Chapter 1: Wedding

Today is a wedding, an indoor venue, with fluttering gauze and pink roses everywhere. The hall is full of guests, all eagerly awaiting the appearance of the bride and groom.

In the makeup room at the other end, everyone is busy preparing for the grand entrance.

“Guan Xi, Guan Xi? What are you thinking? I’m asking you, how does it look?” A woman in a wedding dress turns around in front of the makeup mirror.

Guan Xi snaps out of her thoughts, looks at the mirror in front of her, her mind a bit chaotic. She takes a moment before saying, “Looks good. I picked it. Can it not look good?”

“Exactly.” The joyous woman in the throes of marriage pats her expensive necklace around her neck. “It’s a good thing I took you with me that day. You have a good eye.”

Guan Xi’s lips curve slightly. “Of course.”

“Is the bride ready? We need to proceed.” The door to the makeup room opens, and the staff comes in.

“Okay, got it.”

People in the makeup room start to leave one after another. Guan Xi steps aside, watching everyone escort the bride, Zhong Lingfan, out. Zhong Lingfan is her childhood friend, and today is her wedding day; she is one of the six bridesmaids.

“Come on, why are you daydreaming?” Another friend and bridesmaid, Lang Ningyi, pulls her hand.

Guan Xi nods. Lang Ningyi holds her hand as they walk outside. Taking advantage of no one’s attention, she leans closer and whispers, “Lingfan doesn’t know about your situation, right?”

Guan Xi’s eyes change slightly. “I only told you. Please don’t let it slip.”

“Rest assured, I wouldn’t casually reveal such a big thing.” Lang Ningyi worries, “But what do you plan to do next? Your parents have decided to bring back that daughter who has been living outside?”

Guan Xi’s steps slightly falter, and the tension on her face loosens a bit. “Not yet, my dad said to give it some time.”

“Give it some time? Haven’t you already postponed it for a month…? No one can delay this kind of thing,” Lang Ningyi remarks.

Guan Xi lowers her gaze slightly, “Let’s talk about it after the wedding.”

“Then I’ll find you at that time.”

“Okay.”

The two sit down at the bridesmaids’ table, and Lang Ningyi discreetly observes Guan Xi.

In fact, she only learned about this yesterday, and it kept her awake all night. Putting herself in Guan Xi’s shoes, if someone told her one day that she was an orphan adopted from an orphanage, and her parents had a biological daughter, she would undoubtedly collapse.

However, the princess of the Guan family, facing this melodramatic plot twist, still attends her friend’s wedding with a calm expression.

It’s indeed Guan Xi…

Lang Ningyi can’t help but glance at her again. Despite being friends with Guan Xi for so many years, she is still captivated by this woman. All the bridesmaids at their table are wearing dresses in the same color, but Guan Xi effortlessly stands out. Her features are too delicate, her skin flawless and glowing, captivating everyone with her beauty.

She just sits there, and the guests at nearby tables occasionally shift their gazes toward her. She still looks like the shining golden phoenix in the high skies…

**

The wedding proceeds smoothly, and after completing the scheduled events, it’s time for the common ritual of the bride and groom to toast. This time, the bridesmaids need to accompany the newlyweds.

After toasting to each table of guests, they arrive at the table of Jin Kaicheng’s friends.

“Jin Kaicheng’s friends are quite handsome, have you seen that guy? Handsome!”

“Yeah!”

“He is, go for it. Aren’t you Lingfan’s cousin? Let your brother-in-law introduce him to you.”

“Hehe, I’ll go find out later. Hey, I’ve claimed his drink, don’t snatch it from me.”

…

Relatives and friends were toasting, but the bride and groom were not allowed to get too drunk, getting drunk on this day was not ideal. Therefore, the bridesmaids and groomsmen would usually share the toasting duties. After hearing the whispers from the two bridesmaids next to her, Guan Xi followed their gaze to the opposite table, where they were discussing a certain man.

He was wearing a slightly casual suit, sitting quietly in his seat without a hint of movement. He wore a pair of glasses with a delicate silver frame. The cold-toned blue light from the stage occasionally passed over, and the lenses regularly sparkled.

He looked very handsome, refined, and exuded a hint of coldness.

Guan Xi glanced at his tableware, untouched chopsticks, a wine glass with undisturbed red wine – no signs of having taken a sip.

She hadn’t seen him when she first arrived, so he must have just arrived, and it seemed he was the type to meticulously plan his entrance. He was always like this, strict to the point that it seemed he couldn’t infuriate himself a minute earlier than planned.

Whether he sensed the scrutiny or not, the man’s gaze met hers. Their eyes collided in the air, and Guan Xi lightly averted her gaze. However, the man on the opposite side kept his eyes on her dress for a while before shifting his gaze.

No interaction, as if they didn’t know each other.

At the same time, the bride and groom started to toast to the people at this table. Before Guan Xi could say anything, she watched as the bridesmaid who had been discussing passionately with her friend moments ago rushed over to the opposite table and approached that man.

Upon seeing someone approaching, the man politely stood up. As he did, he naturally buttoned the button at his waist and nodded slightly in acknowledgment to the bridesmaid. Guan Xi was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she could see the young girl talking to him. The surroundings were noisy, and he cooperated with her, slightly tilting his head to listen attentively.

He exuded a natural and composed aura, making the girl’s face turn intensely pink.

It seemed like quite a rosy picture.

However, watching the courteous demeanor of the man, Guan Xi couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“That bridesmaid is Lingfan’s cousin, right?” Lang Ningyi glanced at the opposite table.

“Seems like it,” Guan Xi replied.

