Chapter 13

Zhang Hao knew that He Cheng’an was going to Li Ling and Han Jiangang’s wedding banquet, so he specifically went to find He Cheng’an to wait for him.

However, when he arrived at He Cheng’an’s place, he waited for over half an hour without seeing He Cheng’an finish changing his clothes.

When He Cheng’an finally came out, Zhang Hao was slightly stunned.

The aura He Cheng’an exuded was something he had not seen in the big bosses in the provincial capital; yet He Cheng’an was frowning tightly.

He Cheng’an asked, “Does this outfit work?”

Zhang Hao responded, “………”

Zhang Hao added, “Brother, if you wear this, people will think you’re going to pick up the bride.”

It was indeed inappropriate to wear something too formal to someone else’s wedding.

He Cheng’an went back to change into another outfit, but it was still quite formal.

The Lu family members were all present today, and it was essentially their first meeting, so they needed to leave a good impression.

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun waited outside the Han family for about ten minutes. Just as the banquet was about to start, she finally saw He Cheng’an and Zhang Hao hurrying over.

He Cheng’an was wearing a clean white shirt and black dress pants, with a black metallic buckle belt around his waist. He looked even more like a groom than the actual groom, Han Jiangang, who was still busy in the courtyard.

After arriving in this place, Lu Yun had rarely seen such formal attire.

With his tall and upright figure, and sharp features, when Lu Yun watched him walk towards her, it felt as if the noise from the courtyard behind her was isolated from her surroundings.

He Cheng’an stopped in front of Lu Yun and explained earnestly, “I had some things to take care of earlier, which is why I’m late.”

Lu Yun replied, “The banquet hasn’t started yet; let’s go in.”

At this moment, Zhang Meili and the others had probably finished their tasks. Lu Yun didn’t want to sit alone at a table with unfamiliar relatives.

She wasn’t exactly impatient about these matters, but sometimes extreme tension made her uncomfortable. Especially since today was Li Ling’s wedding day, she, being single, was bound to face various inquiries about marriage.

He Cheng’an called out to her: “Lu Yun.”

Lu Yun replied, “Hmm?”

He Cheng’an looked at her, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement, but his voice was somewhat tense. “Do you think I can wear this outfit inside?”

As Lu Yun turned around, their gazes met, and after a moment, she said, “It looks good, really good.”

—o—o—o—

Today, Lu Yun was serving as a bridesmaid, while Lu Xiang’an was helping out at the Han family.

Originally, he didn’t need to be busy, but he and Lu Yun shared the same temperament; neither of them enjoyed dealing with unfamiliar relatives.

Sitting there and listening to them talk made him feel restless, so he found himself some work and began to help out in the Han family courtyard.

At the banquet, there were plenty of tasks one could help with if they were willing.

Lu Xiang’an was unaware that in just this short time, he had already received countless compliments. He smiled at everyone he encountered, said little, and simply worked.

When Lu Xiang’an decided to step outside for some fresh air, he happened to run into He Cheng’an, who had just come in with Lu Yun.

He glanced at the two of them, pausing his gaze on He Cheng’an for a moment before nodding and looking at Lu Yun.

He said, “Hurry up and go in; it’s time to eat. You’ve been busy all morning. You love fried meatballs, right? I snuck a taste while helping out, and they’re delicious. Don’t forget to save a seat for me; let’s sit together.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Okay.”

Zhang Hao spoke first, asking, “Who is he?”

Lu Yun replied, “This is my brother.”

He Cheng’an glanced at Lu Xiang’an, stepped aside to let him pass, and once Lu Xiang’an went out, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an entered.

Lu Yun went to sit at a table with the Lu family relatives, while He Cheng’an and Zhang Hao went to the table set up for Zhang Hao’s family.

Zhang Hao and He Cheng’an had grown up together, and the Zhang family had watched He Cheng’an grow up, so they were familiar with each other. Sitting at the same table, there was no awkwardness, and they were able to chat quite a bit.

On the side of the Lu family relatives, Lu Yun had just finished listening to a compliment from one of her cousins when she unconsciously glanced towards the courtyard, where the guests were drinking and enjoying the wedding. When she saw He Cheng’an, she noticed that he sat there with his back straight, showing no sign of relaxation. She wondered if he perhaps disliked this kind of occasion.

Lu Xiang’an came over and noticed that Lu Yun hadn’t saved a seat for him.

After some effort, he managed to grab a chair and squeeze in next to her. He called to Zhang Meili, who had just sat down, and pointed to a spot not far away. He whispered, “Mom, look over there.”

Zhang Meili replied, “What?”

Lu Yun followed his gaze and realized that Lu Xiang’an was pointing at He Cheng’an’s spot.

She kicked Lu Xiang’an lightly under the table, but he remained comfortably seated.

Zhang Meili asked, “Who are you asking me to look at?”

Lu Xiang’an said, “Look at that guy in the white shirt; he looks really sharp, doesn’t he? Quite handsome, right?”

Zhang Meili quickly spotted He Cheng’an, but she hadn’t understood who Lu Xiang’an wanted her to look at. Now that she heard him speak, she nodded in agreement.

