บท 38: Chapter 38
Zhen Ai stood in place as a chill began to creep in. The gauzy dress was too thin and strapless, and by the time she reached the floor-to-ceiling window, she was shivering.
She glanced outside at the guests gradually taking their seats, hesitant to step out. Her shoulders and chest were fully exposed; this outfit felt too revealing for her, who was used to conservative clothing. Moreover, she was the only one in summer attire—going out like this would definitely attract everyone's attention.
Though she didn't consider Jasmine a companion, she was well aware of her isolation.
She didn't care about anyone's opinions, but she still felt a bit sad—she must have embarrassed Yan Su. She should have known better than to attend this wedding with him.
What excitement was there in something that never belonged to her?
Just as she thought this, a figure appeared in the light—handsome, with piercing eyes. It was Yan Su.
"Why are you daydreaming again?" Yan Su said, lifting the white veil as he stepped in. He frowned, looking somewhat displeased, but when he saw the empty expression on Zhen Ai's face, his feigned irritation vanished, replaced by a flicker of concern. "What's wrong?"
Zhen Ai stared at him, speechless.
Yan Su glanced around, frowning deeply again. "Who dressed you in this ridiculous outfit? Aren't you cold...?"
He instinctively raised a hand to touch her shoulder, but stopped midway. Zhen Ai's shoulders were bare and delicate, beautiful even, but exposing them like this felt inappropriate.
He hesitated, a hint of redness creeping onto his cheeks, and awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Zhen Ai didn't understand his intentions, her heart sinking.
But the next moment, he took off his suit jacket, and Zhen Ai snapped back to reality. She was about to pull away when he insisted on draping it over her shoulders.
Zhen Ai felt this would draw even more attention, and tried to wriggle out of it, but Yan Su firmly held the collar in place. She felt trapped, like a fish caught in a net, completely under his control.
Yan Su was puzzled by her sudden stubbornness. He initially didn't understand, but as he watched her scramble helplessly within his oversized jacket, he found it amusing. He guessed she was just shy and tightened his grip, teasing her:
"Better hurry and take a seat in the back, or I'll carry you out like this when everyone is seated. Everyone will be looking at you instead of the bride."
Zhen Ai froze, wide-eyed at his unexpected behavior.
Yan Su raised an eyebrow, smiling triumphantly.
She glanced outside again; people were still taking their seats, and reluctantly followed Yan Su out. Everyone was busy chatting, and by the time they reached the last row, no one paid her any mind.
Zhen Ai's heart gradually eased. Her calves were a bit cold, but her chest felt warm. Yan Su's jacket was too big, and it felt like a child wearing an adult's clothes—novel and amusing.
The wind from the sea rustled the balloons and roses on the white fence.
Zhen Ai glanced at Yan Su. Aside from the suit jacket, he only wore a shirt. The wind whipped around him, causing his shirt to billow and then cling tightly to his body.
His short hair was tousled, and his complexion was fair. Zhen Ai wondered if he felt cold.
But she didn't offer the jacket back, knowing he would never accept it.
Her heart warmed, inexplicably so, but it also brought a faint ache.
She gazed at the unfamiliar crowd, lost in thought.
In recent days, she had completely forgotten her situation, no longer living in seclusion, but rather calmly and expectantly walking with him into a world that didn't belong to her.
When had this change begun?
It was simply because he said, "I won't walk so fast when I'm with you in the future." So she wanted to match his pace, even if he was immersed in his own world, offering her only a serene and comforting profile.
Just because he had held her hand once, given her a cheek kiss, embraced her, and draped a jacket over her, she had unknowingly forgotten herself.
Reflecting on it now, such a faint, melancholic feeling didn't quite suit her.
Zhen Ai sat among the flowers, taking a deep breath of the cold air, rationally telling herself that it was simply because no one had ever treated her so well that she felt so flustered.
It was as if, by saying this, the unrealistic fantasies in her heart were ridiculed and discarded by her reason.
She settled down, watching the groom and bride swear their vows at the altar.
After a moment, the question she had been holding in slipped out softly to Yan Su beside her: "Will you get married like your brother when you're his age?"
"No," he replied, his gaze fixed on the couple, his voice low and unwavering.
Zhen Ai fell silent.
She quietly curved her lips.
Indeed, it was hard for her to imagine him falling in love and marrying someone. Such a perfect person would surely have a perfect shadow in his heart. How rare that would be!
He likely wouldn't develop feelings for anyone, let alone spend a lifetime with them.
