bookrandom Chapter 1073 The Marks of Time
Chapter 1073 The Marks of Time
In the courtyard of the Teng family villa, a sea of white roses created a dreamlike scene. Reporters set up their equipment within the designated security area, focusing their cameras on this highly anticipated double wedding.
"Hello everyone, I am Lu Zhenhua, a reporter from Kuncheng Finance and Economics News. I am now reporting on the wedding banquet of Mr. Teng Zijing, President of Fengteng, and Ms. An Ran, President of Antai Technology."
"Hello everyone, I'm Zhang Bin, the host of 'Kunming Variety Show'..."
"Hello everyone, I am Ming Ye, a reporter from People's Livelihood Focus Daily."
In front of the camera, reporter Mingye held a microphone, her voice brimming with excitement.
"It is a great honor to be invited to the weddings of Fengteng President Teng Zijing and Antai President An Ran, and Mr. Deng Zhouyi and Ms. Yu Qianqian."
She turned to the side so the camera could pan across the ceremony: "What you are seeing now is the ceremony segment."
The overwhelming number of wedding posters online had previously cemented the image of Mr. Jing and Ms. An as a loving couple in the public's mind.
Fengteng's stock price surged in response, and the buzz generated by the wedding completely overshadowed Zidong International, reaching more than three times its peak value!
The romance between Deng Zhuge, known as the "Cold-Faced Zhuge," and the pure and simple Ms. Yu Qianqian...
More like a shot in the arm, it propelled Fengteng's stock price to soar, and the marketing performance of each project also rose accordingly.
The two grooms' appeal is truly extraordinary! They're poised to dominate the top spot!
The camera cuts to the area below the stage. "Look, the brides are being carried by their grooms to the edge of the stage."
The father is holding his daughter's hand; this is his final act of protection and farewell.
They wanted to personally hand over their precious child, whom they had raised with such care, to someone who could continue that love.
The camera gave a close-up of Teng Zijing, An Ran, and Yu Fei: "Ah, the young man holding President An's hand over here is said to be her younger brother Yu Fei, whom she grew up with."
Mingye introduced with a smile, his tone full of admiration, "The relationship between these two siblings is truly enviable. I've heard that President An has overcome all kinds of hardships over the years..."
Mr. Yu has always been by my side like a guardian angel; their relationship is so close, it's practically like that of best friends.
In the scene, Yu Fei is wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, his figure is upright, but he cannot hide the loneliness in his eyes.
He held An Ran's hand, his knuckles slightly white, as if he were saying a final goodbye.
"It is said that Yu Fei has always been deeply in love with President An, but President An only has President Teng in his heart."
Mingye chuckled lightly, "Look, Master Jing's face has darkened. He's probably about to get jealous."
However, from today onwards, President An belongs to Master Jing alone, and Yu Fei can only accompany her on her wedding as family.
The camera captured Teng Zijing's gaze—a gaze that was extremely possessive, yet also carried a subtle, almost imperceptible, "warning" meaning.
He didn't say anything, but simply reached out and steadily took An Ran's hand from Yu Fei's.
As Yu Fei's hand fell, his fingertips trembled slightly. He looked at An Ran, his eyes swirling with complex emotions, which ultimately coalesced into a very soft sentence:
"Sister Anran, I wish you happiness."
"Shut up, you brat, don't worry about me."
An Ran tugged at Teng Zijing's hand, her eyes slightly red, but she still gave a gentle smile: "Thank you, Xiao Fei."
This scene left many guests sighing in sympathy. The childhood sweetheart's unwavering devotion ultimately couldn't withstand the force of fate in their love.
"Today, Mr. Yu is taking my father's place. This affection is even closer than that between family members."
She changed the subject, adding with a hint of teasing, "But look at the look in our Master Jing's eyes, he's clearly declaring his ownership: 'From today onwards, I will protect your sister An Ran.'"
Fortunately, President An will soon be under Master Jing's command; otherwise, given Master Jing's jealous nature, he might have given this "protector of flowers" a hard time!
The camera suddenly zoomed in, "Wow, Mr. Jiang from Zidong International is standing at the head of the groomsmen! He looks so handsome in his white groomsman suit today!"
Let's get a close-up—what's he holding? ...A diamond ring? This best man is really doing a great job.
"The ceremony is underway, and the Teng family patriarch's wedding speech is eloquent and insightful, a perfect finishing touch that is both solemn and heartwarming."
