After speaking, she nodded to Hua Se from a distance, stepped off the stage, and returned to Huo Yunchao's side.
Huo Meiren snapped her fingers and whispered in her ear, "My Dai Dai is a natural orator. I hope you can speak so eloquently at your own wedding."
Xue Qiandai smiled without saying a word, but her eyes held an unreadable meaning.
The next step is "serving tea"—a tea ceremony to formally address the bride's parents. First, the groom's family offers tea to the bride's parents, who then give them red envelopes as a token of the change of address.
Jin Heng took the teacup from the waiter, lowered his eyes, and respectfully offered it, saying, "Dad, Mom, please have some tea."
Hua Yin smiled as he accepted the gift, and took out a large red envelope that he had sealed in advance from his pocket. It was printed with a gold-stamped "double happiness" character. "Aheng, I'm entrusting Sese to you." Hua's mother burst into tears.
Jin Heng accepted the gift with both hands, saying, "Dad, please rest assured."
Next, Hua Se served tea to Jin Jiang and his wife.
Xue Qiandai watched this scene, her eyes stinging with tears.
Huo Yunchao squeezed her palm and whispered, "My mother will treat you like her own daughter. There's no need to envy them."
Xue Qiandai turned to look at him. He always guessed her thoughts accurately, so calling him a "compassionate flower" wouldn't be an exaggeration. She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Okay, I'll remember."
Zhao Jiequn watched their little interaction, cleared his throat, and reminded himself to be mindful of his image in public.
The third part is the most anticipated, commonly known as "passing the betrothal gifts"—the exchange of betrothal gifts and dowries between the parents of the bride and groom.
First, the betrothal gifts from Jin Jiang were read aloud.
The emcee raised his voice and read: "Qin and Jin are united in marriage, a hundred flowers bloom in splendor, blessings abound. Our esteemed in-laws, of noble birth, respectfully present a villa in the central villa district of the capital, valued at 100 million; and jewelry and diamond ornaments, valued at 50 million. The gift list includes, but is not limited to, a phoenix-shaped ornament, a set of diamond crowns, a purple diamond bracelet, two sets of sapphire, a set of emeralds, a set of couple's watches, a pair of gold bracelets, six sets of diamond jewelry, six diamond rings, six pairs of brooches, several pairs of earrings, a copper basin; two pairs of chopsticks, a treasure bucket for future generations, a set of tableware, a wedding veil, horse-shaped wedding candies, a bountiful harvest of five grains, a coat, a top hat, a pair of trousers, a pair of shoes, a dragon and phoenix quilt; a pair of wedding pillows, two large tea trays, a pair of lotus roots, blooming hibiscus, a bundle of cypress branches, two auspicious symbols, a pair of vases..."
With each call from the emcee, waiters brought out gift boxes and placed them in the center of the stage. Soon, the various gift boxes were piled up like a terraced fortress. On the screen behind, high-definition images of the betrothal gifts were projected, dazzling the audience.
A grand wedding, nothing more.
Hua Se was experiencing the highlight of her life. She never imagined that Jin Heng had put so much thought into the betrothal gifts. Her breathing became heavier. Regardless of the past, at this moment she was a princess being pampered in the palm of his hand.
"Do you like it?" Jin Heng asked.
“I like it, like a dream,” Hua Se replied.
Hua Se's dowry was very simple, but when the phrase "10% of the shares of the Hua Group" was announced, the whole room was amazed by its extravagance.
The media cameras never stopped rolling; this was huge news! It was bound to dominate today's trending topics.
Under the table, Huo Yunchao grasped Xue Qiandai's hand. "If you like, I can give it to you too."
Xue Qiandai was very pleased to be coaxed, but she still acted aloof, saying, "They're all yellow and white, so vulgar."
Having seen countless things and witnessed all the splendor, she felt that the sincerity between two people surpassed everything.
"Please take a group photo with the newlyweds and their family," the emcee announced loudly.
The parents of both sides stood in the middle, the newlyweds on either side, and then the family relatives and elders, forming three rows behind the fortress of diamonds and jewelry.
The clicking of cameras filled the air as media and camera crews captured this historic moment.
At that moment, the banquet hall doors opened, and a young woman and a middle-aged woman rushed in, ignoring the security guards' attempts to stop them.
The young woman had a sophisticated, international look, and her 10-centimeter heels made her legs appear even longer.
Su Qianhui.
"Jin Heng, are you really going to abandon me and marry this woman?" Su Qianhui had already arrived, her slender white fingers pointing at Hua Se.
The entire audience was stunned; what a huge scoop!
In such a setting, would anyone really want to ruin an engagement?
Huo Yunchao poured Xue Qiandai half a glass of champagne and mouthed, "The show is about to begin." Xue Qiandai smiled; the time had come.
When Hua Yin saw the mother and daughter appear, his eyes twitched uncontrollably.
Hua Se pressed her lips tightly together, her body trembling. She's here! Their relationship was indeed extraordinary.
Before Jin Heng could speak, Jin Jiang coldly rebuked, "Aheng, what exactly happened?" Then he explained to Hua Yin, "In-law, there must be some misunderstanding here."
Jin Heng took a step forward, pressing his throbbing temples, and said in a deep voice, "Ms. Su, we only have a business relationship. I don't understand what you mean by that. I am very grateful that you attended my engagement ceremony, and I have prepared fine wine and delicacies to welcome you as an honored guest. But if you intend to sabotage it, don't blame me for turning my back on you."
Su Qianhui snorted coldly, turned around, and greeted the guests. "Please listen to me, everyone. Today, it was Jin Heng who betrayed me first. During my time as the spokesperson for 'Eat Better,' Mr. Jin told me personally that his relationship with Hua Se was merely a business transaction, an exchange of interests, with no emotional foundation whatsoever. I, on the other hand, was his true love. During the filming, he frequently visited the W Hotel for late-night rendezvous with me. Your fiancée probably knows about this, right? How come Mr. Jin has forgotten all this in just a few days?"
Jin Heng's face turned pale, then red, then green, growing increasingly unsightly. He never expected Su Qianhui to use her promising career and future to drag him down with her.
“Words are meaningless, Miss Su. You’re just trying to smear my fiancé with your empty words. What are your intentions?” At the critical moment, Hua Se stood in front of Jin Heng, and her slender figure suddenly became taller.
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