Chapter 696: The Grand Wedding
Chapter 696: The Grand Wedding
On Wednesday, December 26th, the sky was clear and cloudless.
Lately, the hottest topic in Hong Kong City had been the upcoming grand wedding between the newly minted billionaire, Nie Zan, and the female richest person, Lu Jiaxin. While the Nie family had always been wealthy, and Nie Zan had received an elite education, his rise to the ranks of the super-rich was not particularly newsworthy; Lu Jiaxin, on the other hand, was a different story. Having migrated from the impoverished mainland, and being a young woman, her journey to becoming the female tycoon of Hong Kong City in just seven short years had made her a legendary figure and an idol for many of the city's youth. Despite her low-key nature, avoiding interviews and rarely making public appearances, her popularity was undeniable.
On the day of the wedding, Lu Jiaxin woke up early. She first put on her wedding dress to show her stylist, before changing back into casual attire.
The stylist had already seen the dress, but needed to see it on Lu Jiaxin to design the perfect hairstyle and makeup to complement it. Only after her hair was done did Lu Jiaxin eat breakfast, limiting herself to just eggs, bread, and a few sips of water to avoid any bathroom emergencies later.
After eating until she was comfortably full, the makeup artist began their work. Once her makeup was done, Lu Jiaxin rested for a while before changing back into her wedding dress.
For this grand occasion, she had designed three gowns herself. The first, for the wedding ceremony, was a pristine white dress with a three-meter-long train, adorned with countless diamonds and crafted entirely by hand. It was stunning, if a bit heavy and cumbersome.
Nie Zan arrived to escort the bride, and upon seeing Lu Jiaxin, he couldn't take his eyes off her as he praised, "Jiaxin, you look so beautiful today."
Lu Jiaxin tilted her head playfully and replied, "A woman's most beautiful moment is when she becomes a bride. But I hope I can be this beautiful every day from now on."
"Don't worry, you will be," Nie Zan assured her.
The wedding was a grand affair, with half of Hong Kong's upper crust gathered at the Peninsula Hotel. Official figures in attendance included the Governor and the Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission, while the business world was even more prominently represented—over half of the city's billionaires were present, along with various other celebrities and notables.
In recent years, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zan's business ventures had not only grown in scale but also diversified. Their conglomerate now included companies in jewelry, fashion, finance, shipbuilding, manufacturing, and even the film industry. Their influence and net worth were second only to the Big Four families. And the best part was that they were both still so young—Nie Zan, the groom, was 33, while Lu Jiaxin was an impressive 23, leaving endless possibilities for their future.
The witness for the wedding was the third young master of the Guo family, with whom Nie Zan had collaborated extensively in recent years, developing a close relationship. With Lu Jiaxin's consent, Nie Zan had invited him to be their witness.
Under the watchful eyes of all the guests, Nie Zan and Lu Jiaxin exchanged their wedding rings. Lu Jiaxin had thought she would remain composed, but as the ring slipped onto her finger, she found herself unable to hold back her tears.
Zong Shimeng smiled at Hu Huihui and said, "I remember you crying during this ring exchange at your wedding too."
Hu Huihui smiled back and said, "I remember when my brother-in-law came to fetch my sister, the bride, she was crying buckets."
So, neither of them could tease the other—this was an emotional moment for everyone.
With the witness presiding, Old Master Nie and Lu Hongjun, Lu Jiaxin's father, each gave a speech. Old Master Nie had long awaited this day, eager for Nie Zan to settle down, and his face was wreathed in smiles, his wrinkles softening with joy. Lu Hongjun's speech, like his speech at the engagement ceremony, was proper and to the point.
Some of the guests who were seeing Lu Hongjun for the first time whispered, "This man doesn't look anything like Miss Lu. Is he really her biological father?"
Unfortunately, Lu Jiajie's group overheard this comment. He wanted to step forward and explain, but Lu Ping held him back. In their native tongue, Lu Ping said, "Fifth Uncle, it's enough that we know Third Uncle is Miss Lu's biological father. There's no need to explain it to them. Sometimes, the more you explain, the more they'll doubt."
Lu Ping had taken special leave to attend Lu Jiaxin's wedding. Since arriving at Northwest University, he had felt the immense gap between himself and his peers, but he was also grateful that he hadn't given up along the way. Otherwise, he would have remained in his small town, never knowing how vast the world was.
Lu Jiajie nodded but remained silent.
After the speeches by the elders, the guests took their seats for the wedding banquet. Meanwhile, Lu Jiaxin went upstairs to the presidential suite to change into a more comfortable outfit for the toasting ceremony—a three-meter-long wedding dress was not practical for moving around and greeting guests.
Her outfit for the toasting was a qipao embroidered with a phoenix. It accentuated her slender waist and graceful figure.
Zong Shimeng smiled admiringly and said, "Nie Zan is so fortunate to have you as his bride."
Some gossip magazines had hinted that Lu Jiaxin had a fiery temper and was prone to jealousy, suggesting that Nie Zan was henpecked and under her thumb. Little did they know that Lu Jiaxin was not only intelligent and capable but also extremely supportive of her husband. Any family would be lucky to have a daughter-in-law like her, and even Old Master Nie, as stubborn and old-fashioned as he was, never made any demands of her.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "He's very good to me, too."
She and Nie Zan were a mutually beneficial match. With her encouragement, Nie Zan's business had continued to flourish, and with his support, she had been able to amass her vast fortune in such a short time.
After changing, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zan went downstairs to offer toasts to the political and business elites in attendance. One of the elders, a close associate of Old Master Nie, smiled and asked, "Miss Lu, when are you and Nie Zan planning to have children?"
