willing
He Honghan stopped and looked through the crack. She saw two people standing at the bottom of the stairs: Shi Nao and his secretary.
He quickly pulled out his phone, keeping an eye on what was happening inside, while typing a message to Yu Zou with one hand: "Fire door, come quick!"
When Yu Zou arrived, he saw Shi Nao standing furtively at the door. Shi Nao beckoned him over and raised an eyebrow. There, Shi Nao was gripping the secretary's neck and pouring wine into his mouth. The secretary's glasses were askew, his tie was loose, and the spilled wine left brownish stains on his skin.
"Shi Nao is really something now," He Honghan exclaimed in amazement, deliberately pushing the door open to make a noise. The secretary reacted first, standing up and bowing to Shi Nao before heading downstairs.
Shi Nao had her back to the two of them, her body trembled slightly, and the wine bottle fell from her hand and smashed on the ground.
He Honghan put her arm around Shi Nao's shoulder and teased, "Shi Nao! So you're here. We've been looking for you for ages. Our groom needs to confirm the rings."
After speaking, he noticed that Shi Nao was pale, her eyes were vacant, and her body was trembling violently. Yu Zou looked downstairs and met the secretary's gaze. The secretary looked up at them, straightened her tie, adjusted her glasses, and then walked away.
He Honghan immediately stopped joking and hugged him tightly, trying to bring him back to his senses.
Shi Nao asked softly, "Has he left?"
Upon receiving a definite answer, Shi Nao immediately felt weak. Only with He Honghan's help did she avoid falling. She slowly walked to the wall and leaned against it, but after a moment, she had no strength left and could only squat by the wall. Although she noticed that something was wrong with Shi Nao, He Honghan still said what she was thinking in her usual tone: "Being a boss is really different, huh? You're actually forcing your employees."
Shi Nao seemed to have been stung, and she lowered her voice to fiercely retort: "He forced me!"
He Honghan and Yu Zou exchanged a glance, then said uncertainly, "Did he force you to hit him? To make him drink?"
Shi Nao's eyes showed helplessness, and she was almost crying: "I know this is hard to believe, but it's all true. At least! At least the two of you have to believe me!"
He Honghan squatted down, patted Shi Nao's head, and said, "Oh dear, so pitiful. I believe you, of course I believe you."
Yu Zou asked in surprise, "What's going on now?"
He Honghan struggled to pull Shi Nao to his feet and said with great sympathy, "My two good sons, how come they've both been afflicted with mental illness? I'll deal with your problem tomorrow, let's focus on Yu today."
Shi Nao reached into her bosom and pulled out a blue velvet box, showing it to Yu Zou: "The ring is with me. He wanted me to give it to him for safekeeping. I knew he would hide it and delay the wedding, so I hit him. I had no choice but to hit him."
He Honghan said "Oh," and then asked, "He also told you to break off all ties with us, didn't he?"
"How did you know?" Shi Nao asked in surprise.
"You've really underestimated me! I'm an experienced and highly skilled psychiatrist, and I've probably cured less than a thousand people, maybe not even one."
"I will never give up my friendship with you two! And you two shouldn't leave me either."
He Honghan chuckled and put her arm around Shi Nao as they walked up the stairs, saying, "How could I? President Shi~ How could I give up on the two of you as my long-term meal tickets?"
The two had already climbed the third step, but Yu Zou was still standing there looking down. He Honghan reminded him, "Groom, what are you looking at? It's almost time!" Turning to Shi Nao, she whispered, "Aren't you in a hurry to get married?"
Shi Naoxin's heart sank, and she asked in a low voice, "He's not still there, is he?"
"No, let's go." Yu Zou withdrew his gaze and caught up with the two.
