The spotlight on the two pairs of newlyweds was instantly stolen. Cheng Tao looked at the man beside Cheng You. Although he wasn't the clean-cut scholar type she usually favored, she had to admit that Qi Chengyan was indeed exceptionally well-off.
Compared to him, she suddenly felt Qiu Desheng was rather unimpressive. Not only was he older, but his physique wasn't as good as Qi Chengyan's, and his position wasn't as high as someone under thirty. Rumor had it that Qi Chengyan only lacked seniority; otherwise, he would have climbed even higher.
Especially when Qiu Desheng's eyes lingered on Cheng You, Cheng Tao felt even more uncomfortable. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted inviting Cheng You.
With a displeased expression, Cheng Tao walked over to the old lady and complained, "Why is Cheng You wearing red? It makes it look like she's the bride. Grandma, can you ask Cheng You to leave first?"
The old lady glanced at her, "Since she's here, how can we ask a guest to leave? I mentioned to Cheng You about coming to the wedding banquet earlier, and she had already refused. If it wasn't for you and Feng Xue both sending her an invitation, she wouldn't have come. Now that she's here, you're unhappy?"
Feng Xue bit her lip and said nothing. With her spotlight stolen, who could be happy? It was originally a subtle competition between her and Cheng Tao, but now, there was no need to compare anymore; they both couldn't measure up to Cheng You.
Cheng You didn't usually like wearing skirts, as it was more convenient to work in the fields wearing pants. Consequently, when she wore a qipao today, her beautiful figure was revealed, astonishing everyone even more.
Cheng Tao turned and walked to another side to talk to someone, preferring not to see what she disliked. Thinking that the house would be transferred to her name after today, Cheng Tao felt a little happier.
Feng Xue absentmindedly watched Feng Xianxu, who arrived late, momentarily ignoring the presence of Ruan Tianyang beside her. Ruan Tianyang took her hand and smiled, "Xiao Xue, let's go greet the guests."
A trace of disgust suddenly arose in Feng Xue's heart, but she didn't show it on her face, smiling obediently. "Let's go."
Ruan Tianyang first approached Cheng You, his smile not reaching his eyes, appearing somewhat ferocious. "Cheng You, I didn't expect you to attend our wedding banquet. Thank you."
Cheng You shrugged, "Feng Xue personally sent me an invitation. It would be rude not to come given your kind invitation."
Ruan Tianyang let out a cold laugh, "It was hard-earned for Feng Xue and me to be together. Without your witnessing it, it's truly not quite complete."
Cheng You smiled faintly, "It was indeed not easy to be with her after abandoning your wife and child."
Ruan Tianyang's fingers suddenly tightened, causing Feng Xue pain as if her bones were about to crack. "Tianyang, my hand hurts."
Ruan Tianyang snapped back to reality and quickly loosened his grip. "I'm sorry, Xiao Xue, I used too much force."
Feng Xue smiled and shook her head, "It's okay. I'll go talk to my elder brother. You two chat for a while." As soon as she turned, the smile on her face vanished, and she walked directly towards Feng Xianxu.
Feng Xianxu seemed not to see her, walking past her and towards Cheng You and Qi Chengyan. Feng Xue stopped in her tracks and looked at his retreating back.
Ruan Tianyang, seeing him approach, put on a polite smile. "A Xu, from now on, I'll have to call you elder brother too."
Feng Xianxu's smile was faint, and he didn't respond. He had heard how Feng Xue and Ruan Tianyang got together and didn't have high hopes for their marriage. "Cheng You, when do you plan to return to Yongcheng?"
Cheng You replied, "The day after tomorrow."
Feng Xianxu nodded, "Alright, I'll travel with you. I forgot to give you something last time. This ring is Liang Yongzhi's遗物 (relic). Please give it to Zhenzhen."
It was just a plain, unremarkable ring, appearing unremarkable. However, the word "relic" imbued it with a special meaning. As he took out the ring, a small piece of paper fell out. Before Cheng You could remind him, Feng Xue stepped forward and called Feng Xianxu away. They walked away, one after the other.
Cheng You picked up the slip of paper and glanced at it. It wasn't her intention to look, but with a quick glance, she saw the content. "I'll wait for you at the cinema entrance at seven tonight." Below it was Qiu Tingting's name.
Cheng You couldn't help but laugh. Qiu Tingting was truly bold. They had only known each other for a few days, and she was already asking him to watch a movie. "Feng Xianxu will probably go back, right?" If he returned to Xinjiang, wouldn't Qiu Tingting, who was so interested in him now, be destined for heartbreak later? Qi Chengyan said, "I'm not sure." His return this time wasn't primarily for Feng Xue's wedding banquet but also due to work transfer matters.
Cheng You, holding the slip of paper, walked outside, intending to return it to Feng Xianxu and casually ask him about his thoughts on the "sweet and innocent" type. As soon as she stepped out, she heard something she shouldn't have.
Feng Xue gazed at Feng Xianxu with deep affection, tugging at his sleeve. "Elder brother, if you say the word, I won't get married for you!"
Feng Xianxu had a look of someone who had swallowed a fly, genuinely disgusted. "What does it have to do with me whether you get married or not? You called me out just to say these pointless things, so I'm going back inside."
Feng Xue quickly grabbed his arm, tears welling up, "All these years, you must understand my feelings for you. Didn't you come back for me this time? Elder brother, I don't believe you have no feelings for me at all!"
Feng Xianxu indifferently brushed her hand away, creating distance between them. "Feelings, yes, but limited to the past, and limited to sibling affection. Feng Xue, it seems that after all these years I've been away, you still haven't woken up. Since you're already married, live well with your husband. After all, this is a marriage you obtained by breaking up someone else's family!" Whether the fruit was sweet or bitter, she had to eat it herself.
Feng Xue's tears couldn't be held back any longer, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed heartbrokenly. Her decade-long unrequited love ended at this moment. Cheng You hesitated, unsure whether she should step out. As she was thinking, she saw a figure flash past and walk out. She looked at Ruan Tianyang's retreating back in surprise, not knowing how long he had been listening here.
He had a smile on his face and put his arm around Feng Xue's shoulder. "It's just a marriage. You'll still come home in the future. What are you crying for? Let's go inside."
Feng Xue hastily wiped away her tears, "I'm fine." Ruan Tianyang's eyes were filled with tenderness, as if there were no grudges in his heart. "Don't say anything more, let's go inside." His aunt's family hadn't come, and Ruan Jiqiu hadn't been released yet. He was the only one from the Ruan family. With Feng Xue absent, he didn't know who else to talk to.
The two walked in hand in hand, as if nothing had happened. Even Cheng You couldn't tell if Ruan Tianyang had heard Feng Xue's words.