Chapter 17 Has Huo Shiyuan from Shixi Finance Arrived?

Chu Yan, upon hearing Yu Xiaoxiao's words, felt intensely curious. How could Yuan Xi's husband know Si Chen's bride?

After Yuan Xi had extinguished Gu Hanchen's cigarette butt, she quickly spotted Huo Shiyuan chatting with Qin Yue in the group photo area.

Gu Hanchen followed Yuan Xi's gaze, "Hey, Shi Dazhuang is here today too?"

Yuan Xi was puzzled, "Shi Dazhuang?"

Gu Hanchen leaned close to Yuan Xi and whispered, "That's Huo Shiyuan. Huo Shiyuan doesn't want people in the circle to know he's in Jiang City. Later, don't call him President Huo by mistake. If you blow his cover and he pulls his investment, that'll be troublesome. Just call him Shi Dazhuang."

Yuan Xi said softly, "Isn't that a bit disrespectful?"

Gu Hanchen replied, "Shi Dazhuang, pretending to be dead, isn't that what he wants? If you give him a nicer name, it might reveal his identity as Huo Shiyuan. Call him Dazhuang, and absolutely no one will think he's the president of Shixi Finance."

Yuan Xi, "..."

As Gu Hanchen said this, he walked toward the bride, calling out to Huo Shiyuan from a distance, "Shi Dazhuang!"

When Huo Shiyuan saw Yuan Xi, who was dolled up and dressed in a formal gown, she was so beautiful that people couldn't look away.

Gu Hanchen approached Huo Shiyuan and said, "Shi Dazhuang, you're here too?"

Huo Shiyuan frowned and looked at Gu Hanchen, "Shi Dazhuang? Are you calling me?"

Gu Hanchen hooked his arm around Huo Shiyuan's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Didn't you want me not to expose your whereabouts in Jiang City? I came up with this nice-sounding name to hide your identity."

Huo Shiyuan, "Should I be thanking you for this?"

Gu Hanchen patted Huo Shiyuan's shoulder, "What's our relationship? No need to thank me, Dazhuang!"

Yuan Xi approached Qin Yue and presented the monetary gift from Mi Chen Game, "Congratulations, and best wishes for your wedding."

Qin Yue smiled at Yuan Xi, "Thank you."

Gu Hanchen noticed Chu Lin, Chu Yan, Yu Xiaoxiao, and Bo Fan approaching, frowning, "Why is Ms. Yu here too?"

Yu Xiaoxiao examined Yuan Xi's dress, which matched Gu Hanchen's suit in tone, and was displeased.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the handsome man next to the bride, "Secretary Yuan, aren't you going to introduce this man?"

Gu Hanchen, fearing that Yuan Xi might make a mistake, spoke first, "His name is Shi Dazhuang."

The bride, Qin Yue, smiled lightly, "Yes, his name is Shi Dazhuang, my distant cousin."

Chu Yan smirked contemptuously. So, Yuan Xi's husband was the bride's cousin. Because of Bao Yan, Chu Yan knew the bride came from an extremely poor background.

A distant cousin of the bride, one could imagine he was only able to mingle in their circle by virtue of his cousin marrying Si Chen, without the need to lean on Yuan Xi.

No wonder Yuan Xi was reluctant to mention her husband at first. With a name like Shi Dazhuang and a rural family background, indeed, it was not something one would proudly introduce.

Yu Xiaoxiao approached Gu Hanchen, looped her arm through his, and said, "Hanchen, I heard you ordered 999 roses to give to me at the flower shop, thank you~"

Gu Hanchen removed Yu Xiaoxiao's arm wrapped around his, "Those weren't for you, the 999 roses were for Yuan Xi."

"And Yu Xiaoxiao, our relationship isn't at the point where you can cling to my arm. Bride, I'll come find you later for a photo. I'm going to the restroom first."

After saying that, Gu Hanchen quickly walked away, keeping his distance from Yu Xiaoxiao.

Yu Xiaoxiao glared at Yuan Xi, "Quite capable, aren't you? With your husband present, you still dare to accept Gu Hanchen's roses? Acting smug as if becoming a true rich family's daughter, are you planning to abandon your poor husband?"

"Yu Xiaoxiao!" Chu Lin frowned, "Be polite to Yuan Xi."

Yu Xiaoxiao, in her ten-centimeter-tall heels, stomped angrily and turned to Huo Shiyuan, "You better keep your wife in check. Don't let her entice the president under the guise of a secretary even when she's married and pregnant!"

Chu Lin glared at Yu Xiaoxiao, "Yu Xiaoxiao!"

Chu Yan added, "Brother, don't blame Xiaoxiao. She is Hanchen's fiancée, and today, on Valentine's Day, Hanchen didn't send flowers to Xiaoxiao, but to my sister instead, so it's no wonder Xiaoxiao is upset and blunt."

Huo Shiyuan gently placed his arm around Yuan Xi, looking at Yu Xiaoxiao, "Is Gu Hanchen engaged? Without an engagement, how can one speak of a fiancée?"

Chu Yan, seeing Yu Xiaoxiao's ugly expression, turned to Huo Shiyuan, "Brother-in-law, you grew up in the countryside and are unaware of the rules in our circle. Marriages are generally determined by the parents and elders. Yu Xiaoxiao is already engaged to Gu Hanchen in the opinion of the Gu family elders."

