After the rain, the fiery red pomegranate flowers had fallen all over the residential area, scattered in fading splendor.
This day’s sunlight was particularly brilliant. Chu Ye sat before a bronze-framed mirror, carefully drawing her eyebrows. In the mirror was a delicate face with light makeup, eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes deep as autumn waters. A goose-yellow cocktail dress wrapped her petite, graceful figure, looking elegant, refined, and dignified.
Picking up her handbag and about to leave, she received a call from Lin Lan: “Have you left yet?”
Chu Ye sighed: “Bride, can you let me catch my breath? This is already your third call.”
Lin Lan whined: “I miss you!”
“Give it a rest!” Chu Ye rolled her eyes. “You’re just upset that I, your ugly duckling, can’t highlight your beauty?”
“Shen Chu Ye, you really know me inside out!” Lin Lan’s voice dramatically laughed in the phone, then suddenly turned pitiful. “Honestly, I’m so nervous. It’s my first time being a bride. Without you, my best friend by my side, I feel uncertain…”
“Who gets married ten or eight times?” Chu Ye was completely defeated. “Okay, stop complaining. I’m rushing to the hotel.”
She hung up quickly, and Chu Ye couldn’t help but laugh.
Today was Lin Lan’s wedding day, a fusion of Chinese and Western styles, held at the city’s most famous hotel.
Chu Ye and Lin Lan were neighbors who grew up together, attending primary and middle schools without separation, until they went to different universities. After graduation, they remained in the same city – Lin Lan working in a big company, while Chu Ye chose to make a living by writing.
Lin Lan was a year younger and had always sworn to marry a wealthy man. Now, marrying the only son of Zhong Property’s chairman, Zhong Luo Xuan, she had finally achieved her dream.
Just as she was about to hail a taxi, a black Audi A6 suddenly sped past, splashing water everywhere. Chu Ye watched helplessly as her delicate dress was hit by water droplets, leaving conspicuous stains. This dress was selected for Lin Lan’s wedding. Now it was ruined!
Just as she was in shock, the A6 returned, and a man poked his head out: “Miss, are you okay?”
Chu Ye was ready to murder: “How are you driving? Didn’t you see me standing here?”
The man got out of the car, extremely apologetic: “I’m sorry! I didn’t notice the puddle here…” He looked at the small stains on her dress. “How about I replace it for you?
Chu Ye looked at Luo Xuan, who was chatting with Lin Lan and her relatives, seeing the happiness in their every gesture, and suddenly felt a mix of emotions. She vaguely remembered that tall and handsome boy who stretched out his arm to stand in front of her, lowered his head, and gazed deeply at her saying: “Chu Chu, I like you!”
Three years ago, Chu Ye’s parents had passed away one after another, leaving her alone and helpless. Since then, her eyes had been filled with an inescapable melancholy, a single glance easily drawing people into her deep sorrow. Luo Xuan was attracted by this very sadness, involuntarily falling for her.
At the time, he was the son of a company director, privileged and proud, yet he fell for Chu Ye at a gathering where Lin Lan had brought her. This rich young man was confident and unwilling to let go of what he liked, so he directly blocked her path and declared: “Chu Chu, I like you!”
Chu Ye had never encountered such a direct suitor. She never thought that besides her parents and childhood friend Lin Lan, a fourth person would call her “Chu Chu” so intimately. Her heart suddenly collapsed halfway, and Luo Xuan easily squeezed his way in.
From then on, they began dating. Chu Ye had a good impression of Luo Xuan, but not to the degree of love. Moreover, she was clearly aware of their differences – he was from a wealthy family, while she was a writer making a living by her pen. Mismatched in social status, no one knew if they could ultimately be together. So she remained neither cold nor hot, neither humble nor arrogant, like a friend, yet slightly more intimate. Luo Xuan thought she was temporarily trapped in grief from losing her parents, so he didn’t mind, always liked to gently hold her, look into her eyes, and sigh: “Chu Chu, how can I dissolve your sorrow?” Each time, Chu Ye would just smile faintly and say nothing.
But somehow, within half a year, Luo Xuan began distancing himself. He no longer spoke sweet words or came to find her.
Then one day, Lin Lan stood before her with her head down, almost crying: “Chu Chu, I’m with Luo Xuan now! Actually, I already liked Luo Xuan before you. Without him, my life would have no meaning at all…”
What else could she say? She didn’t want to lose a good friend over a man, so she could only laugh and bless them. Now, they were finally married. Although there was a slight sourness in Chu Ye’s heart, she was sincerely happy for them. Lin Lan had married into a wealthy family, and Luo Xuan had married a beautiful woman.
Wedding Day’s Unexpected Truth (4)
Chu Yue was startled, suddenly turning back, only to see Luo Xuan standing behind them with a dark, ashen face, his eyes barely concealing his anger. He had probably heard everything Lin Lan just said. Chu Yue awkwardly laughed and said, “Your wife is drunk, I can’t take care of her anymore, so I’ll leave her with you…” After saying this, she pushed the completely intoxicated Lin Lan towards Luo Xuan and then fled the scene.
Without greeting anyone, Chu Yue left the wedding venue. When she walked out of the hotel, her face was covered in tears. She didn’t hate Lin Lan for separating her from Luo Xuan, because her love for him wasn’t deep enough that she couldn’t let go. If Lin Lan truly loved Luo Xuan, she was willing to let them be.
She just couldn’t accept Lin Lan’s method of slandering her to win Luo Xuan. After twenty-four years of friendship, was it really so fragile? Could she use such means for a man?
When she returned home, her mind was still in turmoil. After washing her face with cold water, she tried to calm herself. Just then, Luo Xuan’s phone call came through. Chu Yue looked at the familiar number, unsure whether to answer. After hesitating for a long time, she pressed the answer button. After a long silence, just as she was about to hang up, she heard his low, sad voice: “What she said… is it true? Not just drunken nonsense?”
Chu Yue was stunned, trying to sound light-hearted: “Groom, are you drunk?”
“Lin Lan!” Zhong Luo Xuan said word by word, “Were we both deceived?”
Chu Yue remained silent, not knowing what to say.
After a while, Luo Xuan sighed dejectedly, “How could I be so foolish! How could I so easily believe her words…” His tone was filled with gritted teeth, making Chu Yue tremble.
She gently pressed the end call button. Even so, when he had suddenly distanced himself from her before, she hadn’t questioned anything, simply accepting that their fate had ended. Now, with the truth revealed, she understood that she ultimately hadn’t loved deeply enough. If it were true love, wouldn’t one not care about such things?
Chu Yue sat blankly on the sofa, her thoughts in disarray.
Back then, she was a novice writer, unable to write as freely as she could now. To meet an editor’s requirements, she had written a story about a hostess at a nightclub. To make her work more authentic and touching, she had infiltrated her friend’s workplace, becoming close with the “ladies” to obtain vivid material. She never imagined that Lin Lan would make such a big issue out of this, nor that Luo Xuan would distance himself because of it!
But Lin Lan, if you chose to lie and deceive, why reveal the truth now? How are we supposed to get along in the future? Chu Yue was suffering from a headache.
