Chapter 180: Achieving Success Finally

Anyway, the wedding day finally arrived, and Xiao Ran, who was becoming a groom for the first time, was extremely nervous. On September 20, 1989, at Hong Kong’s largest St. Ann’s Church, Fa Ge, Zhang Guorong, and Wu Yusen, along with their friends, watched Xiao Ran, the soon-to-be groom, with smiling faces.

Xiao Ran walked in front of the mirror and checked himself out. He thought he looked pretty good, but that day he seemed to have no confidence in anything. He poked his head out, eager to pull everyone over and ask, “How do I look?”

“Very handsome! I’ve decided—I’ll cast you as the lead in my next movie!” Wu Yusen couldn’t help but laugh. He thought Xiao Ran looked like a naive young man at the moment, with no signs of being a billionaire worth billions.

“No need for the lead role!” Seeing the laughter from Wu Yusen and the others, Xiao Ran realized he was too nervous. He chuckled and said, “I’ll be the lead in my next movie myself!”

“What’s your next movie?” Fa Ge was very curious and quickly said, “What day is it today? Don’t talk about work. Ah Ran is a groom today—I wonder if there’ll be a honeymoon to make trouble!”

“Go away!” Xiao Ran was shocked. He remembered that in Ang Lee’s “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” there was a honeymoon scene, which was absolutely chaotic. If he hadn’t really liked Lin Qingxia, he might have even been afraid of getting married. “There’s no honeymoon for you to cause trouble!”

Xu Ke stroked his newly grown moustache and laughed in a funny, exaggerated way, “No honeymoon? With such a beautiful woman around, how can you resist going? I’ll never believe it even if you kill me!”

Xiao Ran awkwardly scratched his head, realizing he hadn’t done that in a long time. He had changed so rapidly—his identity and status had changed, and even his habits had shifted. From scratching his head before to knocking on the table now, everything was changing silently.

He had never imagined he would spend the rest of his life with Lin Qingxia. It was hard to believe. Even if someone had bet him a hundred heads, he wouldn’t have believed it. But now it was all right in front of him, so real, not like a dream at all.

Xiao Ran couldn’t help but touch the jade piece he had brought from his past—the one that the cunning old man suspected was a fake. Now he was sure it was this jade or that old man who brought about all these changes. Anyway, he was grateful for it.

He thought his previous life had been about traveling and enjoying a simple, happy existence. But now, he had goals to pursue, people he wanted to protect, and many friends he never thought he would meet. Even if it was all a trap or a dream, he was willing to stay in it forever.

It’s truly dreamlike! No amount of words can express Xiao Ran’s current feelings of sighs and emotion. Scanning each person one by one, their expressions and laughter seemed so real. As he continued to check his appearance amid everyone’s laughter, Xiao Ran suddenly realized he was no longer young—almost back to the age he was when he first arrived. Time really had passed swiftly.

In the mirror, Xiao Ran looked confident and handsome, the white suit designed by professionals making him look radiant. He wasn’t exactly a good-looking guy, but we all know that sometimes attractiveness doesn’t necessarily depend on looks; Xiao Ran’s charm lay in another aspect.

“Need some hair wax? It feels great!” Hair Guy remembered how, during the filming of “The God of Gamblers,” Xiao Ran had forced him to use hair wax. Now, he thought it was time to get revenge.

Xiao Ran was startled. Hair wax was harmful to hair, and its smell was unbearable—no wonder Star Kid in “The God of Gamblers” refused to use it no matter what.

Seeing Xiao Ran in that state, everyone burst into laughter again. Cheng Long, who had already reconciled with Xiao Ran, sighed deeply, “Why wasn’t I as handsome as Ran when I got married? People’s fates are really unfair!”

“Stop it. You’re the one who’s great—having such a beautiful wife hidden at home. If it weren’t for me forcing you, you probably wouldn’t have brought your wife and kids this time!” Mentioning Lin Fengjiao, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but think of Cheng Long keeping his wife hidden for twenty years until Xiao Fang showed up, forcing him to let her appear in public.

In another large room, Zhang Manyu and the others were chattering nonstop, giving advice on how to apply makeup here and there. Lin Qingxia sat quietly at the makeup table, her thoughts wandering.

She couldn’t remember when she first started liking Xiao Ran. Maybe it was during the filming of “The Female Warrior.” Back then, Xiao Ran’s acting was clumsy and funny. Behind his seemingly cute appearance, there was always an indescribable sense of maturity—perhaps that’s what attracted her. Later, it might have been his talent that captivated her.

She thought of the last engagement between Xiao Ran and Fang Ruoxin. After Xiao Ran ran away that time, she thought for a long time, feeling she shouldn’t go on like this. She thought she was about to lose everything, even the desire to live. But then Xiao Ran suddenly gave up everything to go to Prague to find her. Although she was past the age for romantic living, she was truly moved at that moment.

And then there was that spectacular proposal, which became known all over the world. Even Hollywood was considering buying the rights to this story. She found it funny because Xiao Ran told her that Sihai Audio-Visual had received intense requests to release the video of that Golden Horse Awards ceremony, as it was the most romantic event in the world.

What kind of person is Aran? She thought quietly, feeling that Xiao Ran was very careful and considerate. To be in Xiao Ran’s position—able to stay faithful without straying, while still showing such devoted care and love for her—was truly remarkable. Bold yet cautious, with a talent as genius-like—this was Lin Qingxia’s assessment of Xiao Ran.

“Qingxia, you’re so lucky. If you hadn’t taken her first, I would have found a way to win Aran’s heart!” Zhong Chuhong said in a joking tone, hiding the strange emotions deep within her heart.

