Chapter 189

Chapter 189

The early-summer sky looked freshly washed, a deep, cloudless blue. The wind sweeping through the wedding venue was bold and unrestrained.

Following the program, the emcee guided the bride and groom into the bouquet toss, the passing on of happiness. Three meters away stood a group of ambitious single young people, with Yu Fei at the very front, his face practically screaming that he was eager to give it a try.

Hiding at the very edge, Huo Yang’s mouth twitched. “…”

The bonus that had been right at his lips was probably about to fly away.

“I thought you only got this enthusiastic when bonuses were involved.” Zhuzi gave Yu Fei a pointed glare, then bumped him aside with her elbow and cleared the middle spot for Yun Li.

Yu Fei was just about to retort when he caught sight of Jiang Baichuan behind Yun Li. He steadied himself and coughed twice. “I’m livening up the atmosphere, okay?”

Huo Yang drew out a long, long “Oh.” “So that’s how it is. Seeing you so excited, I thought you were hoping to settle down soon.”

Yu Fei: “…”

Of course he wanted to. He just didn’t have the guts to compete with this man from the Jiang family.

“Is our bride ready?” the emcee continued with the proceedings onstage.

In Xia Wanzhi’s hands was a bouquet of gardenias and phalaenopsis orchids. It was the first bouquet Xie Qiyan had made after completing Yun Li’s floral-wrapping instruction.

The first bouquet he had wrapped with his own hands, given to his own bride.

The wind carried a faint gardenia fragrance. Xia Wanzhi’s smile was soft, her crescent-moon eyes looking straight toward Yun Li in the crowd, whose eyes were red-rimmed yet full of a smile.

As if he understood what Xia Wanzhi wanted to do, Xie Qiyan signaled for the emcee to hand over the microphone.

Xia Wanzhi came back to herself and looked up at Xie Qiyan.

Xie Qiyan raised a brow and smiled, his fingertips gently stroking her waist. “In the part where happiness is passed on, the person who receives that happiness is also the star.”

Before the wedding, he had borrowed Yun Li to teach him how to wrap the bridal bouquet, while Jiang Baichuan had borrowed Xia Wanzhi to secretly plot something big.

Although no one had said anything, Xie Qiyan had guessed it.

The microphone was brought to her lips. Xia Wanzhi’s smile deepened, and she took a deep breath. “I… I’m ready.”

Looking at the most nervous certain President Jiang in the crowd, Xia Wanzhi said slowly, “I want to pass this happiness on to one of the most important friends in my life, because… on this important day, I hope she gains happiness too.”

Applause thundered through the venue. Zhuzi, who had understood Xia Wanzhi’s meaning, excitedly pulled Yun Li in front of her. “See that? See that? Gardenia Lychee is true love!”

Yun Li hadn’t expected this part. She lifted her head, trying to hold back her touched tears so they wouldn’t ruin her makeup.

But just when everyone thought Xia Wanzhi was going to hand the bouquet to Yun Li herself, she gave a sly smile, turned her back, and glanced over her shoulder with a reminder. “President Jiang can catch it, right?”

At that, Yun Li froze for two seconds.

In those two seconds, the pure-white bouquet, symbolizing love and happiness, left Xia Wanzhi’s fingertips and traced an arc through the air.

As it fell, a black figure darted out and caught the bouquet steadily.

Xia Wanzhi raised a brow and smiled, a hint of smugness mixed into it.

This was not what they had originally agreed on.

Jiang Baichuan smiled and pressed his tongue against his cheek, understanding what she meant.

She was someone from Yun Li’s side. Although she had promised to give him the chance to complete something very important,

compared to simply giving it to him, she preferred for him to take the initiative and catch this happiness with his own hands.

Xia Wanzhi knew he could catch it, and that he definitely would.

The cheers and applause around them went on and on. Somehow, the microphone ended up in Jiang Yourong’s hands, and she shouted, “Let us congratulate this tall, mighty, handsome, wealthy, all-around outstanding young man for becoming the MVP of the day! Mr. Jiang, we’d like to interview you. At this extremely important moment, do you have something very important to do?”

The question was far too leading. Jiang Baichuan lifted his eyes lightly toward his sister, hinting that she should rein it in.

Yun Li was shy.

He was afraid she would run.

Between the pounding of his heart and the rise and fall of his breath, Jiang Baichuan turned around. The fingers holding the bouquet, hidden from view, seemed to tremble faintly.

Until Yun Li took the initiative and reached out to him. “What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to give it to me?”

Everyone could see his nervousness, and the encouraging applause went on without end. Jiang Baichuan looked at the girl before him. Under everyone’s expectant gazes, he adjusted his breathing, then slowly dropped to one knee.

“Awooo! Say yes-” As the mood-maker, Yu Fei jumped in place and cheered.

Huo Yang pressed down on his shoulder to keep him from going completely off the rails. “Too early…”

“Hahahaha-” Laughter rang out from young and old alike across the venue.

Almost by reflex, Yun Li accepted the bouquet Jiang Baichuan held out to her. When she came back to her senses, she lowered her lashes and met Jiang Baichuan’s incomparably fervent gaze. Coupled with the atmosphere around them, the heat on her face spread all the way to her earlobes.

Jiang Baichuan looked at her with a smile. At this moment, the girl’s blush stirred his heart more than anything.

