Shen Yuan was chatting with others, but his eyes kept darting toward Qiao Hailou, curious about what he was doing.
At first, Qiao Hailou was surrounded by a few people and exchanged some words. Then he moved toward the soon-to-be bride and groom who were receiving guests, probably to offer congratulations. As he spoke, an elderly man with white hair but sharp eyes approached, and the atmosphere immediately soured. Qiao Hailou’s expression darkened.
“Are they arguing?” Shen Yuan wondered. That old man must be Qiao Hailou’s father.
Qiao Hailou had cut ties with his family over a decade ago. Occasionally he would visit his elder brother during the Lunar New Year, but he had never returned home properly or met his father face-to-face.
He had anticipated the possibility of encountering his father, but Qiao Jun, being the youngest in the family and the one closest to him, had insisted on having him at the wedding. Qiao Jun had idolized him since childhood, calling after him with “Uncle,” and this was his nephew’s big day—he couldn’t deny him that respect.
Still, the old man had spotted him almost instantly and started scolding him, which annoyed Qiao Hailou.
The elderly man, his expression full of disdain, asked, “Who told you to come?”
Qiao Hailou chuckled, “Your grandson is my nephew. As his uncle, it’s only natural that I attend my nephew’s wedding. What’s wrong with that?”
“You’ve claimed not to be part of the Qiao family anymore. Why are you here?” the old man sneered.
Qiao Hailou replied casually, “I may have severed my father-son ties with you, but I’ve never denied my brother or my nephew. I don’t hold grudges or punish others for my own anger—unlike you.”
The old man let out a cold laugh, mocking, “After all these years, you’re still the same.”
Qiao Hailou nodded, treating it as praise. “Yes, but you’ve aged quite a bit.”
The old man was momentarily speechless, unable to argue back, and muttered, “Where are you planning to sit? There’s no place for you at the main table. If you don’t leave, you’ll have to sit in a corner.”
Qiao Hailou felt a pang but kept his composure. “Sure, that’s fine with me.”
Qiao Jun, watching the confrontation, was sweating nervously. He didn’t dare intervene—his grandfather was the unquestioned head of the family, and Qiao Hailou was his beloved uncle.
Finally, Qiao Jun’s parents noticed the tension and stepped in. Qiao Da Sao gently coaxed the old man, “Dad, today is Xiao Jun’s big day. Look, things almost escalated. Hailou didn’t mean any harm, and he even brought a valuable gift for Xiao Jun. Isn’t that being a proper uncle?”
The old man grumbled, “Why did you bring him? I told you not to. Nothing good ever comes from him; he’s an eyesore.”
Qiao Da Sao reasoned, “You love Xiao Jun the most. For his sake, let it go.”
The old man glanced at Qiao Hailou, who, seeing his father’s stare, quickly turned his gaze away. “Fine, for Xiao Jun’s sake, I’ll let it slide,” he said.
Qiao Hailou’s elder brother pulled him aside. “Our father has a terrible temper, but he actually misses you. Don’t be stubborn.”
Qiao Hailou scoffed, “He came looking for trouble, not me. I wasn’t going to speak to him anyway. Must I stand there and let him scold me? That’s not filial piety; that’s foolishness. Me being stubborn? He’s the one who’s twisted into an old pretzel.”
His elder brother nearly laughed at the metaphor, struggling to remain serious. “He’s eighty now; why argue with him?”
Qiao Hailou praised, “The old man’s scolding energy is impressive. Treat him as an elder, and he won’t be pleased. I bet he could live another five hundred years.”
His elder brother didn’t dare laugh. “Ignore what he says. I’ve arranged for you to sit at the main table—you’re Xiao Jun’s uncle; there’s no way you wouldn’t have a seat. Just don’t sit by Dad if you don’t want to.”
Qiao Hailou relented, “Fine. He dislikes me anyway. I’ll find a seat out of his sight. I don’t mind; let Xiao Jun not worry about it.”
