Chapter 12

In the days leading up to Li Ling’s wedding, she sought out Lu Yun. During this time, she had managed to lose over ten pounds to fit into her wedding dress, making her appearance even more refined than before.

As Lu Yun came out from the Cotton Textile Factory, Li Ling waved her arms energetically. “Cousin!”

Lu Yun approached her. “What brings you here today?”

Li Ling replied, “You have no idea how exhausting it has been dealing with all the relatives from my fiancé’s family lately. After getting married, it’s just going to get even more complicated.”

The two of them walked forward together. Li Ling showed Lu Yun a pair of earrings, claiming she had just bought them.

She explained that she had purchased two pairs, each a different color. One pair was for her to wear during the toast, and the other was meant for Lu Yun to wear on the day of the wedding.

Listening to her, Lu Yun nodded as she examined the earrings in her hand.

Noticing He Cheng’an in the distance, Li Ling suddenly stopped in her tracks. “Well, cousin, I should head back now. Make sure to come early on my wedding day; I’m really nervous.”

With that, she began to run ahead, shouting, “Don’t forget! You must come early!”

Lu Yun watched Li Ling’s retreating figure, feeling a moment of nostalgia. She had been in this time period for two or three months now. When she had first arrived, Li Ling had approached her asking for a dress to wear on a blind date. Now, in the blink of an eye, Li Ling was getting married.

“I understand! I will definitely arrive early. I’ll come even before dawn, just in case you have trouble waking up,” Lu Yun assured her.

Li Ling responded, “Don’t worry, I’ll wake up early too.”

He Cheng’an, overhearing their conversation, lowered his gaze, seemingly lost in thought. After taking a few steps forward, he looked at Lu Yun and said, “I need to go to the provincial city for a while.”

Lu Yun nodded. He had mentioned to her before about going to the provincial city and had told her to contact Zhang Hao if she needed anything.

He Cheng’an’s fingers, hanging at his side, slightly curled. He continued, “The reason I’m going to the provincial city this time is that I took on a renovation job there. I’ve assembled a renovation team and need to take them to get familiar with the place. I want to observe how they work; there are a few people whose personalities I haven’t quite figured out yet, and I’m a bit worried. If their work hadn’t been satisfactory, I wouldn’t have hired them.”

He glanced at Lu Yun and added, “I’ll be back on Li Ling’s wedding day.”

Hearing He Cheng’an’s words, Lu Yun was not surprised. After all, He Cheng’an, the male supporting character, was on the verge of surpassing the male lead and could potentially leave him far behind.

However, the original text did not detail how He Cheng’an became wealthy. Lu Yun only knew that in the story, after her character, the female supporting character, divorced Chen Zhiqiang, He Cheng’an suddenly became rich.

Once Lu Yun nodded to indicate she understood, He Cheng’an looked pleased. “Then I’m off to the bus station.”

“Okay,” Lu Yun replied.

Most of the members of the renovation team He Cheng’an led were locals from their area.

When he arrived at the bus station, they had already been waiting there. Zhang Hao was also working with He Cheng’an and was among the crowd. When he spotted He Cheng’an, he waved his arm and ran over.

“Hey, Brother He, there are a few people we aren’t familiar with. Don’t smile too much; just keep a serious face,” Zhang Hao advised.

He Cheng’an rarely smiled, but Zhang Hao understood why he would do so; it was all because of Lu Yun. Whenever she paid him any attention, He Cheng’an couldn’t help but break into a joyful smile upon seeing her.

He Cheng’an glanced at Zhang Hao, who quickly stepped aside, softly patting his chest. “You really look too intimidating with that serious face.”

As the bus to the provincial city arrived, He Cheng’an noticed that the seat he had occupied during his previous trip with Lu Yun was empty. He stared at it for a moment before taking the window seat where Lu Yun had sat last time.

—o—o—o—

On the twenty-eighth day of the eighth lunar month, it was an auspicious day for weddings.

Early in the morning, Lu Yun was awakened by Zhang Meili’s voice. Lu Yun peeked outside; it was still dark. After sitting up in bed and gathering her thoughts for a moment, she hurriedly got out and headed to the yard to wash up.

In the yard, the lights were already on so she could see clearly. To avoid disturbing the other familys, Lu Yun moved quietly and deliberately.

As a bridesmaid, she was well aware that unless she had a grudge against the bride, stealing the spotlight from her was completely out of the question. Lu Yun retrieved a set of work uniform shirts and a blue skirt that she had rummaged through yesterday.

The clothes weren’t new; they were old pieces she hadn’t worn in a while. After changing, she took a red flower and a red strip of fabric that had the words “Bridesmaid” written in gold letters.

Standing in front of the mirror, Lu Yun adjusted the flower on the left side of her chest and glanced at her reflection before hurrying out.

Zhang Meili called out, “Did I go over the bridesmaid duties with you yesterday? Just go through the motions; don’t get too close to the crowd and risk getting pushed down… Wait, I’m not finished! What are you doing?”

Lu Yun dashed back inside, exclaiming, “I forgot the red envelope!”

Zhang Meili watched as Lu Yun came out  with an elegant red envelope and couldn’t help but ask, “How much did you put in there?”

“Thirty yuan. I’m counting it as my separate gift, so it doesn’t need to be noted on the gift list,” Lu Yun replied.