Zhen Ai subtly tightened the jacket around her, tilting her head to nuzzle the crisp collar, faintly scented with a man's fragrance. She thought it was time to return to her previous life, to leave behind this unforgettable journey.
She was the child of a demon; he was the light of hope.
Ultimately, they were not meant to walk the same path.
But she had forgotten that Yan Su's understanding was never ordinary. The crux of her question was,
Would he get married like his brother
Not
Would he get married "like this"
So,
Yan Su's eyes flickered, and he thought curiously: I don't believe in Catholicism, so of course, I can't get married holding the Bible like a believer.
After the ceremony, it was time for the wedding banquet.
Zhen Ai changed into a different outfit, holding her seating card as she approached a table, only to find her name—AI ZHEN—on a placard next to S.A. YAN.
She froze, recalling that moment in their Manhattan apartment when she was sitting in the kitchen eating a sandwich while Yan Su and Hai Li were chatting by the elevator. It must have been then that he had asked Hai Li to add her name to the guest list.
Zhen Ai felt a warmth spread through her as she searched for Yan Su among the crowd.
He was standing not far away by the floral display with his family. Hai Li was chatting animatedly with a man, and Jasmine was laughing, but Yan Su stood there with a blank expression, looking somewhat distracted.
Zhen Ai didn't wait for him and headed straight to the buffet.
Every dish at the wedding banquet was exquisitely prepared. Zhen Ai glanced around, her eyes landing on the colorful cheeses. Just as she reached out to grab some, she heard a familiar and prohibitive voice behind her:
"The fat content is too high; it's not good for your cardiovascular health."
Zhen Ai bit her lip, knowing it was none other than that party pooper, Yan Su.
He said this with a straight face, observing the disappointment and longing on her face as she looked at the cake, finding it amusing. She was clearly an adult, yet sometimes her unguarded thoughts revealed the innocence of a young girl.
While he wanted to laugh, he continued to chastise her: "You didn't even wait for me!"
"Weren't you busy?" Zhen Ai said lightly, feeling strangely sour as the words left her mouth, quickly turning her head to grab some cake.
Yan Su was taken aback as well. Seeing her distracted as she went for food, he suddenly grabbed her hand, ordering, "Hey, I told you that eating too much of this is bad for your health!"
Zhen Ai gently pulled her hand away, not wanting to come off as willful or rude. She silently put down the tongs and walked ahead. Yan Su followed closely behind her, reminding, "Choose wisely and eat more."
Ignoring him, Zhen Ai walked a few steps and spotted colorful skewers of barbecued fruit and meat. Just as she was about to ask the chef for two skewers, Yan Su cleared his throat: "Hmm, not good. The grilled fruit and meat contain rich carcinogens."
Zhen Ai's words caught in her throat. Disappointed, she sniffed the fragrance of the fruit mixed with grilled meat and dejectedly turned away.
Then, seeing fresh crab meat with sauce, she reached for it, but Yan Su prohibited her again: "Crab is too cold; do you want to freeze to death this winter?"
Zhen Ai retracted her hand, indignantly saying, "You said I should eat more, liar!"
"How was I supposed to know you have no standards when it comes to food?" Yan Su exchanged his plate for hers, saying, "Eat this."
Zhen Ai was taken aback, not realizing he had already filled a plate with beef, lamb chops, vegetable salad, sashimi, and a variety of neatly arranged dishes.
Holding the plate, Zhen Ai returned to her seat, feeling somewhat down.
Only then did she notice that the dishes Yan Su picked for her were all meant to nourish her energy, warming her heart at this thought.
Suddenly, a glass of milk appeared in front of her, along with a small plate containing two pieces of brownie with blueberry cheese: "Here, dessert after the meal."
He emphasized "after the meal," glancing at Zhen Ai's plate, implying she couldn't have cake until finishing her meal, as if coaxing a child.
Zhen Ai obediently accepted it, her dark eyes flashing with delight.
Yan Su noticed this and suddenly recalled a little over a month ago at Wen Bo's bookstore when she indifferently mentioned she had "grown out of candy."
Ah, little liar.
He barely suppressed a smile and fell silent.
Across from them, Jasmine observed, feeling furious. Even she rarely saw Yan Su smile; in her memory, he always seemed indifferent, with little emotional expression.
Yet today, his various expressions in front of Zhen Ai were so rich—feigned disdain, contempt, discontent, restrained ease, and private amusement—all of which tested her patience.
He even let her wear his jacket, something he wouldn't let anyone touch, as if he'd die if they did, yet he gave it to Zhen Ai.
