Chapter 120 "The Next Wedding..."

On Friday night, Xia Zhiyao had just arrived home when Zhou Yue was on the phone in the living room: "Yeah, no problem, I'm bringing my girlfriend along... cough, you'll see when we get there."

When Xia Zhiyao said the word "girlfriend," her heart skipped a beat. Her tone was so natural, as if she had always been used to it.

Zhou Yue only then heard her come in. He hung up the phone, turned around, and went to take the coat she had taken off.

"A wedding?" she asked.

Zhou Yue helped her hang up her coat and smiled, "Yeah, she's my high school classmate." He put his arm around her shoulder and continued, "She's also from the same neighborhood. They didn't send you an invitation, so they probably sent one to your parents."

In the courtyard, those two words made her freeze. The summer evening, the bicycle, the little boy on the back seat holding onto her clothes—all of it came back.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Xia Zhiyao asked, looking up.

"Of course!" he said almost without hesitation. "That's considered an official announcement."

The wedding was held at a five-star hotel in the city center. On the day of departure, Beijing had just experienced a light snowfall, and the branches were dazzlingly white when the sun shone on them.

Xia Zhiyao sat in the passenger seat, lost in thought. She thought of the group of children in the courtyard. When they were little, they rode bikes, played football, and had water fights together. She was always the one who led the way. Later, she went abroad, and then she started working. So many years had passed. Some of them got married, some had children, and some were doing very well in the system. She had heard news about them from Zhou Yue, but she had never actually seen them again.

"Are you nervous?" Zhou Yue's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

“It’s not that I’m nervous,” Xia Zhiyao paused, “I just feel a little strange.”

What's strange about it?

“We all grew up together,” she said softly. “What will they think when we appear together now?”

Zhou Yue turned his head, his gaze steady and calm: "You can think whatever you want." After a two-second pause, he added: "It's time to let them know."

In the hotel banquet hall, on the distant stairs, the bride and groom were taking photos, their smiles a mixture of nervousness and happiness. Xia Zhiyao watched, her heart softening slightly. This was a wedding—awkward, beautiful, and heartwarming.

"Hey, Zhou Yue!" A familiar yet exaggerated voice boomed from the side and behind, tinged with excitement. "What a rare guest! We haven't seen you for years, and you've finally decided to show your face today?" As he spoke, the man put his arm around Zhou Yue's neck, laughing heartily and familiarly.

Xia Zhiyao looked in the direction of the sound and saw several people laughing and surrounding her. The man who was talking and laughing with Zhou Yue was in his early thirties, with his hair neatly combed and looking like a typical business elite.

He was followed by three or four people, both men and women, of similar age, all dressed appropriately and exuding confidence. In that instant, the excitement, banter, and familiarity on their faces seemed to have been pulled out of their childhood, carrying a touch of nostalgic childishness.

"I heard you're doing pretty well these days!" the man in the gray suit said, half-jokingly. "You didn't come to the last gathering, were you really busy or just pretending?"

Zhou Yue swayed slightly from the camera's touch, but still smiled and returned the greeting: "Where? I was on a business trip in Hong Kong when you mentioned it last time. Do you expect me to fly back immediately to drink with you?"

The people around them laughed and joked with each other. The conversation quickly turned to projects, companies, and investments—the usual adult pleasantries.

"And who is this?" the man in the gray suit asked, feigning concern.

"Xia Zhiyao." Zhou Yue leaned closer to her, his arm casually resting on her shoulder. The movement was light, yet steady enough to be impossible to ignore. "My girlfriend. Don't tell me you don't know her."

The group exchanged glances; some had a fleeting look in their eyes, some raised an eyebrow, and one's smile faltered for a moment before quickly returning, "Oh dear..."

Another boy went over and stared at the two of them, laughing exaggeratedly and loudly: "Breaking gossip, you've finally got what you wanted, huh?"

A burst of laughter followed, but this time the laughter was different, carrying a hint of teasing and ambiguity. Someone whistled, causing several girls to cover their mouths and giggle.

"I knew it a long time ago!"

"Back then, Zhou Yue followed Zhiyao around every day..."

"Tsk, childhood sweethearts, such a fate is something others can only dream of."

