Chapter 311: Moved to Tears
“Zhaozhao, wishing you and Huai Zheng a happy marriage.”
They all came up, smiling, to offer their congratulations to Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng.
Su Zhaozhao’s grandmother, Li Chunhong, even had tears welling up in her eyes.
“How did you all get here?” Su Zhaozhao struggled to hold back her own tears.
It was one thing with the others, but Li Chunhong and Xu Yingmin looked identical to her grandparents from her own world. Seeing them was like seeing her own family.
It felt just like her own grandparents were watching her get married. How could she not be moved?
“Huai Zheng contacted us ahead of time. He said you were having your wedding here and that you’d feel lonely without any family to watch you get married. So, he bought plane tickets for all of us and had us come in secret to surprise you.”
Xu Ziyang added with a smile.
As a man himself, he knew a gesture like this couldn’t have been easy for Xie Huaizheng.
‘My God, to think he’d go to such lengths!’
Su Zhaozhao turned to Xie Huaizheng. “You planned such a huge surprise… and you didn’t tell me a thing.”
Xie Huaizheng watched the glistening tears well up in her eyes, finding them incredibly beautiful.
But he didn’t like seeing her cry; it was too heart-wrenching.
He reached out and gently wiped the corner of her eye with his thumb. “Don’t cry,” he said. “Our bride is so beautiful today. You have to get married with a smile, okay?”
Su Zhaozhao burst into a laugh.
But tears still streamed down her face. Nearby, the photographer’s shutter clicked—CLICK—capturing their blissful moment.
“Xie Huaizheng, thank you. I really mean it,” Su Zhaozhao said, her heart filled with genuine gratitude.
‘Honestly,’ she thought, ‘ever since I got together with this man, I don’t think he’s ever let me down.’
Even though this was the first romantic relationship for both of them, their bond was incredibly strong.
Xie Huaizheng couldn’t resist reaching out and cupping her cheeks. “We’re husband and wife. It’s only natural for me to do things for you. Really, Zhaozhao, you don’t have to thank me.”
“No, just let me say it. I know that a simple ‘thank you’ isn’t enough for everything you’ve done.”
To Su Zhaozhao, all of these gestures were expressions of his love for her.
Even though he could be a bit clueless about romance, once they started dating, it was like he became the most sincere person in the world.
Su Zhaozhao was still incredibly grateful to Xie Huaizheng.
And so, the wedding proceeded smoothly, filled with the well wishes of everyone present.
Having her family there made Su Zhaozhao even happier.
Later, during the toasts, Su Zhaozhao and Xie Huaizheng went from table to table. Eventually, they reached the one with Xie Huaizheng’s friends.
Several men sat there, all looking at the couple with broad smiles.
Su Zhaozhao recognized a familiar face: Cheng Mo.
“Long time no see,” Su Zhaozhao said in greeting.
Seeing her, Cheng Mo smiled and nodded.
They clinked glasses, exchanged a few words, and then Su Zhaozhao followed Xie Huaizheng to the next table.
Cheng Mo drained his glass in a single gulp.
The harsh, bitter liquor burned its way down his throat.
Cheng Mo was overcome with a wave of emotion.
The others were surprised that Cheng Mo knew Su Zhaozhao. “Back when I heard Huai Zheng was seeing someone,” Cheng Mo explained, “I went to West State to visit him and, while I was there, check out his girlfriend. That’s how we met.”
“You punk, no one looks out for Huai Zheng more than you!”
The others chimed in, “It’s no wonder you and Brother Zheng are thick as thieves. Tsk, tsk, that’s real friendship for you!”
“Yeah! And since our Huai Zheng is getting married today, we can’t leave until we’re all dead drunk, right?”
“Come on, let’s do it! We’re not leaving till we’re drunk!”
The others all roared in agreement.
But Cheng Mo only felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
‘Probably no one knew he was in love with Su Zhaozhao, right?’
‘Xie Huaizheng might have known a little, but he never called him out on it, so Cheng Mo just carefully buried those feelings.’
‘He had fallen for her at first sight, before he knew she was Xie Huaizheng’s girlfriend.’
‘It was the cruelest twist of fate.’
‘After returning to Beijing, he found that he could never again meet a girl who captivated him like Su Zhaozhao did.’
‘She was so beautiful, with such a good personality. When she smiled, it was like sunshine in spring.’
‘Forget West State—even in Beijing, with its countless young ladies from wealthy families, not a single one could compare to Su Zhaozhao.’
‘And today, Su Zhaozhao was exceptionally beautiful.’
‘More stunning than ever. Standing on that stage, she looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.’
‘Of course, he wished her well.’
‘As for his own feelings, he pushed them back down.’
‘He knew he couldn’t keep thinking about it. It was best to let time bury it all.’
The wedding ceremony was a bit long, and by the time it was over, Su Zhaozhao was completely exhausted.
She hadn’t drunk much during the toasts, but the alcohol served at weddings like this tended to be quite strong.
Even though she had taken a sobriety pill beforehand, it didn’t seem to be having much of an effect.
Her head was already starting to feel a little fuzzy.
After she and Xie Huaizheng saw off the last of the guests, Su Zhaozhao leaned against him. “Can we go home now?”
Seeing how utterly exhausted Su Zhaozhao was, Xie Huaizheng’s heart ached for her.
Although Huang Jiqin had handled most of the wedding preparations…
…Su Zhaozhao had been up since the crack of dawn for hair and makeup, and had been wearing that dress and high heels all day. He figured she must have been at her limit for a while now.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Xie Huaizheng squeezed Su Zhaozhao’s hand. It was soft and felt wonderful in his.
Then, remembering something, Su Zhaozhao said to Xie Huaizheng, “Wait for me, I just want to say a quick word to my grandparents.”
Xie Huaizheng had arranged for her grandparents and the others to stay in rooms at the hotel, which was convenient since they wouldn’t have to travel.
Su Zhaozhao chatted with them for a little while, promising to come see them the next day. Only then did she turn and pull Xie Huaizheng away.
Once they were home and she had washed up, Su Zhaozhao was so exhausted that she fell asleep the moment she lay down on the bed.
When Xie Huaizheng came out of the shower, he saw that Su Zhaozhao had fallen asleep with her hair still soaking wet.
He couldn’t help but frown. ‘This girl… she must have been so tired she fell asleep before she could even dry her hair.’
‘Isn’t she afraid of catching a cold?’
‘The weather was still quite cold. Even with the heat on, the room wasn’t exactly toasty.’
Xie Huaizheng carefully lifted Su Zhaozhao’s head, letting her rest it on his lap, and began to blow-dry her hair for her.
The sound of the hair dryer startled Su Zhaozhao awake for a moment. Seeing that it was just Xie Huaizheng drying her hair, she comfortably closed her eyes again.
As for Xie Huaizheng, he said in a low voice, “Zhaozhao, go back to sleep. I’ll be done drying your hair in a minute.”
Su Zhaozhao murmured in agreement, snuggling against his lap to find a more comfortable position before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.