On the other end of the phone, the voice was very respectful. “Mr. Chen, I was just about to leave.”
“Alright, I’ve sent you the address,” Chen Ju said before hanging up.
He didn’t have any extra invitations.
Chen Ju didn’t contact Xu En, only messaging Bai Lian to ask about the invitation.
He didn’t dare call Bai Lian since she was in class right now.
A minute later.
Miss Bai: [1]
After receiving the reply, Chen Ju finally started his car and left.
Bai Lian, Ning Xiao, and the others didn’t leave until almost ten o’clock.
“Where are you going?” Wang Xu didn’t know they were leaving early. “It’s the last day today.”
“We have something to attend,” Tang Ming spoke for the others, patting Wang Xu’s shoulder. “Going to a wedding. Remember to send us the recording.”
“Sure,” Wang Xu nodded firmly, patting his chest. “Today’s lecture is on physics, Pei Jin’s specialty. I’ll make sure he organizes it well for you.”
“Thanks,” Tang Ming punched his arm lightly.
Seeing Bai Lian and Ning Xiao walking away, he quickly grabbed his backpack and caught up.
Chang’an District was separated from Yunxiao Hotel by Xinjiang District. Even without traffic, it might take an hour to get there.
When they went downstairs, Jiang Fuli and Jiang He were already waiting in the car.
“Teacher Jiang,” Tang Ming and Ning Xiao automatically straightened their backs when they saw Jiang Fuli.
“Mm,” Jiang Fuli responded casually, then looked at Bai Lian: “You’re returning tonight?”
“Yes,” Bai Lian had already packed her things. She leaned lazily against the seat back, talking to Jiang Fuli, “I need to rush back before the New Year, it’s a bit hurried.”
It takes half a day to fly from Jiangjing to Beicheng, and another 12 hours by train from Beicheng to Xiangcheng.
Xu En initially wanted the Ji family to spend New Year here.
But Ji Heng and Ji Shaojun both disagreed.
Not to mention them, Ning Xiao and Tang Ming also needed to return home for New Year, as they had no relatives in Jiangjing.
Since there were many people today, Jiang Fuli had arranged for an extended executive car.
Bai Lian sat in the same row as him, with a booth seat behind them where Jiang He and the others were eating fruit.
Hearing Bai Lian mention going back, Jiang He, who was being fed grapes by Tang Ming, immediately crawled over and leaned on the back of Jiang Fuli’s seat, staring at Bai Lian.
Jiang Fuli pushed him away with one finger.
Jiang Fuli’s fingertips rested on the folder, but he hadn’t turned a single page. He calmly calculated the time, “There’s no need to rush so much.”
“But there isn’t enough time.”
The Boyuan Base was also ending today.
Their flight to Beicheng was at 9 PM, and they would only reach Xiangcheng by train the next evening after leaving Beicheng in the morning.
Jiang Fuli tapped the folder rhythmically, his expression cool and his voice clear, “We can leave at 6 AM tomorrow, I need to stop by the laboratory anyway.”
Bai Lian: “…”
That really was convenient.
She leisurely took out her phone to call Xu Wenyao.
It took Xu Wenyao a minute to answer, “Hello, Ah Lian, it’s a bit noisy and I couldn’t hear. Have you arrived?”
“Not yet,” Bai Lian spoke unhurriedly, “I have another guest here without an invitation, could you help me check later?”
“Without an invitation, what’s their name?” Xu Wenyao asked.
“Surname Shen, called Shen Min.”
Xu Wenyao wrote down the name on a sticky note, “Alright, got it.”
At Yunxiao Hotel, at the wedding venue.
Ji Mulan was leaving from the hotel, going to Xu En’s new house before returning to the hotel wedding venue.
By now, guests were arriving one after another, with Xu En and Xu Wenyao greeting them outside.
Xu En had invited all his employees in Jiangjing, plus some industry friends, classmates, and relatives. With several hundred people, even starting to greet guests at 9 AM, receiving three or four people per minute would take three hours.
The hotel was clearly experienced with such large events, assigning twenty ceremony staff and dozens of waiters, making things run smoothly.
Old Madam Xu arrived early too.
She arrived at the wedding venue at 10 AM, supported by the Xu family butler, sitting authoritatively at the main wedding table below the ceremony platform.
Ji Mulan was doing her makeup in the back when she heard Old Madam Xu had arrived.
She came to greet her, surprised and nervous, “Old Madam, why did you come?”
She had thought Old Madam Xu wouldn’t come today either.
Old Madam Xu’s face was deeply wrinkled, emanating an intimidating aura. She didn’t respond to Ji Mulan, sweeping her gaze around, “Haven’t seen them yet?”
She had come so early to wait for Bai Lian.
With such a lively occasion and grand scene, Old Madam Xu thought Bai Lian and the others would come very early, which was why she came early.
The butler glanced at Ji Mulan, respectfully bowing, “They haven’t arrived.”
Ji Mulan had long known Old Madam Xu’s attitude and didn’t mind. If Old Madam Xu had accepted her easily, she would have found it suspicious.
“Old Madam.” People from the Xu clan came over from across to greet Old Madam Xu, then looked at Ji Mulan, “Congratulations.”
