Chapter 100: “I Want to Die in Your Arms”

There was never a more extravagant wedding in Beijing than this one.

On the eve of the wedding, fireworks were set off along the coast, on the hillsides, and in the suburbs essentially, every place known for romance and dating.

The media described this celebration as fireworks that outshone the city’s lights, all to make a beauty smile.

A red carpet stretched for ten miles across Beijing, luxury cars lined up the street outside the Shi family estate, and each car was a rare, limited-edition model. Even the roses decorating the banquet hall were airlifted in, their petals adorned not with dewdrops, but with tiny diamonds.

At the Shi family’s home, when it was time to welcome the bride, Fu Huaizhou stood in a black suit, accompanied by Ye Ze and a few friends from Beijing. Ye Ze had originally refused to help jealous of Fu Huaizhou’s good fortune, as he was still single himself.

But Fu Huaizhou managed to persuade him with a single line
“When Shi Xun marries your sister, think about who you’ll want to block the way.”

Fu Huaizhou fought his way through the challenges both physical and mental, and of course financial set by the Shi family’s two protective brothers and Ye Mian.

Upon entering, he saw her. Ruan Li was sitting on the wedding bed, dressed in a red traditional gown embroidered with intricate patterns. Her phoenix crown and red veil embodied the image of an ancient bride, leaving Fu Huaizhou momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to approach, a small figure intercepted him.

A tiny boy, dressed in a white suit and a little bow tie, hugged his leg with a serious expression.

“Daddy, find the wedding shoes.”

Fu Chengjing was now speaking much more fluently, but his serious tone was still comically adorable.

Shi Xun picked up the boy and looked at Fu Huaizhou, grinning.
“Third Brother, the shoes are hidden by little Jing himself. We can’t help you.”

Fu Huaizhou glanced at the calm Fu Chengjing, then scanned the room. Though it was large, there weren’t many places to hide something, and only he could guess his clever son’s thoughts.

After searching through a few obvious spots, he noticed Fu Chengjing watching him quietly.

“If you can’t find them, you might have to beg little Jing,” Ruan Li teased from the bed, laughing at Fu Huaizhou’s failed attempts while others joined in the fun.

Fu Huaizhou’s gaze landed on Fu Chengjing. Seeing the boy’s anticipation, he was firm he had to maintain his strict fatherly persona.

Eventually, he noticed a suspicious gap under the bed. Only someone as small as Fu Chengjing could fit. For an adult, retrieving something from there would be awkward.

“Bring it out,” Fu Huaizhou said, squeezing his son’s little arm. “And I’ll delay sending you to kindergarten by a year.”

Before anyone realized what was happening, the little boy’s eyes lit up. He crawled under the bed, emerging with his mother’s wedding shoes and eagerly handing them over.

“You’re so sneaky, always tricking little Jing,” Ruan Li playfully scolded as Fu Huaizhou knelt to help her put on the shoes.

They had discussed sending Fu Chengjing to kindergarten. The child wasn’t keep going would mean less time with his mother each day.

During the ceremony at the banquet hall, Shi Mu walked Ruan Li down the aisle. Her white wedding gown was co-designed by Ye Mian and a renowned global designer.

Shi Mu personally handed his sister to Fu Huaizhou, while Fu Chengjing followed, serving as the flower boy and presenting the wedding rings to his parents.

Inside the ring box were two very different rings. One was a rare piece Fu Huaizhou had spent the past year searching the world for beautiful and symbolic. The other was a simple band, a product of Ruan Li’s diligent efforts to learn jewelry design.

Among the elite circles of Beijing, having a child before marriage was common, but getting married after the child’s birth, especially with such fanfare, was unprecedented. The wedding became the subject of conversation in the years to follow, disproving any rumors of discord between the couple.

After the banquet, Ye Ze and the others clamored to crash the newlyweds’ room. Fu Huaizhou, however, refused to give them the chance, feeling he’d already compromised enough by letting them witness the ceremony.

“Third Brother, why don’t you at least drink with us?” Ye Ze and Shi Xun teased, trying to egg him on.

But Fu Huaizhou just smiled. “Not tonight. It’s my wedding night I’m not drinking.”

There was only one chance to experience this moment, and he wanted to be completely sober. Besides, he never entered the bedroom with even a hint of alcohol on him after social events. Tonight was no exception.

In the end, while Fu Huaizhou avoided drinking, he didn’t escape without giving up a few prime business projects and pieces of land a small price to pay for such a priceless wedding.

When he entered the bridal chamber, Ruan Li was surprised to see him so composed.
“Didn’t they make you drink?”

She had even prepared a hangover soup.

“Didn’t want to get drunk tonight,” Fu Huaizhou replied, standing by the bed and eyeing her with intensity. She had already changed out of her wedding gown into a red nightdress. “Where’s the wedding dress?”

“I took it off it’s too heavy,” she said, puzzled, until he lifted her effortlessly and carried her to the walk-in closet.

The bridal suite was the same mansion they’d always lived in, just redecorated. The master bedroom was adorned with red fabric curtains, bedsheets, all a vibrant red.

He set her down by the wardrobe and gestured to the dress, which hung in the center, whispering, “I want to see you wear it just for me.”

“It’s exhausting to change again…” she murmured, glancing at the complicated gown.

“I’ll help,” he said, his fingers already on the straps of her nightdress, sliding them off her shoulders.

After much fussing, the wedding gown was back on. It was strapless, and without her undergarments, it felt different. What should have been a simple wardrobe change now carried an entirely new meaning.

He laid her on the big red bed, his eyes fixed on her red sheets, white gown, black hair, fair skin, and flushed cheeks. His throat tightened as his hand slipped under her skirt.

“Baby, you’re stunning.”

Shivering from his touch, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing softly. “How stunning?”

The air filled with the sounds of buckles unfastening and clothes rustling. His husky voice, breaking the silence, was barely audible.

“I want to die in your arms.”