Chapter 405: Honey, I feel awful

Xia Xi appeared again in the hall, wearing a completely different outfit—a red strapless gown whose skirt consisted of layered, artfully arranged chiffon, flowing and lively yet still dignified.

Her features were strikingly beautiful, objectively so, leaving no room for doubt; wearing such a color was extremely eye‑catching, and almost everyone's gaze in the hall fell on her.

The styling team redesigned her hair and makeup to match the gown, weaving red ribbons into her hair that hung down at her ears; as she moved, the ribbons floated, and her makeup became bolder and more flamboyant, making it impossible to look away.

Xu Yanfeng noticed those gazes; even though they were admiring, he felt a pang of resentment involuntarily and regretted: "If I had known, I wouldn't have chosen this."

Xia Xi heard him, gave him a slight wink, and said: "Too bad it's too late—I've already put it on."

It's hard not to suspect she's doing this on purpose to provoke him.

Xu Yanfeng's voice low: "If you keep provoking me, do you believe I'd drag you back right now to change into another?"

Xia Xi didn't believe he'd actually do something so outrageous; recalling his earlier praise, she used it aptly: "The focus is me, not the dress." She brought a hand to her cheek, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "I'm this beautiful—what could look bad on me?"

"……"

It was the truth, and Xu Yanfeng couldn't refute it.

Many elders had come; Xu Yanfeng took Xi to toast with them. Her cup held plain water, while he drank real liquor. She didn't know those people, but she obediently followed Xu Yanfeng's lead in addressing them.

After the round, even though it was just water, Xi had drunk enough to feel seven‑tenths full; she occasionally glanced at Yanfeng to gauge his state. His tolerance was average—by past experience, drunkenness made him act wildly crazy. Today's occasion couldn't allow him to make a fool of himself.

Xi pinched his arm; he looked over, and she whispered, "Are you still okay?"

Yanfeng appeared normal—no flushed face, steady breathing—only his gaze seemed a bit unfocused, suggesting he was just one step from drunkenness. He pursed his lips, leaned close, his breath overly warm: "I'm fine."

He took another cup from a waiter and said, "Just two more toasts and we're done."

Xi accompanied him, saw off the last two elders from the families, and let out a sigh of relief.

When others offered him drinks, Yanfeng cleverly passed them to the groomsmen—the advantage of brothers: each one a walking keg, blocking drinks effortlessly.

Tang Yizhou glanced at Yanfeng, raised his cup, pointed a finger at him in the air, and said, "No way, Xu Er, are you already done?" He then downed a cup of plain liquor without even furrowing his brow.

In a drinking contest, Yanfeng truly couldn't match those few; he admitted it, making no excuse. He hooked his arm around Xi's neck, seeming unsteady, about to collapse the next second, the corners of his eyes flushed, his brow slightly furrowed: "Honey, I feel awful."

Tang Yizhou: "……"

Damn, this deadbeat behavior—I really want to kick him out of the hall.

Yet Xi fell for his act, nervously supporting him to a nearby chair and asking, "Where does it hurt? Your stomach? I'll see if anyone has hangover medicine. Let me get you some hot soup, okay? It'll settle your stomach."

Yanfeng: "Okay."

Xi lifted the lid of an untouched pot of soup, ladled out a small bowl, handed the spoon to Yanfeng, told him to sip slowly, then stepped away temporarily.

Yanfeng leaned sideways against the table edge, propping his head with his hand, gave Tang Yizhou a smug little smile, as if saying, "You look like you won, but you actually lost big."

Tang Yizhou, furious, flung his cup down on the spot, refused to block drinks for him any longer, and gave him the middle finger.

Xi returned quickly, asked a waiter for hangover medicine, poured a cup of warm water and held it. Yanfeng had already dropped his arrogant demeanor, his eyelids drooping, leaning weakly against the side.

