The fluffy white ruffled skirt was made of soft, delicate fabric that felt like a dream to the touch. The layers of thin, gauzy material overlapped like gossamer wings, creating gentle waves and intricate curves.
The long train, embellished with fine diamonds, leafy embroidery, and sequin beads, trailed behind her like a misty cloud, or a gently lapping wave.
Above the skirt, the fitted bodice highlighted her slender waist with elegant curves, crafted from the finest silk. The embroidered gardenias on the bodice were intricately detailed, with a special overlay that caught the sunlight, making it sparkle like tiny butterflies perched on the fabric.
The sweetheart neckline revealed her smooth, white shoulders and collarbone, with the neckline dipping down to accentuate her delicate décolletage, creating a captivating contrast against her naturally radiant beauty.
As the eye followed the graceful line of her neck upward, her face was framed by a veil as light as a cloud. Her complexion was as fair as snow, with dark hair and fine brows, her almond-shaped eyes bright and glistening, and a soft smile playing on her lips.
She looked so breathtaking that anyone who saw her would be struck by her beauty.
“Wow, Zhizhi, you look absolutely stunning today! You’re simply gorgeous!” Ji Fei’er exclaimed.
Standing by the sunlit window like a princess, Liang Zhiyi turned to look at them, her swan-like neck as smooth as snow. Her red lips curved into a smile, and her eyes sparkled like clear water.
“Do I look good?”
“You look amazing!” they all agreed.
Just then, Gao Jia and Song Hao walked over, equally amazed. “Zhizhi, whoever marries you is the luckiest person alive. The class monitor is unbelievably fortunate!” Song Hao said.
Liang Zhiyi smiled as Ji Fei’er approached and took her hand, speaking with heartfelt emotion: “I’ve always said I’d be your bridesmaid when you got married, and I can’t believe the day has come so quickly. Zhizhi, seeing you so happy on your wedding day makes me so glad!”
Zhi Mian smiled sweetly. “Exactly! I remember when I got married, Zhizhi said she couldn’t wait to wear her own wedding dress, and now, it’s finally your turn.”
Liang Zhiyi beamed with joy.
Although she had often dreamed of this moment, now that the day had finally arrived, it all felt like a dream.
But thankfully, it was a beautiful dream, with her best friends by her side, her family’s blessings, and the man she wanted to marry most in the world waiting for her.
…
As the morning sun rose higher, the daylight grew brighter and more radiant.
Around nine o’clock, a series of fireworks were set off, and a line of Rolls-Royces, luxurious and grand, cruised down the street like a majestic dragon.
Soon after, the impressive procession of cars arrived at the gate of the Liang family villa.
According to local customs, the first important event of the day was the bride’s pickup ceremony.
Pei Chen stepped out of the car, looking impeccable in a meticulously tailored suit. His tall and graceful figure, along with his sharply defined features, gave him an air of cool elegance, like a distant mountain.
He and his groomsmen entered the Liang family villa. The groomsmen group consisted of six people: Xuan Xia, Fan Gao, Lan Zhi from their high school basketball team, and a few guys from the company’s R&D team—all close friends of Pei Chen.
As they entered the villa, they were immediately confronted by a blockade of friends and family. However, the groomsmen were generous, freely handing out red envelopes, which made everyone smile and quickly step aside to let them pass.
Finally, Pei Chen reached the door to Liang Zhiyi’s room.
He tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Laughter from inside quickly followed, coming from the bridesmaids led by Ji Fei’er:
“Pei Chen, did you really think it would be that easy to pick up the bride? What you just faced was child’s play. The real challenge is yet to come!”
Outside the door, the groomsmen quickly began stuffing more red envelopes under the door. Fan Gao called out with a laugh, “How many red envelopes do you need? We’ve got plenty!”
“Is this enough?”
“Let’s add some more, just to be sure!”
A temporary camera had been installed by the door, so everything happening outside was being broadcast live to the bridesmaids inside the room.
Seeing the groomsmen frantically stuffing red envelopes, the girls inside laughed heartily. Ji Fei’er called out, “Alright, stop with the red envelopes! Your money might work on others, but it won’t work on us. Pei Chen still has to pass our test if he wants to see the bride.”
Pei Chen had anticipated that it wouldn’t be that easy. A faint smile appeared on his face as he asked, “What’s the test?”
“Our challenge for you is called ‘Three Ones.’ But before we get to that, you need to win over the bridesmaids.”
“And how do I do that?”
The girls thought for a moment, and Gao Jia suggested, “You should start by complimenting each of us bridesmaids, without repeating the same thing! If you want to see the bride, you need to say something nice to us first.”
“Yes, exactly! Hahaha…” they chimed in.
Outside, Xuan Xia and the others cheered him on, “Pei Chen, this is your chance to show off your language skills as a top student!”
Complimenting his girlfriend’s best friends was indeed a tricky task.
Pei Chen chuckled, then took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking: “Zhi Mian is gentle and serene, Gao Jia is lively and cheerful, and Fei’er’s best quality is her loyalty—she’d do anything for a friend…”
The girls inside couldn’t stop laughing. Ji Fei’er laughed helplessly, “I’m sorry, but we’re really putting Pei Chen, the straight-shooter, on the spot with this one. He even used the word ‘loyalty’—am I Guan Fei or something? Hahaha…”
Finally, after much effort, Pei Chen finished his compliments. Just when he thought it was over, a tricky question was thrown at him from inside:
“Pei Chen, tell us, who do you think is more beautiful today—the bridesmaids or Zhiyi?”
