The kiss was interrupted midway. Miao Ling frowned unhappily: “What’s going on?”
Ni Xiaoying said: “One of Xingran’s friends, probably had too much to drink.”
“Li Zi! Li Zi, don’t go crazy from the booze!” Xiao Kui chased after her in a panic, hugging her around the waist and apologizing profusely to everyone: “Sorry, sorry, Li Zi accidentally drank too much.”
“I’m not drunk! I-I haven’t given my blessing yet!” Drunk people have surprising strength. Li Zi shook off Xiao Kui and stumbled toward Sheng Xingran.
Sheng Xingran instinctively stepped back half a pace.
Li Zi nearly fell. She bent her knees and gripped Sheng Xingran’s arm tightly. Looking up, her eyes were bloodshot: “Xingran, I bless you…”
Sheng Xingran subconsciously looked to Miao Zhu beside her. Seeing Miao Zhu bend down to help Li Zi, she snapped out of it and joined in.
“I bless you…” Li Zi tried several times but couldn’t get the words of blessing out. She just stared drunkenly at Sheng Xingran, tears welling in her eyes.
“Xingran, help Li Zi back to her room to rest first. See if there’s any sober-up medicine; she’s really wasted.” Miao Zhu waved to Xiao Kui, who looked like the sky had fallen, signaling her to help.
Sheng Xingran stammered: “Longlong…”
“Go ahead.” Miao Zhu said softly.
The toast was essentially done. It was just a harmless little hiccup. Sheng Xingran and Xiao Kui helped Li Zi off to rest first.
Next came the cocktail reception. Sheng Xingran didn’t return, so everyone came to congratulate Miao Zhu instead. She took a few sips of champagne amid the toasts, and by the end, she felt even more dizzy and stuffy.
She simply knocked over her glass, letting the wine spill onto her gown. With this perfect excuse, she received Miao Ling’s permission to change dresses.
Miao Zhu crossed the lawn, weaving through neatly trimmed bushes of varying heights. As she lightly raised her eyelids, she saw someone leaning against the stone archway atop three or four steps.
The yellowish wall lamps cast a glow around the figure, outlining her features. Who else could it be but Mu Shanyi?
After days apart, Miao Zhu’s eyes lit up: “Sister A-Heng.”
“Good evening.” Mu Shanyi’s gaze swept over Miao Zhu’s flushed cheeks, then fell to her gown.
It was a shimmering pearl-toned off-shoulder haute couture piece that hugged Miao Zhu’s soft upper body tightly. The skirt hem was stained with a clear wet patch.
Miao Zhu climbed the steps and brushed past Mu Shanyi.
In that passing moment, Miao Zhu hooked Mu Shanyi’s finger.
Mu Shanyi glanced in surprise, but her feet already followed Miao Zhu—she hadn’t expected Miao Zhu to have the boldness to approach her right under everyone’s noses.
They occasionally passed waitstaff on the way and stayed silent. After a long corridor, they entered Miao Zhu’s room one after another.
Only a floor lamp was lit in the room, its light similar to that snowy night days ago. Mu Shanyi leaned against the door and slowly closed it.
“Help me.” Miao Zhu reached back for the hidden zipper on her gown and turned her head to ask Mu Shanyi for help.
Mu Shanyi stood behind Miao Zhu, lifting her hand. Her fingertips trailed up Miao Zhu’s hand, brushing lightly over her forearm, pausing at the elbow.
“Is this appropriate?” Mu Shanyi leaned close to Miao Zhu’s ear, her fingers moving up to the zipper, slowly undoing the constriction around Miao Zhu’s chest bit by bit: “Not really, right? You’re Xingran’s fiancée now. There were so many guests on the lawn, including me, all here for you two.”
Miao Zhu bit her lip: “Mu Shanyi…”
Mu Shanyi said it wasn’t appropriate, but her hands didn’t hesitate as she unzipped unhurriedly: “Where’s Xingran? Why isn’t she with you?”
Miao Zhu’s eyelashes trembled: “Li Zi got drunk. Xingran, Xingran is taking care of her.”
The zipper caught at her waist and hips, exposing Miao Zhu’s back like a peeled lychee, translucent and snow-white.
“She should be with you.” Mu Shanyi lowered her head and kissed the red mole below Miao Zhu’s butterfly bone. “Baby, which one do you want to change into?”
Miao Zhu changed into a fringed thin-strap dress and returned to the reception. She had lingered a moment in the room, and now Sheng Xingran was back on the lawn too. Seeing Miao Zhu, she wanted to introduce her to some Sheng Family relatives.
Miao Zhu asked about Li Zi’s condition: “What happened to her today?”
Sheng Xingran looked around: “…Bad mood, I guess. I’m not really sure. Yuwen is over there; let’s go say hi to her first.”
Tang Yuwen stood chatting with someone under a massive flower wall, one hand in her pocket. As they approached, someone shouted breathlessly from behind.
“Xingran! Xingran!” Xiao Kui gasped, her face a mix of terror: “Xingran, go quick! …Li Zi is in trouble!”
Sheng Xingran froze, dropped Miao Zhu, and bolted toward the castle.
Xiao Kui yelled urgently: “The helipad! To the helipad!”
“What happened to Li Zi? Explain clearly.” Tang Yuwen strode over, and nearby guests gathered. Xiao Kui’s legs gave out; she collapsed on the lawn, trembling: “I-I didn’t notice, I don’t know. She… she swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills.”
“What did you say!?” Miao Ling let out a shrill cry.
The lawn fell deathly silent for a moment, gasps rising one after another, then exploding into chaos.
“Suicide?”
“Why…”
“Can she be saved?”
“Why pick someone else’s engagement to do this…”
Miao Zhu felt rooted in place, her voice squeezing from her tense throat: “Did you call emergency services?”
