Chapter 78 "Being this handsome is one thing, but I never expected him to sing..."

"Look, isn't that Jiang Muzhou?" A girl at the next table suddenly shook her companion's arm.

"My goodness, it's true! Do men's prime last that long?" Her companion immediately put down her chopsticks, her eyes wide with disbelief. "His looks are practically reversed; he looks even more handsome than in high school!"

Whispers began to rise from the surrounding area.

Linhai City is not very big, and many of the guests attending the wedding were Xu Zhisui and Shen Siqi's classmates at various stages. They were all the same age, so they were naturally familiar with Jiang Muzhou, the top scorer who had been at the top of Linhai No.1 High School's academic rankings for many years.

Those who hadn't noticed him enter before, whether they knew him or not, all focused their attention on him after he stood up.

"Hey, do you guys remember? During the high school arts festival, our arts committee member begged him three times, but he still refused to perform on stage."

"With that figure and those looks, could she be a celebrity?"

Amidst the rustling of conversation, someone whistled, followed by applause that erupted from a corner and quickly spread into a warm chorus.

Even the lighting technician seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, involuntarily casting a soft spotlight around his figure.

However, the commotion he caused seemed to go unnoticed by Jiang Muzhou; he remained as calm and composed as ever.

Su Cheng stood at the back of the stage, holding the prize.

She blinked her eyes, which were slightly blurry from the spotlight, and watched the tall figure slowly walk along the flower-lined path.

As they drew closer, the Austin roses, apricot in color, the Phalaenopsis orchids, and the hydrangeas, a peach-pink hue...

All the vibrant colors of the once-blooming group have faded, leaving only a serene black dress, which, in Su Cheng's eyes, becomes the only striking focal point in the entire venue.

The crystal chandelier overhead casts twinkling starlight, which dances lightly among her dark hair.

With long strides, Jiang Muzhou stepped onto the main stage from the side steps, and his gaze unexpectedly met hers.

Su Cheng felt her whole heart trembling, her voice heavy and urgent.

She looked away, just like countless times before when she would steal glances at someone, always pretending to casually look away the moment their eyes met.

But his eyes seemed to have a will of their own, stubbornly drifting in his direction.

She suddenly remembered an interesting idea she had read before: perhaps the human brain is not even aware of the existence of eyes.

At least for this moment, her eyes had briefly slipped out of her brain's control.

Fortunately, she was standing at the back of the stage, hidden by the Roman columns covered in flowers. She could probably sneak a few glances without being noticed.

"Young man, you're so handsome, are you a celebrity?" The emcee, noticing the enthusiastic reaction from the audience, joked with a smile, "Come on, come to the center and show everyone your singing talent!"

Jiang Muzhou did not follow the emcee's instructions to walk to the center of the stage, but stopped at the side of the stage.

A seemingly inconspicuous location.

But it just so happened that Su Chengqing could see his location.

Jiang Muzhou raised the microphone, his thin knuckles gleaming white, the vibrant blue veins on the back of his hand standing out clearly.

He lowered his eyes slightly, let out a barely audible sigh, and then, as if he had made up his mind, raised his gaze again to the other side of the stage before softly singing: "How much further must I go to enter your heart, how much longer must I wait to get close to you."

In that instant, Su Cheng felt as if she had been dragged onto a single track where only Jiang Muzhou's voice could be heard.

The sounds of guests turning the ladle and using their chopsticks, the emcee reading the program, and the cheers from old classmates... all seemed to be muted, and all was silent.

In her world, only his clean, slightly tense singing voice echoed.

Her eyes could only reflect his focused, burning, surging black eyes.

Ever since Jiang Muzhou asked her in the car if she wanted to hear him sing, Su Cheng had mentally rehearsed the scene many times. But she never expected it to happen at such a momentous occasion.

She knew that he had sung those lyrics specifically for her.

Her answer was: Now.

Finally, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing, like lighting the fuse of firecrackers on the red carpet. Immediately afterwards, even more intense laughter erupted.

"The way the genius sings is like reciting poetry, all serious."

"You sang very well, but don't sing it again next time."

"Being this handsome is one thing, but I never expected him to be so bad at singing."

"I feel like Zhou Shen is about to start his speech under the national flag any second now."

Su Cheng's blocked hearing slowly restarted, gradually returning to normal.

She had originally wanted to laugh along with the crowd, but as soon as the corners of her mouth curved into a slight smile, her eyes unexpectedly welled up with tears.

The blurred vision also affected the hearing, and the world fell into intermittent silence once again.

She vaguely saw the emcee's lips moving, probably reminding Jiang Muzhou to choose a prize.

On the other side of the stage, the best man was holding up a "slow-selling" star-shaped doll and waving it enthusiastically at Jiang Muzhou.

