This was the day Mengyao and Hong Jiaxi were to be married.
Early in the morning, Qin Tianyi was already dressed and ready, while Susu was still in bed, reluctant to get up.
Tianyi gently shook her awake and pulled her to her feet. "Stop sleeping, I'm going downstairs for breakfast and will wait for you."
"Okay, why so early? The banquet doesn't start until noon?" Susu flopped back onto the bed, hugging a pillow, wanting to sleep a little longer. After all, weekends were the only time she could enjoy a lie-in.
Tianyi adjusted his tie in the mirror. "Before we go to their wedding, I want to take you somewhere."
Susu, still lying on the bed with her eyes closed, asked, "Where?"
"You'll know when we get there," he said, already walking out of the room.
Susu opened her eyes and got up, murmuring to herself, "He's being mysterious again."
After getting dressed and meticulously choosing a suitable dress, she went downstairs to find Tianyi.
After breakfast, Tianyi took her to the largest library in the city.
Standing before the grand building, she wondered why he wanted to come here. Did he intend to read for a while before Mengyao's wedding?
Tianyi took her hand. "I haven't been here in a long time. Come in and help me look up some things."
"Are you looking for specific information?" Susu hadn't been to a library in ages either. She remembered visiting during her university days for research, and knew the collection was extensive, covering almost all books from ancient to modern, both Chinese and foreign.
As they entered the library, Tianyi said, "I want to look up some classics on Traditional Chinese Medicine and its herbs."
"When did you become interested in these?"
"To clear the injustice faced by Dr. Song's family, I want to understand this field myself."
Hearing that it was for this cause, Susu readily agreed. "Tell me what classics you're looking for, and I'll help you find them."
They entered the ancient texts reading room, communicating in hushed tones.
...
At the wedding banquet, guests were starting to arrive.
Mengyao, in her wedding gown, sat before the mirror in the dressing room, surrounded by Wu Xiufang, Mengqi, and her bridesmaids.
Wu Xiufang was both excited and a little reluctant, feeling how quickly time had passed. She never imagined Mengyao would be married off so soon. Soon, only she and Huangfu Sisong would be left in the big house, becoming a pair of lonely old people.
Mengqi handed Wu Xiufang a tissue. "Mom, it's a happy day, why are you crying?"
Wu Xiufang wiped her tears and held Mengyao's hand. "I'm happy. Even though you're married, you must visit often."
"Of course, Jiaxi and I will come back for meals frequently. Elder Sister is also in Lancheng, so we'll all be back often," Mengyao said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at her mother.
Mengqi hugged them both. "Mom, Mengyao is right. None of us are married far away, so we can see each other anytime."
"Yes, yes," Wu Xiufang said, patting Mengyao's shoulder. "You're the bride, you mustn't cry, or your makeup will smudge. I won't cry either. Let's all be happy."
She didn't stay in the dressing room for long before being called out to receive guests with Huangfu Sisong.
When only Mengyao and Mengqi were left, Mengqi noticed a hint of melancholy in Mengyao's eyes. "I've noticed Jiaxi has been very obedient to you lately, acting like a subservient dog in front of you. What else could you possibly be worried about?"
"Sister, he's been treating me very well to make up for what happened before. I feel very happy today, getting married, so I have nothing to worry about." In truth, she was worried about the wedding night.
Ever since Jiaxi had lost control and treated her that way last time, she had become somewhat afraid of his touch.
"That's good then," Mengqi asked again. "Has Jiaxi done anything to bully you recently? If he has, I'll teach him a lesson! Even if this wedding had to be called off, I'd make him realize his mistake."
"No, we've talked. He said it was because he loved me too much and couldn't control his emotions, and he promised me."
Mengyao was already at her wedding day, so Mengqi couldn't say much more.
Mengqi thought that at least Mengyao and Jiaxi had a foundation of childhood affection. When she married Yao Fei, their foundation wasn't as strong, and yet they were managing their marriage now.
She patted Mengyao's shoulder. "As long as you love each other, there are no misunderstandings that can't be resolved. You must be happy."
"Sister, I know."
Just then, the music started playing outside. Mengqi, feeling excited for her, said, "The ceremony is about to begin. Let me see if you need any touch-ups, and I'll help you with your wedding dress."
Mengyao stood up and turned around in front of the mirror, her heart at ease from her worries, ready to embrace a new chapter in her life.
...
Susu and Tianyi attended Mengyao's wedding.
After the reception, Susu sat in the car, still marveling at how unique and innovative the wedding design was, and how well-matched Mengyao and Hong Jiaxi looked.
"What are you thinking about? Why aren't you speaking?" Tianyi asked, holding her hand.
Susu sighed emotionally. "Before, I thought Dr. Song and Mengyao made a good match. Now, looking at Mengyao and her current husband, they are indeed a handsome couple. But I don't see that... that deep love in their eyes for each other. When Dr. Song and Mengyao were together, their gazes were different."
"You noticed that? I didn't pay attention to those details," Tianyi thought of Wu Xiufang's wary and venomous gaze when she saw him. He said, "I think the wedding was lively, and both families are satisfied."
"Yes, I guess I was overthinking," Susu still felt a sense of pity for Dr. Song and Mengyao.
Tianyi knew Wu Xiufang wouldn't give up easily. For now, he could still use the fact that he knew she was impersonating the Wu family's daughter to intimidate her.
He feared that before long, she might discover that he didn't actually have any concrete evidence.
Therefore, he needed to quickly investigate the illegal and harmful activities of the pharmaceutical factory from years ago. Only with genuine evidence in hand could he make Wu Xiufang truly compliant and protect Susu and their children.
Susu then remembered the information they had found at the library. "How did you know Dr. Song's family tree, and that his great-grandfather was an imperial physician?"
Tianyi took out the ancestral medical book from the car's hidden compartment and showed it to her. "This book contains the names of Dr. Song's ancestors. After reading it, I thought that if Dr. Song had this medical book, his ancestors must have been extraordinary. I didn't expect to actually find his great-grandfather on the list of imperial physicians."
Susu carefully took out the book and flipped through it. It looked incredibly ancient.
"How did Dr. Song's ancestral medical book end up with you?"
Tianyi said, "He gave it to me before he went abroad." Tianyi didn't tell her that Dr. Song had returned recently.
"What does this prove?" Susu asked, still not understanding.
"It doesn't prove anything yet, but at least it shows that the ancestral prescriptions in this book were developed by Dr. Song's family over generations. And now, several of the best-selling drugs sold by the pharmaceutical factory under the Huangfu Group have the same ingredients as the prescriptions in this book. This cannot be a mere coincidence."