Volume One, Chapter 8: The Dance Costume Is Ruined!

Li Heng’s tone was half-joking, half-earnest.

"Thank you, but I can't get away."

"If you wanted to, we could try."

"Stop joking."

Shen Zhi'en caught Li Heng’s gaze in the mirror; it was gentle yet resolute. For a moment, she couldn't tell if this was a jest or the truth. But what if it were true? She lowered her head and gave a bitter smile.

Zhu Yan leaned in close to Shen Zhi'en. "What’s going on between you two?"

"Nothing at all," Shen Zhi'en quickly held up three fingers in a vow, fearing she might overthink it.

"You clearly told me this was the lounge for the bride’s closest kin!"

"But he is the groom’s closest... cousin," Shen Zhi'en scrambled to cover.

"Xiao En, is the room next door a storage closet? I saw people coming and going earlier. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t want anything going wrong with the Li family wedding today," Li Heng said.

"Yes, some props, gowns, toasting dresses, and dance costumes are kept there."

"The door isn't locked. Won't that be a problem?"

"What problem could there be? Who would dare make trouble at a Li family wedding? Have you been watching too many melodramatic web dramas?" Zhu Yan was quite annoyed with Li Heng at this moment.

"Why are you being so mean to him?" Shen Zhi'en pulled her back and whispered.

"Hmph, he’s my love rival now!" Zhu Yan glared fiercely at Li Heng.

"Bride, please prepare. The ceremony is about to begin," the wedding coordinator announced, knocking on the door.

The makeup artist came to touch up Shen Zhi'en’s makeup, while Zhu Yan and Li Heng went out to find their seats.

Everything was ready. Li Shen walked toward the lounge carrying a cup of milk tea to collect Shen Zhi'en.

During the morning’s bridal procession, he had clearly sensed Shen Zhi'en’s detachment. Ever since she left without saying goodbye last time, he had been working overtime at the office or traveling for business, and they hadn't seen each other since.

Arriving at the lounge and seeing her exquisite face in the mirror, Li Shen handed her the bag.

"Three-quarters sugar."

A flash of surprise crossed Shen Zhi'en’s eyes, but she quickly looked away, returning to her cold demeanor.

"I don't know why you're unhappy, perhaps it's because of me, but today is a big day. I hope the Best Actress can give me some face," Li Shen said, stepping closer and coaxing her softly. He was different today—reasonable and measured, with no trace of the sharp-tongued prince he usually was.

"I’m not unhappy."

"That’s good then."

A delicate, lustrous pearl was pinned to Shen Zhi'en’s earlobe. Li Shen leaned in close, almost touching her.

"Play the part of the bride well today, and I’ll send you Gong Zheng’s WeChat."

Gong Zheng was Shen Zhi'en’s idol—a legendary figure in the film industry, internationally renowned with countless awards. His fans affectionately called him "Lao Gong" (a pun on the word for "husband"), and he, being good-natured, accepted it gladly. Shen Zhi'en’s initial melodramatic encounter with Li Shen had been a case of mistaken identity, where she had called out "Lao Gong" in front of everyone. She hadn't expected that the man across from her would actually become her "husband."

"Lao Gong?" Shen Zhi'en was both shocked and delighted. How did he know she liked Gong Zheng? Had he snooped through her social media feed?

"Aye—" Li Shen drew out the sound, responding with satisfaction. Seeing the pink flush spread from Shen Zhi'en’s ears to her cheeks, he reached out, pulled her to her feet, tucked her hand into his arm, and began to walk toward the stage.

The wedding ceremony was solemn yet minimalist, with the entire venue decorated in a starry sky theme.

Although Li Shen didn't descend from the heavens like Kid the Phantom Thief, he wore an iconic white suit. With his cold, sharp face, bright eyes, and a faint smile playing on his lips, his mere appearance caused a stir, sending the trending topic "Li Shen’s visuals are top-tier" to the top of the charts.

When the parents took the stage, Xu Huaying affectionately held the hand of Shen Zhi'en’s mother, Su Ling. The two mothers-in-law walked gracefully across the long stage to stand beside the newlyweds.

Shen Limin was unusually nervous. Hearing the emcee call for the fathers to join them, he reached out and grabbed Li Qitai’s hand. Li Qitai froze; he had never been held like that by a grown man in his life.

He instinctively wanted to pull away, but the cameras were right in his face. He tried his best to control his expression and speed up, but ended up walking with his same-side arm and leg moving in unison. Laughter began to bubble up from the audience.

Misinterpreting the situation, Shen Limin stopped entirely and waved to the crowd while still holding Li Qitai’s hand.

The iron-faced Vice Chairman Li could neither stand nor leave. Finally, his composure failed him; his face turned a dozen different shades of red, and he remained flushed for the rest of the ceremony.

The trending topic, "Li Qitai, let go of that death grip," gained some traction before the Li Group spent a fortune to have it removed.

Once the ceremony concluded and with some time remaining before the afterparty, Shen Zhi'en and Li Shen returned to the lounge to act as "human tourist attractions" for photos with family and friends.