The ceremony is now complete, and the newlyweds have exchanged rings! President Jiang personally stepped forward to present the wedding ring to Mr. Jing—what a heartfelt blessing!
Mingye chuckled and teased, "Those beautiful ladies in front of the screen who are thinking about Master Jing and Assistant Deng are probably going to be green with envy and jealousy."
She turned the microphone towards the crowd, and instantly a clamor erupted: "Happy wedding, Master Jing!"
Congratulations on your marriage, Deng Zhouyi!
"I wonder how many female fans will cry and ruin their makeup? Anyway, now it's time for the bride to toss her bouquet. Let's wait and see who will be blessed with happiness?"
The audience below the stage was already in an uproar, chanting, "Over here, Mr. An!"
Shouts of "Qianqian, throw it here!" rose and fell, and the crowd surged like a tidal wave, with everyone craning their necks.
The two brides smiled at each other, their faces beaming with sweetness brighter than the sunshine, and counted in unison: "One...two...three..."
Two bouquets were thrown backwards at the same time, tracing two graceful arcs as they landed on the expectant crowd.
No one noticed that behind the artificial waterfall, the white-haired, otherworldly-looking Shuyazi was standing quietly, observing everything around him.
He had seen enough of the entanglements between Jiang Chengyu and Mu Xiaoji over the years, and couldn't bear for the two to miss each other, so he quietly raised his sword.
The next second, the bouquet that An Ran threw out seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, flying straight towards Jiang Chengyu next to the VIP seats and landing steadily in his arms.
The big bosses in the VIP seats were raising their glasses in celebration when a bouquet of flowers flew in and fell straight into Jiang Chengyu's arms;
They immediately burst into laughter and congratulations: "Wow, you've got the bouquet! Mr. Jiang, good things are just around the corner!"
Mingye's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the microphone: "What's going on? The bouquet ended up in President Jiang's hands!"
The camera immediately focused on Jiang Chengyu, who looked down at the bouquet in his arms, his expression slightly stunned. The exclamations and discussions in the crowd instantly drowned out the music.
Exclamations of surprise rose and fell around them: "President Jiang, is there something good going on? Who are you going to give the bouquet to?"
When Jiang Chengyu came to his senses, his gaze swept across the crowd, and he saw Mu Xiaoji pushing the wheels of her wheelchair with all her might.
The hurried departure of the figure, the sound of the wheelchair scraping the ground was rapid and chaotic.
His heart tightened, and he instinctively chased after her, the bouquet in his arms being slightly deformed from his grip.
Just as Mu Xiaoji's wheelchair reached the edge of the path covered with white roses, one of the wheels suddenly got stuck in a gap in the cobblestones, causing the wheelchair to tilt violently and almost tip over.
Jiang Chengyu used his martial arts technique to appear instantly in front of the wheelchair and firmly supported it.
Mu Xiaoji lunged forward and crashed into Jiang Chengyu's arms, her nose brushing against his shirt, carrying a faint scent of soap.
He hurriedly pulled away, his voice strained: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Jiang Chengyu first steadied the wheelchair, then reached out and fastened the brakes to ensure it wouldn't shake anymore.
Then he knelt on one knee, holding the bouquet in both hands, and presented it to Mu Xiaoji, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tenderness: "Xiaoji, I wish you..."
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" Mu Xiaoji interrupted him abruptly, her chest heaving violently, her eyes almost overflowing with panic.
Jiang Chengyu didn't say anything more, but gently placed the bouquet on his lap.
Mu Xiaoji reacted as if she had been burned, and in a panic, she threw the flowers away, scattering rose petals all over the ground.
He looked at Jiang Chengyu, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "I don't want to... What exactly do you want to do?"
A few petals of the white roses beside the path were blown by the wind and fell at their feet.
The air was filled with a sweet floral fragrance, but it couldn't suppress the tension and panic at the moment.
Jiang Chengyu knelt there, looking up at his reddened eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
She then pulled out her mother's keepsake, a jade bracelet, from her inner pocket; Mu Xiaoji looked at the jade bracelet, tears welling up in her eyes and wetting her clothes.
"Xiao Ji, don't leave me, will you marry me?" Jiang Chengyu's voice was extremely soft, filled with a cautious plea.
