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17 – The Wedding

◎ Interwoven Breaths ◎

The wedding was organized by a professional team hired by the Cheng family. Both families were wealthy, and the venue was filled with distinguished guests. Even those who couldn’t attend sent gifts and flower baskets.

Zhong Jiajia originally wasn’t planning to come. Lu Shiyin specifically asked Qian Mu to pick her up and arranged for her to sit at the main table. But she refused, unwilling to sit with the Lu family, and instead found a random corner to sit in.

That table wasn’t in a prominent spot. A few company employees were also there. Seeing Qian Mu pushing a disabled woman, they mistakenly assumed she was his girlfriend and treated her with extra courtesy.

She still held her head high, looking proud and distant. Qian Mu, seeing her contemptuous demeanor, was speechless. He leaned over and said, “Can’t you smile a bit? It’s your daughter’s wedding, after all.”

She ignored him and said nothing. Thankfully, Xiao Ting was there to help, so she didn’t seem too lonely.

Lu Shiyin and Cheng Jinghe were at the entrance greeting guests. Lu Shiyin looked more exhausted — wearing high heels, she had to maintain her composure while standing.

Cheng Jinghe urged her to go rest in the lounge, saying she didn’t need to keep standing there.

Lu Shiyin gladly agreed and quickly left with Cheng Jingzhi.

Just after she left, Yuan Hang whispered something into Cheng Jinghe’s ear. Cheng Jinghe remained calm and continued greeting guests. Once they left, he said, “I’ll go take a look.”

In a room at the end of the 30th-floor hallway of the Chesher Hotel, a woman had been locked inside. She wore exquisite makeup and an expensive custom dress, but had been rather unceremoniously “escorted” in.

“What gives you the right to stop me from attending the wedding? I’m the bride’s friend! What kind of host kicks out a guest? Is this how Lu Shiyin treats her guests?!”

Wu Zihan sat on the sofa, yelling at two bodyguards in black suits. The guards acted like they couldn’t hear her and remained unresponsive.

Only when she tried to stand again did they block her.

“Do you know who I am? How dare you stop me? I swear, I’ll make sure you can’t work in City A anymore!”

Still no response. They didn’t even glance at her. Realizing yelling was useless, she sat back down to rest. Then, after a while, she got up and yelled again, “Is this wedding so fancy they won’t even give someone a glass of water?!”

The door made a soft sound as someone walked in, silhouetted against the light. Even from the silhouette, Wu Zihan knew who it was. When the door closed and the lights came on, she got angrier. Leaning on the sofa, she clenched her fists.

Someone brought a chair for Cheng Jinghe. He sat down and asked, “Why are you here?”

“President Cheng, I’m just here to attend a friend’s wedding. Is that not allowed?” Wu Zihan crossed her arms and looked at a painting on the wall.

“If you were truly here just for the wedding, we wouldn’t have brought you here. Besides, you’re not on the guest list. We didn’t invite you.”

“Not inviting me was your mistake. I still had to come.”

“That’s odd,” Cheng Jinghe sneered. “If you were here openly for the wedding, why sneak around backstage?”

“It’s none of your business. It’s a big hotel — I can go wherever I want. What, if I go to the restroom, will you arrest me? You have no right. I could sue you!”

“My, Miss Wu, such bold words. Your company just went under, and you’re drowning in lawsuits — yet here you are threatening to sue me? Well, if you’re not afraid of trouble, I’d be happy to play along.”

Wu Zihan scowled. “I knew it was you! You ruined my company!”

Cheng Jinghe said nothing, curious what else she had to say.

“I was just joking with Lu Shiyin that day! Was it necessary to go this far and destroy me? And look — she’s fine, isn’t she?!”

“If she weren’t fine, we wouldn’t be having this conversation here.”

Wu Zihan was silenced. After a while, she sneered, “You really like her that much? I wonder if you’ll still feel the same after seeing her true face.”

Cheng Jinghe played along. “What true face?”

She took out a USB drive. “Take a look and see for yourself.”

He gave Yuan Hang a look, who took the drive and brought over a laptop.

The USB contained three videos and several photos. One showed 18-year-old Lu Shiyin entering a private room; another showed her in college arguing with the alleged victim; and the final clip was of Lu Qisheng handing money to the victim.

