Chapter 54: Stunned, Aren’t You?

Chapter 54: Stunned, Aren't You?

The Huo family turned in unison toward the staircase as Ye Leyao's words faded, soon followed by a burst of lively laughter echoing up from below.

Mr. Cui and Mrs. Cui, accompanied by Zhong Ziyi and a throng of others, chatted merrily as they ascended the stairs.

Ye Leyao's gaze first fell upon Zhong Ziyi, studying him for a moment before quietly remarking to himself,

"Indeed, Zhong Ziyi does have the looks of a playboy."

The Huo family nodded in silent agreement.

Especially those dark circles under Zhong Ziyi's eyes, not even covered by concealer, suggesting he was quite adept at managing his time—albeit not in the conventional sense.

Zhong Ziyi's eyes swept over the guests, landing on Huo Yan. Initially startled, he then arched an eyebrow and grinned, "Well, well, what wind has blown our Second Master Huo here?"

Huo Yan had never taken a liking to Zhong Ziyi and his group of similarly debauched young men, so whenever their paths crossed, a few sharp words were exchanged.

Huo Yan's expression remained unchanged, even offering a faint smile, "Just happened to be free today, so I thought I'd come and watch the show."

He wasn't lying; his entire family was here precisely to witness Zhong Ziyi's spectacle later on.

And Huo Yan was genuinely looking forward to it!

The corners of the Huo family's mouths curved upward at his words.

But Zhong Ziyi failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind their smiles. Though he couldn't stand Huo Yan, with all the elders present, he knew better than to let his feelings show. He said, "Then take your time watching. I won't bother you."

With that, he entered the bridal suite amidst the crowd.

According to tradition, the bride's younger brother should now carry her to the car.

Yet, at this crucial moment, Mr. Cui and Mrs. Cui realized that Cui Fan was nowhere to be found in the house.

Where could Cui Fan have gone?

While Zhong Ziyi continued to chat jovially inside the room, Mr. Cui stepped out anxiously to make a call.

Unfortunately, this call was destined to go unanswered.

Ye Leyao watched Mr. Cui's fretful back, finding it rather amusing.

"What's the point of searching? Cui Fan is right there in the bridal suite!"

"He's right under your noses. As a father, can't you even recognize your own son?"

The Huo family's lips curled into wide grins.

Outsiders, unaware of the reason behind their laughter, assumed the Huo family was simply pleased with the marriage alliance between the two families.

After searching outside to no avail, Mr. Cui returned hurriedly to the bridal suite with his phone in hand, "I... I couldn't find him..."

Mrs. Cui frowned at this, but refrained from losing her temper in front of so many relatives from the groom's side. She complained, "That child, so undisciplined! At this hour, where could he have run off to play again? Perhaps we should ask Xiao Shu's cousin..."

At this moment, Zhong Ziyi interrupted Mrs. Cui, "No need. I'll carry Xiao Shu myself."

Mrs. Cui and Mr. Cui exchanged glances.

Mr. Cui said, "Well, since it's an imitation traditional wedding, we don't have to follow every ancient custom!"

Mrs. Cui quickly joined in with a smile to smooth things over, "True, then it's a bother for you, Ziyi."

They had waited so long for this wedding day, they couldn't afford any more mishaps!

But Mr. Cui and Mrs. Cui could never have imagined that the mishap had already occurred, and events would soon spiral out of their control.

It was perfectly acceptable for the groom to carry the bride to the sedan chair, and Mr. Cui and Mrs. Cui had given their consent. All eyes now rested on Zhong Ziyi.

And Zhong Ziyi had been eagerly anticipating this very moment!

This was a golden opportunity for intimate contact with Cui Shu!

Ever since their first meeting, Zhong Ziyi had set his sights on Cui Shu.

Unfortunately, unlike the girls he had known before, even after they established a relationship, Cui Shu refused to let Zhong Ziyi touch her. This left Zhong Ziyi somewhat disappointed, but mostly intrigued.

Growing up, Zhong Ziyi had never encountered a traditional, obedient girl like Cui Shu. The initial rejection only piqued his interest, making him even more fond of Cui Shu.

In Zhong Ziyi's mind, since the Cui family was eager for them to marry, once they became engaged...what reason would Cui Shu have to refuse him?

What Zhong Ziyi didn't anticipate was that his past of revelry and debauchery would be uncovered by Cui Shu before their wedding date was even set.

As a result, Cui Shu not only caused a scene within the Cui family but also confronted Zhong Ziyi's parents.

