The sight of her sister standing motionless at the end of the aisle had already begun to draw the curious glances of the church guests. Even Ou Chen’s expression seemed laced with a flicker of tension.
“Sis…”
The wedding march swelled, its melody echoing richly through the grand, sweeping sanctuary. Just as Yin Cheng called out to her again, ready to assure her that he would support whatever decision she made, even one born of hesitation at this very moment, Yin Xiamo’s fingers gave a barely perceptible tremor.
Then, with a dazed inhalation, she finally linked her arm through Xiao Cheng’s and began her slow walk toward Ou Chen and the priest.
The wavering candlelight.
Igniting into two long, shimmering rows of starlight.
Step by step.
She moved forward slowly.
Linking her arm through Yin Cheng’s, she advanced toward Ou Chen waiting at the altar.
The music soared, filling the cathedral.
The snow-white
wedding gown trailed across the dark crimson carpet.
The church’s immense dome was adorned with magnificent murals, and the multi-hued sunlight streamed in brilliantly through the stained-glass windows, as if bathing her in sacred light; she walked, arm in arm with Yin Cheng, step by careful step toward Ou Chen.
The front pews of the church.
Zhen En’s eyes glistened with unshed tears of emotion.
Watching Shamo, clad in white, slowly approaching Ou Chen, she prayed with every fiber of her being for Shamo’s happiness—she must be happy, absolutely and truly happy; if it were possible, she would willingly surrender her own happiness to Shamo…
Within the sanctity of the church, amidst the pure atmosphere, she prayed with utter devotion.
Suddenly—
A faint strain of a mobile phone ringtone drifted in…
The melody was somewhat familiar, persistent, refusing to cease its insistent call. Zhen En tilted her ear to listen; it seemed to be coming from the handbag right beside her! Puzzled, she opened it, and there it was: Shamo’s phone ringing. Who would be calling Shamo at a moment like this? She looked down—
Boom—!
A thunderclap detonated inside Zhen En’s mind!
………… … “Ou Chen and I truly have nothing between us…” … “Luo Xi… I’m the one I love.” … “…I’m the one I love…” … ………… Warm water surged over the black marble edge of the bathtub…
Spilling out onto the white porcelain floor…
Blood-red…
A warmth that almost seemed to linger from a living body…
The last trace of color had faded from her lips; the world before her eyes had turned utterly black, rendering everything invisible. The saturated white shirt drifted gently underwater like a fragile white petal, life ebbing away thread by thread. Only that bleeding hand stubbornly clutched the telephone in the bathroom, as if gripping the most essential thing in her life…
Blood…
Dripping, drop by agonizing drop, from the wrist…
In the encroaching dark vertigo…
The telephone’s drone of “Beep—beep—”…
If only I…
Zhen En’s face turned deathly pale with shock!
The characters "Luo Xi" jumping on Shamo’s phone screen felt like searing brands, making her hand jerk violently. The phone tumbled heavily back into the handbag, yet the ringing persisted, stubbornly demanding attention!
“What? Whose call is that?”
Pan Nan leaned over for a look.
Zhen En snapped the handbag shut in fright, shielding the screen, her voice trembling uncontrollably as she stammered:
“N-nothing…”
Dying…
The grand wedding march resonated through the church.
Slowly. Foam Summer III