My story begins with someone else's story.
It was May Day, and I had originally planned to travel to Thailand with my best friend. Passport? Done. Travel guide? Checked. I had already exchanged for Thai baht and even made a post in my WeChat circle. However, as they say, expect the unexpected. Just a few days before my trip, I received a call from someone claiming that he was too busy and urged me to attend a wedding in Guangzhou on his behalf. My holiday was canceled!
About the wedding - a few key points: both the groom and the bride were second-generation elites; the venue was a five-star hotel fully booked for the event, and the guests were either rich or noble. If you have seen the world, you can imagine the rest; I won't go into detail. You all understand what a world of the rich and powerful looks like.
Upon arrival at the banquet venue that day, I was seated at the "friends'" table. The ceremony hadn't started and people around me were exchanging pleasantries. Killing time by munching sunflower seeds and browsing on my phone, I stood up to use the restroom and freshen up my makeup. The hotel's layout was too complicated. As I wandered around looking for the restroom, I reached the end of the corridor without spotting any signs indicating the WC. Just as I was about to leave disappointedly, I saw a startling scene through a glass window, almost letting out a gasp --
In the small conference room, a man and a woman were passionately kissing. I didn't know who the man was, but the woman in the wedding gown was obviously the bride! Was I hallucinating? The groom and his family were outside greeting guests, while the bride was hiding in this secluded space kissing another man!? Could this get any weirder?
In the few seconds that I was dumbfounded, the man opened his eyes and met my alarmed gaze head-on! His glance lasted merely two or three seconds, but I felt an intense, piercing power from it... Quickly, he held the bride tighter, buried his face deeper, and kissed more fervently, acting as if I was non-existent. Naturally, the bride, with her back towards me, wasn't aware of my presence.
Being witness to such a scene, my gut reaction was anxiety and embarrassment. After overcoming my initial shock, I turned and left, even breaking into a run after a few steps, as if I was the one guilty of wrongdoing...
I didn't dare to go to the WC anymore and returned straight to my seat, my heart still thumping wildly. I took a sip of hot tea to calm my nerves, hoping that I had been bleary-eyed. What was I supposed to do; should I act with "righteous indignation" and rush to tell the groom that his bride was cheating on him and that they shouldn't get married? This was so ludicrous!
The wedding scene stayed luxurious and harmonious, with all the steps proceeding in an orderly manner, everyone's faces were full of joy. When I was watching a romantic MV of the bride and groom playing on the big screen, seeing how deeply in love they appeared to be, I found it funny. Isn't every wedding supposed to be "because of love"? But how many of these unions are merely an ostentatious ceremony?
About twenty minutes later.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" A man's voice came.
As I raised my eyes and faced his face, I couldn't help but waver, feeling a small ripple in my heart~ His facial contours were sharp, especially his aristocratic nose, which must have been perfect even before any cosmetic surgery. His eyes were so black, deep, shiny, and lively... It was a charming good looks that would make any woman nervous and shy. It was a recognizable handsome. So I awkwardly averted my gaze and coldly said, "No."
He then casually took the empty seat next to me.
After a period of silence, he poured himself a cup of tea and topped up my cup as well, to which I hurriedly thanked him. Just after thanking him, I noticed the clothes he was wearing, and my heart skipped a beat again--