Feeling embarrassed, Mr. Zhong and Mrs. Zhong were ready to break off the engagement on the spot.

But before they could utter a word, Zhong Ziyi interrupted them.

If Zhong Ziyi had merely been interested in Cui Shu before, now his interest had skyrocketed to one hundred percent.

The more Cui Shu resisted, the stronger Zhong Ziyi's desire to conquer her grew.

He was determined to possess Cui Shu.

So, despite his parents' objections, Zhong Ziyi insisted on marrying Cui Shu.

The Cui family, who had always hoped for their union, worked tirelessly to facilitate the marriage.

Recently, Cui Shu had been particularly resistant, refusing to register their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau no matter how much both sets of parents urged her.

As the deadlock loomed, it was Zhong Zhiwei who made the first concession.

To Zhong Zhiwei, wasn't a marriage certificate just a piece of paper?

When he and Cui Shu had their relationship solidified, it would be Cui Shu's turn to beg him!

The one who had been indifferent to him would eventually end up in his arms, wouldn't they?

At the thought of that scene, Zhong Zhiwei felt a thrill.

Today was their wedding, and tonight—

Zhong Zhiwei looked at the person before him, dressed in grand wedding attire, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his head. He swallowed hard before saying, "Xiao Shu, let me carry you?"

The person under the red veil took a full two seconds before nodding slightly.

Zhong Zhiwei immediately broke into a wide grin, squatting directly in front of "Cui Shu." "Come on up! Today, I'm going to carry my bride back home!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but start cheering and clapping.

Only Ye Leyao watched with concern.

Huoyan had been observing Ye Leyao's expressions all along and was slightly taken aback by this look.

Why was she showing such an expression?

Before he could begin speculating if there was more gossip to uncover, he heard Ye Leyao say with great emotion:

"I wonder if Zhong Zhiwei's stamina is as good as Lu Bo's."

Why did she suddenly bring up Lu Bo?

The Huo family had watched Ye Leyao's variety show live stream and naturally knew about Lu Bo.

Unfortunately, apart from Huoyan, none of them had been present for the live drama. Could it be that there were some inside stories that they missed during the live stream?

With this thought, Father Huo, Mother Huo, and Huojing all turned to look at Huoyan.

Huoyan: "…"

What were they looking at him for?

Hadn't he already shared all the gossip he knew in the family group chat, excluding Ye Leyao?

Then, they heard Ye Leyao chuckle:

"Hahaha, indeed, rotten cucumbers are all equally weak!"

The Huo family quickly turned their heads to follow Ye Leyao's line of sight, only to see "Cui Shu" now lying on Zhong Zhiwei's back, while Zhong Zhiwei, who had been half-squatting, had one knee kneeling on the ground.

He maintained this position for several seconds, and when Zhong Zhiwei didn't move, someone nearby asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

From Ye Leyao's vantage point, she could see clearly, even noticing beads of sweat forming on Zhong Zhiwei's forehead.

"Hahahaha, what else could it be? Of course, it's because he's weak!"

"Cui Fan doesn't seem particularly fat, but he's still an adult male. It's natural for someone as weak as Zhong Zhiwei to struggle carrying him!"

Ye Leyao's laughter grew louder.

The Huo family, who had caught on, couldn't help themselves either, barely managing to keep their smiles in check.

Inside the room.

Zhong Zhiwei took a deep breath, seemingly preparing to stand up straight, but halfway through, his legs gave out.

"Oh oh oh—"

"Are you alright?"

The people around him rushed to support him.

With the help of others, Zhong Zhiwei managed to stand up with "Cui Shu" on his back. His face was flushed red, but he insisted, "I'm fine."

"Are you really okay?" The voice came from "Cui Shu" on Zhong Zhiwei's back, her tone as cold as ever. "Perhaps I should get down and walk myself."

If Zhong Zhiwei really put "Cui Shu" down, it would be a slap in the face!

"What kind of talk is that?" Zhong Zhiwei gritted his teeth, bent over slightly, and took a step forward. "Xiao Shu, don't worry, I have the strength to carry you!"

As he spoke, everyone saw Zhong Zhiwei's calves tremble.

Ye Leyao couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, her shoulders shaking.

"You'd think Zhong Zhiwei has Parkinson's disease, hahaha—"

Ye Leyao had a way with words.

With each step, Zhong Zhiwei swayed, his thighs trembling continuously. Didn't he look just like someone with Parkinson's?

As he passed by with "Cui Shu" on his back, Huoyan considerately asked, "Why not take the elevator?"

