Chapter 5 (Part 1): A Farce
"Misunderstanding?" Si Qiang savored the word, a graceful smile appearing on her face. "What did he misunderstand?"
His face appeared perfectly natural, but upon closer inspection, one would find his hands clenched tightly behind his back, his nails digging deep into his palms. His heart felt as if it were being gnawed by poison, his body stiff and cold; he didn't know why he was still standing there.
Xu Qi was caught off guard by his persistent questioning and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Si Qiang glanced at his expression and sneered inwardly. He looked up at his watch, then said softly, "It's almost time, please excuse me. Please make yourself at home."
Then he turned and walked away quickly. He couldn't stay any longer. He didn't know what he would do if he continued to watch that man and listen to his words.
Xu Qi watched his resolute back, a shadow crossing her eyes. Was he in such a hurry to see that woman?
His phone vibrated suddenly. He glanced at the screen: everything was ready. He put his phone away, took one last look at the surging crowd, and quickly disappeared from the scene. There was no need for him to stay any longer.
Half an hour later, the wedding officially began. The newlyweds stood before the priest, waiting for each other to give their vows. To outsiders, the bride was stunningly beautiful, and the groom was equally handsome—it was the first time they had ever witnessed such a strange yet harmonious scene.
Suddenly, with a "snap," the church went completely dark. It was a large, enclosed cathedral, so the situation without lights was unimaginable. A slight commotion arose, but the guests, having weathered many storms, managed to prevent any chaos.
Five minutes later, the lights came back on. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively looked in the direction of the newlyweds. The next second, a scream pierced everyone's eardrums. It was the bridesmaid's scream.
The bride was gone. The groom stood there alone, looking somewhat bewildered.
The crowd gasped in astonishment. Who could have imagined that the bride would disappear at the last minute during such an important wedding?
What followed was nothing short of a farce. The bride was never found, and naturally, the wedding couldn't proceed. The groom remained expressionless throughout, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
By evening, all the guests had left, and Yao Yinxiang was exhausted and could barely keep going. Si Qiang calmly advised him to rest, but Yao Yinxiang had no choice but to offer a few words of comfort to his son before going to rest himself.
An hour later, Si Qiang appeared at the entrance of his private villa. A car headlight flashed, revealing a figure. Si Qiang's heart skipped a beat; upon closer inspection, it was someone he never expected.
He took a deep breath, opened the car door, and got out.
"Mr. Xu, you seem to be in a good mood." Si Qiang slowly approached the man leaning against the wall, her smile as elegant as ever.
Xu Qi looked at him and turned his head slightly: "Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"
The dim light cast a sharp silhouette on the man's angular face. As if struck by lightning, Si Qiang felt even the tips of her hair stand on end.
He suppressed the pounding in his chest, turned around and opened the passenger door, bowing politely: "Please."
Xu Qi smiled gently, her eyebrows and eyes suddenly opening up, like the first melting of spring snow, shining with a captivating light in the quiet night.
Si Qiang gritted her teeth secretly. Was this person really not here to seduce her?
She drove the car into the courtyard, got out, and walked into the hall. It only took five minutes, but Si Qiang felt that her palms were already soaked with sweat.
Xu Qi followed him into the hall and closed the door behind him. Si Qiang was startled and turned to look at him, only to see him with a cold smile.
Xu Qi, whom Si Qiang met tonight, seemed to smile particularly often. Unable to fathom his purpose, Si Qiang simply went to pour tea. He knew Xu Qi would definitely speak first.
“Mr. Si Qiang, I think you might need some comforting?” Xu Qi’s voice suddenly became somewhat flippant. “You wouldn’t be unwelcome to me, would you?”
Si Qiang was truly shocked this time. His hand trembled, and the scalding hot tea spilled onto his hand. He reflexively let out a soft cry.
Xu Qi stared intently at the fair and beautiful hand, watching it gradually turn red, and his heart clenched painfully. He forcibly suppressed the urge to rush over, trying his best to show the proper reaction in this situation: "Ah, are you alright? Should I rinse it with cold water?"
Si Qiang waved his hand, casually grabbed a tissue, dried his hands, and nonchalantly refilled both teacups. Then he picked up the teacup, walked over to Xu Qi, and handed one of the cups to him: "This is a newly arrived Da Hong Pao; perhaps you'll like it."
Xu Qi could no longer hold back. He frowned, took all the cups from his hands, and said in a cold voice, "Go now."
Si Qiang stared at him blankly, without making any move.
With her brows furrowed even more, Xu Qi simply put the cup on the coffee table, pulled Si Qiang along, and walked to the corridor next to the living room. She immediately saw the frosted glass of the bathroom, quickly walked over, and yanked open the door.
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I...I don't know what to say...Did everyone feel awkward today...?
My younger brother came back from out of town, and I had to stay with him, so I was only able to finish writing this and post it now... and then I realized I already had a draft saved.
The whole thing is a cup of tea.
Having drafts saved up is definitely not for me. I just want to find a hole and crawl into it, I'm so ashamed.
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