"Boss, I just received a ssage from the wedding planner," Dom said. "She said that sir boss and his groomsn already arrived in the indoor forest. Everyone is ready. They’re just waiting for us."
"I see," Iris murmured while taking a final look at herself in the wall mirror. "We should get going, then. I don’t want to keep everyone waiting for too long."
"Mama, so pwetty!" Little Jun said for the sixth ti. He couldn’t stop staring at his Mama Xiulan ever since she stepped out wearing her wedding gown.
Iris chuckled and caressed her godson’s chubby cheek. "Thank you, Little Jun. You look very dashing today."
The little guy giggled and hugged his mother’s neck who was carrying him.
"Where’s Ice Cream and Popcorn?" Iris asked Dom.
"Don’t worry, Boss. The catsitters already brought them to the indoor forest, plus the two big tablets for Baby Ketchup and Baby Bacon."
Iris nodded, satisfied that everything was going smoothly.
"How are you feeling, Xiulan?" ii asked. The makeup artist did an excellent job in covering up her unhealthy pallor, dark circles, and the swollen bags under her eyes.
Iris took a mont to examine her feelings before answering ii. "I thought I would feel nervous but I actually feel calm right now. No, calm is not accurate. It’s more like I’m at peace because this mont feels so...right."
Dom and Clover sighed dreamily at her answer.
"You don’t feel excited?" ii asked next.
"Of course, I feel excited. But it’s the peaceful kind of excitent."
Long Jinjing touched Iris’ arm and smiled at her. "I’m so happy for you, Little Sister Xiulan."
"Thank you, Big Sister Jinjing."
"I just still find it hard to believe sotis that you, the youngest among us siblings, are the first one to marry."
Iris only smiled because she didn’t know how to respond.
"But looking at you and Brother-in-law Liwei is enough explanation. The two of you are perfect for each other."
Iris bead.
"Co on, ladies!" Chen Fei’s voice interrupted. "Let’s not keep the groom waiting any longer or he might barge in here and drag Xiulan down the aisle. It’s obvious that the man can’t wait to marry Xiulan."
"Liwei won’t do that because we’re already married," Iris said in amus.e.m.e.nt. "You already know that we went to the Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday so that Liwei and I could get our official marriage certificate. Today is just the wedding ceremony and celebration with our family and friends."
Chen Fei rolled her eyes but everyone knew that she wasn’t being an about it. She hadn’t called Iris a bitch ever since learning that Iris was pregnant.
"I know that you’re already married since yesterday but what I an is that your man can’t wait to have you by his side because a certain soone’s boyfriend insisted that the two of you had to sleep in different rooms and not see each other before today’s ceremony."
Long Jinjing bit her lower lip. "I’m sorry, little sister. I tried persuading Ni-Zihao so many tis yesterday to not interfere with you and Brother-in-law Liwei but he just wouldn’t listen and change his mind."
Iris chuckled. "It’s fine, Big Sister Jinjing. Big Brother is very traditional when it cos to things like marriage. That’s just the way he is."
Her friends didn’t look like they quite believed her, especially Long Jinjing, but they didn’t argue. She also didn’t bother trying to convince them about her brother’s old-fashioned beliefs. Her mind today was preoccupied with thoughts of her husband, Jin Liwei.
"Let’s go," she announced in a soft voice.
###
Contrary to Wei Lan’s complaint when she made a scene earlier, the wedding venue wasn’t plain or pathetic at all. It only looked that way to the untrained and unsophisticated eye.
When one looked closely, the decorations blended perfectly with the surrounding forest. Everything looked natural and organic as if the decorations had been part of the environnt all along.
All of the wildflowers were fresh, colourful, and arranged in such a way that didn’t appear too deliberate. It wasn’t only the flowers. Real crawling vines and dried twigs accentuated the fresh nature the. Small bulbs of hanging lights blinked slowly and swayed now and then, looking so much like fireflies when viewed from a distance. Electronic wooden torches that looked like real fire added a tribal, almost supernatural, atmosphere to the venue.
Rustic-looking chairs were arranged in two columns before the pond. The aisle was the pathway to the islet. A man, the officiant, was already standing in the middle of islet, waiting to wed the bride and groom.
When viewed as a whole, there was sothing magical, even spiritual, to how everything had been arranged and decorated in the place. The occasional splashing of the koi fish in the pond and the faint fluttering and buzzing sounds of the bugs throughout the indoor forest made everyone feel like they had entered a world of fairies.
Everyone already moved on from the spectacle Wei Lan caused earlier. They began to feel anticipation for the wedding ceremony instead.
Finally, the groom and his groomsn arrived. Everyone stood up to greet Jin Liwei but they quickly realized from his cold and hard expression that he was furious. They watched him as he strode to the front row and stopped upon reaching Wei Lan’s seat.
They saw him talking to Wei Lan but couldn’t hear their conversation. His expression remained cold and hard while Wei Lan quickly beca upset. She fished out her lace handkerchief from her diamond-encrusted clutch again and started wiping nonexistent tears just like before.
Soone must’ve told Jin Liwei about what happened earlier, causing him to confront his mother-in-law. Everyone beca nervous and worried that this wedding might be riddled with so much unpleasant drama. To their surprise, however, the conversation only lasted for less than a minute.
Wei Lan nodded at Jin Liwei before settling down on her seat again like a remorseful little girl intent on behaving from now on.
It was only then that Jin Liwei’s expression finally eased. Then he looked around and started greeting everyone with a smile and a nod.
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