Since Zhang Meili was giving a gift for her sister’s daughter, she contributed generously, handing over ten yuan. Normally, a gift would only be a few yuan, so Lu Yun’s thirty yuan was almost equivalent to half a month’s salary for Zhang Meili.

However, after thinking it over, she decided not to say anything. After all, when Lu Yun got married, Li Ling would surely reciprocate, and it was all about the sentiment.

“Make sure you keep it safe. When you give the envelope later, don’t mix it up,” Zhang Meili reminded her.

“Got it!” Lu Yun replied.

As Lu Yun dashed out, Zhang Meili called after her, “Hey, you haven’t eaten breakfast yet!”

After saying this, she yawned; it was indeed too early to be up.

—o—o—o—

Li Ling’s wedding was not being held at a hotel but rather at the Han family’s place. The Han family had a large courtyard, and they had hired chefs from a restaurant to cater the food. The chef was an experienced master who had previously worked at the State-Owned Restaurant, known for his delicious dishes.

Li Ling had even told Lu Yun that she specifically requested them to add a dish of fried meatballs to the banquet, knowing how much Lu Yun loved them.

As Lu Yun stepped out of the alley, she ran into He Cheng’an. He was standing there with a flashlight in hand, dressed in a brand new white shirt, looking meticulous. When he saw Lu Yun, he instinctively shone the flashlight in her direction and then walked over a few steps.

Lu Yun was going to be a bridesmaid, and since she had promised Li Ling to arrive early, she had gotten up to leave. As she approached, He Cheng’an handed her a lunch box. When Lu Yun opened it, she found two buns inside.

“One meat bun and one vegetable bun,” He Cheng’an explained. Afterward, he asked, “Should I ride you over?”

Seeing the cushion on the back of He Cheng’an’s bicycle, Lu Yun moved to sit down. However, He Cheng’an was quicker than her, firmly gripping the bicycle’s handlebars to steady it.

He watched as Lu Yun settled onto the bicycle. When she was about to start riding, a cold breeze blew in. The weather had become much cooler, especially in the early morning and evening.

Since she was dressed lightly, she felt a bit chilly; riding would only make it colder. He paused for a moment, then pushed the bicycle forward instead.

He Cheng’an said, “Take your time eating; once you finish, we’ll be there.”

As He Cheng’an pushed the bicycle forward, he suddenly heard Lu Yun ask, “Did you have breakfast?”

His smile grew wider as he replied, “I did.”

He wanted to ask if she was concerned about him, but the words never came out. Even so, he felt a little excited.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun arrived at Li Ling’s house, it was bustling with activity. The courtyard was already lively, and the lights in Li Ling’s room were on.

As Lu Yun stepped inside, she noticed that it wasn’t hot, yet Li Ling was still wiping sweat from her forehead. Upon seeing Lu Yun, she hurriedly grasped her hand and spoke of her nervousness.

Li Ling exclaimed, “You know, just a few days ago, I was so happy, but today I feel a bit sad. I’m getting married, and I won’t be living here anymore. I’ve lived here for over twenty years! What if I’m not used to living at the Han family’s? You think my parents will miss me when I’m not at home?”

As she spoke, she even wiped away a few tears.

Li Ling’s mother, standing outside and listening to her daughter, couldn’t help but wipe her own tears as well. Ultimately, she didn’t say much and quietly turned to leave.

Lu Yun felt a pang of sadness for her friend. She embraced Li Ling and gently patted her back. “It’s a joyous day! You can always come back; it’s not like you can’t. If you’re not used to it, you can bring your husband back to stay often. Who says that once you get married, you have to live at your in-laws’?”

Li Ling managed a smile through her tears. “You’re right. Anyway, I’ve already agreed with Han Jiangang that once we save up enough money, we’ll move out on our own.”

Lu Yun handed the red envelope she had prepared to Li Ling. “You keep this. Sister Sun from my office told me that once you’re married, there are plenty of places to spend money.”

Li Ling didn’t hesitate to accept it, pushing it back and forth with Lu Yun in a playful manner before finally taking it.

She then hugged Lu Yun again, she genuinely appreciatie her friend’s kindness.

At that moment, there were no makeup artists available, so Lu Yun helped Li Ling arrange her wedding dress and assisted her with her makeup.

As they were finishing up, Li Ling’s other bridesmaids arrived, and Li Ling introduced them. Lu Yun smiled brightly as she looked at everyone.

When Han Jiangang arrived to pick up the bride in the morning, the Li family became even livelier.

After that, they headed to the Han family’s place for the wedding banquet.

In the Han family’s courtyard, more than ten tables were set up. The hired chefs cooked dishes right there in the yard, and after finishing, everyone busily served the food. At that point, not all the dishes had been served yet, but the guests were already filling the seats and eagerly waiting.

The courtyard was filled with chatter, lively and noisy, with some people teasing Han Jiangang about marrying a beautiful bride, which made him blush.

Lu Yun looked around the courtyard but did not see He Cheng’an or Zhang Hao.

Zhang Meili, as a relatively close relative, was there helping out. She spotted Lu Yun and walked over, pointing to a table. “You can sit over there. That’s your second uncle’s son, and next to him is his new wife. You didn’t go to their wedding last time. They are also holding their newborn baby, and over there…”

Seeing all those familiar faces, Lu Yun quickly waved her hand. “I have a friend who will be coming over soon, so I’ll wait outside for a bit.”

Finally escaping from the crowded courtyard, Lu Yun sighed in relief. She really didn’t want to deal with all that socializing.