Chapter 306: Why not propose?

In the banquet hall downstairs, Xu Yanfeng's appearance drew considerable attention.

Zhao Lei had a lively personality and got along well with her classmates; before her wedding she shouted in the class group, and basically all the university classmates who could come did. About half of those who had shown up at the previous class reunion were present.

They gathered together and whispered.

"What wind blew that person here?"

"Zhao Lei doesn't have that much influence, does she?"

"Xu Yanfeng isn't from our year, so how could Zhao Lei be acquainted with him?"

"Haven't you forgotten that Xu's ex-girlfriend shared a dorm with Zhao Lei?"

"You already said she was an ex-girlfriend."

"At the last class reunion, everyone saw that Xu and Xia each had their own partners; they'd long since broken off."

"You can't say that. Later we all ran into them—Xu and Xia were in another private room doing something, and when they came out Xia's lip was split; it couldn't have just been a bump."

"Wait, who is that child beside Xu Yanfeng?"

After a moment of stunned silence, someone raised a wine glass to toast Xu Yanfeng, wearing a warm smile and a respectful attitude: "General Manager Xu, what a coincidence to run into you here—come, let me toast you."

"I brought a child, so it's not convenient to drink." Xu Yanfeng picked up the tea cup beside him, "I'll just use tea instead."

"Feel free, feel free." The person's gaze shifted to the quiet boy sitting beside Xu Yanfeng and asked casually, "Is this a relative's child of General Manager Xu?"

Xu Yanfeng turned his head, glanced at Zi Heng, and signaled him with his eyes.

Zi Heng sighed inwardly, obediently shouted, "Dad." Saying "Dad" dryly sounded silly, so Zi Heng added, "When is Mom coming over?"

"Yeah, should be soon." After answering, Xu Yanfeng looked at the person who had come to chat, the corner of his mouth curling slightly: "He's not a relative's child; he's my son."

That person's jaw dropped, not daring to ask who his wife was, gave a slight nod, and left.

Returning to the crowd, he was immediately surrounded, with everyone asking him what he had found out.

"Holy shit, that kid is Xu Yanfeng's son! I hadn't heard he got married!" That person looked at the only one in the group who had any connection to Xu Yanfeng—the class monitor—and said, "Old Ding, who is your boss's wife? Wasn't it Miss Ling who accompanied Xu Yanfeng to the last class reunion?"

Ding Wen Qi, who works at the Xu Clan Group, was stunned by the question: "I haven't heard of a boss's wife… but I'm certain it's definitely not Miss Ling. Although she used to often come looking for General Manager Xu, there seemed to be nothing between them. Anyway, I've never heard anyone in the company say that General Manager Xu and Miss Ling were a couple; you must all be mistaken."

While this group was heatedly discussing, Xia Xi walked into the banquet hall.

The bride had been taken away, the bridal party went to help, and with some free time Xia Xi came over.

As she walked, she saw many familiar faces.

"Xia Xi, you came too." A classmate greeted her.

Xia Xi smiled and replied, "Mm."

Everyone watched her walk toward Xu Yanfeng, and when she finally sat in the empty seat beside him, pairs of eyes widened like bells.

Xu Yanfeng poured Xia Xi a cup of hot tea. Out of earshot of the two, the murmuring started again.

"Wow, the hottest couple from Nan Da is back together?"

"What did I just say? Xu Yanfeng surely came for Xia Xi's sake; Zhao Lei doesn't have enough clout to get him to come."

"Don't shoot your mouth off after the fact—did you mean that earlier?"

"It's terrifying—these two not only didn't fall out, they even had a kid. What were they up to at the last class reunion?"

"I don't know, I'm not clear, I don't understand."

"Um, maybe… it's just for fun?"

Although Xia Xi couldn't hear those voices, she could roughly guess what her classmates were saying behind her back about her and Xu Yanfeng; what they were curious about was probably similar to what Zhao Lei and the others wondered. She felt it didn't matter; it's normal for people to be curious.

She lifted the tea cup, drank it all in one go, and handed the cup over: "Another cup, please."

Xu Yanfeng glanced at her, slightly lifted his lips in a smile, picked up the teapot on the table, and refilled her cup: "Why are you so thirsty?"

"My roommates dragged me into telling stories, and they made my mouth dry." This time Xia Xi drank slowly, taking small sips.

Xu Yanfeng rested his chin on his hand, his attractive eyes slightly narrowed: "What story?"

"You tell me." Xia Xi turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the familiar group of classmates huddled together, their mouths constantly moving: "Has nobody ever asked you?"

Xu Yanfeng: "Someone came, just said hello."

Xia Xi: "……"

How could she have forgotten? With Xu Yanfeng's status, those people, no matter how curious, would only speculate behind his back and never confront him directly.

The wedding ceremony began; a band played the wedding march live in the banquet hall, the tall, solemn doors were pulled open to either side, Zhao Lei, wearing a pristine white wedding dress, took her father's hand and walked down the red carpet. Her beautiful face bore a smile, dreamy lights shone down, and even through the veil her glistening tears could be seen—tears of happiness.

Xia Xi sat below, watching Zhao Lei's father hand her over to the groom, instructing him to treat his daughter well, when suddenly a pang struck her heart and her eyes grew warm.

The music gradually faded; under the MC's guidance, the bride and groom proceeded through the ceremony, exchanging vows before their families and friends, pledging a lifetime together, then exchanging rings and kissing.

Cheers rose from the crowd; Xia Xi turned her head and saw Xu Yanfeng covering Zi Heng's eyes with his palm so he wouldn't see the bride and groom kiss. Zi Heng, unaware of the situation, struggled uncooperatively in his arms.

Xia Xi was amused.

Xu Yanfeng locked eyes with her, his gaze gentle and tender, unknown what he was thinking.

Xia Xi's heart suddenly felt as if it had been pinched, a corner collapsing; she hastily averted her gaze and looked back at the stage.

Zhao Lei blushed amid the cheers, her gloved hand covering half her face, then she simply hid against her husband's chest.

The groom laughed as he embraced her.

The MC raised the microphone and, in a joking tone, said: "It's obvious our bride has a thin skin."

Someone in the crowd shouted: "Zhao Lei, don't be a coward!"

The whole hall burst into laughter.

The MC, still laughing, hurried on to the next item: "Next, please have the bride toss her bouquet, passing your happiness to the next person."

Zhao Lei stepped out of the groom's arms, smoothed her chest to calm herself, turned her back to the bridal party, lifted high the white roses in her hand, and flung them backward with force.

In the past people scrambled for the bouquet, the focus being on grabbing it; nowadays, as fewer people yearn for marriage, the bouquet flies over and every bridesmaid instinctively steps aside, afraid of being the one hit.

Zhao Lei threw with too much force; the bouquet flew over the stage, landed downstairs, dead center on Xia Xi's head—after all, she happened to be seated at the VIP table closest to the stage.

Xia Xi shrank her neck, the bouquet fell, and was caught by a large hand reaching over from beside her.

Applause and cheers erupted at the scene, the atmosphere soaring.

Xia Xi stared blankly at Xu Yanfeng, who was holding the bouquet, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected situation.

Zhao Lei on stage turned around, her gaze sweeping over the bridesmaids' hands; not a single one had caught the bouquet. She then shifted her focus outward and instantly spotted Xu Yanfeng and Xia Xi among the guests.

Zhao Lei covered her mouth with both hands, delighted, saying, "Looks like it was meant to be!" No longer the shy, blushing girl she had been, she snatched the MC's microphone and loudly urged, "Senior, won't you say something? What a perfect opportunity—why not propose?"