The place for the group wedding sign-up was at the office of the institution's social committee.
The next day, the moment Yu Tu went to work, he appeared, travel-worn, at the doorway of the office of the social committee. A woman in her forties was in charge of the registration. She happened to know Yu Tu and was very surprised to see him. "Xiao Yu? What are you doing here?"
Yu Tu greeted her and said, "I am here to sign up for the group wedding."
The older woman immediately kept quiet.
Since that basketball match, who in all of institution no. 8 did not know who Yu Tu's girlfriend was?. He was signing up for the group wedding?
"Xiao Yu ah." The older woman thought this through again and again and then asked in a serious tone, "You… changed girlfriends?"
Yu Tu:
"… No, I didn't."
"Oh." The older sister nodded calmly. A musing expression stayed on her face for at least three minutes. Then slowly she handed him a registration form.
After signing up and walking out, Yu Tu received a call from Professor Zhang. "Please come to my office."
When he got to the office, Yu Tu sat down. Professor Zhang was also thinking something through over and over again before he started to talk. "So, do you…"
Yu Tu said, "Didn't change."
Professor Zhang was surprised and said, "What?"
Yu Tu said in a serious manner, "I didn't change girlfriends."
Only then did Professor Zhang realize what he was saying. He did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Who said I was asking you about this? If you did change girlfriends, do you think the people in institution administration would call me?"
After this interruption, Professor Zhang got right to the point. "I want to ask you, do you have a little cash flow problem? If you do have any difficulties, my wife and I can help."
"Thank you, teacher and your wife, but there is no problem. Jing Jing and I just want a simple wedding."
"Then Little Qiao has already agreed?"
"It was her suggestion."
Professor Zhang could not help feeling astonished. "She suggested it?"
"Yes," Yu Tu smiled. "She has always been… quite mischievous."
Yu Tu remembered what he had asked her later in the night last night: what should they do if, during the group wedding, there still were people who kept asking to take photographs with her?
She seemed to have already considered this, and cheerfully said, "Then we'll run away right after the ceremony. If it were a wedding we organized ourselves, we can't run away."
Her tone was practically full of expectations.
"But her thinking is a bit simple." Yu Tu smiled. "She thought the wedding would be held in the institution, so there is no need to worry about the media. But that definitely is impossible. So we discussed it again last night. If it can't be kept secret, then it'll probably affect the other colleagues. If that is the case, then we won't take part. I also asked the social committee about this same thing just now."
Professor Zhang became interested. "There is no problem maintaining secrecy before the wedding. We are adept at maintaining secrecy. I'll go and notify them in advance. The last two years, I've been the presiding witness over the ceremony. Thus they'll do me this favor. That day, you can also not make your appearance until the wedding ceremony is about to start." While talking, Professor Zhang was already beginning to put forward plans and ideas for them.
"But what if the news is leaked midway? What are you going to do then?"
"It will depend on when it is leaked." They really gone on to chat about many different, random things later last night. Yu Tu said in a serious manner, "If it is leaked relatively early, we will change and have a different wedding. If it is leaked when the wedding is held, we will immediately run away. We will wait until, Teacher, you have finished presiding over everyone else's ceremony and then we'll find a place for you to witness ours."
Professor Zhang was simply flabbergasted: "Are you planning for a wedding or guerrilla fighting? That's just nonsense talk."
Yes, this was precisely Miss Qiao's nonsense talk.
Yu Tu couldn't help but laugh.
Only then, Professor Zhang realized that he had been led along and played around with. He couldn't help feeling annoyed, yet finding it funny. He looked at his favorite student, who was in high spirits now, and his heart felt content. "I am very happy that you're finally going to go through this important event in your life. Xiao Qiao is a good girl, treat her well."
Yu Tu put away his smile and said seriously, "I will."
In the spring of March, the weather was sunny and cloudless. Flowers blossomed in the warm spring.
Early in the morning, a sign "Aerospace Love" was erected at the entrance of a certain newly built five-star hotel in a suburb district. Today, twenty newlyweds from Shanghai Aerospace Group were holding their wedding ceremony here.
At 9:00 in the morning, in the romantic and festive resting lounge, the newlyweds were putting on makeup and doing styling according to the arrangements of the wedding volunteers. They were waiting to go and take part in the wedding ceremony that was to be held on the lawn at 10.10.
In the midst of the bustle and noise, probably the newlywed pair outside, in front of the French windows of the innermost of the lounge, were the only pair who were especially quiet. Their backs were to the lounge, and they were sitting on the grass outside the French windows. They were drinking tea leisurely, looking at their mobile phones, and whispering together most of the time.
Xiao Li, a young volunteer, glanced at them a few times and could not resist running over and saying shyly, "Chief Yu, Miss Qiao, if you need anything, just call me."
"Okay." The bride smiled politely at her through her thin veil.
Xiao Li was somewhat dazzled. She did not know what material had been used to make her white wedding dress, but the whole person seemed to glow under the sunlight.
"But we are all done." The bride said softly, "I woke up especially early today. We also took a lot of wedding photos outside just a moment ago. Later when our parents return from the exhibition hall, we will go out again and take photos for a while."
