Starting a new chapter in life

After the wedding banquet, the New Year of 2015 arrived. This year, the house was finally lively. Lu Xiaoxiao went back to Shanghai to be with her parents, An'an came with his wife and children, and Zhizhi also came with Cheng Heng. The whole family was very happy and lively.

After the New Year, Zhizhi went to another city to film a new drama, and An'an also started a new busy period. The elderly couple had already gotten used to it and continued to live their retirement life.

In May, Jingyan thought Zhizhi wouldn't make it to Chu Han's wedding, so she took the wedding gift money to the wedding banquet. Sure enough, it was quite a grand affair. Just as the two of them were about to go to the door to give the gift money, they heard Zhizhi's voice: "Mom and Dad, I'm back."

Jingyan turned around and saw that Zhizhi really looked travel-worn. Jingyan frowned and said, "It's someone else's wedding. You should at least dress up a little to show respect."

Zhizhi nodded: "Cheng Heng will bring my clothes and accessories over. I'll take care of myself in the lounge before going to the wedding banquet. Let's sign the papers and give the wedding gift money first."

Seeing that she had other plans, Jingyan didn't say anything more. After signing her name and handing over the gift money, the mother and daughter walked towards the lounge. Jingyan felt very sorry for Zhizhi's haggard appearance.

"Look at you, if you're so busy, you don't need to rush back like this. I already gave you the wedding gift money, why are you so tired?"

Zhizhi smiled and said, "We're old classmates and neighbors for so long, so our relationship is definitely different. His wedding is a big deal, and I won't miss it if I can come back. But if I really can't make it, I'll prioritize work."

"But the schedule is already set. The main members of the production team are going to participate in a weekend variety show, and we need to take a two-day break here, so we can come and participate."

Jing Yan felt helpless but didn't say anything. They entered the lounge, and soon Cheng Heng rushed in, handing Zhizhi the bag he was carrying.

"Here you go: toiletries, skincare products, and cosmetics, as well as an outfit. Oh, and I also brought the matching shoes. I didn't know what kind of shoes you were wearing today, so I brought you a pair in case they didn't match."

Zhizhi smiled and took the bag, then stepped forward and kissed him on the corner of the mouth: "Thank you, honey."

Watching Zhizhi happily go to wash up and change, he couldn't help but touch the corner of his mouth where he had been kissed. This was the first time Zhizhi had kissed him in public.

After Zhizhi changed her clothes, her spirits were obviously much better. Jingyan looked her over and couldn't help but sigh, "The makeup skills these days are amazing. She was a wilted flower just now, but now she's a flower in full bloom. Not bad, not bad."

Zhizhi stepped forward and took her arm: "Mom, let's go into the banquet hall."

Just as the mother and daughter were about to leave together, He Zhijun stepped forward and grabbed Jingyan, saying to Zhizhi, "The person you're holding hands with is over there, don't take up my wife."

Zhizhi pouted, let go of his hand, turned around and took Cheng Heng's arm, "Fine, I'll find someone else, okay?"

Cheng Heng couldn't stop smiling, and happily followed Zhizhi's lead. He Zhijun muttered, "It's unbearable to watch."

Jingyan pinched him: "That's enough for you."

The four entered the banquet hall, and their table was next to the main table. After sitting down, they saw that Chen Bin and his wife had already arrived. Upon seeing them, Chen Bin grinned like an idiot: "Anzhi, you really made it back. This time, the three of us are all together."

Zhizhi smiled and nodded: "If I can make time, I will definitely come. Getting married is a big deal. How long until the ceremony?"

Chen Bin glanced at his watch: "About half an hour more."

Zhizhi nodded, leaned against Cheng Heng and closed her eyes: "I'll rest for a while, call me when the ceremony starts."

Cheng Heng put his arm around her and said, "Okay, you rest for a bit, I'll call you later."

Chen Bin stared blankly at him, scratching his head sheepishly, "How did you get so tired?"

Cheng Heng gestured for him to be quiet, and then waited quietly.

The ceremony was about to begin. Cheng Heng leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Zhizhi, wake up, the ceremony is about to begin."

Zhizhi took a nap and felt much better. She shook her neck, sat up straight, and waited for the wedding march to play throughout the hall before the newlyweds entered.

Both families were wealthy, so the event was quite grand. The ceremony took a while to complete. After the ceremony, the newlyweds went from table to table toasting. When they got to Zhizhi's table, they only chatted for a few more minutes because there were just too many guests.