“What… what are you doing?” Her fingers nervously gripped the bouquet. She leaned slightly forward, wanting to take Jiang Baichuan by the arm and help him up. But the instant their skin touched, Jiang Baichuan caught her hand instead.
He held her fingers so gently, with such tenderness and reverence. Surrounded by cheers, he bowed his head devoutly and kissed the back of her hand.

The sight was so stirring that as Xia Wanzhi watched, her eyes grew wet before she knew it.

Xie Qiyan raised a hand and stroked her head, gently pressing her toward his shoulder. With a smile, he said, “Still crying? My heart’s going to ache.”

As he spoke, he guided Xia Wanzhi’s palm to the place over his heart.

And so Xia Wanzhi laughed, sobbing through her smile. “Yun Li has had it so hard all these years.”

Yun Li had once said that if she hadn’t met Jiang Baichuan, perhaps her life would have simply gone on like that forever.

But heaven had taken pity on her and, against all odds, let her meet Jiang Baichuan.

He taught her what love was, taught her how to love, taught her how to feel loved.

“The future is still long. They have a whole lifetime to enjoy love.” Xie Qiyan kissed Xia Wanzhi between the brows and held her close, his voice lingering and tender. “They’ll be very happy. So will we.”

The world was vast. Among the endless sea of people, meeting someone you liked was no easy thing.

The chance that the person just happened to like you back was even smaller.

To love each other was already something happy and beautiful.

Let alone marrying the person you loved, having children, building a little home together, growing old side by side, and spending your whole lives together.

No matter how dazed Yun Li was, she now understood what Jiang Baichuan’s actions meant.

Yu Fei was beside them, loudly egging them on, leading Zhuzi to clap and shout along. On the stage, Jiang Yourong was holding a microphone…

All of them had lively, impetuous personalities. Once they joined forces, they were practically ready to blow the roof off. Yun Li was so nervous that her body temperature shot straight up. Remembering that the elders were present too, she blurted out to Jiang Baichuan without thinking, “I do! I do… hurry up and get up.”

Jiang Baichuan, whose right hand was still reaching into his pocket for the ring, looked up in surprise. The nervousness filling his heart was instantly replaced by a secret thrill, and his expression slowly took on a smug, teasing smile. “Don’t rush, baby. I know you do, but I haven’t started yet.”

Yun Li: “…”

On the stage, Xia Wanzhi was laughing so hard she could barely stand it. She called out directly, “President Jiang, can you do it or not-”

Jiang Yourong clicked her tongue, then raised her voice into the microphone. “Hurry up, my dear brother! Stop dragging your feet. If you’re not in a rush to get a wife, I’m in a rush to get a sister-in-law!”

“Hahahahahaha-”

Yun Li was so embarrassed that she secretly shot Jiang Baichuan a glare.

Jiang Baichuan couldn’t hold back his radiant smile. At last, he took from his pocket the blue diamond ring he had prepared long ago, finally revealing it before his girlfriend.

“Ms. Yun Li, I’m a little nervous.” His eyes seemed to shimmer with tears as he lifted his hand. The diamond ring trembled slightly between his fingers.

It was his hand that was shaking.

He had prepared so many things he wanted to say, but now his mind was completely blank. Jiang Baichuan looked at her, even his voice trembling. “Will you… marry me?”

He wanted to promise her that he would love her and cherish her for the rest of his life…

But a lifetime was too long, and vows too insubstantial. More than that, he wanted to stay by her side and spend a lifetime proving what “a lifetime” truly meant.

“Marry him! Marry him!”

Led by Jiang Yourong onstage with the microphone, almost everyone in the venue was cheering for them.

Yun Li sniffed, crying tears of joy as she cursed softly, “Idiot.”

Back when Jiang Baichuan had intentionally or unintentionally brought up wanting to marry her, she had already begun to look forward to it.

There had been anticipation, but also uncertainty, helplessness, and nerves.

But at this very moment, she had only one answer. “I do.”

“Jiang Baichuan, I do.” Afraid he hadn’t heard clearly, she answered again, firmly.

The moment the ring slipped onto her finger and she was lifted off her feet and spun around on the spot, Yun Li’s tears fell together with her smile.

The breeze blew softly, bringing her happiness with it.

Xia Wanzhi was sobbing uncontrollably. Xie Qiyan wiped away her tears, only for more to fall. Left with no other choice, he threatened, “Still crying?”

Xia Wanzhi knew his tricks all too well. With two trails of tears still on her face, she stood on tiptoe, cupped Xie Qiyan’s face, and seized the initiative, kissing him deeply.

“Xie Qiyan, I love you.”

My Ayan.

I love you.

When Jiang Yourong saw this scene, she grew even more excited. Somehow, she ended up joining Yu Fei’s camp, shouting and celebrating with him. “The ceremony is complete! Let us congratulate these two couples-one newlywed and one soon-to-be!”

Yu Fei picked up seamlessly. “Summer romance never ends. May the newlyweds’ happiness last forever. May all lovers under heaven find their way to each other! Next, let us invite our bride and groom to raise their glasses and toast all our honored guests-”

The emcee, who had been forgotten in the corner, felt a career crisis for the first time in his life. “…”

Petals fell like snow. The orchestra played a dance of love. Wherever the wind passed, their love spread without end.

Summer romance never ends.

May the newlyweds’ happiness last forever.

–

End of the main story.

See you in the extras.