Chapter 475 Turning Points
Liu Jiguang spoke first, beaming, "Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law, it's so good to see you! If it weren't for Gu Yan's wedding, it would have been really difficult to see you both!"
His voice was loud and clear, attracting the attention of several people nearby.
Fang Weizhong smiled and nodded in greeting: "Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law, it's been a long time. In the blink of an eye, Xiaoman has grown so much."
The first time he and Liu Jiguang met Xiaoman was when Xiaoman was only a few months old. Gu Yan braved the snow, carrying his little nephew, and came to their house, chasing after them for red envelopes. At the time, when they heard that the child belonged to Fifth Brother and Nan Zhiyi, their jaws dropped... For this, they gave a huge red envelope.
Everyone has been busy with work these past few years. Fang Weizhong was surprised to see Xiaoman just now, realizing that almost ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Zhengping walked at the back, a slight smile on his face: "Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-in-law." He addressed them as Liu Jiguang and Fang Weizhong did... These people all knew about their past engagement, so maintaining a distance was the best approach.
When his gaze met Nan Zhiyi's, he nodded slightly, then calmly turned his gaze towards Gu Xiao.
Gu Xiao shook hands with each of them and replied simply, "Ji Guang, Wei Zhong, Zheng Ping. Thank you for your help today."
Nan Zhiyi smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble you to take good care of Gu Yan today." She was poised and generous, just as she would with any old acquaintance.
During their pleasantries, Liu Jiguang and Fang Weizhong appeared friendly on the surface, but inwardly they were filled with mixed emotions.
They had discussed it privately: Nan Zhiyi, the prettiest and most lively girl in the compound back then, had gone through a long and winding road before finally marrying their fifth brother, whom they had always revered. Now, she was the wife of a minister, poised and composed, completely different from the cheerful and lively girl they remembered. It just goes to show how unpredictable and strange life can be.
Zhou Zhengping appeared more silent, simply standing aside and listening to everyone's conversation.
Gu Yan also pulled Gu Zhao over and talked about being a flower girl and handing out rings later.
As they chatted, Zhou Anping, arm in arm with Meng Qingshan, walked in through the door with a smile. The two first approached Gu Yan, who was surrounded in the center.
Meng Qingshan reached out and shook hands with Gu Yan, "Gu Yan, congratulations! May you have a long and happy marriage and many children!"
Zhou Anping stood beside her husband, looked Gu Yan up and down, and said in a light tone, "Gu Yan, you look great in this outfit today. The groom's style is definitely different."
Gu Yan accepted the blessings with a smile and exchanged a few polite words with Meng Qingshan.
The men quickly and naturally gathered together and began to talk in hushed tones, discussing the wedding ceremony, the guests, and occasionally a few jokes between men.
Seeing this, Nan Zhi invited Zhou Anping to sit on the sofa in a quieter corner of the living room and poured her a cup of hot tea.
Zhou Anping took the teacup, his gaze sweeping over the cameraman adjusting the camera position, then looking at the wedding company staff bustling about in the courtyard outside the window. He sighed softly, "Quite a setup, huh? They even have a professional photographer filming. I should have dressed up more; what if the footage doesn't look good?"
Nan Zhiyi sat down next to her and smiled, "You look good enough as you are, so energetic and elegant."
She changed the subject, "Where are Lele and Mengmeng? Didn't you bring them along to play?"
Zhou Anping took a sip of tea: "My parents have kept me at home. They only care about these two kids now. They say we're out on business, and it's inconvenient to bring the children along, so we can't enjoy ourselves properly. They'll bring the kids again when we have lunch, and then the whole family will go."
"That would be great, it'll be even more lively then." Nan Zhiyi replied, not having anything particularly special to say for the moment, but simply inviting her to have some snacks.
Sisters who have been inseparable for many years, now lead different lives. Although their friendship remains, they inevitably feel a subtle distance at times, unsure of where to begin a deeper conversation.
Fortunately, Wang Juan and Gu Min soon saw Zhou Anping and came over to greet him.
They all knew Zhou Anping, and when they talked about the people and things in the compound, the conversation flowed more freely, and the atmosphere became lively again.
Gu Zhao suddenly ran over: "Mom! Aunt and Uncle are here!"
Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping looked over at the sound and saw Zhang Yueran affectionately linking arms with Zhou Xingzhi, greeting Gu Yan, Gu Xiao and others.
With a smile, Zhang Yueran introduced her husband beside her: "...Xingzhi, he doesn't usually like to join in the fun, but we had to come for your happy occasion, Brother Liu!"
Standing beside his wife, Zhou Xingzhi, with an air of refined elegance, calmly shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with several men, including Gu Xiao, Gu Yan, Zhou Zhengping, and Meng Qingshan.
As Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping approached, Zhang Yueran smiled and nodded to Zhou Anping first: "Sister Anping, it's been a long time."
Zhou Anping also smiled and said, "Yueyue, you're getting more and more beautiful." Her gaze swept between Zhang Yueran and the elegant and refined Zhou Xingzhi beside her. The engagement banquet in the capital had come in a hurry, and she later learned that Zhou Xingzhi was actually a famous antique dealer... Zhang Yueran is quite lucky.
Zhang Yueran had already affectionately linked arms with Nan Zhiyi. "Sis! Mom has some things to take care of at home, so she asked Xingzhi and me to be her representatives. She said she'll have a proper talk with you when we get to the hotel."
Nan Zhiyi patted her sister's hand: "I know. I'll definitely go find Aunt Feng when we get to the hotel."
Noticing Zhang Yueran's hesitant expression, she leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "There are a lot of people here. Is there something you want to say to me? Or... come upstairs to my room?"
Zhang Yueran nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes! I have so much to say!"
She caught a glimpse of Zhou Xingzhi being pulled aside by Liu Jiguang to inquire about the market price of mahogany furniture. Meng Qingshan and Gu Yan were also listening nearby. They clung even tighter to Nan Zhiyi's arm, signaling her sister to lead the way.
Nan Zhiyi seized an opportunity, led Zhang Yueran away from the noisy living room, and went upstairs.
The staircase was decorated with red silk flowers, creating a festive atmosphere. Zhang Yueran even reached out and touched the bright red silk.
As I passed by Gu Yan's room, the door was open, and the room had been decorated by the wedding company as a temporary bridal chamber, filled with joy.
A bright red quilt embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns covered the entire bed, sprinkled with red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds. Large red double happiness characters were pasted on the wall, and exquisite paper-cuts were pasted on the windowpane. On the table were a pair of tall red candles and several plates of auspicious fruits.
Zhang Yueran couldn't help but peek over for a closer look, and exclaimed softly, "So red, so beautiful! Sister, when I get married, should my wedding room be decorated in such a vibrant red style?"
Nan Zhiyi smiled and pulled her away, "That's exactly what you want. Zhou Xingzhi is an expert in antique furniture and design. Whatever kind of elegant and unique, or festive and lively, do you think he can't design it? I guarantee it will suit your taste even better than this."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yueran felt both shy and unable to hide her pride. "I know~ I'll talk to him about it later."
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