Chapter 697 - 696: Wedding (8)

Su Li had no idea what Li Anna was thinking, much less about the little incident that had occurred before they left.

She was still wearing the red wedding veil, so how could she have seen what was happening behind her?

Once in the car, she simply waited quietly for it to start moving.

Wu Sheng waited for her to get settled before sitting down beside her. He then politely asked Li Li to sit in the front.

Li Li sat down in the front, stifling a laugh, as Wu Sheng had already eagerly taken Su Li’s hand.

Wu Sheng drew Su Li’s hand to him, interlocking their fingers.

Su Li chuckled softly, feeling the sweat on Wu Sheng’s palm.

Wu Sheng heard Su Li’s soft chuckle but didn’t know what she found so funny. He held her hand contentedly, his eyes still glued to her, unable to look away.

He was so desperate to see her face that he couldn’t resist craning his neck to peek under the veil.

Su Li looked down and saw him, and couldn’t stop herself from raising her other hand to unceremoniously push his face away. "Don’t mess around."

Wu Sheng grinned. "You’re so beautiful."

Su Li: "..."

’Beautiful? It’d be a miracle if he could see anything clearly from that quick peek.’

When Su Li didn’t reply, Wu Sheng continued, "I’m very handsome, too. You can take a look in a little while."

Su Li: "..."

’The narcissistic Wu Sheng was back.’

Li Li and the driver exchanged a look, their expressions indescribable. Finally, Li Li couldn’t help but let out a cough. "Ahem."

"Quiet down," Su Li said to Wu Sheng, also clearing her throat.

For once, Wu Sheng tore his eyes away and glanced toward the front, but he immediately dismissed it.

"It’s fine. I still have plenty to say on the way there."

"Did you have the congee? And your medicine? I told my aunt not to forget," Wu Sheng asked.

Her heart softening, Su Li nodded. "I did. I’m feeling fine now."

"Does your stomach hurt? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Wu Sheng asked again.

"No..."

As Wu Sheng murmured his concerns, the car slowly moved forward, finally stopping at their destination.

Wu Sheng and Su Li’s new house was more spacious than the old one. Since they would be living here from now on, the bridal chamber had also been set up here, so everyone was gathered at this location.

As the car approached in the distance, a group of older children joyfully shouted, "They’re back!" and ran inside.

The moment the car stopped, firecrackers began to go off with a POP and a CRACKLE.

Amidst the festive red of the firecrackers, handfuls of wedding candies mixed with coins were tossed out the door, accompanied by shouts of blessings.

The younger children covered their ears as they darted about, having the time of their lives scrambling for candies and coins, their laughter ringing out endlessly.

Before the smoke from the firecrackers had even cleared, a red silk ribbon was placed in Wu Sheng and Su Li’s hands. Wu Sheng then guided Su Li forward, one step at a time.

"There’s a brazier up ahead. You need to step over it."

Wu Sheng’s voice sounded beside her.

Su Li could only see her own feet and a small patch of ground. To her side, she could also see Wu Sheng’s feet. Hearing his voice, she hummed in acknowledgment.

After stepping over the brazier and entering the courtyard, they arrived at the main hall for the wedding ceremony.

The boisterous sounds of celebration and the festive notes of the suona filled her ears. Su Li gripped the red silk ribbon tightly, her heart surging with emotion, yet she also felt a sense of profound serenity.

"First, bow to Heaven and Earth."

"Second, bow to the elders."

Su Li followed Wu Sheng’s lead, solemnly performing the bows as instructed by the master of ceremonies.

Dressed in festive red and smiling nonstop, Wu Qihua sat in the seat of honor, her eyes welling with tears as she watched Wu Sheng and Su Li.

The smile on her face never wavered, but her tears wouldn’t stop falling.

The people around her watched with understanding smiles.

Hers were tears of joy and relief.

Wu Qihua had never pressured Wu Sheng to get married, but seeing him finally tying the knot, she was filled with an irrepressible joy.