Mu Xiaoji looked at him with her large, misty eyes, a complex mix of emotions swirling within them, and said softly with a hint of reproach:
Why does it have to be me marrying you? Can't it be you marrying me?
Jiang Chengyu smiled faintly and said, "You were the one who told Mother Mu that you would be my wife, didn't you? Have you forgotten?"
"What do you have to offer me to marry you? Do you have a house, a car, or savings?" Mu Xiaoji questioned.
Jiang Chengyu pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Isn't that settled? I have a sea view villa in Kunming for you, a Jinyang villa in G City for you, and that little bamboo house in the mountains, I've built new ones for you."
Jiang Chengyu lowered his head and smiled, the smile spreading from the corners of his eyes, gentle as a pool of spring water, and said indulgently, "Okay."
He looked up at Mu Xiaoji, his eyes filled with longing, "Xiaoji, will you marry me?"
Mu Xiaoji bit his lip, his heart pounding. Happiness had come so suddenly that he was almost in a daze.
It's unclear whether Jiang Chengyu simply hadn't remembered the twins after sobering up.
"Little monster, are you serious? Have you really thought this through?"
Jiang Chengyu took out the warm jade bracelet from his pocket and reached out to put it on Mu Xiaoji's left wrist.
Mu Xiaoji abruptly withdrew her hand, looking at his hand frozen in mid-air, her voice low as a sigh: "I am ashamed of myself, I am not worthy of it."
"Xiao Ji," Jiang Chengyu's voice deepened, tinged with a barely perceptible sob.
"It hasn't been easy for us to get to where we are now. Life is only a few decades long, and we've already missed out on so much. I don't want to have any regrets for the rest of my life."
As he spoke, he gently took Mu Xiaoji's wrist and, without a word, slipped the jade bracelet onto her wrist.
The cool jade against the skin felt as if it were burning hot.
He lowered his head and placed a deep kiss on the back of Mu Xiaoji's hand, then hugged the tearful man tightly into his arms.
The guests nearby were attracted by the couple's actions and got up to gather around.
Shen Rou, Song Shijie, and Rong Shishan stood in the crowd, shaking their heads helplessly. It was fate.
Shen Rou and Song Shijie looked at each other and sighed, "They're together after all!"
Fan Guohua and Feng Meijuan followed closely behind, while Fan Wei and Yang Ying, holding Xiaolong and Xiaofeng's hands, looked at each other in silence, watching this belated confession.
At another table, Feng Tao and Gu Ze were fighting over a bottle of wine. "Gu Ze, that's enough, you can't drink anymore, you're already drunk."
"Feng Tao, let go! I'm not drunk, please let me drink..."
Gu Ze's voice was thick with nasal tone, suppressing his emotions that he could not vent.
Feng Tao looked at the bloodshot eyes and felt a pang of heartache. In the end, she let go and allowed him to torment himself.
Gu Ze immediately picked up the bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. The empty bottle slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a dull thud.
He slumped over the table, his shoulders trembling slightly; no one knew whether he was drunk or crying.
In the reporters' area, others spotted Mingye and her camera partner in the footage of their on-site report.
It turned out to be the famous scene of Jiang Chengyu, president of Zidong International Group, proposing to the heir of the Song family.
The surrounding reporters quickly became agitated, carrying their equipment and crowding towards the scene.
"Let us over there, we just need to take a few photos!" came a hurried shout from the crowd.
The security captain immediately led his team to intercept them, and solemnly reminded them: "Please keep your distance and maintain order! Otherwise, we will terminate your on-site reporting privileges."
Mingye's hand holding the microphone trembled slightly, his voice filled with shock: "Oh my god... everyone look at the camera!"
President Jiang and President Mu's fingers were intertwined, and on their ring fingers... was that a ring? She gestured for the photographer to zoom in.
"These are clearly couple's wedding rings! Judging from the way the rings fit the base of the fingers..."
It was clearly not something put on temporarily; it looked like it had been worn for a long time, bearing the marks of time.
She took a deep breath, her voice filled with a sudden realization and amazement: "Over the years, the two have always kept a low profile, and there has never been any personal scandal involving them."
So... they've been supporting each other all along in this way! This is absolutely the biggest news of the day!
The camera is fixed on two people smiling at each other in the distance, sunlight falling on their clasped hands.
The wedding ring reflected a soft, shimmering light, as if silently recounting those unspoken moments.