Chapter 6
1361 Words
After finishing the call with Chu Yuxuan, Xia Zhu was consumed by unease, sitting alone on the sofa in a daze.
The divorce agreement on the coffee table remained unsigned.
She could not fathom why Chu Yuxuan was so persistent, devoid of any lingering affection.
Moreover, he insisted on leaving with nothing...
It seemed she had truly shattered his heart, she thought.
Soon, Gao Ning, who had accompanied Xia's mother on a morning shopping trip, returned home. Placing the fruit on the shoe rack, he changed his shoes and said, “Auntie went to play mahjong with her friends. She asked me to come back and keep you company.”
“Mm…” Xia Zhu responded faintly.
Gao Ning sat on the sofa, glancing at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. Noting Xia Zhu's troubled demeanor, he asked gently, “Xia Zhu, what’s wrong? You aren’t... thinking about him, are you?”
Feeling somewhat guilty, Xia Zhu forced a smile and said, “No… I… I’m just preoccupied with work matters. You must have heard, right? Zhao Corporation has encountered trouble. Our company is under Zhao's umbrella. Although we haven’t been significantly affected, I’ve heard that the company’s owner might be replaced. I’m unsure who the new person will be or how they will be to work with… Recently, I’m caught up in public opinion and fear they might cause me trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gao Ning said, taking her hand and smiling reassuringly. “If things get tough, we can always terminate the contract. I’ll find someone to handle the lawsuit.”
“Ning Ge, you know me. Acting is my dream, and unless necessary, I won’t withdraw from the industry.”
Gao Ning’s lips moved, “I’m just concerned for you… I know your dream, and you used to confide in me about everything. During those three years abroad, you used my WeChat as a memo and a sounding board. I saw everything but chose not to reply at the time because I wanted you to forget me… Ah, you don’t know how much I wished I could have been there beside you whenever you poured your heart out through WeChat…”
Gao Ning’s words were poignant but not overbearing, conveying a profound sense of affection.
Xia Zhu’s cheeks flushed as she reflected on the past three years, during which she had used this contact as a memo and a vent for her frustrations, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and grasped Gao Ning’s arm, asking, “Ning Ge, a year ago I was just a minor actress struggling for recognition. I remember that night I drank heavily and shared many feelings on WeChat. Shortly after, renowned director Wang Long contacted me and offered me a leading role. That role led to me winning the Best Actress award and becoming famous overnight… I’ve never understood why Director Wang found me. He never explained. Could it be that you were behind it all?”
Gao Ning’s well-to-do background made it unsurprising that he knew the director. Moreover, he had thought he would die far from home and didn’t want Xia Zhu to know he was assisting her. Everything now made sense!
Taken aback by Xia Zhu’s words, Gao Ning momentarily paused before smiling, “Xia Zhu, I didn’t want you to know this…”
Xia Zhu’s eyes welled up with tears as she gently patted his arm and scolded, “Why are you always so foolish? Don’t do that anymore!”
…………
At noon, the wedding at Phoenix Mountain Manor proceeded as scheduled.
As the saying goes, “Clothes make the man, and the saddle makes the horse.” Chu Yuxuan, already handsome at 183 cm with a well-proportioned figure and striking long legs, was further enhanced by a meticulously chosen designer outfit. His appearance made a striking impression on the guests.
The Western-style wedding was free of complicated rituals. Friends and family gathered on the lakeside lawn, while the band, dressed uniformly in formal attire, sat in a row by the lake, their cello and violin cases at their feet. In the chilly breeze, they rubbed their hands together to avoid having their fingers stiffen and miss the notes.
After everything was ready, the bride finally made her entrance.
The title of Jiangcheng’s most beautiful woman was not for nothing—
Her skin was as pristine as the purest jade, whiter than the wedding gown she wore. Her wine-red hair cascaded in gentle waves, exuding a sense of languor and rebellion. Her face was as cold as ice, with eyebrows as narrow as blades and her brown eyes, obscured by long lashes, shining with a distant, unapproachable light, yet hiding a subtle sadness. Her high, narrow nose was delicate yet aloof, and her rose-colored lips were pressed into a tight line, her face appearing somewhat pale.
Her slender waist, long legs, and swan-like neck were complemented by a pair of ample curves.
The guests, regardless of gender, were all enraptured. Even Chu Yuxuan, who had just proclaimed to his father that he had no interest in beauty, could not tear his gaze away, particularly fixated on her ample bust, muttering to himself, “This is too much… What a feast for the eyes…”
As Zhao Yanan took the stage, she cast a brief, disdainful glance at Chu Yuxuan’s infatuated expression.
It was indeed a tragic fate for a young lady of such high standing to be reduced to marrying an illegitimate son.
Not that she despised the role, as it was a loveless marriage, merely a formality for three years—marrying anyone would suffice.
However, she had secretly investigated Chu Yuxuan and found that for over seven years, he had been a “person of unknown whereabouts,” which led her to wonder if he had been imprisoned for some crime.
His mother, who had an affair with Chu Zhijing, had been abandoned by him after middle school and raised him alone. Given such circumstances, it was not surprising that he was psychologically twisted.
If he truly was a shameless scoundrel, she would be falling into an abyss.
The more Zhao Yanan thought about it, the more troubled she became, but at this point, her reluctance was inconsequential.
The elderly pastor recited a brief introduction, followed by the usual proceedings: asking if both parties consented, exchanging rings, and concluding the ceremony.
Yet, after asking two or three times, “Mr. Chu Yuxuan, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife? To love her and be faithful to her, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live,”
Chu Yuxuan only smiled, remaining silent.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Zhao Yanan finally looked up at Chu Yuxuan, casting a questioning glance.
Chu Yuxuan’s lips curled into a smirk as he turned to the pastor and said, “Old man, I don’t understand why you foreigners can’t speak appropriately for the occasion. It’s a joyous wedding day—why bring up death and illness? Let me ask you, if your spouse were to die, would you still marry them? This kind of talk is akin to a ghost marriage in our country, do you know that?”
The room fell into stunned silence…
Zhao Yanan’s mouth twitched, her face expressing a wish to disappear.
The pastor, flabbergasted, stammered, “What I mean is… ‘until death do us part,’ not ‘until now’!”
“You see, you’re talking about death again? Do those of you in your profession always look forward to death? How many lives do you account for each month? What’s your performance like? Do you get high commissions?”
The pastor, trembling, drew a cross in the air, “Lord, forgive this young man…”
The guests below were in uproar. No one expected the scion of the Chu family to be so lacking in decorum. Such disgrace in public was a severe embarrassment for Chu Zhijing.
At this moment, Chu Zhijing, with a stern face, was secretly amused, “D*mn kid, already putting on a show?”
- Writer