The crowd was a mix of personalities. Grandfather Li Zhenting was like an old child, taking photos with everyone. Shen Zhidian clung to Shen Zhi'en’s side; Su Ling was emotional and kept wiping away tears. Xu Huaying couldn't stop singing Shen Zhi'en’s praises in front of her in-laws, beaming from ear to ear. Li Qitai, meanwhile, kept dodging Shen Limin, terrified of any further contact.

Shen Zhi'en’s "Flying Apsaras" dance was the opening act for the afterparty. Seeing the time, she prepared to change into her dance costume.

Xiao Guo, the head of the wedding wardrobe team, went to the storage room next to the lounge to retrieve the outfit. Several of the bride and groom’s gowns were hanging there.

She turned on the light, reached for the hanger between the gowns and the toasting dresses, and pulled it out. Her face turned deathly pale.

"Oh no! Mr. and Mrs. Li, the dance costume is ruined!" Xiao Guo rushed into the lounge, clutching the costume that now looked like rags.

The room erupted in shock.

"It was perfectly fine when we brought it over this morning."

The storage room was right next to the lounge. While the lounge was restricted, the storage room had no lock. With people coming and going, it was hard to track who had done it. It seemed Li Heng’s concerns had been justified.

"What are we going to do? Xiao En has been preparing for three weeks," Xu Huaying, who had been in high spirits, was now frantic with anxiety.

Li Shen frowned at the sight. "To think someone would dare pull this at my wedding. Don't worry, we’ll find a way, and we’ll investigate later."

He quickly turned to Shen Zhi'en. "Do you have a backup? I remember seeing you wear one in a video before."

The ruined costume was impossible to wear.

"That one is at the East Mountain Villa... Forget it, there's no time to get it."

"You’ve prepared for so long; we can't just give up." With those words, Li Shen strode toward the venue and summoned his assistants.

"Zhao Jie, take Xiao Tao, drive to the East Mountain Villa immediately, and get the costume for Madam."

"Qian Jin, go to the audience and bring Lin Xingchen to me."

"Lin Bao, find the wedding planner, Liu Xuan."

...

"Brother-in-law is so cool," the younger sister whispered to Shen Zhi'en.

Seeing Li Shen take charge and handle the situation with such ease, Shen Zhi'en couldn't help but admire his composure.

Amidst a flurry of screams, the popular idol Lin Xingchen took the stage, and the wedding instantly transformed into a fan meeting. He sang an interlude from a currently airing hit drama, and the whole hall joined in. Afterward, he gifted the couple a rendition of the classic song, "The Moon Represents My Heart."

With him setting such a great tone, the actors and singers in attendance took to the stage one after another. Someone even performed an impromptu stand-up comedy routine; the heat in the room remained high.

"What is the relationship between Lin Xingchen and Li Shen? He’s being so supportive," Su Ling whispered.

"Xingchen and A-Shen are classmates; they are very close in private," Xu Huaying explained.

"Wow, can I get his autograph?" Shen Zhidian asked, excited.

"Of course, photos, hugs, whatever you want. I’ll have him come over in a bit," Xu Huaying promised, patting her chest.

Half an hour later, Zhao Jie returned at breakneck speed with the costume, and Shen Zhi'en rushed to change.

The lights in the hall dimmed. Suddenly, the sound of a pipa resonated through the air. A beam of light from above hit the stage, illuminating Shen Zhi'en. She stood with her back to the audience, posed with a pipa resting horizontally across her lap.

The music flowed like silk, as if echoing from the depths of ancient time. Shen Zhi'en wore a magnificent dance costume, her ribbons fluttering like a dream.

She moved with grace, drifting toward the center of the stage like a colorful cloud. She bowed her head slightly, her arms rising softly, as if a divine bird were about to take flight.

As the rhythm pulsed, her steps grew light. Stillness and motion alternated; her waist swayed like a willow, displaying her elegance.

Shen Zhi'en’s hands were exquisite—long, slender fingers, white as leeks, each joint flexible, tracing graceful arcs in the air, as if guiding the audience’s gaze toward the mysterious Dunhuang fairyland.

For the final movement, the "Apsaras in Flight," Shen Zhi'en stretched her form and locked eyes with Li Shen, who stood at the side of the stage. He stood there, his white suit seeming to glow with its own light.

She nodded slightly.

The corner of his mouth lifted—a ripple on a calm lake.

Li Shen began to clap, and thunderous applause followed from the audience.

Li Zhenting stroked his beard in satisfaction; the camera zoomed in as he excitedly gave a thumbs-up.

Su Ling and Shen Limin were already in tears, and even Shen Zhidian was applauding vigorously from her wheelchair.

Xu Huaying beamed, running over to Mrs. Zhou. "Look at that, that’s my daughter-in-law. Isn't she amazing?"

"This little internet celebrity actually has some talent. Hey, Zhuo An, didn't you become famous back in the day because of your 'Flying Apsaras' stills?"

Below the stage, Li Shen’s friend, the idol who had just saved the show, Lin Xingchen, sat next to Zhuo An and whispered to her.

Leaning in close, he noticed her body trembling slightly.

Zhuo An stared at the stage with wide eyes, unable to accept what she was seeing.

"Zhuo An, what’s wrong?"

"How dare she... How could A-Shen let her dance the Apsaras..." Zhuo An gritted her teeth, her expression filled with intense hatred and resentment.