Xia Lingwei roared inwardly: "You pair of scumbags, deliberately choosing to marry on this exact day just to upset and torment me, aren't you? You, you pair of cheap sluts, despicable scumbags, I will never lose to you!!"
Enduring her near-collapse, she gritted her teeth and hissed, "I, Xia Lingwei, will never lose!"
"Huh?"
Standing just a few meters away, Shi Tianqi suddenly arched an eyebrow and said, "Never lose? Hehe... Didn't you all talk about a bet that day? Well, let me fill you in: my master's residence is none other than Youlong Villa here in Lishui Villas... I hear your new home happens to have a direct view of Youlong Villa? Hehe, there's another little show starting in half an hour, I hope you won't miss it!"
With that, ignoring Xia Lingwei's face, which was distorted with fury and on the verge of madness, Shi Tianqi let out a cold sneer and walked away.
Chapter 26: The Wedding Begins
Hearing those four words, the color drained from Xia Lingwei's face until she looked ashen and pale as a corpse, her expression resembling one in deep mourning.
Moreover, Shi Tianqi's voice was loud enough that not only Xia Lingwei, but the entire Xia family and Jiang Feichi heard every word.
"It really is Youlong Villa?"
"Qingcheng—wait, Qingyue has staged a massive comeback this time... rising straight to the heavens!"
"The kicker is that Xia Lingwei and Young Master Jiang are living right over there too! Lishui Villas! And Young Master Jiang even said the villa they're staying in has a direct view of Youlong Villa!"
"Hiss! Talk about inescapable rivals... If Xia Lingwei has to watch Xia Qingyue coming and going from Youlong Villa every single day, won't she die of jealousy?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is getting more and more interesting!"
As the news spread, the crowd erupted into murmurs and discussions. Not only were they talking loudly, but they also cast mocking, gloating glances toward Xia Lingwei and Jiang Feichi.
At that moment, Jiang Feichi felt like dying; he desperately wanted to call off the engagement right then and there, hop in his car, and speed away into the distance...
However, Ye Chen's convoy refused to move. Their dozens of luxury vehicles blocked the exits completely, making departure utterly impossible.
"Let's get in the car."
On the other side, Ye Chen looped his arm through Xia Qingyue's and accompanied her toward a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.
Hailed as the most expensive car in the world, it featured entirely handmade interiors and bodywork crafted from aerospace-grade materials!
After rolling off the production line, this very vehicle had been purchased by a foreign tycoon for 1.5 billion yuan and kept locked away in a private castle ever since...
No one could have anticipated that Ye Chen's disciples would manage to secure this car to serve as the bridal car for their master and mistress.
"What kind of car is that? A Rolls-Royce? I've never seen this model before."
"If you haven't seen it, look it up online! I've already found it—this car... holy, holy shit! 1.5 billion!"
"Handmade... aerospace materials... locked away in a castle!"
"Oh my god!"
"Just how many more surprises does this wedding have in store?!"
Listening to the chatter of the onlookers, even Ye Chen couldn't help being momentarily stunned before turning to look at his disciples.
"Being able to do something for our teacher is the lifelong dream of every disciple!"
"Teacher and Mistress are truly a match made in heaven. Master, Mistress... the hour is late, we should set off for the estate!"
Hearing his disciples speak thus, Ye Chen could only offer a gentle smile as he accompanied Xia Qingyue and Xiao Ningning into the car!
"What about us?"
At this, the members of the Xia family snapped out of their daze. "Ye Chen... Ah, Mr. Ma, Mr. Shi, what about us? We're Qingyue's own family!"
"You?"
Shi Tianqi sneered. "Three days ago, I certainly didn't see any of you acting like family to the mistress..."
After that cold laugh, Shi Tianqi bowed to Xia Junjie, his wife, and Xia Qingcheng. "The three of you, my master has prepared a vehicle. Please come with me..."
"Ah, right, right, right."
Xia Junjie nodded repeatedly. Hesitating for a few seconds, he couldn't help asking, "Mr. Shi, can my father come along as well? He—after all, he is Qingyue's grandfather!"
"This... I cannot make that decision."
Shi Tianqi frowned slightly and glanced at Ma Huayun.
"Since he is the mistress's grandfather, the old man may come along!"
Once Ma Huayun finished speaking, he turned to the eager, restless members of the Xia family. "You want to attend my master's wedding? It's not out of the question, but... don't go attending two weddings, understand?"
With a cold wave of his hand, Ma Huayun turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.
"Hehehe, Old Ma, you really are vicious..."
Shi Tianqi couldn't help chuckling, then hurried off to follow Ma Huayun.
