Chapter 10 The Engagement Banquet
The engagement banquet.
Ji Chuan stood at the entrance with a group of friends, staring at the large photo of me and Song Zhong Zheng.
Guests signed in one by one.
When it was Ji Chuan's turn, the person before him passed the pen.
He held it, but suddenly couldn't bring himself to write his own name.
Something felt wrong about seeing his name listed among the guests.
The pen tip lifted. He wrote nothing.
He handed it straight to the next person.
"I told you, and you still didn't believe me."
His childhood friend took the pen and signed smoothly.
"Xia Yi will get married too. She'll become someone else's wife, right?"
Ji Chuan only asked something foolish:
"Will she kiss him?"
His friend froze. "They're getting married—what do you think? You can't seriously believe they'll only kiss..."
He trailed off. The simple truth had drained the color from Ji Chuan's face.
It was the first time I saw that look on him.
"Don't—"
"Don't what? Don't feel bad?"
Ji Chuan gave a faint, mocking smile. "Why would I feel bad?"
Last night, lying in bed, he had already decided no one should lose control at someone else's engagement banquet.
That would be insane.
He stepped into the banquet hall and stood by the door, watching me in my white qipao.
Someone toasted me. Song Zhong Zheng blocked it for me.
"What a handsome young man. Xia Yi is really lucky."
I giggled foolishly.
Song Zhong Zheng's 189 cm height paired with that sharp face, black hair, black suit—he stood out completely.
He noticed my gaze, turned, ruffled my hair, and smiled along with me.
"I thought it was only Zhong Zheng who was head over heels."
Someone walked up beside Ji Chuan. "This is clearly mutual love, right, Ji Chuan?"
Ji Chuan didn't answer.
He watched Song Zhong Zheng take a call and step out to the veranda.
Dense treetops, hanging locust blossoms.
Ji Chuan suddenly remembered the full-moon banquet when someone had said to him:
"You two wearing black and white—I almost thought it was your wedding."
Today he was also in a black suit.
Why wasn't anyone saying it now?
Why was everyone talking about Song Zhong Zheng?
His mind drifted. Memories flooded in.
High school, after class—every time he turned around, I was waiting by the gate.
And years ago, that snowy night, the feeling of his hand threading through my hair.
A sour ache rose in his chest.
It made him want to throw up.
He had only meant to go to the restroom.
But his steps quickened until he found himself right in front of Song Zhong Zheng.
Before the first punch landed, Ji Chuan's face twisted.
His clenched fist shook.
Rage boiled over. His clenched fist bled without him noticing.
Song Zhong Zheng let him land only one punch.
Song Zhong Zheng stood with hands in pockets, unbothered by the blood on his forehead.
Ji Chuan threw another punch.
Song Zhong Zheng dodged cleanly and flashed a brilliant smile.
"What can I do? She's my wife."
Ji Chuan's fury surged. Another punch flew—predicted and evaded again.
"She's my wife."
The veins on Ji Chuan's neck bulged. "Shut up!"
The final punch came. This time Song Zhong Zheng didn't dodge. He caught it with his bare hand.
"I took her. I admit it."
"I held back before because she liked you."
"Now—who's giving way to you?"
I rushed to the veranda after hearing the commotion.
At the corner, Ji Chuan walked straight toward me, blood on his hand.
"It's nothing. Just a little blood. Don't worry."
He mistook my urgency for concern about him.
I shoved him aside and snapped,
"Are you insane? Why did you hit him? What did he ever do to you?"
Ji Chuan's hand was also bleeding. His expression stayed tight.
"You feel sorry for him, but not for me?"
"What else?"
I shot back, "He's my husband. And who are you?"
Shock and something shattered flashed through Ji Chuan's eyes.
His hand trembled, but he couldn't say a single word.
I turned to leave. He grabbed me.
That bleeding hand suddenly clamped onto my sleeve.
"You're really abandoning me?"
"I'm already married—what do you think?"
"We haven't broken up yet."
"It was you who said it, Ji Chuan." I pried his fingers off one by one. "We never even got to the point of breaking up."
He watched helplessly as I walked toward Song Zhong Zheng.
Just like so many times before when I watched him walk toward someone else.
I reached the veranda. His friend stood beside Song Zhong Zheng.
They were talking.
"To be honest, you've watched it all these years."
His friend kicked a pebble and asked Song Zhong Zheng,
"Xia Yi liked Ji Chuan that much. Can you really be sure she'll ever like you the same way?"
Song Zhong Zheng had his suit jacket draped over his arm. The blood on his forehead only sharpened his features.
He lowered his head and smiled.
"Then I'll accept it."
"As long as she likes me even a little, whatever she says goes."