Chapter 15: The Ex’s Wedding

The bustling city seemed wound up like a clock; even at just past seven in the morning, the streets were already packed with cars and hurried pedestrians.

Walking amidst the crowd, I felt out of place and uncomfortable—a side effect of my line of work, perhaps.

Instead of taking a cab, I walked the entirety of Ting Tang Road on foot, eventually arriving at Century Garden, the tallest multifunctional complex in Jiangcheng New District.

The main building stood 26 stories tall, flanked by two 13-story auxiliary towers. Together, they formed a "mountain" shape that symbolically suppressed the "dragon's head" of Jiangcheng.

This was the headquarters of Jiangjin Real Estate, one of Jiangcheng's premier five-star hotels, and today, the venue for Jiang Chen, the second son of the Jiang family, and Ye Bing's wedding.

The wedding, staged here and attended by Jiangcheng's elite, was less a celebration and more an initiation ritual for Ye Bing into high society.

"A sparrow turned phoenix. From now on, our lives probably won't intersect again." I chuckled self-deprecatingly, my gaze sweeping across the line of luxury cars at the entrance—Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and even two Spykers, each worth over five million yuan.

"Sir, the venue has been fully reserved for the wedding. Please present your invitation." The burly security guard spoke politely but firmly, his confidence rooted in the Jiangjin Group backing him.

"Sure." I had no complaints about being stopped; after all, everyone else arrived in chauffeured luxury cars, while I had strolled up on foot.

"Apologies for the inconvenience, please come in."

"Wait a second—are you... Gao Jian?!" Just as I stepped inside, a sharply dressed man hurried over from the parking lot. "I can't believe you're here for Jiang's wedding! Long time no see!"

My reaction was muted. The man before me was Xu Xiuming, a former classmate from police academy. Back then, he was a smooth talker, adept at social maneuvering. His enthusiasm was likely just as superficial now as it had been then.

"Hello." Those two words were probably the most I'd ever said to him.

"Well, well, look who's here! Isn't it our former brother-in-law, Gao Jian?" This came from Zhang Yuanyuan, another police academy classmate. Unlike Xu, she was a notorious gossip with a sharp tongue. Though married and now a mother, her personality remained as unlikable as ever.

Frowning, I walked away quickly, though her presence stirred my thoughts. Zhang Yuanyuan wasn't someone who could be called a "success." She had left Jiangcheng after marriage—so why was she here for Ye Bing's wedding? Jealousy of Ye Bing's beauty would make it unlikely she'd come to offer sincere blessings.

"Unless someone invited her specifically and offered her an irresistible incentive." A moment's thought pointed to the culprit: the petty groom, Jiang Chen. "Looks like today's wedding will be more interesting than I thought."

Inside the banquet hall, the tables were filled with guests. Several company executives were present—polished and professional, their conversations reeked of calculated business acumen.

The wedding, ostensibly a personal celebration, had turned into a networking event. Most were here to expand their connections, not to sincerely bless the couple.

"Gao Jian, over here! We've been waiting for you!" I turned to see a corner of the hall set aside for two tables of my former police academy classmates.

The round tables were laden with exquisite cold dishes, and the chatter was lively.

"Bought another house, have you?"

"How old's your son now?"

"Hey, that watch must be worth a fortune."

I ignored the chatter, lighting a cigarette in silence. Compared to them, I had nothing. They, to me, were merely passersby.

But some classmates, envious and bitter over their own unremarkable lives, began to steer the conversation toward me.

To them, I was a pitiful figure—a washed-up man attending his ex-girlfriend's wedding to someone far above him in status.

"What's more humiliating than your ex marrying someone you can only look up to?"

"So, Gao Jian, what have you been up to these past years?"

"Yeah, after that... incident, we lost touch. Did they ever catch the real culprit?"

Their "incident" referred to the infamous Rainy Night Serial Murders that had rocked Jiangcheng. Being implicated in that case had cost me my place at the academy.

"Let's change the subject. No need to dwell on the past. Gao Jian was a top student back in the day—he's probably doing better than any of us."

"Really? I heard he's been selling... that kind of stuff, barely scraping by."

"Is that so? No wonder Ye Bing left him. If it were me, I'd leave too. Just look at Jiang Chen—handsome and rich, like a K-drama lead!"

"Exactly. And his family practically owns half of Jiangcheng!"

"Ye Bing really lucked out."

They murmured among themselves, some envious of Ye Bing, others gloating over my supposed misfortune.

Exhaling a plume of smoke, I remained unperturbed. As a private investigator, I'd seen far darker sides of human nature. Their words didn't merit a response.

"Seems you're better at dealing with the dead than the living." A familiar voice chuckled nearby, accompanied by a subtle, enchanting scent.

"Iron Ningxiang?" I didn't even need to turn around; I'd memorized her unique fragrance long ago. "What brings you here? Is the Peaceful Inn case resolved?"

Extinguishing my cigarette, I finally turned. Though I'd prepared myself, I was still stunned by the sight of Tie Ningxiang in formal attire. "Beautiful..."

Her bare shoulders were like jade, her gown rippling like water. Without her uniform, she was truly a rare beauty, unembellished yet radiant.

The men at the table were struck dumb, while the women glared daggers at her.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked.

"Of course!" Xu Xiuming jumped to pull out a chair for her with exaggerated politeness.

Tie Ningxiang nodded and sat beside me. "Go ahead, continue your reunion. Don't let me interrupt."

Yeah, right. With her sitting here, no one could carry on a conversation.

The same people who'd been extolling Ye Bing's choice now stared at me in disbelief. How could someone like me attract a woman even more stunning than Ye Bing?

What kind of luck did this guy have?

Tie Ningxiang leaned in, her voice low. "Sorry to intrude, but I need to borrow you for a bit."

"No problem, I'm bored anyway. But why are you at Ye Bing's wedding?"

"My family's close to the Jiangs. I had no choice—the old folks insisted I come."

Glancing around, she moved even closer, her breath brushing against my ear. "The Peaceful Inn landlord's goddaughter, Xiao Feng, wants to see you."

"Her?" I hadn't expected Tie Ningxiang's visit to be about Xiao Feng.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but she insists on speaking to you. Says there are things only you can hear." Her fox-like eyes narrowed mischievously. "You two aren't... involved, are you?"

Her tone was teasing, but I didn't mind. However, the misunderstanding it sparked among my classmates was immense.

Their imaginations ran wild: jealousy, envy, indignation. How could someone like me—at my ex's wedding—have someone like Tie Ningxiang at my side?

"You're overthinking it. I've only met her once, and for less time than you've spoken with her."

"Regardless, come back to the station with me this afternoon. Consider it a favor for your senior."

Seeing Tie Ningxiang request a favor was rare. I joked, "Sure. If I ever get into trouble, I'll count on you to bail me out."

Our whispered conversation wasn't born of intimacy, but of the gravity of the murder case.

To my classmates, however, it looked entirely different, sparking endless speculation.