Global Film Emperor

Chapter 339 Wedding Banquet
"Ring ring ring. Ring ring ring."

"Damn it! Who is it? Turn off the alarm! How annoying! Turn it off this early in the morning! I'm sleepy. Lu'er! Lu'er! Look who's using the phone, smash it!"

A smelly, large foot kicked Lu Ze in the face, almost shoving into his mouth. This made Lu Ze groggily open his eyes, look around in confusion, pick up his phone from the ground and turn off the alarm, and after the sound disappeared, he threw it far away before covering his face with a pillow to avoid being kicked again, and then closed his eyes again.

The room fell silent again. Soon after, Song Guiyuan, who was sleeping above Lu Ze and was the culprit who kicked Lu Ze in the face, started snoring again. But less than two minutes later, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door, which woke up Zhuang Yu's photography friend. He glanced at his watch and shouted at the outside.

"Trying to call back your soul at 5:30 in the morning! Stop knocking! What are you doing so early! Stop the hell knocking! Are you deaf?!"

After a burst of cursing, silence fell outside the door. The photographer, after lying back down, muttered, "I vaguely remember something happening today."

The room was quiet. Quiet, and then... holy shit!!! Holy shit!!! Holy shit!!!
All the men in the room jumped up, except for Song Guiyuan, who was sleeping like a log. Lu Ze, perhaps still hungover, sat down on Song Guiyuan's stomach, almost crushing his intestines. He then grabbed the half-empty bottle of beer from the bedside table and poured it on Song's face.

"Ah!!! Lu Ze! You son of a bitch!!!"

Forty minutes later, a group of rough-looking men in long gowns rushed out of the room, their heads glistening with sweat in the morning sun. Except for Zhuang Yu, everyone's hair looked like a bird's nest.

The person who knocked on the door was the stylist. They were supposed to do the groom's and best man's hair and makeup at 5:30, and leave at 5:50, but they didn't finish washing up until 6:05! Forget about styling, they didn't even have time to blow-dry their hair. Lu Ze's hair was still dripping wet.

“I told you not to drink that much! Not to drink that much! But you wouldn’t listen! The more you tried to stop me, the more you insisted! And you’re driving! Stop driving! These days, everyone’s a drunk driver if they take a breathalyzer test! And you still dare to touch the steering wheel? Zhuangzi! Get in the car! Get in the car right now!”

Zhuang Yu's voice cracked as soon as he spoke, and the veins on his neck bulged so high that blood could probably spurt a meter high. He slapped his thigh and roared while jumping up and down. He quickly shoved the still dazed Zhuang Yu into the car. Lu Ze also hurriedly got into the four-wheel-drive G-Wagon behind him, covered his head and sighed deeply. It wasn't just the headache from the hangover, but also the embarrassment.

Ever since filming "My Chief and My Regiment," he knew that Song Guiyuan's advice to drink less was completely unreliable! Old Song's drinking wasn't even a form of self-punishment; he treated alcohol like his own father.

How much did we drink last night? At the dinner party, including both men and women, about twenty people drank eight bottles of baijiu and ten cases of beer. As a result, twelve men went to a bar and drank all 160 bottles of beer given as a gift when they opened their membership cards, plus four bottles of Martell. Even Song Guiyuan and Lu Ze, who had the best alcohol tolerance, were knocked out.

Fortunately, Zhuang Yu didn't drink much at the bar. He was almost blacked out at the dinner party, so he only drank three or four bottles of beer at the bar, but he ate five or six fruit platters – a frightening amount of food.
"I've discovered you're a real menace! It's almost rush hour! If we don't get to the bride's house by nine o'clock, and then to the banquet venue, all the guests will be starving!"

"You're blaming me now? Weren't you yelling about it too? You said beer was weak, like water, and you insisted on drinking something strong. Now look at you! My wife's going to skin me alive when I get home! No way, you've got to come home with me later! Let's have some candy, buddy, so we can share in the good luck."

