Xiaonian sent a message and put the phone back in her purse.
The wedding ceremony was finished and she did not pay attention to it’s process. Shi Yue stood by Mu Qian Chu and smiled happily and every one once again applauded and sent their blessings.
Just for a moment, Mu Qian Chu swayed in his spot, apparently dizzy, but he soon dismissed it to his family and bride as a case of sudden dizzy spell due to happiness.
The most important part of the wedding was over and Xiaonian released a deep sigh. A few months back, she would not have believed that she could be so composed during this wedding, but now, she was standing here and clapping along with everyone.
This was good.
After the ceremony, it was time for the interviews and the bride and groom made rounds meeting the press and families. During this time Xiaonian made sure to stick to the shadows and make herself generally invisible from the celebrations.
While she was invited to this wedding, she was not really welcome here due to her past with Mu Qian Chu and Shi Yue. So, she tried to do the best she can to compensate them for the trouble she caused by staying out of their view.
“Please turn this way and smile a little more” the photographer said correcting their poses.
Xiaonian turned according to his instructions and took photos in few poses. Shi Yue looked radiantly at the camera as if she was really happy to be with her sister. No wonder she was such a good actress.
After the shoot, Xiaonian tried to discreetly leave the scene, but she was once again pulled back by some of Shi Yue’s friends. By their actions and the way they talked to her, it was clear that they had no good intentions towards her and Xiaonian understood them to an extent. For a long while she was angling after their friend’s boyfriend, so they wouldn’t like her very much. But she did not want to face any of the humiliation dished by them when she was already the big loser in the story.
It was true. She lost her love, respect and standing in front of her friends and family and was left with nothing at this point. Otherwise, how can it be that when she was caught by
Gong Ouyang, her only resort was Mu QIan Chu who so obviously hated her?
Sighing, she tried to make some excuses to leave, but it was all futile.
“This dress must be expensive, did Shi Yue buy this for you? She is very generous after all, not saying anything even when you followed Mu Qian Chu everywhere” one friend smiled as spoke as if she was talking about something casual.
Xiaonian could only just smile and stay silent.
Seeing her not respond, they frowned and turned the conversation back to Shi Yue. Shi Yue who heard what they said clearly did not comment of chastise them instead staying calm.
The atmosphere soon was filled with laughter and merry and Xiaonian was finally able to make her escape.
________
Xiaonian found a quite corner and poured herself a glass of water. Sitting in a chair in the shadows away from the merriment gave her a sense of relaxation that she hadn't felt since morning. Sipping her water, she watched as the merrymakers made merry and wandered around laughing and talking.
“What are you doing here?” a quiet voice suddenly interrupted her observation.
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Please consider reading this on the translator's website: amatertranslations.blogspot.com
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Xiaonian almost spilled the water in her hands. Wasn’t this Mu Qian Chu? What was he doing here?
Mu Qian chu looked at her startled form and ignored her and proceeded to sit on a chair beside her away from the eyes of the crowd.
Xiaonian noticed that his face was pale and he looked as if he was holding himself together with great effort. Her eyebrows scrunched in a frown and she couldn’t resist asking, “are you okay?”
It was his wedding and he was hiding away from people looking ill. And before when she met him in his changing rooms, she knew that he wasn’t taking any medications during this period.
“Just a headache” Mu Qian Chu said lightly as he leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes.
Xiaonian looked at him for another second before she turned her head and focused on the crowds. There wasn’t any need to meddle in his affairs. Any concern on her part would be an unwelcome intrusion now.
Silence spread between the two people as they each did their own thing.
Suddenly, Mu Qian Chu asked, “could you please pass me a glass of water?” without lifting his head up. His
His voice sounded weak and hoarse.
“….”
Xiaonian picked up a full glass from another table and brought it to.
“Here.”
“Thank you” he said lifting up his hand to take the glass from her hands.
Xiaonian returned to her seat and ignored him once again. Mu Qian Chu drank his water and observed her from the corner of his eye. He almost couldn’t believe it that this was the woman who constantly vied for his attention. At that time, she wouldn’t stop no matter how she was threatened, and now she behaved like this.
“I’m really surprised to see you behave like this” he said slowly once his headache receded. He was really curious about her answer. These days, the mysteries around her just increased.
Xiaonian just uttered an agreement without even turning her head around. The interviewers were now flocking Shi Yue asking her questions about the post wedding plans.
Mu Qian Chu was afraid that she might cause trouble at the wedding with her antics and tricks, but surprisingly she behaved well and did not interfere with him even now. This was a good development. Fit would be better if this continues. Shi Yue was pregnant and he wanted her to have an easy time during this period.
Xiaonian on the other hand couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable at the silence between them now that he was awake. She was better off in the crowds than sitting here with him. This Mu Qian Chu hated her, and now that she knew that the old him would never come back, she did not have any reason to take any more abuse from him.
