Qin Zheng was stunned.

For women, this is something that only brings harm and no benefit whatsoever.

But she had clearly made up her mind.

Looking at Ye Yun's determined expression, Qin Zheng thought to himself, "Let's just leave it at that."

"In that case, let's skip Cai Manni's wedding banquet. There will be too many people there, and you might bump into something." With that, he started the car and headed home.

Since Ye Yun decided to keep the child, the arrival of this child was good news for them.

He wanted to take Ye Yun home and tell Qin Xiang'e and Ye Xia the news.

As for Mu Jingsheng, he is not at home.

Since finding Ye Yun, Ye Xia's mental state has been exceptionally stable, and Mu Jingsheng no longer needs to keep her by his side every moment. After entrusting Ye Xia to Qin Xiang'e's care, Mu Jingsheng can go out and continue doing business.

Besides.

He and his father-in-law didn't get along very well to begin with. If it weren't for his father-in-law's insistence on his own way, his wife wouldn't have had to endure so much hardship as a child.

"Go."

Just as Qin Zheng was thinking about Qin Xiang'e and Ye Xia's reactions to the news, Ye Yun, who was sitting next to him, suddenly spoke up.

Qin Zheng immediately looked at her through the rearview mirror.

Ye Yun's small face, reflected in the rearview mirror, appeared unusually indifferent, making it impossible to discern her emotions. Noticing his gaze, she slightly raised her head and calmly met his eyes through the rearview mirror.

That look made Qin Zheng unable to utter a single word of further persuasion.

"good."

...

Around midnight, Qin Zheng led Ye Yun to the location listed on the wedding invitation.

They arrived rather late.

Perhaps because both Cai Manni and her partner were returnees from overseas, their wedding was held directly in a hotel. The open-air venue had the guests' seats below the wedding stage, and the main color was pure white, making it a particularly novel Western-style wedding.

On the wedding platform.

Cai Manni wore a white wedding dress.

Standing opposite her was her fiancé, a handsome man in a black suit and wearing intelligent black-rimmed glasses, gazing at her with eyes full of love.

Seemingly noticing Qin Zheng's entry, Cai Manni turned her head and glanced in their direction.

Unfortunately, Qin Zheng didn't notice her gaze. His attention was entirely on Ye Yun. Even though it was a flat grassy area, Qin Zheng was still afraid that Ye Yun would fall, so he took her hand and helped her find a place to sit down together in a corner.

After meeting Elder Cai and presenting the gift, he immediately took Ye Yun and left the place.

On stage, Cai Manni continued to gaze at Qin Zheng.

Watching Qin Zheng protect Ye Yun as she sat down in the corner, and seeing him fuss over her after sitting down, she pursed her lips and let out a cold laugh.

This scene also came to the attention of others.

Dressed in a formal suit, Mr. Cai stood beside Cai Manni with a cane. Over sixty years old, he was in good spirits, his eyes held an imposing presence without anger, and the wrinkles between his brows could not conceal the aura of someone who had long held a high position, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.

He noticed something was wrong with his daughter.

Following Cai Manni's gaze, without making a sound, she spotted Qin Zheng and Ye Yun in the corner.

Today, Ye Yun was wearing a chestnut wool coat over a white shirt and knitted skirt, with a Hong Kong-style scarf around her neck. Her eyes were clear as she curiously surveyed the wedding venue.

Turning my head, I met Mr. Cai's gaze.

The moment her eyes met the old man's sharp gaze, Ye Yun was slightly taken aback. Instead of backing down, she cast a questioning look at him.

She wasn't the one who offended the other party first.

The other person observed her first, which is why she unintentionally made eye contact with them; ultimately, she was the one who felt offended.

At that moment, the priest's voice rang out appropriately.

Who married the bride to the groom?

This question was clearly directed at the groom's father.

In just a second, Old Cai subtly withdrew his gaze from Ye Yun, his expression remaining kind and benevolent, as if he had never made a targeted eye contact with Ye Yun.

Under everyone's gaze, he smiled and said, "She married him willingly, with the blessings of her parents."

A burst of applause erupted.

What should have been a joyous occasion filled with genuine blessings and laughter was instead rife with exchanges of self-interest.

Western weddings are nothing special.

It's very procedural.

The priest's voice continued—

"Groom, do you take this beautiful woman before you to be your wife, to live with her according to the teachings of the Bible, to be her life partner before God, to comfort her, to protect her, to cherish her, and to treasure her as a precious gem? Will you remain faithful to her forever, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty?"

The groom nodded and said, "I do."

"So, bride, do you take this handsome man before you to be your husband? To live with him according to the teachings of the Bible, to be his life partner before God, to accompany him, believe in him, support him, and rely on him? To stay with him through sickness and health, wealth and poverty, until the end of your life?"

The time for Cai Manni to answer had come.

The scene was completely silent.

As the main character, Cai Manni had a slight smile on her lips as she stared motionlessly at the groom standing opposite her. It should have been a heartwarming scene, but her smile didn't reach her eyes, making the atmosphere a bit eerie.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

She never said I was willing.

A murmur of discussion gradually arose among the crowd, with many guests whispering and talking amongst themselves.

Old Cai's face gradually darkened.

Others may not know, but he does.

His daughter is very stubborn; once she sets her mind on something, she won't give up until she's completely convinced of its potential.

To prevent her from causing any more trouble, and also to provide her with some assistance, he arranged for Cai Manni to be married off through a political alliance. He even specially invited Qin Zheng and his wife to let her see Qin Zheng attend her wedding banquet, thus dispelling any thoughts she might have of him.

The groom, standing opposite Cai Manni, also sensed something was wrong. He looked embarrassed and glanced at Cai's father.

Old Cai chuckled.

"Manny... must be too happy today, she's too excited to speak for a moment."

He patted Cai Manni's hand, which was linked with his arm, and said with a kind smile, "Manni, today is your big day. Your father is very happy to know that you have found a good husband, but you can't let things fall flat. Otherwise, people will laugh at you for being too happy to speak on your wedding day."

That was a perfectly watertight statement.

This not only provided a reasonable explanation for the bride's silence, but also subtly elevated the groom's status, achieving the best of both worlds.

Cai Manni smiled at Old Cai with narrowed eyes.

"Don't worry, Dad."

At that moment, she glanced down at the audience.

"I do!"

Her voice suddenly rose deliberately, as if she was worried that the people present wouldn't be able to hear her, and a warm and joyful smile bloomed on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could clearly see Qin Zheng sitting in the corner, holding hands with Ye Yun...