At this point, the entrance of Rontec Hotel was bustling with excitement, as the wedding guests had been arriving in waves. They greeted each other warmly with beaming smiles before gradually making their way into the hotel.
Deliberately ignoring her recent interaction with Ye You, Qin Sisi asked casually, "When are we going in?"
Ye You replied, "Let’s wait a bit longer. We’ll enter just before the wedding starts."
Acknowledging him with a nod, Qin Sisi knew they would soon need to use the Invisible Bubble. Its effective duration was only two hours, and they had to accomplish as many tasks as possible within this limited time window.
A quarter of an hour before eleven o’clock, Ye You took out the Invisible Bubble, encasing himself and Qin Sisi within. He perched himself on her shoulder, much the same way he had during their visit to the dumplings shop. His expression was somewhat solemn.
"Are you sure this will work?" she asked one more time to ensure nothing would go wrong.
Ye You confidently replied, "Of course, it will. The Invisible Bubble can not only make us invisible but also acts as a sound barrier. We will be silent and shadowless."
Assured by Ye You’s guarantee, Qin Sisi felt much more relieved. She moved towards the hotel with a buoyant stride. Along the way, she was careful to maintain a safe distance from the other wedding guests to avoid any accidental encounters.
At this point, the banquet hall where the wedding reception was being held was already filled with guests. The intensely red, joyful carpet stretched from the entrance to the ceremonial platform at the end of the hall. Decorated with fresh flowers, the archway in the middle was particularly eye-catching. On the colorful backdrop of the ceremony platform, the phrase "I LOVE YOU" had been crafted out of pink balloons. The shimmering lights overhead cast a bright and festive atmosphere that was both heartwarming and romantic.
Instead of joining the seated guests, Qin Sisi positioned herself in a quiet corner, awaiting the arrival of the bride and groom.
"What do you plan to do?" Qin Sisi asked Ye You out of curiosity.
Ye You replied with a trace of slyness in his tone, "I am keeping that a secret for now. But you will find out soon enough."
After speaking, Ye You waved his paw and a red figure appeared beside Qin Sisi. It was Xiu Ai, still in her bright red bridal gown.
Looking around in bewilderment, Xiu Ai anxiously asked, "Where are we? What are you planning to do?"
"Xiu Ai, you’re right. Shen Hengzhi has been reincarnated. His name is now Song Ziheng. Today is his wedding day," Qin Sisi explained.
Xiu Ai’s expression changed several times, her eyes reflecting deep sorrow. She whispered, "I’ve waited for him over a hundred years. Little did I know he was planning to marry someone else."
Throwing up her hands in helplessness, Qin Sisi said softly, "Xiu Ai, once someone crosses the Naihe Bridge and drinks the Soup of Oblivion, all past memories are gone. It’s only natural that he doesn’t remember you."
Xiu Ai opened her mouth as if to say something but in the end remained silent, casting a resentful gaze towards the magnificent ceremonial platform.
Continuing, Qin Sisi said, "You said that you would give me your soul power if I managed to arrange a wedding ceremony for you and Shen Hengzhi."
Xiu Ai’s eyes lit up. Nodding, she confirmed, "Yes, that’s right."
Qin Sisi curved the corners of her lips into a faint smile, exchanging a glance with Ye You by her side. After he whispered a few sentences to her, she nodded solemnly.
Of course, Xiu Ai couldn’t understand Ye You’s words. To her, the strange black cat simply meowed a few times. Little did she realize that these seemingly ordinary meows had, to a certain extent, determined her fate.
After their conversation, Qin Sisi turned to Xiu Ai and said, "I will let you take the place of the bride and hold the wedding ceremony with Shen Hengzhi. Once the ceremony is over, you must keep your promise and offer your soul power to me."
Xiu Ai agreed without hesitation, vowing to keep her promise.
At this moment, the wedding ceremony was about to begin. The handsome, neatly dressed groom stood at the bottom of the ceremony platform. The bride, beautiful as a floret, clad in her stunning white wedding dress, stood at the edge of the red carpet, waiting for her groom to walk gracefully towards her, to hold her hand and walk together towards a new beginning.
Qin Sisi moved behind the bride, keeping away from the crowd. She shot Ye You a glance and said, "Let’s begin."
Ye You extended his paw, quickly sticking a talisman paper inscribed with peculiar symbols to a point at the base of the bride’s skull. The amber talisman paper flickered for a moment and disappeared. The bride, Xia Han, immediately looked dazed.
The purpose of the talisman was to put Xia Han’s soul into a deep slumber. Seeing the talisman take effect, Ye You acted swiftly and inserted Xiu Ai’s spirit into Xia Han’s body.
The bride’s eyes regained their spirit, albeit with a touch of bewilderment. Having taken control of Xia Han’s body, Xiu Ai moved her neck slightly and took in her surroundings. Then she looked down at her snow-white wedding dress, feeling as though she was in a dream.
Just then, the beautiful music started to play, and the handsome groom began his measured walk toward his bride. Xiu Ai’s eyes lit up with surprise and a hint of disbelief. As she watched her beloved approach, her eyes welled up with tears, and her breath hitched.
Qin Sisi reminded her, "To avoid any slip-ups, try not to drink and keep your words to a minimum. I will find you before dawn tomorrow."
Barely nodding imperceptibly, Xiu Ai’s gaze remained fixed on Song Ziheng, who was steadily nearing her.
Sighing softly, Qin Sisi discreetly retreated to one side.
Amid the romantic music and applause of the guests, the groom reached the bride, tenderly taking her hand. Together, they strode through the archway adorned with fresh flowers and towards the brilliantly lit ceremonial platform.
The master of ceremonies’ magnetic voice echoed through the banquet hall as the bride and groom exchanged rings and confessed their love. Finally, spurred on by the MC and the hooting guests, the groom gave the bride a sweet, passionate kiss.
Once the kiss was over, two lines of tears slipped from the bride’s eyes.
Song Ziheng hastily wiped away his bride’s tears, caressing her as he said, "No need to cry, sweetheart. Today is a day of joy, we should be happy."
Rattled, Xiu Ai nodded. Indeed, she was extremely happy, which was why she was crying tears of joy.
After the ceremony, Song Ziheng and Xiu Ai went from table to table, toasting the guests. Remembering Qin Sisi’s instructions, Xiu Ai merely touched the liquor with her lips for a sip. As it was a joyful day, no one took any issue with the bride’s slight transgression.
From a distance, Qin Sisi watched Xiu Ai, taking in the latter’s joyful yet shy smile. She couldn’t precisely pinpoint how she felt. Technically, she should be happy because she was not only able to help Xiu Ai fulfill her wish but also enabling Ye You to gain a soul power. However, deep inside, there was a vague sense of sadness and guilt.
Sadness was because Xiu Ai’s actions were nothing more than a futile attempt to deceive herself. The guilt was because the happiness of the wedding was originally intended for the innocent Xia Han, who unfortunately could not experience any of it herself.