“I’m leaving, you stay here and get some rest” saying that she quickly walked away from him without even waiting to hear his acknowledgement.
Mu Qian Chu couldn’t help but stare at her back getting farther and farther away from him.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered what she told him a long time back.
“Mu Qian Chu, you have to remember me. If even you forget me, then I will really be alone in this world.”
Xiaonian refused her mother’s request to join the banquet and swiftly made her way to her room.
As soon as she got into the room, she removed her dress and freshened up changing into a pair of casual clothes and fell on the bed.
The whole experience was beyond strange.
beyond strange. There was no terrible sadness or grief. Instead, she felt…strangely detached.
She turned around burrowing her head into the pillow and before she knew it, she fell asleep.
When Xiaonian woke up again, it was late in the night. The curtains of the windows in her hotel were open and the lights of the boats and cruises on the sea twinkled from faraway.
She didn’t have to be here anymore. Her adoptive father wanted her to attend the wedding so that there wont be any negative impact on Shi Yue because of an absentee sister. She came, attended the wedding, so now her duty is officially done. Making herself scarce in this situation is the most ideal for everyone.
She picked up her phone to call her adoptive mother, but she found that she already received three messages from Gong Ouyang while she was asleep. It was a time and address of where she was supposed to meet him.
She rubbed the space in between her eyebrows with her thumb.
She searched for Lu Rin’s phone number and called her.
“Xiaonian,” her mom sounded in high spirits on the phone, “we are going to the cruise Mu Qian Chu bought recently. We will have a small celebration aboard it. You will come?”
“No mom. I have some deadlines waiting for me so I need to go back.”
“Already? Won’t you stay for another few days? The celebrations will go on for seven days, you know” she said.
“It’s not possible mom. I really have to leave. You should go now. I will call you later.”
“Okay.”
Lu rin was not entirely sorry that Xiaonian is leaving early. No matter how well she behaved during the wedding, she did not want to take any chances of her behaving rudely in front of the Mu family. This was their big chance.
After her call, Xiaonian packed her bags and left the hotel to meet Gong Ouyang at the destined place.
The night grew deeper and chillier. The island which looked like a fairy tail in the morning now looked like glittering. The sea shore was filled with cruises and yachts of different sizes and resembled a necklace on the beach at night.
“No. 23”
Xiaonian put her bag by the dock and looked around her. This area was almost deserted with no one around, the wind blew calmly and lifted her hair with it. hair with it. Xiaonian did not even try to fix her hair. She just stood there and enjoyed the calm and peaceful moment.
She looked to her side as she heard the sound of a car moving towards her. The engine sounded smooth like one of those expensive cars and sure enough, the black Lamborghini convertible stopped a little further away from her and Gong Ouyang was driving it.
He wore a casual white cotton shirt with few buttons opened showing his muscular shirt and because the top of the car was down, his hair was tousled, and that coupled with his sunglasses made him look irresistibly handsome.
Even Xiaonian stared at him for a few seconds without blinking.
Gong Ouyang noticed her stare and felt inwardly pleased. Looks like she was finally realizing what a handsome man he was.
“My yacht is a little further away, get in” he told her.
“….”
Xiaonian chided herself for thinking him handsome. She quickly reminded herself what kind of a person he was to stop herself from being mesmerized. Nothing good will come out of having any sort of interest in a man like Gong Ouyang.
“Mr. Gong..” she greeted him and put herself and her bag in the car’s passenger seat.
“Dazzled by my good looks?” he asked arrogantly.
“….”
See? Nothing good came out of it.
“ye..yes” Xianian agreed reluctantly.
“Why are you stammering? You don’t have confidence to say that straight or are you lying? he looked at her suspiciously.”
“…..”
Patience, she told herself.
“Of course not, Mr. Gong is very handsome” Xiaonian smiled flatteringly.
Gong Ouyang looked at her for a moment to gauze her sincerity and seemingly being satisfied, he started the car and they took off on the road.
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Translator’s interview:
Translator: So Miss Shi, these days it seems that you are getting better and better at flattering Gong Ouyang?
Xiaonian: Of course not. How can it be flattery? Mr Gong is indeed that amazing. It’s not flattery at all, just truth. Hahaha. (laughs forcefully)
Gong Ouyang (Sitting by Xiaonian): (With a satisfied expression) Feng De, there is some useless stuff lying at my office, give it her.
Feng De: ……
[Stuff in office? Wasn’t one of it their company’s new and most expensive tablet model most suitable for engineers and professional artists? How was that useless? Won’t the team at their office cry tears of agony if they hear their Boss say that!]
Yes master.
Xiaonian: …… (ಠ益ಠ)