other plans.

“Xiao Si said, ‘We’re all family, no need to be polite.’

So, a sea of people surged up the stairs—some rushing up the stairs, others grabbing the elevator. In an instant, it was impossible to tell who was part of the wedding procession and who was blocking the door. The chaos turned into a full-blown mêlée.

In the living room, the elders watched with amusement while the children squealed with excitement, the noise louder than a festival.

Xu Xiangyi and He Yi’an exchanged smiles, never imagining that a group of people in their thirties could be rowdier than a bunch of kids.

Shang Yin was yanked by Jiang Baichuan, “Stop running around!”

Shang Yin laughed helplessly, “I’m just going to the third floor to pick up the bride. How am I running around?”

Jiang Baichuan frowned, “Do you know where Zhiyi is?”

Shang Yin shrugged, “Of course I do. I’ve been to her bedroom.”

Jiang Baichuan sighed.

He grabbed Shang Yin’s suit. No matter what, he wasn’t going to let him slip away on his own.

The wedding party had to constantly be on guard against the groomsmen, an unprecedented situation.

Jiang Sixun finally squeezed into the elevator. Outside, Fu Yanzhou was being dragged by Jiang Xiaomi’s husband, helplessly watching the elevator doors close, the numbers ticking away.

The wedding party split into two groups, no one able to stop them, and they headed straight for the third floor.

Meanwhile, at the bride’s bedroom door, Shang Qin had no idea what was going on downstairs. She stood by the door, waiting for the “gods of wealth”—the groomsmen—to arrive.

At first, when she found out there would only be two groomsmen and two bridesmaids, she thought it was too small-scale. But her older brother said, “Why do we need so many groomsmen? It’s enough as long as they have some weight to them.”

The first person he asked to be a groomsman was Jiang Sixun.

The groomsmen were her older brother and second brother, the ones she had teased and bullied since childhood. Today, they weren’t going to let her call the shots.

Shang Qin had been quietly gloating about her “easy profit” from the wedding, thinking she would hit the jackpot. But now, all her plans were on the verge of falling apart. She never imagined the entire wedding party would rush up like this.

The hallway was packed with people. She was clearly outnumbered, feeling as though, at any moment, they might break through the door.

Shang Qin looked around, but she couldn’t spot a single familiar face from the bride’s side.

Yu Zijia was inside with the bride, leaving her without even a single helper. A few minutes ago, she had been bragging that she could handle the groomsmen on her own.

Finally, Xu Chengheng pushed through the crowd, navigating the layers of bodies, and finally reached his sister’s bedroom door.

Shang Qin sighed in relief, “Where have you been?”

It sounded like a complaint, but it was really the words of someone who had just found their lifeline.

Xu Chengheng leaned against the doorframe, catching his breath, one hand wiping sweat from his forehead. Blocking the door was more exhausting than fighting.

Fu Yanzhou had just arrived as well. His shirt had been pulled out earlier, so he ran next door to tuck it back into his trousers. He had lost a minute in the process.

Standing by the door behind her, with both Xu Chengheng and Fu Yanzhou at her back, Shang Qin felt a sudden surge of confidence.

Jiang Baichuan and Shang Yin were the last to reach the third floor. He looked at the bridesmaids and, with a playful yet stern grin, threw an arm over Shang Yin’s shoulder. “Are you here to pick up the bride, or are you just here to cause trouble?”

Shang Yin chuckled, “I want to see her more than anyone else.”

That was the honest truth.

Shang Qin, beaming like a flower, turned her gaze to Shang Yin, whose breathing still hadn’t steadied.

Her hand stretched out. Of course, the first thing she wanted was a red envelope.

Shang Yin took a two-second pause, realizing how tiring this whole wedding thing was. Today was turning out to be more like a rehearsal for his own.

To his sister, he was crisp and decisive. “Open the door. The red envelope, well, you can decide the amount.”

Shang Qin loved the way her older brother was so generous, but the door was definitely not going to open that easily. “Only you get through,” she declared.

She added, “Big Brother passes. Second Brother, come on over.”