Jasmine bit her lip, laughing, then suddenly turned to Zhen Ai: "Zhen Ai, didn't you just say in the lounge…" She tactfully left out the rest, leaving much to the imagination, "I'll introduce you to William." She nudged the blonde, blue-eyed gentleman beside her.
Zhen Ai was puzzled: "What did I say to you..."
Before she could finish, Jasmine interrupted: "Zhen Ai, this is William."
William smiled politely and nodded to Zhen Ai. He was indeed an elegant man; even his nod and smile had a classical charm.
Zhen Ai didn't want to argue with Jasmine or appear rude, so she kept quiet and nodded at William.
Yan Su frowned from the side.
Zhen Ai liked this kind of man? So foolish!
He maintained a stony face, not realizing his expression had grown dark.
Jasmine felt a mix of schadenfreude and pain. She had hoped these two would converse, but William remained a gentleman, not initiating, while Zhen Ai offered no response.
The atmosphere turned cold.
Jasmine, annoyed, forced some warmth: "Zhen Ai, you study journalism and mass media, right? William knows many people in news agencies; if you want an internship, you can ask him for help."
This small talk clearly exceeded the bounds of casual acquaintance. William's polite smile faltered, glancing curiously at Zhen Ai. The others at the table, including her grandmother and mother, looked puzzled at Jasmine and Zhen Ai.
To everyone, Jasmine had always been an elegant girl. Today, her behavior was completely different, and based on her earlier words, it was obvious Zhen Ai wanted to get to know William, so Jasmine was rudely trying to set them up.
Even Yan Su, usually oblivious to such subtleties, sensed something was off.
Zhen Ai didn't notice any issue and replied, "Thank you, but that's not necessary." She then continued to sip her milk seriously.
"But I said I'd help you," Jasmine muttered under her breath. Before Zhen Ai could voice her confusion, she quickly asked, "By the way, Zhen Ai, I still don't know where you're from?"
Zhen Ai felt uncomfortable and was about to respond.
"What do you mean, 'where are you from?'" Yan Su's cold and indifferent voice interrupted, "I brought her!"
With that, Zhen Ai snapped back to reality.
Upon closer inspection, "Where are you from?" was quite an impolite and unfriendly question! Yet, strangely, how did Yan Su, who lacked emotional intelligence, manage to perceive the speaker's intent today?
Jasmine's little trick was publicly exposed by Yan Su, her face flushed with embarrassment as she awkwardly backtracked: "I meant, after knowing Zhen Ai for so long, I still don't know where she's from."
Zhen Ai, sensing the atmosphere turning cold at the table, thought it best to smooth things over with Yan Su's family present, but before she could speak, Yan Su took the lead.
"Are you really that familiar with her? How many times have you seen her? How many words have you exchanged?" His dark gaze was pressing, "Her affairs have nothing to do with you."
Even Zhen Ai was taken aback, let alone the others at the table.
This was the first time Hai Li had witnessed such a scene, but she quickly concealed her astonishment, clearing her throat almost like a command: "S.A., behave!"
Zhen Ai lowered her head, blushing deeply, while Yan Su remained as calm as a rock.
Jasmine's eyes turned red with humiliation.
She immediately realized Yan Su had seen through her intention to make things difficult for Zhen Ai. How could he, with his indifferent personality, detect something was off?
A surge of grievance, jealousy, and humiliation filled her heart: "I just wanted to be friends with her; why are you..."
"Lying!" Yan Su cut her off sharply, his tone firm as he concluded, "You're not friendly to her. I don't like it."
Zhen Ai suddenly grabbed his hand under the table, signaling him to stop talking. She was grateful for Yan Su's defense, but it only made her feel more embarrassed.
She had always dealt with simple things—experiments, data, ratios. Her first encounter with someone from that closed-off world—Yan Su—had also been straightforward.
But today's wedding had exceeded all her knowledge of interpersonal relationships.
She had become disliked by Jasmine, and perhaps Yan Su's family now had a poor impression of her too. She didn't understand why and didn't know how to resolve it. This wasn't like an experiment where you could adjust the parameters and try again if you made a mistake.
Yan Su turned to look at her, seeing her head down, her face reddened, and for a moment, he was startled, faintly realizing he might have done something wrong.
He should have diverted the topic in a humorous and smooth way, but he wasn't skilled at that.
He only knew to be straightforward.
Seeing her being bullied, he wanted to stand up for her.
As for why, he didn't even know himself.
He lowered his gaze, cursing himself harshly in his heart: Idiot!
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