BSS CH 15

Wedding

Cheng Jing’s heart sank, as if a funeral bell had tolled. He hurriedly turned off his phone, unwilling to see what she might say next.

He looked up at Pei Xi, his gaze intent, as though deeply interested in what he was about to say.

Pei Xi smiled, looking down and shaking his head. “Cheng Jing, your phone is vibrating.”

Without breaking eye contact, Cheng Jing reached out and pressed the silent mode button.

“Don’t be like this, Cheng Jing,” Pei Xi’s eyes lingered on his face, soft with a trace of sorrow. “If you keep this up, I might really not let you leave.”

Cheng Jing, realizing Pei Xi understood, murmured guiltily, “I’m sorry, Pei Xi. You’ve always been a really good friend.”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“No, I have to say this.” Cheng Jing insisted.

“All that talk about being single and traveling—I lied to you. I think you already guessed that but didn’t call me out on it.”

Cheng Jing was surprised to see Pei Xi’s eyes, like pale gray lakes, reflecting something fragile, like the shimmer of dragonflies—signs of an impending storm.

He smiled softly. “I did suspect you weren’t here for work and that your trip to Mingzhou wasn’t planned. You have no luggage, you’re staying in hotels, and you spend money like it’s counterfeit.”

He paused, his voice dropping lower. “But I didn’t guess you weren’t single. Please forgive me.”

It wasn’t his fault. Cheng Jing stared at Pei Xi’s profile and felt a sudden, sharp pain in his heart. It was like looking through someone else’s façade and seeing his own reflection, as if facing a mirror from a distance.

He and Pei Xi were the same—foolish and heartbroken souls. Offering their hearts was useless. The ones they loved so high above wouldn’t care. Love unreturned is love denied.

Cheng Jing knew Pei Xi never meant to burden him with his feelings. He had never confessed, only silently cared for him. Maybe it had started much earlier, but Cheng Jing had never noticed the signs.

At that moment, Cheng Jing sadly realized he could never return Pei Xi’s feelings. If he hadn’t met Liang Jingmin, if he hadn’t experienced that overwhelming, inescapable love, if he hadn’t let another person slip a ring on his finger like a shackle, maybe he would have tried. Maybe he would have kissed the heartbroken man before him.

But those “ifs” changed nothing. He was destined to play the role he hated—a cold man who ignored true affection, letting silence be his rejection.

He suddenly realized he didn’t desire Pei Xi’s carefully measured, polite, and restrained love.

If he could, he wanted a love that was wild and reckless, desperate and unyielding.

The truth was, Liang Jingmin had stormed into his life like a cataclysmic Ragnarok, burning everything to the ground. It had destroyed all other possibilities.

So he was doomed to be controlled by this fragmented, absurd love—drowning in fire and ashes, forever shrouded by the embers of that unextinguished blaze, unable to appreciate any other view.

He had the determination to leave Liang Jingmin, the courage to hate him, but he couldn’t forget him. He couldn’t stop loving him.

“It’s alright,” Cheng Jing said with a smile. “I just might need to leave for a while.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t really know.” Cheng Jing frowned, smiling bitterly. “That person I mentioned—Liang Jingmin—unfortunately, he used to be my husband. If he’s getting married, I should be there to witness it.”

He grabbed the coat he had taken off, threw it on, and left without looking back.

The early spring wind carried a biting chill. Cheng Jing rushed into the cold, barely wearing his coat properly. He turned on his phone to a long string of furious messages from Lin Shuheng.

In Mingzhou, Cheng Jing had been aimlessly scrolling through social media, always the first to like her posts. It never felt odd to him, though she had been surprised and reached out a few times.

“Cheng Jing, you know this is a trap. He spread the wedding news to every high school group you’re still in just so you’d walk right into it.”

“…”

“If you go back to Xijing, you’ll never escape again. Don’t forget how hard you fought to leave him!”

At the end, she emphasized once more: “Cheng Jing, whatever you do, don’t go back to Xijing.”

Cheng Jing didn’t reply. He hailed a taxi to Pei Xi’s place, packed his few belongings, and cleaned the apartment, erasing any trace of his presence. He left a thick stack of cash and his keys on the dining table.

Between tasks, he booked a plane ticket. Sitting in the departure lounge, snacking, he finally started replying to messages.

He opened the chat with Pei Xi and typed: “Sorry for being impulsive today. Please keep what I told you to yourself…”

But before sending it, he deleted everything, leaving just “Sorry.” After a few moments of hesitation, he sent it.

Then he opened Lin Shuheng’s chat and asked, “Are you going?”

She replied quickly: “No, I don’t have time to go to Xijing.”

“Can you show me the invitation he sent you?”

Without hesitation, she forwarded the conversation. Cheng Jing opened the invitation and memorized the address.

Xijing. Exhibition Park.

The Expo Garden was a manor-style conference center and one of the Liang family’s estates. Although its location wasn’t ideal, it boasted impressive decor and vast grounds. Just walking into the guest parking area felt like stepping into a luxury car show.