However, since many people were at the banquet today, she didn’t know all of them. There were quite a few relatives from the Han family and friends of the Li family. She didn’t inquire further but stole a few glances at Lu Xiang’an, thinking to herself that the guy truly looked good.

On the side, Lu Dong, overhearing their conversation, looked towards He Cheng’an’s position and exclaimed, “This kid really looks impressive!”

Lu Yun picked up her chopsticks and handed Lu Xiang’an a piece of spare rib. “Eat your food. If you don’t eat soon, others will finish everything.”

Lu Xiang’an whispered back, “He looks good, really good.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he received another kick from Lu Yun, this time with a bit more force.

He quickly stifled a laugh and fell silent.

Lu Yun was right; if they didn’t eat soon, the others would finish their meals.

Once the food was gone, people would even start to pack up the leftovers from the banquet, hardly leaving anything to waste.

At this point, while their table hadn’t finished eating, some guests were already saying they needed to pack food for their kids who hadn’t had lunch, with plastic bags at the ready.

Coincidentally, the dish they were packing up was the fried meatballs.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Yun recalled Li Ling saying that this dish had been specially added for her. If she didn’t try it, it would waste Li Ling’s thoughtfulness.

So, she reached for her chopsticks and ate a few.

Indeed, they tasted great—crispy, rich in flavor, and delicious.

Zhang Hao had been discreetly glancing over at Lu Yun. When he saw her eat a fried meatball, he followed suit and grabbed one for himself. Surprisingly, it was delicious.

He thought to himself that Lu Yun had a good appetite; the fried meatballs were quite the highlight of the meal, and they tasted fantastic.

As he was enjoying his food, He Cheng’an leaned over and whispered a few words to him. Zhang Hao paused for a moment, then quickly nodded in response.

When Li Ling came out to toast, she made her way over to Lu Yun’s table. Both Lu Yun and Zhang Meili suggested that she and Han Jiangang just take a small sip, as there were other tables to visit.

Li Ling smiled at Lu Yun and playfully touched her earrings. Noticing her gesture, Lu Yun followed suit and touched her own earrings. Both pairs had been bought by Li Ling; they were the same style but different colors.

After toasting at Lu Yun’s table, Li Ling and Han Jiangang went over to He Cheng’an’s table.

They were both quite earnest, especially Han Jiangang, who sincerely finished a glass of wine with He Cheng’an.

Despite some misunderstandings, Han Jiangang was genuinely grateful to He Cheng’an, and He Cheng’an reciprocated by drinking a glass as well.

As the banquet came to a close, everyone was busy packing up food and mingling. Lu Yun went to check on Li Ling.

Li Ling, who had been busy since morning and hadn’t eaten anything, was now in the house enjoying her meal. She was eating quickly due to her eagerness, and when she saw Lu Yun, she struggled to speak. After swallowing a large bite, she gave Lu Yun a helpless look.

Li Ling sighed, “Getting married is really exhausting.”

She hugged Lu Yun. “I’ve been busy since this morning, and it was only now that I finally got to eat something. I even had some wine, though some of it was watered down; some of it was real wine! I still feel a little woozy, but cousin, I’m not drunk.”

Lu Yun patted her back. “Alright, hurry up and eat.”

Lu Yun glanced around the room where Li Ling was staying. This was her first time here. The house wasn’t new, but some of the furniture was new, bought by Li Ling as part of her wedding gifts. There were several blankets piled on the cabinet, and the walls were adorned with red wedding characters, creating a strong newlywed atmosphere.

As Lu Yun was leaving, she ran into Han Jiangang again. Upon seeing Lu Yun, he smiled and called out, “Cousin!”

Lu Yun responded cheerfully, calling him “brother-in-law.”

Han Jiangang walked Lu Yun to the outer area of the Han family courtyard before heading back inside.

He Cheng’an also didn’t leave; he was waiting for Lu Yun.

When he saw her come out, he walked over and pulled out a transparent white plastic bag. Inside were the fried meatballs that Lu Yun had just eaten at the table.

Lu Yun was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter. She hadn’t expected He Cheng’an to go as far as packing food from the banquet.

However, knowing that he had done it for her made her stand still and gaze at him.

He Cheng’an explained, “These are clean; no one has touched them. When I went to find the chef, he had already left. I asked the Han family where the chef who cooked today works, and then I… ” He meant to say he would take her out to eat, but his lips moved, and he continued instead, “I went to pack them up to bring to you.”

His gaze was gentle at the same time intense…

Lu Yun stood there for a moment, holding the fried meatballs that He Cheng’an had packed for her, then she took one out of the bag and ate it in front of him.

Lu Yun said, “At our table, someone mentioned packing food for their kids who hadn’t had lunch yet. I didn’t dare eat too many. Li Ling told me these meatballs were added specifically because I like them.”

After saying that, she handed one to He Cheng’an.

He Cheng’an smiled, reached out to take it, and then heard Lu Yun look up and ask, “Is it good?”

He Cheng’an replied, “It’s good.”

Lu Yun continued eating while also nudging the plastic bag closer to He Cheng’an so he could have some too.

As He Cheng’an bit into the salty fried meatball, he found it delicious and slightly sweet.

—o—o—o—