After standing in a daze for a few seconds, the Xia family members suddenly understood what was going on.
Ma Huayun meant that if they went to attend Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue's wedding, they must not go to Jiang Feichi and Xia Lingwei's wedding! And vice versa!
"Of course we're going to Qingyue's wedding!"
"Wait for us..."
"We're not going to Xia Lingwei's wedding! We want nothing to do with such a petty, spiteful wedding!"
"Oh my god, is that a Pagani? A luxury car worth tens of millions... No way, I have to take a selfie with the steering wheel in the shot!"
"This is a top-tier Ferrari, my absolute favorite!"
Realizing what was happening, the Xia family members bolted as one toward the bridal convoy on Ye Chen's side. Even the old man was no exception, choosing Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue.
"Grandfather... didn't you promise to drink our wedding wine?" Seeing this, Xia Lingwei was on the verge of tears of anxiety.
The old man sighed helplessly. "Weiwei, Grandfather wanted to drink your wedding wine, but... but you saw it yourself. Ye Chen knows so many big shots; our Xia family's future development cannot do without his help... Tianqi, you come with me as well. As for Junyuan and Liu Tong, you two go attend Weiwei's wedding instead!"
"What?!"
Hearing this, Xia Lingwei was so furious that smoke practically billowed from her seven orifices, her lungs ready to explode.
Xia Tianqi was her own biological brother! On her wedding day, her own brother wasn't attending her ceremony, but going to Xia Qingyue's instead?!
Unable to take it any longer, Xia Lingwei shrieked, "No! This won't do! If word gets out, won't I be humiliating myself to death? Won't I be trampled underfoot by Xia Qingyue for the rest of my life?!"
"Weiwei, will you grow up and be sensible? Our Xia family has always been a second-tier, or even third-tier family. This is a golden opportunity for us to build connections! Dad, Mom, keep an eye on her; I'm going with Grandfather to attend Qingyue's wedding." Without waiting for Xia Lingwei to finish venting, Xia Tianqi followed the old man and left.
"I, I... Waah!!!"
Seeing all her relatives and friends vanish in a flurry, leaving only her parents behind, Xia Lingwei could no longer contain the grievance in her heart and burst into tears.
...
One hour later.
Ye Chen accompanied Xia Qingyue to Youlong Villa.
Youlong Villa sat right in the heart of Lishui Villas, covering several thousand square meters. It was surrounded by upscale villas spaced generously apart; though there were over a hundred of them, the layout was remarkably uncrowded.
The landscaping throughout the villa district was pristine, with wide gaps between buildings. Framed by distant green mountains and nearby clear waters, the already luxurious villas looked even more breathtakingly picturesque!
The 2,000-meter-long Lishui Lake meandered through, a section of it brushing right against the edge of Youlong Villa... The entire estate was built in a classical Chinese architectural style, resembling an ancient imperial palace when viewed from afar.
Within the villa grounds were exotic rockeries, artificial mountains, pavilions, winding bridges, and running streams—everything one could possibly imagine.
Passing through the courtyard led to a three-story residential mansion. Even before stepping inside, everyone was struck dumb by its exterior majesty.
"Is—is this Youlong Villa?"
"Truly worthy of being Jinling City's premier villa estate!"
"I'd love to go inside and take a look..."
"Take a look at what? Didn't you see the bride and groom haven't even completed the bowing ceremony yet? Be patient... Actually, I want to take a peek too, hehehe!"
Amid the awestruck gazes of the crowd, Ye Chen looped his arm through Xia Qingyue's and walked step by step to the ceremonial altar.
At that moment, the God of War Chen Junlin announced in a booming voice: "The auspicious hour has arrived! Let the bride and groom bow to heaven and earth!"
Chapter 27: Ye Chen's True Identity
"Teacher! Mistress!"
"Right this way, please!"
Amid the cheers and jubilation of his disciples, Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue took their places...
At that moment, Xia Qingcheng hurried over and scooped up Xiao Ningning, carrying her to the side.
The two of them stood quietly side by side.
"First bow to heaven and earth!"
Chen Junlin shouted.
Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue turned toward the heavens and bowed deeply...
"Second bow to the high hall!"
As the words fell, disciples rushed forward to place chairs, while others respectfully assisted Xia Junjie and his wife into the seats.
Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue bowed to the parents.
"Bow to each other as husband and wife!"
With that command, the couple exchanged a tender, lingering gaze and bowed to one another...
"The ceremony is complete! Send the bride to the bridal chamber!"
"Woohoo!"
