NOVPUB
Chapter 231: Chapter 231 Flower Language
The resplendent Taihe Hall was filled to capacity.
The banquet tables held a variety of hot and cold dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, fruit platters, and desserts, complemented by an assortment of fine beverages.
Hong Yun, distracted, sipped on her wine, lost in thought. Sitting next to her was Wang Mengyi, who was engrossed in the dazzling array of food.
Hong Yun and Wang Mengyi had traveled all the way from Beicheng and were close friends with Han Jiaojiao, so Yan Xiao had made special arrangements for their seating inside the hall. Six tables had been set inside Taihe Hall, occupied by distinguished guests, while outside, sixty-six more tables bustled with servers, wine attendants, and musicians, making it difficult for the wedding venue not to be lively with over a thousand attendees.
"This banquet is really extravagant. Nowadays, there probably aren’t many bases that can afford such lavishness, right?"
"Perhaps only Beicheng and Yunan could manage it. But that old miser from Beicheng, haha... might not be willing to spend."
"Are there any guests from Beicheng today?"
"A few military officers came, they’re sitting over there, see?"
"They must be here to scout things out, haha..."
The people at the table began to converse among themselves.
An older person looked across to a younger man and asked, "Xiaowu, I heard your Qingyang and Space-Time Base are now collaborators?"
The man known as Xiaowu lifted his head, revealing a scar on his forehead that gave him a somewhat fierce look. His casual posture made him stand out awkwardly among the others at the table.
"Oh... yes, I sold them a coal mine and also rented them a smaller one," he responded as he gulped down a glass of wine and picked up a piece of beef, replying with a half-hearted smile, "Uncle Zhang, are you interested? We have plenty of coal mines in Qingyang, but I can’t sell more. If you’re interested in renting, though, we could discuss it privately, haha!"
Several people at the table seemed annoyed by him, making faces of disgust, but said nothing.
Zhang Uncle laughed, saying, "Qingyang does seem to have a lot of business opportunities. I wish you prosperous business."
Everyone at the table knew what he meant, as there had always been incidents of human trafficking at Qingyang Base.
Wu Feng shrugged, unconcerned, "I’m not dealing with that anymore. I’m not like Li Jian, desperately needing those ability potions. If there are any more disappearances, don’t pin them on me."
The table fell silent; everyone’s expression varied, each wondering whether Wu Feng was foolish or feigning naivety. How could he so openly discuss such a sensitive issue? Was he out of his mind?!
By now, almost every base had high-ranking officials using ability potions, so the disappearances of superpower users were an open secret that was tacitly accepted within certain circles. It was a disgraceful affair, entangled in complex interests. Yet, Wu Feng had brought it out into the open.
Listening to these people chat, Hong Yun found it increasingly hard to swallow her food. Recently, ability potions had started appearing not only on the black market but even blatantly being sold in trading exchanges. Thinking about how these potions were made nauseated her.
This world was becoming more absurd by the day.
Suddenly, cheers erupted at the entrance, and Hong Yun turned to look. She saw Han Jiaojiao and Han Yi walking in hand in hand.
Both had changed into simpler attire, shedding their elaborate decorations for modified traditional Chinese cheongsam and suit—she looked stunningly beautiful, and he distinguished and graceful.
Hong Yun thought Han Jiaojiao looked breathtakingly beautiful today.
Earlier, as Han Yi led her across the red carpet, she had watched closely, but Han Yi, intentionally not allowing onlookers a clear view of his bride, had covered her with a red veil, obscuring her face. Having waited amidst the crowd for such a long time, she was now finally seeing Han Jiaojiao’s face.
Her soft, doll-like face, bright, clear eyes, and cheeks tinted red, were as captivating as the morning sun.
"Hong Jie?... Hong Jie, it’s time to give the gift!"
Wang Mengyi called out a few times, and Hong Yun, as if waking from a dream, came back to her senses, picked up the bouquet beside her, and thought to walk over, but felt each step heavy and cumbersome... She was intimidated.
However, it was Tian Xinyue next to Han Jiaojiao who first spotted Hong Yun and exclaimed with delight, "Hong Yun, sister?! Jiaojiao, look! Hong Yun sister is here!"
Only then did Hong Yun muster a smile and summoned the courage to walk over, congratulating her, "Happy marriage."
"Hong Yun, sister! Wang Mengyi?!" Han Jiaojiao was thrilled to see them, hardly believing that Hong Yun would actually attend her wedding.
Wang Mengyi laughed, "Such a big event as your wedding, how could we not come! Haha!"
Hong Yun handed the flowers to Han Jiaojiao, "I didn’t know what to give you, I hope you like it..."
Han Jiaojiao took the bouquet, bowed her head slightly to smell it, and was very delighted.
Tian Xinyue came closer and asked, "Hong Yun, sister, where did you get these flowers? Ah... they instantly outshone the handmade roses Liu Ling and I made..."
Liu Ling, seeing the bouquet Hong Yun gave to Han Jiaojiao, also exclaimed in surprise, "Such beautiful daisies! And they are even a pink variety!"
Hong Yun smiled and said, "These are wild. Last month during an assignment, I saw them by chance and thought they were quite pretty, so I dug up a few and brought them back to the base, keeping them in pots... I didn’t expect them to grow so well."
"So beautiful. I remember that the flower language of daisies is the hidden love in the heart," Liu Ling said dreamily.
Hong Yun was slightly taken aback and looked at the bouquet in Han Jiaojiao’s hands, her smile a bit stiff, "...Is that so? I’m not very familiar with that..."
Han Jiaojiao held the flowers in her hands, her eyes shining as she looked at Hong Yun, "The flowers are beautiful, and the meaning is lovely too; thank you, Hong Yun, sister. I really like them!"
"I’m glad you like them... If the ones at home can produce seeds, I’ll send some more to you."
Han Yi thought to say, "We have our own seeds, but they were just planted in the greenhouse not long ago..."
But before he could refuse, Han Jiaojiao was already nodding happily, "Sure! I’ll try to grow them too when the time comes."
Han Yi quietly said, "Thank you for coming a long way to attend our wedding, you must be exhausted, please take your seats soon."
Upon hearing this, Han Jiaojiao then asked, "Hong Yun, sister, where are you sitting? Have all the dishes been served? Do they suit your taste?"
Hong Yun smiled, "Don’t worry about me, I’ll take care of myself."
"How can I do that? You are a guest, and an honored one at that; I should, of course, take care of you."
Tian Xinyue grabbed Hong Yun’s arm, gestured to Han Jiaojiao to ease her mind, "Jiaojiao, I’ll accompany Hong Yun. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything is perfectly fine. You go tend to your duties."
As one of today’s main characters, it was inevitable to give a toast; although it wasn’t necessary at every table, there were a few tables of leaders and high-ranking officials from various bases that required some socializing.
Han Jiaojiao was led away by Han Yi.
Han Yi didn’t like Hong Yun; the way she looked at Han Jiaojiao every time, that kind of look... it displeased him.
Han Jiaojiao had intended to find Hong Yun for a chat after finishing the toasts, but she was taken by Han Yi to a separate room for a meal, having not eaten anything all day in the hustle and bustle.
After finishing the meal, Lu Changyuan sent someone to invite Han Yi to Wenhua Hall, as there was a need to discuss cooperation with several base leaders. Fighting alone won’t last long; cooperating for mutual benefit was the right way forward.
With no duties weighing her down, Han Jiaojiao wanted to find Hong Yun for a chat, only to discover the feast had already dispersed... After asking around, she learned that Tian Xinyue had taken Hong Yun and Wang Mengyi to tour the ancient city.
