Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

Lin Qingmian leaned closer to the mirror and looked at herself.

The woman in the mirror had delicate eyebrows and eyes, warm lips, long, slightly curled eyelashes, and a perfectly balanced complexion with a faint blush.

She nodded: "It looks great, thank you."

When she changed into that sunset-colored wedding dress, she stood in front of the mirror for a long time once again.

The skirt spread out like a large cloud bathed in the glow of the sunset.

The sequins shimmered in the morning light, the cut at the waist outlined a soft curve, and the pink diamond necklace below her collarbone lay quietly, complementing her perfectly.

Ji Xingqing, her eyes red with tears, took several photos, then rushed over and gave her a careful hug: "Mianmian, you look unbelievably beautiful today."

Lin Qingmian smiled and hugged her back: "Thank you."

The wedding procession is not complicated.

Ji Linzhou, along with Bai Cheng and several groomsmen, arrived at Ji Xingqing's apartment building. Ji Xingqing and Fang Shiyang blocked the entrance and made a scene for a while, demanding a bunch of red envelopes before they would let them go.

Lin Qingmian sat on the bed in the bedroom, listening to the lively sounds outside, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her skirt.

The door was pushed open.

Ji Linzhou stood at the door, dressed in a sharp black suit, white shirt, and a neatly tied bow tie.

He looked more upright than usual, his hair was neatly styled, and his eyes held a gentleness rarely seen in him.

His gaze passed through the noisy crowd and landed on her sitting on the bed.

Then he froze.

Just like when he first saw her wearing this wedding dress, his gaze slid down from the top of her head, past her eyebrows, the tip of her nose, her lips, her neck, and finally settled on the pink diamond.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if he were swallowing some emotion.

"Are you stunned?!"

Fang Shiyang chimed in from the side, "I knew the CEO would be stunned if Mianmian wore this outfit!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Ji Linzhou ignored their commotion. He walked to the bedside, knelt down in front of her, and handed her the bouquet of white lilies of the valley.

"I've come to pick you up."

His voice was deep and gentle.

Lin Qingmian took the bouquet of lilies of the valley, lowered her head and smelled it; the fragrance was clear and delicate.

She looked up at the man in front of her, and her eyes suddenly stung with tears.

"Mmm." Her voice trembled slightly. "I've been waiting for you for so long."

The wedding venue was chosen to be a manor in the western suburbs of Fuzhou.

Vast lawns were decorated in white and light pink. The florist used roses and hydrangeas to build an archway. When the wind blew, the petals fluttered down, like a rain of flowers.

There weren't many guests; they were all close relatives of the Ji family and a few of Lin Qingmian's friends.

Jiang Yao arrived and sat in the second row. When she saw Lin Qingmian walking through the flower archway arm in arm with Ji Linzhou, she clapped her hands vigorously with tears in her eyes.

Fang Shiyang sat next to Jiang Yao and cried even harder than Jiang Yao, ruining her makeup.

Lin Qingmian walked down the long flower-lined path arm in arm with Ji Linzhou, petals falling on her shoulders, hair, and skirt. She could hear the applause and cheers around her, and feel the steady steps and warm body of the man beside her.

As they reached the flower archway, the emcee asked, "Mr. Ji Linzhou, do you take this lady beside you to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in riches and in poverty, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Ji Linzhou turned around and looked at Lin Qingmian.

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the flower archway, casting dappled patterns of light on her hair.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with light.

"I do," he said.

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The emcee then turned to Lin Qingmian: "Ms. Lin Qingmian, do you take this man beside you to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, to cherish, and to live, till death do you part?"

Lin Qingmian looked at him and took a deep breath.

Many images flashed before her eyes—the summer night when she first saw him in the banquet pavilion when she was sixteen.

A year ago, in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, he coldly told her, "Marriage is just a transaction."

That morning, after he woke me up on the sofa, that embarrassing and absurd situation began.

The sound of him holding her hand in the hospital corridor and saying "I'll be with you," the image of him tying an apron around her as he cooked in the kitchen, the slightly cool fingertips of him bending down to put a necklace on her, the deep eyes in his eyes when he said "I'll see you for a lifetime"...

"I do."

She spoke softly, but her voice was a thousand times more resolute than when she signed her name at the Civil Affairs Bureau a year ago.

Ji Linzhou reached out and gently lifted her face.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he bent down and kissed her.

The petals fell gently, like a silent blessing.

In the distance, Jiang Yao was crying uncontrollably, while Fang Shiyang was also crying and taking pictures with his phone.

Ji Xingqing clapped and cheered, while Grandpa Ji, sitting in the front row, seemed to have a bit of tears in his eyes.

Meanwhile, a silver-gray Porsche was parked quietly by the main road outside the manor.

Ji Xingye sat in the driver's seat, watching from afar the two people kissing under the flower archway.

His fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the emotions in his eyes were as complex as a spilled palette—resentment, relief, pain, and a faint, almost blessing-like light.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he released the steering wheel, started the car, and slowly drove away.

Outside the car window, the lively atmosphere in the manor continued.

Ji Xingye did not turn around.

After the wedding ceremony, the guests moved to the banquet hall at the back of the manor.

The banquet hall was decorated in a warm golden tone, with strings of delicate warm-colored lights hanging from the ceiling, as if an entire starry sky had been brought indoors.

A cream-colored tablecloth covered the long table, which was filled with fresh flowers and exquisite dishes, while a champagne tower reflected shimmering light in the corner.

Lin Qingmian was pulled by Fang Shiyang to change into a second dress—a champagne-colored fishtail gown, much lighter and easier to move around in than the wedding dress.

When she came out after changing her clothes, Jiang Yao was waiting at the door. Upon seeing her, she greeted her with red eyes.

"Mianmian." Jiang Yao took her hand, her voice slightly hoarse, "You look so beautiful today."

Lin Qingmian smiled and squeezed her hand: "Don't cry, your makeup is going to be ruined."

"I couldn't help it!" Jiang Yao sniffed and wiped her eyes. "You've finally found your happiness, I'm so happy for you."

Looking at her reddened eyes, Lin Qingmian felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

She reached out and hugged Jiang Yao, her voice soft: "You too, Yao Yao. You'll meet good people too."

Jiang Yao responded sullenly in her arms, then released her and turned her face away, pretending to look at the decorative flowers next to her.

When the two entered the banquet hall together, Ji Linzhou was standing next to the main table talking to Bai Cheng.

He changed into a slightly more casual dark gray suit, and replaced his bow tie with a necktie. He still looked upright and dignified, but he was more relaxed than he was at the ceremony.

Seeing Lin Qingmian approach, he stopped his conversation with Bai Cheng and waved to her.

Lin Qingmian walked to his side, and he naturally reached out to tidy up a stray lock of hair that was slightly askew on her shoulder.

"Are you tired?" he asked.