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Psst! We're moving!
After her three-day break, Xu Wu threw herself back into work, handing over the data and materials to Shu Ke.
These days were busy with Boheng’s project, and she was working long hours. The days flew by, and before she knew it, Saturday had arrived.
According to Wei Ming’s wedding schedule, the bride would need to start getting ready early in the morning, and the bridesmaids were required to be there by 7 a.m.
At dawn, Xu Wu got up, washed up, and prepared herself.
After a quick breakfast, she took out the garbage bags that had accumulated over the past few days and stepped outside.
Since moving to Yiming Garden, Pudding from across the hall always greeted her through the door, and today was no exception.
Looking toward the opposite doorway, Xu Wu realized that with her recent hectic schedule of leaving early and returning late, she hadn’t even seen the neighbors lately, let alone exchanged greetings.
A moment later, Xu Wu locked her door.
Following the address Wei Ming had sent for the bride, Xu Wu arrived at the location.
Xu Wu had known the bride, Xiang Rui, for a long time. Xiang Rui and Wei Ming had started dating during their university years. Though they attended different schools separated by a street, Xiang Rui was one year ahead of Xu Wu—her senior in the psychology club where they first met.
Red lanterns hung high, golden characters gleamed brightly, and every detail—from the intricately carved beams to the finely embroidered wedding gowns—was meticulously prepared.
Xiang Rui had just finished her makeup when she turned around and saw Xu Wu walk in.
“Xu Wu, come over here and take a look at me!” Xiang Rui called out cheerfully.
Xu Wu approached. “Congratulations on your wedding, Ruirui.”
Xiang Rui grinned. “What do you think of my makeup?”
The wedding theme was traditional Chinese, and she looked radiant in her festive attire, her face glowing with happiness. Today, she looked exceptionally beautiful.
Even Xu Wu couldn’t help but feel a touch of joy. “It looks amazing. You’re absolutely stunning today.”
Xiang Rui introduced Xu Wu to the other bridesmaids.
Once everyone was familiar with the groom-fetching process, the sound of car horns echoed from downstairs—it was the groom and his entourage arriving.
They quickly hid the bridal shoes in a discreet corner.
Then, along with the other bridesmaids, Xu Wu stood guard at the door.
Despite their efforts, the groom’s side managed to push through. With the force of momentum, Xu Wu stumbled backward several steps.
As the groom-fetching reached its climax, everyone scrambled to find the hidden bridal shoes.
Standing at the back of the bridesmaid group, Xu Wu smiled warmly as she watched the commotion unfold.
Glancing casually toward the doorway, her gaze unexpectedly collided with someone entering.
When someone found the bridal shoes, she quickly averted her eyes and looked elsewhere.
But what Xu Wu didn’t realize…
From the moment Zhou Jin Ye walked in, his gaze had lingered on her.
Aside from the groom and bride’s elaborate outfits, the bridesmaids’ dresses were also styled in traditional Chinese designs.
The pale pink dress fit Xu Wu perfectly. Her low ponytail framed her delicate features, and under the warm indoor lighting, the earrings dangling from her ears sparkled softly. Her smile seemed even gentler.
Someone tapped Zhou Jin Ye on the shoulder.
“What are you looking at?” It was Li Qingyang.
As close friends since their school days, Wei Ming naturally invited Li Qingyang to be part of the groom’s entourage.
Li Qingyang followed Zhou Jin Ye’s line of sight, but by then, Zhou Jin Ye had already shifted his gaze. “What exactly are you looking at?”
Zhou Jin Ye ignored him.
After the groom-fetching ceremony, he no longer saw her figure among the crowd.
________________________________________
Before the wedding began, Xu Wu went to use the restroom.
As she stepped out, she happened to run into Lin Qingya chatting and laughing with others nearby.
“Congratulations! Your son is getting married, and now you’ll have grandchildren soon.”
“Thank you. You’ll get there someday too.”