The wedding ceremony had taken place at noon in the garden, while the evening banquet was set for the indoor ballroom. When Cheng Jing arrived, the banquet hadn’t started yet. Many guests who couldn’t attend the noon event were lining up to enter, and Cheng Jing blended in with the crowd.

To avoid standing out, he had dyed his hair and eyebrows black and wore a low-key, dark suit.

As he stepped inside, the opulent ballroom came into view. A magnificent chandelier hung overhead, its intricate design casting a cold, bright light. The walls soared high, the carpet felt soft underfoot, and soothing music filled the space. Guests in elegant attire exchanged pleasantries, creating a vibrant, festive atmosphere.

Cheng Jing quietly took in his surroundings, noting that despite the bride and groom’s wealth, the wedding banquet seemed surprisingly modest.

He hadn’t received an invitation, so he had prepared to use Lin Shuheng’s. However, he hadn’t needed it; he had simply followed the crowd and slipped in unnoticed.

The Expo Garden’s remote location meant that few outsiders came by. Moreover, with so many guests, thorough identity checks were impractical. Although several black-clad security guards stood inside the hall, they allowed people to enter based on attire and demeanor alone.

Sometimes, sneaking into a wedding was easier than expected.

Cheng Jing had disguised himself deliberately to avoid being recognized by Liang Jingmin. After finding his assigned seat at a side table, he waited quietly for the bride and groom to appear.

His table was tucked away in a corner and wasn’t even full. A few of the bride’s university friends sat nearby, but they soon left together. Left alone, Cheng Jing examined the wedding favors and nibbled on the candy.

The candy was cloyingly sweet. Just as he reached for some juice to wash it down, he suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve.

Turning his head, he saw a young boy.

The boy had an adorable, doll-like face, with big, glistening eyes that made him look like a mixed-race child. With a soft Xijing accent, he asked sweetly, “I want some too. Can you pour me a glass?”

Cheng Jing smiled, nodded, and poured a small glass for him. Softening his tone, he asked, “Where are your parents? Why are you alone here?”

The boy sipped his drink. “Mom’s busy today. I’m playing hide-and-seek with Aunt Susu.”

Since the child seemed fine, Cheng Jing didn’t press further. He lifted the boy onto his lap and gently pinched his soft cheeks. “Let’s wait here together until your aunt comes to find you.”

The boy cheerfully agreed, his smile radiant. “My name’s Diandian. What’s your name, big brother?”

Cheng Jing’s smile deepened, but he didn’t answer directly. “How old are you? You should call me ‘Uncle.’”

“I’m four!” Diandian proudly puffed out his chest.

The banquet still hadn’t started, and appetizers were being served. Cheng Jing fed Diandian until the boy’s belly was round and full. Yet, Aunt Susu still hadn’t appeared.

Cheng Jing began to worry. Noticing that no one else seemed concerned about a missing child, he gently asked again, “Diandian, where were your mom and Aunt Susu when you came over here?”

Mouth full of chocolate, Diandian explained in vivid detail, “In a room! Mom’s getting married today, but Aunt Susu was upset. They were arguing, and I told Aunt Susu, ‘Don’t fight, or I’ll be sad!’ Then Mom started crying, and Aunt Susu said we should play hide-and-seek, so I should hide for a long time.”

He held up his wrist. “I can call Mom and Auntie on my watch, but it’s better not to bother them now.”

The story was simple, but the implications were startling. Cheng Jing’s heart pounded, his brow furrowing.

“You said your mom is getting married today? Here?”

“Yes! Mom’s the bride. You know what a bride is, right?” Diandian’s eyes widened with earnest curiosity.

“I know.” Cheng Jing’s smile faltered, fading away.

As soft music played, the bride appeared in a stunning custom-made gown. Tear tracks marred her beautiful face, like fragile glass wrapped in butterfly wings.

“That’s my mom!” Diandian whispered into Cheng Jing’s ear.

Cheng Jing nodded, dazed.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight illuminated a figure in a black suit on the stage—Liang Jingmin. Cheng Jing recognized him instantly.

Closing his eyes, Cheng Jing was transported back to a spring wedding at a lakeside villa, on a similarly cool day. Liang Jingmin had slipped a diamond ring onto his finger, the band cold against his skin.

The Egyptians said that a vein in the ring finger led directly to the heart. At that moment, he had believed the person he loved had reached the closest place to his heart through an expensive ring.

For a brief moment, he had truly felt his heart pounding.

Now, he could almost hear the sound of his heart shattering, each fragment cutting deep. His thoughts felt sluggish, his spirit hollow.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he felt Diandian frantically shaking his arm. The child’s voice was shrill with fear. “Uncle, your glass is broken!”

Mechanically, Cheng Jing looked down. Without realizing it, he had shattered the glass in his hand, a sharp shard piercing deep into his palm. Blood mixed with orange juice, staining his clothes—a frightening sight.

Strangely, he felt no pain as the glass cut into his flesh, blood trickling from the wound.

Slowly, it dawned on him that he had intentionally driven the shard into his palm, as if trying to divert the pain from his heart. But it hadn’t worked.

In a hollow voice, he murmured, “Why…”