Seeing his fragile state, Xi felt a twinge of pity and muttered, "You know your tolerance is poor—why be so earnest? You could just drink water like me and pretend."

She pinched the pill to his lips, he opened his mouth to take it, then she pressed the cup's rim to his mouth; he swallowed a sip of water with her hand, washing the pill down.

Xi set the cup down and used her finger to wipe the water droplet from his lips.

Tang Yizhou witnessed the scene, his teeth clenched—what a shameless guy; although he'd indeed drunk a lot, he wasn't unable to lift his hands, yet he acted like a disabled person.

Yanfeng still seemed to feel the stimulation wasn't enough, he wrapped both arms around Xi's waist, pressed his face against hers, closed his eyes, and whispered softly, "I just need a moment."

Xi stood still, her hand resting on the back of his head, giving it a gentle pat.

The banquet lasted over three hours, and host and guests enjoyed themselves fully.

There was still a party that night; some older elders left early, leaving mostly young people. Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday, no work, so they could enjoy themselves to the fullest.

The champagne tower was stacked higher than a person; taking drinks from it required careful handling, lest one careless move cause it to collapse. The long tables draped in white lace were laden with food for anyone to take. Flowers were piled high as well, and the lights shone like stars. Compared with the formal elegance of the daytime wedding reception, the nighttime party was obviously more relaxed, free‑spirited, and casual.

Yanfeng had taken an afternoon nap, slept off the alcohol, and appeared before everyone refreshed, holding Xi's hand. She had changed into a lighter dress, no high heels, her curls falling loose; after a busy day she showed no trace of fatigue, her spirits excellent. She told Yanfeng she was going to chat with friends.

Seeing her approach, Zhao Lei asked right away, "Where's your precious son? Why didn't you bring him over for the aunts to see?"

Xi laughed, "Kids need lots of sleep; he was yawning nonstop just now, so I let him go nap."

Liang Yuan: "Going through all these wedding rites, just watching makes me feel exhausted—it's amazing you can still stand before me grinning like an idiot; I thought you wouldn't come to the party."

Xi pinched her cheek: "I had to come keep my good sisters company."

Liang Yuan laughed: "You must have snatched every second this afternoon to catch up on sleep."

"Yanfeng took a nap, but I didn't," Xi said. "Just then a client called to discuss our upcoming cooperation; we talked for over an hour—no time to sleep."

"You're that," Liang Yuan gave her a thumbs‑up.

On the other side, Yanfeng was stuck among the men, each holding a cup of drink, refusing to touch alcohol any further. Being pestered by toasts annoyed him, so he simply walked away, glanced around, spotted Xi chatting happily with friends, and left her undisturbed.

Someone called him; Yanfeng turned his head, met Zhou Du's gaze, who offered a cup: "Want to clink?"

Considering how much he'd helped Xi, Yanfeng didn't refuse, accepted the cup graciously, and took a sip.

Zhou Du: "I thought you were dazed from lunch drinking and wouldn't drink again."

Yanfeng glanced at him: "It's not because I'm looking at your big face."

"……Really strange, even the Xu family CEO would joke like that." Zhou Du lazily lifted his eyelids, his other hand holding a cup of red wine, swirling it twice before taking a sip, looking at Yanfeng: "Back in college, your bad temper was just like Xi's single‑mindedness—always charging headfirst into a south wall."

Yanfeng raised an eyebrow: "Are you jealous?"

Zhou Du grit his teeth, one side of his lip curling, utterly disgusted by his baseless jealousy: "Hasn't Xi told you anything about me?"

"What?" Yanfeng asked.

Seeing him like that, he clearly had no idea. Zhou Du nodded, lips curving: "Exactly, Xi is just like me—tighter‑lipped than a screwed‑on lid; our bond is ironclad, and even if you're her partner, she wouldn't reveal a word about my privacy."

Likewise, regarding anything about Xi, if she doesn't want it known, he will keep his mouth shut, never revealing it even under threats or inducements.