“Lingfan said her cousin came to the capital specifically for her wedding and doesn’t usually live here. No wonder… I wonder if she knows that the man she’s trying to strike up a conversation with already has someone.”

“Grass won’t speak; how would others know it has an owner?” Guan Xi shrugged indifferently. “In the end, it’s just a particularly flamboyant grass.”

Lang Ningyi rubbed her chin. “Only you could associate the term ‘flamboyant’ with Jiang Suizhou.”

Guan Xi lightly snorted. She was just stating the facts. Others might not know, but she was well aware that this man was undoubtedly flamboyant behind the scenes. But Guan Xi couldn’t be bothered with the scene not far away. After all, such things happened frequently, and she had become accustomed to them.

When the newlyweds finished toasting, she turned and left.

The wedding lasted quite a while, and after completing all the necessary tasks, the sky outside had darkened. As the guests witnessed the ceremonial events, they gradually left. Inside the makeup room, the bridesmaids, who had been busy all day, could finally sit down to rest and organize their things.

Knock, knock—

Someone knocked on the door.

Lang Ningyi was close by and went to open it. After the door opened, she saw a man standing outside. He nodded at her, “Leaving?”

“Yeah,” Lang Ningyi knew that Jiang Suizhou was looking for someone. After nodding, she looked meaningfully at Guan Xi, who was sitting on the nearby sofa, “Someone’s looking for you.”

In the makeup room filled with bridesmaids, Lang Ningyi didn’t mention names, so someone might misinterpret.

When Lingfan’s younger cousin looked over, she saw the man who had just asked for her WeChat. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over.

“Mr. Jiang.” Under the scrutiny of a certain person in the room, the young cousin’s eyes were bright, excited, and a little proud.

She hadn’t expected that when she said they could contact later, this man would come to find her so quickly.

Trying to maintain composure, she quietly asked, “Is there something you need from me?”

However, the man behind the glasses remained calm, “I’m sorry, could you ask Guan Xi to come out for a moment.”

The young cousin’s expression stiffened slightly. Wasn’t he looking for her?

She turned slowly and saw Guan Xi, the woman he was referring to, lazily glance in their direction. Then, she picked up her bag and the bridesmaid gift box beside her, standing up to approach them.

Although Lingfan’s cousin didn’t live in the capital, she knew about Guan Xi. Because she often heard about her from her cousin Lingfan, who described Guan Xi as a celestial being.

Despite living outside the city, Lingfan’s cousin was aware of Guan Xi’s status. She had received messages in the WeChat group from her friends, discussing Guan Xi’s skin, hair, and the heavy bag she had brought and casually thrown on the floor in the makeup room. However, due to being busy, they hadn’t discussed the kind of man this woman should have.

“What’s up?” Guan Xi approached Jiang Suizhou.

“Taking you home,” Jiang Suizhou said.

Guan Xi responded with an “oh” and handed him her bag and the gift bag, saying, “Quite heavy.”

Without saying anything, Jiang Suizhou naturally took them.

Lingfan’s cousin, although not living in the capital, was familiar with Guan Xi. She often heard her cousin’s descriptions, thinking they might be exaggerated. However, upon seeing Guan Xi at the wedding today, she was amazed by her cousin’s accurate portrayal. Not only was she a celestial being, but she also seemed to be a celestial being adorned in gold.

When the two of them walked away one after the other, Lingfan’s cousin recovered, “They…”

Lang Ningyi skillfully explained, “A couple.”

**

Guan Xi got into Jiang Suizhou’s car, and as soon as the door closed, the driver in front started the car. The vehicle moved along the spacious road, and the streetlights outside flickered past.

“You haven’t contacted me in a month, what have you been up to?” Guan Xi asked.

“Delete the WeChat of that girl just now,” Guan Xi spoke at the same time.

They both spoke simultaneously.

Jiang Suizhou glanced at her, “Who?”

Guan Xi: “The bridesmaid who had a drink with you just now.”

Jiang Suizhou seemed to recall, and he opened WeChat, deleted the new contact that appeared on the chat page with a few taps.

After deleting, he asked, “Your friend?”

“Ling Fan’s little cousin. I can’t explain to her if she gets emotional because of you,” Guan Xi replied.

Jiang Suizhou didn’t say much. It didn’t matter to delete or not, but since Guan Xi mentioned it, he decided to avoid trouble.

“What have you been up to in the past month?” Jiang Suizhou repeated the question.

Guan Xi looked out the window, hesitated for a moment. This past month had been the worst for her since she learned the truth about her identity. However, she wouldn’t tell Jiang Suizhou that she spent almost the entire month in her room, crying until she felt nauseous.

This matter was too embarrassing for her, and she believed that if Jiang Suizhou knew the truth about her background, he would probably break up with her immediately.

“Ling Fan is getting married. I’ve been busy helping her choose this and that for the past month. It’s been a troublesome time,” she said.

Jiang Suizhou remained indifferent, choosing to believe this answer. Of course, she could say anything, and he would believe it. He didn’t care either way.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be a ride home? Is this direction heading to your place?” Guan Xi asked.

“We haven’t seen each other for a month,” Jiang Suizhou said casually.

Guan Xi turned to look at him.

Jiang Suizhou also glanced at her. Sitting so close, he could see her more clearly. Although her bridesmaid dress was not revealing, there was a subtle exposure below the collarbone, just a little, perhaps only visible in her current sitting posture.

He knew that she probably, out of kindness during her friend’s wedding, tried to keep a low profile.

“Oh, haven’t seen each other for a month… but I don’t want to sleep with you today,” he heard Guan Xi say after he withdrew his gaze.

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