Congratulations on Your Wedding - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Song Chenzhi’s wedding car arrived outside my house at exactly eight that morning.

Immaculate in his suit, he stood tall against the light. Amid the cheers of the groomsmen who had come to collect the bride, he swept me into his arms and carried me to the car.

I was still nervous on the way to the hotel. Again and again, I checked the order of the ceremony with him.

But his eyes stayed fixed on the window. His mind seemed elsewhere.

I called his name several times before he appeared to hear me.

Then Chen Qing, his junior from graduate school, sent me several more harassing messages.

“He was with me last night.”

“Think the two of you will actually get married today?”

I had almost become numb to her taunts, yet an inexplicable heaviness settled in my chest.

As our wedding approached, Song Chenzhi had suddenly grown distant.

Last night, while we were reviewing the ceremony, he had abruptly announced that something had come up at work. His phone was off for three hours, and he didn’t return until I was nearly asleep on the sofa.

When I reached out to help him take off his coat, he instinctively stepped half a pace back.

That tiny gesture of rejection made me freeze.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, offered no explanation, and went to sleep in the guest room.

I couldn’t help wondering then if he regretted proposing.

The wedding car jolted suddenly. Song Chenzhi caught me and pulled me into his arms.

“Are you all right?”

When I didn’t answer, he followed my gaze and saw the two messages.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his thumb brushing gently over my cheek.

“Xixi, I’ve loved you since high school. Marrying you has always been my dream.”

His gaze was unwavering. I told myself there was no reason to interrogate him over a pair of one-sided provocations.

Then Song Chenzhi’s phone began ringing over and over. He ignored it at first. It was probably Chen Qing again.

At last, he answered in irritation. Before he could say a word, something the caller said made his expression turn grave.

The other person seemed to hang up. Song Chenzhi stared at the screen and called back repeatedly. Then he reached straight for the door.

“Xixi, there’s an emergency I need to handle. Go to the hotel and touch up your makeup. I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for my answer, he told the driver to stop and started to get out.

I called after him the moment the door opened.

“It’s Chen Qing, isn’t it?”

He neither admitted nor denied it.

I stared at him, stunned, as pain twisted sharply through my heart.

The lead wedding car had stopped at the curb, forcing the dozen or so cars behind it to stop as well. The bridesmaids and groomsmen climbed out. Even passersby began to gather.

“What’s going on? Is the groom running away from his own wedding?”

“Looks like it. I’m taking a video for my feed.”

Countless curious, mocking eyes landed on us.

Song Chenzhi did not seem to care. He kept calling Chen Qing. Then he flagged down a taxi and prepared to get in.

The ache in my chest sharpened by the second. Without thinking, I caught his sleeve, my voice trembling beyond my control.

“Song Chenzhi, today is our wedding. Everyone is waiting at the hotel. Do you understand what it means if you leave now?”

He hesitated for only a moment.

One of the groomsmen, assuming we had argued, came over to reason with him.

“Whatever it is, you can talk it through. Listen to me—get married first. If you walk out now, how is He Xi supposed to face all the gossip?”

Song Chenzhi’s face remained blank. He looked utterly unmoved.

He pried my fingers from his sleeve one by one. In his hurry to leave, he even shoved me aside.

My ankle rolled, and I fell hard onto the pavement.

My best friend hurried to help me up, fury written across her face.

“Song Chenzhi, what did you promise when you proposed? You said you’d treat Xixi well for the rest of your life. Is this your idea of treating her well?”

He stopped. At last, something shifted in his expression.

“No one knows where Chen Qing is. I’m afraid she’ll do something crazy and get herself hurt. As soon as I find her, I’ll come straight back.”

My best friend snapped on my behalf. “Have you lost your mind? Who is supposed to be your wife? What the hell does it matter to you if something happens to Chen Qing?”

Song Chenzhi looked at me and murmured, “I’m sorry.”

The pressure in my chest swelled until tears spilled down my face.

“Song Chenzhi, if you leave today, I will never forgive you for as long as I live.”

He paused.

Then he walked away without looking back.