Her fingers tightened silently around the edge of the tray. In the hazy, shimmering light, Su Cheng watched the familiar figure approach her step by step.

His silhouette swayed slightly in my tear-filled vision, like a reflection in a mirror in a thick fog, blurred with a soft edge, indistinct.

Seeing her watery eyes, Jiang Muzhou stopped in his tracks.

Instead of immediately grabbing the blind box prize, he bent down and approached her face.

The microphone was handed back to the staff member, and the man's voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it, "I do sing a little badly..."

The hot breath brushed against her trembling eyelashes, and her murmur was tinged with a hint of grievance, "But it's not that bad, it's so bad it makes me cry, is it?"

Su Cheng quickly blinked, trying to force back her tears, and chuckled softly with a nasal tone, "Who said it sounded bad?"

"Then, will I get a reward?" Jiang Muzhou smiled, his deep peach blossom eyes curving upwards. His gaze first fell on the tray in her hands, then he looked up again, gazing deeply into her eyes.

Su Cheng then came to her senses and belatedly adjusted her emotions.

Once her heartbeat had calmed down a bit, she put on a bright smile again, handed the tray forward, and her dark, moist eyes sparkled. "Even though this is the last one, it seems like no one before me got the hidden item."

Jiang Muzhou raised an eyebrow, a smile playing in his eyes. "It seems luck might be on my side."

Whether it was because he had no other choice or because it was the inevitable result of being repeatedly selected, he reached out and picked up the last blind box on the tray.

Warm fingertips brushed against her stiff fingertips, spreading warmth. Su Cheng's hand trembled slightly, and she hurriedly lowered her eyelashes, quietly watching the tall figure walk from the shadows into the light.

The best man still had a few plush toys left that he hadn't had a chance to give away. However, because everyone had participated so enthusiastically in the games, the game took longer than originally planned. The emcee glanced at his watch, subtly quickened the pace, and brought the games to a close, smoothly transitioning to the next segment.

As the lights dimmed again, the newlyweds, now changed into their wedding attire, reappeared, drawing everyone's attention back to the main event of the wedding.

Xu Zhisui changed into a wine-red, modified satin cheongsam. The close-fitting cut outlined her elegant curves. Her hairstyle also changed from the dignified updo at the beginning of the ceremony to a lazy and casual half-updo, with a few curls hanging down beside her ears, swaying with her swaying steps, adding to her gentle temperament.

In her hands she held a specially made silver-white bouquet. Each lily petal was made with a base of naturally scented soap liquid, carefully wrapped with tiny sparkling diamonds. The center of the flower was also delicately adorned with crystals and round pearls, carrying the beautiful wish of "a harmonious marriage that lasts a hundred years and never changes".

To avoid damaging the bouquet or injuring guests in the rush, Xu Zhisui abandoned the traditional bouquet tossing activity and specially designed an interactive method of drawing ribbons.

The bouquet is pre-wrapped with many ribbons of different lengths and colors. Each participant holds one ribbon and pulls it together when given a command. Among the many ribbons, only one is actually connected to the bouquet, and the person who pulls the lucky ribbon is the winner of the bouquet.

At this time, many young women were already standing on the stage, and the three bridesmaids were naturally among them.

Wei Manman stared longingly at the bouquet, "I heard that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to get married!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Shi chuckled and nudged her side with his elbow, "But we don't even have a boyfriend yet. Aren't you thinking too fast?"

"This is the power of belief!" Wei Manman exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "If I really manage to snatch it, Cupid might just ride off at lightning speed, tie my soulmate up and deliver him to my bed!"

“Actually, it doesn’t necessarily have to be interpreted that way.” Su Cheng smiled slightly and took over the conversation in a gentle voice. “Now, passing the bouquet is more about sharing the newlyweds’ good wishes and getting a bit of the joy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be equated with getting married.”

Besides the girls, some boys on stage also excitedly joined in, vowing to find a partner this year!

Several children who came to join in the fun also ran around on the stage with the adults, and soon all the ribbons were selected.

Su Cheng tiptoed and peered over the throng of people, and sure enough, Jiang Muzhou was not on the stage.

She turned her head reluctantly, trying to look at the spot where Jiang Muzhou had been sitting, only to see the groom, Chen Siqi, who had temporarily stepped back from the main stage, chatting warmly with his high school classmates whom he hadn't seen in a long time, along with several groomsmen, completely blocking that area from view.

The bouquet toss is about to begin, and the blinding spotlight shines directly on the main stage, engulfing everything below the stage in a blurry light and shadow.

Su Cheng pursed her lips helplessly and looked away.

"Waaah, I don't have any ribbons, I want to play too..." A soft, tearful whimper came from behind Su Cheng.

She turned around and saw a little girl with pigtails sticking up in the air, wearing a light blue Elsa princess dress, anxiously weaving through the gaps between the adults.

