Volume One, Chapter 68: Grievance

On the way to the wedding, Song Qingyu kept pondering the matter. She simply couldn’t understand when Pei Jingmo had started to like her. Worse still, she feared it was all just her own wishful thinking. What if… What if, by some chance, Pei Jingmo truly had fallen for her—what would she do then?

Even by the time she arrived at the wedding venue, Song Qingyu still hadn’t come up with a good solution.

“Qingyu, you’re here!” Liu Mengyi greeted her with a warm, enthusiastic hug. Song Qingyu returned the embrace with a smile. “Congratulations on your marriage, senior.”

Liu Mengyi’s eyes shifted to Pei Jingmo, who stood beside Song Qingyu. She sized him up with open curiosity. “So this is your husband?”

“Yes. His name is Pei Jingmo. Jingmo, this is my senior from university—she helped me a great deal back then.”

Pei Jingmo nodded slightly. “Congratulations on your wedding, Senior Liu.”

Liu Mengyi thanked him, then pulled Song Qingyu aside. “Be honest with me—did you marry him just for his looks and physique?”

Song Qingyu felt a bit embarrassed. It seemed everyone who met Pei Jingmo asked her the same thing. But she had to admit, his face and figure truly were exceptional.

“It’s not just that. He’s a wonderful person, and he treats me well.”

“What about you and Chu Xingzhi…”

“We broke up. There’s no possibility for us in the future.”

Liu Mengyi sighed with genuine regret. After all, Song Qingyu and Chu Xingzhi had once been the golden couple of Beijing University; she’d watched them grow together.

“I sent an invitation to Chu Xingzhi. I don’t know if he’ll come. Will you mind?”

Song Qingyu smiled. “Of course not. This is your wedding—your happiness matters most.”

Seeing how composed Song Qingyu was, Liu Mengyi realized she truly had let go. Which also meant—Chu Xingzhi no longer had any chance.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Chu Xingzhi appeared, impeccably dressed in a gray suit. His eyes landed on Song Qingyu immediately. Today, she wore a pale lavender gown with a white faux-fur shawl draped over her shoulders. Her long hair was styled in a half-up princess braid, and her fair skin made her look like Snow White.

His heart stirred, and he was about to approach her when Fu Linhan’s laughter rang out. “Wenxuan, congratulations on your marriage!”

Chu Xingzhi looked at Fu Linhan in surprise. “Young Master Fu…”

“Well, if it isn’t Young Master Chu! Are you a friend of the bride?”

“Yes, Mengyi was my senior in university.”

“What a coincidence! I’m a friend of the groom.” Fu Linhan bumped fists with He Wenxuan—their way of greeting. Then, as if just noticing Pei Jingmo, Fu Linhan exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t this Jingmo? What are you doing here?”

Seeing that Fu Linhan knew Pei Jingmo, Chu Xingzhi’s expression stiffened. “You know him, Young Master Fu?”

“There was a car accident last time—he took me to the hospital. He’s my lifesaver.” Fu Linhan’s words made Chu Xingzhi glance at Pei Jingmo coldly. He hadn’t expected that this damned laborer could get acquainted with Young Master Fu.

“Young Master Fu…” Pei Jingmo greeted him calmly. The two men exchanged a look, something unspoken passing between them.

Fu Linhan raised an eyebrow and slung an arm around Pei Jingmo’s shoulders. “Jingmo, are you here as a friend of the bride or the groom?”

Knowing Fu Linhan was teasing, Pei Jingmo replied coolly, “I’m here as a family member.”

“Oh? Your wife is here too?”

Song Qingyu immediately stepped forward. “Hello, Young Master Fu.”

Fu Linhan looked her up and down. He had to admit, this woman was stunning—no wonder she had his brother so completely bewitched.

Glancing at Chu Xingzhi’s sour expression, Fu Linhan deliberately said with a laugh, “You two have such a good relationship—can’t even go out without each other for a moment.” When Song Qingyu’s cheeks flushed, Pei Jingmo shot Fu Linhan a warning glance, and Fu Linhan instantly quieted down.

Because Liu Mengyi loved Doraemon, the wedding venue was decorated in a playful, dreamy theme centered on the beloved cartoon character—both romantic and beautiful.

The wedding ceremony began.

Song Qingyu watched the bride and groom on stage, a gentle smile on her lips. Happiness is contagious; seeing her senior so radiant, she felt joy blooming in her own heart.

Noticing the man beside her remained silent, she instinctively glanced back. Pei Jingmo was intently watching the couple onstage, deep envy shining in his eyes. Especially when the two exchanged rings, his longing was almost palpable.

Was he, too, yearning for such a wedding?

Their marriage had been rushed—a contractual arrangement. They hadn’t had a wedding, and she hadn’t even given Pei Jingmo a proper ring. She realized she had wronged him, perhaps more than she’d thought.

Meanwhile, Chu Xingzhi watched the scene unfold and subconsciously replaced Liu Mengyi’s face with Song Qingyu’s, imagining himself as He Wenxuan.

“Will the groom please welcome his bride—”

He rushed toward his bride, elated. Qingyu wore the wedding gown he had picked for her, looking breathtakingly beautiful. She smiled, placing her hand in his, and he laced his fingers with hers, leading her to stand before the officiant.

“Mr. Chu Xingzhi, do you take this woman as your wife, to love, respect, and comfort her, whether in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, to remain devoted to her until death parts you?”

God knows how long he had waited for this moment.

“I do!” he declared loudly, promising before everyone that he would love Song Qingyu for life.

“Miss Song Qingyu, do you take this man as your husband, to accompany him, cherish him, and never leave him for all your days?”

When Song Qingyu remained silent, Chu Xingzhi grew anxious. “Qingyu, say you do! Please, say it—”

Song Qingyu parted her lips, but before she could speak, the screams and applause around them dragged Chu Xingzhi, forcibly, out of his fantasy.

He watched Liu Mengyi and He Wenxuan kiss on stage, then looked down at himself—alone.

And his Qingyu was sitting beside another man.

That man gently helped her remove ribbons from her hair, while she held two strands of ribbon, gazing at him with sparkling eyes, as if the whole world contained only the man before her.

Disappointment, jealousy, resentment, and anger—

A tidal wave of negative emotions threatened to swallow him whole.

That sense of utter helplessness, the knowledge that nothing he did could change things, was like being thrown into a dark abyss—cold, alone, and in unbearable pain.

He downed glass after glass of strong liquor.

The more it hurt, the faster he drank.

Why?

Qingyu was supposed to be his wife—how could she end up with some wretched laborer!

Alcohol magnified all his darker feelings. As he looked at Pei Jingmo, his eyes brimmed with barely concealed hatred.

He knew Qingyu hadn’t stopped loving him. It was only because he was no longer clean that she wouldn’t have him.

But what if Pei Jingmo became unclean, too?

When he saw Song Qingyu leave—perhaps to the restroom—Chu Xingzhi got up and whispered a few words into a waiter’s ear.

Moments later, the waiter arrived at their table carrying several glasses of wine, setting one in front of each guest, the last one before Pei Jingmo.

Just then, the bride and groom came over to toast their guests.

“Thank you all for coming to our wedding today. Please eat, drink, and have fun—enjoy yourselves!”

Pei Jingmo picked up his glass, glanced at it, and drained it in one swallow—