I Met My Crush At My Sister's Wedding - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Waking up at 3 AM but only departing at 5 AM meant the two hours in between were spent bustling with the decoration of the wedding cars and various miscellaneous tasks…

After the tasks were finished, Jiang Shucheng got into Jiang Ruoyi’s car. She leaned against the passenger seat, eyes closed, her mind not yet fully clear.

Jiang Ruoyi, chewing gum, reminded her: “Seatbelt.”

Jiang Shucheng kept her eyes closed, reaching out to feel for the seatbelt and buckle it.

The streetlights on the corner cast a pale yellow glow. The sky was still as black as a curtain, and a few twinkling stars were visible.

Jiang Ruoyi’s car drove behind Jiang Yangguang’s, driving from darkness until the sunlight burst through the clouds.

It took about an hour from Jiang Yangguang’s house to the bride’s house.

Jiang Shucheng noticed the day breaking. Her eyelids trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes, seeing the golden sunrise in the rearview mirror.

“Are we almost there?” Jiang Shucheng took crackers and milk from her bag to eat.

Jiang Ruoyi looked ahead: “Almost.”

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the entrance of the bride’s home, an European-style villa by the river. A row of tall royal palm trees stood in the open space outside. Tables and chairs were placed by the creamy white fence. Sitting there at night, enjoying the cool breeze and the river view, must be very comfortable.

Jiang Shucheng was stunned: “It’s like a five-star hotel.”

“Exactly. My brother should be marrying into their family,” Jiang Ruoyi said, handing Jiang Shucheng a camera and telling her to hold it. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.

The groomsmen and groom entered the villa. Jiang Shucheng and Jiang Ruoyi followed behind. Jiang Ruoyi held a camera to film them and chatted with them, while Jiang Shucheng stayed at the very end of the group, quietly taking photos with little sense of presence.

The bride’s room was on the third floor—the entire floor was hers. So, as they reached the staircase, they were stopped by a group of bridesmaids wearing light pink, modernized traditional Chinese dresses.

There were five bridesmaids in total, each as beautiful as a fairy, and all were eloquent, showing no mercy when challenging the groom.

Jiang Yangguang scattered a pile of red envelopes on the floor. The bride’s younger relatives, seeing the red envelopes, immediately swarmed forward. The children, dressed in small suits and skirts, crawled on the floor to pick up the red envelopes. Laughter filled the air instantly, accompanied by the groomsmen’s cheers. They thought they could pass smoothly, but one of the bridesmaids stepped out: “You can’t pass yet. I have a few questions to ask, and the groom must answer them all correctly to enter the room.”

Unconsciously, Jiang Shucheng’s lens shifted to the face of the girl holding the cue cards. Her dark pupils resembled Iceland’s Lake Myvatn, deep and beautiful.

As she read the questions, her voice was like the winter wind, clear and melodious.

Jiang Yangguang answered the initial questions correctly but got stuck on the last one. The question was: Who is the bride’s favorite male celebrity?

“How can she have a favorite male celebrity? Isn’t her favorite person me?” Jiang Yangguang couldn’t answer and tried to mislead them.

The bridesmaids burst into laughter, sounding slightly mocking. The groomsmen were not to be outdone and quickly shouted: “Exactly! Her favorite is her husband!”

Shen Qinghe was the bridesmaid standing at the very front. Holding the cue cards, she stood high up, looking down with a half-smile: “I’ll give you a hint: American, ship, global superstar.”

The men at the staircase fell silent. The bridesmaids also stopped talking, wearing expressions suggesting they were watching a show. The only sounds left on the entire floor were the children laughing and playing.

Jiang Yangguang never paid attention to film stars. He was deep in thought…

As birds of a feather flock together, his groomsmen friends naturally couldn’t think of the answer either.

And Jiang Ruoyi was only focused on filming and taking photos, not listening to what they were saying.

Only Jiang Shucheng peeked out from behind her camera, her subtle voice clearly audible in the silent air: “Brother Yangguang, it’s Leonardo.”

Shen Qinghe’s condescending gaze jumped from the group of men to the least conspicuous person. Jiang Shucheng was holding a camera, standing at the very back of the crowd, leaning against the railing. Her eyes were bright and clear, pure as crystal.

She called him ‘Ge’ (Brother).

It seems the people in the Jiang family all have decent looks. This thought flashed through Shen Qinghe’s mind the instant she saw Jiang Shucheng.