The Aerospace Group's group wedding arrangements were particularly thoughtful. Early this morning, friends and relatives were taken to watch an air show and would not get to the hotel until about 9.30.
"They should be arriving soon." Xiao Li looked at her and unconsciously lowered her voice. "We only knew today that you are also taking part in the wedding. Truly, it was very shocking. You can rest assured that all our staff will keep it confidential."
"Thank you, sorry to inconvenience you." This time it was the handsome groom who thanked her.
"You're welcome, you're most welcome. We should do that." Xiao Li quickly waved her hand and asked in a concerned voice, "Did anyone notice you when you came in just now?"
"We came in quietly from that door." The bride pointed at a side door. "They were all preoccupied with putting on makeup. Moreover when you're getting married, you don't pay attention to other people."
Xiao Li thought, That might not necessarily be true, because, after all, both of you are so good-looking. "You didn't participate in the rehearsal. Do you want me to show one more time to you how you are to walk in and what the wedding order will be?"
"No need, I've memorized it. I have plenty of experience in this aspect, so I will lead your Chief Yu." The bride smiled slyly.
Hence the groom also smiled and said to her, "You can rest assured as I have my BDS."
Aiya, if she were not also working in aerospace, she would not be able to understand what this dog food meant. Xiao Li's face turned red because of the two of them.
"Then I'll go and get busy with other things. I don't know why, but a team of makeup artists still have not arrived yet." After saying that, she hurriedly walked away.
The mood in the lounge had gradually grown anxious, because the makeup artists for four of the brides still had not appeared. They and their grooms kept looking toward the door.
A volunteer ran into the lounge panting, then, with an anxious look, ran to the person in charge of the wedding,. "I was able to put through a call just now. The car that team of makeup artists are in collided with another car."
The person in charge was shocked. "Are the people okay?"
"They're okay, but they have been injured, so they definitely can't come."
On one hand the person in charge felt relief, while on the other hand she started to feel anxious. How were they going to manage this sudden loss of four makeup artists . Moreover the place where the wedding would be held was in the suburb district, so there was not enough time to find last-minute replacements.
She made a prompt decision. "Xiao Huang, you go and ask the hotel if they have any ideas what can be done."
The volunteer who just informed her of the matter immediately ran out. The person in charge clapped her hands to get the attention of everyone in the lounge.
"There is one problem: the team of make-up artists we booked suddenly can't come, so we are short four make-up artists now. I want to ask whether any of our volunteers know how to do makeup? Any bride know how to put on makeup herself?"
The volunteers looked at each other, and the brides all of a sudden felt anxious.
"I normally don't put on makeup."
"Even though I put on makeup, my skill is very bad and cannot compare with a makeup artist."
They felt dismayed and nearly wanted to cry. Who doesn't want to look especially beautiful on her wedding day?
The person in charge was also anxious. "Then if all of you make-up artists here work quickly, will you be able to finish in time?"
A make-up artist, feeling caught in a tough situation, said, "We have to do makeup and styling together, so there's definitely not enough time."
Xiao Li stood at the side, powerless. While she was also feeling anxious, she glimpsed that handsome groom in the corner suddenly stand up and nod at her, having something to say to her.
She didn't have time to think much and immediately ran over.
When Xiao Li was in front of them, the bride smiled brightly at her and said, "Are you lacking makeup artists? My team is upstairs."
Ten minutes later, a team of stylish men and women, each dragging a suitcase, entered the resting lounge like they were walking a fashion runway.
The young man who walked at the very front stopped in front of the person in charge. "We are Miss Qiao's makeup team. Which brides need us to do their makeup?"
The person in charge was shocked for a moment. These were makeup artists? Why was their style completely different from the makeup artist they hired? But she immediately recovered her composure and brought them to the brides: "It's these four. Also, the grooms need to have a bit of styling done. Will there be enough time? There is only one more hour before the wedding ceremony."
A young man looked at the brides. "The brides are so beautiful, of course there will be enough time."
The tense atmosphere was suddenly dispelled, and the brides finally smiled.
One after another, the makeup artists opened their suitcases and each took out a very large cosmetic bag. While that young man arranged the various cosmetics, his eyes searched around the lounge until they finally fixed on a corner. He blinked his eyes in that direction, and then whistled as he started to work.
Orderly busyness again took over the resting lounge. A groom who was still waiting for his turn to do his styling got up and went to the water dispenser to get some water. However he ran into a person who definitely should not have been here.
"Yu Tu?" He looked in surprise at the man in front of the water dispenser who had lowered his head to get water. "Why are you here? Are you also taking part in the group wedding?"
"No way." After he asked, he rejected his own guess. "How is it possible when your girlfriend is a big star? So why did you make yourself look so handsome today?"
Since Yu Tu was dressed in a well-ironed suit, he guessed, "Could it be that you're here as a best man? Who would be so silly to ask you to be the best man?"
After getting his water, Yu Tu raised his head, smiled, and said, "No, I am also a groom today."
The colleague was immediately at a loss for words.
Yu Tu returned to his seat and handed the cup of water to Qiao Jing Jing. After she finished drinking the water, he pulled her up. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."