Zhong Zhiwei's eyes lit up. "Right, the elevator...where is it?"

Everyone present wore amused expressions, but they held back their laughter out of respect for the hosts.

"This way, this way, Zhiwei, go this way!"

Cui's mother and father led the way, and the large group moved off in the distance.

Mr. He spoke up at the right moment: "Alright, we should head to the wedding banquet now." After all, the liveliness of the wedding banquet was the main event, and they couldn't afford to miss it. Ye Le Yao nodded in agreement: "Let's go!" As the group descended the stairs, they just happened to see Zhong Ziyi carrying "Cui Shu" out of the elevator. He was drenched in sweat from the exertion, pausing every few steps to catch his breath: "Wait... I'm a bit tired, let me rest for a moment." "Cui Shu" was considerate: "Are you alright? Do you really need to carry me? I can walk a bit myself, it's no problem." The one thing men hated most was when women asked if they were capable. Zhong Ziyi clenched his jaw and took another large step forward: "Of course I can! It's just that Xiao Shu... have you been gaining weight recently..." The "Cui Shu" on his back scoffed coldly: "Locked up at home every day, what do you think?" Zhong Ziyi felt a twinge of guilt and didn't dare say anything else. Mr. and Mrs. Cui were puzzled; hadn't Cui Shu barely eaten properly during this time? Or could it be... was it really because Zhong Ziyi was too weak, unable to carry even Cui Shu who weighed around ninety pounds? No one except Mr. and Mrs. Cui knew about the hardships of this marriage. So even though they found it strange, none of them wanted to embarrass Zhong Ziyi by commenting on it. Mr. Cui even walked over to Zhong Ziyi's side, allowing him to lean partially against him, sharing some of the burden. They watched as Zhong Ziyi shakily carried Cui Fan to the car before the Ye family turned away, closing the car window. The driver started the car, rushing the family to the wedding banquet ahead of the wedding procession. Traffic was smooth, and the family arrived at the banquet before the wedding cars. As soon as Ye Le Yao got out of the car, his eyes scanned the banquet hall. "In theory, Cui Shu should have arrived by now, right?" The He family, hearing Ye Le Yao's murmur, were taken aback. Now that Cui Shu had managed to escape surveillance, wouldn't she take the opportunity to run away? But then they remembered—Cui Fan was still there! Although they knew Cui Fan would likely be fine, he was Cui Shu's only brother and the only person in the family willing to go through fire and water for her. How could Cui Shu abandon him and leave? Realizing this, the He family wasn't worried anymore. They just needed to wait for good news from Ye Le Yao! Meanwhile, Qin Yao, far across the banquet hall, frowned slightly. Cui Shu? If he remembered correctly, one of the main characters of this wedding was Cui Shu, right? But he hadn't seen the wedding cars arrive yet? Suddenly, Qin Yao's eyelid twitched. Ye Le Yao wasn't someone who enjoyed crowds, but if he was here— Did that mean something interesting was happening at the wedding? Qin Yao lost interest in chatting with his business partners and decided to find Ye Le Yao quickly. Just as Qin Yao was about to determine Ye Le Yao's direction, he heard Ye Le Yao's voice. "Oh? President Qin is here again?" Qin Yao turned around to see Ye Le Yao standing behind him. He immediately smiled and waved at Ye Le Yao: "Just arrived?" Seeing that Qin Yao had noticed him, Ye Le Yao couldn't pretend not to see him. He was about to greet him when a short waiter quickly ran past the two of them. Ye Le Yao's eyes suddenly lit up: "It's Cui Shu, she really did come early!" "Hey, look behind her... she even hired bodyguards!" "Hahaha, perfect! Now we don't have to worry about them being bullied!" Ye Le Yao watched Cui Shu's back excitedly, not noticing Qin Yao approaching. Qin Yao followed Ye Le Yao's gaze to the waiter, memorized her physical characteristics, and quickly looked away. "Where is your seat?" Qin Yao asked. Normally, at a wedding banquet, apart from the tables reserved for close relatives of the host family, guests could sit wherever they liked. But in the case of a high-society wedding, seating arrangements were meticulously planned, reflecting relationships and predetermined guest counts. Ye Le Yao pointed to a table: "I'm sitting with my parents." Qin Yao nodded; his seat was at the next table: "Let's head over then, it's about time. The wedding cars should be arriving soon." As soon as Qin Yao finished speaking, the sound of fireworks echoed outside, followed by music in the hall. The guests became excited, heading towards the entrance of the banquet hall. "Let's go." Amidst the bustling crowd, Qin Yao reached out, intending to hold onto Ye Le Yao's arm to prevent him from getting bumped. However, a guest approached from the side, and Qin Yao moved forward to avoid them. His outstretched hand slipped, and instead of grabbing Ye Le Yao's arm, he caught his palm.