The two argued and cursed, and every time they stopped at a red light, they would smile and throw wedding candy and cigarettes into the cars next to them through the windows. When the light turned green and the cars continued to move, they would start cursing again, and the argument would not end until they reached Wang Zhen's house.

"Mr. Zhuang! Fifteen minutes! Only fifteen minutes left! The venue is urging us; everyone's waiting!"

The constant reminders about the time kept everyone on edge. Lu Ze noticed the cameraman's chubby figure and how hard he was struggling to run; even supporting him, he couldn't move. On a whim, he snatched the camera, hoisted it onto his shoulder, told the cameraman to meet upstairs, and then took off running to the front.

"This kid's still running so fast, he'll get seasick again. Hey buddy, wanna have some?"

Song Guiyuan wasn't in a hurry. He leaned against the car door, cracking sunflower seeds, and handed the seeds to the planner with a smile. Suddenly, he saw his phone ringing. He was startled when he saw the caller ID and quickly hung up. He touched his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

According to custom, those who are married or divorced cannot be groomsmen, and he certainly wasn't one of them. He was just hanging out yesterday. Thinking about it, if Zhuang Xue found out that this nobody had gotten the groom and groomsmen all drunk, he'd probably be drowned in the swimming pool.

The elevator reached the seventh floor, which was Zhuang Yu's old apartment. After all, he was a local from the capital and owned several properties there. Lu Ze took the lead and stepped out of the elevator, backing up to take pictures of Zhuang Yu's face. He was incredibly professional. Seeing Zhuang Yu frantically banging on the door, sweating profusely, Lu Ze felt a little guilty but still wanted to laugh.

"Knock knock knock! Honey, I'm here to pick you up! Open the door!"

"Who are you calling your wife? You're more than half an hour late, and we were all worried sick. We were hoping to let you in easily, but don't even think about it now! We'll test you first! Tell us all about how you and Zhenzhen met, how you got together, and your best memories!"

"Big sister! Stop fooling around! Time is of the essence! There's no time left, open the door now!"

The more anxious they became, the more excited the bridesmaids inside got, constantly egging them on. This made the men outside so angry they were practically grinding their teeth. Zhuang Yu, who had always been so refined, was now flushed, his lips pursed, his mind racing. He was just about to launch into a long tale about his love story with Wang Zhen.

Lu Ze suddenly noticed that the group behind the photographer had also come up. His eyes lit up, and he had an idea. He put his index finger to his lips, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then, he tiptoed to the elevator door, handed the camera to the photographer, and deliberately made a loud sound with his heels, as if he had just come out of the elevator. He took a breath, controlled his falsetto, lowered his voice, and made it more mature and difficult for acquaintances to recognize him. Finally, he spoke with a Beijing accent.

"Hello, this is a traffic police officer from the XX District Traffic Police Brigade. We came to your wedding and didn't want to disturb your happy day, but you were dangerously changing lanes, speeding by more than 20%, and even using the pedestrian crossing to evade traffic lights. Please, the driver who was driving, cooperate with the investigation and give me your driver's license. Were you drinking? You smell strongly of alcohol. Xiao Zhao, Xiao Zhao."

Lu Ze's head was twisted like he was having an epileptic fit. He kept giving one of the groomsmen meaningful glances before he finally realized what was happening and quickly agreed in a high-pitched voice.

"Hey! Hey! Captain!"

"Give me that alcohol tester... what was it again? Oh right, the breathalyzer. Let's start with Mr. Lu Ze. Please blow into it."

Zhuang Yu's friend got excited too, laughing so hard he was convulsing, but still had to control his voice as he replied, "Okay, here you go, Captain Wang."

Instantly, Lu Ze stood on the opposite side, changed his voice back, and said in a slightly flustered tone, "Um... I'm sorry, we did drink last night, but we really didn't drink this morning. Please, Mr. JC, we're having a wedding ceremony here, could you please wait a moment?"

Then he stood in the same spot again, even controlling his body movements perfectly. Even the best man and cameraman standing next to him were almost convinced, muttering, "This actor can act anywhere."