The incident calmed down for the moment.
Shen Yuan whispered to his friends, “Who’s that?”
“That’s Qiao Jun’s second uncle,” Shen Yuan replied.
His friends were impressed. Shen Yuan had an exceptional memory for relationships and complex family networks.
“I thought he was some rival crashing the wedding; he almost started a fight with Qiao Jun’s grandfather,” one remarked.
Shen Yuan felt a little concerned for Qiao Hailou. “I’ve heard he doesn’t have a good relationship with his family… but this is their private matter. We shouldn’t gossip here.”
The friends agreed, keeping their curiosity in check.
When it came time to be seated, Shen Yuan followed his uncle. He waited carefully as Li Chen sat first, Miss Lin to his uncle’s right, and Xiao Lin to his uncle’s left. Once they were all seated, Shen Yuan quietly sat beside Xiao Lin.
Miss Lin noticed but didn’t make it obvious. Shen Yuan, seated, couldn’t avoid seeing her—today she looked elegant and refined, wearing the diamond necklace she had bought herself previously. She hadn’t accepted her uncle’s gift of the necklace but did take a bracelet worth over twenty thousand yuan, while she had also returned gifts to him.
Shen Yuan had heard from Xiao Lin that his uncle had given her many valuable gifts. He hadn’t looked into it at the time, but later discovered that the most expensive item she received wasn’t more than fifty thousand yuan. The exchanges were mutual.
He told Xiao Lin over the phone, and they both went silent.
Shen Yuan said, “I think she’s probably not a bad person. Seeing is believing.”
Xiao Lin added, “She’s an actress; maybe she’s just acting well. If she wants to marry Dad, she has to show she’s not after his money.”
Shen Yuan hesitated. “Actually, Uncle probably suggested buying clothes for work—that was also her idea.”
Even if she hadn’t intended to help, Shen Yuan appreciated it. He was small-minded and grudge-holding but remembered kindness.
Thanks to Shen Yuan’s influence, Xiao Lin wasn’t as resistant to Miss Lin anymore. She was at least polite and not deliberately oppositional. Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Yuan quietly observed Miss Lin. She caught his gaze and smiled. Shen Yuan, feeling caught like a thief, blushed and returned a shy smile.
Miss Lin gently asked, “Xiao Yuan, did you consider what I asked yesterday? It’s fine if it’s inconvenient.”
Xiao Lin peered curiously. “What’s this about, bro?”
Shen Yuan explained, “Auntie Lin knows a film crew making a historical drama and they need someone to design jewelry…”
Li Chen encouraged him: “Don’t worry, you have the skill. Auntie Lin has already shown your work to the director. Even if you don’t make much money, it’s good practice.”
Shen Yuan humbly replied, “I don’t mind the pay. Uncle, don’t make it sound like I’m guaranteed a spot. They may not choose me.”
Li Chen said, “Uncle trusts you.”
Xiao Lin cheered, “Bro, you can do it!”
Shen Yuan, embarrassed, said, “Stop hyping me up! You’ll overinflate me!”
Miss Lin couldn’t help but laugh.
At that moment, Qiao Hailou suddenly appeared beside Shen Yuan, almost like he belonged there. Smiling, he asked Li Chen, “Mr. Li, I have nowhere to sit. May I trouble you for this seat?”
Li Chen nodded politely. “Of course, please sit.”
He was puzzled—there were other empty seats, and he wasn’t especially close to Qiao Hailou. Why would he choose their table?
Xiao Lin looked up at the stranger and realized—he was the handsome man they had seen earlier.
Qiao Hailou sat next to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan stiffened immediately. The move was so sudden that he didn’t dare look at Qiao Hailou, bowing his head instead. “H-hello, Uncle Qiao…”
In his mind, Shen Yuan was in turmoil: why did Qiao Hailou sit here instead of at his family’s table? Was he worried others wouldn’t notice their relationship? Shen Yuan swore to himself he would scold him later.