After getting off the elevator, Gao Sijin was full of joy, eagerly anticipating the moment when Tsukiyuki Rio would change into her wedding dress. Unfortunately, his expectation fell through. Sitting on the restaurant bench, Tsukiyuki Rio was still wearing her usual kimono. Although this attire was something he never tired of looking at, he now looked forward even more to seeing Rio in a wedding dress, bouquet in hand, walking toward him.
“Gao-kun, were you a little disappointed?” A soft, warm hand gently grasped his as she asked.
“I really would have preferred to see Rio in a wedding dress…” Gao Sijin said with a sigh. “Even Yu Qingxue looked so beautiful; if Rio also put on a wedding dress, wouldn’t she be simply invincible?”
Suddenly, his back was punched hard.
“Sijin, let me ask you—what do you mean by ‘even Yu Qingxue looked so beautiful’? Am I not beautiful? That’s way too harsh and hurts my feelings.”
“Sorry, sorry, just a harmless little joke.”
“A little joke? My pure maidenly heart has shattered into shards of glass.” Yu Qingxue covered her face, fake-crying. “You’re bullying me.”
“Qingxue-senpai, Gao-kun is my boyfriend. If your heart has been hurt, why not just go out and find an even better boyfriend?”
“Hmph, too lazy to look. Anyway, my stomach’s growling—let’s eat quickly.”
The three of them sat in the dining room. The table was extremely long; at a glance, it could seat a hundred people dining together. A vase with red roses, Tsukiyuki Rio’s favorite, was placed on the red tablecloth. Today’s lunch wasn’t overly lavish—just a simple smoked noodle dish prepared with wagyu, black truffle, and foie gras. A lunch of this caliber outside would probably be a specialty dish that only a very niche high-end restaurant would serve, but for Tsukiyuki Rio, it was an everyday affair.
The maids carried trays, while Head Maid Hououin Ayari stood to the side, directing everything in an orderly fashion.
“Ayari, how has your younger brother been lately?”
“Thank you for your concern. My brother is doing very well. Thanks to your cultivation and trust, the Hououin Family has also firmly established itself in the Karuizawa area. Our clansmen will forever remember your grace and favor,” Hououin Ayari said, bowing respectfully and slightly at the waist.
It was said that the Hououin Family was once a prominent family in Tokyo. After the war, they seized the opportunity and rose rapidly. Unfortunately, the previous generation’s family head made a severe misjudgment in his investments during the 1980s, putting money into the then-white-hot markets: J-Country’s real estate and TW’s stock market.
As a result, the Hououin Family’s originally solid fortune turned to ashes in an instant. Six trillion yen seemed to have vanished into thin air overnight. The previous head of the Hououin family committed seppuku during a clan meeting to atone for his mistake. The Hououin Financial Group, which had shown promise of expanding into overseas markets, was suddenly saddled with massive debt. Professional debt collectors from the yakuza came knocking one after another, throwing the Hououin household into chaos.
If things had continued on that path, the Hououin family would never have been able to rise again. Just as the Hououin Family was plunging into despair, it was the then seven-year-old Tsukiyuki Rio who extended a helping hand. This allowed the Hououin family to undergo a phoenix-like rebirth, becoming a renowned financial group in the area. From then on, the Hououin family thoroughly became the most loyal supporter of the Tsukiyuki Family.
As Head Maid Hououin Ayari reverently recounted all this, Gao Sijin felt deeply moved inside. He couldn’t imagine that a seven-year-old Tsukiyuki Rio could determine the rise and fall of a family, nor could he comprehend the calamity of the investment markets in the 1980s.
“In any case, all of that is in the past now. Today, the Hououin Family is loyal not so much to the Tsukiyuki Family but rather to Eldest Miss Tsukiyuki Rio. Therefore, Lord Gao Sijin, I beseech you to grant happiness to Eldest Miss Tsukiyuki Rio. That is the most sincere and heartfelt wish of everyone in the Hououin household.”
“Don’t worry, I will,” Gao Sijin nodded solemnly.
After finishing lunch, Morgana had the private car ready. The distance from Mount Asama to the Plateau Church in Hoshino, Karuizawa Town wasn’t too far—about twenty-plus kilometers, a drive of about thirty minutes or so.
“Gao-kun, we’re going to get married. Even if it’s not the official ceremony yet, I’m so happy…”
“Me too, Rio. I’m really afraid this is a dream. Even now, I’m still worried that I’ll suddenly be woken up. Sometimes I’ll suddenly dream that if my book hadn’t become famous, I’d be working at some state-owned enterprise with a ridiculously low salary, living a slick, mundane life day after day.”
“That’s just a dream. In a dream, everything is false; reality is completely reversed. You must be so happy that you’re having such a nightmare, Gao-kun.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it a nightmare. Anyway, forget it. We’re about to get married. I’ll send the photos of us two to my family and also post them on my Moments so they’ll be green with envy.”
Hand in hand, the two got into the black Mercedes-Benz sedan. The other maids also drove the luxury cars parked there, forming a lavish motorcade. Every black sedan was decorated with fresh flowers and ribbons at the front.
Along the way, Gao Sijin sometimes gazed at the scenery of Mount Asama, and at other times turned his head to exchange glances with his beloved. Her dark crimson eyes were as deep and beautiful as roses, stirring one’s heart and soul.
The fresh air outside flowed into the car, the natural fragrance of the great outdoors permeating their nostrils. Under the azure, cloudless sky were bright, clean clouds that looked like a wedding dress skirt. Sparkling lakes reflected silver light. A gentle breeze blew by, lifting the fine strands of Tsukiyuki Rio’s hair, brushing against Gao Sijin’s cheek—a little ticklish, a little blissful.
Unable to resist, Gao Sijin took out his phone and announced the news of his upcoming wedding on WeChat, QQ, and other apps one after another. Every few minutes, he would receive likes. Even people he had barely exchanged words with did not begrudge him a like. Of course, a few snarky friends questioned the authenticity and demanded that he show the wedding photos. Gao Sijin replied to all of them, “Just you wait; I’ll send the wedding photos soon and make you die of envy.”
“Gao-kun, are you chatting with people back home?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to let the whole world know I have a beautiful and virtuous wife.”
Tsukiyuki Rio’s pretty face blushed slightly, and she leaned blissfully against Gao Sijin’s chest.
She glanced at Gao Sijin’s phone. The netizens, classmates, and family members he was communicating with had all been “swapped out” long ago. But this was enough—as long as he didn’t discover it, he could remain immersed in this false happiness and would never entertain the idea of flying out of this birdcage.
I will never let you go, Gao-kun.
Resting her head on Gao Sijin’s shoulder, Tsukiyuki Rio gently clasped their hands together, closed her eyes, and took a peaceful nap.
Thirty minutes later, they finally caught sight of the Plateau Church. This was the first church in J-Country where a bride wore a wedding dress for a Western-style ceremony, and it was also the most coveted wedding destination for the younger generation. The wooden structure gave off a faint fragrance, and the lush laurel trees, having endured the passage of many years, exuded a sense of historical depth.
“Let’s get out, Gao-kun. This is the Hoshino Dream Romance Plateau Church. Under them are also the Ice Chapel, Chapel on the Water, Stone Church, and Garden Chapel Zona. The Stone Church is also in Karuizawa, while the remaining chapels are in Hokkaido and Yamanashi Prefecture. When we have the chance, let’s go play at the other churches.”
“Sure, if you like romantic churches, I’m more than happy to accompany you.”
At that moment, Gao Sijin could not have imagined that this would be the only time he willingly stepped into a church with Tsukiyuki Rio; all the following times would be against his will.
