Chapter 72: The Wedding Ceremony

Shang Qi said, "Do not vent your anger on others."

Luo Yichen commanded in a low voice, "You should watch your own behavior as well; so many people are watching!"

"He was the one who suddenly grabbed my hand, how was my behavior improper?"

Luo Yichen, consumed by jealousy, retorted, "Then couldn't you have dodged away? Did you have to wait until he actually grabbed your hand before shaking him off? If I hadn't rushed over, were you planning to keep holding hands with him?"

"You saw everything and you're still blaming me? You're completely unreasonable!"

Fearing they might actually come to blows, the bridesmaid quickly intervened, "President Luo, the wedding is about to start."

Only then did Luo Yichen call a truce, turning around to walk toward the wedding venue. A look of lingering anger remained on Shang Qi's face; she felt that Luo Yichen was simply too preposterous.

The bridesmaid smiled and said, "Don't blame President Luo, he's just jealous!"

"I think he's just making a scene for no reason, always so self-righteous day in and day out."

The bridesmaid smiled silently, which instead made Shang Qi feel a bit awkward. She had almost forgotten that she was the bride today; how could she complain about the groom to someone else like this? Soon, the wedding ceremony officially began, and the audience fell instantly silent. Amidst the Wedding March, Shang Wendong took Shang Qi's hand and led her to Luo Yichen's side.

The moment Luo Yichen took Shang Qi's hand, he gripped it tightly. The vow-taking process was brief, but every single word was etched into his heart. His firm and affectionate gaze moved every guest present. In everyone's eyes, they were a match made in heaven.

Shang Qi's heart was filled with trepidation, and she didn't even dare to look into Luo Yichen's eyes. She felt her hand surrounded by waves of warmth, a current rushing from her fingertips straight to her heart. The moment Luo Yichen slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, Shang Qi felt as though she might never be able to escape for the rest of her life.

The moment the ceremony concluded, Yin Guizhen's heart shattered completely. That pain eroded her willpower bit by bit. She suddenly felt that she had nothing left to live for. Yin Guizhen turned and left the wedding banquet venue. Mu Lichen wanted to have someone escort her home. She stubbornly refused, saying she wanted to go drink. Unsettled about her state, Mu Lichen instructed someone to follow her closely.

At the entrance, Yin Guizhen saw Xi Jingpeng. This man, just like her now, was enduring inner torment.

She said, "You are truly pathetic, I feel so worthless on your behalf. You did so much for Shang Qi, yet you still couldn't compare to a man who once violated her. Perhaps this is just how it goes—women love bad boys!"

Provoked into a frenzy of jealousy, Xi Jingpeng's eyes flashed with a fiery glare...

After the ceremony, the wedding banquet officially commenced. Luo Yichen and Shang Qi first went to the VIP table. Holding a glass of wine, Luo Yichen said, "Grandfather, we toast you."

With a glowing complexion and high spirits, Elder Luo said, "Good!"

Luo Shixun advised, "Dad, you shouldn't be drinking!"

Elder Luo waved his hand and said, "Just this one glass, it'll be fine."

At Luo Yichen's signal, Shang Qi poured a full glass of wine for her grandfather. Elder Luo raised his glass and said to her, "I hope you can soon bring flourishing prosperity to the Luo family."

Shang Qi instantly blushed, and Luo Yichen looked slightly embarrassed as well.

Subsequently, they toasted both sets of parents and the elders respectively. After making the rounds from table to table, Luo Yichen had already consumed a bottle and a half of strong liquor. Strangely, his gait remained steady and his speech was clear. Shang Qi had been drinking beer, and possessing a low alcohol tolerance, she was already feeling dizzy.

Noticing Shang Qi's flushed cheeks, Luo Yichen felt something was amiss. He took her glass and sniffed it; it was indeed real beer. He turned and asked Mu Lichen in a low voice, "Why didn't you swap out Shang Qi's wine?"

Mu Lichen smiled mysteriously and said, "I'm looking out for you. With that temper of hers, if she isn't made slightly tipsy first, will you be able to tame her tonight?"

Previously, Mu Lichen had feigned a pursuit of Shang Qi, which had caused misunderstandings between the couple. Now, he also understood that Luo Yichen and Yin Guizhen could never piece their broken mirror back together. Therefore, he was deliberately matchmaking behind the scenes, hoping they would have a good start after marriage.

Luo Yichen frowned and said, "If she keeps going like this, she'll pass out from drunkenness before the banquet ends. How are we going to wrap this up when that happens?"

"Rest assured, I've already had people dilute her wine with a bit extra club soda; she won't drink herself senseless. I've truly given my all for you. Whether tonight succeeds or not depends entirely on your own skills."

Luo Yichen made no commitment, feeling both a trace of small joy and a vague sense of worry in his heart. At that moment, someone called out, "President Luo, congratulations!"

Luo Yichen looked up to see that the speaker was none other than Ji Xudong. Ever since the last incident when Luo Yichen had driven away his "darling," the two of them could be considered to have bad blood. However, people in the business world always see long-standing divisions lead to unity and vice versa. Therefore, everyone makes sure to keep up appearances on the surface.

Luo Yichen did not want to cause trouble at his own wedding, so he raised his glass and said with a smile, "President Ji, please forgive any offenses from the past. Come, I toast you!"

Ji Xudong said, "President Luo is overthinking it. Bottoms up!" With that, he drained his glass in one gulp.

Luo Yichen immediately finished his drink as well. Catching a glance out of the corner of his eye, Ji Xudong noticed that the liquid in Luo Yichen's glass did not cling to the sides at all. He guessed that it was most likely water.