The main gate slowly opened to both sides, letting in a holy light. Yu Zou stood behind the gate, his perfectly tailored white wedding gown accentuating his superior figure. The lapel was adorned with exquisite and intricate deep blue embroidery, over which he wore a satin Chinese-style shirt. The sapphire buttons gradually darkened from top to bottom, and gold thread outlined auspicious cloud and water patterns. A blue hyacinth adorned his chest, paired with silver chrysanthemums and delicate staghorn ferns, with dark gold tassels hanging from the gold leaves.
The noisy venue immediately fell silent as Yu Zou stepped onto the red carpet and walked towards the center.
Along the way, countless crystal pillars, irregularly arranged and interspersed with blue and white flowers, exuded a rich floral fragrance. Beneath the dome, dazzling chandelier lights scattered like stars, and round dining tables were covered with pearlescent blue tablecloths, upon which rested blue and white porcelain plates. At the far end, on a classically styled wall with intricate reliefs, a white-gold rainbow goddess cast droplets of blessing, and in the center of the pristine white stage, his arrival awaited.
Yu Zou stood still, looked up at the relief sculpture, and a sense of reverence welled up within him, easing most of his nervousness. The emcee spoke, and he mentally recited his lines until the emcee loudly announced the entrance, followed by thunderous applause and cheers, and the doors opened again.
Du Pianjian wore the same wedding dress, with a floor-length cape embroidered with butterflies fluttering among flowers and cloud patterns flowing along her waistline. She held a golden bouquet adorned with blue and white flowers in both hands, wore a golden phoenix crown with tassels hanging down to her chest, and a pure white veil that made her appear even more ethereal and holy as she walked towards him step by step.
Only when the master of ceremonies brought up the tray with the golden scales did Yu Zou regain consciousness. He tried to move his fingers, but they felt stiff, as if he had no joints. Using the scales, he lifted Du Pianjian's veil. Her beautiful face was revealed frame by frame with his movements; the black mole beneath her red lips was like a black warning sign, implying that dangerous allure lay ahead. The movement of raising his eyes was slowed to an extreme, his eyes, painted with red eyeshadow, gradually shifting from bewilderment to smugness.
It wasn't until Du Pianjian raised her hand to cover the lower half of her face with her bouquet that Yu Zou heard the master of ceremonies repeat, "Please exchange vows," countless times. Under such scrutiny, the prepared vows were no match for the genuine gaze; what was needed now was a genuine confession.
"Du Pianjian. I, Yu Zou, am willing to choose you as my partner. Every day in the future, I will cherish you, love you, and respect you more than today. Marriage is not a limitation for you; I will become your new foundation. If you want to rest, I will be your eternal sanctuary; if you want to travel, I am willing to go anywhere with you. I love you, and I hope you can feel it."
Du Pianjian's gaze froze at the first sentence, his slightly dilated pupils flickering uncertainly, his hand gripping the bouquet tightening to its limit. The face before him was filled with confusion, a smile playing on his lips but his eyes darting away. Yu Zou knew in his heart that this departure from the predetermined script had caused him distress, but he wouldn't back down, he couldn't back down.
During the emcee's reminder to Du Pianjian to take the oath, Yu Zou kept his eyes fixed on Du Pianjian to prove his vow. Du Pianjian looked back at him, took the microphone from the emcee, and mechanically recited the prepared oath. When he read "I will be loyal to you," he seemed to suddenly wake up, his eyes focusing again. He paused for a second before continuing, "Everything I have is everything you have, my future is your future. Do you agree?"
Yu Zou nodded solemnly and said he was willing.
After exchanging rings, everyone cheered and urged the two to kiss. Before the ceremony, Yu Zou had deliberately taken an excessive amount of suppressants to control his pheromones and, more importantly, to suppress the flow of his love. He lowered his head, and Du Pianjian tilted her head back, their heads slightly apart just enough to block the probing gazes below. He kissed the mole below her lip.