Old Madam Xu looked at them, speaking flatly, “Grand Uncle, sit here, we haven’t seen each other in a long time, let’s chat.”
The Xu family’s Grand Uncle looked at the main table with some hesitation, “This…”
Old Madam Xu looked down and saw the “Groom’s and Bride’s Parents Table” sign in the middle of the table. She raised her eyebrows and gave the butler a look. The butler immediately removed these two signs.
They were replaced with “Groom’s Table.”
And at the table below, they put up “Bride’s Table.”
“Sit.” Old Madam Xu looked at Grand Uncle, who now sat at the groom’s table without hesitation.
There was nothing to hesitate about.
If this were the Qi family, the Xu family people would definitely be cautious.
But now it was the Ji family…
Old Madam Xu and the others knew what kind of person Ji Mulan was. If Ji Mulan’s father wanted to sit at the same table as Old Madam Xu, that would really be beneath their dignity.
Ji Mulan stood at the side, pressing her lips together.
Just then, Ji Heng, Ji Shaojun, and others arrived at the wedding venue.
Hearing these were the bride’s relatives and Ji Heng was the bride’s father, the ceremony staff led Ji Heng to Old Madam Xu’s table, while Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing sat at the table behind.
Ji Heng carried his pipe. Today he wore a black robe with the character “Fu” (fortune), quite festive, and his presence wasn’t inferior compared to the Xu family members in their elegant formal wear.
Old Madam Xu kept her head down, turning a string of prayer beads in her right hand, her expression cold, not even lifting her eyelids.
“I’m sorry,” the butler smiled as he turned the table sign to face Ji Heng and the ceremony staff, “this is the groom’s table, the bride’s table is in the back.”
He pointed to Ji Shaojun’s table, speaking politely.
“But…” Ji Mulan hadn’t chosen a traditional Chinese wedding. Her hair was only half done, and her face darkened as she wanted to say something to the butler.
Ji Heng stopped her, “It’s fine.”
Ji Heng turned to sit beside Ji Shaojun, nodding at Ji Mulan, “Go busy yourself, no need to tell Xu En.”
Ji Shaojun reminded Ji Heng, “Dad, your phone is ringing.”
The venue was noisy and Ji Heng couldn’t hear the ringtone, but Ji Shaojun saw his phone lighting up in his pocket.
Ji Heng took out his old-style phone, it was Chen Ju, “Hello, Little Chen.”
“Uncle Ji,” Chen Ju was still driving on the other end, “I’ll be there soon, I didn’t come with Miss Bai.”
“Good,” Ji Heng lit his pipe, squinting as he took a puff, “we’re all here.”
Ji Mulan looked at Ji Heng sitting at the second table, then at Old Madam Xu’s attitude.
Her heart felt very blocked.
“Go back,” Shen Qing carefully glanced at Ji Mulan. Actually, Shen Qing was clear about her own position; the seating arrangement at the Ren family back then was even worse than today.
Outside.
Xu En was still greeting guests. Xu Shujie was looking at the list beside him. When she turned to the Qi family, her expression changed slightly, and she whispered in Xu En’s ear, “No one from the Qi family has come, neither Shuyu nor Madam Qi are here.”
Everyone had seen the relationship between Qi Shuyu and Xu Wenyao.
Everyone thought Qi Shuyu would marry into the Xu family in the future. This time for Xu En’s remarriage, Mr. Qi might not come, but Qi Shuyu and Madam Qi had both said they would attend.
After all, it was Xu En’s big event.
Hearing this, Xu En continued greeting guests while maintaining his composure, talking to Xu Shujie, “It’s probably because of Wenyao’s matter.”
“Should we have Wenyao call Shuyu?” Xu Shujie was a bit worried, “It’s fine if Madam Qi doesn’t come, but Shuyu…”
“No need,” Xu En was quite firm, “if they don’t come, so be it.”
Seeing Xu En so determined, Xu Shujie took out her phone and sent a message to Shuyu—
[Shuyu, the wedding is about to start]
There was no immediate reply.
Xu Shujie sighed.
Just as she was about to say something, she looked up and saw a man in his forties lingering at the reception. She quickly went forward, “District Chief Shen? Why are you here?”
“Hello,” District Chief Shen didn’t know Xu Shujie but had met Xu En. He was very courteous, “Mr. Xu, so this is your wedding. Congratulations.”
Xu Shujie turned her head to look at Xu En in shock.
Wait, did Xu En even invite their Mingfeng District Chief? Did the Xu family secretly become powerful while she wasn’t paying attention?
Xu En was also startled by District Chief Shen. He put down what he was doing, “District Chief Shen, do you have official business?”
Their family had no connection to political circles, nor did they have such channels.
Xu En was also confused.
Just then, Xu Wenyao came over with a sticky note, telling Xu Shujie and Xu En: “Dad, Ah Lian said they have a male guest surnamed Shen, called Shen Min. I haven’t seen him here, you and Aunt should keep an eye out.”
Xu Shujie and Xu En hadn’t yet reacted.
“That would be me,” Shen Min looked up, nodding slightly to Mr. Xu: “No official business today, I’m here for the wedding. My sudden arrival is intrusive, I apologize for disturbing you, Mr. Xu.”
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