Gao Jia teased, “Pei Chen, be careful how you answer this one. If you don’t make us happy, you might not even get to see the bride!”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze, a smile playing on his lips as he responded,
“Zhiyi is the most beautiful.”
Inside, the girls burst into laughter.
“Oh, come on…”
“Could you be any more blatantly biased?”
Still laughing, Ji Fei’er playfully challenged him, “Alright, even though you’re telling the truth, we’re still not satisfied. Don’t you think you should accept some punishment to cheer us up?”
Pei Chen agreed willingly, “What punishment? I’ll accept it.”
“Then your punishment is… push-ups! Girls, how many should we make him do?”
“Fifty each!”
“Hahaha, fifty per person? That’s 300 push-ups!”
“Pei Chen, you’ve got to do 300 push-ups in total—are you up for it?”
Pei Chen nodded, and Xuan Xia, along with the other groomsmen, chimed in with laughter, “We can’t let our groom do this alone! We’ll help out—fifty each!”
“No way! Only Pei Chen can do them!”
Everyone laughed, and without any further negotiation, Pei Chen got down and started doing push-ups right away.
After a while, the girls inside giggled and called out, “Alright, alright, the bride’s feeling sorry for you. Since she’s speaking up for you, you can stop now.”
Ji Fei’er then added, “Okay, you passed the first round, but now comes the real challenge—the ‘Three Ones.’ You need to pass this to get the bride.”
Zhi Mian smiled as she explained, “The first ‘one’ is a song. You need to choose a song that will move Zhiyi.”
The men outside quickly started brainstorming, and one of them began singing a love song into the room, “I’ve got it, Tao Zhe’s ‘Today You’re Marrying Me!’ The warm spring blossoms take away the sorrows of winter / A gentle breeze brings the scent of romance / Suddenly every love song is filled with meaning / And at this moment, I see you!”
Everyone burst into laughter. “Oh my gosh, that’s so cheesy! Hahaha…”
Lan Zhi raised his hand, “Let me try! How about ‘A Little Sweet’? You made me see a flower bloom in the barren desert / You make me want to write you a love song every day / With the most romantic chorus / And you softly sing along…”
“And there’s this one, ‘Love You for Ten Thousand Years’! Love you for ten thousand years / Love you through the trials / Crossing the limits of time, shortening the distance between us / We’re tightly connected…”
Outside, the groomsmen were so enthusiastic it felt like they were hosting a live concert. Inside, the bridesmaids laughed, “No, no! None of these are good enough! The bride says she’s not moved!”
Everyone was stumped for a moment. After thinking it over, Pei Chen softly suggested,
“How about ‘Courage’?”
Love really needs courage
To face the rumors and whispers,
As long as you give me that one look of affirmation,
My love will have meaning.
We both need courage,
To believe that we will be together.
In the crowded world, I can feel you,
Your true heart, placed in the palm of my hand…
This song perfectly captured Liang Zhiyi’s unwavering determination in their love. If time could rewind, Pei Chen would still tell his past self to have courage. Just like the lyrics said, no matter how overwhelming the crowd or how rampant the rumors, they would firmly believe they could be together.
As Pei Chen finished singing, the room erupted in applause. The bridesmaids said, “The bride is deeply moved. You’ve passed the first challenge. The second ‘one’ is a poem—you need to recite a poem that will satisfy us. But remember, you can’t use something like ‘I’ve seen the vast seas and find it hard to enjoy mere water’!”
The groomsmen outside burst into laughter:
“Damn, are we taking a college entrance exam today?”
“Oh no, Pei Chen, we can’t help you with this one!”
Pei Chen thought for a moment, and suddenly, the poem Jianjia from The Book of Songs came to mind: “The reeds are lush, and the white dew turns to frost. The one I long for is across the water. I seek her by tracing the stream, but the road is long and difficult. I follow the stream’s course, and she seems to be in the center of the waters.”
Though this poem expresses a love that is out of reach, for Pei Chen, he had finally found his “Yi Ren”—the one he had longed for.
After he explained the poem, the bridesmaids agreed he had passed the challenge. The final “one” was to say a single sentence—a sentence that could touch the bride’s heart.
Pei Chen lowered his gaze and spoke softly,
“Zhiyi, thank you for giving me the courage to swim against the current, for giving me the chance to spend a lifetime by your side. I may not be good at saying sweet words, but let me spend my life showing them to you.”
A few seconds later, the door suddenly opened.
The bridesmaids inside were all smiles as they said, “Pei Chen, congratulations, you’ve passed!”
Pei Chen stepped inside, and the first thing he saw was Liang Zhiyi sitting on the bed.
The girl wore a pure white wedding gown, her face veiled, so radiant that she seemed almost unreal. The sunlight streamed in through the window, her eyes slightly red with emotion, glistening as she looked at him, her clear pupils shining like stars.
He remembered when she used to wear her school uniform, leaning over her desk to watch him.
And now, just like in the countless dreams he had, the girl he loved most was wearing a wedding dress for him.
The air around them seemed to freeze, and time stood still at that moment.
In his eyes, there was only her.
Pei Chen’s gaze was filled with deep affection as he slowly walked toward her. Looking at her smiling face, he spoke, his voice laced with a smile:
“It wasn’t easy to get here. The challenges were tough.”
The man knelt slightly in front of her, gently lifting her veil. With a tender touch, he wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his loving gaze focused solely on her:
“But no matter how difficult it was, it doesn’t matter. I’ve finally married my bride.”