Chapter 27 – There are middlemen making a profit

The wedding banquet also started as planned.

Entering the venue, lighting candles, cutting the cake, Yan Xiuzhi and Zhou Ziyi each gave a short essay, less than 500 words. Chu Ling also said a few words, and then everyone raised their glasses, and we could start eating.

Yan Xiuzhi and Zhou Ziyi went table by table to toast.
In order to enhance the wedding banquet experience, the venue was arranged into thirty tables, with eight people per table. Uncle Chu’s words were not empty at all. The venue was filled, and they were not just random aunts and uncles. A considerable number of them were important figures who had a good relationship with the Chu family, and some were partners who had collaborated with Hua Hao Group. As soon as these partners arrived, they brought their families along, and the number of people increased rapidly. When everyone arrived, they didn’t see Yan Wenwu, but they didn’t ask in front of the host. They still gave red envelopes and chatted and laughed, and then took their seats.

I wonder how angry Yan Wenwu would be if he found out.

Red wine was used for toasting at the wedding banquet, and Li Fei played a trick by adding some water to it. Needless to say about the taste, but at least the concentration was not as high. After thirty glasses, the impact would be reduced significantly.

But even so, after going around once, Zhou Ziyi was already a bit tipsy.

This was also the result of Tang Shirong and little cousin from the Chu’s family blocking a lot of alcohol. If it weren’t for these two, Zhou Ziyi would probably have fallen directly to the ground.

Yan Xiuzhi also started to feel a bit tipsy, but overall, he was better than Zhou Ziyi. When they returned to the main table, Yan Xiuzhi saw Zhou Ziyi leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, and he reached out and patted his arm, asking, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Zhou Ziyi smiled at him, “I just drank a bit too quickly earlier, but the amount was actually fine.”

Yan Xiuzhi said, “You shouldn’t have taken the drink that Mr. Tang poured for you just now. It was a large amount of mixed alcohol, and it’s easy to get drunk from it.”
“Brother Tang’s father wanted to have a drink with me alone. I couldn’t refuse, could I?” Zhou Ziyi tilted his head and spoke to him in a low voice, smiling helplessly, “Brother Tang has helped me a lot, so I have to give Mr. Tang face.”

“…” Yan Xiuzhi didn’t know what to say.

Zhou Ziyi always seemed to give face to those who had helped him, and he didn’t seem to know how to refuse their requests. He was like this with Tang Shirong, and he was the same with Yan Xiuzhi.
Now, he didn’t refuse the drink poured by Tang Shirong’s father, which wasn’t surprising.

Yan Xiuzhi had investigated Zhou Ziyi’s past and knew that after falling from a well-off family to owing millions of debt, many people had watched his situation from a distance. In this situation, everyone who had helped him seemed especially precious.

Yan Xiuzhi had not known Zhou Ziyi before, but looking back now, he felt that most of his previous friends were not very discerning.

It’s often said that one should help the needy, not the greedy, but Zhou Ziyi was more than just needy. Yan Xiuzhi thought that Zhou Ziyi was quite capable and had a good character. If Zhou Ziyi had been Yan Xiuzhi’s friend in the past and had asked for help, Yan Xiuzhi would have helped him to some extent.

From this perspective, Tang Shirong had a good eye.

Zhou Ziyi didn’t know that Yan Xiuzhi had already thought so much in a blink of an eye. Feeling a bit drunk, he felt the urge to relieve himself and stood up, saying, “I’m going to the restroom.”

Yan Xiuzhi thought he seemed a bit unsteady, “Do you want someone to accompany you?”

“I’m not that weak,” Zhou Ziyi smiled, then turned and walked away, patting his shoulder and leaning in to whisper in his ear, “I’m off, don’t miss me.”

Yan Xiuzhi: “…”

—So, does this mean he’s already losing his mind?

*
Zhou Ziyi went to the restroom. When he came out to wash his hands, he had initially thought about splashing some water on his face, but considering how long it took to put on his makeup, he decided against it.

After leaving the restroom, as soon as Zhou Ziyi returned to the corridor, he saw someone unexpected.

It was actually Yan Meiyue.

Zhou Ziyi initially thought it was his imagination, or perhaps the result of drinking too much, but after blinking, Yan Meiyue was still there.

This was truly strange; apart from Yan Xiuzhi himself, no one else from the Yan family had come today. How could Yan Meiyue suddenly appear in this place?