"Excuse me, but the public has already been informed about the dangers of drunk driving. I can't wait until your wedding is over, can I? You'll all be driving around reeking of alcohol. Here, take a breathalyzer test. If the alcohol has metabolized, you're fine. Go ahead and blow into it. Look, your blood alcohol concentration is 62 per 100 milligrams. You're driving under the influence. Next, blow into it. Your concentration is 72, even higher than Mr. Lu's. You're almost drunk driving. You dare to drive after drinking so much? Next, Mr. Zhuang Yu, you can blow into it too."

"Brother Zhuang? What's going on? Did you all drink and drive? You guys are such a handful! Don't drink on such a joyous occasion." The door was suddenly opened a crack. Although Zhuang Yu wasn't completely sober yet, he was cunning and immediately realized what was happening. He grabbed the door and forced it open, startling Wang Zhen's best friend.

"Come on! Come on!"

Suddenly, a large group of men rushed into the house. The women, still not understanding what was happening, screamed in fright at the scene. They were then gagged with red envelopes. Although they were still being stopped, their attitude was no longer as forceful as before.

"Zhuangzi! Flowers! Flowers! Don't forget the flowers!"

A bouquet of roses was thrown directly into Zhuang Yu's arms. Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee, slid forward a short distance, and presented the bouquet to Wang Zhen.

"It's so late, I thought you weren't going to get married. Was that Lu'er acting just now? Only he could act so convincingly. He's full of bad intentions, he scared me to death. I thought you were really going to end up in the police station on your wedding day. You bastard, I'll deal with him later."

This is strange. If it were really as the policeman Lu Ze said, there would be no need to pick up the bride. The entire convoy would be stuck halfway. But who can blame him when Lu Ze's acting is so convincing? Top-notch acting skills are not something that can be achieved by just anyone appearing and making sure the people in the room can't tell who it is. Every sentence and every word must be delivered with the perfect intonation to create this auditory deception.

“We’ll talk about his later. Wang Zhen, marry me. I’ll wash your clothes, cook your meals, do your dishes, mop the floor, earn my money, and give it to you. I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life. You can have all the money. Hurry up and go, or we’ll run out of time!”

He rattled off the words in a very fast voice, threw the flower at Wang Zhen, and then rushed out with Wang Zhen in his arms. Wang Zhen didn't even have time to react; she instinctively clung to Zhuang Yu and let him carry her away.

"Shoes! I'm not wearing shoes! I haven't even eaten my noodles yet! Hey! Brother Zhuang!"

"Take it! Eat it in the car!"

There were a total of 42 tables in the venue, with two tables as backups, so there were actually only 40 tables. Each table cost 13,888 yuan, which was far less extravagant than Song Guiyuan's wedding, which had more than 200 tables and cost 25,000 yuan per table. Firstly, Zhuang Yu and Wang Zhen didn't have many friends. Zhuang Yu didn't really like making friends in those kinds of social situations, and Wang Zhen had lost contact with those friends after her previous illness. They probably didn't expect that Wang Zhen would survive such a serious illness, and she didn't actually make many friends after her comeback.

Secondly, neither of them had much of a financial background, unlike Lao Song. After all, Song Guiyuan had been acting for so many years, earning three to five hundred thousand yuan per episode, while Zhuang Yu was just a photographer before. Wang Zhen had spent all his earnings on medical treatment, and the two of them had already struggled to buy a villa with a loan.

That's why the couple didn't plan to rent a castle abroad or a manor somewhere for their wedding; they simply held it in a hotel like any other ordinary family.

The guests present included relatives and friends from both sides, as well as executives from Tiancheng Media, some well-known artists, and actors they had met while filming. Actually, quite a few of Tiancheng's trainees were also present, but they weren't allowed to sit at the table; they were there to perform, show off their talents, and then receive a red envelope before leaving.

