Chapter 36: The Loyal Dog Can

When Chu Yourong arrived, most people's attention was on Zhang Dongshan, so few noticed her; after she sat down, Zhang Dongshan's performance ended, and the wedding ceremony officially began.

Liu Dongxu stepped out first, dressed in a sharp suit, followed by Wang Jiajia in a pure white wedding gown.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Wang Jiajia was actually quite pretty—a small beauty—and after today's meticulous styling, she truly looked radiant and dazzling.

Hu Chuan and Zhao Peng's eyes were practically glued to her.

Xu Zhiyang, sitting beside Zhang Xian, murmured in awe: "Dong Xu's wife is really good-looking!"

Watching the couple on stage, Zhang Xian felt a complex mix of emotions—he had warned Liu Dongxu from the start, and not just once.

But Liu Dongxu never listened to him; at first, he even thought Zhang Xian was jealous of him, since Wang Jiajia had originally been set up on a blind date with Zhang Xian—and she hadn't liked him.

So now, Zhang Xian could only sigh that everyone's fate was different.

"Dong Xu's getting married, and you look so melancholy."

"You didn't fall for his wife, did you?"

Chu Yourong wasn't interested in the wedding; she had been quietly observing Zhang Xian, and seeing his mournful expression, she couldn't help teasing him.

"I'm not Cao Cao—I don't go for married women!"

Zhang Xian snapped back, regaining his composure.

"Hmm, you like eating grass that's been trampled on!"

Chu Yourong leaned close to Zhang Xian's ear and whispered again.

"If you're going to say that, then you're trampled grass too—be careful, don't let me eat you!" Zhang Xian raised an eyebrow, putting on a lecherous grin.

They had once been nominal lovers, and now they'd "broken up"—so calling Chu Yourong trampled grass wasn't wrong.

"Pervert!"

Chu Yourong hadn't expected to get dragged into it herself; she muttered an insult, then still resentful, lifted her small foot and kicked Zhang Xian under the table.

She didn't use much force, but Zhang Xian exaggeratedly grimaced, crying out in pain.

"Brother Zhang, what's wrong?"

Xu Zhiyang gave Zhang Xian a suspicious look.

"Got kicked by a dog."

"A dog?"

"Where's the dog?"

Xu Zhiyang glanced left and right but saw no dog.

Zhang Xian said nothing, only pointed at Chu Yourong.

Kao!!

Only then did Xu Zhiyang realize—the couple was just playing around, and he'd just been part of their little game.

"You're the dog!"

Chu Yourong, having heard their exchange, shot Zhang Xian a glare.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiwei, sitting beside them, naturally noticed the "sweet interaction" between Chu Yourong and Zhang Xian, and her heart instantly churned with mixed emotions.

If Zhang Xian's current girlfriend weren't Chu Yourong, Lin Xiwei might have seriously tried to win him back—she was loyal and devoted; even after years apart, she'd never accepted anyone else.

Of course, it might also be that she'd never met another man who made her heart flutter.

In short, at this stage, she still held unusual feelings for Zhang Xian.

The wedding ceremony proceeded as scheduled, and soon it was time for Chu Yourong, the witness, to take the stage.

When the host announced her name, the guests realized that besides Zhang Dongshan, a major celebrity—Chu Yourong—had also come.

Yet interestingly, the cheers Chu Yourong received upon appearing were less enthusiastic than those for Zhang Dongshan's earlier performance of "Apple Fragrance," mainly because most attendees were middle-aged or elderly.

Everyone knew "Apple Fragrance," but Chu Yourong was only famous among the young; the older guests saw a young girl coming onstage as witness and looked utterly confused.

Many were asking the younger people at their tables: "Who's that girl on stage? What does she do?"

But for the young guests attending the wedding, this was a thrilling surprise—who expected to meet a celebrity at a wedding!

After completing her witness duties, Chu Yourong was about to step down when Wang Jiajia called her back and handed her the bridal bouquet.

The meaning of the bridal bouquet was obvious: in most weddings, the bride throws it, and unmarried guests scramble to catch it—the one who catches it is said to be the next to marry.

But in many weddings, the bride "designates" the bouquet to a close friend.

Today, Wang Jiajia had designated it for Chu Yourong; since they hadn't discussed it beforehand, Chu Yourong was delighted to receive it and took several selfies with the bouquet after returning to her seat.

The ceremony ended, and the wedding banquet began.

Liu Dongxu started going table to table with his bride, offering drinks.

Zhang Xian buried his head in his food, but after just a few bites, someone came up to take a photo with Chu Yourong.

Since he sat right next to her, the photo requests disrupted his meal—he had to stop and let them take their pictures.

But once one came, another followed—and soon, a line formed, severely interfering with Zhang Xian's eating.

"Zhang Xian, shall we leave?"

After seeing off another "fan," Chu Yourong whispered in Zhang Xian's ear.

She wasn't being arrogant—just that more and more people were coming for photos, disrupting the banquet's order and stealing the spotlight from the newlyweds.

"Alright, let's get out of here!"

Zhang Xian had no choice—under these circumstances, they had to slip away.

"Everyone, sorry, Yourong has work to attend to—I need to take her away!"

Zhang Xian took on the role of the "villain," loudly explaining to everyone, then pulled Chu Yourong out of the banquet hall.

Once in the car, Chu Yourong let out a long breath: "Dong Xu's family has a lot of relatives—there must've been three or four hundred people there."

"Liu Da's got seven siblings, and Dong Xu has two older sisters…"

Zhang Xian replied offhandedly, then asked: "Where to?"

Let me take you to dinner; you didn't eat well, did you?

Fine.

Zhang Xian hadn't eaten well—he hadn't enjoyed the wedding banquet at the hotel, but at least it had filled his stomach; now his belly was empty again.

Will it interfere with your date with your first love?

Chu Yourong teased again.

It does interfere. How will you make it up to me?

No compensation!

Then why are you wasting my time?

Zhang Xian shot back directly.

Zhang Xian, are you yelling at me?

Chu Yourong furrowed her brow, pouted her lips—adorable as could be.

Any other man would have already been defeated, soothing her in soft, tender words.

But Zhang Xian didn't respond at all; he showed not the slightest intention to comfort Chu Yourong.

We're both babies of over two hundred months. Why should I coddle you?

Of course, it's not entirely impossible to coddle.

To make Zhang Xian coddle you, there's a condition—you must be able to drive the stake.

Otherwise, why bother?

A lapdog won't get you anywhere!