Shenzhen Castle Hotel
Dong Xin flicked her forehead with the force of an almost punch.
"OH MY GOD OUCH!!!!!" Shen Yue screamed in shock, her eyes almost jumping out of their sockets.
"You know we have so much to do today and yet you stayed up late", the Bride admonished the woman who had been sleeping with her mouth open.
How in the world Yue managed to fall so deep in sleep in just ten minutes, she doesn't even want to know.
"Can't I just take a nap? I mean, haven't we done almost everything we needed to do already? We're done with the tour of the venue, we've already checked all of the rooms, and we've sat down with the caterer..."
Xin pouted. "No we haven't! You still need to help me entertain YOUR and Zhi Ting's org mates!"
Yue frowned. "The wedding's on Saturday. I don't know why they arrived this early."
Xin shared the same sentiment.
She knows that as the bride, she should be more gracious, etc. but that has never really been who she is.
It has always been Zhi Ting who had the energy to spend going around, being a social butterfly.
And with the pressure of preparations for the wedding, she was at her wit's end.
And her Maid-of-Honor seems to be floating on air the whole day.
She just wanted to be cocooned somewhere with a steady supply of chocolates and call bullshit on all those wedding movies that showed the bride looking radiant and fresh on the week leading up to their big day.
LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL LIES!!!
Dong Xin is sure that just like Yue, her eyebags are the sige of luggages and her pores have expanded to the size of coins.
The only difference might be, Yue lacks sleep but seems happy while she lacks sleep and is slowly running out of reasons to be happy about this upcoming ceremony.
Her mood is deteriorating that the temptation to burst the bubble that her best friend is in is increasing tenfold every passing minute.
She almost wants to shout, "Don't get involved with Wang He Di because if you fall for him and end up marrying him, you would be more stressed than I am because he has such a rich family."
Before she could open her mouth though...
"Love!", Zhi Ting's voice rang out from the entrance of the hotel's lounge area, where she and Yue had taken a few minutes of reprieve.
Xin breathed in for strength and reminded herself that a few days ago, she and Zhi Ting promised each other that they will see this through and just spend their whole honeymoon sleeping.
She put her best smile forward and saw her best friend doing the same.
"Now, I don't need to flick your forehead again."
"I cannot risk you giving me a bump", Yue told her through gritted teeth as their guests came into view, "I also need to look beautiful for your wedding in case you've forgotten."
She fought the need to scream like a banshee when she realized that everyone from Zhi Ting's org really came. It seemed about 20 people walked in after him.
Xin can only remember the names of half of these folks.
Back in college, it has always been Yue and Zhi Ting who were involved in so many extra-curricular activities.
"Oh my God! There's Shen Yue!"
She gritted her teeth as two girls sped past her and towards her best friend, blatantly passing by her outstretched hand that was angling to welcome them.
Xin remembered these girls as two of the most that she hated from Zhi Ting's org – Zi Qui and Zhou Jie.
She shrugged off the snub and focused on welcoming the rest.
The others in the group gushed how lucky Zhi Ting is, the beauty of the whole place, how excited they are for the wedding, and talked about everything that is appropriately polite to say – even the weather.
Xin eventually found herself relaxing until she realized that Yue and the two witches continued discussing something to her right.
She heard "Wang" and controlled herself from rolling her eyes.
Why is she not surprised that THOSE two are discussing the Wang Corp. heir???
Her "Mother Hen" genes kicking in, Xin turned to where all three seemed engaged in conversation and extracted Yue.
"Hey! Say hi to the others. They are not the only ones who arrived", she supposedly chided with as much sweetness as she could to make it seem she is doing it in good humor rather than in trying to rescue her best friend.
Relief filled Yue's eyes. "Let's catch up later. I'm going to say hi to Yating and the rest", she informed the "witches" (the nickname Xin has given them).
The two girls seem to have finally remembered that she was the bride and greeted her, cooing over how "radiant" she looked.
She had never wanted to kick two people harder than she wanted to do to these two.
How other people manage to make it alive without being imprisoned for causing harm to these girls, she would never know.
"So... is it true, Xin, that Wang He Di is coming as a guest?", Zhou Jie asked.
She did her best to keep her face neutral.
"Yes", she answered.
"So... it IS true that he and Yue are going out?" That was Zi Qui.
"He is Yue's boyfriend", she replied with a straight face.
Right now, she, Yue, DiDi, and Zhi Ting, are the only ones who know the truth and they would all like to keep it that way.
Also, it doesn't seem too far-fetched now for THAT to be a reality for her best friend and that villainous guy.