The cheers from the crowd grew louder. Under the guidance of the emcee, the couple expressed their gratitude to their elders, poured champagne into a tower together, toasted the entire audience, and cut the wedding cake together. Then, during the much-anticipated bouquet toss, Du Pianjian handed the bouquet to her best man, Xu Bo, urging him, "Catch it!"
Xu Bo then took the bouquet and stared blankly at it.
After the guests began their meal, the couple left for a room. The ribbons on their coats were tied in knots, symbolizing their eternal union. The emcee said they could change clothes after nine minutes, signifying a long and lasting relationship.
Du Pianjian remained silent, and Yu Zou dared not disturb her. The misalignment of their feelings and relationship made it difficult to establish concrete rules for their interactions. What should have been a period of intense pursuit between them had dwindled to a legally binding marriage, especially since Du Pianjian might still be caught up in Chi Hengxun's past. However, he didn't care who Du Pianjian's past lovers were or how many; he considered them simply part of her life. What mattered to him was the present, the current feeling. Yu Zou touched the ribbon knot, a smile playing on his lips, still basking in the happiness and excitement.
When the time came, the makeup artist came in and helped the two change into blue and gold toasting attire. Yu Zou finished quickly and sneaked to a corner to watch Du Pianjian change her jewelry. The heavy phoenix crown was removed and replaced with gold hairpins adorned with gemstones. Butterflies fluttered by her ears, tassels swayed in her hair, and blue velvet peonies covered her updo. Du Pianjian spotted Yu Zou in the mirror but didn't say anything, letting him peek until she was finished.
Du Pianjian reappeared on the scene, arm in arm with Yu Zou, ready to announce the start of the banquet. Someone started it, and it eventually turned into a chorus of shouts from everyone: "Performance! Singing! Performance! Singing!"
Yu Zou looked at Du Pianjian questioningly, and after receiving a nod, he felt confident. He gestured for the emcee to hand him the microphone, checked it, and then pointed to the door, saying, "Don't regret it! Close the door, and no one is allowed to leave before it's over."
He Honghan was terrified down below, but the others, oblivious to his fearlessness, were immersed in excitement. His small struggle went unnoticed, and his voice was drowned out. He resignedly crumpled up a napkin and stuffed it into his ear, not forgetting to make one for Shi Nao as well.
Yu Zou whispered to Du Pianjian, then reported to the emcee. The 3D projector played the music video. As the intro began, Yu Zou began to sing, his rugged tone like torture. Du Pianjian began to sing, his miraculous healing touch. In this way, Yu Zou sang a line, and Du Pianjian sang a line, alternating between a slap and a sweet treat, until the song was finished.
He Honghan, feeling utterly hopeless, took a swig of wine and said to Shi Nao, "Who suggested he sing? Did he direct and act it himself?"
Shi Nao replied, "It wasn't me."
"How come I never noticed before that he had such a strong desire to perform? I need to update his medical records when I get back."
"He's really impressive that he didn't get led astray by Yu Zou!"
"Ah! My ears hurt so much! My ears feel so good! My ears hurt so much! My ears feel so good!" He Honghan slammed his head on the table, looked up at Li Kuo and Xu Bo opposite him, and was surprised that he could still laugh under such torture.
After the song ended, everyone was relieved that the lyrics were in even numbers. Applause and boos were mixed. He Honghan shouted, "Your wife advanced, you're out!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Yu Zou smiled as well: "Thank you for the judges' recognition."
Under the emcee's guidance, the two toasted the entire audience again. Yu Zou, arm in arm with Du Pianjian, went from table to table to toast. When they reached the best man's table where He Honghan was, He Honghan asked, "Did you arrange this singing segment yourself? What kind of nice wedding would include something to torture the guests? You have to drink a lot, or I'll be letting my ears down."
Yu Zou shrugged: "It wasn't me."
"It's you!" He Honghan became even more certain, picked up his glass and clinked it with Yu Zou's, then clinked it with Du Pianjian's glass from a distance, and drank it all in one gulp.
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