As Qin Xiaoyu stepped through the gate, she smelled the scent of pine. It turned out that Crane Garden was filled with towering pine trees. Pine trees are among the slowest-growing timbers, taking hundreds of years to grow to the thickness of a bowl. Trees this tall were probably part of a primeval forest. When the city was built, everything that could be cut down was cut down, but this small patch was preserved in the garden. This is an irreplaceable landscape.
In the center of the courtyard stands a white three-story building with a round, pointed roof resembling a hat—a typical Russian-style structure. Climbing the steps, automatic sensor doors open and close continuously, with guests arriving in a steady stream.
Because it was a wedding and the guests were all prominent figures, this was practically a showcase of the city's most fashionable attire.
Older women tend to dress conservatively, mainly in suits and skirts, with almost identical styles, differing only in color. They wear beige, gray, and blue all over the place, making them look like they belong to different teams.
The young women's skirts were different; many were clearly from outside, with distinct fabrics and styles. Judging from Bai Weiwei's social circle, it was likely the local elite socialite circle.
Money is a good thing, Qin Xiaoyu thought to herself.
Many of these people were familiar to her; she must have seen them at the Zhou family home or at the hairdressing school, but they were just casual acquaintances. Given her current status, it wasn't appropriate for her to take the initiative to greet them, so she unknowingly found herself alone.
"Look, who is this? How dare she come here!" It was Xiao Wen who spoke. Today she was full of confidence and rushed over angrily.
"Where I am is none of your business," Qin Xiaoyu said coldly.
"Ha, today, with you here, I can make decisions. I'm the bridesmaid!" Xiao Wen put her hands on her hips, and Qin Xiaoyu understood. No wonder she disliked her; it turned out she was just like Bai Weiwei.
Such lowly minions are beneath her notice. Today, she's dealing with Qing Xiaoxu, so there's no need to divert her fighting strength.
Qin Xiaoyu made a strategic retreat and walked to the side.
"Didn't you hear me tell you to stop? Don't you know what kind of occasion this is? It's someone's wedding, and you're wearing a black dress. Are you the Tang Widow or the Black Widow?" Xiao Wen deliberately raised her voice, and the crowd, who were bored, suddenly gathered around when they saw the commotion.
Qin Xiaoyu suddenly realized that she had come too rashly. Perhaps it was because Qi Si had escaped so easily that she had become overconfident and felt safe with Lei Bingzheng. Now it seemed that this might be a trap, and Qing Xiaoxu wanted to use this opportunity to embarrass her again.
Her attire today is not conducive to fighting; perhaps leaving is the best option, at least she won't be humiliated.
"Black Widow, are you scared? Weren't you always so tough? Come on." Xiao Wen smiled sinisterly, completely lacking the naivety that a girl her age should have.
"I really don't like fighting with dogs. It's pointless to beat an animal, and it's not worth getting bitten by a rabid dog, so please stop chasing me and biting me. I'm really afraid of you," Qin Xiaoyu said coldly.
Although everyone knew she was Widow Tang, who doesn't like a humorous person? Laughter rippled through the crowd, especially among the men present, whose eyes betrayed their admiration.
Hearing herself being scolded, Xiao Wen seized the opportunity. She didn't believe she would suffer a loss if she fought back in such a situation, so she raised her hand and slapped him.
Qin Xiaoyu had already noticed the fierce glint in her eyes and knew that a fight was about to break out, so she gripped the crocodile skin bag tightly in her hand. The advantage of this bag was its sturdiness and weight, especially the thick metal zipper with a small metal padlock on the top—a weapon for fighting.
Before Xiao Wen's hand could land, Qin Xiaoyu ducked aside and casually slapped the padlock across Xiao Wen's face. The padlock struck Xiao Wen squarely, cutting a small gash that immediately drew blood. The guests present gasped in surprise.
"Ouch! Someone come quick!" Xiao Wen felt a pain on her face, touched it and saw blood. She never expected that she would be the one to suffer, so she shouted loudly.
The people in the hall rushed over, cutting off Qin Xiaoyu's escape route.
"What's going on?" Qing Xiaoxu's voice came over, and the crowd automatically made way for her.
"Aunt Qing, she hit me! Quickly call someone to arrest her, don't let her get away." Xiao Wen immediately put on a wronged look, losing her previous arrogance.
"Today is Weiwei's wedding, what are you doing?" Qing Xiaoxu scolded Xiao Wen with a face full of anger, then turned to Qin Xiaoyu with a smile, took her hand and said, "Xiaoyu is my Weiwei's best friend, she is Weiwei's bridesmaid."
"Ah!" These words, thrown into the crowd, were like a bombshell. A widow as a bridesmaid? Are you crazy?!
Everyone knows that bridesmaids should be unmarried girls. Even ordinary families wouldn't choose a young widow as a bridesmaid, let alone a family like the Bai family.
"What? Wasn't I supposed to be the bridesmaid? Why is it her?" Xiao Wen couldn't care less about dealing with Qin Xiaoyu anymore and grabbed Qing Xiaoxu to demand an explanation.
"You want me to be your bridesmaid?" Qin Xiaoyu was even more surprised than Xiao Wen.
"Thanks to you."
Qin Xiaoyu could vaguely make out this sentence from Qing Xiaoxu's lip movements.
"Xiao Wen, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. Our family has never explicitly stated that we wanted you to be a bridesmaid," Qing Xiaoshen said, raising her voice.
"How could that be! Weiwei said it herself! I spent eighty yuan to make a dress, I won't do it!" Xiao Wen stomped her feet and acted coquettishly, making the scene awkward for a moment.
“Secretary Wen, this…” Qing Xiaoxu glanced at the crowd and found a savior.
"Go home and stop embarrassing yourself!" Secretary Wen had no choice but to step out of the crowd, grab his daughter's hand, and walk out.
"Dad! Why! They bullied me..." Xiao Wen's protests were useless; she was forcibly taken away.
"Everyone, please disperse. The wedding is about to begin. Please come into the flower hall and take your seats. My daughter insists on a Western-style wedding, and I'm worried that you might not be used to it, so let's get to know each other first." Qing Xiaoxu kept smiling, her muscles were stiff, and Qin Xiaoyu felt tired just watching her.
"Fenfen, take Xiaoyu to Weiwei's room." Qing Xiaoxu had been holding Qin Xiaoyu's arm the whole time, and now that she was being seen off, both of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Performing is really not something just anyone can do; it's incredibly hard work.
"You look good today." It was Xiao Mengting who spoke. She was wearing a sky-blue long gown with ink-wash lotus leaves painted on it, which suited her name and made her look graceful and elegant.
"Thank you, Sister Meng." Qin Xiaoyu wanted to chat for a bit, but Fenfen dragged her away, her feet barely touching the ground.
"This is the bride's dressing room. Only Weiwei is here. Go in by yourself." Fenfen was indifferent to Qin Xiaoyu.
Qin Xiaoyu had already formed an impression of her from working with Master Xu. She didn't participate when others attacked her, and she didn't fawn over Qin Xiaoyu when she was in a favorable position. This girl was quite interesting.
Bai Weiwei wore a white wedding dress with a Chinese-style stand-up collar, long sleeves, and a fitted silhouette. The cut was very conservative; if it weren't for the long skirt, it would have looked more like a long cheongsam.
The veil was covered with rhinestones, scattered like tears.
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