Chapter 1080: Chapter 704: The Grand Wedding! (Part 2)
"Leaving? Where are you going?" Tang Fei asked in confusion.
An Ning smiled and said, "Today is your and Sister Phoenix’s big day. I think... I’m not really suited to be here."
"An Ning, I’ll explain it to Phoenix."
"Explain how?"
"..."
Tang Fei felt a tight, suffocating ache in his chest.
He knew An Ning had "forced" Zhong Daolong to his death for his sake.
But that man was still Phoenix’s biological father...
"Brother Tang Fei, don’t put yourself in the middle and make things hard on yourself." An Ning reached out to smooth Tang Fei’s tightly furrowed brow, saying distressedly, "Today is your wedding day. You have to be happy."
"Today is also Sister Phoenix’s big day. She should be happy too. If you two are happy, then I’m happy."
"You’re the one being wronged."
"Brother, I don’t feel wronged at all. Everything I’ve done, it’s because I wanted to. I’m very happy inside."
"Mm." Tang Fei looked at the scar on An Ning’s face and said gently, "I promised you I’d help you get rid of it."
"Get rid of it?" An Ning reached up to touch the knife scar the predator had left on her, smiling as she said, "Why would I? I don’t care about this kind of thing."
"But you’re still such a young girl."
"I’m also the Holy Daughter of the Flame Shrine. With this scar, don’t I look more dignified and sacred?"
"..."
"Alright, Brother Tang Fei, I won’t disturb you anymore. You have to take good care of yourself, be happy, be blessed. I’ll keep silently supporting you from behind."
An Ning waved at Tang Fei, then ran out with light, quick steps.
The scent of flowers still lingered in the room, but the girl as beautiful as a blossom was nowhere to be seen.
An Ning walked toward the private Star Disc on the tarmac. The guards at her side stepped forward and draped the Holy Daughter’s Red Robe over her, its surface inlaid with the Flame Shrine’s totem.
"In Liangzhou District, a large group of predators is attacking our No. 3 supply base," a Ghost Female Guard reported aloud.
"Heh." The look in An Ning’s eyes turned fierce and cold; the vibrant girl from a moment ago had completely vanished. "Today is my brother’s wedding day. It’s inauspicious to see blood."
"Yes. Then I’ll have the base seal itself off and..."
"Bury it," An Ning said softly. "Bury it under the sunflowers I planted."
"Yes."
Sunflowers grow turning toward the Sun, pure, fierce, spreading as far as the eye can see, carrying an unquestionable vitality, vast fields of gold like burning golden flames.
Their flower language is radiance, loyalty, and a silent love.
Zhao Xiaozhou and Li Mi were on stage singing their hearts out. They were university classmates from the music academy whom Tang Fei had run into when he returned to Phoenix City under the name "Hua He." Later, when they saw that Tang Fei and Lu Siyu had no jobs, they kindly introduced them to try singing at their resident venue, M3 Bar, to get some temporary work.
After all, in Phoenix City, living was no easy thing.
Even more so for poor students who had just graduated like them.
After years of hustle, they’d managed to make a modest name for themselves in the rock scene.
But everyone knew that starting tonight, they would become the Phoenix Empire...
No—become the brightest rock stars on all of New Star.
Even they themselves had never imagined that those two boys and girls who had "borrowed" their classmates’ identities actually possessed such illustrious status.
They... were about to become the masters of this planet?
"The flowers blooming in spring carry away winter’s sorrow
The breeze blows in romantic air
Every love song suddenly fills with meaning
It’s right now that I suddenly see you
------
Listen to me
Take my hand and come with me
Let’s create a happy life
Yesterday is too late
Tomorrow would be a pity
Will you marry me today?"
...
Why were rock singers suddenly doing love songs?
Come on—so long as that person was pleased, they’d perform comic duets if asked.
This was the most powerful group of people on the planet; this was the most dazzling wedding under the Star River.
"Love needs vows as witnesses, marriage needs promises as guardians. Next, let’s invite our newlyweds to exchange tokens of love. Best man and maid of honor, please present them with their rings of happiness."
"These small rings encircle each other’s true hearts and carry a lifetime of commitment. They aren’t overly ornate, yet they hold the firmest of promises... For the rest of your lives—three meals and four seasons, year after year—never part, never abandon."
Sheng Xinhua in a white maid-of-honor dress and Little Fatty in a black suit as best man each held up a tray. On each tray sat an open ring box; the rings, forged from rare metals, shone with dazzling brilliance in the lights.
"Will the groom please take the bride’s hand, look into each other’s eyes, and speak your most sincere vows. Groom, do you take this beautiful young lady at your side to be your wife, to love her, cherish her, and protect her, in poverty or in wealth, in sickness and in health, for all of your life, never parting, never abandoning her?"
"I do," Tang Fei said, eyes resolute.
"Bride, do you take this handsome gentleman at your side to be your husband, to accompany him, support him, and accept him, in poverty or in wealth, in sickness and in health, for all of your life, never parting, never abandoning him?"
"I do," Phoenix answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Groom, you may now kiss your bride."
Tang Fei pulled Phoenix into his arms and kissed her sweet lips hard.
The ceremony complete, thunderous applause erupted.
Qin Shuang stood in a corner the light couldn’t reach, holding a champagne flute, watching this scene with a face full of envy.
"Next, let’s begin the most romantic bouquet toss segment. All the single ladies present, please hurry to the front of the stage, stretch out your hands, and welcome this exclusive blessing of happiness and good fortune."
The noble ladies, socialites, and Princesses all surged forward, eager to snatch the bouquet Phoenix was about to toss.
It symbolized luck, happiness, and...
The one and only in this world.
"Bride, are you ready?"
"I’m ready."
"Please turn around, carrying your blessings for everyone, and throw this happiness and beauty with all your strength toward the one it belongs to."
"May the girl who catches the bouquet meet her destined love soon, gain a heart full of joy, and, like our newlyweds, spend a lifetime together and walk toward a beautiful future."
"Me, me, me..."
"Give it to me, give it to me..."
"Ahhh, over here, throw it over here..."
-------
Phoenix didn’t throw the bouquet in her hands. Instead, she walked straight over to her one and only maid of honor, Sheng Xinhua, and solemnly placed the bouquet into Sheng Xinhua’s hands.
"Thank you." Sheng Xinhua accepted the bouquet, smiling radiantly as she winked at Phoenix. "You’re in that big of a hurry to marry me off?"
"I hope you can find your own happiness too," Phoenix said, eyes turning red, every word sincere.
"I’m already very happy."
Sheng Xinhua tossed the bouquet she had just received into the crowd of eager, clamoring single girls, then wrapped Phoenix in a tight hug.
Good sisters, for a whole lifetime.
------
In Phoenix Calendar year 308, Phoenix ascended the throne as sovereign, becoming the first Empress of the Phoenix Empire.
In Phoenix Calendar year 309, Phoenix changed the name "Phoenix Empire" to "Tang," and the Phoenix Empire became the "Great Tang Empire."
Phoenix thus naturally became "Emperor Tang the First."
That same year, Phoenix gave birth to a baby boy, whom Tang Fei named Tang Chong.
The Tang of Great Tang, the Chong of weight.
And that man called the "Star River Lord," Tang Fei, aside from holding the "idle post" of Chairman of the Great Tang Military Committee, spent his days holed up in White Crane Academy, together with his mentor Xuanyuan Mingjing, striving to comprehend and climb toward the legendary "Three Immortal Realms."
