Chen Shihan had put on a simple yet elegant-looking white off-shoulder wedding gown. It had perfectly highlighted her ethereal beauty as the bride of the day after she had herself dolled up.
She wore a set of dazzling diamond accessories, including a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace, to go along with the look.
Wen Xiaoji carried himself in a serious manner as soon as he put on his military uniform. Since he was relatively young, he emanated the presence of a sprightly young man without impacting his demeanor as a mature and reliable man.
Wrapping their arm around one another’s arm as they made their way onto the stage, the lovely duo passed by their friends who had been standing by the sides of the lane.
Lin Xinyan had taken a seat by Zong Jinghao’s side in the last row. The former’s lips curved upwards, forming a smirk as she witnessed the lovely duo walking over.
As she felt the solemnity, exclusive to the wedding of military personnel, she reached for her husband’s hand and stated, “I hope one of our children will enlist in the future.”
Zong Jinghao wasn’t particularly against the idea, but he wouldn’t force his children to commit themselves to something against their will. As long as they were keen to be part of something, he would respect their decision.
“He has turned into a completely different man. To be honest, he seems more like a man now. Although he has always been a handsome man, he used to have more of an androgynous appearance. Currently, he has a more masculine figure,” Lin Xinyan remarked as she stared at the man on the stage.
The emcee introduced the duo to the guests present, telling the story of the timeline of their relationship. They had always been closely affiliated with one another due to their families’ relationships. Their parents were proud as the duo were finally getting married to one another.
The duo’s parents had been through all sorts of ups and downs. In the end, they learned to put their greed and desire aside because those were the things that had brought their misery. Finally, they started appreciating a mundane life because nothing seemed to matter more than health.
Nowadays, most people longed for fame and wealth, desiring all sorts of materialistic items, yet none of them were aware that the things they possessed were the most valuable.
The greatest wealth in life was none other than health.
Chen Qing and Wen Qing used to be each other’s best friends back in the day. After the incidents they had gone through together throughout the past half-century, they had finally learned to move on as they would become one another’s in-laws soon.
Although they had once brought upon one another’s miseries, they decided to put that aside and let bygones be bygones.
Once the emcee finished introducing the duo, it was the groom and the bride’s to deliver their speeches. No exchange of wedding vows would occur – it had been replaced by their speeches.
The emcee announced, “We’ll now have the groom deliver his speech.”
He handed over the mic to Wen Xiaoji once he finished his sentence. Holding on to the mic, Wen Xiaoji denoted, “First of all, allow me to express my utmost gratitude to my parents. Throughout the years, I might not have been the best son. I have committed all sorts of silly mistakes, yet they have always tolerated me. Thank you so much for your tolerance and forgiveness.”
Li Jing and Wen Qing’s eyes brimmed with tears.
The latter reprimanded his wife, “Why are you crying? You’re not allowed to cry on such a joyous occasion!”
“These are tears of joy, okay?” Li Jing rebutted.
Previously, her husband and her son had held a strong grudge against one another as though they were one another’s foe. Li Jing once hoped they would patch things up in the future. Finally, her wish came true. Thus, she felt a sense of relief.
“You’re not allowed to shed tears of joys either! We have so many guests with us today! Stop embarrassing yourself in front of others!”
Weeping as she finished her sentence, Li Jing had her eyes glued to her son on the stage. “Even if they catch a glimpse of me shedding tears, no one is going to laugh at me.”
Meanwhile, Wen Xiaoji turned around and looked at Lin Xinyan. After the woman showed up, he finally figured out she hadn’t been lying to him because she really wasn’t in her prime.
“Apart from my parents, there’s a person whom I’m indebted to. I’m grateful because although she isn’t feeling well, she has made an effort to be here with me today. Thank you for being part of this important occasion in my life.”
Lin Xinyan’s eyes started welling up because she had recalled the man’s presence during her wedding. Listening to Wen Xiaoji’s speech, she tried her best to maintain her smile.
Once he finished his speech, he bowed at Lin Xinyan.
In the end, he held Chen Shihan’s hand and stated, “We have grown up by one another’s side. You’re just like my sister from another mother. I’m grateful fate has brought us together in life. I will definitely appreciate and take good care of you from now onwards. Dad, Mom, thank you for entrusting Shihan with me.”
Wen Xiaoji bowed at Chen Shihan’s parents.
In return, Chen Qing nodded to express his acknowledgment; he was proud of his son-in-law.
As a fellow woman, Mrs. Chen couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore. She started weeping in a manner similar to Li Jing.
Although Chen Qing was touched, he refused to shed tears of joy in front of others.
As soon as Wen Xiaoji finished his speech, he handed over the mic to Chen Shihan.
Chen Shihan was no longer the arrogant, impetuous, and spoiled heiress of a rich family she used to be. She seemed to have changed into a mature woman capable of behaving herself.
She stood on the stage and nonchalantly carried herself onto the stage. Holding on to the mic, she orated, “We have to go through certain incidents in life before we could learn our lessons. Unfortunately, I’m the one who hasn’t learned my lesson until lately. I have committed all sorts of silly mistakes and brought upon a lot of people’s miseries. Allow me to grab this opportunity to express my utmost apology to those I have hurt back in the day. Please forgive me for being an imbecile fool. Apart from that, allow me to express my gratitude to the guests who have shown up and take part in our wedding ceremony.”
Chen Shihan looked at Lin Xinyan and Zong Jinghao as she recalled the things she had done to sow discord between the duo.
She bowed to express her regret. Words couldn’t justify the remorse she felt all along for all she had done.
“Thankfully, God has left a window open for me after closing the door.” She turned around, staring at Wen Xiaoji in the eyes after she finished that particular sentence. “Thank you for tolerating my shortcomings all this while. I’m grateful to have you by my side when I needed you the most in my darkest days. Thank you for embracing my unsightly past and accepting me as your wife.”