“My son is twenty-six this year. I’m starting to worry.”
“Mom, these things can’t be rushed.”
Amidst the laughter, Xu Wu thought about slipping away around the corner when a voice called out behind her.
“Xu Wu.”
Lin Qingya stopped her.
Only then did Xu Wu notice Wei Baoguo standing beside Lin Qingya.
“Mom, Uncle,” Xu Wu greeted them politely.
Wei Baoguo was the owner of a small company. Since moving to Linjing to live with them, Xu Wu hadn’t interacted much with Wei Baoguo and always addressed him respectfully as “Uncle.”
Lin Qingya stepped forward, placing her hands familiarly on Xu Wu’s arms.
Xu Wu silently stared at Lin Qingya’s hand resting on hers, pursing her lips slightly.
Unaware, Lin Qingya introduced Xu Wu to those around her. “This is my daughter, Xu Wu. She’s about the same age as your son.”
One of the women glanced at Xu Wu and subtly moved aside to make room for her son.
Though her words were directed at Lin Qingya, her eyes kept wandering toward Xu Wu. “Ji Nanxun, he’s currently an entrepreneur in the tech industry.”
Xu Wu barely spared them a glance, offering no response.
Seeing Xu Wu remain silent, Lin Qingya seized the opportunity. “Entrepreneurship is wonderful. Young and ambitious! My Baoguo built his business from scratch. Xu Wu works at an advertising firm—you might cross paths professionally in the future!”
The other woman chimed in enthusiastically. “Absolutely! Why don’t you two exchange contact information? It’ll be convenient if you ever need to collaborate.”
Throughout the exchange, Xu Wu maintained a polite smile, unable to decline before they handed over their phones.
Without waiting to confirm whether the connection was successful, Xu Wu closed her phone and excused herself. “The wedding is about to start. I should head over to the bride’s side.”
A few steps away, two towering figures caught everyone’s attention—Zhou Jin Ye and Li Qingyang had heard everything.
Xu Wu collided directly with them.
Li Qingyang glanced at the silent man beside him and chuckled. “Long time no see, Xu Wu.”
Xu Wu nodded slightly. “Yes, long time no see, Brother Qingyang.”
“You two go ahead. I’ll head over to the bride’s side.”
Li Qingyang awkwardly laughed. “Go ahead, then.”
Once Xu Wu’s figure disappeared into the crowd, Li Qingyang muttered something under his breath.
“Ever since you two broke up, after all these years… Xu Wu is still so…”
He almost said “beautiful” but quickly realized his mistake, glancing cautiously at Zhou Jin Ye.
Having known Zhou Jin Ye for years, Li Qingyang noticed that after his breakup with Xu Wu, Zhou Jin Ye hadn’t dated anyone else. Once, drunk at a bar, Zhou Jin Ye mentioned Xu Wu’s situation during college while quietly drinking alone.
Overseas, surrounded by pretty foreign girls, some even tried to hitch rides with him at school gatherings, but Zhou Jin Ye simply locked the car door and left.
With a probing tone, Li Qingyang voiced his suspicion. “You haven’t had a girlfriend all these years—not like your usual self. Were you really hurt that badly?”
Suddenly, he felt a chill. Zhou Jin Ye was glaring at him with a warning look.
Right. He got the message.
________________________________________
After the wedding ceremony, the bridesmaids and groomsmen took their seats at the banquet.
The seating arrangements were predetermined. Bridesmaids and groomsmen shared a table, though a few extra spots were given to some of the groom’s high school classmates.
Xu Wu sat on the left side of the bridesmaid group, facing the best men. Most of the people seated were older than Xu Wu, classmates of the bride and groom, whom she wasn’t very familiar with.
Finding an empty seat, Xu Wu quietly began eating.
The majority at the table were the groom’s high school classmates, who naturally knew Zhou Jin Ye and his group. They all tacitly understood that Xu Wu and Zhou Jin Ye had a history together.
