บท 37: Chapter 37
Zhen Ai leaned against the car window, enjoying the breeze and the scenery.
Hampton, on the East Coast, welcomed spring early.
The trees lining the road had already sprouted new buds, with light green leaves glowing against the pale blue sky, creating a truly refreshing watercolor painting.
As the car drove along the seaside road, the ocean shimmered like a sapphire under the sun.
Zhen Ai's mood lifted.
At the end of the road, a palm-lined avenue emerged; the spring breeze rustled the leaves, and luxury cars filled the roadside, not far from a grand estate.
Zhen Ai realized they had arrived at their destination.
Yan Su parked the car and they walked towards the entrance.
As they approached, they spotted a crowd of reporters ahead.
Zhen Ai wondered, "What are they doing here?"
Yan Su replied nonchalantly, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Spencer is about to run for senator of New York." After a pause, he added, "The bride, Annie, is from the Adams family."
Zhen Ai opened her mouth, speechless.
She had assumed it would be a small, cozy wedding, but it seemed to be quite the event. She suddenly felt self-conscious and quietly complained, "I said I wanted to wear a dress, but you insisted otherwise."
Yan Su glanced at her, "It's chilly today. Do you want to freeze?"
Zhen Ai shot back, "But you're wearing a smart suit yourself!"
Yan Su replied, "If you wore a suit, I wouldn't mind."
...
Uh, what was that playful banter just now?
Zhen Ai's face turned red, and she quickly changed the subject.
"Actually, you should at least attend the rehearsal dinner; it's just family."
He looked down at her, his tone haughty: "Miss Zhen Ai, are you guiding my social interactions?"
Guiding?
Zhen Ai sensed a deeper meaning in his words and his gaze, causing her heart to race. She quickly averted her eyes, not responding.
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Su said with disdain, "I've told you several times you're slow to react. Are you just going to give up on responding?"
What a strange expression...
Zhen Ai couldn't help but glare at him.
This was her first glare, filled with dissatisfaction but also a hint of playful affection.
He was momentarily taken aback, but after a moment, he smiled faintly, falling silent.
They approached the entrance, and when the reporters spotted Yan Su, they rushed over, surprised, and began asking questions: "Mr. Parker, do you still firmly believe that young Parker's death was a suicide?"
"Don't you think the evidence for young Parker's suicide is flimsy?"
As the reporters closed in, Yan Su raised his collar and quickly pulled Zhen Ai's white coat's large hood over her head, drawing her close to him.
He wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed her head against his neck with a force that was almost domineering, navigating through the flashing cameras and sharp questions with a cold demeanor.
Zhen Ai was taken by surprise, her head snugly pressed into his neck, unable to see anything but her fluffy white hood and his high collar.
Her face was against his neck, enveloped in his chilly yet warming masculine scent, both strange and familiar. She found it hard to breathe, her cheeks heating up.
But she didn't want to break free; she let him hold her tightly. The surrounding noise faded, leaving only the sound of his heartbeat resonating through his carotid artery.
After what felt like both a fleeting and lengthy moment, he brought her into the estate and finally released her.
Yan Su's expression was not great, marked by a hint of gloom, as if he were upset about something. He furrowed his brow in contemplation for a few seconds before looking at Zhen Ai, his gaze sharp.
Meanwhile, her face was flushed, standing dazed with her big furry hat still on her head, making her small face appear even paler and cuter, like a naive snow doll.
Suddenly, he seemed to lose his temper and wanted to laugh, but his face remained expressionless as he asked, "Are you hot?"
Zhen Ai fluttered her lashes, slowly removing her hat: "Not at all."
#
On the lawn, many guests were chatting.
Among them was old Parker, who exchanged a brief nod with Yan Su, offering no further words.
Zhen Ai found it strange because old Parker showed no sign of resentment. Logically, he should harbor some hatred towards Yan Su, but perhaps politicians are good at masking their emotions.
Some acquaintances greeted Yan Su, but none shook hands or exchanged kisses.
Only when he saw his grandmother did he lean down to greet her warmly.
Haley didn't receive such treatment, but she didn't mind. Instead, she looked at Zhen Ai meaningfully. After all, this was the girl who had spent the longest time with her son.
Zhen Ai felt awkward, her gaze wandering. She accidentally met Spencer's eyes, and he smiled at her subtly, composed and measured.
Zhen Ai had heard Owen mention that Spencer was Haley's illegitimate child from college, possessing a good personality, unlike Yan Su. Now, seeing him in person, he looked quite handsome, sharing a resemblance with Yan Su.