For a prominent family like theirs, continuing the lineage was of utmost importance. Nie Zan was already 33, an age when he should be thinking about starting a family. The elder was a good friend of Old Master Nie and knew of his concerns, so he took it upon himself to ask on the older man's behalf.
And, of course, the ever-present matchmakers were at work even on this joyous occasion.
Lu Jiaxin played along and didn't embarrass the elderly matchmaker, smiling as she said, "That depends on fate. I hope fate brings it soon."
Ever since Nie Zan expressed his desire to have children, they had started preparing their bodies, and after the wedding, they planned to try for a baby. They had been using birth control because weddings were exhausting affairs. But now, after the wedding banquet, they wouldn't have to anymore. However, as she had just said, having children also depended on fate.
After seeing all the guests out, Lu Jiaxin immediately returned to the presidential suite. She lay on the sofa for a while until Qian Xiaoxiao said, "Boss, the water's ready."
Lu Jiaxin was very tired, but she still went into the bathroom to soak in the tub. The bath was so relaxing that she fell asleep right there. When Qian Xiaoxiao didn't hear any movement and called out to her, and there was still no response, she hurried into the bathroom and woke her up. "Boss, you'll catch a cold if you sleep in the bathtub."
"Okay," Lu Jiaxin yawned and then rinsed off before returning to the bedroom.
When Nie Zan arrived, he found Qian Xiaoxiao blowing Lu Jiaxin's hair dry, but she had already fallen asleep.
Qian Xiaoxiao prepared to leave. "Mr. Nie, you blow her hair then. I'll be off."
She didn't want to be a third wheel on their wedding night, and she had enough sense to know when to make herself scarce.
Nie Zan shook his head. "I still have some matters to attend to. You stay here with Jiaxin."
He was also worried, which was why he had come up to check on them. There were still many things going on downstairs! Although Nie Jingwen and Zhang Lanlan could help manage things, as the person of the hour, he couldn't just wash his hands of everything.
Lu Jiaxin opened her eyes to darkness and instinctively reached out to turn on the light, only to touch a warm body. It was then that she realized that today was her wedding day, and after the banquet, they had retired to the hotel room. This wasn't home.
She picked up her watch from the bedside table and saw that it was past nine o'clock. They had come up at four in the morning, so she had been asleep for almost five hours.
Nie Zan asked concernedly, "Are you hungry? I asked them to send up some food."
Lu Jiaxin was indeed hungry. She had only snacked on a few pastries since morning. "Yes, but something light, please."
She found it puzzling that despite exercising more, Nie Zan seemed to have better physical fitness than her. It just didn't seem fair.
Nie Zan called the manager to send up their dinner. Lu Jiaxin thought they would have to wait a long time, but the food arrived in less than twenty minutes.
The dishes had been prepared in advance, and as soon as Nie Zan called, they were cooked and served promptly—all eight of them, which explained the speedy service.
After they had eaten their fill, Nie Zan asked the waiter to take away the dinner table and then took out a document from his bag and handed it to her. "Jiaxin, please sign this."
Lu Jiaxin took the document and opened it to find that it was a contract. The content stated that if Nie Zan were to commit adultery during their marriage, all the companies and shares under his name, along with all his other assets, would be transferred to Lu Jiaxin, leaving him penniless.
She closed the document and looked at him as she said, "If I sign this, you'll become a pauper if you ever give in to temptation and cheat."
Nie Zan replied seriously, "If I become a pauper, it will be my own doing, and I won't deserve any sympathy."
Lu Jiaxin didn't sign. She had more than enough money to last her a lifetime and had no interest in his wealth. However, she didn't refuse outright, as one never knew what the future held. "Ask your lawyer to modify the document. If you commit adultery during our marriage, your assets will be divided equally among our children."
Nie Zan felt that he hadn't considered this matter thoroughly enough. Smiling, he said, "Alright, I'll ask the lawyer to modify the document tomorrow."
After concluding this matter, Nie Zan looked at Jiaxin and asked, "I heard that in the mainland, newlyweds drink from the same cup on their wedding night. Is there such a custom?"
Lu Jiaxin found it amusing. "That was in the past. They don't do that anymore."
Nie Zan looked a little disappointed.
Lu Jiaxin continued, "Actually, in the past, after the newlywed couple drank from the same cup, they would sit on opposite sides of the bed and cut a lock of each other's hair. This would be tied together with a red string. This ceremony was also called 'tying the hair,' and only after this would they be considered truly husband and wife."
She paused before adding, "The 'tying the hair' ceremony was only for couples where both the bride and groom were marrying for the first time. It was also known as the 'original couple,' and it didn't apply to second or third marriages."
Upon hearing this, Nie Zan immediately called the guest services manager and asked them to send up a bottle of fruit wine, a pair of scissors, and a red string.
The guest services manager was a little puzzled, but the Peninsula Hotel prioritized guest satisfaction, and this was the owner's request, so they delivered the items as quickly as possible.
Nie Zan poured two cups of fruit wine and brought one to Lu Jiaxin. On this joyous day, she didn't want to dampen the mood, so she first drank from the same cup with him and then let him cut a lock of her hair.
When it was time to tie their hair together, they found that his hair was too short to make a knot. After some thought, Nie Zan took the two locks of hair, placed them in a red packet, and then tied the packet with the red string.
He handed the red packet containing their hair to Lu Jiaxin, took her hand, and said softly, "May our hands be forever entwined, and may we grow old together."
Lu Jiaxin replied softly, "For the rest of our lives, may we comfort each other."
The End
I've been struggling with this decision for the past few days, but in the end, I decided to conclude the main story with the grand wedding. There will be some additional content in the extras, but I've been in a slump recently, so I'll take a few days off before writing them.
(End of Chapter)
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