Ye Leyao was completely clueless.

"Huh? Why is President Qin holding my hand?"

Qin Yao: "…"

Would Ye Leyao believe him if he said it was unintentional?

Qin Yao opened his mouth, about to explain, but Ye Leyao simply pulled on Qin Yao's hand and walked forward. "Come on, President Qin, what are you waiting for?"

Now it was Qin Yao's turn to be stunned.

So when he held Ye Leyao's hand, Ye Leyao really didn't find it strange?

Why did he still have such a natural expression?

Didn't Ye Leyao say he liked guys?

Could it be that—

Qin Yao's eyelid twitched.

The young man's fingers were slightly cold, curling naturally in Qin Yao's palm, with the thumb resting on Qin Yao's hand, even gently rubbing against it twice.

Then came Ye Leyao's surprised exclamation:

"Wow, I didn't expect President Qin's hands to be so soft. They're smoother than mine."

Qin Yao: "!!!"

The Huo family members nearby: "…"

Huo Yan's eyes nearly spewed fire.

What was this? How did Qin Yao end up holding his brother's hand?!

Huo Jing had a grave expression. "Little Yao is at an age where he can start dating, but isn't Qin Yao a bit too old?"

Father Huo: "…"

Mother Huo was speechless. "Aren't you thinking too far ahead? I just saw that they accidentally held hands!"

"Besides, didn't you hear Little Yao's last words?" Mother Huo lowered her voice for the final sentence.

Now it was the two older brothers' turn to fall silent.

That was true; it was an accident, and Ye Leyao… well.

They should be the ones apologizing!

It seemed they needed to educate their younger brother properly. Even if it wasn't a stranger, he should maintain a distance!

How could he casually hold hands like that?

Qin Yao also realized this and quickly withdrew his hand.

Ye Leyao looked back in confusion.

"Huh? Not holding hands anymore?"

Qin Yao took a slight breath and explained, "I was just worried we'd get separated earlier. Now everyone has gone out to see the commotion, so there's no need to worry."

Ye Leyao said, "Okay."

If one listened carefully, his tone seemed to carry a hint of regret.

Then they heard him muttering to himself:

"To be honest, holding President Qin's hand was pretty comfortable. I've never really held anyone else's hand before. Are other guys' hands like President Qin's?"

"Well, I'll try with someone else next time and see."

Qin Yao: "…………"

The entire Huo family: "…………"

What were you trying?

There was something off about those words!

Huo Yan covered his face.

No, Ye Leyao, do you know how dangerous that thought is?!

Huo Jing was deeply concerned. "Should I arrange some dating lessons for Little Yao in a while?"

After all, he was entering the entertainment industry now. He needed to learn about boundaries.

Father Huo said, "Isn't Second Son experienced in dating?"

Mother Huo had a look of disdain. "Forget it. His experience is getting scammed out of money and feelings."

Huo Yan felt another stab in his heart for no reason.

The Huo family sighed heavily, all somewhat worried.

But at this moment, Ye Leyao's attention was no longer on this matter. The fireworks outside sounded off a few more times, and Ye Leyao stretched his neck to see Zhong Ziyi and "Cui Shu" being escorted inside by other guests.

"It's starting! Let's go back quickly."

As esteemed guests of the He and Qin families, their seats were arranged at the very front.

Seeing Ye Le Yao approach, Mother He waved him over: "Little Yao, come sit here."

Just as Ye Le Yao sat down, the emcee announced loudly, "The groom and bride are entering!"

A thunderous applause erupted in the venue.

After the applause subsided, the emcee began the congratulatory speech.

On stage, several seats had been prepared beforehand.

The elders from both families took their places on stage, awaiting the tea ceremony after the completion of the ceremony to honor the newlyweds.

At this moment, all attention was on the newlyweds, and Ye Le Yao was no exception. However, he observed them more closely than others.

Ye Le Yao immediately noticed the trail left by a bead of sweat rolling down Zhong Zi Wei's forehead. The makeup around his temples had even started to smudge. Moreover, although Zhong Zi Wei's gait appeared normal, his hand resting at his side was trembling slightly!

