CH 47

At night, the faint moonlight shone dimly as the clouds drifted by.

Bai Zhen Zhen sat in the living room of the hotel suite, staring blankly at the pure white wedding gown hanging in front of her.

The wedding gown was designed by a famous Italian designer. It was the only one of its kind in the whole world; the epitome of magnificence and luxury.

Tomorrow was her wedding day. Since the previous night, she had been staying at the hotel that Huo Xiang had arranged. According to the plan, Huo Xiang would pick her up tomorrow morning.

Regarding the process of the wedding ceremony, Bai Zhen Zhen was completely in the dark. Though she was slightly worried, thinking about how the most vicious characters in the novel had already been taught a lesson and couldn’t instigate any trouble, she was relieved.

She stood up and stroked the wedding gown tenderly. Every scene and memory that she had gone through with Huo Xiang appeared in her mind.

At this moment, the doorbell of the hotel room rang.

Bai Zhen Zhen thought that Huo Xiang couldn’t resist coming to see her, and joy bloomed in her heart. She hurriedly opened the door.

However, the person standing there was Song Ling.

“Ms Song, may I know why you are here?” Bai Zhen Zhen was perplexed.

She opened the door wider and invited Song Ling in.

However, Song Ling shook her head, and smiled: “I’ll decline.”

Song Ling handed the gift box in her hand to Bai Zhen Zhen.

“Zhen Zhen, congratulations on your wedding. This is my wedding gift. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but it’s my sincerity. I hope you will accept it.”

Bai Zhen Zhen glanced at the small gift box. Gauging by the exquisiteness of the box, the contents were probably very valuable. Thus, she declined: “Ms Song, I’m already honored that you will be attending my wedding. There’s no need for a wedding gift.”

“It’s not anything valuable; it’s something I made myself.” Song Ling explained, “The Huo family has a deep background. I know that you and Young Master Huo don’t lack anything, thus I thought of a different way to express my blessing to the both of you.”

Song Ling opened the box, and took out its contents.

Bai Zhen Zhen took a closer look. It was a delicate glass bottle with a thousand small paper cranes and stars made of coloured paper.

“I read on the internet that this kind of blessing is the most effective, so I made it. However, this is the first time I’ve done something like this. If it’s not good enough, I hope you won’t dislike it.”

Bai Zhen Zhen accepted the bottle and nodded: “It’s very beautifully made! Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Then, I will accept it!”

Folding origami cranes and starts to send her blessings. It was a really old way of doing things.

Reminiscing those days when she was still in school, she had also secretly given the same to a senior that she had a crush on…

Wait — Was this meant for Ling Hao Chen, but he rejected it and thus Song Ling gave it to her?!

Bai Zhen Zhen was frightened by her own imagination.

“Alright, Zhen Zhen. Since I’ve given you my gift, then I’ll say farewell first.” Song Ling said.

“Farewell?” Bai Zhen Zhen was puzzled, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going overseas for further studies, to study public relations from those famous entertainment companies. At the same time, I’m bringing the newcomers to participate in extra training.” Song Ling replied.

“Oh, that sounds good. However, you’re bidding farewell to me now. Are you leaving tomorrow? Then my wedding…”

Song Ling laughed: “I’m not leaving tomorrow. Rather, it’s tonight. My flight is in two hours. I came over to give you my blessings and to say goodbye to you. I won’t be able to attend your wedding tomorrow, but don’t worry, I’ve given Xi Xixi a day’s leave. He can fly over and join me after the wedding.”

“So rushed?” Bai Zhen Zhen frowned.

Bai Zhen Zhen merely asked out of curiosity. In fact, she had no particular feelings whether or not Song Ling attended her wedding.

However, she noticed that Song Ling looked dispirited, and her tone also betrayed her innermost feelings, as if there was something troubling her.

“The company finally managed to establish an exchange program with the other party, so we have no choice but to rush.” Song Ling explained. She paused, before continuing, “Zhen Zhen, actually I’ve always wanted to say sorry to you. Because of Hao Chen, I ‘harassed’ you several times. I hope you forgive me for it.”

“It’s fine. In fact, you were also tricked by Jiang Mu Yu previously in Haicheng. I don’t blame you for it. Ah, that reminds me. Is CEO Ling accompanying you overseas as well?” Bai Zhen Zhen questioned.

Song Ling shook her had: “He’s not going.”

After a short pause, she added on: “I’ve already… dissolved our marriage agreement.”

Bai Zhen Zhen was truly surprised this time, and subconsciously asked: “Why?”

“He never liked me from the start. Rather using my family to tie him down to a political marriage, it’s better for me to let go of the strings first, giving us both our freedoms.” Song Ling forced out a faint smile, but traces of sadness could be seen. “I finally thought it through during these few days. Life is short. One cannot stubbornly continue to chase the impossible. There are so many things out there that I could be pursuing and enjoying. I should give myself a chance too.”

Bai Zhen Zhen empathised greatly with Song Ling’s reflections.

“Ms Song, I’m truly glad that you were able to figure things out.” Bai Zhen Zhen said sincerely, “No matter whether you and CEO Ling will be able to be together in the end, I hope that you will be able to enjoy and live out your own life.”

