"Do you really want to wear that?" Yu Shaoqiu couldn’t help but ask again.
"Of course." Han Xinyu said as she held the qipao up to her body. "Look at this qipao Little Aunt made. It’s truly exquisite with all the golden threads. And look at this embroidery. I guarantee even Zhang Jiamei in a designer wedding dress can’t outshine me."
Yu Shaoqiu’s mouth twitched. "It’s their wedding. Why do you want to outshine them?"
"Why shouldn’t I?" Han Xinyu glared at him. "You’ve seen Zhang Jiamei’s attitude, strutting around like a little rooster. If I don’t put her in her place, she’ll definitely get too cocky. It’s for her own good. With her personality, she’s bound to annoy others. Better I teach her a lesson now than her mother-in-law having to do it later."
Yu Shaoqiu was speechless. How could outshining someone on their most important day of life be for their own good?
"Oh, stop your whining, or I might start getting upset," Han Xinyu warned him with a stare.
"Alright, alright," Yu Shaoqiu surrendered. "Whatever you want, wear whatever you want."
"That’s more like it," Han Xinyu smiled smugly.
"But what should I wear?" Yu Shaoqiu was troubled.
"What are you talking about?" Han Xinyu was puzzled. "Don’t you have a suit? Just pick any."
She paused. "No, wait, you’re not allowed to wear a white suit. From now on, no white suits for you."
Yu Shaoqiu naturally had a clean demeanor, and in a white suit, he was even more attractive. Everyone from eighty-year-old ladies to young girls over six couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
"We had an agreement. From now on no white shirts, suits, sweaters, or casual wear," Han Xinyu declared authoritatively.
"Okay, I’ll listen to you," Yu Shaoqiu affectionately patted her head.
But he felt a bit troubled inside. With Nuonuo dressed so strikingly, whatever he wore wouldn’t match up to her; she’d completely overshadow him.
Time flew by quickly, and before they knew it, the day of Zhang Jiamei’s wedding arrived.
"Jiamei, is Han Xinyu really coming?" In the bride’s makeup room, a girl with a pointed chin was skeptical. "You’ve always been at odds. Would she really want to see you basking in your glory?"
"She’ll definitely come. Just watch," Zhang Jiamei said while applying her lipstick. "I know her too well. She can’t stand being provoked. She wasn’t planning to come, but I managed to rile her up; now she’ll definitely show up."
She snorted. "What’s so great about her? Just because her family has money and power? I was foolish to compete with her for Yu Shaoqiu. Once I got out into the real world, I realized that appearances don’t matter much. What’s crucial is being able to live well. Yu Shaoqiu looks good and is talented, but without a family background, it’s hard to climb the social ladder. Of course, it’s different after he hooked up with Han Xinyu."
—Yu Shaoqiu’s family background was not known in the school, and even Han Xinyu only found out after their families discussed engagement.
"But just you wait. She may be proud now, but she’ll regret it later. For a woman, having wealthy parents is significant, but a husband is most important. Eventually, Yu Shaoqiu might rise to become a dean or something, but he won’t be touching much money or power."
"You can’t say that. Yu Shaoqiu is so handsome and charming, imagine how impressive it is to be seen with him?" another girl chimed in dreamily, supporting her chin. "Besides, he’s cold to others but really nice to Han Xinyu. I once saw him buying sanitary pads for her at a convenience store, blushing and all. I’ve never seen him like that before."
"Yeah, and remember the graduation party? Han Xinyu was drunk, and I saw Yu Shaoqiu carrying her home. He looked so tender."
"Oh, and here’s something you probably don’t know. Around New Year’s, I saw them visiting Professor Jiang at the school. They were sharing a scarf, looking so cozy and romantic. It was totally envy-inducing."
The more Zhang Jiamei listened, the more agitated she became, but she didn’t regret her decision. How could she settle when she didn’t have a family like Han Xinyu’s? Han Xinyu could lean on her family and live a comfortable life even after marrying Yu Shaoqiu, but if she had married Yu Shaoqiu, her life would’ve been mediocre.
How could she accept that?
Moreover, during college, she did everything she could, yet Yu Shaoqiu’s gaze never lingered on her.
"Jiamei, come quick and look! Han Xinyu and Yu Shaoqiu are here," just then, the door to the makeup room burst open, and a girl rushed in somewhat frantically.