Next were Jun and Ai, standing at the altar ready for their tosses. Since Nian caught the garter in the first round, his clear skin radiated even brighter and a new wave of motivation burst within him. Xing Bi was furiously waving her hand at him to tone down on the shine a bit.
"Now who will be the lucky ones this time? Are you excited? Are you excited!"
Nana chuckled, seeing him hop around all charged with energy. Jin simply let out a sneer. She stared at Jin at her side and asked him, "Why aren't you playing with everyone?"
Feeling her sharp and pointed gaze, Jin cleared his throat. "Not really interested."
"It's just a game and it's good to have fun," she emphasized.
He broke into a cold sweat now. "I prefer to be an onlooker."
Nana's fixed gaze made his heart race as if the mother knew exactly what was going on. "Hm."
On the altar, Jun and Ai were ready to throw the tosses. Nian cheered. "Are you ready?"
"Cool! On my mark now. Three, two, one!"
With the last number hitting the air, Jun tossed his garter at the back while Ai did the same with the bouquet. They quickly and eagerly turned, wanting to see who would catch it.
Ai gasped when the garter was caught by Zhou Yichen while Chyou held the bouquet in her hands. A moment of silence reigned in which both the parties were looking at the prize in their hands dumbfounded.
Chyou scratched the top of her head, suddenly feeling the weight of the bouquet in her hands. "I-I was just trying to get to the other side of the benches to Mom and Dad hehe…"
But seeing something fall before her, she instinctively bent to quickly catch it. Only then did she realize what it was.
Zhou Yichen couldn't wrap his head around the garter toss too. But somehow it managed to find its way to him.
"Wooooooo!!!" Nian chuckled with a mischievous tone to it as if it held an underlying meaning.
Yating was also in a daze for several long moments because of the conversation they just had before not participating in the game. But now Chyou held the bouquet, making him wonder of her future. For some reason, he thought even more deeply than he would of the potential person she would meet, making him sense a mild discomfort.
Xie Nuying, on the other hand, has choked hard seeing her ex-husband with the garter. She wasn't sure if she was furious or trying to hide her embarrassment.
"What would y-you do catching that garter?" She harrumphed. "You are way past your shiny young days."
Zhou Yichen glared at her. "I am still as charming as I was when I met you. Maybe fate finally showed some mercy on me…"
He slowly sat back down, clearing his throat.
"What mercy?" Her gaze narrowed with a tinge of tension. "You look confident as if you have already met someone…I don't wish for another poor woman to get fooled by your charms," she twiddled with her fingers. "I-I know you the best after all."
He glared at her again but just as quickly withdrew, going into the same nervous mode as hers. "H-Hah! I don't need another woman for my charm to work on. You should beware though. What if you fall for me again?"
Her face furiously blushed despite her hardest attempts to maintain her poise. "Pr-preposterous! As if I will! Go check your head. Maybe your age is finally getting to you."
Ignoring their banter, Ai was the one who shone the most. She grabbed onto Jun's wrist and shook it hard to express her fervor. "Jun! Jun! Did you see? Dad and favorite idol caught the tosses!"
She squealed with such joy that it was hard to contain, especially when Chyou had broken up with Cheng Yin.
Jun was equally stunned with the outcome but satisfaction and pleasure gushed in his heart. Chyou had her fair share of misery in the past and Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying had met their untimely death. But they were getting a do-over in this life to overturn their tragic fate and catching the tosses couldn't be any more fortunate sign.
"Does that mean there is hope for Mom and Dad to get back together?" She asked with a beaming and hopeful gaze. "And Chyou would meet the real and deserving man of her dreams?"
She sneakily peeked at Yating's side who she figured was still in deep thought and at her parents who looked like two nervous and jittery teenagers in love.
Jun let out a wide grin too. "I am not hoping, I know for sure that it will happen."
Nuo, Shui, Yubi, Huan, Leina and all the girls clapped hard. "Congratulations Chyou, Uncle Zhou!"
Yunru, Zixin and the rest of the guys brightened as well. "Congratulations!"
Nian's gaze darkened. "You mean people! How come you were not so happy when I caught the garter! What is this injustice!?"
"You cheated!" Yunru puffed his cheeks and stomped his leg hard.
"How dare you falsely accuse me!"
Liu Hai nudged Yating's elbow with a sheepish grin. "Chyou did half of the job. Isn't she so great?"
"Wh-why are you telling me this, Grandpa?" Yating's brow twitched.
"Because you need to pump yourself to start the other half of the work~"
Caihong was patting Xiaosi's shoulder, who had slipped into a trance of depression. "Why Chyou? Hasn't she just broken up? She needs time!"
"Take it as a good sign," Caihong chuckled. "All you fathers get depressed so easily."
Xiaosi pursed his lips, still dissatisfied. Secretly, he was bathing in joy that Chyou wouldn't think of a relationship for sometime now. Liang gave him his condolences too. "I understand your pain, Bro."
On the other side, Zhiyuan looked at his son, displeased. "Siying! How could you do this! You failed to catch the garter when you had two golden chances!"
Siying's brow twitched. "I wouldn't get even one chance to be with Nuo anymore if I HAD caught that garter. Do you not see Uncle Jinhai throwing his dark and deadly beams at me?"
"Such a disgrace to get afraid of Liu Jinhai! That man's son had the nerve to date my daughter before and you cannot raise your own guts?"
"..." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveIＦire.net
Shui consoled him by patting his head.
"Don't scold my son unnecessarily!" Xinyi threw him a soft glare and he immediately pulled back.
And with the mixture of joy, hopes, uncertainty and anticipation ringing in everybod's hearts for their bright future, the fun tradition of the bouquet-garter toss finally came to an end.