After the banquet began and everyone had finished eating and were leaving, Chu Han's newlywed wife approached Zhizhi alone and gently asked, "Can we talk?"

He Anzhi was a little tired today, but he didn't refuse. After saying goodbye to his family, he followed her to the lounge. The two sat down, and the woman smiled:

"My name is Shen Cong'an, you can call me An'an. I know you. When our two families wanted to arrange a marriage, he refused, saying that he had a girl he liked. That girl is you, right?"

Zhizhi frowned, about to speak, when Shen Cong'an waved his hand to let her hear what he had to say: "Later, after he agreed to the marriage between the two families, I asked him why he changed his mind, and he said that you didn't like him."

Honestly, I didn't understand. He's outstanding in every way, so why couldn't he catch your eye? But after seeing the interaction between you and your husband today, I finally understand why. This long-held resentment can finally be let go.

You know, we were engaged for six years, but he kept refusing to set a wedding date. I was actually very worried that he might change his mind. When we finally set a wedding date, I was very happy, but also a little worried.

I know he treats me well, but it's not love, or rather, he doesn't love me enough. On the contrary, I love him more. They say the one who loves more has to give more, and I'm not afraid to give, but I'm afraid of ending up with nothing.

Zhizhi sighed: "My mother often said that if a girl wants to live well, the person she should love most is herself. No one else should ever be more important than herself. That's what she did. And my father really cherishes my mother."

"I love myself more than I love others. Do you know how I appear in other people's eyes?" Shen Cong'an shook his head.

"My husband says that I am like a little sun in his eyes, living my own life and being vibrant. My mother also says that when flowers bloom, butterflies will come. If you keep following in other people's footsteps, but you hope that the person who is moving forward will turn back, do you think that's reasonable?"

Now that you're married, you shouldn't be so insecure. It's exhausting for you and probably won't make things easier for him either. Live authentically and freely, and his attention will naturally be drawn to you. Physical beauty fades, but an interesting soul endures.

Shen Cong'an's eyes sparkled as he smiled at her: "You are indeed very different and confident. We've only chatted for a few minutes, but I like you quite a bit. I've taken your advice to heart, and I will try my best to live my own life. Thank you."

Zhizhi glanced at her watch, stood up, and smiled, "Then I'll be going now. My parents and husband are waiting for me to come home."

Shen Cong'an smiled and nodded: "It was a pleasure to meet you. Goodbye."

After Zhizhi left, Chu Han came out of a cubicle in the lounge. "I told you, she's not interested in me. We're just classmates, friends, and colleagues. Are you relieved now?"

Shen Cong'an smiled and said, "I was actually more interested in knowing what was so good about her that made you keep thinking about her. Now I think I know. She is indeed likable."

After they met up, Cheng Heng first took Jingyan and her husband home, and then drove Zhizhi back home. She still had a day off and could get a good night's sleep at home.

After Zhizhi left Beijing, Cheng Heng began preparing for their October wedding, personally selecting and confirming everything from the invitations and wedding attire to the venue and menu.

Occasionally, Cheng Heng would bring samples or photos to Jingyan's place to ask for her opinion. Jingyan always felt that this child was very dedicated and worked very hard. She had asked him if he needed any help, but Cheng Heng refused.

He wanted to take care of the entire wedding himself, so that it would be a memorable occasion to look back on. Since it was his idea, Jingyan and the others respected it and, apart from occasionally offering some suggestions, didn't interfere.

October arrived quickly, and Zhizhi's filming wrapped up. After returning to Beijing, she didn't have to worry about anything else from Cheng Heng, except for participating in costume fittings. Her focus was on post-production editing and supervision.

This meant that she wasn't very clear about the specific procedures on the eve of the wedding. Early that morning, her cousin, who was sent by Cheng Heng, helped her with makeup and changed into her wedding dress, and then she waited in her own house.

Zhizhi was getting married in Jingyan's house, so Cheng Heng had sent people to decorate it in advance. It was really bright red and extremely festive. Looking at the red decorations on the door and in the living room, Jingyan's lips twitched a little.

Turning a modern, simply decorated house into the room of an ancient lady is indeed a bit incongruous. At most, she'll put all of this away as soon as Zhizhi gets married; it's too dazzling.

Jing Yan also joked with He Zhijun, "Zhizhi's headdress was brought over by Cheng Heng, right? Is it pure gold? It looks really beautiful and shiny. I even tested its weight, and it's not too heavy, otherwise it would be very uncomfortable to press on your head."