After graduating, Haley married Yan Su's father, but the cross-national marriage lasted only three years. Yan Su's custody went to his father, and Haley, missing her child, adopted a Chinese girl named Jasmine.
Jasmine was one of the bridesmaids, and after helping the bride, she noticed that the fence next to the altar was supposed to be white, not wood-colored, and hurried over to find her mother.
From a distance, she spotted Yan Su and was about to greet him joyfully when she noticed Zhen Ai beside him. She greeted Yan Su affectionately but examined Zhen Ai up and down with a superficial smile.
Zhen Ai remained silent.
Jasmine, pushing aside her displeasure, told Haley and Spencer that the bride requested the fence to be pure white, not wood-colored.
And with only half an hour until the wedding, Spencer wanted to ensure Annie had her dream wedding, deciding to postpone and send someone to make the change. But Haley disagreed.
At that moment, Grandma said leisurely, "It's fine, we have white paint at home. Let S.A. go and paint."
Zhen Ai found it strange that Yan Su didn't say much and really took off his trench coat, rolling up his sleeves to paint.
Zhen Ai followed him, watching as he squatted by the fence, deftly and skillfully applying the paint to the wooden fence with the brush in his hand, leaving behind a smooth and delicate white finish. The paint was evenly applied, smooth and flat, like a professional painter.
Zhen Ai was surprised. "Where did you learn this?"
Yan Su focused on the brush in his hand, the white light reflecting in his light brown eyes. "In the summers when I was a child, I painted my grandma's fence."
Zhen Ai pictured a serene countryside scene in her mind.
An old European manor, thick shade from the trees, walls covered in vibrant flowers, under the bright blue sky, a little boy tiptoeing with a paint bucket to paint the fence. The little painter was covered in white dust, like a little snow doll.
As Yan Su painted, his voice was melodic. "Ever since I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I never painted the fence for her again."
"What did she say?" Zhen Ai asked.
"She said not everyone could paint a fence well, only a genius could do it. What a fraud." The white light cast on his face made him look bright and handsome. Yan Su curved his lips, "That sly old lady just knew how to deceive children."
Zhen Ai couldn't help but chuckle, resting her chin on her hand beside him.
The spring breeze blew from the sea, a bit cool but very pleasant.
Jasmine stood in the lounge, lifting the sheer curtain of the floor-to-ceiling window to look out.
The two older kids squatted by the white fence, chatting intermittently, their faces illuminated by the white paint, smiling continuously.
The soon-to-be bride, Annie, spotted Yan Su and Zhen Ai by the fence and smiled, "I didn't expect S.A. to bring a companion. She's a beautiful Oriental beauty."
Jasmine said nothing and, in a fit of annoyance, pulled open the floor-to-ceiling window, walked onto the lawn, and shouted, "Zhen Ai, come play with us!"
Zhen Ai turned to look at her, dazed, not responding immediately.
Was she slow to react because she was afraid Jasmine would bully her?
Jasmine felt inexplicably annoyed.
Looking at Zhen Ai's calm and clear eyes, Jasmine's previously forced smile faded somewhat. Even though she felt jealous, she had to admit that Zhen Ai was beautiful.
Just as Zhen Ai was about to respond, Yan Su nudged her lightly with his elbow: "If you don't want to go, then don't. There's not a single person you know over there."
Zhen Ai replied, "There isn't anyone I know here, to begin with."
Yan Su slowly turned his head, his expression unfriendly. "Am I not a person?"
"That's not what I meant," Zhen Ai pouted. "At this wedding, am I supposed to stick to you the whole time?"
"Why not?" Yan Su replied, thinking it was only natural. "If you don't like playing with strangers, just stick with me. We can play together."
Zhen Ai looked down, her heart pounding.
She fiddled with her fingers, considering whether to say, "Sure," but Jasmine called for her again, "Zhen Ai, come see the bride!"
With that shout, both Hai Li and Grandma glanced over.
Zhen Ai felt it was hard to refuse, so she replied.
As she stood up, she pretended to pat Yan Su's arm proudly. "Hmph, I have a little friend, so I won't play with you!" By the end, she couldn't help but laugh.
She didn't know why she felt so good at that moment, as bright as the sunshine on the grass.
Yan Su ignored her, a slight smile at the corner of his lips as he continued to paint the fence.
Zhen Ai jogged to the floor-to-ceiling window, glancing inside. Annie was wearing a snow-white spring wedding dress, looking very beautiful. The seven bridesmaids wore colorful dresses with long skirts, like lively candies.
She sincerely congratulated Annie. Just like Spencer, Annie was very considerate and embraced Zhen Ai to show her appreciation.
Now, Zhen Ai relaxed.