The surrounding crowd was too lively, and no one noticed the small figure.

Su Cheng's heart softened, and she squatted down, beckoning to the little girl, "Little sister, come here to your big sister."

She gently placed the light gold ribbon in her hand into the little girl's outstretched palm. "Here, you can play with this, okay?"

The little girl looked up, blinked her big, bright eyes like grapes, and accepted the ribbon with a mix of shyness and joy.

"Three! Two! One!"

Led by the emcee's powerful voice, the entire audience counted down in unison.

Su Cheng squatted down behind the little girl, held her small, delicate hand, and gently pulled the ribbon with her.

Originally, Su Cheng only wanted to participate in the joy and have good luck, but the light and airy feeling she had expected did not arrive as planned. Instead, she felt a real pulling force on her wrist.

Until all the other ribbons drifted down, only the one in the little girl's hand remained, still tightly wrapped around Xu Zhisui's bouquet.

The little girl seemed not to understand what was happening, her small hands awkwardly clutching the light gold ribbon.

"Little princess, go and get your bouquet." Su Cheng patted her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "This is the most special blessing the bride is giving you."

The little girl suddenly realized what was going on and, like a happy little butterfly, hopped and skipped to Xu Zhisui, tilting her head up with expectant eyes.

With a smile, Xu Zhisui bent down and gently placed the bouquet of flowers, which carried her blessings, into the little girl's arms.

Her gaze passed over the girl's shoulder and lingered on Su Cheng for a moment.

With a hint of understanding, yet also a touch of unspoken regret.

The baton of happiness was passed on, and Xu Zhisui and Shen Siqi began to thank the guests at each table.

The bride and groom couldn't actually drink too much, so they had prepared special drinks: Sprite mixed with purified water to pretend to be liquor, and grape juice to replace red wine.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen also had clear roles. Bride Wei Manman and groomsman Zhou Yu, who had a good alcohol tolerance, were responsible for blocking drinks at the front, while Su Cheng and two other groomsmen were responsible for pouring drinks for the newlyweds. Yang Shi carried two bottles of real alcohol in case of emergency.

Fortunately, both sets of elders were very understanding and did not try to force anyone to drink or make things difficult for them. During the meal, everyone exchanged auspicious blessings, and the proceedings went exceptionally smoothly.

Soon, the toasting party arrived at the tables where the old classmates were gathered.

Su Cheng walked beside Xu Zhisui with a bottle of wine in her hand, but her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the seat that she cared about the most.

But where her gaze landed, just like her heart, it suddenly felt empty.

Was it because you were too tired from your recent business trip that you left early to go back and rest?

In fact, most guests leave after the newlyweds finish toasting, while the best man and maid of honor usually stay until the end of the wedding banquet, which is perfectly normal.

But Su Cheng still felt a pang of disappointment; she had secretly hoped that he would pick her up and take her home.

But she quickly composed herself, maintaining a polite smile, and raised her wrist to pour wine from the bottle into Xu Zhisui's empty glass.

Xu Zhisui glanced around, surprised, "Huh, where's Jiang University's campus heartthrob? How come he disappeared in the blink of an eye?"

Shen Siqi immediately put on his dramatic act, feigning displeasure by frowning. He stretched out his long arm and pulled Xu Zhisui into his arms, saying in a sour tone, "Xu Zhisui, I'm the male lead today, okay!"

"Alright, alright, you're the star of the day! You should have a few more drinks!" An old classmate chimed in with a smile, making a gesture to fill Shen Siqi's glass. "But if you hadn't angered Zhou Shen, we would have liked to catch up with him a bit more."

"How can you blame me for this?" Shen Siqi spread his hands with a wronged expression, which made the bridesmaids, who were completely unaware of the situation, exchange curious glances.

"What happened?" Su Cheng's gaze was fixed on the empty chair, and she couldn't help but ask.

The old classmate raised his glass and clinked it with Chen Siqi's, explaining with a smile, "While you guys were catching the bouquet on stage, a few of us were chatting here, saying that as soon as Zhou Shen appeared, all eyes were drawn to him. One of the grooms was unconvinced and insisted on asking Zhou Shen what exactly made him better than him."

The arts committee member smiled, and they echoed each other perfectly, recreating the scene: "Needless to say, rich, good-looking, and talented, how could they not be overwhelming?"

"Hey, you guys didn't see it. Siqi's face turned bright red, and after a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out, 'I have a wife, does he?'" The old classmate slapped his thigh and vividly recounted the scene. "That was the first time I'd ever seen Zhou Shen get his comeuppance. He replied, 'No, he doesn't,' and then disappeared a while later."

With a crisp "bang," someone opened a bottle of champagne not far away.

Tiny bubbles rushed upwards, overflowing from the bottle opening and permeating Su Cheng's emotions.

Along with it surged a deep-seated long-overdue unease within me.