"Congratulations, Teacher! Felicitations, Teacher... Congratulations, Mistress! Felicitations, Mistress!"
"Strike up the music! Let the dancing begin!"
At Chen Junlin's final declaration, Ye Chen's disciples broke into cheers, singing and dancing with unrestrained joy.
One must realize that these disciples were either battle-hardened Gods of War defending the nation, feared and ruthless slaughterers, powerful regional overlords, or the richest men in the world... and so on!
Yet at this moment, they were jumping and cheering with the pure, unadulterated happiness of children.
Meanwhile, two columns of Kunlun disciples dressed in colorful silk garments entered in an orderly fashion, holding traditional instruments and beginning their performance...
As the music swelled, eighteen ethereal Kunlun maidens seemingly descended from the heavens. Wisps of white mist drifted across the ground from nowhere, and the eighteen sword-wielding female disciples began to dance gracefully in the center of the courtyard like celestial fairies, their movements so breathtaking and mesmerizing that the onlookers were transfixed.
"Wow, this is too gorgeous! I imagine the fairies of the Jade Pond in heaven look just like this when they dance!"
"This wedding is simply out of this world. Coming here was totally worth it!"
"I'm so envious of Qingyue. Starting today, she'll be living a life straight out of a fairy tale!"
"Only... just what kind of identity does that Ye Chen actually have?"
The moment Ye Chen was brought up, the crowd fell silent.
Aside from Ye Chen's disciples, the Xia family members and the visiting guests had no inkling of who Ye Chen really was...
"Grandfather..."
Xia Tianqi started to speak, trailing off hesitantly.
"Don't ask."
The old man shook his head. "To inquire about Mr. Ye's identity right now would be terribly impolite... Besides, look at who's standing right over there: Ma Huayun, Shi Tianqi, and generals in full military uniform. Do you dare go over and ask them?"
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"
Xia Tianqi waved his hands hastily; he lacked the courage to question people like Ma Huayun.
After the Kunlun sword dance concluded, internationally renowned pop divas took the stage to sing, followed by celebrated opera masters... In short, everyone who took the stage was a world-class heavyweight.
Simultaneously, tables filled the courtyard. Women dressed in red qipaos carried dishes to the low tables, and every single chef preparing the food possessed three Michelin stars!
It wasn't until evening approached that the guests began to disperse in an orderly fashion.
As for the traditional wedding night pranks, none of the disciples dared attempt such a thing!
They quietly left their congratulatory gifts behind and slipped away...
Watching the prominent bigwigs leave one by one, the Xia family members finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. Today had been a whirlwind of excitement and heart-palpitating terror—both thrilling and terrifying!
"Go on, Grandfather, ask about Ye Chen's identity," Xia Tianqi whispered.
"Right!"
The old man nodded. Seeing that the external guests had departed, he walked over to Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue, wearing a smiling expression as he asked, "Well now, grandson-in-law... after all this time, we still don't know your true background. Look, we're all family now, why don't you just tell us who you really are?"
"That's right, exactly!"
The rest of the Xia family perked up their ears as well, their eyes gleaming with anticipation as they waited for Ye Chen's reply.
"Me?"
Ye Chen lifted his eyelids, swept a casual glance across the Xia family members, and replied indifferently, "My profession is a teacher. I said as much before."
"A teacher?"
The crowd frowned. Ye Chen had indeed uttered those exact words previously.
But who on earth would believe that?
Yet Ma Huayun and the others addressed Ye Chen as "Teacher" right to his face, completely and utterly without pretense.
"That answer leaves us rather confused!"
With a troubled expression, the old man said, "Grandson-in-law, can you tell us why those powerful figures all call you teacher?"
"To impart knowledge, teach professional skills, and resolve doubts."
Bored of answering further, Ye Chen stated bluntly, "Now that my disciples have all left... who knows how many years it will be before they return to Jinling City! Old man, if you harbor any manipulative schemes, I advise you to pack them away as soon as possible."
With that, ignoring the stunned Xia family, Ye Chen took Xia Qingyue by the hand and walked back inside the house.
"This... Grandfather, was what he said true?"
"Does that mean we won't be able to leverage these connections after all?"
"Without those students of his, what is Ye Chen anyway? A nobody! Can we really depend on him?"
"Grandfather, what should we do?"
Seeing Ye Chen state the reality with such cold indifference, the Xia family members could no longer sit still. Pins and needles seemed to prickle their skin as they muttered, "Is it still too early to go attend Weiwei and the Jiang family's wedding?"
"Ah?"
The old man was startled. "Hurry, go! Since we can't count on Ye Chen anymore, we must rush over to the Jiang family. We cannot afford to lose this backer too!"
