Chapter 50
“I’ve never been a groomsman before, not quite skilled, but I’ll do my best,” Xu Ke said as he pushed Yang Hui’s hand away from him with a look of disdain.
“Alright, as long as you said that, I’m relieved,” Yang Hui’s voice had just fallen when the car came to a stop; they had arrived at the bride’s house.
Yang Hui, as the groom, tidied up his clothes and was the first to get out of the car, followed by the groomsmen. Yang Hui wasn’t unattractive to begin with—he was tall and slim. Now, dressed in a white suit, he somewhat resembled a prince charming. The moment he stepped out of the car, he could even hear the bridesmaids discussing him quietly. Unfortunately, this special moment didn’t last long, as Xu Ke got out of the car.
Xu Ke remembered his friend’s advice beforehand and dressed rather plainly today. To avoid stealing his friend’s thunder, he hadn’t even styled his hair. His black hair lay flat on his head, softening his sharp features, making him look harmless like a college student. This appearance fit the bridesmaids’ aesthetic perfectly; the girls in pink dresses first gasped in surprise, then covered their mouths, blushing while looking at Xu Ke.
The bridesmaids’ plan to give the groomsmen a hard time fell apart because of Xu Ke; they opened all doors for him, and without any obstacles, he quickly reached the bride’s room.
The groom and the groomsmen, who had rushed over, hadn’t had time to show relieved and joyful faces when a tall, somewhat harsh-looking woman appeared at the door.
“Mom, I’m here to pick up Xiajuan,” Yang Hui said with a grin, his face showing the shyness and anticipation of a soon-to-be-married man.
“You two aren’t even married yet, don’t rush to call me mom,” the woman standing on the steps blocking the door had high cheekbones, eyes that looked scrutinizing, and no hint of joy at marrying off a daughter but rather a look as if someone owed her money, appearing exceptionally cold.
“Mom, no, Auntie,” Yang Hui said, noticing the woman’s expression. Even a person with dull emotions could tell the woman’s displeasure at that moment. The atmosphere instantly became tense in the small courtyard; the guests, initially eager for fun, were infected and all fell silent, making the courtyard utterly quiet.
Xu Ke stood next to Yang Hui, looking at the woman on the steps displaying an aloof attitude, a bad premonition arising in his heart.
Sure enough, the next moment, the woman standing on the steps crossed her arms over her chest and said coldly, “Our Xiajuan is raised meticulously by me. If you want to marry her, then bring thirty thousand in a betrothal gift, and the marriage house must have our daughter’s name added now. Also, that car of yours must be transferred to Xiajuan’s name, and except for the lead car, which I am satisfied with, all the others you brought to pick up the bride must be changed to Bentleys. If you can’t manage these today, then there’s no need to marry my daughter today; just leave.”
“No, mom, aren’t you deliberately making things difficult for me? Didn’t we already settle this before? I’ve already given the twenty thousand betrothal gift, how did it suddenly become another thirty thousand? Also, our new home for marriage was bought outright by my parents, and I paid for the house’s renovation. We previously agreed it would be under my name first, and when we work hard for a few more years and save to buy a new house, then it will have Xiajuan’s name added. Didn’t we settle all these? How did it suddenly change?” Yang Hui’s face turned grim. He never imagined that what he had seen online would happen in his own wedding.
The groomsmen were at a loss with the unexpected situation, looking at each other, not knowing what to say as they looked at their companions.
“Why so many words from you? I’ll just ask you one question. Do you agree? If you agree, fulfill what I just demanded and I’ll let you in. Otherwise, just get back to where you came from and stop being an eyesore here.” Tian’s mother said impatiently. She knew that the boy from the Yang family liked her daughter very much, so she wasn’t afraid that her conditions would not be met.
“Are the terms you just mentioned your own or the bride’s?” Xu Ke asked as he saw Yang Hui’s hands hanging by his sides slowly clench into fists.
Xu Ke, though he had known Yang Hui for many years, had never met Tian Xiajuan due to various reasons, only having heard her name from Yang Hui. As the saying goes, you know a face but not a heart; Xu Ke hadn’t seen Tian Xiajuan himself and didn’t know what kind of person she was. Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; Xu Ke couldn’t fully trust Yang Hui’s description of Tian Xiajuan, which left him unable to judge her character, leading him to ask this question.
Yang Hui was a sincerely good friend to Xu Ke, and Xu Ke hoped for Yang Hui’s happiness. The Yang family’s financial situation was merely average, and if the bride today were a greedy woman who liked to take things back to her family, such unrestrained demands couldn’t be sustained by the Yang family’s finances for long. Divorce would be inevitable, even if he could help, he couldn’t support them forever. Even if he didn’t mind, Yang Hui wouldn’t agree, so it would be better to be the bad guy right from the start and prevent this marriage from happening, pretending nothing ever happened.
But if Tian Xiajuan were a good woman, he would help no matter what was said today.
“Why so many questions from you people, I just mentioned my conditions. Agree to them, and I’ll let you take Xiajuan, if not, then just split up and there’s no need for this marriage,” the woman’s face became uglier at hearing Xu Ke and Yang Hui’s questions.
“We need to hear the bride’s thoughts on this before making a decision.” Xu Ke’s voice was calm and gentle yet carried an undeniable tone. Although his voice wasn’t loud, and his face unchanged, Tian’s mother felt pressured by it, unable to speak.
At that moment, there was a sound of something being knocked over coming from the previously quiet house, followed by Tian Xiajuan’s loud scream, “Yang Hui!” But after these two words, Tian Xiajuan’s voice was abruptly cut off inside, replaced by a man’s voice, “You whore, where do you think you’re running, dare to bite me, you’ve got some nerve.” The muffled sounds from inside turned Yang Hui’s face to a troubling hue, while his groomsmen also looked troubled, their youthful anger visible as they clenched their teeth, waiting for Yang Hui’s command.