Zhou Ziyi was still hesitating about whether to pretend not to have seen it, but Yan Meiyue’s eyes lit up when she saw him, and she walked straight towards him, saying, “Are you alone? Great, I was just looking for you!”

“…Hmm?” Zhou Ziyi raised an eyebrow. “Looking for me? Or looking for someone alone?”

“Yes,” Yan Meiyue looked at him, flashing a meaningful smile. “Can we find a place to talk? I don’t think you would want others to overhear our conversation. Trust me.”

Zhou Ziyi instinctively felt that it was not something good and refused straightforwardly, “Another day.”

“Can’t be another day,” Yan Meiyue said, “I’m here on behalf of my third uncle(Yan Xiuzhi’s father). Don’t you want to know what my brother’s father wants to say to you?”

“I don’t,” Zhou Ziyi turned and walked away.

Yan Meiyue took a few steps, and in order to stop him, she said directly, “We all know that you are now in debt of fifty million, and you have a seriously ill sister. You married my brother just for money!”

Zhou Ziyi’s footsteps halted.

He put his hands in his pockets and asked, “So?”

Yan Meiyue approached him, “Are you sure you want to talk about it here?”

Zhou Ziyi looked into her eyes, “I have nothing to hide, go ahead.”

Yan Meiyue looked around, and seeing that there were no people passing by in the corridor, she decided to speak.

“My uncle won’t allow my brother to help you repay your debts. Clinging to the Yan family like a vampire won’t lead to any good results.”
“So, do you want to consider my uncle’s proposal?” Yan Meiyue asked.

Zhou Ziyi replied calmly, “What proposal?”

“My uncle will give you one million,” Yan Meiyue said. “As long as you separate from my brother, you will receive the cash immediately.”

Zhou Ziyi chuckled softly, “Are you underestimating me? Do you think you can buy my love with Yan Xiuzhi with just one million?”

“…Three million, as long as you divorce, we will give you three million!” Yan Meiyue said. “Don’t be too greedy. My brother is not foolish and won’t easily give you money. You might as well agree to my uncle’s conditions now. At least you can easily get some money, right? Three million after divorce is already a high price. You might not earn this much in your lifetime on your own!”

“You’re thinking too much,” Zhou Ziyi sneered. “Yan Xiuzhi and I are in love and won’t separate. Don’t bother me again.”

Yan Meiyue gritted her teeth, “Five million! It can’t be any higher!”

“How can the price go up twice?” Zhou Ziyi thought for a moment and said slowly, “Could it be… Yan Wenwu originally told you it was five million, and you want to act as a middleman to make a profit, so you first quoted a lower price?”

“What are you saying?!” Yan Meiyue stared, “How could I…!”

“Is it, as long as you know it yourself.” Zhou Ziyi chuckled, “Today is the wedding of Yan Xiuzhi and me. I won’t argue with you. If you want to stay, then shut up and eat; if you want to leave, then leave quietly now, and don’t say anything that would upset me.”

Yan Meiyue bit her lip.

Zhou Ziyi’s voice turned colder, “If you continue to pester, I will have to call security.”

Yan Meiyue frowned, “Are you feeling proud? You’re just a fox fakes tiger’s power^[1]Fox fakes tiger’s power: A metaphor for relying on or relying on the power of others to oppress or intimidate others.. When my brother no longer likes you, aren’t you afraid of a more miserable outcome?”

Zhou Ziyi sneered, about to retort, when suddenly a voice came from behind, “You’ve been outside for so long, what were you doing?”

Both of them turned to see that it was Yan Xiuzhi who had come out.

“Lao Yan.”

Zhou Ziyi put on a smile and walked towards Yan Xiuzhi, naturally taking Yan Xiuzhi’s hand, “Your sister came to talk to me on purpose.”

Yan Xiuzhi sensed something, looked at his sister Yan Meiyue who was standing not far away, “Why did you come?”

Yan Meiyue didn’t know what she was thinking and blurted out, “Can’t I come?”

“…Of course you can,” Yan Xiuzhi replied indifferently, “Do you want to go in?”

Yan Meiyue couldn’t talk to anyone inside, and if she went in and was seen by the Chu family, she would probably be ridiculed. So when Yan Xiuzhi really asked her to go in, she hesitated.

Speaking of it, although Yan Xiuzhi and Zhou Ziyi’s wording was different, the tone and atmosphere that allowed Yan Meiyue to enter the wedding scene were almost the same. Yan Meiyue even felt threatened and hastily said, “No, no need. I’m leaving.”