If Yue's eyes bags could speak, they would most certainly agree.
"Are they really official?", Zhou Jie piped up.
Xin didn't care whether she had her brow raised or that contempt for these women showed on her face. She released a loud "Huh???"
Zhou Jie looked like she is pulling teeth in what she is about to say. "Well... Xin... the thing is I went out with Wang He Di a few times and he doesn't seem the type to want to have a girlfriend. Actually, I wanted to talk to Yue about that so I can at least save her from the heartbreak."
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
She was reminded of the reason she hated these girls.
They're both salacious good-for-nothing gossips who probably delude themselves into thinking whatever they say matters.
"Well, you just have to see for yourself when DiDi arrives", she couldn't help answering, "I mean... it must have been a long time since the two of you went out – "
"They dated just about three months ago", Zi Qui cut her off and Xin kept her hands crossed, else she follows through the temptation to bitch slap both of these women.
"All I really want is to look out for Yue", Zhou Jie added before Xin can even get a word edgewise "I've known her since college and she's sweet and all and she just does not deserve to get hurt. I mean, Xin, you are her best friend and I am sure you would only want to look out for her too."
Dong Xin did her best to bring out the Gong Li in her and act as nonchalant as she could muster, with a twinge of concern to look as though "this" mattered.
Nothing is surprising from what Zhou Jie has told her because just about a hot minute ago, her best friend was indeed being victimized by the millionaire.
And for her end, both her fiancé and best friend knows that she is not the biggest fan of the guy.
Hell, even Wang He Di probably knows it.
She did threaten him with poison so that fact would be hard to miss.
BUT (and that really is a big but) for the past days, he has done a complete 360 and has come out with guns blazing on the ways he made sure that Yue knows how apologetic he is of his actions.
He went all out and, probably because he had the means, he really did not put any controls in what he would do just to show how sincere he is in gaining her best friend's forgiveness.
It isn't that he has to work all that hard because Yue truly has the softest heart and it probably wasn't even an hour after his apology that Yue had already forgiven him but Xin does appreciate that DiDi is not taking things lightly and he continues, even up to now, to do things for her to make-up for all the fuck-ups he did.
There is no denying that the man IS an asshole but Xin can safely say that it isn't the case when it comes to her best friend.
Lord knows she hates him and she really won't gain anything defending him to these idiots but he does deserve to be defended – especially about his intentions for Yue.
"Well, Jie, I am glad that you want to look out for Yue but I can safely say that she's in good hands with DiDi", she paused for effect, "You will be surprised when you see him but he is totally in love with her and I keep scolding the two of them because they look more in love than even Zhi Ting and I and we're the ones getting married this weekend! So... you don't need to worry really. I mean, I am sorry that you and him didn't work out but I think he and Yue won't have a problem."
She deigned to give a bow to both girls before facing the other guests, keeping her hands firmly crossed but doing a triumphant fist pump inside her head.
"Take that bitches!", she declared in her head and joined Zhi Ting in talking to some of his other friends.
***
"Please don't tell me that those TWO decided to talk to you about DiDi as well", Yue told her as soon as they were out of earshot of the newly-arrived guests.
"Ok I will not tell you", she responded in jest.
Yue released a frustrated sigh. "I cannot believe how they both would think that after not seeing each other for a year, it would be great to tell me that she dated my "supposed" boyfriend three months ago and that he must be just playing around with me."
"Do I sense a hint of jealousy?", Xin raised a brow at her.
"WHAT?!?!?! NO!!!!!!"
Ooooh... that was really quick. "Yue, why are you such a disappointment in this", she told the other woman, "We are almost like sisters. How come you are so bad at lying when I'm really really good?"
Yue rolled her eyes before continuing, "I am not jealous."
"Then why are you so worked up with those two???"
"Because they're annoying", Yue clarified, "And regardless of their intentions, there could have been a better way for them to tell me what they wanted to tell me because, seriously, why would you accost someone you supposedly call a friend and tell her she must be stupid to think a guy really likes her? What chapter in the book of etiquettes was it ever mentioned that that would be the proper thing to do, regardless if it is true or not?!?"
"You ARE annoyed."
"I just told you!"
"So, THAT is the ONLY reason you're pissed? Not because Zhou Jie and DiDi dated?"
"I don't have an issue with that!"
"Good! Because you really should not have an issue with that! Because if you have an issue with that then you believe that DiDi could really date that cow", Xin replied, "And even if I don't like him, I'm sue he isn't so tasteless so as to date a farm animal."
That made the other woman laugh. "XIN!!!!"
She raised a knowing brow. "WHAT?!?! You know me, I always speak the truth."