She was the bride Shen Qingyue’s biological younger sister. She had never been very fond of her brother-in-law, who only had good looks but a common background. However, after seeing Jiang Shucheng, she suddenly found Jiang Yangguang slightly less objectionable for a fleeting moment.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Jiang Shucheng. Jiang Shucheng’s face immediately flushed. She lowered her gaze to the camera, pretending to look at photos. After a short second, the atmosphere burst into noise. The men were like a boiling pot, loudly shouting: “Leonardo! Leonardo!”

Shen Qinghe slowly pulled her gaze away from Jiang Shucheng.

Jiang Yangguang looked at Shen Qinghe, smiling triumphantly: “Well? Is it Leonardo?”

Shen Qinghe’s face was calm. Noncommittally, she stepped aside, offering a path: “Come on up.”

The groomsmen cheered.

Figures in suits swept past Shen Qinghe. The last figure, dressed in light blue, was Jiang Shucheng. Her steps were unhurried. The hem of her short skirt swayed slightly. As she passed Shen Qinghe, Shen Qinghe caught a glimpse of her thick, long eyelashes. A faint, fresh scent lingered in the air where she had passed—the light fragrance of jasmine.

Inside the bride’s room, they had to play all sorts of strange and physically demanding games, do push-ups, and finally, search for the bride’s high-heeled shoes.

After all the challenges, Jiang Yangguang and the groomsmen were drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Jiang Shucheng took a photo of Jiang Yangguang carrying Shen Qingyue out in a princess carry and couldn’t help but think that getting married was truly full of difficulties.

Shen Qinghe followed the group downstairs. Many cars were parked outside the villa. She and her bridesmaids were getting into one car. One bridesmaid called her to the passenger seat. Shen Qinghe walked to the passenger door, about to open it, when she saw Jiang Shucheng walking out of the villa’s entrance. Jiang Shucheng was staring down at her camera. She stumbled slightly while descending the steps. Her damp eyes showed the terror of being startled. She glared at the steps and patted her chest to soothe herself.

Shen Qinghe watched from afar, a slight smile curving her lips.

The rear door opened, and a bridesmaid leaned out to hurry her: “Qinghe, get in the car quickly.”

Shen Qinghe snapped out of her thoughts, opened the door, and got in.

A bridesmaid in the back seat complained: “You’ve been so gloomy these past few days because your sister is getting married, but now that we’re going to the groom’s house, you’re actually smiling. That’s so strange.”

“Was I smiling?” Shen Qinghe murmured in confusion.

“Yes, you were smiling like you just saw your first crush.”

…

The next part of the itinerary was for Shen Qingyue and her relatives to go to Jiang Yangguang’s house to meet with the Jiang family’s relatives before heading to the hotel.

Jiang Ruoyi drove and commented: “That Shen Qinghe, she’s incredibly arrogant. It’s not like my brother begged her sister to marry him; her sister chased my brother. I don’t know who she thinks she’s giving the cold shoulder to. Every time I take her photo, she has a cold face. Even her parents aren’t like that.”

Shen Qingyue’s parents initially disagreed with her and Jiang Yangguang being together. However, Shen Qingyue was pregnant before marriage. They hadn’t expected their daughter to be so reckless, leaving them with no choice but to compromise.

“Who is Shen Qinghe?” Jiang Shucheng asked, munching on crackers.

“She’s the girl who was holding the cue cards and asking questions, the one with the brown curly hair,” Jiang Ruoyi said.

Jiang Shucheng remembered her, recalling those cold eyes, and asked: “Is she the bride’s biological sister?”

“That’s right. She’s seven years younger than her sister… yes, seven years,” Jiang Ruoyi confirmed with a nod.

“What a coincidence, there’s also a seven-year gap between you and me,” Jiang Shucheng smiled.

Jiang Ruoyi said: “She’s older than you, though. She’s twenty-seven, and I heard she’s a returnee, working as the CEO of her dad’s branch company. Her sister loves to play and doesn’t manage anything. Their Shen family has a large business empire, but only two daughters, so Shen Qinghe will probably inherit everything later.”

In that case, being haughty is normal, Jiang Shucheng thought.

Everyone arrived at Jiang Yangguang’s house. Xu Zhen took Shen Qingyue’s relatives on a house tour. Although the house had three stories, the staircase was narrow, making it difficult for the group to move. The rooms were not large, but they were quite clean, perhaps because there wasn’t much furniture. The Shen family were all wealthy people. They scoffed at the house, though they maintained awkward smiles, secretly complaining that they had never lived in such a cramped house in their lives.

Shen Qinghe was different from her parents. Her parents had been there before, and their hearts were calm as stagnant water when touring again, allowing them to manage a smile. This was Shen Qinghe’s first visit. After the tour, her face darkened, and her disgust was completely unconcealed.