Zhou Ziyi raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Really not coming in for a meal and a chat?”

Yan Meiyue felt a chill in her heart at these words and said, “No, I have something else to do,” and hurriedly said goodbye and left.

Yan Xiuzhi watched her leave quickly, and only turned his head to look at the young man next to him after her figure disappeared.
“What did she come for in the end?”

“Uh, it’s not convenient to say now, I’ll tell you later,” Zhou Ziyi paused and then said, “Did you come to find me?”

Yan Xiuzhi looked at his slightly flushed face due to alcohol and said calmly, “I came to use the restroom.”

“Oh,” Zhou Ziyi let go of him, “Then go, I’ll wait for you here.”

Yan Xiuzhi said, “No need to wait.” It’s not like he’s a primary school student who needs to go to the toilet holding hands.

But Zhou Ziyi didn’t move, “We’ve run into each other, and we still have to go separate ways, that doesn’t look very loving. Go quickly, I’ll wait for you here.”

Yan Xiuzhi said, “You first…”

Zhou Ziyi said, “Bye.”

Yan Xiuzhi had no choice but to leave him be and turned to go to the restroom.

*
That evening, the wedding car took the newlyweds back to Yan Xiuzhi’s apartment, and the wedding was considered complete.

Wedding night antics? After party? None of that. Zhou Ziyi didn’t have any friends come, and the only groomsman, Tang Shirong, was already drunk and was taken home by his own father. As for Yan Xiuzhi, everyone looked at his expression and unanimously said, “You two rest well, we’ll take our leave.”

Only the close relatives of the Chu family came to the apartment, making the “new home” lively for a while. Uncle even held a cheat sheet, reciting auspicious words according to customs, and that was considered done.

Zhou Ziyi didn’t even have time to go to the kitchen to make tea for the Chu family before being left in Yan Xiuzhi’s master bedroom by the Chu family, who then left and closed the door.

Of course, Yan Xiuzhi was also pushed in.

The two grown men looked at each other for a while, not knowing what to say. Zhou Ziyi looked at Yan Xiuzhi’s room, and the four-piece set had all been changed to dark red, with rose petals and red cloth on top, along with a nut tray, a small golden scale, and an apple with an inscription. Looking closely at the nut tray, there were red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds… Zhou Ziyi chuckled.

Yan Xiuzhi raised an eyebrow, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, I just think it’s funny that the two of us men are getting married, and your family is still promoting ‘Early birth of a noble son.’^[2]‘早生贵子(zǎo shēng guì zǐ) : Early birth of a noble son means the hope of giving birth to a child as soon as possible. It is generally used to send best wishes from relatives and friends … Continue reading. Hahaha…” Zhou Ziyi pointed at the nut tray, laughing until his eyes squinted, “What’s this for?”

Yan Xiuzhi was also speechless. He watched as the family arranged these things and had also said that they were not necessary, but his resistance was ineffective.

The CEO had to find another topic to change the subject: “When you met Yan Meiyue, what did she say to you in the end?”

“Now? Can we not talk about it? My head is starting to feel dizzy.” Zhou Ziyi rubbed his forehead. “I just want to take a quick shower and go to bed. Can we talk about it later?”

As he spoke, he really started to sway. Yan Xiuzhi stood close by and subconsciously supported him. “You can still take a shower? Aren’t you going to fall in the bathroom?”

Zhou Ziyi leaned on him, half-supported and half-carried, and smiled at him. “What, if I say I can’t, will President Yan help me shower?”

“…I think you’re really drunk.” Yan Xiuzhi let him stand properly, letting go of him. “If you can’t stand, then don’t shower. Just sleep first, and we’ll talk tomorrow. Don’t expect me to call 120 for you in the middle of the night again.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” Zhou Ziyi waved his hand. “By the way, our honeymoon trip tomorrow afternoon, don’t forget.”

Yan Xiuzhi said, “You should worry about yourself first.”

“Okay, I’ll worry about myself then.” After saying this, Zhou Ziyi really turned and left the master bedroom. Just as he was about to close the door on Yan Xiuzhi, the young man suddenly stuck his head in, smiling and saying, “Ge, I wish you won’t be blinded by all this bright red. Hahaha!”

With that, he shrunk back and the door closed.

Yan Xiuzhi looked at the double happiness symbol on the door and the four-piece bedding on the bed, and began to feel a headache.

---

The Nut tray(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)