“Thank you, Zhen Zhen.” Song Ling stretched out her hands, smiling, “Can you give me a hug this time?”

Bai Zhen Zhen nodded, and hugged Song Ling.

“Congratulations on your wedding.” Song Ling smiled gently and expressed her sincere blessing.

Bai Zhen Zhen also smiled back: “Thank you. I wish you well too.”

****

The next morning, the wedding entourage arrived at the hotel. Twenty black Porsches surrounded the hotel entrance neatly, looking extremely grand.

Yesterday, the entire hotel had already been booked by the Huo family. At this moment, there were more than one hundred security guards firmly protecting the way, from the moment Bai Zhen Zhen left the hotel room till when she boarded the car. The reporters who had camped the entire night hoping for a even a single picture were utterly disappointed.

The wedding ceremony utterly shocked the entire world, but no one knew which rich family the bride came from.

In addition to the “ambush” at the hotel, the reporters had also been camping near the Huo family’s estate since three days ago, but they all came out empty handed.

Bai Zhen Zhen boarded the car under the protection of the security guards. After she boarded, she was extremely surprised.

— Huo Xiang was not in the car.

Picking up the bride was such an important process, yet Huo Xiang didn’t personally come to pick her up?!

“Uncle Cai, where is Huo Xiang?” Bai Zhen Zhen questioned Uncle Cai, who was seated in the passenger seat, in confusion.

The car continued forward steadily.

Uncle Cai didn’t look back, only laughing in reply: “Young Madam, the Young Master is waiting for you at the wedding venue.”

“But he clearly told me yesterday that he would come to pick me up personally today.” Bai Zhen Zhen said, “Did something happen?”

Uncle Cai fell into silence for a few seconds, before responding: “Young Madam, please rest assured. Everything is going well. I believe that Young Master thought of something, and planned to give you another surprise.”

Bai Zhen Zhen smiled doubtfully.

Though Uncle Cai answered calmly, she could feel it in her bones that things weren’t as simple as he said.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the back door of the Huo family’s estate. Unsurprisingly, there were also security guards protecting the back entrance.

The moment Bai Zhen Zhen alighted, several security guards surrounded her and escorted her into the garden.

The suspicions in Bai Zhen Zhen’s heart deepened.

They were having a wedding ceremony. Why did she – the bride of the wedding ceremony – have to enter through the back door?! Even if they were trying to avoid the reporters, this was too exaggerated. Besides, they were about to have their wedding ceremony. It wasn’t possible to avoid the media for the rest of their lives!

All her doubts and suspicions were resolved when she saw Elder Huo.

Compared to the festivity of the surrounding wedding decorations, Elder Huo brows was knitted and not a trace of joy could be seen on his face.

Bai Zhen Zhen knew something was wrong as soon as she saw him.

“Zhen Zhen…” Elder Huo led Zhen Zhen to sit down on a sofa before breaking the news to her, “Huo Xiang… is missing.”

“What?!” Bai Zhen Zhen subconsciously turned to Uncle Cai.

Uncle Cai sighed and explained: “Young Madam, this is what happened… Since last night, no one has seen the Young Master. We’ve sent people to look for him, but there is no trace of the Young Master. The Old Master was afraid that you would be worried, and instructed me to bring you over before telling you the news.”

“What do you mean? Huo Xiang isn’t at home? He’s not picking up his phone either?” Bai Zhen Zhen asked.

She immediately took out her phone and dialed Huo Xiang’s number, but it was rejected with the message “The number you dialed is currently unavailable.”

Bai Zhen Zhen recalled that she had sent Huo Xiang a few messages in the morning, but he had not replied up till now. She didn’t pay too much attention to it at that time, but thinking about it now — Huo Xiang actually went missing?!

“It seems like he also hid it from you.” Elder Huo examined Bai Zhen Zhen’s expression, and the final hope in his heart shattered.

The hotel was full of his subordinates. They hadn’t seen Huo Xiang visiting the hotel to find Bai Zhen Zhen either. It looks like only Huo Xiang knew what happened.

“Zhen Zhen, I’m really sorry… But I believe that Huo Xiang has his own troubles. Wait till I find him, I will make him properly apologise to you!” Elder Huo exclaimed.

Bai Zhen Zhen couldn’t believe everything that was going on. She looked at Elder Huo suspiciously, asking: “Grandpa, did you join hands with Huo Xiang to play a joke on me?”

Elder Huo looked serious, and didn’t look like he was joking at all.

“Then, did something happen to him?! Grandpa, have you called the police?” Bai Zhen Zhen exclaimed in agitation, “I don’t believe that he would leave without saying a single word! Something must have happened to him, if not he would never choose to run away from our wedding! He said that he would give me the grandest wedding ceremony the world has ever seen!”

“Nothing happened to him.” Elder Huo paused for a moment, before sighing deeply, “Actually… He left a message.”

Bai Zhen Zhen looked at Elder Huo tensely, waiting for his next words.

Elder Huo didn’t continue speaking. He merely passed over the letter that Huo Xiang had left behind to Bai Zhen Zhen.

Bai Zhen Zhen opened the letter and read its contents. Her entire figure froze.

— “Grandfather, I can’t attend the wedding. I’m sorry.”