Just then, several more groups of people entered through the main entrance of the banquet hall. They were a group of older people, with calm expressions and elegant manners, carrying the aura of years. They were the elders from the courtyard.

"Let's go." Zhou Yue suddenly spoke. Xia Zhiyao was taken aback. He was looking in that direction, his expression calm. "Go say hello."

Her heart leaped into her throat, and she almost blurted out "Forget it," but seeing his resolute and somewhat protective expression, she said nothing.

She simply nodded. Zhou Yue reached out and took her hand, his palm warm. He led her forward, through the crowd, as if he had walked this path countless times before, just waiting for her to walk beside him.

"Zhou Yue!" A man spotted him first, his voice booming, "Wow, how old is this kid now? He's gotten even taller in the years I haven't seen him."

“Uncle Wang.” Zhou Yue nodded.

"And who is this...?" The man's gaze fell on Xia Zhiyao, clearly scrutinizing her.

“Zhiyao? Of course I know her.” Before Zhou Yue could speak, the woman in the cheongsam next to him smiled and took the lead, holding a teacup, her eyes gentle, with fine crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. “I’ve watched her grow up since she was a child, how could I not know her?”

She changed the subject, her gaze lingering on their clasped hands for a second before she looked up, her smile deepening: "I just didn't expect..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear. The people around her burst into laughter, and beneath the surface of the commotion, a subtle undercurrent was stirring.

"Do you still remember how you used to chase after Zhiyao every day?" an aunt said cheerfully. "Now, you've finally won her over."

Everyone laughed, and Zhou Yue laughed too. "I was ignorant when I was little." He was a little embarrassed.

"Do you understand now?" someone joked.

"I understand now." He replied quickly, his gaze lingering on Xia Zhiyao's face for a moment before shifting away, leaving Xia Zhiyao surrounded.

She kept smiling and responded to all the questions, whether genuine or feigned, such as "Where do you work?", "When did you return to China?", and "How did you get in touch again?"

When Wei Ran entered, the banquet hall was bustling with activity. She was wearing a dark cheongsam adorned with red peonies, and her hair was neatly combed.

"Oh, Sister Wei, you're here!" someone greeted warmly. "Come on over, everyone's here."

Wei Ran nodded with a smile, responding as she walked. Her smile was polite. She waved to the table and said, "Sorry I'm late," before calmly making her way over.

She spotted Zhou Yue at a glance, then the person beside him, landing precisely on Xia Zhiyao's back, causing her shoulders to involuntarily tense. Wei Ran's steps faltered slightly, so briefly that it would be missed if one didn't look closely. But Xia Zhiyao saw it.

Zhou Yue turned around, his movements natural and resolute, as if he had been waiting for this moment. He looked at Wei Ran with a gentle yet firm gaze and said, "Mom."

Wei Ran's expression remained largely unchanged; she continued to smile, her gaze sweeping between the two men before finally settling on their clasped hands. She paused for a moment, then looked away.

"Zhiyao," she said, her tone steady and gentle, with the warmth characteristic of an elder, "It's been a long time."

"Yes, Auntie." Xia Zhiyao's voice was so soft that it was almost drowned out by the noise of the crowd. She nodded slightly and smiled politely, but she could hear her own heartbeat.

The elders around noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere. The lively noise gradually subsided, and a layer of imperceptible tension appeared in the air. Someone cleared their throat.

"Oh my..." an uncle broke the silence with a laugh, "They've all grown up so much! The kids in the yard back then are all grown up now."

“That’s right,” the aunt next to me chimed in, “Time really flies.”

"Come on, it's a joyous occasion today!" someone else laughed. "Don't be shy, have a drink!"

Wei Ran smiled and took the champagne glass beside him: "Then I'll toast everyone too."

"Clink..." The wine glasses clinked together, quickly drowned out by laughter.

“Wei Ran,” an auntie said with a smile, leaning closer and lowering her voice so that others could hear, “the two of you look so good together.”

“That’s right,” another uncle laughed, “This fate was destined from childhood.”

Wei Ran was still smiling, but her eyes were completely calm. She took a sip of wine, and the wine had a slightly spicy taste as it slid down her throat, followed by a bitter taste that climbed up her tongue.