Jasmine stood nearby, watching Zhen Ai with a rather unfriendly gaze. Although the sun was out, the temperature was a bit low due to the cold wave. Zhen Ai was dressed in a white coat, her oversized hood resting on her shoulders, accentuating her fair and delicate face.
Jasmine remembered Yan Su saying, "Cold weather weakens people's psychological defenses," and her lips curled. "Zhen Ai, all the female guests are wearing dresses. Let me find you a formal dress?"
Zhen Ai thought it was appropriate to wear a dress and felt somewhat grateful to Jasmine.
When she entered the fitting room and opened the dress bag, she discovered it was not a spring dress but a summer one, made of thin, delicate material. Zhen Ai hesitated for a moment but said nothing.
After all, it was a stranger's wedding, and she only knew Yan Su, so it felt inappropriate to be picky. Besides, if she took off the hood of her coat, it would look like a little dress, and putting it on would keep her warm.
However, just as she exited the fitting room, she accidentally bumped into Jasmine, spilling her small glass of red wine all over Zhen Ai's coat. Jasmine hurriedly apologized and called someone to take Zhen Ai's coat for cleaning, instructing them to bring over a dress similar to the bridesmaids'.
Zhen Ai didn't mind and just felt that wearing a strapless dress for the first time left her feeling awkward and exposed.
Jasmine smiled, "Zhen Ai, we were just discussing the groomsmen. You must have seen them outside earlier?"
Zhen Ai nodded.
"We all think that the blond-haired, blue-eyed one is the most handsome. What do you think?"
Zhen Ai glanced and nodded again.
"His name is William, a classmate of Spencer's at Cambridge. He's come from England, just like the name of a prince." Jasmine wanted to say more when one of the bridesmaids laughed, "Jasmine, are you matchmaking again? But Miss Zhen Ai is S.A.'s companion, so you don't need to introduce her."
Jasmine suppressed a hint of displeasure in her eyes and replied, "S.A. only brought Zhen Ai along as an afterthought. You all don't know S.A.? He doesn't like girls like Zhen Ai."
The other girls thought about it and agreed that their impression of Yan Su wasn't like that, so they shrugged and didn't interject.
Zhen Ai's eyes flickered, her face paling.
"And besides, he's so peculiar that Zhen Ai wouldn't like him, right?" Jasmine stared at Zhen Ai, her tone gentle but her gaze piercing.
Zhen Ai's heart trembled violently.
This question unexpectedly pushed her into an awkward and strange position, forcing her to examine her feelings.
In truth, she never thought he was peculiar.
Day after day, she instead found him principled and reliable, full of warmth and thoughtfulness, embodying a sense of humanistic compassion.
Why shouldn't she like someone like that?
In fact, she already did.
Zhen Ai's heart raced fiercely, and she didn't shy away, meeting Jasmine's gaze directly.
Seeing Zhen Ai looking back at her so openly, Jasmine felt a sinking sensation. Just as Zhen Ai seemed ready to respond, Jasmine quickly turned her eyes and pretended to have a revelation, speaking first:
"Sorry, I almost forgot. William is a gentleman from the Cavendish family in England, you know, these classical noble families place great importance on lineage and upbringing. With you, there's definitely no future. After all, not everyone is like Annie. Only someone from Annie's background can truly help Spencer in life and career!"
Jasmine's voice was low, meant only for Zhen Ai to hear.
No matter how slow Zhen Ai was, she understood her meaning.
Yan Su's family, both from his father and mother's side, was of noble lineage. Just like his brother Spencer, only Annie from the Adams family could match him.
Jasmine kindly leaned over to comfort Zhen Ai: "But it's fine, William is so handsome and charming. It would be nice to have fun with him. Zhen Ai, you won't lose out."
Zhen Ai's face paled, and she said nothing.
In her life, she had interacted little with ordinary people and didn't quite understand how to communicate with them. Even though she had faced numerous challenges before, dealing with someone as subtly malicious as Jasmine was a first for her.
Aside from her usual indifference, she didn't know how to respond.
Moreover, she truly felt insecure; how could she say she liked someone whose identity was so uncertain?
In that moment, she really wanted to disappear from this wedding, retreat to her lab where no one could find her, and never come out. But she wasn't that impulsive a person.
Since childhood, she had never been one to act on impulse.
Calmly, she suppressed the sadness and subtle melancholy in her heart and smiled faintly at Jasmine: "I know myself, no need for you to worry."
Jasmine shrugged, playfully smiled, and left with the other bridesmaids and the bride.
The wedding was about to start, and Zhen Ai was left all alone in the lounge.
The person who was supposed to find her a coat hadn't come back yet.
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