Rebirth from the Ashes

"Are you going to carry me throughout?" Drawing near to his ear, Shen Xi asked Li Yuan. The loud firecrackers around muffled her voice, so much so she had to keep a close distance.

"Yes." Li Yuan nodded with a smile. Leaning forward, he gleefully murmured in her ear. "The bride's feet shouldn't touch the earth."

His fair lady was breathtaking in her white gown, and he could not and did not want to take his eyes away from her. Li Yuan wished he could hold her and look at her until the end of time.

Shen Xi reflected on his words. No one had told her that she could not walk and had to be carried. Once at the entrance, she looked over his shoulder and noticed that Song Wenye and the other brides walked by themselves. Shen Xi pinched the tender flesh in Li Yuan's waist. "Liar."

It was a bustling scene at Li Mansion with friends and family of the brides and grooms present. People lined up from the entrance all the way inside, throwing flower petals in welcoming the happy couples. Only the freshest handpicked flower petals were deserving of the floral welcome.

There were also drones in charge of a flower shower. It was a surreal sight under the sunlight.

There was an aroma of flowers in the air. With only the freshest flowers of the season brought in, the Li family's estate was a burst of early spring and lush landscape.

A thick layer of rose petals paved a red passage from the home's entrance to the wedding venue. The roses were airlifted overnight from a rose hall.

Nestled in Li Yuan's embrace, Shen Xi could only see him in her eyes, heart, and mind. She could hear his heartbeat. Poking his chest, she asked, "Brother, are you nervous?"

With downcast eyes, Li Yuan came at eye level with the girl's curious bright eyes. He nodded his head. "I didn't sleep last night."

It was the truth.

Shen Xi uttered, "Lil' Ye and Tangtang said they were too nervous to sleep last night, but I slept well."

Li Yuan cheerfully teased her with a voice that could make her go weak in the knees as he pointed out. "That's because you're tired."

Getting the hint, Shen Xi blushed and glared at him. "Whose fault do you think it was?"

Li Yuan chuckled and grinned dotingly. "Mine."

Shen Xi cleared her throat and nudged him. "I'll walk. How about I take your arm?"

Li Yuan tightened his grip over her. "I want to carry you."

Shen Xi was carried all the way to the wedding venue. The guests had arrived and taken their seats. However, the brides still had to powder their noses in the back.

Ruan Sisi came to round up the girls.

Li Yuan finally put the girl down. Watching as Shen Xi turned on her heels straight away, he grabbed her wrist and hesitated for long before letting go.

The wedding venue could not be any livelier.

Song Wenye and the other brides were already in the dressing room by the time Ruan Sisi dragged Shen Xi there. They were smiling at her suggestively.

"Why are you looking at me?" Shen Xi frowned. "Is there something on my face?"

"Toffeecito's Dad has great stamina." Song Wenye laughed.

"Yes." Shen Tang bobbed her head.

"That's right." Fu Junqiu thought so too.

Even Li Yuan knew that his wife's feet should not touch the ground. Fu Junqiu's silly man only figured to carry her after Li Yuan demonstrated the correct way.

Shen Xi saluted them. "Likewise."

The grooms followed suit to carry the brides too. Why were they talking as though she was the only one who was carried in?

The girls chatted and giggled as Ruan Sisi led the makeup team to reapply their makeup. There was a knock on the door, and it was Fu Qingli who came to ask if they were ready.

Ruan Sisi rushed over and opened the door to the brides' family standing outside. Apart from the Fu and Song families, Yuan Yu was also in the midst. He stood on his tiptoes to peek inside.

Shen Zhangqing and Yun Jinping were not present. As the parents of Yu Yuanxi, the groom, they were busy running back and forth. Otherwise, it could get chaotic later at the ceremony.

The Fu family was here for Shen Xi and Fu Junqiu. Since Qi Xiu was an orphan without parents or close family members, the Fu family was also acting as his parents.

Song Wenye's parents found the time out of their busy schedules to attend the wedding as it was their daughter's wedding after all. They had just arrived not long ago. Old Man Song was also in attendance.

Not one to be bothered, Song Wenye acknowledged her mom and dad's presence without pouring in much feelings. She was used to them not being around.

Pei Xu, on the other hand, felt bad for Song Wenye as he grew up with her. As her childhood friend, he did not have much respect for Song Wenye's parents.

They might as well not come. Pei Xu would be walking Song Wenye down the aisle and giving her away to Yu Yuanxi as the brother of the bride.

Furrowing her brows, Fu Qingxuan whispered in Pei Xu's ear. "Why are Lil' Ye's parents like this?"

It was improper for the parents to only arrive now for their daughter's wedding. They certainly failed as parents. Poor Lil' Ye for ending up with such parents.

"Why don't…" Pei Xu curled his lips cunningly and licked his teeth. His voice bore a hint of wickedness. "Why don't we knock them out, lock them up, and replace them as the bride's family?"

Fu Qingxuan replied, "Are you kidding?"

"No." Pei Xu mumbled indifferently, "Don't you feel bad for her? Her parents only came to show their faces."

"Who are we to the bride?" Fu Qingxuan murmured under his breath.

"We're the bride's… brothers." Pei Xu drawled as he smiled at Fu Qingxuan. He best left it at that. The young master would probably throw a tantrum on this joyous occasion if Pei Xu took the joke further.

Song Wenye's parents approached Song Wenye for a chat.

Her mother was a beautiful, poised, and independent businesswoman. Seeing her daughter in a wedding dress, Song Wenye's mother expressed the longing and relief of a parent. Overwhelmed with emotions, she was at a loss for words. In the end, she said, "I hope you'll always be happy."

Song Wenye's father was a handsome and suave man. He did not feel much of a connection with Song Wenye since he had been missing from his daughter's life. Still, he was filled with a pang of indescribable guilt as he stood before her. Song Wenye's father held her hand and smiled.

It did not seem to matter to Song Wenye whether they were here or not. She exchanged a few words with her parents before waving to the back. "Grandpa."

She then looked at her parents with a smile. "Dad, Grandpa will come with me to the hall. You and Mom should wait in the front."