Shang Yin grinned and said, “Whatever Big Brother gives, I’ll double.”

“Half pass,” she teased.

“…Shang Qin, you ungrateful brat!”

Xu Chengheng shot a glance at the people around him, his mischievous gaze almost identical to Zhiyis.

Shang Qin pulled out her phone, revealing the quiz Zhiyi had sent. There was no way her second brother was going to get this right.

“No asking for help,” she warned. “If you ask, you fail. You only get one chance to answer. Does Zhiyi take sugar in her coffee?”

“Yes,” came Shang Yin’s quick response.

“How many scoops?”

“Half a scoop.”

Before Shang Qin could ask another question, Shang Yin chimed in, “The other half is for Jiang Sixun.”

He had actually nailed it—exactly the answer Zhiyi gave!

Shang Qin fumed, “Second Brother, are you living under her bed or something?”

Everyone around them burst into laughter.

Shang Yin extended his long arm and pulled his younger brother back, still chuckling.

Only the groom had yet to pass his turn. Jiang Sixun stepped forward, a confident smile on his face. “I’ve prepared double red envelopes for you and Yu Zijia. Any questions, feel free to ask.”

Shang Qin smiled, “There’s no questions from the bride. None from me either. Just go ahead and pass.”

Xu Chengheng stepped in, “You’ll have to get through me and Fu Yanzhou first.”

But before he could even fully approach, Jiang Sixun’s family and friends had already surrounded him.

Xu Chengheng and Fu Yanzhou held their ground for less than ten seconds before surrendering with a laugh.

The door creaked open, and Jiang Sixun finally laid eyes on the one he had been waiting for. It wasn’t the first time she wore traditional Chinese bridal attire. They had already taken pre-wedding photos in traditional gowns at the old mansion on Hong Kong Island.

But seeing her again, she was still as breathtaking as ever.

Xu Zhiyi reached out, waiting for him.

Jiang Sixun pulled her into his arms, “Why didn’t you quiz me?”

Xu Zhiyi met his gaze, her eyes shining softly. “Because you’re the perfect answer.”

Amid the cheers and laughter of the crowd, the groom leaned in and kissed the bride.

The tea ceremony and name-changing rituals had already been done during their marriage registration, but today, they went through them again.

Jiang Sixun had gotten used to calling his parents “Mom” and “Dad” over the past six months, and the words slipped out naturally, as if they were his own.

The onlookers, who had been eagerly watching the ceremony, teased him: “How many times did you practice this in the middle of the night?”

Jiang Sixun didn’t explain further and simply replied, “Not just at night. I practiced during the day, too.”

This caused the crowd to burst into laughter.

After taking the family photo…

The ceremony was finally complete, and Xu Zhiyi hugged her mother first. “I’ll be back in a few days to stay.”

He Yi’an, her mother, lovingly replied, “Alright.”

Xu Xiangyi also hugged his daughter. “See you at the hotel.”

Xu Zhiyi smiled. “See you this afternoon.”

It was Jiang Sixun who had made today’s wedding so light and heartwarming. For her and her parents, there were no farewells—just a brief parting.

Jiang Sixun swept her up in his arms and carried her toward the garden. As they stepped out of the door, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

Xu Xiangyi and his wife watched as the wedding car drove off. The relatives at home also began heading to the hotel to help, and suddenly, the once-bustling villa was quiet.

It was like the grandest stage play had ended—the cast had taken their bows, the audience had left, and only the empty theater remained.

For a moment, Xu Xiangyi felt something hollow in his heart, but soon, that emptiness was filled by his daughter’s sweet words: “See you this afternoon.”

He took his wife upstairs to change, still needing to rush to the hotel for the reception.

As they were about to head out, the butler stopped them, saying they should wait a bit longer. The entrance to the villa was packed with people and cars, as the wedding procession had just left the neighborhood.

The butler said, “Quite a few people came to livestream the event.”

They had followed the procession from early in the morning.

Inside the main wedding car, the groom and bride’s hands were intertwined.

Jiang Sixun looked deeply into her eyes, his own clear and unclouded. “Did you sleep last night?”