Qiao Jing Jing stood up. "Dad and Mom and the others have arrived?"
"Not yet."
"Then where are we going?"
"Didn't you say we'll run away once we're discovered?"
Huh?
Had they been discovered?
Qiao Jing Jing looked back at the lounge. It seemed that there really was a small commotion. However, before she had a chance to take a closer look, she was pulled out a side door by Yu Tu.
Outside the side door was the lawn. She was wearing high-heeled shoes and a wedding gown, so it was hard for her to walk. Yu Tu lifted her into his arms. Qiao Jing Jing cried out in surprise, "Are we really going to run away?"
Although that was a little exciting, she was afraid of being spanked by Dad and Mom.
"Not running away." He said in her ear as he walked, "I suddenly am a little nervous. I'm worried about getting the sequence of events wrong. Let's go to the venue and rehearse it through once."
He carried her like this and walked across the lawn and into the hotel through another door. After entering the hotel, Qiao Jing Jing quickly said, "Please put me down."
"Do you really want me to put you down? Someone is watching us." Yu Tu laughed softly.
It was precisely because someone was watching that she asked him to put her down. This posture was really embarrassing under the watchful eyes of everyone. Wait a minute, this didn't seem right. Once he put her down, everyone would be able to see her face, right? Although it was covered by a veil, it still was not necessarily safe.
At least currently, Yu Tu was the only one everyone could see, so only he would have to go through the embarrassment.
She tried hard to hide her face against Yu Tu's neck.
"Then, just hurry up."
When they were outside of the wedding ballroom on the second floor, Yu Tu finally put her down. As soon as her feet touched the floor, Qiao Jing Jing quickly looked around. Fortunately, there was no one by the door of the ballroom at this moment.
Yu Tu held her hand and looked at the closed door of the ballroom.
"We are going to have our wedding ceremony inside."
"Yes." Qiao Jing Jing also looked at the door.
"Let's start rehearsing?"
"Okay." Qiao Jing Jing unexpectedly felt a little nervous, though this was obviously just a rehearsal.
"Before the wedding begins, a staff member will bring us all here. Then each pair of newlyweds will enter in succession. We will be the last couple to enter. Is that too far back in the sequence?"
"No," said Qiao Jing Jing. "I have always been the grand finale in the events I go to."
"I thought it would be so. Okay, let's go in."
He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the ballroom.
The splendor of stars filling the sky above suddenly streamed out from the room.
Qiao Jing Jing's eyes instantly opened wide. She blurted out, "It's so beautiful."
She was filled with joy at this pleasant surprise as she entered the ballroom. For a moment, it was like being in a deep blue sea of stars. Above their heads was a night sky created together by draped, sheer cloth, and all kinds of light decorations were transformed into stars that dotted it. Beside her was a sea of flowers made up of white roses. Countless stars were also projected onto the aisle leading to the stage. When she stepped up to the stage with the train of her wedding dress trailing behind her, it would be like the Milky Way was trailing behind her.
Yu Tu stood still and watched her twirl in that Milky Way.
"It's so romantic." Qiao Jing Jing couldn't help lifting her veil to see a little clearer. "You people who work in aerospace are really very romantic. I never would have thought the wedding would have a starry sky theme. How did they come up with it?"
"Everyone chose together. The person in charge gathered the people in our work unit into a chat group. Everyone voted unanimously for this theme."
"You knew ahead of time? And you were even involved in the wedding design?" Qiao Jing Jing was a little surprised.
"Yes, everyone participated actively."
"You were involved, but you didn't get found out?"
"I used an alternate account with a different alias. Such a pity that I contributed a lot of ideas but I had no choice but to conceal my contributions and my name."
Qiao Jing Jing laughed. "I don't believe you. When I initially wanted to organize everything myself, you didn't come up with any good ideas."
Yu Tu laughed and held out his hand. "Come, let's not run around. We are going in soon."
"Okay." Qiao Jing Jing jogged back and gave her hand to him.
"Next we will go to the stage together."
"Okay."
They held hands and stood solemnly at the doorway. Then step by step, they walked, with the stars beneath their feet, toward the stage.
In fact, there were a few people in the ballroom, adjusting equipment. At this time, they stopped their work and stared blankly at them. Yu Tu and Qiao Jing Jing completely ignored their gazes. At this moment, in this dreamy universe, there was only each other.
They went up onto the stage.
"We will stand here." He pulled her to stand steadily in a position that was off to the side.
"You remember everything very clearly. There's no need for me to navigate you at all."
Yu Tu laughed softly, "Of course I can remember everything."
"What's next?"
Qiao Jing Jing looked at him with shining eyes.
"Then, the master of ceremonies will announce the official start of the wedding.
"My teacher will preside over our marriage."
Our parents, friends, and relatives will watch in the audience with great joy.
We will exchange rings.
Read our wedding vows.
Promise ourselves to one another for the rest of our lives.
At the end, among the myriad of stars and in the bright Milky Way, I will be able to hug you.
And say to you.
Yu Tu held Qiao Jing Jing's waist, bowed his head, and kissed her. He said, "I love you."