Qiu Tian burst into laughter. “Too late! Even if we have to tie you up, we’re taking you today!”
Li Jie, playing along, feigned a pitiful tone. “Sister Shen, please let me through! I have elderly parents and no children. I’ve raised a loyal dog into old age. If I marry her, I’ll serve her tea, massage her back, and pamper her for the rest of my life!”
Shen Xi Fan giggled. “Su Shan, do you want to draft a post-marriage contract now? We’ll all be witnesses!”
Finally, Su Shan came out, her eyes red and puffy, and flung herself into her parents’ arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Shen Xi Fan clicked her tongue in amazement. “All that teasing, and she didn’t cry—now it’s like a dam breaking.”
Li Jie stood nearby, flustered, tightly clutching a packet of tissues and handing them to her one by one with utmost diligence.
He Su Ye took the garment bag from Shen Xi Fan’s hands and remarked, “This is what happens when there’s a deep bond with one’s parents. My cousin cried so much at her wedding, it felt like an epic tragedy. My brother-in-law said he felt like a villain abducting an innocent girl.”
Shen Xi Fan laughed. “If I ever get married, I’d probably cry my eyes out. I couldn’t bear to leave my parents.”
Qiu Tian overheard and pretended to be moved. “If I get married, my parents would probably cry tears of joy.”
* * *
The groom carried the bride out to the car, and the procession set off, heading to the groom’s house before driving to the hotel. The wedding convoy occupied most of the main road, a grand display reminiscent of an ancient royal wedding.
Once they arrived, Shen Xi Fan and Qiu Tian were constantly busy—helping the bride and groom fix their makeup, collecting red envelopes, handing out wedding candies. By the time the ceremony began, their throats felt parched and dry as fire. They still had to assist with the toasts, helping the couple fend off drinks.
It wasn’t until after 2 p.m. that the daytime festivities ended, with another round scheduled for the evening. The two of them wanted to cry out of exhaustion.
Qiu Tian groaned, “Shark fin soup—I didn’t even get a single bite.”
Shen Xi Fan lamented, “I had my eyes on that roasted suckling pig for so long, but by the time I got to it, there was only skin left!”
Collapsing onto the sofa, Qiu Tian looked longingly at He Su Ye. “Pointy Corner, if I’d known it’d be this bad, I wouldn’t have insisted on being the groomsman. I should’ve let you do it so I could feast instead!”
Shen Xi Fan pointed at him and laughed. “He Su Ye, with how you look, no one would dare ask you to be a groomsman—you’d overshadow the groom!”
He Su Ye sighed and asked, “Are you two hungry? I have food at home.”
The two wasted no time ditching the bride and groom, following him to his house instead.
* * *
The dishes were ready to eat after just a quick spin in the microwave. He Shou Zheng proudly brought out two large containers and boasted, “Uncle, these are the meals you asked me to pack!” Then he glanced at Qiu Tian and declared, “Uncle Qiu, you can’t eat too much—leave some for Sister!”
The table was soon filled with dishes: chicken soup with yam and astragalus, braised mushrooms, stir-fried eggplant, and cold beef slices. Qiu Tian waved grandly. “Pass me a bottle of Pepsi!”
But He Shou Zheng seriously poured him a glass of juice instead. “Uncle says men shouldn’t drink too much soda.”
As Shen Xi Fan happily devoured her chicken soup, He Su Ye asked, “Want an apple or an orange?”
With her mouth full, she could only gesture. He Su Ye chuckled. “Orange juice? I’ll squeeze some for you to take with you.”
Shen Xi Fan nodded in satisfaction, while Qiu Tian stared in amazement. “You even understood that? Pointy Corner, you should become an animal trainer!”
He Shou Zheng blinked and quipped, “Aren’t women called tigers?—Ouch! Uncle, it’s what my dad said!”
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