Huo Shiyuan said, "Indeed, I don't know, as forced marriages have long been out of practice in the village."

Yu Xiaoxiao, incensed by the mention of arranged marriages, stomped her foot and left to find Gu Hanchen.

Yuan Xi decided not to argue with Chu Yan and Yu Xiaoxiao. After all, today was Si Chen and Qin Yue's big day, and she didn't want to cause any unpleasantness at their wedding.

Qin Yue said to Yuan Xi, "Secretary Yuan, shall we take a photo together? Let Huo... Dazhuang take it for us."

Yuan Xi replied, "Sure."

Huo Shiyuan borrowed a camera from a nearby photographer, adjusted the settings and took a photo of Qin Yue and Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi leaned in to check the photo and had to admit Huo Shiyuan indeed had quite good photography skills.

Huo Shiyuan said softly, "What do you think?"

"Very well."

"Brother-in-law Dazhuang, could you take a few photos for us too?"

Chu Yan sweetly smiled at Huo Shiyuan.

Huo Shiyuan returned the camera to the photographer and completely ignored Chu Yan.

It was the first time Chu Yan had been so blatantly disregarded by a man, and she frowned tightly.

Huo Shiyuan asked Yuan Xi in a gentle voice, looking down, "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

Huo Shiyuan said, "There's a dessert table over there, and it might be more than half an hour before the banquet begins. How about we go have some small cakes to stave off the hunger?"

"Okay."

Yuan Xi followed Huo Shiyuan to the dessert table.

After getting pregnant, she indeed felt hungry quite easily.

Huo Shiyuan, watching Yuan Xi eat the small cake, said quietly, "I've been abroad for a long time and I didn't know about today's 520 festival. I'm sorry I didn't prepare flowers and gifts for you."

Yuan Xi quickly replied, "There's no need to prepare them. I didn't prepare anything for you either. 520 sounds like 'I love you,' and we got married just because of the baby, so we can skip the 520 gifts."

Just as Huo Shiyuan was about to explain, he saw Yuan Xi set down her dessert and go to greet and make small talk with those collaborating with Mi Chen.

...

Chu Yan looked towards the retreating figures of Yuan Xi and her husband, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Brother, why is Sister's husband so lacking in manners? I asked him nicely to take a photo, but he completely ignored me, and he didn't even greet you."

"Even if Sister's husband grew up in a village, he shouldn't lack such basic social etiquette and upbringing. Now that he's married to Yuan Xi, he'll be our son-in-law in the Chu Family. This petty behavior is truly embarrassing.

I hope he won't be so disrespectful and ignore us at Sister's homecoming banquet in a few days. Otherwise, the banquet might become a laughingstock!"

Chu Lin furrowed his brows slightly.

Bo Fan saw Si Chen coming over to greet the guests and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, "Brother Chen."

Although the relationship between the two families was quite delicate due to the matter involving Bao Yan, Bo Fan still addressed him as Brother Chen, and Si Chen maintained a cordial demeanor as well.

"Bo Fan, this must be your fiancée? She has quite a presence, truly worthy of being a Miss from the Chu Family."

Chu Yan followed Bo Fan and called out, "Brother Chen."

Bo Fan asked Si Chen, "Brother Chen, did Shixi Finance's Huo Shiyuan come today?"

Si Chen answered, "Oh, he just dropped off a gift and left early."

Bo Fan felt it was a pity.

Seeing Bo Fan's disappointment, Chu Yan smiled at Si Chen and said, "Brother Chen, do you have Huo Shiyuan's WeChat? Could you perhaps introduce us?"

Si Chen replied, "I'm afraid that would be inappropriate."

Dusk was approaching, and the guests were taking their seats.

The seating arrangement for the main and secondary tables at the Si Family wedding was quite distinct.

The bride, Qin Yue, was not from Jiang City, so she didn't have many relatives attending; they were all at the main and secondary tables.

Aside from the parents of the couple, the main table was reserved for well-known and influential figures from Jiang City.

Chu Qing and Yang Ying were seated at the main table.

At the main table, there were still two seats empty, facing south.

Chu Yan and Bo Fan were seated near the main table.

Chu Yan, noticing the empty seats, questioned, "Who are those two seats reserved for? Even the Si Family patriarch has to sit to the side?"

Bo Fan replied, "Maybe they're for some VIPs known to the Si Family."

All the guests had taken their seats for the banquet, so Yuan Xi began looking for Gu Hanchen to join him, but after a long search, she couldn't find him.

Huo Shiyuan accompanied Yuan Xi in the search and said, "Could he have already left? Why don't you check your phone for any messages from him?"

Yuan Xi replied, "My phone is at the coat check, I'll go look for it."

Yuan Xi headed to the coat check area and found her phone. Upon opening WeChat, there indeed was a message from Gu Hanchen.

Mi Chen's Most Handsome: Yu Xiaoxiao is too annoying, I've taken off first. You represent Mi Chen and enjoy the wedding banquet.

Mi Chen Game Yuan Xi: .......

Si Chen and Qin Yue approached the two: "Shiyan, Yuan Xi, so you are here. The wedding banquet is about to start, and we've reserved two places for you at the main table."