At this moment, the despair from two days ago felt like nothing more than a bad dream.

Wu Qihua felt this way, and to some extent, so did Su Li and Wu Sheng.

Perhaps it was happiness that made them feel as if they were floating on a cloud, dazed and blissfully adrift.

"Now, bow to each other."

"The ceremony is complete! Escort them to the bridal chamber!"

Amid a burst of good-natured laughter, Su Li was ushered into the bridal chamber, feeling as if she were floating.

Li Li, Ling Zhen, Wu Dong, and the others followed behind them, their faces alight with excitement.

Once she was seated, it was time to lift the red veil.

Wu Sheng had been dying to lift it, his hands itching with anticipation. He almost couldn’t stop himself from flipping it up right then and there.

"You can’t use your hands! Use the steelyard rod. It’s symbolic of having a ’satisfying’ marriage."

The neighbor acting as the master of ceremonies saw Wu Sheng’s impatient eagerness and couldn’t stop laughing as she quickly shoved the steelyard rod into his hand.

Wu Sheng took it with a smile, but the moment he went to lift the veil, he suddenly grew nervous and his hand froze in place.

His heart began to pound. He swallowed hard and didn’t move.

His hesitation was driving everyone mad with suspense.

"...Why’d he stop? Lift it already!"

"This suspense is just..."

As frustrated murmurs rose from the crowd, Su Li, who had been puzzled by the delay, couldn’t help but find it amusing.

"What’s the rush? She’s my wife, not yours. I don’t have to let you look."

Wu Sheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. After a huff, he shifted his body to block everyone’s line of sight as much as he could, took a deep breath, and lifted the red veil.

Beneath the red veil, Su Li’s face was finally revealed.

Wu Sheng froze at the very first glance.

He had known Su Li would be beautiful, but he had never imagined she could be *this* beautiful.

In that moment, he felt no words could possibly describe her beauty; it was simply heart-stopping.

He could see nothing but the Su Li before him.

Wu Sheng stared at Su Li with a burning intensity, not even blinking. His gaze made her face grow hot, and a hint of shyness crept into her smile.

When Wu Sheng suddenly fell silent, the crowd of onlookers grew restless.

"What’s going on? Why did he go quiet?"

"Is the groom stunned speechless?"

As they chattered, they eagerly craned their necks to see. And once they saw, they too fell silent.

Terms like "ethereally beautiful" or "a face like a flower under the moonlight" were no exaggeration for Su Li in that moment.

Following Wu Sheng’s lead, the crowd jostling to get a look at Su Li—men and women alike—were all stunned for several seconds.

Even Li Li, who had been prepared for it, couldn’t look away.

After a few seconds of strange silence in the bridal chamber, the spell was broken by a wave of teasing catcalls.

"You’re a lucky man, Boss!"

"Yeah, Boss! Your wife is gorgeous!"

Amid the rowdy cheers and wolf-whistles, Wu Sheng finally snapped out of his daze.

"Stop all that racket! You’ll scare your sister-in-law," Wu Sheng chided.

Wu Sheng couldn’t bear to look away from Su Li. "So beautiful... I’ll never forget this moment for as long as I live."

This image of Su Li was now deeply etched into Wu Sheng’s mind, something he would likely never forget for the rest of his life.

"Alright, alright, it’s time for the wedding wine."

The neighbor acting as the master of ceremonies, who had been watching with a beaming smile, chimed in at the perfect moment. She brought over two cups of wine, handed them to Su Li and Wu Sheng, and explained in a low voice.

"This is a fruit wine, but it’s also medicinal. It’s good for you. A little bit will warm your stomach, so the bride can drink it, too."

At her words, Wu Sheng began to smile again.

"Link arms and drink! Link arms and drink!"

The crowd began to chant.

"You don’t have to tell me," Wu Sheng chimed in with a grin, his eyes, brimming with joy, fixed on Su Li.