"Haha, it seems that carrying Cui Fan downstairs just now has left him still out of breath!"

"Alright, alright, I admit it now. You, Zhong Zi Wei, are indeed weaker than Lu Bo! At least Lu Bo had the strength to struggle after being pinned down by Sister Xin!"

The He family wore smiles on their faces.

Who could argue with that?

But then again, these two were equally terrible; neither was nobler than the other.

As the newlyweds ascended the stage, thunderous applause broke out below.

After a while, the emcee's voice rang out again, beginning to preside over the wedding banquet.

"It's happening!"

"The most exciting part is about to begin!"

Unlike Western weddings, the emcee would not ask the couple if they wished to marry each other. The first ritual was for the couple to pay homage to heaven and earth.

The emcee's voice boomed: "First bow, please have the groom and bride pay homage to heaven and earth!"

Zhong Zi Wei turned to bow outside the banquet hall towards heaven and earth. After bowing, he straightened up and turned around.

However, in that instant, something felt off.

Hadn't the "Cui Shu" beside him bowed?

The guests on and off the stage had a much clearer view than Zhong Zi Wei. It wasn't just that "Cui Shu" hadn't bowed; she hadn't moved at all.

For a moment, many guests were taken aback.

"What's going on?"

"Could it be that the news from some time ago was true?"

"What news?"

"You didn't know? About how Cui Family's daughter refused to marry into the Zhong Family and was forced into marriage by her parents!"

"So this girl hasn't given in even until today?"

"I heard they haven't even registered their marriage yet. And if she really had given in, how could she have remained motionless just now?"

Gossip among the wealthy was not much different from that of ordinary people. When the conversation reached an exciting point, everyone's voices became uncontrollable.

Qin Yao heard the guests' gossip clearly and understood the general situation.

However, thinking back to the waiter Ye Le Yao had looked at earlier, Qin Yao was puzzled.

If that waiter was the real Cui Shu, then who was the person standing on stage now?

Qin Yao raised his eyes to look at Ye Le Yao.

At this moment, Ye Le Yao's eyes seemed to be shining as he stared unblinkingly at the stage.

Qin Yao couldn't help but let his gaze linger on his face for a moment before quickly and subtly moving away.

It was at this moment that Ye Le Yao's voice sounded again:

"Haha, the emcee is confused. He must be screaming for help in his heart right now!"

More than that!

The emcee on stage was genuinely breaking out in cold sweat.

He looked at the motionless "bride" before him and even began to doubt whether his voice had been too soft. Thus, the emcee spoke again: "First bow, please have the groom and bride pay homage to heaven and earth!"

This time, Zhong Zi Wei did not immediately turn to bow to heaven and earth. Instead, he reached out to tug on "Cui Shu's" arm, wanting to pull her along to bow together.

But the moment his hand touched "Cui Shu's," he felt something was amiss.

Before Cui Shu had discovered his past romantic escapades, he had held her hand before.

A woman's hand didn't feel like this, did it?

How come the more he touched Cui Shu's hand, the more it felt like a man's?

"Have you had enough?" a cold male voice suddenly sounded.

Zhong Zi Wei's pupils dilated in shock, pointing at the person before him: "You... you... Cui Shu, why have you disappeared so soon, and why does your voice sound like a man's now?"

As Zhong Ziwei spoke, he was about to reach out to lift the veil of "Cui Shu," but Cui Fan was quicker in action. With one hand, he lifted his own veil, and with the other hand, he clenched it into a fist.

There was a crisp sound, and Zhong Ziwei was knocked off balance by the punch, with blood instantly streaming from his nose. He took a dazed step back, and upon recognizing the person in front of him, his face showed terror: "You... you are..."

"Why the hell do you care who I am, you stinky toad who wants to eat swan meat!"

Cui Fan, without giving Zhong Ziwei a chance to react, seized his hand and swiftly executed a graceful over-the-shoulder throw, slamming him onto the ground.

After a dull thud, the wedding banquet fell into complete silence.

What is the situation here?!

The person on the stage is clearly a man!

Have the Zhong and Cui families gone mad?

Why must they arrange a marriage for their sons?

Fully aware of the situation, Ye Leyao was exhilarated beyond measure, inwardly exclaiming with excitement:

"Cui Fan's move of lifting the veil and then performing a shoulder throw is just too handsome!"

"However, the expression on Zhong Ziwei's face just now was truly spectacular! It was as if he was performing a grand illusion of making a person appear out of thin air."

"Sister turned into a brother, you must be utterly bewildered, hahaha!"