Halfway through the meal, someone suggested livening up the atmosphere with games.
Someone proposed playing “Heart Attack.”
Coincidentally, the person had brought cards originally intended for their child. Now, they proved useful.
After searching online for the rules, each person received a card. Unfortunately, Xu Wu’s reactions were slow.
She flipped over a black fruit card, matching another person’s normal card. By the time her brain processed the information, she was a step too late. Slapping the bell last, she lost the first round.
“The usual rule applies—truth or dare. Which will you choose?”
Xu Wu hesitated briefly. “Truth.”
Since most people weren’t familiar with her, aside from one person sitting nearby, no one dared to ask questions.
“Heh, well, if no one’s asking, I’ll go first!”
One of the boys next to Li Qingyang stood up.
Xu Wu nodded. “Go ahead.”
Zhou Jin Ye leaned casually against his chair, uninterested in the conversation. His fingers absentmindedly twirled his phone, seemingly indifferent to the proceedings.
“There were rumors back in school that you and Zhou Jin Ye were together. Was that true or false?”
She paused, taking slightly longer than expected.
Finally, she gave her answer: “False.”
Li Qingyang chimed in cheekily. “So when exactly did you two officially become a couple?”
“That’s a second question, Li Qingyang. You’re breaking the rules.”
With that, they continued the game. In the second round, Xu Wu avoided losing by not drawing a matching card.
However—
In the third round, she lost again.
“Let’s spice things up with a dare. Truth gets boring after a while.”
Xu Wu sighed. “Fine, a dare then.”
“Call one of your male friends on WeChat.”
This suggestion didn’t come from Li Qingyang but from one of the bride’s classmates.
Everyone at the table, aware of Xu Wu and Zhou Jin Ye’s past, listened intently for gossip.
Xu Wu opened her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and dialed a number.
“Buzz… buzz…”
The entire table waited in silence.
“Hello.”
The other party answered immediately.
Xu Wu spoke into the receiver. “I’m playing a game and lost. I’m supposed to call a male friend, so I thought of you.”
There was a slight pause on the other end. The voice was clear and gentle, like a stream. “Oh? I just finished a meeting.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll let you get back to work. Bye.”
After hanging up, someone at the table teased, “Your boyfriend?”
Xu Wu didn’t respond. They weren’t close, and she wouldn’t see them often in the future. There was no need to explain whether he was her boyfriend or not.
She took a sip of her drink. “That’s the second question. Shall we continue?”
No one at the table spoke.
From the corner of the table, Zhou Jin Ye’s fingers paused momentarily as he fiddled with his cards. For a second, the card nearly slipped from his hand.
After a long pause, he resumed twirling the card between his fingers.
Li Qingyang glanced at the motionless man beside him and forced a laugh. “Let’s continue, then.”
Thanks to the first few rounds of the game, Xu Wu grew more accustomed to the pace. Her reflexes improved, and she didn’t lose again.
Her pile of cards grew larger, and by the end of the meal, only she and Zhou Jin Ye remained in the game.
Each person exchanged glances, watching silently.
Eventually, Xu Wu held one final normal fruit card.
Her gaze shifted from the card to the man across the table.
Zhou Jin Ye lounged casually. Noticing her stare, he raised his eyes to meet hers, then drew a card and slapped it onto the table. Before Xu Wu could react, he beat her to the bell.
The bell rang, and Xu Wu froze momentarily.
He hadn’t let her win, as he used to.
Coming back to reality, she reminded herself—they were no longer together. Why should he let her win?
Xu Wu composed herself and placed her remaining cards down. “Truth.”
Zhou Jin Ye glanced at her indifferently, tossed his cards onto the table, and reached for his glass of wine.
The glass swayed gently, the deep red liquid obscuring the bottom of the cup.
As the game concluded, his voice drifted lazily through the air. “Haven’t decided yet. Let’s wait until next time.”
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