With that, the Xia family members hurriedly scrambled out of Youlong Villa.
Meanwhile, standing by the third-floor floor-to-ceiling window, Ye Chen offered a cold, mocking smile. "To avoid embarrassment, Jiang Feichi and Xia Lingwei didn't even come to Lishui Villas. They're probably going to draw a complete blank!"
"So what on earth is your real identity?"
Standing behind him, Xia Qingyue looked utterly curious, her alluring peach-blossom eyes brimming with questions.
"My identity? I'm your husband..."
Ye Chen chuckled, pulling Xia Qingyue straight into his arms with a doting grin. "You know, I think your younger sister isn't half bad—she was very sensible to carry Xiao Ningning away!"
"Ah—"
Xia Qingyue let out a soft gasp, her pretty face flushing crimson red instantly. She knew that with the wedding over, it was time for the bridal chamber...
"Bad man~ I asked you a serious question, and you're not answering properly."
Xia Qingyue's face grew hotter and redder, too shy to meet Ye Chen's gaze any longer, so she simply buried her flushed face against his chest and feigned confusion.
"I answered properly!"
Ye Chen protested with an innocent air. "I really am a teacher. As for my identity... if you must have an explanation, then I am Ye Kunlun!"
The patriarch of ten thousand Kunlun disciples, Ye Kunlun!!
As for outer sect disciples beyond Kunlun proper, they too knew the title of Ye Kunlun...
Yet to an ordinary person like Xia Qingyue, the name Ye Kunlun was hard to comprehend. Even the heads of Jinling City's top-tier aristocratic families wouldn't grasp the true weight carried by those three syllables!
"Ye Kunlun...?"
Xia Qingyue gave a slight start, softly murmuring the name before her face turned beet red and she whispered in a voice no louder than a mosquito's, "No matter what your identity is, I only know one thing: you are my husband!"
Chapter 28: Desperate Star-Crossed Lovers
At that moment, the only two people left in the entirety of Youlong Villa were Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue...
Even Xia Junjie and his wife were gone.
As for Xiao Ningning, the little girl had been taken outside to play by Xia Qingcheng, holding her hand.
"Now, this is our own private world!"
Ye Chen gently breathed in Xia Qingyue's scent—her sweet hair, her faint body fragrance—all drifting into his senses and giving him a profound sense of peace.
Yes, absolute peace!
"I waited for this day for five whole years!"
Holding Xia Qingyue close, Ye Chen murmured softly, "I'm sorry... making you suffer for five years."
"It wasn't suffering~"
Xia Qingyue shook her head gently. "Waiting for this moment makes everything worth it."
As their eyes met, Ye Chen leaned in to kiss her, only to be interrupted by a sudden, rumbling roar from outside.
"Brother-in-law, bad news, Brother-in-law..."
Bursting into the room with a shout, Xia Qingcheng threw the door open, freezing when she saw Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue tightly embraced... Instantly, the young girl's face flushed bright red. "Sister, Brother-in-law, this is bad! The Jiang family brought people here to make trouble!"
"Daughter, daughter, come out quickly!"
Xia Junjie and Zhang Lan rushed into the room carrying Xiao Ningning in a panic. "You pushed Jiang Feichi too far today, and now they've brought people to wreck the place! What are we going to do? All your disciples have already left..."
"Jiang Feichi?"
Ye Chen's eyes turned icy. Today was his grand wedding day, and right now was supposed to be his wedding night with Xia Qingyue.
Someone actually dared to come and cause trouble?
"I'll go take a look."
Frowning, Ye Chen gave Xia Qingyue a gentle pat and said, "Stay inside the house and don't wander around..."
"I'll come with you," Xia Qingyue said with concern.
"Sister..."
Xia Qingcheng tried to stop her, but failed.
Stamping her foot and biting her lip, she had no choice but to follow her sister outside.
Outside the main gates of Youlong Villa sat three large bulldozers, their drivers wearing hard hats and revving the engines with a deafening roar, looking ready to smash their way through at any second.
Jiang Feichi stood amidst the bulldozers flanked by a group of young scions, a sneer plastered across his face.
"Ye Chen, aren't you acting all high and mighty today?"
"Damn it, you completely humiliated me at my own wedding, not leaving me a shred of face!"
"Good thing your disciples all cleared out... Heh, I made sure to have people keep tabs on them until they left. Right now, they've already cleared out of Jinling City."
"By the way, I've also jammed the cell signals in this area. Right now, shouting to the heavens brings no response and calling to the earth brings no help!!"