He Zhijun glanced at her helplessly: "It's gold, but the craftsmanship is quite good. The openwork design will make it much lighter. Look at Zhizhi's wedding dress, it's all hand-embroidered. I guess it wouldn't be cheap to find a craftsman to make this dress."

Looking at it this way, it seems traditional weddings cost more than Western-style weddings. Our daughter has good taste; she likes classic styles.

Jingyan shook her head: "It seems that most of the TV dramas your daughter has acted in are set in ancient times. Do you think she has been influenced in this regard as well?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, thinking that as long as the child was happy, that was all that mattered.

Zhizhi sat happily on her bed in her room, waiting for the groom to come and fetch the bride. This kind of wedding ceremony, which follows ancient customs, has not appeared in Beijing for many years. Cheng Heng specially found a brand new truck.

A bridal sedan chair, antique and elegant, was placed on the truck. Eight strong young men in red gowns stood beside it. The truck was a real sight to behold as it passed by.

The wedding procession arrived at the house. Cheng Heng, dressed in a red suit with wide sleeves embroidered with gold thread, strode out of the flower-adorned car. He Zhijun and Jing Yan stood by the door watching this scene, and commented:

"What is this thing? It's a hodgepodge. If we're talking about ancient style, the clothes are alright, but the short hair is really out of place. The sedan chair is not bad either, but it's a bit strange that it's on a truck. Look at this car covered in flowers, if you didn't know better, you'd think it was a flower shop. Tell me, is this pretty?"

He Zhijun remained calm and laughed, "Let the kids do whatever they want. This wedding is their ceremony, they can do whatever they want. We'll just watch the show."

Cheng Heng couldn't stop smiling the whole time. When he entered the room, he was given a little challenge by the bride's relatives and friends, but he passed through smoothly after handing out a lot of red envelopes. Cheng Heng was even more amusing. Instead of following the usual procedures, he started reciting a poem to urge the bride to get ready for the wedding outside Zhizhi's room:

"Rumor has it that rouge is mixed by candlelight, and spring is celebrated before the mirror. No need for full makeup, just leave the eyebrows for the one who will paint them," Inside, Zhizhi is already waiting...

This amused everyone around him, who teased Cheng Heng about how long he had been preparing. Cheng Heng ignored their teasing, finished reading aloud, and went inside. Zhizhi was sitting on the bed, waiting for him to carry her to the living room.

He Zhijun and Jing Yan sat upright in the living room. Cheng Heng carefully put the person on his back, and the two knelt on the prayer mats. People next to them quickly brought two cups of tea, and the newlyweds took the red teacups and offered tea.

Jingyan took a sip as a gesture, then handed the red envelope in her hand to Cheng Heng, who accepted it and thanked her. He Zhijun then gave the red envelope to Zhizhi. After bidding farewell to their parents, He Jin'an carried Zhizhi to the bridal sedan chair.

Zhizhi was carried on her brother's back, laughing and dazed. She never expected that getting married would make her so happy. When they arrived at the entrance of the building and saw the very formal bridal sedan chair, Zhizhi, who often took pictures of bridal sedan chairs, was a little stunned: "Where was this made? It's so beautiful."

Cheng Heng stepped forward to help lift the sedan curtain and said, "I drew the blueprints and found embroidery and furniture craftsmen to help make it. You see, this sedan is made of mahogany and has been varnished. Although the redness is not quite right, it is still very beautiful."

After getting into the bridal sedan chair, Zhizhi touched around and said, "This wedding is really too expensive. It's not really necessary. We could have just rented a sedan chair from a film crew."

“That won’t do. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. We can’t use something old. Zhizhi should use something brand new. We can’t use something old.” Cheng Heng disagreed.

"Where will we put this after the wedding? It's so big, it takes up a lot of space." Zhizhi was mainly worried about the storage problem afterward.

Cheng Heng laughed: "Most of the dramas you film are set in ancient times. If you need a scene with a bridal sedan chair in the future, you can use this. You can put it in the company's props section. Others will have to pay rent to use it, but you can use it for free. I believe that it won't be long before you can recover the cost."

Zhizhi chuckled: "You're quite good at planning. This is a good idea. After our wedding, we can talk to my brother about the rental price."

He Jin'an coughed lightly: "I'm still here. Can you two finish the wedding before you discuss how to scam people?"

The sedan chair curtain was lowered, and eight strong young men lifted the sedan chair and carried it up the lift platform to the truck bed. Firecrackers were set off in front of the door, and with the crackling sound, Cheng Heng got into the wedding car and led the way, with the truck carrying the sedan chair following closely behind.