Even so, these kids put on an incredibly energetic performance on stage, singing, dancing, playing instruments, and showcasing all their skills. Each one was more impressive than the last, as if they wanted to perform some incredible feat like breaking a boulder with their mouth, locking a steel bar in their neck, pricking their mouth with a needle, or eating glass shards raw, as if they were afraid the company leaders in the audience wouldn't notice them.

However, Lu Ze couldn't see the children's energetic performance. He was helplessly watching two crying children rolling around on the ground. One of the children was Xiao Liang, and the other was Wang Zhen's cousin's daughter. Neither of the two flower girls' parents were present. After all, they were children, and it was inevitable that they would feel scared. No matter how Lu Ze tried to coax them, they just wouldn't get up.

Soon, the little girl's mother returned and comforted the child. When Xiao Liang saw that his comrade had stopped crying, he sat on the ground and started wailing. Lu Ze didn't care and just watched him cry while eating sunflower seeds. Sometimes children are the most talented actors. The more you comfort them, the more energetic they become. A beating will actually stop them from crying.

"Stop crying! If you cry again, I'll beat you up! Hold it in!"

Once again, she put on a fierce act, scaring Xiao Liang back to his feet and making him tug at Lu Ze's trouser leg, asking where his parents were. Lu Ze thought of Zhuang Xue's appearance earlier and couldn't help but sigh. He touched Xiao Liang's neatly combed hair from this morning. If Lao Song doesn't get over this today, Xiao Liang will probably become a child from a single-parent family.

Soon, the wedding began. Lu Ze carried Xiao Liang to the center of the venue, and he didn't need to worry about the rest. Along the way, he heard whispers all around him, but Lu Ze didn't pay attention. They were just surprised by his presence. Whatever emotions they expressed couldn't hurt Lu Ze in the slightest. Let them say what they want.

After the wedding began, everything was very joyous. However, the emcee did not mention anything about having a child soon, because Wang Zhen was indeed unable to conceive. The newlyweds were clearly prepared for this fact. However, it was obvious that Zhuang Yu's parents were not very satisfied with their daughter-in-law.

According to the older generation's thinking, it's not hard to understand. Although Zhuang Xue already has a child, can a grandson from another family be as close as a biological grandson? Of course, it's better to have a child with the surname Zhuang. This also led to the fact that although the two elders did not complain at the wedding banquet, their smiles were somewhat unnatural.

Perhaps Zhuang Yu's parents are the biggest obstacle to their marriage, but Lu Ze is an outsider and can't interfere; he can only watch the show from the sidelines.

Interestingly, during the bouquet toss, despite the numerous bridesmaids chattering and vying for the prize, Wang Zhen casually tossed the bouquet, miraculously landing it on Lu Ze's table. Lu Ze, who was engrossed in eating sunflower seeds, was startled. If Wang Zhen did it on purpose, hitting Lu Ze squarely with his back to her seemed a bit too accurate. But if it was a coincidence, Lu Ze easily received the blessing in Wang Zhen's smile.

The wedding officially ended, and the food and drinks were served by the waiters. The newlyweds began to toast, but of course, most of the drinks were watered down. If Lao Zhuang drank any more, he could forget about his wedding night; he'd probably be better off getting an IV drip in the hospital.

After toasting Lu Ze's table, Lu Ze ate a little and then prepared to leave. Although Zhuang Yu had mostly drunk water, there was still alcohol in his system, and he was quite confused at the moment. He didn't stop him much, only saying that they should get together alone sometime. After the two hugged, they were about to leave when Wang Zhen called out to Lu Ze from behind.

"When it's your turn to get married, let me know. I believe it will be soon."

"Who knows, but I reckon it'll be soon. Let's go."

"Call me when you get home, Lu'er."

On his way home, Lu Ze kept staring at the embroidered ball that Wang Zhen had thrown at him, lost in thought. Finally, when he arrived at Lühua Station, he picked up his phone and sent a text message to Gao Peiling.

"Find an opportunity to go home and meet my parents."

"."

(End of this chapter)