Cheng Jinghe watched them all calmly, then looked at Wu Zihan, who was now gloating.

“There are several of these USBs. This one’s a gift — a souvenir. Next time, don’t be fooled by a woman like her.”

“I’ve known about this for a long time,” he said with a smile. “If this is her true face, then I like her even more.” He paused. “What I really want to know is your true face.”

His voice deepened. “Did you think that framing Lu Shiyin for what you did would get you off the hook?”

Wu Zihan’s face twitched, her eyes widened for a moment, then she casually sat back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cheng Jinghe twirled the USB. “Oh, you know very well. You orchestrated everything, colluded with others to trap her. Thought you were being clever?”

“Hah? Can’t understand a word. You can talk to my lawyer.”

Cheng Jinghe continued, “You’re really brave, Miss Wu. With your own house on fire, you still showed up here.”

Wu Zihan didn’t get what he meant. Just then, the door opened again — it was Wu Bin. Father and daughter didn’t show any expected warmth. The air was thick with tension.

When Wu Zihan’s herbal medicine company was investigated, she ran faster than anyone. Wu Bin couldn’t find her — even her mother couldn’t.

Wu Bin had been cleaning up her messes endlessly. Seeing her today only made his blood boil. Especially since she’d been living freely abroad while he suffered.

“President Wu,” Cheng Jinghe stood up, “My team discovered Miss Wu. We heard you were worried since she disappeared, so we notified you. Now that you’re here, why not stay and attend the wedding?”

Wu Bin gave his daughter a fierce glare, then smiled politely at Cheng Jinghe. “Thank you for finding her. I won’t intrude further. Family matters — I hope you’ll excuse us while I handle them privately.”

“You’re too kind. Please go ahead.”

After the formalities, Cheng Jinghe returned to the wedding.

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Lu Shiyin could barely recall the wedding afterward — just that it was exhausting. By the end, she had no energy left. In the hotel room, Cheng Jingzhi helped her out of the wedding dress. Her eyes could barely stay open. The whole wedding felt like it lasted a century.

Perhaps both girls were so tired they forgot something as basic as locking the door while changing. Cheng Jinghe arrived just as her dress was halfway off. He knocked briefly and then opened the door.

Both girls looked at him in sync. Surprisingly, he reacted the fastest — quickly muttering “Sorry,” then shutting the door and standing outside.

Lu Shiyin, covering her chest, asked, “We didn’t lock the door?”

Cheng Jingzhi rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, I think I forgot.”

She comforted Lu Shiyin while undoing the last ribbon. “He didn’t see anything. You’re wearing pasties.”

Lu Shiyin looked like she wanted to cry. “There’s no difference, really.”

“What? You two have been married this long and still haven’t done it?” Cheng Jingzhi was amazed.

Lu Shiyin changed into her casual clothes. “We… we…” but couldn’t finish the sentence.

Cheng Jingzhi laughed, “We should nickname Cheng Jinghe ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’ — such self-control.”

Lu Shiyin chased her around, playfully hitting her.

Because of that awkward moment, the ride home was quiet. But she quickly forgot about it — too tired. She fell asleep as soon as she leaned back, her head bobbing with the car’s movement.

Cheng Jinghe gently pulled her close, letting her rest on his shoulder.

Due to her health, she’d been drinking only water all night. Cheng Jinghe, however, had no such luck — he drank quite a bit, though he was still surprisingly clear-headed.

Once Yuan Hang left, it was just the two of them. Even with his strong alcohol tolerance, exhaustion hit him too. The smell of alcohol filled the car.

He looked down. She was fast asleep, her long lashes casting soft shadows. Her styled hair had her bangs pinned aside, revealing her healed forehead. Her scent — hairspray and perfume — filled the air.

He felt like he was walking through a fresh orchard. But his alcohol-laced breath tainted the purity of that fragrance.

She had only wiped her lipstick lightly, leaving a natural hue behind that looked like her real lip color — healthy and soft.

For just a moment, his mind flashed back to soft, blurry hotel scenes. He leaned in uncontrollably.

He gave her a gentle kiss, pulled away slightly, but desire had taken root. So he kissed her again.

The taste of her lipstick filled his senses. His breathing quickened while hers remained steady.

Their breaths mingled. With a shred of remaining reason, he slowly pulled back — reluctant to leave that sacred space.