“That’s right!” Zhang Manyu couldn’t help but laugh, as if Xiao Ran had suddenly become highly sought after. “You really got yourself a bargain!”

“Is that so?” Lin Qingxia wore a mysterious smile, glancing at the two of them. “Should I tell Er Dongsheng? Or maybe Zhu Jiading?”

“I’m scared of you! Come on, let’s see how you look now!” Zhang Manyu and Zhang Aijia helped Lin Qingxia up and went in front of the mirror, exclaiming, “Wow, you look beautiful! I wish I could have such a dress for my wedding too!”

Lin Qingxia stared at her reflection in the mirror. Sometimes she wondered how Xiao Ran would treat her when she grew old. She touched her face—its skin was so smooth and tender, just like that of a young girl.

“They say a woman in love looks especially beautiful, as if she’s ten years younger. You’re exactly like that now—I really envy you!” Zhang Aijia said with emotion. Her own affair with a married man had been quite sensational, and she understood this well.

It was time. Xiao Ran stood in front of the priest, just like the male lead in a movie’s ending, watching Lin Qingxia walk over gently beside her mother. The wedding march sounded like the most beautiful music in the world. Xiao Ran was so happy his heart seemed about to burst. Being able to walk into the church with the person he truly loved felt absolutely wonderful.

“I leave Qingxia in your hands…” His aunt said happily, also delighted to see her daughter find a good match, especially after witnessing her daughter’s two previous failed relationships.

Xiao Ran nodded firmly, taking Lin Qingxia’s hand. Their fingers intertwined, as if to signify that no one could separate them. After the priest said a long speech as usual, he asked, “Xiao Ran, do you take Lin Qingxia as your wife?”

“I do!” For some reason, Xiao Ran remembered the scene from the movie “Heavenly Box” where the character played by Xie Junhao, in his haste, answered, “I do take Zheng Xiwen as my wife.” He didn’t want to make such a ridiculous mistake.

After asking Lin Qingxia, she gazed at Xiao Ran and softly said, “I do…”

Then it was announced that the two were now legally married. Everyone in the church cheered, asking to kiss her. Xiao Ran’s heart beat wildly. Through Lin Qingxia’s fingertips, he could sense her equally intense emotions.

Xiao Ran gazed at this peerless beauty. At this moment, Lin Qingxia was the most beautiful and perfect—no one could replace her place in his heart. Her skin still retained its youthful elasticity and fairness, her once stern eyes had become soft and charming, and her rosy lips tempted Xiao Ran. Their lips touched in that instant, and the others immediately burst into applause, celebrating this new couple. After taking photos outside, Lin Qingxia began throwing the embroidered ball, which was caught by Zhong Chuhong. The two got into the car, and Xiao Ran looked at their parents—both their current nominal parents and his biological parents from the mainland. He had sent people to invite them specially. Although Xiao Jianguo and his wife didn’t understand why Xiao Ran wanted them to attend his wedding, they still came. Xiao Ran looked at his parents from the mainland, thinking that he had never been able to fulfill their wish of having a grandson in his dreams, so here he felt he could at least make amends. Then his gaze shifted to little Xiao An—who was no longer the same child. Some things remained unchanged, but others had changed. Looking at his parents in Hong Kong, both of them were smiling so much they could hardly speak. Even his usually stern father couldn’t help but show a joyful smile, while Xiao Han kept jumping, hoping to be seen by her brother. As his gaze swept over everyone, he suddenly saw Yang Qi smiling at him. Xiao Ran couldn’t help but smile too. In fact, there weren’t so many enemies in the world; as long as one was tolerant, everything could be resolved. Seeing Xiang Qiang, Xiao Ran gave a faint smile. They were representatives sent by Hong Kong and Taiwan’s underworlds. It seemed Guan Xin and Liang Kun had already brought the underworld under good control. Waving at them, Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia left in the car. As they drove away, Lin Qingxia clearly saw Xiao Ran sigh in relief and quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Is the wedding too tiring for you?” Xiao Ran untied his tie and took a deep breath, saying, “I’m afraid of the honeymoon night—it would really drive us crazy…” Lin Qingxia was speechless… Liang Jiabao was also invited to attend the ceremony. After returning home, he lay on the table, trying to write down everything that had happened that day. In fact, there were quite a few journalists present that day, but Xiao Ran didn’t talk to any of them except Liang Jiabao, who was now a special correspondent for Xin Bao and Ying Xiang Li. Liang Jiabao knew that Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia were happy. As he wrote this report, he thought deeply about many things. Eventually, he chose the title “Finally Reunited” to describe their love story. The next day, newspapers and magazines across Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia reported on this news. Some overseas newspapers even reprinted Liang Jiabao’s detailed report. Of course, this also sparked a debate in the newspapers about whether age could be an obstacle to a relationship between a man and a woman. For people in Southeast Asia, Xiao Ran and Lin Qingxia’s love story was indeed a sensational news story, but the age difference wasn’t really their main concern. And now, most media in Hong Kong seemed to have forgiven Xiao Ran for desecrating Lin Qingxia, silently accepting this marriage.

For the public, their attitudes are even more easily changed; intuitive impressions are often the most fundamental factors influencing their decisions, and this is where the influence of the media lies. Now, they have readily accepted the ending of Xiao Lin’s marriage, not only because they are impressed by Xiao Ran’s bold proposal at the Golden Horse Awards but also because they generally believe that there should be a happy ending for them.
Just like in every romantic comedy, there is always an ending that satisfies everyone—a result that everyone longs for and looks forward to…
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Recommend the latest work by popular author Fei Ya Da Da, “Electric Eel Superman,” at http://www.feiku.com/showbook.asp?bl_id=58136