The staff opened the door to the dressing room.
An Nuan followed Gu Yan Sheng towards the banquet hall.
At this moment in the banquet hall, the guests were already seated at their seats, and the only lights on were illuminating the flower petal-strewn carpet down the middle.
Gu Yan Sheng escorted An Nuan into a pink castle made of fresh flowers and gossamer veils at the center of the banquet hall, while he himself went to the stage at the very center of the hall, waiting for her arrival.
As the wedding march began to play.
The gossamer veil in front of An Nuan was slowly opened by the staff.
An Nuan walked down the carpet of flower petals, arm in arm with her father.
The lights followed An Nuan's footsteps, advancing one step at a time.
All eyes in the venue were fixed on An Nuan, watching her glide by with a radiant, delicate smile, beautiful beyond words.
"Dad," An Nuan suddenly called out to him.
"Yes?" An Yanyuan replied.
"No matter what happens later, don't be too surprised."
"Hm?" An Yanyuan frowned.
He knew that his daughter was going to publicly call off the wedding today.
But he and her mother had no idea what form it would take, or how far she would go to call it off.
Up until now.
They both thought she had given up.
But now, hearing her mention it again so suddenly.
"Just know that everything is arranged by me," she added.
"Alright," An Yanyuan nodded.
He would unconditionally believe in his daughter.
Still arm in arm with her father, An Nuan finally arrived before Gu Yan Sheng.
Gu Yan Sheng extended his hand gentlemanly.
Even now, he carried himself with utmost nobility and elegance, earning the admiration of all present.
An Yanyuan placed An Nuan's hand in Gu Yan Sheng's, and gently patted Gu Yan Sheng on the shoulder.
Gu Yan Sheng nodded.
Looking every bit like someone who would surely treat An Nuan well.
Just this small gesture.
Elicited applause from the entire venue.
Gu Yan Sheng gripped An Nuan's hand tightly, facing the priest before them.
The priest smiled benevolently at the couple.
Speaking into the microphone, he said, "I'm honored that today, in the name of God, I will be officiating the marital covenant between this newly wedded couple. But before that, the groom has a special message he'd like to share with our bride. Let us have a moment for our groom."
Once again, thunderous applause filled the venue.
It was just like this in their past life too.
Before the ceremony, Gu Yan Sheng had made a moving declaration of love before everyone, making them all feel that his love for An Nuan cut down to the bone. It made everyone envy An Nuan for marrying such an exceptional man.
That year, An Nuan had thought so too. She was even moved to tears by his declaration.
But now.
She watched Gu Yan Sheng with placid eyes as he gripped the microphone passionately, using the gentlest voice to say, "Nuan Nuan, the first time I saw you, you were 10 years old. Our grandfathers were playing chess in the room. I saw you sitting obediently beside your grandfather, your little face so very red and cute. I thought...from that moment on, I had fallen for you. So when my grandfather told me that you would be my future bride, 13-year-old me was so excited that I couldn't even sleep that night. I waited 12 years, and finally, the most beautiful bride is before me..."
The corners of An Nuan's mouth curved into a smile.
Her smile was obscure and indistinct.
But one had to admit, it was dazzlingly beautiful.
Even Xia Qiqi by An Nuan's side was moved by Gu Yan Sheng's sincere, heartfelt confession in that moment.
Gu Yan Sheng clearly loved An Nuan a lot.
Why was An Nuan still wavering?
Xia Qiqi even felt that An Nuan was in the wrong.
"Those vows about life and death, riches and poverty, cannot express the depth of my love for you. Nuan Nuan, I only hope that in this life, the next life, and every life after, I can always be there to care for you and protect you," Gu Yan Sheng's eyes were reddening with emotion.
In that moment, everyone could see his deep feelings.
An Nuan watched too.
Watched closely.
Only when she died did she find out that this so-called sincere confession had been bought and paid for. How could Gu Yan Sheng possibly have written such touching, moving words for her? And the moistness in his eyes was probably from him pinching himself.
After all, she could clearly see his other hand viciously pinching his thigh in the dimmer lighting.
After knowing the truth, An Nuan felt the entire scene was quite ridiculous.
Ridiculous to the point that she suddenly laughed.
An uncontrolled, radiant laugh.
Clearly, the woman who should have been crying the most was now laughing with innocent joy instead.
And her laughter completely shattered the emotions Gu Yan Sheng had painstakingly built up.
His eyes could no longer redden.
At that moment, his brows involuntarily furrowed.
Logically, An Nuan should have been in tears now.
Once she cried, he would have gone forward to wipe her tears, then embraced her in his arms, bringing the wedding into its first climax.
But.
Now, An Nuan's expression clearly flustered Gu Yan Sheng for a moment.
But Gu Yan Sheng was worldly-wise after all.
He substituted wiping her tears for holding her hand once more, tightly grasping her palm in his own large hand. He said to An Nuan, "I've prepared a surprise for you."
An Nuan smiled subtly, imperceptibly.
She would find out very soon whether it was a surprise or a shock.
Holding An Nuan's hand, Gu Yan Sheng turned to face the large HD screen before them, his back to the guests.
The screen was huge.
Even guests seated at the furthest ends of the banquet hall could see the picture clearly.
An Nuan was still grateful that she had lived this life again, at least now she knew everything.
She knew the sequence of the wedding, and when to make him a complete mess!
At this moment, everyone's attention was fixed on the HD screen.
The corners of Gu Yan Sheng's mouth curved confidently, even betraying undisguised smugness.
This wedding.
Would make him the perfect man in others' eyes.
He watched expectantly, full of anticipation.
But in the next second, the moment the pictures appeared on screen, his smile froze instantly.
The photographic record of his beautiful love story with An Nuan, which should have been there, was suddenly replaced by a video of two entangled naked bodies, accompanied by the coquettish moans of a man and woman. The scene left every guest in the venue in an uproar!