“Yeah, on the sofa,” Xu Zhiyi replied. But poor Xu Chengheng hadn’t slept a wink.

“And you?” she asked.

Jiang Sixun sighed. “I’m not sure if I slept or not.”

Dreams of the wedding had surrounded him—sounds from the living room, laughter from dreams—everything was a blur.

Xu Zhiyi said, “I dreamed while I slept. Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t slept at all.”

“Was it a bad dream?” Jiang Sixun asked.

“Yeah.” Xu Zhiyi chuckled, even though she knew he would never do such a thing. “I dreamed you ran away from the wedding and didn’t come to pick me up. I couldn’t wait for you in the dream.”

Jiang Sixun’s lips curled into a grin. “I ran away from the wedding?”

There was only one possibility—it was a rumor spread by Shang Yun.

Inside the car, Shang Yun sat in stunned silence.

Shang Qin simply turned her head to look outside the window.

Not letting her second brother sit in the main wedding car had been the right decision.

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyi smiled. “Alright, I forgive you.”

Jiang Sixun tightened his grip on her hand and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“I had breakfast,” Xu Zhiyi replied, smiling. “My dad made it, a variety of things.”

She started counting the food she’d eaten. “I had a piece of brown sugar rice cake, a few dumplings, then an egg and a few bites of noodles.”

My aunt said, “Eat more, so your marriage will be as fiery and sweet as today.”

It took over an hour to cover the two-kilometer stretch of road.

When they finally arrived at the wedding suite, another round of chaos ensued.

Lu Jianbo stepped in to rescue his son: “Come over and collect your red envelope.”

Everyone knew that Lu’s red envelopes were never filled with cash. If there was a red envelope, no one would stop the bride from entering the door.

Jiang Yueru glanced at her ex-husband, at last, feeling like she had played her part.

Jiang Sixun locked the bedroom door, shutting out all the noise and commotion from outside.

His father’s financial prowess bought them at least half an hour of peace, or else that crowd wouldn’t have left him alone so easily.

Jiang Sixun took off his suit jacket. “Do you want some water?”

“Forget it, I don’t want any. I’ll be changing into my wedding dress soon, and it’s a hassle to go to the bathroom.”

Jiang Sixun frowned. “Just take a few sips, it’ll help soothe your throat.”

He unscrewed the lid and fed her a few sips.

Bending down, he gently kissed the corner of her lips.

Worried about ruining her makeup, he couldn’t afford to kiss her too deeply, so it was only a light peck.

Xu Zhiyi slipped off her shoes and placed her hand on the bed as she leaned back. The man stood before her, and she lifted her foot, pressing it against his waist.

Jiang Sixun screwed the lid back on the cup, placed it down, and held her ankle, lifting her leg as he leaned in to kiss her.

Xu Zhiyi laughed and dodged. “You’ll mess up my makeup.”

---

A knock came at the door, followed by Su Yang’s voice: “Time for the family photo!”

Because of his son’s wedding, Lu Jianbo had taken family photos twice that day.

As soon as they finished one, his phone rang. It was the old man himself, calling.

Lu’s father asked about the setup of the wedding hall, clearly doubting how simple it looked. So Lu San (his third son) quickly video-called him to give him a tour.

After seeing it, Lu’s father was dissatisfied. “This is it? Only that little crystal chandelier?”

He couldn’t bring himself to call Xu Xiangyi directly, so he scolded his own son: “Is this the wedding venue? Just one chandelier?”

Xu Zhiyi was in the living room when Lu Jianbo went to the balcony to take the call.

“Didn’t you see the flowers?”

Old Lu grunted, “I saw them.”

He was surprisingly objective, giving a rare compliment. “The table flowers are indeed thoughtful.”

The flowers were a masterpiece from dozens of top floral designers, with each table having its own unique symbolism.

Old Lu grumbled, “Table flowers are standard. How can that count as decoration?”

Lu Jianbo sighed. “There are 660,000 flowers in total, with the arrangements and the ceiling decorations. Didn’t San-ge show you?”