Xia Zhiyao stood beside Zhou Yue with a gentle smile. She responded to the greetings and inquiries from all directions with a calm tone and proper manners. Zhou Yue was right next to her. When someone offered her a drink, he took it for her; when someone pulled her to sit down, he sat down next to her. Every move he made was natural and proper, yet he protected her very well.

The unspoken understanding between them was interpreted by others as an ambiguous signal. Some people's eyes flickered, some smiled meaningfully, and some secretly looked at Wei Ran.

Laughter broke out again, but the tone changed, carrying a hint of teasing and a touch of probing excitement. "Sister Wei," a man in a floral shirt called out with a smile, "isn't this good news being kept a bit low-key? There's going to be some happy news in our department again!"

"Of course! When was it decided? We old neighbors should be able to celebrate!"

The crowd around her burst into laughter, a lively atmosphere tinged with a hint of deliberate intent. Wei Ran was clearly taken aback, but after only half a second, she regained her composure, smiled faintly, raised her glass, and said, "To be honest, I only found out today myself."

The laughter paused for a beat, and Xia Zhiyao's heart sank. She could feel the gazes around her, surprised, curious, and with a hint of schadenfreude, like countless beams of light shining on them.

Zhou Yue's expression changed instantly. His smile vanished, the curve of his lips disappeared, and his jawline tightened. He leaned forward slightly, as if about to speak, and a short syllable escaped his throat.

"Mom..." The voice was urgent, restrained, yet filled with barely suppressed anxiety.

Xia Zhiyao almost instinctively reached out and grabbed his sleeve. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with panic. Zhou Yue stopped. He looked down at her and saw the pleading in her eyes. He took a deep breath, covered her hand with his own, and gently patted the back of her hand.

Then, he turned to look at Wei Ran and smiled. The smile was calm, even a little relaxed. It wasn't relief, but rather a sense of certainty that it should have been this long ago.

“My mom really knows how to joke.” Zhou Yue raised his glass, the champagne gleaming faintly gold under the light. He looked around, his gaze sweeping from one face to another, familiar, unfamiliar, young, and old.

“Since all of you uncles and aunts are here,” he paused, his smile deepening, “then you can be our witnesses.”

“The next wedding,” he began, his voice deep and steady, “is mine and Zhiyao’s.”

"Ouch!"

"This kid's got guts!"

"They should have announced it long ago!"

"Childhood sweethearts have finally become a couple, let's have a good drink!"

Laughter erupted, glasses clinked, and the crowd cheered. Some patted him on the shoulder, others raised their glasses in celebration. The atmosphere was lively, sincere, and tinged with the excitement of watching a show.

Only Wei Ran remained standing in place. Her fingers tightened slightly on the rim of the glass, causing the champagne to sway slightly and almost spill, but she steadied herself. Her smile remained, the corners of her mouth perfectly curved, and her eyes remained perfectly still.

Xia Zhiyao's throat tightened. She sat there, stunned for a few seconds, the noise around her seemed to fade into the distance, and she looked at Zhou Yue.

He was surrounded by a group of people, smiling openly and confidently. He nodded, raised his glass, and responded to their blessings.

At that moment, he seemed to have finally unloaded a burden he had carried for many years, but what welled up in her heart was not only gratitude, but also a profound shock.

It's like the earth's crust is moving, like an old world is collapsing.

Her vision was a little blurry. She blinked and vaguely saw Wei Ran turn and leave, looking particularly lonely amidst the noise.

Suddenly, memories flooded back. It was a small tavern from many years ago, with dim lights and yellowed wallpaper. Zhou Yue was drunk, his face flushed, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. He climbed onto a chair, swaying as he held up his glass: "I like Xia Zhiyao!"

At the time, she thought it was just drunken talk, but now, he was sober, and in front of everyone, in front of his mother, he didn't say "I like you," but "wedding."

Xia Zhiyao felt a lump in her throat. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Her emotions were complex and hard to describe. There was warmth, pain, and a belated sense of peace, like a drifting boat finally reaching the shore. But within that peace, there was also a deep weariness, a weariness that made her want to cry.

Just then, Zhou Yue's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on her. His gaze held a question, a firmness, and a gentle certainty.

Xia Zhiyao pursed her lips and finally smiled—a small, but completely genuine smile.