“Sis, this entire floor isn’t even as big as one of your rooms. How are you going to live here later?” Everyone came downstairs. Shen Qingyue stayed in the room with a few bridesmaids. Shen Qinghe sat beside her, heartbroken.

“I’ll just live here,” Shen Qingyue took off her high heels and rubbed her ankle. “As long as I can live with him, I’d be willing to live in a shack.”

The Shen family had originally intended to buy a house for them to live in after the wedding, but Jiang Yangguang refused. The man’s pride drove him to insist on living in his own home.

“Being blinded by love is a death sentence,” Shen Qinghe grumbled through gritted teeth.

“Um… is everyone thirsty? Here’s some water.” Jiang Shucheng, instructed by Jiang Ruoyi, carried a case of bottled mineral water and placed it by the door.

Outside the window, the spring day was bright. Several rays of sunlight slanted in. Jiang Shucheng faced the sun, her porcelain-white skin enveloped by a halo of light.

Shen Qinghe’s gaze paused, her mind blank for a moment.

“Oh, thank you,” Shen Qingyue said.

“You’re welcome,” Jiang Shucheng said softly, turning and disappearing from their sight.

Shen Qinghe lowered her eyelashes, staring at the mineral water placed nearby, and asked: “Sis, who was that person just now?”

“I don’t know,” Shen Qingyue yawned.

“Is she your husband’s sister?” Shen Qinghe asked, recalling hearing her call Jiang Yangguang ‘Ge.’

“I don’t know. My husband only has one biological sister, and that’s Jiang Ruoyi.” Shen Qingyue didn’t seem to care about the girl at all.

A few bridesmaids teased Shen Qinghe: “Why are you asking so many questions? Do you want to ask her secret to beautiful white skin?”

“That girl was indeed very fair. Why doesn’t one of you go ask her about her skincare routine?”

“Qinghe should go. Qinghe was completely mesmerized just now.”

“I never thought Shen Qinghe, who doesn’t bat an eye at anything, would be stunned by a beautiful girl.”

The bridesmaids chuckled knowingly.

Shen Qinghe glanced coolly at them.

Everyone quickly changed the subject.

One bridesmaid said: “Although their Jiang family isn’t rich, it seems everyone is very good-looking! Qingyue, your child might be a looker too!”

Mentioning the child, Shen Qingyue’s eyes softened. She touched her lower abdomen and said, “That’s a certainty.”

Shen Qinghe glanced at her sister’s lower abdomen. The frustration that had briefly dissipated with Jiang Shucheng’s appearance flared up again.

…

The guests were all satisfied with their meal when dark clouds suddenly covered the outdoors, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Shen Qinghe emerged from the restroom, finding that everyone at her table had disappeared.

In an instant, the light rain abruptly turned into heavy rain, the raindrops blurring the emerald-green windows.

Only the waiters clearing the leftovers and the Jiang family remained in the hotel, along with Shen Qingyue, who was affectionately kissing her husband.

Shen Qinghe sat down with a calm face, guessing that her bridesmaids had gotten into the car and were waiting for her. With such heavy rain outside, and not having an umbrella, and the car being parked quite far, she would get soaked if she went out to find the car. She had planned to ask Shen Qingyue if she had an umbrella, but seeing Shen Qingyue being intimate with Jiang Yangguang, she didn’t want to approach her. She took out her phone, ready to call someone to pick her up.

“Do you need an umbrella?” A soft, sweet voice came from above her head.

Shen Qinghe’s finger froze on the phone screen. She looked up, her pupils subconsciously lighting up.

At the same time, the phone in her hand rang. Shen Qinghe gestured to Jiang Shucheng. After Jiang Shucheng nodded, she answered the call. A bridesmaid on the other end said: “Qinghe, where are you? We’re heading back.”

Shen Qinghe: “The hotel.”

“Ah? You’re still at the hotel? I’m already in the car, and it’s raining so heavily outside. I’ll ask the driver to pull up to the hotel entrance.” The bridesmaid said.

Shen Qinghe muffled: “No need.”

“No need? Did you bring an umbrella…”

Shen Qinghe hung up the phone.

She looked at Jiang Shucheng again. Shen Qinghe hadn’t expected the girl she had been secretly observing the entire time to talk to her voluntarily.

This made her heart race.

Jiang Shucheng held a silver sun umbrella in front of her, asking hesitantly: “Is someone coming to pick you up?”

Shen Qinghe glanced at her pale pink fingertips and said: “No, I need an umbrella.”