In Old Lu’s eyes, a wedding couldn’t be just about flowers. He was so upset he couldn’t hold back, snapping, “How much do flowers even cost?”

Lu Jianbo sighed again. “If the kids like them, don’t worry about it. If you think it’s too plain, we can decorate with gold bars like we did for the Hong Kong wedding.”

Old Lu, fuming, hung up the phone without another word.

After the call ended, Lu Jianbo glanced at his watch. He had to head to the hotel to greet some VIP guests. Grabbing his suit jacket, he turned to his ex-wife. “I’m going to the hotel. Are you coming with me?”

Jiang Yueru, unfazed, replied, “I have my own car.”

Lu Jianbo nodded, but still said, “Even though you have a driver, take it easy on the road.”

After a short rest, Jiang Sixun and Xu Zhiyi also headed to the hotel.

All the way there, Jiang Sixun kept stealing glances at her.

Xu Zhiyi felt her ears warming up. “Stop looking at me.”

Jiang Sixun leaned closer and asked, “In your dream, did I really run away from the wedding?”

“…Why are you still dwelling on that? It was just a dream.” She hadn’t even given it much thought.

Jiang Sixun pulled her in closer. “I’d rather show up at your door than run away.”

Xu Zhiyi smiled. “I know.”

She tilted her head to look at him, and his lips gently brushed hers.

Before they got out of the car, Jiang Sixun helped adjust her hair and wedding dress.

Xu Zhiyi straightened his tie and, in a playful mood, tugged him closer by it.

Jiang Sixun chuckled, his lips landing near her ear.

His breath warmed her ear, and his lips softly kissed her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. She pushed him away, laughing.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiangyi waited anxiously, glancing toward the main wedding car every now and then.

A voice called out, “Daddy!” and his heart settled.

The first thing he asked upon seeing his daughter was, “Are you hungry?”

Xu Zhiyi shook her head. “No, I ate already.” She had eaten again in the bridal suite—there was no way she’d ever go hungry.

Her mother, He Yi’an, gazed lovingly at her, as any mother would. The more she looked, the more beautiful her daughter seemed.

She pinched her daughter’s cheek, and at that moment, all the regrets she once had seemed to disappear.

At 6:02 PM, father and daughter stood at the entrance of the red carpet, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Xu Zhiyi whispered to her father, “When you hand me over to Jiang Sixun, what will you say to him?”

Xu Xiangyi turned to his daughter and said, “Tell him not to team up with Xu Heng and steal my wine anymore.”

Xu Zhiyi chuckled, holding onto her father’s arm as she smiled with pursed lips.

Just then, a guest who was about the same age as Xu Xiangyi passed by and teased, “Old Xu, I brought my glasses today. I bet I’ll see you cry later.”

Xu Xiangyi replied with a smile, “Even if you bring a microscope, it won’t work.”

Lu Jianbo, clapping the man on the shoulder, chimed in, “Sit next to me. No need for glasses. I’m marrying off my son today—there’s plenty of tears to go around.”

Laughter spread through the crowd.

At 6:06 PM, the wedding officially began.

Under the gaze of everyone, Xu Zhiyi linked arms with her father and walked toward the red carpet.

At the other end, Jiang Sixun stood, his eyes fixed on the approaching figure.

Qi Zhengchen turned his head, joining the other guests in watching the father-daughter duo walk down the red carpet.

It was a full-circle moment for him—witnessing the girl he had watched grow up step into her happiness.

Suddenly, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed, and above them, the stars in the ceiling lit up. A beam of soft light, like moonlight, followed the father-daughter pair.

In that moment, it felt as though the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars were all celebrating with them, while petals rained gently from above.

“Wow!” Everyone gasped in awe.

Almost instinctively, many guests reached out to catch the falling petals.

He Yi’an’s eyes glistened, tears welling up as she watched her daughter with pride and joy.

The camera captured the flowers falling from the ceiling and projected them onto the big screen, revealing a message spelled out in the blooms: “I’m waiting.”

Jiang Sixun’s love for her had never wavered.