Thus, Ji Xudong picked up the wine bottle and said, "President Luo, let me top you up. On this joyous day, we must drink to our heart's content." As he spoke, he poured nearly half a bottle of liquor into the glass.

While many people came to offer toasts at wedding banquets, no one dared to openly harass Luo Yichen like this. Ji Xudong was clearly trying to settle an old score.

Mu Lichen hurried over and said, "President Ji, the groom has already had quite a bit to drink. How about I take this glass on his behalf?"

Ji Xudong completely ignored him and said, "There's no need for you to step in as a proxy! Or perhaps, I should offer this glass to the bride instead?"

Shang Qi detested his demeanor, and a displeased look was already plastered across her face. Seeing that Ji Xudong was targeting Shang Qi, Luo Yichen quickly took the glass. He said, "How can I let someone else drink on my behalf? That would show far too little respect for President Ji. I'll finish this as a toast!"

Luo Yichen picked up the glass and downed the liquor in a single breath. After putting the glass down, his complexion turned slightly pale, though he showed no signs of drunkenness. Seeing that he had failed to corner Luo Yichen, Ji Xudong still wanted to continue toasting. Shang Qi noticed a noble-looking matron who had remained by Ji Xudong's side all along. She guessed that this person was most likely Mrs. Ji.

Holding her glass, Shang Qi said to Ji Xudong, "President Ji, why didn't the young lady we met last time come today?"

This Mrs. Ji was a born jealous wife, and she immediately glared daggers at Ji Xudong. President Ji naturally understood who Shang Qi was referring to, so he smoothly changed the subject and said, "Mrs. Luo, my daughter had matters at school today, which is why she couldn't make it. On her behalf, I wish you and President Luo a hundred years of harmony."

Shang Qi smiled faintly and said, "Thank you!"

Not daring to cause any more trouble for them, Ji Xudong hastily led his wife back to their seat. No matter how good Luo Yichen's alcohol tolerance was, he couldn't withstand drinking so hastily. Seeing that his complexion didn't look right, Mu Lichen said, "Go take a rest first before toasting the next table!"

Luo Yichen forced down the strong alcohol surging upward and said, "It's fine, there's only one table left. If I leave the venue now, it will raise suspicions."

Fearing that someone else might make things difficult, Mu Lichen insisted that Luo Yichen take a break first. Taking advantage of the bride's need to change her gown, they temporarily left the wedding banquet venue. Feeling the alcohol in his stomach surging up once more, Luo Yichen rushed hurriedly to the restroom and emptied his stomach completely.

After he came out, Mu Lichen said to Shang Qi, "Help him go take a longer rest. I'll go toast the tables first. If anyone asks, I can casually explain."

Luo Yichen had simply drunk too quickly earlier. After vomiting, he felt much better. Because he had purged it in time, very little alcohol remained in his stomach, and by this point, he was completely fine. How was Shang Qi to know any of this? Fearing that he couldn't stand steadily, she hurriedly rushed over to support him.

Luo Yichen seized the opportunity to wrap an arm around Shang Qi's waist. He feigned instability, swaying as he walked forward. Once again feeling frightened, Shang Qi wanted to break free from Luo Yichen's embrace, yet she couldn't just leave him lying on the ground. With great difficulty, she managed to escort him to the sofa in the lounge.

Taking advantage of Shang Qi bending over, Luo Yichen pulled her right into his arms. Catching the scent of alcohol on him, Shang Qi grew even more terrified. Acting overly affectionate, Luo Yichen murmured, "Wife, you're so good to me!"

This gave Shang Qi goosebumps all over. She said, "Let go of me! Stop acting crazy from the alcohol."

Luo Yichen was not about to obey; exhaling alcoholic breath, he only tightened his grip. This scenario was far too similar to that night. Terrified to her core, tears were practically welling up in Shang Qi's eyes.

Stroke her hair, Luo Yichen said softly, "Don't be afraid! I won't do anything to you at the wedding. Can we just hug for a little while?"

Shang Qi stopped struggling. She believed that even at a time like this, Luo Yichen still possessed some sense of boundaries. With his lovely wife in his arms, Luo Yichen couldn't help but feel somewhat intoxicated by the moment. He deliberately rubbed against Shang Qi, making her itch. Seeing him push his luck, Shang Qi said, "You don't want the guests outside to treat you as entertainment, do you? Let go of me right now!"

Luo Yichen was also afraid that if he kept this up, he wouldn't be able to exercise self-control. He hurriedly released his wife. Shang Qi stood up, smoothing out her wedding dress which had been rumpled by him.

Languidly leaning against the sofa, he said, "Get me a glass of water, I'm so thirsty."

Shang Qi had no desire to wait on him, yet she feared he might get even drunkards and end up pulling more unpredictable stunts! She turned around, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to Luo Yichen. After taking a sip, he grimaced, "So bitter!"

Shang Qi said, "This tea has been steeping for a long time, of course it's bitter. It'll just right sober you up."

Luo Yichen recalled the scene of Shang Qi making tea for him previously. Back then, it was also to sober him up, and she had also brewed a cup of strong tea. At that time, Luo Yichen had found it too bitter to swallow, but now he tasted sweetness amidst the bitterness. Before long, he had emptied the cup entirely.

A round of knocking echoed, and Shang Qi said, "Come in."

Mu Lichen walked in and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Rising from the sofa, Luo Yichen said, "I'm fine now, let's go back out!"

At a single glance, Mu Lichen spotted the lipstick mark on his shirt collar and said, "Change your clothes before going out."

"What's wrong with these clothes?" Luo Yichen asked, completely bewildered.

Following Mu Lichen's gaze, Shang Qi spotted the bright red mark. Her face burned instantly; this trace had undoubtedly been rubbed on while she was in Luo Yichen's arms just moments ago.