Shen Di’s engagement party was arranged in an exquisite manor, which was beautifully decorated both inside and out. It was the season when flowers bloom in a riot of color, everywhere flowers blossomed and grasses were green, full of the strong scent of spring.
The manor’s large lawn was filled with many fresh flowers, which were all air-shipped from various places early in the morning, still with glistening dewdrops, crystal clear.
Being there was like being in a sea of flowers, with the fragrance of fresh flowers wafting to one’s nose.
Zhou Ran had come back early with Shen Cexian, Shen Cexian was feeling well today, already able to stand, he greeted his old friends in the manor.
Xu Chaomu was busy accompanying Shen Di with makeup and trying on dresses.
Xiaobao was also very happy, because a lot of little babies came today.
He saw Tiantian again, the two of them hit it off, hugging and playing one moment, and fighting the next.
Yu Weiwei was raised by Li Beiting to be fair and tender, and she is becoming more and more like a little lady.
Li Beiting, on the other hand, was helping Shen Chi manage some of the engagement banquet affairs, and the two sometimes whispered to each other.
"Beiting, did Elder Li ask you to come home?" Shen Chi asked indifferently.
"Yeah, didn’t you already know?" he replied.
"Have past matters been written off?"
"Of course, he even has a grandson now. You don’t know how happy my dad is, always talking about Tiantian," Li Beiting said with a smile.
"Helping you escape your wedding the year before last was the right choice, after all," Shen Chi said.
"If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the determination, nor the ability," Li Beiting said with emotion. He was still very grateful to Shen Chi.
"As long as you’re happy, I just did what I could."
Li Beiting glanced around and said, "Is Shen Shihan still in the hospital?"
"Yeah, he hasn’t woken up yet," Shen Chi sighed.
"If you had been in trouble in the United States, I would have dug three feet into the ground to find you!" Li Beiting said fiercely, "That time was too dangerous. I told you so many times not to go, but you insisted on going yourself. In the end, both Shen Shihan and Nie Chenglang had accidents, and you yourself were seriously injured."
"There had to be a resolution between me and Shen Shihan," Shen Chi said indifferently, not caring too much.
"Have you ever thought about what Xu Chaomu and your two children would do if something happened to you?"
Shen Chi looked at him indifferently: "I never thought about that."
"Should I say you’re confident or too proud?" Li Beiting said, "I almost thought you wouldn’t make it back alive."
"Don’t be so pessimistic," Shen Chi patted his shoulder and laughed, "Look, I’m still fine."
"Yeah... Oh, by the way, I’ve had someone sell off all of Shen Shihan’s goods in the country. If he wakes up, he won’t face imprisonment. Shen Chi, as his brother, you’ve really gone above and beyond," Li Beiting said.
Shen Chi sighed inwardly but said nothing; it would be good if he could just wake up.
The engagement banquet was held on time, the guests weren’t many, but they were all close friends, and it was lively for a while.
Looking at Shen Di in her red dress and Qin Chen in his white suit, Xu Chaomu thought... the two of them seemed quite well-matched.
Qin Chen cared sincerely for Shen Di; when she was getting her makeup done, he was worried about her health, asking her if she was tired from time to time.
Xu Chaomu thought, if this is what happiness ultimately looks like, then it’s not bad.
Perhaps Shen Di really likes Qin Chen, and Qin Chen likes Shen Di a lot too.
Xu Chaomu and Shen Chi prepared gifts for Shen Di separately; Xu Chaomu personally folded a jar full of stars for Shen Di, in various colors, colorful and beautiful.
The stars contain the wishes Xu Chaomu made, hoping that Shen Di would always be happy, just as Shen Di wished for her.
The engagement ceremony proceeded orderly, and Shen Chi, worried about Shen Di’s health, handled most of the tasks himself.
Qin Chen’s parents also attended, sitting harmoniously with Shen Cexian and Zhou Ran.
Xu Chaomu’s heart was filled with blessings, knowing that once the engagement ceremony ended, Shen Di and Qin Chen would return to Australia again. They had already been out for a long time, but Xu Chaomu still couldn’t bear to part with them.
Seeing Shen Di’s faint smile, she smiled along.
During the ceremony, Xu Chaomu casually snapped a few photos and posted them on social media.
Wen Zhiyuan, on a business trip in New Zealand, saw the photos posted by Xu Chaomu and couldn’t snap back to reality for a long time.
He clicked on every photo with Shen Di, zooming in on each one, staring at her face, at her eyes.
Shen Di’s eyes were beautiful, clear, and bright, like those of a child.
Once, he had also seen her eyes up close many times, and at those times, he could always see a miniature version of himself reflected in them.
But now, her eyes held only Qin Chen.
She looked beautiful in the red dress, her face peach-like, but her complexion was still not great; he knew beneath the exquisite makeup must be a pale face.
Whenever he thought of this, he felt a vague worry.
Qin Chen indulged her too much, often reluctant to scold her for her bad habits.
This business trip to New Zealand wasn’t obligatory, but he had applied for it anyway; after this trip, he could take a good rest.
Holding the phone felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; in that moment, his heart was filled with weariness.
Gradually, he put down the phone and closed his eyes.
His brows furrowed continuously, light fell on his sharply contoured face, subtracting the usual gentleness and adding a sense of helplessness and melancholy.
Shadows intertwine as layers of images are cast on the floor; as the wind blows, light and shadow shift, time subtly passes by.
He didn’t know how much time had passed; Wen Zhiyuan felt as if he had a long dream, in which he remembered the first time he met Shen Di.
To outsiders, she appeared gentle and knowledgeable, emitting the grace of a lady from a distinguished family; in his eyes, though, she was a bit temperamental, often childlike, hating to take medicine, rejecting injections, loathing hospital visits.
Many years have gone by, and to Wen Zhiyuan, it felt as if a century had passed.
Only when night had deepened did Wen Zhiyuan rise from his chair, removing the blanket from his body, and silently poured himself a glass of lemon water.
Turning on the phone, the engagement banquet was over, and there were many photos posted by Xu Chaomu on social media.
Among so many people, he only looked at that one.
As he looked, the sound of the violin echoed in his ears, the tune of "The Promise" she loved to play...
He used to tell her, "Can’t you play something more cheerful?"
She would deliberately respond, "Don’t like it? Then don’t listen. At least I’m better than someone who only knows how to handle a scalpel."
He would also deliberately say, "At least a scalpel saves lives, your violin playing is injured, how is that helping anyone?"
"Injured you? How so?"
Back then, she’d banter with him without much regard for manners, not treating him as a patient, nor him treating her as his doctor.
Now that I think about it, it’s a very distant memory...
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