Jiang Ruoyi’s complaints about Shen Qinghe had prejudiced Jiang Shucheng’s mind; she felt Shen Qinghe was quite aloof.

“You can take it,” Jiang Shucheng offered the umbrella further.

Shen Qinghe stood up, looking momentarily aggressive, which made Jiang Shucheng instinctively take a step back. However, she only took the umbrella, saying a lukewarm “Thank you.”

Jiang Shucheng nodded hastily: “You’re welcome.”

Shen Qinghe felt nervous and steadied her voice: “Is this your umbrella?”

“Y-yes,” Jiang Shucheng looked at her blankly. Huh? Shen Qinghe doesn’t seem to be cross-eyed. She’s looking directly into my eyes.

“If I use your umbrella, what will you do?” Shen Qinghe regretted asking the moment the words left her mouth. With so many people from the Jiang family, is it really hard to borrow another umbrella?

Tsk, that made me sound so stupid. Shen Qinghe frowned her long eyebrows, exuding an air of natural authority.

Jiang Shucheng secretly sighed that this person was indeed management material. She said softly: “I can share one with someone else.”

Shen Qinghe nodded, walking toward the door in her high heels. Jiang Shucheng stared blankly at her retreating figure. She suddenly turned back, her tall, beautiful figure approaching. Jiang Shucheng tightly pursed her lips.

Shen Qinghe held up her phone and said: “Let’s exchange WeChat details. I need to contact you to return the umbrella.”

Jiang Shucheng was instantly overwhelmed. Wow! Can I really add her on WeChat? She’s so impressive and outstanding, and she’s initiating the contact!

“What’s wrong? Is it inconvenient?” Seeing her stunned in place, Shen Qinghe sensed trouble.

“No, no.” Jiang Shucheng quickly took out her phone, opened her QR code for Shen Qinghe to scan. She then sent her a message with her name for the contact: Jiang Shucheng.

Shen Qinghe added her, didn’t look at her phone again, and put it into her bag with an indifferent expression. She said goodbye and left, leaving Jiang Shucheng alone in her excitement.

Shen Qinghe walked into the rain with the umbrella. Her slender high heels stepped on the clear puddles. Her face was set, her lips pressed into a straight line. Only after getting into the car did she completely relax.

This time she sat in the back seat. A bridesmaid in the back seat stared at her face and asked: “Why is your face red?”

Shen Qinghe had never blushed, even when giving her first public speech at the company. Yet now, just from asking for a WeChat contact, the blush had spread from her cheeks to her neck. The stimulation her heart felt was like riding a roller coaster.

She tightly gripped the faux-wood umbrella handle, leaned against the leather seatback, and looked at the car window blurred by the rain: “I put on too much blush.”

The bridesmaids chatted noisily in the car, complaining that the hotel food wasn’t to their liking… The car drove on the wet road. The spring wind swayed the trees along the street back and forth.

The car interior was extremely comfortable. Shen Qinghe gently placed the umbrella by her feet, took out her phone, and opened WeChat. She had two WeChat accounts: one for work and one private one. Jiang Shucheng had added her private account.

Most people who chatted with her on her private WeChat were family. Jiang Shucheng’s message was at the top, with a red dot appearing in the upper left corner. Shen Qinghe tapped it open; it was the name she had sent for the contact.

“Jiang Shucheng…” Shen Qinghe whispered the name.

She typed back: My name is Shen Qinghe.

Jiang Shucheng only looked at her phone when she got home. Exhausted, she took off her shoes and collapsed onto the sofa. She forgot to turn on the fan and, enduring the stuffy heat, opened her phone.

She replied to Shen Qinghe with an “OK” gesture.

Shen Qinghe had also arrived home when she received the message. She didn’t go back to the villa but to the large apartment her parents had bought for her. She took a shower, came out, and checked her phone. Jiang Shucheng had replied about ten minutes ago.

Shen Qinghe wanted to chat with her. She typed: I might not be able to return your umbrella for a few days. I’m a bit busy lately.

Jiang Shucheng: No rush. Actually, it’s fine if you don’t return it.

She has plenty of umbrellas.

Shen Qinghe pursed her lips and replied: I have to return it.

Jiang Shucheng: Okay, okay.

Shen Qinghe: Mhm. Are you home yet?

Jiang Shucheng: I’m home.

Shen Qinghe: Get some rest.

Jiang Shucheng was surprised. This Shen Qinghe was quite sociable. She replied honestly: I’m lying on the sofa right now.

Shen Qinghe: Oh.

After waiting for a long time, Jiang Shucheng didn’t reply again.

Shen Qinghe stared blankly at the screen. She seems to have killed the conversation…